Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amplified nucleic acid sensing using programmed self-cleaving DNAzyme.

A newly designed target-assisted self-cleavage (TASC) probe composed of a target-binding site and a DNAzyme domain undergoes TASC when activated via hybridization with a target DNA/RNA. This self-splicing or self-dissociation reaction occurs in a catalytic manner with the probe as a substrate and the target as a catalyst, since the fragmented products are automatically released from the target, thus amplifying the sequence information of the latter under non-PCR, i.e., isothermal and enzyme/reagent-free, conditions. A fluorescence-reporting TASC probe having a fluorescein/dabsyl FRET pair across the cleavage site allows a mix-and-read discrimination of single-nucleotide differences in the target.
Heparan Sulfate-Like Proteoglycans Mediate Adhesion of Human Malignant Melanoma A375 Cells to P-Selectin Under Flow1

Selectins, a family of cell adhesion molecules, bind to sialylated and fucosylated carbohydrates, such as sialyl Lewisx (SLex) and its derivatives, as their minimal recognition motif. Here we report that P-selectin bound to human malignant melanoma A375 cells and mediated their adhesion under flow. However, probing with a specific Ab failed to detect any apparent expression of SLex. This finding was bolstered by reduced expression of α-1,3-fucosyltransferase VII mRNA and by absence of the cell surface expression of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1. Instead, they expressed heparan sulfate-like proteoglycans on their cell surfaces. Treatment with β-d-xyloside (a proteoglycan biosynthesis inhibitor) or heparinases could reduce the binding of these cells to P-selectin. In the competition assays, heparin, but not other proteoglycans, could abolish the P-selectin recognition. Further, we found that P-selectin could bind specifically to human tongue squamous cancer Tca-8113 cells, which had negative staining of SLex but positive staining of heparan sulfates. Both β-d-xyloside and heparinases could reduce the binding of P-selectin to Tca-8113 cells. Our results thus indicate that heparan sulfate-like proteoglycans can mediate adhesion of certain types of non-blood borne, “epithelial-like” human cancer cells to P-selectin.
Characteristics of menstruation and pregnancy and the risk of lung cancer in women

Lung tissue, both normal and cancerous, has been found to express estrogen receptors and patterns of expression have differed between men and women, suggesting a possible role for hormone‐related factors in lung carcinogenesis in women. Few epidemiological studies have examined hormone‐related variables and lung cancer risk and the findings have not been consistent. We investigated the association between characteristics of menstruation and pregnancy in relation to lung cancer risk in a population‐based case–control study carried out in Montreal, Canada, including 422 women with lung cancer and 577 controls. For each variable, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression modeling. Associations were also examined according to level of smoking and by lung cancer histology. All statistical tests were two‐sided. Most characteristics of menstruation and pregnancy were not associated with lung cancer risk. However, an increased risk was observed for women who had had a non‐natural menopause, which predominantly included women who had had a bilateral oophorectomy, compared with women who had had a natural menopause (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22–3.01). An inverse association with age at menopause was suggested. These results did not vary by level of smoking and they were similar for adenocarcinomas compared with other histological types. Our results suggest that hormonal factors, related to early menopause and/or ovary removal, may play a role in the risk of lung cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, and to assess the possible contribution of hormone replacement therapy. © 2009 UICC
Use of a National Clinical Final Examination in a Bachelor’s Programme in Nursing to Assess Clinical Competence : Students’, Lecturers’ and Nurses’ Perceptions

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of students, lecturers, nurses and clinical lecturers regarding the ability of the National Clinical Final Examination (NCFE) to as- sess clinical competence, and whether the assessment was consistent with the qualifications for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as outlined by the Swedish Higher Education Authority. The NCFE is divided into two parts (written and bedside) and aims to evaluate third-year nursing students' clinical competence. Methods: Data were collected at 10 universities using study-specific ques- tionnaires. The total response rate was 84% (n = 1652). Results: The clinical lecturers indicated that there was a need for improvement in the written part of the examination in order to adequately as- sess clinical competence. Regarding the bedside part the clinical lecturers, nurses and students perceived that the bedside part of the examination assessed whether the student had the clinical competence required by a newly registered nurse. Conclusion: The two-part examination de- scribed in this study was perceived as useful for assessing clinical competence and for the qualifi- cation requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as outlined by the Swedish Higher Educa- tion Authority. However, especially the written part requires further development. The model and form of assessment ought to be applicable to graduate nursing programme internationally.
Avoiding burnout: the succession planning, governance and resourcing of rural tourism festivals

Small rural tourism festivals can struggle with governance issues, including succession planning and problems with leadership. This could be linked to several factors, including the largely voluntary composition of organising committees, lack of resources, or the stage the festival has reached in the event life cycle. Surprisingly, little research has explored these challenges, despite the ongoing viability of these festivals often being crucial for the socio-cultural and economic sustainability of local communities, attracting tourists and income, and providing social benefits. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted, involving in-depth interviews with 13 organisers and stakeholders of 7 rural Australian festivals, together with background studies of the communities involved and their festivals. Findings highlight the different approaches taken by rural communities to manage the growing complexity of festival organisation, including finding new committee members and dealing with perceptions that these committees are not representative of the whole community. Issues of burnout were raised, linked to the increasingly onerous regulatory and administrative burden of managing and staging these events. This created a need for greater professional assistance, generally from local government: consideration is given to the pros and cons of this development. The paper provides a micro-study of wider community tourism governance issues.
Aging Gracefully with Geriatrix : A File System Aging Tool

File system aging has been advocated for thorough analysis of any design, notably in 1997 [40], but it is cumbersome and often bypassed. Our aging study re-evaluates published file systems after aging using the original paper’s benchmarks. We see significant performance degradation on magnetic (HDD) and flash (SSD) disks. With performance of aged file systems on SSDs reduced by as much as 80% relative to the recreated results of prior papers, aging is perhaps more necessary now. More concerning, the rank ordering of aged and tested file systems can change versus published results. We offer Geriatrix, a simple-to-use aging suite with built-in aging profiles with the goal of making it easier to age, and thereby harder to justify ignoring file system aging in storage research. Acknowledgements: This research was supported in part by the DOE and Los Alamos National Laboratory, under contract number DEAC52-06NA25396 subcontract 153593-1 (IRHPIT2), the National Science Foundation under awards CNS-1042537 and CNS-1042543 (PRObE, www.nmc-probe.org), and Seagate through the CMU Data Storage Systems Center. We also thank the member companies of the PDL Consortium Actifio, American Power Conversion, EMC Corporation, Facebook, Google, Hewlett-Packard Labs, Hitachi, Huawei Technologies Co., Intel Corporation, Microsoft Research, NetApp Inc., Oracle Corporation, Samsung Information Systems America, Seagate Technology, Symantec Corporation and Western Digital.
Normal values for handgrip strength in 920 men and women aged over 65 years, and longitudinal changes over 4 years in 620 survivors.

1. The maximal grip strength of the hand has been measured in a random sample of 359 men and 561 women aged over 65 years living in their own homes. The response rate was 80% from a representative demographic area of the U.K. Measurements were made of body mass, skeletal size (demispan) and grip strength. Grip strength was measured using a custom-built strain-gauged dynamometer. The best of three attempts was taken as definitive. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information about customary activity, use of handgrip muscles, health and psychological well-being. This was repeated with 620 survivors 4 years later. 2. The results for strength were normally distributed. The right hand was 10% stronger than the left and men had twice the strength of women. Strength was significantly related to skeletal size and in men to body mass. The gender difference was only partly accounted for by skeletal size and women were substantially disadvantaged in terms of their strength/body mass ratio. 3. There was a significant decline in strength with age of 2%/year for men and women. Strength was also significantly related to customary activity, reported use of the hands and psychological and physical health. 4. After 4 years 620 survivors were re-measured. Grip strength had declined by 12% in men and 19% in women and these losses were significantly related to age. A significant decline was also found in reported use, customary activity and health scores, and in women in body mass and psychological health. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Platinum accumulation and changes in mitochondrial function of the longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexus following oxaliplatin administration

myenteric plexus following oxaliplatin administration V. Stojanovska,1 R.M. McQuade,1 M. Stewart,3 C.A. Timpani,1 J. Sorensen,1 J. Orbell,3 E. Rybalka 1,2,3 and K. Nurgali,1 1Centre for Chronic Disease, College of Health & Biomedicine, Victoria Univeristy, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia, 2Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia, 3College of Engineering & Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia and 4Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Western Health, Melbourne, VIC 3021, Australia.
An ultra-low power li-ion battery charger for micro-power solar energy harvesting applications

This paper presents an ultra-low power, fully integrated solar energy harvester circuit for autonomous microsystems. The proposed circuit harvests solar energy from a micro-power photovoltaic module and stores the harvested energy in a miniaturized thin film Li-Ion microbattery, using a highly area- and power-efficient power management circuit. As neither inductor, nor large pumping capacitors have been used in this circuit, it occupies less area comparing to conventional inductive and switched-capacitor DC-DC converters. In addition, thanks to low power design of this circuit, it achieves more than 94% efficiency during battery charging. Even under reduced light intensity, when the harvested energy is only a few tens of microwatts, more than 92% efficiency is achievable. The proposed microsystem has been implemented in a 0. 18μm CMOS process and occupies a core area of only 0.12mm2. This circuit features a low power consumption of 270nW in average.
Role of sphingosine 1-phosphate in trafficking and mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells

Purpose of reviewThe ‘mobilization’ of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) out of the bone marrow and into the peripheral blood is used clinically to obtain HSCs for transplantation. Although generally successful, mobilization protocols remain imperfect and the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. This review discusses the latest findings in respect to the mechanisms involved in the egress of HSCs from the bone marrow into the circulation and the potential for these recent developments to improve mobilization procedures. Recent findingsIt has recently become apparent that the bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) plays an active role in attracting HSCs into the peripheral blood. S1P is the first factor identified that provides a chemoattractant gradient promoting the movement of HSCs into the peripheral blood. Drugs that mimic S1P are available with others in development, raising the possibility of increasing the strength of the egress signal and thereby improving the efficacy of mobilization procedures. SummaryS1P is the first egress factor described for HSCs, but the details of the underlying biology are only just emerging. Although manipulating the S1P axis to enhance mobilization protocols is an exciting possibility, much needs to be learned before improvements in mobilization strategies can be realized.
Validating Organizational Implementation of Information Systems Innovations Framework in Kenyan Higher Education Institutions

Organizational Implementation of Information Systems Innovations (OIISI) Framework was developed in the context of Universities in Kenya and can be used to understand the implementation of Information Systems (IS) Innovations in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The aim of this study was to determine the degree of associations and relationships in the OIISI framework in HEIs and, in so doing, provided researchers and practitioners with a valid and reliable instrument that covered all the key constructs identified by the framework. In this study, the framework was tested in the context of HEIs in Kenya. To do so, data was collected from identified respondents in some s elected HEIs that have implemented IS or were in the implementation process, analyzed and the outcomes presented, thereby validating the relationships. Judgmental and convenience sampling design was used to select HEIs. A questionnaire based on a seven point Likert scale was administered to different participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) used to determine regression coefficients between constructs of interest. The Chi - square goodness - of - fit test was used to test the model adequacy together wit h other goodness of fit statistics. The null hypothesis for this test was that the model adequately accounts for the data, while the alternative was that there is a significant amount of discrepancy. To test the hypothesis, correlation coefficients were found, hypothesis tested and coefficient of determination calculated for explanation purposes. Results of this study shows that OIISI framework is a valid application in the implementation of IS in HEIs on its entirety. The study recommends further research for ‘Others’ construct to expand it in the context of HEIs and suggests a possibility of other factors that determine Implementation Outcomes apart from Implementation Process.
Community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in undisturbed vegetation revealed by analyses of LSU rDNA sequences

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic symbiosis with plant roots and are found in most ecosystems. In this study the community structure of AMF in a clade of the genus Glomus was examined in undisturbed costal grassland using LSU rDNA sequences amplified from roots of Hieracium pilosella. Roots were sampled from May to November along eight 30‐m transects, 30–120 m apart. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences revealed 11 phylogenetic clusters within the clade of Glomus. The phylogenetic clusters were patchily distributed within the area; time had no influence on the distribution pattern. The dominant cluster covered up to 10 m along the transect, whereas other clusters formed what can be interpreted as small individual mycelia. Four of the phylogenetic clusters included known species; the other clusters, including the dominant sequence types, were unknown. The dominant phylogenetic cluster enclosed nine haplotypes, and analyses of genetic diversity of this phylogenetic cluster showed that the total diversity could be found within single root fragments, suggesting that the multiple sequences were derived from a single individual.
Rheological characterization of the nucleus pulposus and dense collagen scaffolds intended for functional replacement

Lumbar discectomy is an effective therapy for neurological decompression in patients suffering from sciatica due to a herniated nucleus pulposus (NP). However, high numbers of patients suffering from persisting postoperative low back pain have resulted in many strategies targeting the regeneration of the NP. For successful regeneration, the stiffness of scaffolds is increasingly recognized as a potent mechanical cue for the differentiation and biosynthetic response of (stem) cells. The aim of the current study is to characterize the viscoelastic properties of the NP and to develop dense collagen scaffolds with similar properties. The scaffolds consisted of highly dense (0.5%–12%) type I collagen matrices, prepared by plastic compression. The complex modulus of the NP was 22 kPa (at 10 rad s−1), which should agree with a scaffold with a collagen concentration of 23%. The loss tangent, indicative of energy dissipation, is higher for the NP (0.28) than for the scaffolds (0.12) and was not dependent of the collagen density. Gamma sterilization of the scaffolds increased the shear moduli but also resulted in more brittle behavior and a reduced swelling capacity. In conclusion, by tuning the collagen density, we can approach the stiffness of the NP. Therefore, dense collagen is a promising candidate for tissue engineering of the NP that deserves further study, such as the addition of other proteins. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27: 620–626, 2009
Commentary: Alcohol Plus Chlorhexidine is More Efficient Than Alcohol Alone for Phenol‐Based Chemical Matricectomy: In Vitro Study

The technique of phenol cauterization is wellestablished in the medical literature and is usually presented with little variation. In the majority of the existing published protocols, the dilution of phenol with alcohol is described as an important step, but there are differing opinions with respect to its necessity and the agents required to perform this step. To this end, the work of Becerro de Bengoa Vellejo and colleagues makes an important contribution, using human skin and a diffusion cell apparatus to measure the amount of phenol recovered after lavage with specific substances. Although this study was performed in vitro, it is important in that it demonstrates the ability to measure, test, and verify the actions of diverse substances and their effects on phenol. Through the use of this apparatus, Becerro de Bengoa Vellejo and colleagues demonstrate that alcohol in conjunction with chlorhexidine is more efficient than alcohol alone for phenol-based chemical matricectomy.
Bedside Polysomnography as an Adjunct in the Management of Infants with Robin Sequence

&NA; Objective indications for tongue-lip adhesion in infants with Robin sequence have been lacking because of the difficulty in assessing the clinical significance of airway obstruction. In 1988, we began to use 20-hour, four-channel polysomnography to assist us in the management of infants with Robin sequence. The four channels included electrocardiogram, respiratory motion, airflow, and oxygen saturation. Infants demonstrating significant episodes of airway obstruction during sleep were recommended for tongue-lip adhesion. Fifteen infants with Robin sequence were evaluated during a 3-year period. Two babies were having severe, clinically obvious events on admission and underwent tongue-lip adhesion without polysomnography. Polysomnography was done on the other 13 infants. No significant events were seen in 7 infants, and they were discharged after a mean hospitalization of 8 days. Six studies documented significant airway obstruction, and tongue-lip adhesion was recommended. Follow-up polysomnography performed after successful tongue-lip adhesion failed to show any significant events, and the infants only required hospitalization for a mean of 12 days. We conclude that polysomnography is a useful adjunct in the management of infants with Robin sequence, providing objective indications for surgical intervention and shortening hospitalization.
Antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida spp. by relative growth measurement at single concentrations of antifungal agents

The relative growth (percentage of growth relative to control growth) of 496 isolates representing six Candida species was assessed as a means of determining in vitro susceptibilities of the isolates in microdilution plate wells containing single concentrations of each of seven antifungal agents. The relative growth data were highly reproducible. With flucytosine and amorolfine they correlated well with MICs, but for an azole antifungal agent, terconazole, they did not correlate with MICs. Distributions of relative growth percentages for different Candida spp. showed significant differences in species susceptibility to individual agents. For example, C. albicans was less susceptible than the other species to amorolfine; C. parapsilosis isolates were particularly susceptible to terbinafine; and C. glabrata, C. guilliermondii, and C. krusei isolates were less susceptible than C. albicans to fluconazole and ketoconazole but equally susceptible as or more susceptible than C. albicans to itraconazole. Differential patterns of susceptibility to individual azole antifungal agents were noted for some individual strains as well as for Candida spp.
Hippocampal neurochemical markers in bipolar disorder patients following the first-manic episode: A prospective 12-month proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

Objective: Previous studies reported decreased N-acetyl aspartate and increased Glx (the sum of glutamate plus glutamine) in bipolar disorder. Since these studies included patients at different stages of illness, it is unknown whether these changes have a causal role or a consequence of multiple episodes and treatments. The studies in early-stage bipolar disorder patients have the potential to provide answers to these issues. Therefore, we evaluated N-acetyl aspartate and Glx levels in hippocampi of first-episode bipolar disorder patients and health subjects at baseline and at 12 months, and examined the impact of episode recurrence on these measures. Method: We used single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to compare the hippocampal neurometabolites (N-acetyl aspartate and Glx) levels between 41 patients with bipolar disorder following recovery from their first-manic episode and 27 matched healthy subjects at recruitment and 12 months later. We also compared N-acetyl aspartate and Glx levels between patients who had a recurrence of a mood episode and those who did not. Results: There was no main effect of either group (diagnosis) or time for hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate and Glx levels in bipolar disorder patients and healthy subjects. We also did not find any group-by-time interaction for the levels of these metabolites. There were also no differences in N-acetyl aspartate and Glx between patients who experienced a recurrence of a mood episode and those who did not over 12-month follow-up. Conclusion: Our data suggest that N-acetyl aspartate and Glx levels are not altered in early stage bipolar disorder. Further, these data suggest that episode recurrence in early stages does not have a significant impact on the levels of these metabolites. These may suggest that there may be an early window for intervention to potentially arrest neuroprogression of the disease.