Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identity Practices, Ingroup Projection, and the Evaluation of Subgroups: A Study Among Turkish-Dutch Sunnis

ABSTRACT This research focuses on religious subgroup evaluations by examining the attitude of Turkish-Dutch Sunni Muslims towards Alevi and Shiite Muslims. Following the Ingroup Projection Model, it was expected that Sunni participants who practice Islam will project their self-defining subgroup practices on the superordinate Muslim category, which will be related to more ingroup bias towards Alevis, a Muslim subgroup that performs different religious practices. Two studies yielded consistent evidence that practicing Islam increased ingroup bias towards Alevis. Furthermore, in Study 2, we found evidence that the effect of practicing Islam on ingroup bias was mediated by relative ingroup prototypicality (RIP). Moreover, practicing Islam did not affect RIP in relation to Shiites who perform the same religious practices that we examined. These findings support the Ingroup Projection Model.
Comparison between Ventriculosubgaleal Shunt and Extraventricular Drainage to Treat Acute Hydrocephalus in Adults

Context: Hydrocephalus, due to subarachnoid or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), meningitis, or tumor compression, is usually transient and may resolve after treatment. There are several temporary methods of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion, none of it is superior to the other, and the decision is based on its various etiologies and factors. Ventriculosubgaleal shunt (VSGS) is one of those temporary measures, which is a simple and rapid CSF decompression method without causing electrolyte and nutritional losses. Aims: The aim is to study the efficacy of VSGS for temporary CSF diversion, compared to extraventricular drainage (EVD) in adult hydrocephalus patients; to evaluate the outcome in terms of avoiding a permanent shunt, and to look for incidences of their complications. Settings and Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Subjects and Methods: The data were acquired from case notes of fifty patients with acute hydrocephalus: 26 secondary to IVH, 10 from aneurysm rupture, 8 posttrauma, and 6 from infection. All these patients had undergone CSF diversion in Hospital Queen Elizabeth II, Sabah, Malaysia, between 2013 and 2015. The patients were followed up from the date of treatment until the resolution of hydrocephalus, where parameters such as shunt dependency and complications were documented. Statistical Analysis Used: All analyses were carried out using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences Version 22.0. Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test is used for univariate analysis of categorical variables. Results: A total of 21 (42%) patients underwent EVD insertion and 29 (58%) underwent VSGS insertion. Thirty-seven (74%) patients did not require a permanent shunt; 24 (64.8%) of them were from the VSGS group (P = 0.097). EVD had more intracranial complications (44.1%) compared with VSGS (23.5%), with a statistically significant P = 0.026. Conclusions: VSGS is a safe and viable option for adult hydrocephalus patients, with the possibility of continuation of the treatment for such patients in nonneurosurgical centers, as opposed to patients with EVDs. Furthermore, even though this method had no statistical difference in avoiding a permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt, VSGS has statistically significant less intracranial complications compared with EVD.
Longer pre-hospital delays and higher mortality in women with STEMI: the e-MUST Registry.

AIMS The mortality rate in patients with STEMI is higher in women than in men. This higher mortality rate is partly accounted for by certain known characteristics inherent in the female population (age, diabetes). Using data from the e-MUST registry on STEMI patients in the Greater Paris area, we assessed the differences between men and women treated with reperfusion strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients presenting within 24 hours of pain onset between 2006 and 2010 were included in the study. The male and female subpopulations were compared according to their baseline characteristics, their management delays and their early outcomes. Five thousand eight hundred and forty males (78.9%) and 1,557 females (21.1%) were included in the study. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in women than in men, 143 (9.4%) vs. 254 (4.4%), p<0.0001, with a longer time to treatment initiation, symptoms to call (2.7±3.6 vs. 2.2±3.4 hours, p<0.0001), symptoms to first medical contact (FMC) (3.1±3.7 vs. 2.6±3.4 hours, p<0.0001), and call to FMC (25.6±23.5 vs. 23.6±18.3 min, p=0.02). After adjustment for clinical factors, severity criteria, myocardial infarction (MI) location and delays, mortality remained higher in women than in men with an odds ratio of 1.40 [1.06-1.84], p=0.017. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated longer pre-hospital delays and higher in-hospital mortality in women. The increase in the time to treatment alone does not completely explain the persistent increase in mortality. Further studies, public awareness programmes and physician education are necessary to reduce delays and improve the prognosis of STEMI in women.
MDR1 Gene Expression in Brain of Patients with Medically Intractable Epilepsy

Summary: Why some patients with seizures are successfully treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and others prove medically intractable is not known. Inadequate intraparenchymal drug concentration is a possible mechanism of resistance to AEDs. The multiple drug resistance gene (MDRI) encodes P‐glycoprotein, an energy‐dependent efflux pump that exports planar hydrophobic molecules from the cell. If P‐glycoprotein is expressed in brain of some patients with intractable epilepsy and AEDs are exported by P‐glycoprotein, lower intraparenchymal drug concentrations could contribute to lack of drug response in such patients. Eleven of 19 brain specimens removed from patients during operation for intractable epilepsy had MDR1 mRNA levels > 10 times greater than those in normal brain, as determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) method. Immunohistochemistry for P‐glycoprotein from 14 of the patients showed increased staining in capillary endothelium in samples from epileptic patients as compared with staining in normal brain samples. In epileptic brain specimens with high MDR1 mRNA levels, expression of P‐glycoprotein in astrocytes also was identified. Last, steady‐state intracellular phenytoin (PHT) concentrations in MDR1 expressing neuroectodermal cells was one fourth that in MDR1‐negative cells. MDR1 expression is increased in brain of some patients with medically intractable epilepsy, suggesting that the patients’ lack of response to medication may be caused by inadequate accumulation of AED in brain.
Cell volume regulation in oocytes and early embryos: connecting physiology to successful culture media.

BACKGROUND Preimplantation embryos are particularly susceptible to in vitro developmental blocks. These could be alleviated by lowering culture medium osmolarity. Because mammalian cells regulate their volumes by adjusting intracellular osmotic pressure, cell volume regulation could be critical to early embryos. METHODS We reviewed the literature on cell volume regulation in preimplantation embryos and the effects of increased osmolarity on embryo development, focusing also on the relation with improvements in embryo culture media. RESULTS Embryos failed to develop from fertilized oocytes when osmolarity is increased. This could be alleviated by decreasing osmolarity or including certain compounds such as certain amino acids. Early preimplantation mouse embryos require intracellular accumulation of glycine to provide osmotic support and thus control cell volume. The glycine-specific transporter, GLYT1, mediates osmoregulated glycine accumulation in mouse embryos and likely in human embryos. GLYT1 is activated during meiotic maturation starting at ovulation. Prior to this, oocyte size is not independently controlled but instead is determined by strong adhesion between the oocyte plasma membrane and the inner surface of the zona pellucida. CONCLUSIONS Early preimplantation embryos are particularly sensitive to increased osmolarity, and require the importation of glycine to regulate their cell volumes using a mechanism unique to early embryos. Cell volume regulation first appears when ovulation is triggered, oocyte zona pellucida adhesion is released, and glycine transport is activated. The requirement for supporting these physiological functions in oocytes and embryos should be taken into account when developing and improving systems for in vitro oocyte maturation and embryo culture.
Experimental Characterization of a Broadband Transmission-Line Cloak in Free Space

The cloaking efficiency of a finite-size cylindrical transmission-line cloak operating in the X-band is verified with bistatic free space measurements. The cloak is designed and optimized with numerical full-wave simulations. The reduction of the total scattering width of a metal object, enabled by the cloak, is clearly observed from the bistatic free space measurements. The numerical and experimental results are compared resulting in good agreement with each other.
Obesity and the gut microbiome: pathophysiological aspects

Abstract While there is a large volume of literature describing a role for obesity as a risk factor for breast cancer and many other cancers, in the main a causal relationship has not been established. If the study is limited to breast cancer risk, it has been suggested that the increase in sex steroid formation that occurs in postmenopausal women plays a role. Obesity is known to be associated with chronic low grade inflammation, but no reason for this association has been offered in the past. The gut microbiome, while known to be enormous, has not in the past been considered as a metabolic role player in the body. This is now recognized to be the case. Recent studies have found the obesity is correlated with an alteration in the gut microbiome. In obese individual there is a change in the relative proportions of the two major classes of bacteria – bacteroides and firmacutes – with the latter dominant in obesity and resulting in the formation of increased amounts of metabolic endotoxins like deoxycholic acid and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Obese individuals show a decrease in the concentration of Akkermansia muciniphila in the mucus that lines the intestinal wall, resulting in thinner mucus and a weakened intestinal lining and permitting metabolic endotoxins formed by other bacterial flora like LPS to enter the blood steam and cause the chronic inflammation associated with obesity. The change in the microbiome profile results in increases in bacterial strains that are more efficient at generating energy, leading to increased obesity. In mice, it has been shown that introducing gut bacterial flora from the cecum of obese mice into germ-free mice results in increased obesity with lesser food consumption while the reverse, introducing bacterial flora from lean mice results in a loss in weight. This raises the attractive possibility that manipulating the gut microbiome could facilitate weight loss or prevent obesity in humans.
Morphine Attenuates Microvascular Hyperpermeability via a Protein Kinase A-Dependent Pathway

BACKGROUND:A recently published study from our laboratory demonstrated that morphine sulfate (MS) attenuates microvascular hyperpermeability after hemorrhagic shock in rats. MS binds to the &mgr; receptors located on the surface of endothelial cells. Activation of the endothelial cell &mgr; receptors has been shown by several investigators to stimulate adenylate cyclase. We hypothesize that MS binding to the &mgr; receptor on endothelial cells increases cyclic adenosine monophosphate via adenylate cyclase activation. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate inhibits the phosphoinositide/MAP kinase hyperpermeability pathway via the protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent inhibition of Raf-1. METHODS:Studies were conducted in five groups of urethane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats: Group 1—control group, Group 2—a non–receptor-blocking adenylate cyclase inhibitor: SQ22536, at 100 &mgr;g/kg (n = 5), Group 3—a PKA inhibitor: H89, at 10 &mgr;g/kg, Group 4—a morphine sulfate (10 &mgr;g/kg) and PKA inhibitor group, and Group 5—an adenylate cyclase inhibited and morphine (10 &mgr;g/kg) group. Intravital microscopy in mesenteric postcapillary venules and rat lung microvascular endothelial cell monolayers were used to measure permeability. RESULTS:Adenylate cyclase and PKA inhibition resulted in vascular hyperpermeability. CONCLUSION:Our data demonstrated an increase in vascular hyperpermeability after inhibition of adenylate cyclase via SQ22536, a nonreceptor inhibitor. This increase in hyperpermeability was attenuated when treated with MS. Morphine did not attenuate hyperpermeability after blockage following PKA with H89 suggesting the action of MS is upstream of PKA and PKA dependent.
Mathematical modelling of surface tension effects in liquid wall films

Behaviour of liquid wall films finds its application in many industrial areas - internal combustion engines, air blast atomisers, heat exchanger ducts, etc. Given assumptions regarding thin liquid films, Navier-Stokes equations are converted to wall film governing equations. The main limitations of a continuous finite volume approach of the film model are at boundary edges of the liquid phase. To overcome those issues, mathematical model for description of surface tension effects was developed and implemented into the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Further area where surface tension force effects are important is the behaviour of liquid film encountering a sharp edge. The analytical force balance approach from Friedrich was incorporated into the existing numerical framework. The improved model of liquid wall film behaviour developed within this paper is the important step in improvement of the accuracy of physical models used in CFD, necessary to comply with stringent requirements of the industry.
Predicting ecosystem carbon balance in a warming Arctic: the importance of long‐term thermal acclimation potential and inhibitory effects of light on respiration

The carbon balance of Arctic ecosystems is particularly sensitive to global environmental change. Leaf respiration (R), a temperature‐dependent key process in determining the carbon balance, is not well‐understood in Arctic plants. The potential for plants to acclimate to warmer conditions could strongly impact future global carbon balance. Two key unanswered questions are (1) whether short‐term temperature responses can predict long‐term respiratory responses to growth in elevated temperatures and (2) to what extent the constant daylight conditions of the Arctic growing season inhibit leaf respiration. In two dominant Arctic species E riophorum vaginatum (tussock grass) and B etula nana (woody shrub), we assessed the extent of respiratory inhibition in the light (R L/R D), respiratory response to short‐term temperature change, and respiratory acclimation to long‐term warming treatments. We found that R of both species is strongly inhibited by light (averaging 35% across all measurement temperatures). In E . vaginatum both R L and R D acclimated to the long‐term warming treatment, reducing the magnitude of respiratory response relative to the short‐term response to temperature increase. In B . nana, both R L and R D responded to short‐term temperature increase but showed no acclimation to the long‐term warming. The ability to predict plant respiratory response to global warming with short‐term temperature responses will depend on species‐specific acclimation potential and the differential response of R L and R D to temperature. With projected woody shrub encroachment in Arctic tundra and continued warming, changing species dominance between these two functional groups, may impact ecosystem respiratory response and carbon balance.
Wait time for endoscopic evaluation at a Canadian tertiary care centre: comparison with Canadian Association of Gastroenterology targets.

BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been considerable concern regarding wait times for Canadian health care, which led the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) to develop specific wait time targets. OBJECTIVES To quantify wait times for endoscopic procedures at a tertiary care centre and correlate these with clinical presentation, impact on quality of life (QOL) and final diagnosis; and to determine how well the CAG wait time targets are being met. METHODS Patients completed a 12-item questionnaire regarding wait times and their impact on QOL. A blind review was performed of the endoscopic results, with a specific focus on correlating wait time with a final diagnosis of serious and treatable diseases. RESULTS The average total wait time for the 417 participants in the present study was 229 days; 78.6% did not meet CAG wait time targets. The wait time for screening colonoscopy was longer, and the proportion of patients meeting wait time targets was significantly smaller, than for patients referred with iron deficiency anemia or a positive fecal occult blood test result. The 41 patients deemed to have a high-impact diagnosis established by endoscopy had a median wait time of 115 days, and only 23.5% met wait time targets. Overall, 38.4% of patients believed that their wait was too long, 13.9% missed school or work in the preceding month because of gastrointestinal symptoms and 23% reported being very worried about having a serious disease. CONCLUSIONS The majority of patients waiting for endoscopy did not meet CAG wait time targets, with the screening colonoscopy group faring the worst. Many of these patients await a definitive diagnosis of serious diseases that negatively impact QOL.
Chimeric Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Virions Containing HIV-2 or Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Nef Are Resistant to Cyclosporine Treatment

ABSTRACT The viral protein Nef and the cellular factor cyclophilin A are both required for full infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions. In contrast, HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) do not incorporate cyclophilin A into virions or need it for full infectivity. Since Nef and cyclophilin A appear to act in similar ways on postentry events, we determined whether chimeric HIV-1 virions that contained either HIV-2 or SIV Nef would have a direct effect on cyclophilin A dependence. Our results show that chimeric HIV-1 virions containing either HIV-2 or SIV Nef are resistant to treatment by cyclosporine and enhance the infectivity of virions with mutations in the cyclophilin A binding loop of Gag. Amino acids at the C terminus of HIV-2 and SIV are necessary for inducing cyclosporine resistance. However, transferring these amino acids to the C terminus of HIV-1 Nef is insufficient to induce cyclosporine resistance in HIV-1. These results suggest that HIV-2 and SIV Nef are able to compensate for the need for cyclophilin A for full infectivity and that amino acids present at the C termini of these proteins are important for this function.
The identification of eight novel glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations in patients with Gaucher disease

Mutations in the gene encoding for the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA) result in Gaucher disease. In this study, seven novel missense mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (A136E, H162P, K198E, Y205C, F251L, Q350X and I402F) and a splice site mutation (IVS10+2T→A) were identified by direct sequencing of three amplified segments of the glucocerebrosidase gene. Five of the novel mutations were found in patients with neuronopathic forms of Gaucher disease, two of which, K198E and F251L, appear to be associated with type 2 Gaucher disease. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Audiovisual Speech Synchrony Measure: Application to Biometrics

Speech is a means of communication which is intrinsically bimodal: the audio signal originates from the dynamics of the articulators. This paper reviews recent works in the field of audiovisual speech, and more specifically techniques developed to measure the level of correspondence between audio and visual speech. It overviews the most common audio and visual speech front-end processing, transformations performed on audio, visual, or joint audiovisual feature spaces, and the actual measure of correspondence between audio and visual speech. Finally, the use of synchrony measure for biometric identity verification based on talking faces is experimented on the BANCA database.
Thalidomide and Prednisolone Inhibit Growth Factor-Induced Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell Proliferation in vitro

Thalidomide and prednisolone were recently introduced as treatment modalities in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Growth factor-induced activation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is a crucial event in this disease. The purpose was to examine the effect of thalidomide and prednisolone on growth factor-preactivated RPE cells. Human RPE cells were stimulated with 10 ng/ml platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for 24 h. Afterwards, thalidomide (50 µg/ml) or prednisolone (100 ng/ml) were added for 24 h. RPE cell proliferation was determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. PDGF and bFGF significantly stimulated human RPE cell proliferation (p < 0.005), the value for VEGF stimulation was not significant (p = 0.3). The effect of the growth factors was diminished after addition of thalidomide and prednisolone (p < 0.005). The current study shows that the inhibitory properties of thalidomide and prednisolone remain even after growth factor activation of the cells.
Malignant eccrine poroma in an elderly African-American woman.

BACKGROUND Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare, slow-growing malignant tumor arising from the eccrine sweat gland. OBJECTIVE We present a case of eccrine porocarcinoma of the ear in an elderly African-American woman. Cases of eccrine porocarcinoma have been reported in the literature occurring in facial, extremity, scalp, and genital sites and primarily in Caucasian patients. Rarely are cases described in African-American patients or on the ear. METHODS We describe the history of the lesion, discuss the current cancer statistics for skin cancer in African Americans, and histology and treatment choices are compared with previously reported cases. RESULTS We present a case of malignant eccrine poroma of the ear in a 71 year old African-American woman. The tumor was completely excised by Mohs surgery. Transposition flap repair of the Mohs surgical defect was performed. CONCLUSIONS While African Americans are at low risk of developing skin cancers, it is important to remember that skin cancers can affect patients of any ethnicity and skin tone. Treatment regimens for skin cancers in African-American patients must be chosen appropriately by site of tumor, size of tumor and extent of disease as would be expected for any skin cancer.
Trust and civic engagement: Evidence from six Latin American cities

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the association between revealed attitudes of trust and participation in voluntary organisations and makes a contribution to the growing literature on the relation between attitudes, preferences, behaviour, and social participation (civic engagement). A distinguishing characteristic of this study is that it employs a unique data set that combines experimental and survey data of more than 3000 individuals of six Latin American cities. Results of the Trust Game show that trust is not significantly associated with civic engagement and the intensity of that engagement.
Local Anesthesia Techniques in Hair Restoration Surgery

Pain during hair restoration surgery and other dermatologic surgery procedures is one of patients’ main fears. The authors briefly describe local anesthesia techniques they use in their surgical practice that make these procedures more pleasant for patients. The ability to provide a pain-free experience during hair restoration surgery will increase patients’ satisfaction and allow patients to return for subsequent procedures.