Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inaugural article: Sleeping Beauty mutagenesis reveals cooperating mutations and pathways in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers affecting the Western world. Because the disease is highly metastatic and difficult to diagnosis until late stages, the 5-y survival rate is around 5%. The identification of molecular cancer drivers is critical for furthering our understanding of the disease and development of improved diagnostic tools and therapeutics. We have conducted a mutagenic screen using Sleeping Beauty (SB) in mice to identify new candidate cancer genes in pancreatic cancer. By combining SB with an oncogenic Kras allele, we observed highly metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Using two independent statistical methods to identify loci commonly mutated by SB in these tumors, we identified 681 loci that comprise 543 candidate cancer genes (CCGs); 75 of these CCGs, including Mll3 and Ptk2, have known mutations in human pancreatic cancer. We identified point mutations in human pancreatic patient samples for another 11 CCGs, including Acvr2a and Map2k4. Importantly, 10% of the CCGs are involved in chromatin remodeling, including Arid4b, Kdm6a, and Nsd3, and all SB tumors have at least one mutated gene involved in this process; 20 CCGs, including Ctnnd1, Fbxo11, and Vgll4, are also significantly associated with poor patient survival. SB mutagenesis provides a rich resource of mutations in potential cancer drivers for cross-comparative analyses with ongoing sequencing efforts in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Excimer laser treatment of spherical hyperopia: PRK or LASIK?

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy and safety of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in the treatment of spherical hyperopia with use of the VISX STAR S2 excimer laser. METHODS A review of 15 consecutive patients (22 eyes) receiving PRK and 22 consecutive patients (26 eyes) receiving LASIK (median follow-up, 12 months). RESULTS Mean age was 52 +/- 7 years for patients receiving PRK and 55 +/- 9 years for patients receiving LASIK. Mean preoperative spherical equivalent was +2.25 +/- 1.16 D for PRK patients and +1.81 +/- 0.92 D for LASIK patients. Mean deviation from intended correction was -0.82 +/- 0.89 D after PRK and +0.19 +/- 0.47 D after LASIK at 1 month (P < .01); +0.16 D +/- 0.37 D after PRK and +0.29 +/- 0.51 D after LASIK at 6 months (P = .906); +0.20 +/- 0.35 D after PRK and +0.37 +/- 0.44 D after LASIK at 1 year (P = .301). At 1 year, 83.3% of PRK eyes and 61.5% of hyperopic LASIK eyes were within +/- 0.50 D of intended correction (P = 1.0). At 1 year, all eyes in both groups had acuity of 20/40 or better uncorrected, and 47.1% of PRK eyes and 54.5% of LASIK eyes had acuity of 20/20 or better uncorrected (P = 1.0). At last follow-up (minimum, 6 months), 2 eyes in each group had lost 2 lines of best spectacle-correct visual acuity, but none had lost more than 2 lines. All PRK patients experienced significant postoperative pain that required systemic medication. LASIK patients had only minor, transient discomfort. CONCLUSION LASIK and PRK are of comparable efficacy and safety. However, PRK was associated with significant post-operative pain, an initial and temporary myopic overshoot peaking at 1 month, and stability not occurring before 6 months. LASIK was less painful and was associated with more rapid stability (at 1 month) and a trend toward better uncorrected visual acuity, although not statistically significant.
Can Information Campaigns Raise Awareness and Local Participation in Primary Education

A wide circle of development thinkers, policy-makers, and practitioners believes that the participation of local ommunities in public services is instrumental in achieving better development outcomes. This has sparked the creation of new (or revival of existing) local agencies around the developing world. Yet, more often than not, these new institutions are constrained - they have no real authority to hire and fire public providers, no real resources to use at their discretion, and no real responsibility for service delivery outcomes. Nevertheless, there is a sense amongst policy-makers and practitioners that what these institutions might do is, provide a "voice" to the people, a forum for "collective action", and facilitate "bottom-up" or "demanddriven" initiatives that make a difference. The hope is that local agencies will strengthen people's participation in improving the functioning of basic services, and thereby lead to better delivery and outcomes. In India, decentralised participation has been given central importance in the primary education sector through the roll-out of a massive government push for universalisation of elementary education (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)). Through habitationlevel planning and community participation, it is envisaged that the village education committee will take decisions based on local needs and therefore will be able to effectively use the resources allocated for primary education at the local level. In the design and implementation of SSA, local action is an essential element in the process of ensuring universal enrolment, retention, and achievement of a satisfactory level of learning. The village education committees (VECs) are seen as the mechanism through which public funds for education services will flow to the village, through which planning, implementation and monitoring will be coordinated. However, for local groups to lead any substantial change in school governance or functioning, it is essential that the groups are active, well-informed and able to take decisions. The existence of committees, by itself, cannot be an effective tool for change, if people are unaware of the existence of these committees, do not know their responsibilities, the resources that are available and how decisions can be made. This information gap may be particularly salient, if members of the local agencies are
Ethnic Differences in Attitudes and Bias Toward Older People Comparing White and Asian Nursing Students

Purposes: To identify attitudes and bias toward aging between Asian and White students and identify factors affecting attitudes toward aging. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 308 students in a nursing program completed the measure of Attitudes Toward Older People and Aging Quiz electronically. Findings: There were no differences in positive attitudes and pro-aged bias between Asian and White groups, but Asian students had significantly more negative attitudes and anti-aged bias toward older people than White students. Multiple regression analysis showed ethnicity/race was the strongest variable to explain negative attitudes toward older people. Feeling uneasy about talking to older adults was the most significant factor to explain all attitudinal concepts. Conclusions: Asian students were uneasy about talking with older people and had negative attitudes toward older adults. To become competent in cross-cultural care and communication in nursing, educational strategies to reduce negative attitudes on aging are necessary.
A Time to Make Laws and a Time to Fundraise? On the Relation between Salaries and Time Use for State Politicians

Paying higher salaries is often believed to enhance worker effort, leading workers to work harder to avoid getting fired. However, workers may also respond to higher salaries by focusing on tasks that most directly affect getting fired (as opposed to those that contribute most to productivity). We explore these issues by analyzing the relationship between the level of compensation and time use for US state legislators. Using data on time use and legislator salaries, we show that higher salary is associated with legislators spending more time on fundraising. In contrast, higher salary is also associated with less time spent on legislative activities and has no clear relation to time spent on constituent services. Subgroup analysis broadly supports our interpretation of the data.
In utero transmission of Mycoplasma pulmonis in experimentally infected Sprague-Dawley rats

Genital mycoplasmosis is important as an animal model for the interaction between infectious agents and the host during pregnancy as well as in its own right as a confounding variable affecting research projects in which the rat is used as a model to study reproductive function and physiology. We report the in utero transmission of Mycoplasma pulmonis and the development of placentitis, amnionitis, and mild fetal bronchopneumonia in Sprague-Dawley rats. A minimum of 10 days prior to breeding, specific-pathogen-free female Sprague-Dawley rats were infected by intravaginal inoculation with 3 x 10(7) CFU of M. pulmonis X1048 or with an equal volume of sterile broth. Rats and fetuses were subjected to necropsy at days 11, 14, and 18 of gestation. M. pulmonis was able to invade the placenta, cross the placental barrier, and establish an amniotic fluid infection by gestational day 14. It was isolated from the oropharynx and lungs of fetuses at gestational day 18. The placenta was more frequently colonized than amniotic fluid, followed by the fetal oropharynx and lungs, supporting an ascending route of infection. Histopathological evidence also support an active infection, with lesions compatible with placentitis, amnionitis, and mild fetal bronchopneumonia. M. pulmonis can traverse the placenta, resulting in infection of the amniotic fluid and in utero transmission of the microorganism to the developing fetus.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26:H11/H-: a new virulent clone emerges in Europe.

BACKGROUND Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O26 causes diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Strains harboring the stx1a gene prevail, but strains with stx2a as the sole Shiga toxin-encoding gene are now emerging. The traits and virulence of the latter set of strains are unknown. We correlated stx genotypes of 272 EHEC O26 strains isolated in 7 European countries between 1996 and 2012 with disease phenotypes. We determined phylogeny, clonal structure, and plasmid gene profiles of the isolates and portray geographic and temporal distribution of the different subgroups. METHODS The stx genotypes and plasmid genes were identified using polymerase chain reaction, phylogeny was assigned using multilocus sequence typing, and clonal relatedness was established using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS Of the 272 EHEC O26 isolates, 107 (39.3%), 139 (51.1%), and 26 (9.6%) possessed stx1a, stx2a, or both genes, respectively. Strains harboring stx2a only were significantly associated with HUS (odds ratio, 14.2; 95% confidence interval, 7.9-25.6; P < .001) compared to other stx genotypes. The stx2a-harboring strains consist of 2 phylogenetically distinct groups defined by sequence type (ST) 21 and ST29. The ST29 strains are highly conserved and correspond by plasmid genes to the new virulent clone of EHEC O26 that emerged in Germany in the 1990s. This new clone occurred in 6 of the 7 countries and represented approximately 50% of all stx2a-harboring EHEC O26 strains isolated between 1996 and 2012. CONCLUSIONS A new highly virulent clone of EHEC O26 has emerged in Europe. Its reservoirs and sources warrant identification.
Mechanisms of activation of muscle branched‐chain alpha‐keto acid dehydrogenase during exercise in man.

1. Exercise leads to activation (dephosphorylation) of the branched‐chain alpha‐keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKADH). Here we investigate the effect of low pre‐exercise muscle glycogen content and of branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) ingestion on the activity of BCKADH at rest and after 90 min of one‐leg knee‐extensor exercise at 65% maximal one‐leg power output in five subjects. 2. Pre‐exercise BCAA ingestion (308 mg BCAAs (kg body wt)‐1) caused an increased muscle BCAA uptake, a higher intramuscular BCAA concentration and activation of BCKADH both at rest (9 +/‐ 1 versus 25 +/‐ 5% for the control and BCAA test, respectively) and after exercise (27 +/‐ 4 versus 54 +/‐ 7%). 3. At rest the percentage active BCKADH was not different, 6 +/‐ 2% versus 5 +/‐ 1%, in the normal and low glycogen content leg (392 +/‐ 21 and 147 +/‐ 34 mumol glycosyl units (g dry muscle)‐1, respectively). The post‐exercise BCKADH activity was higher in the low (46 +/‐ 2%) than in the normal glycogen content leg (26 +/‐ 2%). 4. It is concluded that: (1) the mechanism of activation by BCAA ingestion probably involves an increase of the muscle BCAA concentration; (2) BCKADH activation caused by exercise and BCAA ingestion are additive; (3) low pre‐exercise muscle glycogen content augments the exercise‐induced BCKADH activation without an increase in muscle BCAA concentration; and (4) the mechanism of BCKADH activation via BCAA ingestion and low muscle glycogen content are different.
Testing the Generality of the Name Letter Effect: Name Initials and Everyday Attitudes

The name letter effect is the tendency to evaluate alphabetical letters in one’s name, especially initials, particularly favorably. Recent evidence suggests that name initials may even predict career choices. The authors investigated whether people possess favorable attitudes toward basic attitude objects beginning with name initials, both between individuals (e.g., does Judy like jam more than does Doug? ) and within individuals (e.g., does Judy like jam more than honey? ). Ratings of animals, foods, leisure activities (Studies 1-4) and national groups (Studies 2-4) revealed no object preference as a function of matching name initials. However, the name letter effect emerged (Studies 3-4), as did a clear preference for brand names starting with one’s name initials (Study 4). Self-esteem, narcissism, and stimuli characteristics did not reliably influence these effects. Implications for extending name letter effects to basic attitude processes are discussed.
MEASURING THE IMPACT OF A BONUS-MALUS SYSTEM IN FINITE AND CONTINUOUS TIME RUIN PROBABILITIES FOR LARGE PORTFOLIOS IN MOTOR INSURANCE

Motor insurance is a very competitive business where insurers operate with quite large portfolios, often decisions must be taken under short horizons and therefore ruin probabilities should be calculated in finite time. The probability of ruin, in continuous and finite time, is numerically evaluated under the classical CramA©râ€“Lundberg risk process framework for a large motor insurance portfolio, where we allow for a posteriori premium adjustments, according to the claim record of each individual policyholder. Focusing on the classical model for bonus-malus systems, we propose that the probability of ruin can be interpreted as a measure to decide between different bonus-malus scales or even between different bonus-malus rules. In our work, the required initial surplus can also be evaluated. We consider an application of a bonus-malus system for motor insurance to study the impact of experience rating in ruin probabilities. For that, we used a real commercial scale of an insurer operating in the Portuguese market, and we also work on various well-known optimal bonus-malus scales estimated with real data from that insurer. Results involving these scales are discussed.
Little effect of transfer technique instruction and physical fitness training in reducing low back pain among nurses: a cluster randomised intervention study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a transfer technique education programme (TT) alone or in combination with physical fitness training (TTPT) compared with a control group, who followed their usual routine. Eleven clinical hospital wards were cluster randomised to either intervention (six wards) or to control (five wards). The intervention cluster was individually randomised to TT (55 nurses) and TTPT (50 nurses), control (76 nurses). The transfer technique programme was a 4-d course of train-the-trainers to teach transfer technique to their colleagues. The physical training consisted of supervised physical fitness training 1 h twice per week for 8 weeks. Implementing transfer technique alone or in combination with physical fitness training among a hospital nursing staff did not, when compared to a control group, show any statistical differences according to self-reported low back pain (LBP), pain level, disability and sick leave at a 12-month follow-up. However, the individual randomised intervention subgroup (transfer technique/physical training) significantly improved the LBP-disability (p = 0.001). Although weakened by a high withdrawal rate, teaching transfer technique to nurses in a hospital setting needs to be thoroughly considered. Other priorities such as physical training may be taken into consideration. The current study supports the findings of other studies that introducing transfer technique alone has no effect in targeting LBP. However, physical training seems to have an influence in minimising the LBP consequences and may be important in the discussion of how to prevent LBP or the recurrence of LBP among nursing personnel.
Attitudes toward nicotine replacement therapy in smokers and ex‐smokers in the general public

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) doubles the chances that a smoker will quit smoking, but most smokers who attempt to quit do not use it at all or only use it inconsistently. We aimed to identify attitudes of smokers and ex‐smokers toward NRT and to develop and assess the validity of a brief scale used to measure these attitudes.
Antibodies against RNA hydrolyze RNA and DNA

Immunization of animals with DNA leads to the production of anti‐DNA antibodies (Abs) demonstrating both DNase and RNase activities. It is currently not known whether anti‐RNA Abs can possess nuclease activities. In an attempt to address this question, we have shown that immunization of three rabbits with complex of RNA with methylated BSA (mBSA) stimulates production of IgGs with RNase and DNase activities belonging to IgGs, while polyclonal Abs from three non‐immunized rabbits and three animals immunized with mBSA are catalytically inactive. Affinity chromatography of IgGs from the sera of autoimmune (AI) patients on DNA‐cellulose usually demonstrates a number of fractions, all of which effectively hydrolyze both DNA and RNA, while rabbit catalytic IgGs were separated into Ab subfractions, some of which demonstrated only DNase activity, while others hydrolyzed RNA faster than DNA. The enzymic properties of the RNase and DNase IgGs from rabbits immunized with RNA distinguish them from all known canonical RNases and DNases and DNA‐ and RNA‐hydrolyzing abzymes (Abzs) from patients with different AI diseases. In contrast to RNases and AI RNA‐hydrolyzing Abs, rabbit RNase IgGs catalyze only the first step of the hydrolysis reaction but cannot hydrolyze the formed terminal 2′,3′‐cyclophosphate. The data indicate that Abzs of AI patients hydrolyzing nucleic acids in part may be Abs against RNA and its complexes with proteins. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Socio-economic inequalities in stage at diagnosis, and in time intervals on the lung cancer pathway from first symptom to treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis

Cancer diagnosis at an early stage increases the chance of curative treatment and of survival. It has been suggested that delays on the pathway from first symptom to diagnosis and treatment may be socio-economically patterned, and contribute to socio-economic differences in receipt of treatment and in cancer survival. This review aimed to assess the published evidence for socio-economic inequalities in stage at diagnosis of lung cancer, and in the length of time spent on the lung cancer pathway. MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases were searched to locate cohort studies of adults with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer, where the outcome was stage at diagnosis or the length of time spent within an interval on the care pathway, or a suitable proxy measure, analysed according to a measure of socio-economic position. Meta-analysis was undertaken when there were studies available with suitable data. Of the 461 records screened, 39 papers were included in the review (20 from the UK) and seven in a final meta-analysis for stage at diagnosis. There was no evidence of socio-economic inequalities in late stage at diagnosis in the most, compared with the least, deprived group (OR=1.04, 95% CI=0.92 to 1.19). No socio-economic inequalities in the patient interval or in time from diagnosis to treatment were found. Socio-economic inequalities in stage at diagnosis are thought to be an important explanatory factor for survival inequalities in cancer. However, socio-economic inequalities in stage at diagnosis were not found in a meta-analysis for lung cancer. PROSPERO protocol registration number CRD42014007145.
Institutional Co-Creation Interfaces for Innovation Diffusion during Disaster Management

This paper discusses the concept of Resilient and Green Supply Chain Management (RGSCM) implementation in South Eastern Europe (SEE) from the point of view of understanding the structure of the inter-organizational (institutional) interfaces involved in this process as well as how are these interfaces evolving and transforming over time. As social and environmental concerns are growing in importance through normative and coercive directions, all the regional actors (triple/quadruple/quintuple helix) that supply chains interact with need to bridge their inter-organizational interfaces to properly ensure co-creation at the entire stakeholder level towards increasing the chances of a homogenous implementation of RGSCM. In this context, this paper adopts a three-stage mixed methodology of interviews, survey, focus groups, modelling and simulation case studies. The results show that the key pillars of inter-organizational interface integration and evolution reside in the proper identification of the key goals (performance indicators) of the involved institutions, which will maintain market-optimized competition levels. Then, institutions will steadily adhere to the market trends as explained by the ST and INT and in the process of adopting the RGSCM eco-innovation (DIT), the new entrant institutions will transform their inter-organizational interface to properly bridge with the core market stakeholder group. Finally, the key driver of interface alteration resides in the ability of disruptive (eco) innovators to set new standards. This research has core academic implications by extending the INT, DIT and ST under the context of RGSCM, policy implications in terms of proper policy making to support the required co-creation as well as practical implications by helping organizations to manage their inter-organizational interfaces.