Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Structure and Diversity of Bacterial Communities in Differently Managed Soils Studied by Molecular Fingerprinting Methods

The soil bacterial community structure is sensitive to different agricultural management practices and changes in the soil community composition can affect ecosystem sustainability and ecosystem stability. The basic idea of reduced and conservation soil tillage technologies is to preserve favorable soil parameters and also to enhance soil fertility and to reduce the negative impacts on the soil. Four soil tillage treatments—conventional, reduced, mulch-till, and no-till—were studied for their bacterial communities at a soil depth of 10 cm in September 2013 and April 2014 using the automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) methods. The total microbial biomass was statistically higher in April 2014 than in September 2013 in all tillage treatments. On the other hand, no statistical differences were detected in the bacterial richness between the sampling dates in all tillage treatments. Only one statistical difference regarding the bacterial richness was detected between the conventional and reduced tillage in September 2013 by using ARISA. Bacterial genetic diversity measured by the Gini–Simpson, Shannon, and Pielou indices did not indicate differences among the four types of soil management systems. Additionally, no substantial variation in the composition of bacterial communities under different treatments was observed based on the principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Additionally, the changes in bacterial community composition between both sampling dates have not occurred overall or within the individual agricultural management systems.
Detection of a decrease in green fluorescent protein fluorescence for the monitoring of cell death: an assay amenable to high-throughput screening technologies.

BACKGROUND Reliable assessment of cell death is now pivotal to many research programs aiming at generating new anti-tumor compounds or at screening cDNA libraries. Such approaches need to rely on reproducible, easy-to-handle, and rapid microplate-based cytotoxicity assays that are amenable to high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies. We describe a method for the direct measurement of cell death, based on the detection of a decrease in fluorescence observed following death induction in cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). METHODS Cell death was induced by a variety of apoptotic stimuli in various EGFP-expressing mammalian cell lines, including those routinely used in anti-cancer drug screening. Decrease in fluorescence was assessed either by flow cytometry (and compared with other apoptotic markers) or by a fluorescence microplate reader. RESULTS Cells expressing EGFP exhibited a decrease in fluorescence when treated by various agents, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, UV irradiation, or caspase-independent cell death inducers. Kinetics and sensitivity of this EGFP-based assay were comparable to those of traditional apoptosis markers such as annexin-V binding, propidium iodide incorporation, or reactive oxygen species production. We also show that the decrease in EGFP fluorescence is directly quantifiable in a fluorescence-based microplate assay. Furthermore, analysis of EGFP protein content in cells undergoing cell death demonstrates that the decrease in fluorescence does not arise from degradation of the protein. CONCLUSIONS This novel GFP-based microplate assay combines sensitivity and rapidity, is easily amenable to HTS setups, making it an assay of choice for cytotoxicity evaluation.
Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism Resistant to Cinacalcet Treatment

Cinacalcet hydrochloride (cinacalcet) has been reported to be efficacious for patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism (THPT). We experienced five patients with THPT requiring parathyroidectomy (PTx) because of resistance to cinacalcet treatment and investigated their clinical characteristics and clinical course. The maximum diameter of the parathyroid gland estimated by ultrasonography before renal transplantation was evaluated. Serum total calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatinine (Cr) levels were investigated every three months after the administration of cinacalcet and at PTx. After surgery, the Cr levels were followed. In all five patients, at least one parathyroid gland had a largest diameter of more than 1 cm, and the mean diameter was 18.7 mm (range 14.9–24.1 mm). Intact PTH and ALP levels gradually increased after the initiation of cinacalcet and the Cr levels transiently increased after PTx. These findings suggest that the existence of a severely enlarged nodular hyperplastic gland is a main factor involved in resistance to cinacalcet.
Routing architecture optimizations for high-density embedded programmable IP cores

Programmable logic cores differ from stand-alone field-programmable gate arrays in that they can take on a variety of shapes and sizes. With this in mind, we investigate the detailed routing architecture of rectangular programmable logic cores. We quantify the effects of having different X and Y channel capacities and show that the optimum ratio between the X and Y channel widths for a rectangular core is between 1.2 and 1.5. We also present a new switch block family optimized for rectangular cores. Further, we quantify the effects of logic block pin placement. Compared with a simple extension of an existing switch block, our new architecture leads to a density improvement of up to 11.9%. Finally, we show that, if the channel width, switch block, and pin placement are chosen carefully, then the penalty for using a rectangular core (compared to a square core with the same logic capacity) is small; for a core with an aspect ratio of 2:1, the area penalty is 1.6% and the speed penalty is 3.8%.
Switchable Dual-Band Filter With Common Quarter-Wavelength Resonators

This brief presents a compact switchable dual-band filter with four operating states. The filter is established by adding switching circuits to a concurrent dual-band filter. The original concurrent dual-band filter has hybrid coupling paths and uses two stepped-impedance quarter-wavelength resonators that are shared by the two passbands, so fewer resonators are required. In addition, the central frequencies and bandwidths of the two desired passbands can be separately designed without time-consuming trial and error. Two types of switching circuit are added to the original concurrent dual-band filter to obtain a switchable dual-band filter. The switching mechanisms are analyzed and discussed. The proposed switchable dual-band filter has four possible operating states, so the two passbands can be activated or deactivated independently. The simulated and measured results verify the performance of the proposed structure.
Women and Asthma: Lessons from a Gender Analysis of the Asthma in Canada Survey

Objective. To compare the degree of asthma control achieved by men and women with asthma in Canada and to explore differences in patient perspectives, treatments used, and health care resources used between men and women with asthma. Design. Population-based cross-sectional telephone interview survey of Canadians with doctor-diagnosed asthma. Subjects and methods. Random digit dialing was used to identify a representative sample of Canadians with asthma. A total of 801 adults were interviewed over the telephone. Analysis was performed on the data from a subgroup of 20- to 50-year-old patients with asthma who participated in the original survey (329 women and 183 men). Results. Women and men were equally likely to be poorly controlled (58% vs. 56%, p > 0.05) as defined by failing to meet two or more of six symptom-based criteria listed by the 1996 Canadian Asthma Consensus (CAC) Guidelines as appropriate treatment targets. However, there were significant differences in medication used; women were more likely than men to use an inhaled corticosteroid in the treatment of their asthma (59% vs. 45%, p < 0.05) and were more knowledgeable about their appropriate use (62% vs. 46%, p < 0.05), and were more likely to be satisfied with their physicians' care. Despite this, women were more likely than men to have required urgent care for their asthma in the year preceding the survey (50% vs. 36%, p < 0.05). Conclusion. Women report greater need for urgent asthma care despite more frequent use of inhaled corticosteroids and better asthma knowledge scores than men.
B-cell lymphoma 6 and the molecular pathogenesis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Purpose of reviewThe B-cell lymphoma 6 transcriptional repressor is the most commonly involved oncogene in B-cell lymphomas. Sustained expression of B-cell lymphoma 6 causes malignant transformation of germinal center B cells. Understanding the mechanism of action of B-cell lymphoma 6 is crucial for the study of how aberrant transcriptional programming leads to lymphomagenesis and development of targeted antilymphoma therapy. Recent findingsIdentification of B-cell lymphoma 6 target genes indicates a critical role for B-cell lymphoma 6 in facilitating a state of physiological genomic instability required for germinal center B cells to undergo affinity maturation, and suggests its contribution to several additional cellular functions. The discovery of several layers of counterregulatory mechanisms reveals how B cells can control and fine-tune the potentially lymphomagenic actions of B-cell lymphoma 6. From the biochemical standpoint, B-cell lymphoma 6 can regulate distinct biological pathways through different cofactors. This observation explains how the biological actions of B-cell lymphoma 6 can be physiologically controlled through separate mechanisms and affords the means for improved therapeutic targeting. The fact that patients with B-cell lymphoma 6-dependent lymphoma can be identified on the basis of gene signatures suggests that therapeutic trials of B-cell lymphoma 6 inhibitors could be personalized to these individuals. SummaryB-cell lymphoma 6 plays a fundamental role in lymphomagenesis and is an excellent therapeutic target for development of improved antilymphoma therapeutic regimens.
Performance Analysis of SNR-Based Decode-and-Forward Opportunistic Relaying in the Presence of Cochannel Interference

Opportunistic relaying (OR) for cooperative communications has been proposed as a technique to provide remarkable gains in multiple-relay cooperative networks. In this paper, we study the effect of cochannel interference (CCI) in the decode-and-forward (DF) OR scheme under independent but not necessarily identically distributed (i.n.i.d) Rayleigh fading channels. In particular, we consider the OR scheme with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-based selection criterion and with the destination-performing maximal ratio combining of the signals from the source and the best relay. We derive approximate but tight closed-form expressions for the outage probability (OP) of the SNR-based OR in the presence of CCI. Moreover, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the OP of the SNR-based OR. The asymptotic OP for OR with a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR)-based selection criterion is also provided. We examine the diversity orders and coding gains of both criteria under CCI. The result shows that the SNR-based OR is more susceptible to interference at the relays than interference at the destination. We further analytically compare the SNR- and the SINR-based OR schemes. Finally, to verify the analytical results, Monte Carlo simulations are performed, in which more benefits can be gained by using the SINR-based OR when more relays are used.
Public cluster policy and neighboring regions: beggar-thy-neighbor?

ABSTRACT Research on public cluster policy has largely taken a perspective evaluating firm performance or local cluster performance, almost neglecting spillover effects on neighboring regions. This study evaluates the effects and performance of public cluster policy in three ways: firstly, by evaluating public cluster policy per se; secondly, whether positive effects are shaped as a consequence of the ‘picking-the-winner’ competition or by the subsidizing effects afterwards; and finally, whether effects of public cluster policy spill over to neighboring regions or are mainly bounded locally. Based on a unique panel dataset encompassing all German labor market regions and covering a 15-year period, we apply difference-in-difference estimations and quantile regression techniques to identify and separate the different effects. Our results confirm positive cluster effects of the chosen industries, but also show that positive externalities are spatially limited. Policy-makers should be aware of the local boundedness of public cluster initiatives and possible adverse ‘beggar-thy-neighbor’ effects.
Confinement and controlling the effective compressive stiffness of carbyne

Carbyne is a one-dimensional chain of carbon atoms, consisting of repeating sp-hybridized groups, thereby representing a minimalist molecular rod or chain. While exhibiting exemplary mechanical properties in tension (a 1D modulus on the order of 313 nN and a strength on the order of 11 nN), its use as a structural component at the molecular scale is limited due to its relative weakness in compression and the immediate onset of buckling under load. To circumvent this effect, here, we probe the effect of confinement to enhance the mechanical behavior of carbyne chains in compression. Through full atomistic molecular dynamics, we characterize the mechanical properties of a free (unconfined chain) and explore the effect of confinement radius (R), free chain length (L) and temperature (T) on the effective compressive stiffness of carbyne chains and demonstrate that the stiffness can be tuned over an order of magnitude (from approximately 0.54 kcal mol−1 Å2 to 46 kcal mol−1 Å2) by geometric control. Confinement may inherently stabilize the chains, potentially providing a platform for the synthesis of extraordinarily long chains (tens of nanometers) with variable compressive response.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and inflammation of actinic keratoses associated with sorafenib.

BACKGROUND Sorafenib-induced dermatologic toxicity is common and consists primarily of dry skin, maculopapular rash, hand-foot skin reaction, and alopecia. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and inflammation of actinic keratosis (AK) were reported in 2 patients treated with sorafenib (Lacouture et al), but the scope of this observation has not been evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed medical records of 131 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with single-agent sorafenib at our institution from June 1, 2005, through April 4, 2007. RESULTS We identified 7 cases of cutaneous SCC, 2 cases of SCC keratoacanthoma type, 2 cases of focal squamous atypia, and 3 cases of AKs. The time to development of SCC or AK from the start of sorafenib was 9.3 months (median, 6.5 months; range, 0.9-43 months). Ten of these 14 patients discontinued therapy with sorafenib: 7 patients as a result of disease progression, 2 patients as a result of nondermatologic toxicity, and 1 patient as a result of dermatologic toxicity. Four patients are continuing sorafenib therapy at reduced doses because of diarrhea and fatigue. One patient receiving sorafenib at a 25% dose reduction developed a second invasive SCC lesion on his forearm 6 months after the initial resection. CONCLUSION These data suggest that there could be an association between sorafenib therapy and the development of cutaneous SCC and inflammation of AK. This adverse event has important therapeutic implications. Full appraisal of this observation in prospective studies is warranted.
Large Increase in Blood Pressure After Extubation and High Body Mass Index Elevate the Risk of Spinal Epidural Hematoma After Spinal Surgery

Study Design. Matched case-control study. Objective. To identify factors other than a multilevel procedure that increase the risk of symptomatic postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (SEH). Summary of Background Data. Postoperative SEH is a potentially devastating complication of spinal surgery. Previous studies that reported risk factors for postoperative SEH all identified a multilevel procedure as a risk factor, but the other risk factors remain unclear. Methods. Patients who developed postoperative SEH requiring surgical evacuation were identified from database. Each patient was matched with 3 controls who underwent spinal decompression at the same number of levels in the same part of the spine by the same surgeon during the preceding or following year. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for postoperative SEH to obtain adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Clinical outcomes after evacuation were investigated separately divided with or without severe paralysis or time until the second surgery. Results. Postoperative SEH evacuation was performed after 32 of 8250 (0.39%) spinal decompression procedures. The incidence was significantly higher after thoracic procedures (2.41%) than after cervical (0.21%) or lumbar (0.39%) procedures. Multivariate analysis identified a 50 mm Hg or greater increase in systolic blood pressure after extubation (adjusted odds ratio: 3.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.22–8.51) and higher body mass index (adjusted odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.31) as risk factors. Among 14 patients with severe paralysis due to postoperative SEH, those who underwent evacuation within 24 hours of the onset had a significantly better improvement in clinical outcome and Frankel grade than did those after 24 hours. Conclusion. A 50 mm Hg or greater increase in systolic blood pressure after extubation and high body mass index were identified as risk factors for SEH. Appropriate blood pressure control especially at the end of surgery is important for the prevention of postoperative SEH, particularly in obese patients. Level of Evidence: 3
On shimming approaches in 3T breast MRI

A comparative study is presented, analyzing quantitatively the impact of 15 shim strategies on the homogeneity of the main magnetic field over the three‐dimensional breast region in 3T MRI. The results obtained in 12 female volunteers, spanning a wide range of body and breast types, indicate that the inclusion of the back and heart in the shim region of interest leads to considerable decrease in field homogeneity, and needs to be avoided. Comparison between shim strategies using volumetric B0 maps, covering the entire breast region, and 1–6 plane B0 maps indicate only minimally reduced performance for the latter. Interestingly, however, no single shim strategy relying on a limited number of B0 maps as input was found to work best in all volunteers. This was attributed to the limited capability of a small number of B0 maps to capture the B0 variability existent within breast. On the average, a rectangular shim region of interest, encompassing the breast region alone, worked best for the cohort studied here. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
[Synergism of midazolam and propofol in the induction of anesthesia].

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to determine the possible interaction of midazolam and propofol in the induction of anesthesia. METHODS A double-blind study of 90 ASA I-II women undergoing elective general surgery and gynecology was performed. The patients were divided into three groups of 30 patients receiving midazolam, propofol and a combination of both as the anesthesia induction agent. As a test of anesthetic induction the response to the verbal order of opening their eyes was evaluated. The dose-response curves for each group were determined by a logistic regression procedure while isobolographic analysis compared the actions of both agents separately and together. RESULTS The ED50 in the propofol group was 1.56 mg.kg-1 and that of the midazolam group was 0.24 mg.kg-1. In the midazolam-propofol group the ED50 of midazolam was reduced approximately a quarter (0.068 mg.kg-1) when associated to the half of the ED50 of propofol anteriorly obtained. Isobolographic analysis revealed that the conjunctive action of both drugs was synergic (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Propofol potentiates the action of midazolam in anesthetic induction. Although this synergism also reduces with the association of thiopental-midazolam, the mechanism of action is not demonstrated as the same. Thiopental increases the affinity of the benzodiazepines for the GABA complex receptors which has not been described for propofol.
Liver transplantation in transthyretin amyloidosis: Issues and challenges

Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a rare worldwide autosomal dominant disease caused by the systemic deposition of an amyloidogenic variant of transthyretin (TTR), which is usually derived from a single amino acid substitution in the TTR gene. More than 100 mutations have been described, with V30M being the most prevalent. Each variant has a different involvement, although peripheral neuropathy and cardiomyopathy are the most common. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) was implemented as the inaugural disease‐modifying therapy because the liver produces the circulating unstable TTR. In this review, we focus on the results and long‐term outcomes of OLT for ATTR after more than 2063 procedures and 23 years of experience. After successful OLT, neuropathy and organ impairment are not usually reversed, and in some cases, the disease progresses. The overall 5‐year survival rate is approximately 100% for V30M patients and 59% for non‐ATTR V30M patients. Cardiac‐related death and septicemia are the main causes of mortality. Lower survival is related to malnutrition, a longer duration of disease, cardiomyopathy, and a later onset (particularly for males). Deposits, which are composed of a mixture of truncated and full‐length TTR (type A) fibrils, have been associated with posttransplant myocardial dysfunction. A higher incidence of early hepatic artery thrombosis of the graft has also been documented for these patients. Liver‐kidney/heart transplantation is an alternative for patients with advanced renal disease or heart failure. The sequential procedure, in which ATTR livers are reused in patients with liver disease, reveals that neuropathy in the recipient may appear as soon as 6 years after OLT, and ATTR deposits may appear even earlier. Long‐term results of trials with amyloid protein stabilizers or disrupters, silencing RNA, and antisense oligonucleotides will highlight the value and limitations of liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 21:282–292, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.