Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase II Trial of Pralatrexate (10-Propargyl-10-deazaaminopterin, PDX) in Patients with Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Background: Several previous clinical trials have shown that malignant pleural mesothelioma is responsive to antifolates. The dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, pralatrexate, has a favorable toxicity profile, primarily limited to stomatitis, and has demonstrated activity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. In mesothelioma cell lines and xenografts, pralatrexate demonstrated significant antitumor activity. Methods: We conducted this phase II study to determine the response rate of malignant pleural mesothelioma to pralatrexate at a dose of 135 mg/m2 IV every 2 weeks. After a protocol amendment, patients were supplemented with vitamin B12 and folic acid at the time of starting therapy. Results: A total of 16 assessable patients were enrolled. No complete or partial responses were observed. Two patients with epithelioid histology had minor responses. Three other patients remained on study with stable disease for 9, 9, and 48 months. The median time to progression was 3 months. The overall median survival time was 7 months (95% confidence interval: 3.2–16.2 months) and the one-year survival was 31% (95% confidence interval: 15%–65%). Three patients (19%) had grade 2 stomatitis, eight (50%) had grade 3, and one (6%) had grade 4. Conclusions: With this particular dose and schedule, pralatrexate as a single agent had no activity in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Interorganizational Relationships

Abstract Forming Interorganizational Relationships (IORs) has become a popular alternative approach among nonprofit organizations to developing competitive advantage and increasing innovative capacity. This study examined the nature of IORs in a sample of 36 nonprofit organizations. Specifically, it assessed the effects of four components of interorganizational relationships: resources, information, technical assistance, and work and/or client upon three types of innovations: administrative, product, and process. The results indicated that the effects of IORs on innovation vary by innovation type. Implications of the study for research and social work practice are discussed.
The Relationship of Attachment Styles with Childbirth Self-efficacy in Nulliparous Pregnant Women: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia

Background & aim: The enhancement of childbirth self-efficacy to manage the labor pain can help the nulliparous pregnant women to make informed choice about vaginal delivery. Regarding the relationship of the childbirth self-efficacy with psychological antecedents, the present study aimed to explore the meditating role of alexithymia in the relationship of attachment styles and childbirth self-efficacy among the nulliparous pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 210 nulliparous pregnant women, living in Shiraz in 2016. The samples were selected from the nulliparous women referring to the public and private health and medical centers through the purposive sampling technique. The data were collected using a researcher-made demographic form, Iranian version of Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory, Hazan and Shaver’s Adult Attachment Inventory, and Farsi Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. The data analysis was performed using the descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling through the SPSS version 20 and AMOS version 21, respectively. Results: Our findings indicated that all aspects of attachment styles (i.e., secure, avoidant, and ambivalent) would be able to predict the childbirth self-efficacy in the nulliparous pregnant women. On the other hand, the secure and insecure attachment styles predicted alexithymia among this population. The results of the path analysis demonstrated that alexithymia had a mediating role in the relationship of the attachment styles and the childbirth self-efficacy. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that the attachment styles and childbirth self-efficacy had an indirect relationship mediating through such variables as alexithymia.
A clean sightline to quiescence: multiwavelength observations of the high Galactic latitude black hole X-ray binary Swift J1357.2−0933

We present coordinated multiwavelength observations of the high Galactic latitude (b = +50°) black hole X-ray binary (BHXB) Swift J1357.2−0933 in quiescence. Our broad-band spectrum includes strictly simultaneous radio and X-ray observations, and near-infrared, optical, and ultraviolet data taken 1–2 d later. We detect Swift J1357.2−0933 at all wavebands except for the radio (f5 GHz < 3.9 μJy beam−1; 3σrms). Given current constraints on the distance (2.3–6.3 kpc), its 0.5–10 keV X-ray flux corresponds to an Eddington ratio LX/LEdd = 4 × 10−9–3 × 10−8 (assuming a black hole mass of 10 M⊙). The broad-band spectrum is dominated by synchrotron radiation from a relativistic population of outflowing thermal electrons, which we argue to be a common signature of short-period quiescent BHXBs. Furthermore, we identify the frequency where the synchrotron radiation transitions from optically thick-to-thin (νb ≈ 2–5 × 1014 Hz), which is the most robust determination of a ‘jet break’ for a quiescent BHXB to date. Our interpretation relies on the presence of steep curvature in the ultraviolet spectrum, a frequency window made observable by the low amount of interstellar absorption along the line of sight. High Galactic latitude systems like Swift J1357.2−0933 with clean ultraviolet sightlines are crucial for understanding black hole accretion at low luminosities.
Effects of emotional state on processing conceptual mismatches: ERPs in a picture-sentence matching task

Event-related potential (ERP) studies demonstrated that emotional state immediately affects the processing of different linguistic mismatches (e.g., semantic and syntactic mismatches) in sentences. Furthermore, mood has been shown to impact discourse processing. In these studies, a strong expectancy was evoked by a linguistic context. In the present study, a strong expectancy was induced by a visual (non-linguistic) context paired with a sentence. A spatial array was followed by a sentence that matched (□○—The square stands in front of the circle) or mismatched the picture (intra-dimensional mismatch: □○—The square stands behind the circle; extra-dimensional mismatch: □○—The square stands above the circle). The main question was whether mood effects on the processing of visually induced expectancies are similar or different from mood effects on the processing of linguistically induced expectancies. To this aim, we presented conceptual (mis)matches that differed in saliency: intra-dimensional vs. extra-dimensional mismatches which are both reported to elicit an N2b/N400 and P600, reflecting reanalysis. EEG was recorded while participants read for comprehension. Mood (happy vs. sad) was effectively induced by film clips. Neither for N2b/N400 nor for P600, an interaction between mood and match was observed. Thus, in contrast with studies investigating the effects of pure linguistic mismatches (linguistic context paired with unexpected lexical item), mood did not modulate the processing of conceptual mismatches. However, a main effect of match revealed different ERP patterns for the two mismatches. While an increase in N2b/ N400 occurred for the intra-dimensional and extra-dimensional mismatches, a P600 only occurred to the extra-dimensional (more salient) mismatches. This finding is taken as support that being in an emotional state (positive or negative mood) influences processes of reanalysis. That is, when being in an emotional state, a reanalysis (monitoring) process is exclusively triggered by salient mismatches.
Identification and Location of Faults in Three Phase Underground Power Cables by using Mexican Hat and Coif Let Wavelet Transform

Estimation and d termination of fault in an underground cable is very important in order to clear the fault quickly and to restore the supply with minimum interruption. This paper presents determination and location of fault in underground cables by wavelet transform as it is one of the most efficient tools for analyzing non stationary signals and it has been widely used in electrical power systems . The cable is modeled in MAT LAB simulink using simpower system tool box. Mexican hat and coif let wavelet transforms are used to extract the signals and the waveform are shown . The simulation results show that this method is efficient and powerful tool to estimate the faults when they occurs in the underground cables.
Phytoremediation of Copper and Lead by Using Sunflower, Indian Mustard and Water Hyacinth Plants

Environmental pollution is a major cause of concern. Because of the over-mining and industrial effluents, soil and water are being extensively contaminated. One of the methods of overcoming this problem is the use of plants, and the method is called Phytoremediation. Present work is focused on the removal of heavy metal contaminants like lead and copper from soil and water using three different plants, Water Hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes), Sunflower(Helianthus annus), and Indian Mustard(Brassica juncea). The plants were grown in presence of heavy metals like lead and copper and digested with mixture of acids and metal concentrations were monitored using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy(AAS) and results showed that copper absorption by plants was more compared to lead. Sunflower plants showed high absorption compared to other two and it was much higher with the use of enhancer like EDTA. Different parts of water hyacinth like leaves, petioles and roots were analyzed for their absorption capacity and among these roots absorbed more amount of metal. The cost effectiveness and user efficiency makes this method useful in pollution monitoring and control.
Inhibition of the amygdala central nucleus by stimulation of cerebellar output in rats: a putative mechanism for extinction of the conditioned fear response

The amygdala and the cerebellum serve two distinctively different functions. The amygdala plays a role in the expression of emotional information, whereas the cerebellum is involved in the timing of discrete motor responses. Interaction between these two systems is the basis of the two‐stage theory of learning, according to which an encounter with a challenging event triggers fast classical conditioning of fear‐conditioned responses in the amygdala and slow conditioning of motor‐conditioned responses in the cerebellum. A third stage was hypothesised when an apparent interaction between amygdala and cerebellar associative plasticity was observed: an adaptive rate of cerebellum‐dependent motor‐conditioned responses was associated with a decrease in amygdala‐dependent fear‐conditioned responses, and was interpreted as extinction of amygdala‐related fear‐conditioned responses by the cerebellar output. To explore this hypothesis, we mimicked some components of classical eyeblink conditioning in anesthetised rats by applying an aversive periorbital pulse as an unconditioned stimulus and a train of pulses to the cerebellar output nuclei as a cerebellar neuronal‐conditioned response. The central amygdala multiple unit response to the periorbital pulse was measured with or without a preceding train to the cerebellar output nuclei. The results showed that activation of the cerebellar output nuclei prior to periorbital stimulation produced diverse patterns of inhibition of the amygdala response to the periorbital aversive stimulus, depending upon the nucleus stimulated, the laterality of the nucleus stimulated, and the stimulus interval used. These results provide a putative extinction mechanism of learned fear behavior, and could have implications for the treatment of pathologies involving abnormal fear responses by using motor training as therapy.
The role of formal contracts with weak legal enforcement: A study in the Chinese context

This article explores in depth the mechanisms through which formal contracts and relational governance complement each other, focusing on the role played by formal contracts in transitional economies characterized by weak legal enforcement and a culture oriented around informal ties. The findings, drawn from case studies conducted at five firms across China, suggest that formal contracts are used even when they are not legally enforceable because by defining the rights and obligations in an exchange, contracts reinforce reciprocity in long-term exchange relationships. Although this role of contracts has not previously been clarified in the literature, it is particularly important in China because its cultural traditions prioritize reciprocity. The findings have implications for developing a theory of inter-firm relationship governance and optimal contracting, particularly in transitional economies.
Leaf Form Evolution in Viburnum Parallels Variation within Individual Plants

Few studies have critically evaluated how morphological variation within individual organisms corresponds to variation within and among species. Subindividual variation in plants facilitates such studies because their indeterminate modular growth generates multiple serially homologous structures along growing axes. Focusing on leaf form, we evaluate how subindividual trait variation relates to leaf evolution across Viburnum, a clade of woody angiosperms. In Viburnum we infer multiple independent origins of wide/lobed leaves with toothed margins from ancestors with elliptical, smooth-margined leaves. We document leaf variation along the branches of individual plants of 28 species and among populations across the wide range of Viburnum dentatum. We conclude that when novel leaf forms evolved in Viburnum, they were intercalated at the beginning of the seasonal leaf sequence, which then generated a repeated spectrum of leaf forms along each branch (seasonal heteroblasty). We hypothesize that the existence of such a spectrum then facilitated additional evolutionary shifts, including reversions to more ancestral forms. We argue that the recurrent production of alternative phenotypes provides opportunities to canalize the production of particular forms and that this phenomenon has played an important role in generating macroscale patterns.
ANALYSIS OF LOWER LIMB BILATERAL FORCE ASYMMETRIES BY DIFFERENT VERTICAL JUMP TECHNIQUES

This study has compared the diagnostic information of lower limb bilateral force asymmetry by the impulse variable at different vertical jumps techniques. Twenty-nine soccer players carried out six attempts at each of the vertical jumps, countermovement jump and squat jump, on two synchronized force platforms. After the calculation of the symmetry index, the athletes were classified as symmetric and asymmetric respecting a cut-off value of 15%, McNamara’s test compared the diagnostic information among the techniques. Significant differences were found among the diagnostic information of the different techniques (p<0.05). It is thus concluded that different vertical jump techniques provide different information in regard to the level of bilateral force asymmetry in soccer players.
Trust Evaluation by Mining of E-commerce Feedback Comments

: In E-commerce applications trust and reputation are decisive factors in order to rate the sellers or products. Reputation Systems used in e-commerce have the main aim is to guide the users in a proper way so that they can choose between the different available sellers on E-commerce. In reputation system the models are meant to project the different sellers as per their services and quality they provide to users. Different Models differ between each other by the methods they opt to calculate the trustworthiness measure for different sellers. Review mining or Feedback mining method of trust calculation will be a very good idea as the users are free to express themselves in textual feedback comments. So here in our proposed work we have given a multidimensional trust model for computing reputation scores from user reviews. In order to perform this functionality we presented an algorithm for mining feedback comments for dimension ratings and weights. In this algorithm we are using techniques like NLP, Topic Modeling.
Restriction-modification systems in Mycoplasma spp

Restriction and Modification (R-M) systems are present in all Mycoplasma species sequenced so far. The presence of these genes poses barriers to gene transfer and could protect the cell against phage infections. The number and types of R-M genes between different Mycoplasma species are variable, which is characteristic of a polymorphism. The majority of the CDSs code for Type III R-M systems and particularly for methyltransferase enzymes, which suggests that functions other than the protection against the invasion of heterologous DNA may exist. A possible function of these enzymes could be the protection against the invasion of other but similar R-M systems. In Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strain J, three of the putative methyltransferase genes were clustered in a region forming a genomic island. Many R-M CDSs were mapped in the vicinity of transposable elements suggesting an association between these genes and reinforcing the idea of R-M systems as mobile selfish DNA. Also, many R-M genes present repeats within their coding sequences, indicating that their expression is under the control of phase variation mechanisms. Altogether, these data suggest that R-M systems are a remarkable characteristic of Mycoplasma species and are probably involved in the adaptation of these bacteria to different environmental conditions.
Reduction of Fresh Frozen Plasma Requirements by Perioperative Point-of-Care Coagulation Management with Early Calculated Goal-Directed Therapy

Background: Massive bleeding and transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and costs. Patients and Methods: We analysed the transfusion requirements after implementation of point-of-care (POC) coagulation management algorithms based on early, calculated, goal-directed therapy with fibrinogen concentrate and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) in different perioperative settings (trauma surgery, visceral and transplant surgery (VTS), cardiovascular surgery (CVS) and general and surgical intensive care medicine) at 3 different hospitals (AUVA Trauma Centre Salzburg, University Hospital Innsbruck and University Hospital Essen) in 2 different countries (Austria and Germany). Results: In all institutions, the implementation of POC coagulation management algorithms was associated with a reduction in the transfusion requirements for FFP by about 90% (Salzburg 94%, Innsbruck 88% and Essen 93%). Furthermore, PRBC transfusion was reduced by 8.4–62%. The incidence of intraoperative massive transfusion (≧10 U PRBC) could be more than halved in VTS and CVS (2.56 vs. 0.88%; p < 0.0001 and 2.50 vs. 1.06%; p = 0.0007, respectively). Platelet transfusion could be reduced by 21–72%, except in CVS where it increased by 115% due to a 5-fold increase in patients with dual antiplatelet therapy (2.7 vs. 13.7%; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The implementation of perioperative POC coagulation management algorithms based on early, calculated, goaldirected therapy with fibrinogen concentrate and PCC is associated with a reduction in the transfusion requirements for FFP, PRBC and platelets as well as with a reduced incidence of massive transfusion. Thus, the limited blood resources can be used more efficiently.
Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of amphiphilic peptides and their nanostructured conjugates.

PURPOSE Breast cancer is the second leading cancer type among people of advanced countries. Various methods have been used for cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the present study we have designed and synthesized a new group of drug delivery systems (DDS) containing a new class of Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) named Peptide Amphiphiles (PAs). METHODS Two PAs and anionic peptides were synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), namely [KW]4, [KW]5, E4 and E8. Then nano-peptides were synthesized by non-covalent binding between PAs and poly anions as [KW]4-E4, [KW]4-E8, [KW]5-E4 and [KW]5-E8. RESULTS Flow cytometry studies showed that increased chain length of PAs with a higher ratio between hydrophobicity and net charge results in increased intracellular uptake by MCF7 cells after 2h incubation. Moreover, nano-peptides showed greater intracellular uptake compared to PAs. Anti-proliferative assay revealed that by increasing chain length of PAs, the toxicity effect on MCF7 cells is reduced, however nano-peptides did not show significant toxicity on MCF7 cells even at high concentration levels. CONCLUSION These data suggest that due to the lack of toxicity effect at high concentration levels and also high cellular uptake, nano-peptides are more suitable carrier compared to PAs for drug delivery.
The relative impact of diabetes distress vs depression on glycemic control in hispanic patients following a diabetes self-management education intervention.

OBJECTIVES Studies in non-Hispanic populations have shown that depression and diabetes distress are associated with glycemic control. Although rates of depression and diabetes distress are high among Hispanics with diabetes, there is little research investigating the relationship between these factors and glycemic control in this population. The purpose of the current analysis was to examine the relative impact of change in diabetes distress and change in depressive symptoms on change in glycemic control in Hispanic patients following a diabetes self-management education (DSME) intervention. DESIGN We conducted a diabetes self-management education intervention in 23 Hispanic (predominantly Puerto Rican) and 168 non-Hispanic type 2 diabetes patients and measured glycemic control (HbA1c), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and diabetes distress (PAID) at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS In multiple linear regression, change in diabetes distress from baseline to six-month follow-up was significantly associated with change in HbA1c among Hispanic patients, such that a 10-point reduction on the PAID scale of diabetes distress was associated with a clinically significant reduction in HbA1c of . 55 +/- . 06% (P=.03). Change in depression was not associated with change in HbA1c (P=.59). Findings in non-Hispanic patients were similar. CONCLUSIONS Change in diabetes distress, but not change in depressive symptoms, was associated with change in HbA1c in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients. This analysis supports the utility of DSME in reducing diabetes distress and improving glycemic control among Hispanic patients.
The Sm Complex Is Required for the Processing of Non-Coding RNAs by the Exosome

A key question in the field of RNA regulation is how some exosome substrates, such as spliceosomal snRNAs and telomerase RNA, evade degradation and are processed into stable, functional RNA molecules. Typical feature of these non-coding RNAs is presence of the Sm complex at the 3'end of the mature RNA molecule. Here, we report that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae presence of intact Sm binding site is required for the exosome-mediated processing of telomerase RNA from a polyadenylated precursor into its mature form and is essential for its function in elongating telomeres. Additionally, we demonstrate that the same pathway is involved in the maturation of snRNAs. Furthermore, the insertion of an Sm binding site into an unstable RNA that is normally completely destroyed by the exosome, leads to its partial stabilization. We also show that telomerase RNA accumulates in Schizosaccharomyces pombe exosome mutants, suggesting a conserved role for the exosome in processing and degradation of telomerase RNA. In summary, our data provide important mechanistic insight into the regulation of exosome dependent RNA processing as well as telomerase RNA biogenesis.