Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Management of advanced stage intermediate grade non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas

The treatment result of 271 cases of advanced stage intermediate grade lymphoma were reviewed. Ninety‐four patients received CHOP chemotherapy, 45 BACOP and 17 m‐BACOD. The clinical characteristics of the three groups of patients were comparable. Patients receiving CHOP had a complete response (CR) rate of 60 per cent, the disease‐free survival of CR patients was 31 per cent at 5 years. The overall survival following CHOP chemotherapy was 38 per cent at 5 years. The use of the BACOP or m‐BACOD regime did not appear to improve significantly the prognosis of these patients. Clinical staging, B symptoms, age and serum lactate dehydrogenase level were the most important independent prognostic factors.
Up-regulation of human bradykinin B1 receptor by secreted components of Pseudomonas aeruginosa via a NF-κB pathway in epithelial cells.

Pulmonary epithelial cells produce neutrophil chemotactic activity in response to pathogenic bacterial infections, resulting in neutrophil migration to infection sites. Elicited neutrophils in the inflamed tissues were found to be dependent on bradykinin B1 receptor (B1R), which shows high affinity for the active metabolites derived from bradykinin. Thus, the up-regulation of bradykinin and B1R expression represents an important host defense response against invading microbes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the effect of P. aeruginosa on the expression of B1R remains unclear, while P. aeruginosa infection is known to stimulate the production of bradykinin. Here, we report that human B1R (hB1R) transcription is up-regulated in host cells co-cultured with P. aeruginosa. Components secreted from P. aeruginosa play a major role in the up-regulation, and the secretion of the components is not controlled by either type III secretion system or quorum sensing. Moreover, the B1R induction is mediated by a NF-κB signaling pathway in human lung epithelial cells. Taken together, this study demonstrates that P. aeruginosa is capable of up-regulating hB1R expression via the NF-κB signaling pathway.
The effect of correlation on strength of evidence estimates in Forensic Voice Comparison: uni- and multivariate Likelihood Ratio-based discrimination with Australian English vowel acoustics

The consequences of ignoring correlations between features in traditional forensic speaker recognition are investigated. Two likelihood ratio-based discrimination experiments on the same multivariate formant data are described, one taking correlation into account and the other not doing so. The discrimination is performed using Naive Bayes univariate, and multivariate generative Likelihood Ratios (LRs) as discriminant functions, exemplified with Tippett plots and evaluated with the C llr cost function. It is shown that ignoring within-segment correlation can result in considerable over- or under-estimation of the strength of evidence when traditional features are used, and there is poorer overall discrimination between same-speaker and different-speaker pairs. The use of logistic-regression fusion to handle between-segment correlation is also demonstrated.
The use of maternal C-reactive protein in the predicting of preterm labor and tocolytic therapy in preterm labor women

Background: Levels of a number of some biomarkers have been associated with spontaneous preterm birth. This study was aimed to evaluate the relation between C-reactive protein (CRP) with preterm labor and response to tocolytic therapy. Materials and Methods: Seventy five pregnant women with symptoms of preterm labor (cases) in compare with 75 term women (controls) were enrolled. Baseline data and CRP was recorded. So, cases were under treatment tocolysis with the use of magnesium sulfate, and then they were followed till delivery time to assess the response to the treatment. Results: Sixteen patients with symptoms of preterm labor did not response to the treatment and delivered prematurely and 59 women response to tocolytic treatment and delivered at term. The curve constructed cut-off value for >3.6 (AUC, 0.683; SE, 0.041; P < 0.0001) for CRP, indicating a significant relationship with preterm labor. Also, there was significant relationship between CRP level with response to the treatment in cut-off >1.8 (AUC, 0.738; SE, 0.076; P = 0.001) for CRP. Conclusions: Maternal concentrations of CRP can be used as appropriate biomarker for predicting preterm labor and response to tocolytic therapy in pregnant women.
THE REDUCTION OF WHEAT Cd UPTAKE IN CONTAMINATED SOIL VIA BIOCHAR AMENDMENT: A TWO-YEAR FIELD EXPERIMENT

A field study involving wheat production was extended in order to study the effects of biochar (BC) amendment in paddy soil that had long-term contamination of Cd. The BC was used as an amendment in Cd-contaminated soil for its special property. BC was amended at rates of 10 to 40 t ha-1 during the rice season before rice transplantation in 2009. BC amendments increased soil pH by 0.11 to 0.24 and by 0.09 to 0.24 units, respectively, while the soil CaCl2-extracted Cd was reduced by 10.1% to 40.2% and by 10.0% to 57.0% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Consequently, the total wheat Cd uptake was decreased by 16.8% to 37.3% and by 6.5% to 28.3%. Wheat grain Cd concentration was reduced by 24.8% to 44.2% and by 14.0% to 39.2% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The BC application in soil reduced Cd phyto-availability in two wheat seasons possibly by raising soil pH and soil organic carbon (SOC). Therefore, BC may be used for soil remediation, but not to reduce Cd uptake to an adequate level for food production on Cd contaminated soils.
Beneficial n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and n6:n3 ratios after 4-week EPA + DHA supplementation associated with reduced CRP: A pilot study in healthy young adults

Chronic systemic inflammation is associated with many conditions of aging such as atherosclerosis. Lowering high n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios are commonly found in Western diets aids in preventing inflammatory-related diseases. However, it is not clear whether dietary interventions designed to alter n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios can reduce systemic inflammation in younger adults. Studies that evaluate PUFA intake often use subjective data from food frequency questionnaires or food records rather than more precise physiological measures of PUFAs (e.g. plasma levels). Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study that analyzed data from the experimental parent study of younger adults (n = 18), was to determine whether plasma PUFA levels were associated with levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker, and if supplementation with n-3 PUFAs was correlated with rising n-3 PUFA concentrations in plasma and decreasing n-6:n-3 ratios. In the parent study, participants received daily either placebo or n-3 PUFA softgels (1.6 g eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and 1.2 g docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]). EPA and DHA are the biologically active components in fish oil. Measures included blood for PUFA quantification at baseline and four weeks later, when blister wounds were created and wound fluid and saliva were collected. The saliva samples were used to measure CRP in the present study. We report that CRP was significantly and negatively correlated with total n-3 PUFAs (tau-β = ? 0.373, p = 0.031) and positively correlated with n-6:n-3 ratios (tau-β = 0.320, p = 0.063). Those consuming EPA + DHA supplements had significantly higher concentrations of total n-3 PUFAs and significantly lower n-6:n-3 ratios (p The present study has shown that beneficial levels of n-3 PUFAs and n-6:n3 ratios were achieved with 4-weeks of EPA + DHA supplementation and were associated with reduced CRP in young adults. EPA + DHA supplementation for some young adults may help prevent inflammatory conditions later in life.
Disrupted Serotonergic and Sympathoadrenal Systems in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure May Serve as New Therapeutic Targets and Novel Biomarkers to Assess Severity, Progression and Response to Treatment

Background: It is well established that the serotonergic system (SS) plays important roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. However, the impact of serotonin and its inter-relation with the sympathoadrenal system (SAS) in chronic heart failure (CHF) is poorly understood. Methods: Utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, we determined blood plasma levels of serotonin (5-hydroxy-triptamine, [5-HT]p), 5- hydroxy-indole-acetic acid ([5-HIAA]p), epinephrine ([E]p), norepinephrine ([NE]p), 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenyl-alanine ([DOPA]p), dopamine ([DA]p) and the platelet concentration of serotonin ([5-HT]pt) in CHF patients with different morphofunctional alterations of myocardium. The morphofunctional alterations included diastolic dysfunction (DD), diastolic dysfunction with left ventricular hypertrophy (DD&LVH), and diastolic and systolic dysfunction (D&SD). Results: All CHF groups showed significant rises of [5-HT]p and [5-HT]pt. DD&LVH and D&SD individuals also had increased [5-HIAA]p. Levels of SAS blood biomarkers were also significantly changed. The correlation between SS and SAS was increased in CHF and corresponded with disease severity. Conclusions: These results clearly demonstrate that in CHF patients significant changes in SS and SAS occur, which are thought to relate to the morphofunctional alterations of myocardium. The observed changes in the levels of these biomarkers may serve as potential surrogates to monitor severity of disease, to evaluate response to drug treatment, and as a rational basis for new therapeutic approaches.
Electrical load clustering: The Italian case

In this paper we use clustering algorithms to compute the typical Italian load profile in different days of the week in different seasons. This result can be exploited by energy providers to tailor more attractive time-varying tariffs for their customers. We find out that better results are obtained if the clustering is not performed directly on the data, but on some features extracted from the data. Thus, we compare some conventional features to identify the most informative ones in the Italian case.
Assimilating in situ and radar altimetry data into a large-scale hydrologic-hydrodynamic model for streamflow forecast in the Amazon

In this work, we introduce and evaluate a data assimilation framework for gauged and radar altimetry-based discharge and water levels applied to a large scale hydrologic-hydrodynamic model for stream flow forecasts over the Amazon River basin. We used the process-based hydrological model called MGB-IPH coupled with a river hydrodynamic module using a storage model for floodplains. The Ensemble Kalman Filter technique was used to assimilate information from hundreds of gauging and altimetry stations based on ENVISAT satellite data. Model state variables errors were generated by corrupting precipitation forcing, considering log-normally distributed, time and spatially correlated errors. The EnKF performed well when assimilating in situ discharge, by improving model estimates at the assimilation sites (change in root-mean-squared error Delta rms = -49 %) and also transferring information to ungauged rivers reaches (Delta rms = -16 %). Altimetry data assimilation improves results, in terms of water levels (Delta rms = -44 %) and discharges (Delta rms = -15 %) to a minor degree, mostly close to altimetry sites and at a daily basis, even though radar altimetry data has a low temporal resolution. Sensitivity tests highlighted the importance of the magnitude of the precipitation errors and that of their spatial correlation, while temporal correlation showed to be dispensable. The deterioration of model performance at some unmonitored reaches indicates the need for proper characterisation of model errors and spatial localisation techniques for hydrological applications. Finally, we evaluated stream flow forecasts for the Amazon basin based on initial conditions produced by the data assimilation scheme and using the ensemble stream flow prediction approach where the model is forced by past meteorological forcings. The resulting forecasts agreed well with the observations and maintained meaningful skill at large rivers even for long lead times, e.g. > 90 days at the Solimoes/Amazon main stem. Results encourage the potential of hydrological forecasts at large rivers and/or poorly monitored regions by combining models and remote-sensing information.
Adenovirus‐mediated E2F‐1 gene transfer efficiently induces apoptosis in melanoma cells

E2F‐1 is a transcription factor that stimulates cellular proliferation and cell cycle progression from G1 to S‐phase. Somewhat paradoxically, E2F‐1 also has the properties of a tumor suppressor. Overexpression of E2F‐1 has been shown to induce apoptosis in some cancer cells. In the current study, the effect of adenovirus‐mediated E2F‐1 gene transfer on human melanoma cell growth was investigated.
Tyrosinase inhibition by water and ethanol extracts of a far eastern sea cucumber, Stichopus japonicus.

BACKGROUND Tyrosinase plays a key role in hyperpigmentaion and enzymatic browning. The present study was aimed at investigating the inhibitory effects of water and 70% aqueous ethanol extracts of Stichopus japonicus, a sea cucumber long consumed as a tonic food and traditional medicine, on the diphenolase activity of tyrosinase. RESULTS In the tyrosinase inhibition study, high-performance liquid chromatography completely separated L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and dopachrome from other compounds present in the extracts, and provided more reliable results than the commonly used spectrophotometry. The ethanol extract (IC(50)=0.49-0.61 mg mL(-1)) showed higher inhibitory activity than the water extract (IC(50)=1.80-1.99 mg mL(-1)). Enzyme inhibition by the extracts was reversible and of mixed type. For both extracts, the dissociation constants for binding to free enzyme were significantly smaller than those for binding to enzyme-substrate complex. Ethyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (IC(50)=0.19 mg mL(-1)), isolated for the first time from sea cucumber, and adenosine (IC(50)=0.13 mg mL(-1)), were identified as key tyrosinase inhibitors. CONCLUSION The sea cucumber extracts were demonstrated to possess considerable inhibitory potency against the diphenolase activity of tyrosinase, suggesting that the sea cucumber may be a good source of safe and effective tyrosinase inhibitors.
Density Functional Study of Ethylene Adsorption on Palladium Clusters

Fully optimized geometries and adsorption energies obtained from nonlocal density functional calculations are presented for Pdn(C2H4) (n = 1−6) clusters. The adsorption mode can be π or di-σ according to the cluster size. The di-σ adsorption mode is characterized by a strong distortion for both the ethylene and the metal cluster. The potential energy surfaces for the C−H activation show that the d10 configuration of palladium is suitable for the formation of the π molecular complexes, whereas the d9s1 configuration is suitable for the formation of the σ bonds of the vinyl−hydride products.
Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI , FokI , ApaI , and TaqI Polymorphisms in Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Iran : A Case-Control Study

INTRODUCTION Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological inflammatory disorder with demyelination of central nervous system [1]. The full etiology of this disease remains unknown; however, the genetic and environmental factors play important roles in susceptibility to this disease [2]. Some studies reported that the low serum levels of vitamin D3 (25[OH] D) in the MS patients might be associated with the enhancement of MS risk and higher severity of disease [3-4]. The results of the experimental and clinical studies indicated that vitamin D acts as an antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory agent [56] through the vitamin D receptor (VDR) that is expressed by most of the immune cells [4]. Several studies have investigated the association of VDR gene polymorphisms with MS in various ethnic populations and reported different results [7-11]. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the serum level of vitamin D (25[OH] D) was very low in the Iranian MS patients. The treatment of these patients with vitamin D (300,000 IU/month) for six months increased the serum levels of vitamin D; nevertheless, it did not affect the expanded disability status scale scores or the number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions. However, certain polymorphisms of the VDR gene, which affect the affinity of VDR in binding to vitamin D may alter the function of the activated form of vitamin D [12]. In spite of the high incidence of MS in the central parts of Iran, there is limited information on VDR gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Iranian MS patients. The SNPs is the Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI, FokI, ApaI, and TaqI Polymorphisms in Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Iran: A Case-Control Study
New Evidence for Differential Roles of L 10 Ribosomal Proteins from Arabidopsis 1 [ C ]

The RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN L10 (RPL10) is an integral component of the eukaryotic ribosome large subunit. Besides being a constituent of ribosomes and participating in protein translation, additional extraribosomal functions in the nucleus have been described for RPL10 in different organisms. Previously, we demonstrated that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) RPL10 genes are involved in development and translation under ultraviolet B (UV-B) stress. In this work, transgenic plants expressing ProRPL10:b-glucuronidase fusions show that, while AtRPL10A and AtRPL10B are expressed both in the female and male reproductive organs, AtRPL10C expression is restricted to pollen grains. Moreover, the characterization of double rpl10 mutants indicates that the three AtRPL10s differentially contribute to the total RPL10 activity in the male gametophyte. All three AtRPL10 proteins mainly accumulate in the cytosol but also in the nucleus, suggesting extraribosomal functions. After UV-B treatment, only AtRPL10B localization increases in the nuclei. We also here demonstrate that the three AtRPL10 genes can complement a yeast RPL10 mutant. Finally, the involvement of RPL10B and RPL10C in UV-B responses was analyzed by two-dimensional gels followed by mass spectrometry. Overall, our data provide new evidence about the nonredundant roles of RPL10 proteins in Arabidopsis.
PsOr1, a potential target for RNA interference‐based pest management

Insect pests cause billions of dollars in agricultural losses, and attempts to kill them have resulted in growing threats from insecticide resistance, dietary pesticide pollution and environmental destruction. New approaches to control refractory insect pests are therefore needed. The host‐plant preferences of insect pests rely on olfaction and are mediated via a seven transmembrane‐domain odorant receptor (Or) family. The present study reports the cloning and characterization of PsOr1, the first candidate member of the Or gene family from Phyllotreta striolata, a devastating beetle pest that causes damage worldwide. PsOr1 is remarkably well conserved with respect to other insect orthologues, including DmOr83b from Drosophila melanogaster. These insect orthologues form an essential non‐conventional Or sub‐family and may play an important and generalized role in insect olfaction. We designed double‐stranded (ds) RNA directly against the PsOr1 gene and exploited RNA interference (RNAi) to control P. striolata. The chemotactic behavioural measurements showed that adult beetles were unable to sense the attractant or repellent odour stimulus after microinjection of dsRNA against PsOr1. Reverse Transcription (RT)‐PCR analysis showed specific down‐regulation of mRNA transcript levels for this gene. Furthermore, host‐plant preference experiments confirmed that silencing PsOr1 by RNAi treatment impaired the host‐plant preferences of P. striolata for cruciferous vegetables. These results demonstrate that this insect control approach of using RNAi to target PsOr1 and its orthologues might be effective in blocking host‐plant‐seeking behaviours in diverse insect pests. The results also support the theory that this unique receptor type plays an essential general role in insect olfaction.
The Effects of Relationship-Destroying Factors on Customer Relationships: Relationship Recovery as the Moderator

The threshold for switching mobile phone numbers between different mobile communication service providers has largely decreased since the government lifted the ban on mobile phone number portability service. Users can convert their mobile communication service from their current provider to others while maintaining their existing phone numbers. The demand for mobile communication services has been increasing, along with the popular sales of smartphones and tablet PCs. However, more and more complaints have emerged in response to system service failures, employee service mistakes, and the sales promotion activities offered from competitors, which could destroy the trading relationship. These factors will lead to the customers’ intentions of complaining and switching to another service provider. This study aims to explore the relationship between destructive factors in trading relations, service providers’ relationship-recovery policies, and the outcome of customer default. Empirical data were collected from mobile service users through online questionnaires. Using the general linear model (GLM) to test the research hypotheses, the results showed that (1) the relationship-destroying factors including service system failures and personnel service errors positively impact customers’ complaining and switching intentions and (2) the financial and psychological recovery policies might decrease the customers’ complaining intention. Finally, this research also offers mobile communication services providers with strategic implications in customer relationship management. Keywords: Relationship-destroying factors, relationship recovery, customer response To cite this document: Hui-Chen Chang, Yi-Ching Tsai, and Sheng-Yuan Hsu, "The Effects of Relationship-Destroying Factors on Customer Relationships: Relationship Recovery as the Moderator", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.9, No.4, pp.369-388, 2013. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi. org/10.7903/cmr.11261