Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential glycosylation of MUC1 and CEACAM5 between normal mucosa and tumour tissue of colon cancer patients

Altered glycosylation in epithelial cancers may play an important role in tumour progression, as it may affect tumour cell migration and antigen presentation by antigen presenting cells. We specifically characterise the glycosylation patterns of two tumour antigens that are highly expressed in cancer tissue and often detected in their secreted form in serum: the epithelial mucin MUC1 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, also called CEACAM5). We analysed 48 colorectal cancer patients, comparing normal colon and tumour epithelium within each patient. Lectin binding was studied by a standardised CEA/MUC1 capture ELISA, using several plant lectins, and the human C‐type lectins MGL and DC‐SIGN, and Galectin‐3. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) bound to MUC1 from tumour tissue in particular, suggests increased expression of the Thomsen‐Friedenreich antigen (TF‐antigen) (Core 1, Galβ1‐3GalNAc‐Ser/Thr). Only small amounts of Tn‐antigen (GalNAcα‐Ser/Thr) expression was observed, but the human C‐type lectin MGL showed increased binding to tumour‐associated MUC1. Furthermore, sialylation was greatly enhanced. In sharp contrast, tumour‐associated CEA (CEACAM5) contained high levels of the blood‐group related carbohydrates, Lewis X and Lewis Y. This correlated strongly with the interaction of the human C‐type lectin DC‐SIGN to tumour‐associated CEA, suggesting that CEA can be recognized and taken up by antigen presenting cells. In addition, increased mannose expression was observed and branched N‐glycans were prominent, and this correlated well with human Galectin‐3 binding. These data demonstrate that individual tumour antigens contain distinct glycan structures associated with cancer and, since glycans affect cellular interactions with its microenvironment, this may have consequences for progression of the disease.
R&D Investments, EPO Patent Applications and the Economic Heterogeneity within the EU

Abstract In addition to internationalization and growing volumes of international trade in goods, the importance of expenditure on research and development (R&D) has grown significantly. National patent protection has become rather insufficient with increased international trade in goods, which has resulted in the importance of the international patent protection. The main aim of the article is to analyse the relation between R&D investment and the number of patent applications filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) after the year 2000, when the EU‘s Lisbon Strategy was launched. The authors have focused primarily on the differences among the EU macro-regions, which are based on the socioeconomic models. Conclusions imply that one percentage point of R&D expenditure generates roughly 100 EPO applications and the findings also show that individual macro-regions have the identical scattered data. However, dispersions in the individual groups of the EU Member States after the year 2000 differ. The EU Member States are starting to vary significantly in the intensity of R&D support also within each macro-region, thus disparities increase within the EU. Therefore, the attitude to GERD is considered to be an important factor contributing to the greater economic disparities within the EU.
Capital expenditure and persistence of firm performance: an empirical study for the Indian automobiles industry

The purpose of the present work is to analyse the dynamic relationship between capital expenditure (CAPEX) intensity and firm performance for the automobiles industry in India. A dynamic panel methodology has been deployed. A sample of 95 listed automobiles firms in India for the period 2005 to 2014 has been considered. The results show that there exists a negative and persistent relation between performance and CAPEX. Also, a moderate level of persistence in the firm performance is observed for the sample companies. The results also indicate a possible U-shape relationship between CAPEX and firm performance. The study highlights the need for proper identification of the appropriate capital expenditure levels. This may lead to positive benefits for the Indian automobiles firms in the long-run.
Sleep Disorders in Fragile X Syndrome

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic disorder associated with mental retardation. Prevalence of FXS is about 0.9 per 1000 among Egyptian school age males. Objectives: To evaluate neurological, behavioral, and neurophysiological dysfunction of children with FXS to improve the quality of life. Methods: Sixteen male patients with FXS (Group 1) selected on basis of their DNA analysis and 16 age and sex matched normal controls (Group 2) were subjected to DNA testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of FXS, Fragile X check-list, clinical assessment, WISC-III, Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Electroencephalography, Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS), Sleep Questionnaire, and Polysomnographic recording. Results: All FXS patients had delayed language development. 43.75% (n=7) of patients in group 1, scored above 30 in CARS. 50% had epilepsy and EEG abnormalities. The commonest seizure type was partial Seizures. Polysomnographic analysis of sleep revealed decreased total sleep time in FXS patients. Analysis of sleep stages showed prolonged stage 2, decreased stage 4 and reduced percentage and number of REM stage in FXS patients. FXS group had poorer sleep efficiency, more awakening and increased total number of sleep spindle in stage 2 and was associated with higher incidence of epilepsy. Arousals were more in FXS (Number and index of respiratory arousals). Conclusion: Autism and FXS is a common comorbidity. Seizures are common in FXS patients. The NREM sleep alteration found in FXS patients associated with reduction in REM sleep percentage seems to be a distinguished feature that leads to intellectual disability and epilepsy. (Egypt J. Neurol. Psychiat. Neurosurg. 2009, 46(2): 445-454)
Socio-economic determinants of the family history of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Pakistan

ABSTRACT This article aims to assess the role of important socio-economic factors in the family history of tuberculosis patients in Pakistan. Data were collected from 269 patients, and a logistic regression was used to determine the association between risk factors and the vicious circle of TB. Results of the logistic model show that significant risk factors associated with TB history in patients were education, household size, house structure, rooms in the home, room ventilation, monthly income, income food sufficiency, smoking, diabetes, and heart disease. The current TB control programme needs to formulate strategies to target specific risk factors and poverty reduction simultaneously to break the vicious circle of tuberculosis.
Norms as Group-Level Constructs: Investigating School-Level Teen Pregnancy Norms and Behaviors

Social norms are a group-level phenomenon, but past quantitative research has rarely measured them in the aggregate or considered their group-level properties. We used the school-based design of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to measure normative climates regarding teen pregnancy across 75 US high schools. We distinguished between the strength of a school’s norm against teen pregnancy and the consensus around that norm. School-level norm strength and dissensus were strongly (r = –0.65) and moderately (r = 0.34) associated with pregnancy prevalence within schools, respectively. Normative climate partially accounted for observed racial differences in school pregnancy prevalence, but norms were a stronger predictor than racial composition. As hypothesized, schools with both a stronger average norm against teen pregnancy and greater consensus around the norm had the lowest pregnancy prevalence. Results highlight the importance of group-level normative processes and of considering the local school environment when designing policies to reduce teen pregnancy.
Inhibition of ZL55 cell proliferation by ADP via PKC‐dependent signalling pathway

Extracellular nucleotides can regulate cell proliferation in both normal and tumorigenic tissues. Here, we studied how extracellular nucleotides regulate the proliferation of ZL55 cells, a mesothelioma‐derived cell line obtained from bioptic samples of asbestos‐exposed patients. ADP and 2‐MeS‐ADP inhibited ZL55 cell proliferation, whereas ATP, UTP, and UDP were inactive. The nucleotide potency profile and the blockade of the ADP‐mediated inhibitory effect by the phospholipase C inhibitor U‐73122 suggest that P2Y1 receptor controls ZL55 cell proliferation. The activation of P2Y1 receptor by ADP leads to activation of intracellular transduction pathways involving [Ca2+]i, PKC‐δ/PKC‐α, and MAPKs, ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. Cell treatment with ADP or 2‐MeS‐ADP also provokes the activation of p53, causing an accumulation of the G1 cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1 and p27Kip. Inhibition of ZL55 cell proliferation by ADP was completely reversed by inhibiting MEK1/2, or JNK1/2, or PKC‐δ, and PKC‐α. Through the inhibition of ADP‐activated transductional kinases it was found that PKC‐δ was responsible for JNK1/2 activation. JNK1/2 has a role in transcriptional up‐regulation of p53, p21WAF1/CIP1, and p27kip1. Conversely, the ADP‐activated PKC‐α provoked ERK1/2 phosphorylation. ERK1/2 increased p53 stabilization, required to G1 arrest of ZL55 cells. Concluding, the importance of the study is twofold: first, results shed light on the mechanism of cell cycle inhibition by ADP; second, results suggest that extracellular ADP may inhibit mesothelioma progression.
The effect of credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk on financial performance indicators of the listed banks on Tehran Stock Exchange

Present research was conducted to investigate the likely impact of credit, market, and liquidity risks on financial performance indicators. The research sample consisting of eight listed banks on Tehran stock exchange (TSE) was formed. For data analysis, having verified stationary of the panel dataset in Eviews software, the research model was estimated using panel data estimation method. The results indicated that credit risk had a significant impact on return on assets. However, this was not the case in the relationship of liquidity risk and market risk with return on assets. Further, credit risk and market risk were found to be significantly associated with return on investment, while this was not the case in the relationship between liquidity risk and return on investment. Finally, credit risk and liquidity risk and market risk at 95% confidence, had significant effect on ratio of net profit to total sales.
The Spectrum of Gastrointestinal Toxicity and Effect on Disease Activity of Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The safety and toxicity associated with the use of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been extensively studied. Thirty-three patients with IBD who were prescribed celecoxib or rofecoxib were identified from questionnaire during their clinic visit at the Cedars-Sinai IBD Center between 1999 and 2002. Twenty-six had Crohn's disease (CD), 6 had ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1 had indeterminate colitis (IC). Twenty-one received rofecoxib, 10 celecoxib, and 2 received both medications at different time points. Overall, 13 (39%) patients experienced disease exacerbation, 7 of which had received celecoxib and six rofecoxib. IBD exacerbation associated with COX-2 treatment did not correlate with age, disease activity, or use of immunosuppressive medications. All patients experienced flare-up of their underlying IBD within 6 weeks of initiating COX-2 therapy. Five of 13 (38%) patients had resolution of their symptoms after discontinuing the COX-2 inhibitor, but the remaining patients required additional medical therapy to control their disease. Six other patients (18%) experienced GI side effects not associated with their underlying IBD. Five developed abdominal pain, and one developed a duodenal ulcer and a circumferential ileo-colonic ulceration with GI bleeding. Treatment with COX-2 inhibitors is associated with a high incidence of exacerbation of the underlying IBD and GI-related complications.
Mechanism of Action of Type II, Glycoengineered, Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody GA101 in B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Whole Blood Assays in Comparison with Rituximab and Alemtuzumab

We analyzed in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) whole blood assays the activity of therapeutic mAbs alemtuzumab, rituximab, and type II glycoengineered anti-CD20 mAb GA101. Whole blood samples were treated with Abs, and death of CD19+ B-CLL was measured by flow cytometry. Alemtuzumab efficiently lysed B-CLL targets with maximal lysis at 1–4 h (62%). In contrast, rituximab induced a more limited cell death (21%) that was maximal only at 24 h. GA101 killed B-CLL targets to a similar extent but more rapidly than rituximab, with 19.2 and 23.5% cell death at 4 and 24 h, respectively, compared with 7.9 and 21.4% for rituximab. Lysis by both rituximab and GA101 correlated directly with CD20 expression levels (r2 = 0.88 and 0.85, respectively). Interestingly, lysis by all three Abs at high concentrations was mostly complement dependent, because it was blocked by the anti-C5 Ab eculizumab by 90% in the case of alemtuzumab and rituximab and by 64% in the case of GA101. Although GA101 caused homotypic adhesion, it induced only limited (3%) direct cell death of purified B-CLL cells. Both rituximab and GA101 showed the same efficiency in phagocytosis assays, but phagocytosis was not significant in whole blood due to excess Igs. Finally, GA101 at 1–100 μg/ml induced 2- to 3-fold more efficient NK cell degranulation than rituximab in isolated B-CLL or normal PBMCs. GA101, but not rituximab, also mediated significant NK cell degranulation in whole blood samples. Thus, complement and Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity are believed to be the major effector mechanisms of GA101 in whole blood assays.
Impacts of the forest definitions adopted by African countries on carbon conservation

In this paper, we aim to assess the impacts of the forest definitions adopted by each African country involved in the global climate change programmes of the United Nations on national carbon emission estimations. To do so, we estimate the proportion of national carbon stocks and tree cover loss that are found in areas considered to be non-forest areas. These non-forest areas are defined with respect to a threshold on the percentage of tree cover adopted by each country. Using percent tree cover and aboveground biomass maps derived from remote sensing data, we quantitatively show that in many countries, a large proportion of carbon stocks are found in non-forest areas, where a large amount of tree cover loss can also occur. We further found that under the REDD+ framework (reduced deforestation, reduced degradation, enhancement and conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests), some partner countries have proposed activities related to only reducing deforestation, even when a large proportion of their carbon stocks are stored outside forests. This situation may represent a limitation of the efficiency of the REDD+ mechanism, and could be avoided if these countries choose a lower tree cover threshold for their definition of forests and/or if they are engaged in other activities.
High gain multiple beam / beam-switching antenna using reconfigurable frequency selective reflector

In this paper, a high-gain, compact multiple beam / beam switching antenna based on reconfigurable frequency selective reflector (RFSR) is presented. The proposed antenna is fed by monopole and by configuring the switch states of the hexagonal cylindrical FSR, multiple beams or beam steering can be achieved along the entire azimuth plane. FSR can make transparent or opaque to a vertically polarized incident wave by controlling a switching device. Proposed antenna offers a gain enhancement of ~ 3 dBi and size reduction of RFSR is upto 17% over a previously reported design. Moreover, the antenna performances are also improved in terms of antenna beam-width, radiation pattern and scanning capabilities. The simulation has been carried out for ISM band (fr=2.45 GHz) using ANSYS HFSS & CST Microwave studio software.
Vacation co-creation: the case of Chinese family travelers

Purpose This study aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of Chinese family tourists’ value co-creation by examining three important aspects of family vacation: (1) What do families do during vacation; (2) How do they make meaning of what they do; and (3) Do travelers’ role identities within their families play a role in the value creation process? Design/methodology/approach Upon reviewing related theoretical work, we undertook a mixed-method study consisting of both survey data and in-depth interviews. Findings The analysis revealed three clusters of family interactional content, including We open and share our worlds, We build knowledge and skills, and We co-create and co-evaluate, and five clusters of family travelers, including Outdoor enthusiasts, Socializers, Nature lovers, Culture admirers, and Relaxation seekers. Family roles, life situations, and destination environments also interfaced with family activity participation and family conversations. A family vacation value co-creation process fra.
A Biochemical Prognostic Model of Outcome in Paracetamol-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Background. The aim of this study was to develop a prognostic model of outcome for patients with paracetamol induced acute liver injury based on admission parameters Methods. We used a cohort of 97 patients admitted to the Scottish Liver Transplant Unit between 1997 and 1998 to identify biochemical prognostic markers of outcome and thus create a prognostic model. Blood samples were taken on admission for analysis. The model was subsequently validated by testing it on a second cohort of 86 patients admitted between 1999 and 2000. Results. The following were identified as independent variables of poor prognosis (death/ transplant); phenylalanine, pyruvate, alanine, acetate, calcium, haemoglobin and lactate. A prognostic model was then constructed by stepwise forward logistic regression analysis: (400 × Pyruvate mmols/L) + (50 × Phenylalanine (mmols/L) – (4 × Hemoglobin (g/dL). A value of <16 had an accuracy of 93% in predicting death correctly. When applied to the validation cohort this model had a positive predictive value of 91%, a negative predictive value of 94%, a sensitivity of 91%, and a specificity of 94%. On the same population overall, the positive and negative predictive value of the King's criteria were 94% and 93% respectively, whereas their sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 96% respectively. Conclusions. Using admission characteristics our model is able to identify patients who die from paracetamol overdose fulminant hepatic failure as accurately as King's College criteria, but at a much earlier stage in their condition.
Patterns of Simultaneous Polysubstance Use in Canadian Rave Attendees

The aim of this study was to examine rave-related polydrug drug use and to determine if patterns of substance use were associated with previous rave attendance. One hundred and eighty-six rave attendees (50% female) representing a wide range of ages (16 to 47 years; mean = 23.5, sd = 5.15) and levels of rave attendance experience (1 to 400 events) completed structured interviews in Montreal, Canada between November 2002 and September 2003 about their rave attendance patterns and their use of various licit and illicit substances at the most recently attended event. On average, participants reported using 2.5 different psychoactive substances (excluding tobacco) at the most recent event attended. Cannabis, alcohol, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, and GHB were the most frequently reported substances, and details about their orders of administration, dosages, and patterns of co-administration are presented and discussed. The total lifetime number of raves attended by participants varied considerably (mean = 48.6; sd = 69.7; median = 25), and there was a positive correlation between the number events attended and number of substances used at the most recent event attended (p < 0.001). Analyses revealed that individuals reporting the use of ketamine, GHB, and/or cocaine at the most recent event had attended significantly more events than nonusers even when controlling for various demographic variables. A subset of respondents (n = 27) completed a second interview to determine the reliability of their responses. Results indicated that respondents could reliably recall details about which drugs were used, the total doses administered, as well as order of drug administration.
The snoring spectrum: acoustic assessment of snoring sound intensity in 1,139 individuals undergoing polysomnography.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To quantify the snoring sound intensity levels generated by individuals during polysomnographic testing and to examine the relationships between acoustic, polysomnographic, and clinical variables. DESIGN The prospective acquisition of acoustic and polysomnographic data with a retrospective medical chart review. SETTING A sleep laboratory at a primary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS All 1,139 of the patients referred to the sleep laboratory for polysomnographic testing from 1980 to 1994. INTERVENTIONS The acoustic measurement of snoring sound intensity during sleep concurrent with polysomnographic testing. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Four decibel levels were derived from snoring sound intensity recordings. L1, L5, and L10 are measures of the sound pressure measurement in decibels employing the A-weighting network that yields the response of the human ear exceeded, respectively, for 1, 5, and 10% of the test period. The Leq is a measure of the A-weighted average intensity of a fluctuating acoustic signal over the total test period. L10 levels above 55 dBA were exceeded by 12.3% of the patients. The average levels of snoring sound intensity were significantly higher for men than for women. The levels of snoring sound intensity were associated significantly with the following: polysomnographic testing results, including the respiratory disturbance index (RDI), sleep latency, and the percentage of slow-wave sleep; demographic factors, including gender and body mass; and clinical factors, including snoring history, hypersomnolence, and breathing stoppage. Men with a body mass index of > 30 and an average snoring sound intensity of > 38 dBA were 4.1 times more likely to have an RDI of > 10. CONCLUSIONS Snoring sound intensity levels are related to a number of demographic, clinical, and polysomnographic test results. Snoring sound intensity is closely related to apnea/hypopnea during sleep. The noise generated by snoring can disturb or disrupt a snorer's sleep, as well as the sleep of a bed partner.