Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Geographic Area with Better Outcome of Esophageal Carcinoma: Is There an Effect of Ethnicity and Etiologic Factors?

Objectives: Although Iran, and especially the northeast of the country, is known as one of the areas in the world where esophageal cancer is most prevalent, there is no information on the survival rate of patients affected with this disease in this region. To address this issue, we conducted a study comprehensive enough to provide as accurate an estimate as possible. Any finding related to survival of patients in this area may be considered representative of Iran. Methods: Esophageal cancer patients who were consecutively referred to the oncology centers of Omid and Imam Reza Hospitals from July 1997 to March 2004 were recruited for the study. Data collection included the demographical and clinical characteristics of patients in addition to treatment details. The median survival and overall survival rates, as well as the median event-free survival and event-free survival rates, were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to detect any significant prognostic factors. Results: 1,568 patients were eligible. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicates that median survival is 38 months (95% CI, 26.6–49.3), 5-year survival is 42% (38.76–46.16%), median event-free survival is 21 months (95% CI, 18.2–23.8) and 5-year event-free survival is 29.9% (27.07–32.67%). The univariate analysis indicates that age, gender, tumor histology, tumor location, body mass index and disease stage are significant predictors of overall survival. However, in the multivariate analysis, disease stage is the best prognostic factor. Conclusion: The prognosis of esophagus cancer in Iran is not as dismal as in other world regions. Our treatment outcome and survival rates are much higher than those reported especially in western countries.
Information extraction methods for text documents in a Cognitive Integrated Management Information System

In contemporary companies unstructured knowledge is essential, mainly due to the possibility to obtain better flexibility and competitiveness of the organization. For example, on the basis of automatic analysis of the experts' opinions, the decision-makers are capable of taking decisions (for example decisions concerning investments). This paper presents issues related to developing and evaluating a methods of information extraction performed by cognitive agent running in integrated management information system. The main advantages of this approach are cognitive agents' ability of including a context of extracted information and its ability of automatic decision-making on the basis of extracted information.
FDTD Analysis of Light Control by Magnetically Oriented Guanine Crystal Plates

3-D simulations of electromagnetic field by finite difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm were helpful for analyzing propagations of electromagnetic wave. In industrial fields, FDTD simulations are necessary to design telecommunication devices. Furthermore, structures of photonic crystal and light transmissions in nanoscale-microscale structures of it were also actively studied and FDTD simulations are also utilized for designing of it. Many bioorganisms produce biophotonic crystals that have nanocyclic structures. For example, guanine crystals stacked in fish skin strongly reflect light to camouflage their body. Our group studies this crystal to apply for development of biogenic microoptical devices. In this paper, we analyzed light scattering on guanine crystal by FDTD simulations with model structure of the crystal. Rotating the crystal axis to the incident light, the direction of reflected light was simulated. Distributions of strength of light reflectance on the surface of crystal plane were also analyzed and compared with three kinds of incident wavelengths. Results suggested the relations of directivity of the reflected light with the incident angle of light irradiation to the crystal.
Promoting Psychosocial Adjustment and Stress Management in First-Year College Students: The Benefits of Engagement in a Psychosocial Wellness Seminar

Abstract Objective/Methods: This research evaluates the effectiveness of a psychosocial wellness seminar for first-year college students, from 2009 to 2011, using an 8-month prospective quasi-experimental design. Participants/Results: Compared with controls (n = 22) involved in an alternative seminar, intervention participants (n = 29) showed no differences at baseline, but reported significantly greater perceived improvements over the course of the intervention, in psychosocial adjustment and stress management. Furthermore, specific aspects of intervention engagement (attendance and student-rated skills practice, but not didactic mastery or facilitator-rated skills practice) differentially predicted beneficial outcomes: (1) psychosocial adjustment (increases in psychosocial well-being, decreases in psychological distress), after adjusting for baseline levels of these outcomes; (2) college-related stress management (lower college-related stress, greater adaptation to college); and (3) perceived improvements in psychosocial adjustment and stress management. Conclusions: This research indicates promising avenues for programmatic efforts to promote psychosocial adjustment and stress management in college students, during this critical developmental juncture.
The Influence of Technical Similarity Relation on Innovation Performance: The Cooperative Relation as Mediator

The technical similarity network and the cooperative network were built. The technical similarity relation on different thresholds may reflect a certain degree of technology competition situation. So the influence of technical similarity relation on the innovation performance is studied. When technical similarity value between 0.3 and 0.5, technical similarity relation has negative effects on the innovation performance, and the cooperative relation is a part or complete mediator.
Régulation adaptative multi-objectif et multi-mode aux carrefours à feux. (Multi-objective and multi-mode adaptive traffic control on signal-controlled junctions)

Afin de repondre a la problematique de la regulation multi-objectif et multi-mode des carrefours a feux, nous proposons trois modeles de programmation lineaire mixte en nombres entiers constituant les moteurs d'un systeme de regulation pleinement adaptatif, ainsi que deux procedures interactives d'optimisation multi-objectif permettant d'adapter iterativement une “politique de regulation” a la situation de trafic. Les criteres pris en compte, tous a minimiser, sont le temps d'attente et le nombre d'arrets des vehicules particuliers, et un critere dedie aux transports en commun permettant de fixer un temps d'attente souhaite pour chaque bus. Des experimentations ont montre qu'un des trois modeles, dit hybride, se demarque positivement des deux autres. Ce modele a alors ete mis en œuvre avec une des deux procedures interactives, permettant de controler un trafic simule sur une periode d'une heure dans differents scenarios types, et compare a un systeme de regulation semi-adaptatif.
The Cysteine Protease Domain of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Nonstructural Protein 2 Possesses Deubiquitinating and Interferon Antagonism Functions

ABSTRACT Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) contains a cysteine protease domain at its N terminus, which belongs to the ovarian tumor (OTU) protease family. In this study, we demonstrated that the PRRSV nsp2 OTU domain antagonizes the type I interferon induction by interfering with the NF-κB signaling pathway. Further analysis revealed that the nsp2 OTU domain possesses ubiquitin-deconjugating activity. This domain has the ability to inhibit NF-κB activation by interfering with the polyubiquitination process of IκBα, which subsequently prevents IκBα degradation. To determine whether the nsp2 protein antagonist function can be ablated from the virus, we introduced point mutations into the OTU domain region by use of reverse genetics. The D458A, S462A, and D465A mutations targeting on a B-cell epitope in the OTU domain region generated the viable recombinant viruses, and the S462A and D465A mutants were attenuated for growth in cell culture. The OTU domain mutants were examined to determine whether mutations in the nsp2 OTU domain region altered virus ability to inhibit NF-κB activation. The result showed that certain mutations lethal to virus replication impaired the ability of nsp2 to inhibit NF-κB activation but that the viable recombinant viruses, vSD-S462A and vSD-D465A, were unable to inhibit NF-κB activation as effectively as the wild-type virus. This study represents a fundamental step in elucidating the role of nsp2 in PRRS pathogenesis and provides an important insight in future modified live-virus vaccine development.
Health‐related quality of life in children with sickle cell anemia: Impact of blood transfusion therapy

The completion of the Multicenter Silent Infarct Transfusion Trial demonstrated that children with pre‐existing silent cerebral infarct and sickle cell anemia (SCA) who received regular blood transfusion therapy had a 58% relative risk reduction of infarct recurrence when compared to observation. However, the total benefit of blood transfusion therapy, as assessed by the parents, was not measured against the burden of monthly blood transfusion therapy. In this planned ancillary study, we tested the hypothesis that a patient centered outcome, health‐related quality of life (HRQL), would be greater in participants randomly assigned to the blood transfusion therapy group than the observation group. A total of 89% (175 of 196) of the randomly allocated participants had evaluable entry and exit HRQL evaluations. The increase in Change in Health, measured as the child's health being better, was significantly greater for the transfusion group than the observation group (difference estimate = −0.54, P ≤ 0.001). This study provides the first evidence that children with SCA who received regular blood transfusion therapy felt better and had better overall HRQL than those who did not receive transfusion therapy. Am. J. Hematol. 90:139–143, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reconstruction machizukuri and negotiating safety in post-3.11 community recovery in Yamamoto

ABSTRACT In 2011, the 3.11 triple disaster of The Great East Japan Earthquake, the ensuing tsunami and the nuclear accident shook both the built and social environments of local communities in Tōhoku, Japan. To support successful community recovery, local participation has been implemented in many localities in the form of machizukuri, or bottom-up resident participation in place governance and community building. However, massive building projects have delayed reconstruction and social recovery is still ongoing. This research argues that community recovery may be further delayed because of renegotiation of spatial and social safety triggered by reconstruction policies. Based on ethnographic data collected during eight months of fieldwork in the tsunami-stricken town of Yamamoto, this research analyzes machizukuri groups as collective actors who are constructing place-frames characterized by insecurity and the redefinition of the social and geographical borders of a post-disaster community.
Spatial meaning-making and urban activism: Two tales of anti-PX protests in urban China

ABSTRACT Urban space plays an important role in shaping the meaning-making process in relation to urban activism, especially for disorganized, spontaneous, and short-lived protests occurring in authoritarian regimes. Taking protests against locally unwanted land use (LULU) projects as an example, this article examines how urban space shapes the meaning-making process in relation to 2 anti-paraxylene (PX) protests in Kunming and Maoming. Particular attention is paid to how residents’ interpretations of the hazards of PX shaped the meaning-making process on social media. In the case of Kunming, a city with a long history of natural environmental conservation, the primary frame employed by residents was environment and health risks. In the case of Maoming, a large petrochemical industrial center with severe air pollution, residents expressed their opposition toward the PX project by emphasizing strong distrust in local government. Participants’ differentiated meaning-making processes were shaped by the dual space of cities, namely physical conditions and associated meanings and place-bounded historical memories of daily life. This article contributes to the scholarship on cities and social movements by integrating the theories of space/place and the theory of framing to analyze the spatial meaning-making process in relation to urban activism in China and in transitional economies in general.
Promoting human development by doing philosophy at the heart of the family

Human development requires the education of autonomous citizens, capable of critically approaching their opportunities. However, if this is left to the school alone, the children’s most important educational environment—the family—is neglected. The Community of Inquiry (COI), developed by Matthew Lipman into an educational methodology, aims at educating students to be critical citizens by developing habits of mind through collaborative philosophical inquiry. The research reported here was targeted at introducing the COI into the family, particularly addressing the intersubjective relationships among participants. In Uruguay, ‘Community Teachers’ visit disadvantaged homes to follow children’s progress and to increase the retention rates. Two Participatory Action Research activities were implemented in 2012 and 2016, in which sixty Community Teachers were trained in the COI methodology and applied it to their work with families. The observations made suggest the COI can support the promotion of human development from the very heart of the family.
The Impact of Predicted Earnings Surprises on Equity Returns

In efficient markets, asset prices are expected to adjust rapidly when value relevant information is made public. In this paper we study the impact of “predicted earnings surprises” on short-term stock returns. Specifically, we collect earnings surprise forecasts for 807 firms from a free and publicly available source. These forecasts are produced by the top-rated analysts and are expected to be more accurate than the “consensus number”, which is biased by analysts’ conflict of interests. Using standard regression analysis and an event study, we assess the impact of this information on equity prices. This impact appears to be asymmetrical, with extreme positive and negative forecasts being more significant drivers of returns. We quantify the risk-adjusted returns resulting from a trading strategy that exploits knowledge of these forecasts. Our results suggests that markets are efficient with respect to this publicly available information.
Novel TP53 gene mutations in tumors of Russian patients with breast cancer detected using a new solid phase chemical cleavage of mismatch method and identified by sequencing

Mutations in the tumor‐suppressor p53 gene TP53 are frequent in most human cancers including breast cancer. A new solid phase chemical cleavage of mismatch method (CCM) allowed rapid and efficient screening and analysis of the TP53 gene in DNA samples extracted from tumors of 89 breast cancer patients. The novel CCM technique utilized silica beads and the potassium permanganate/tetraethylammonium chloride (KMnO4/TEAC) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) reactions were performed sequentially in a single tube. Mutation analysis involved amplification of five different fragments of the TP53 gene using DNA from the 89 tumor samples, then pairing of the 391 labeled PCR products and forming heteroduplexes. A total of 41 unique signals were revealed in the analysis of TP53 exons 5–9 and eight were identified by direct sequencing. The three novel mutations detected are c.600T>G (p.Asn200Lys), c.601T>G (p.Leu201Val), and c.766‐768delACA (p.Thr256del). The detected mutations c.638G>T (p.Arg213Leu), c.730G>T (p.Gly244Cys), and c.758C>T (p.Thr253Ile) have not been reported in breast cancer but have been recorded in tumors of other organs. A previously reported mutation c.535C>T (p.His179Tyr) and a heterozygous polymorphism c.639A>G were also detected. Of the 41 unique signals, 36 were not identified as a sequence change. As direct sequencing requires the mutant allele concentration to be greater than 30% when the mutant allele is present in a mixture with the wild‐type allele, the CCM method represents a more sensitive technique requiring a lower mutant allele concentration in the wild‐type mixture compared with direct sequencing. This reveals the advantage of CCM for unknown point mutation detection in DNA samples of cancer patients. Hum Mutat 23:186–192, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leading a Library Restructure in a Cross-Cultural Organisation: A Vietnam University Library Case Study

Abstract In 2015, a solely owned Australian international university library in Vietnam underwent major changes that included a new staff structure. At the beginning of the year, an Irish-Australian Senior Library Manager was newly appointed to manage a team of Vietnamese library staff. The library service was reviewed and restructured to better align with the organisation’s strategic objectives in relation to research, learning and teaching. The challenges in leading and managing a library restructure in a cross-cultural context are examined from both Eastern and Western leadership perspectives. This case study illustrates that although cultural differences can be perceived, similarities in effective leadership and management are key to implementation success.
From fence to wall? Changes in the mental space of border zones in Eastern Europe

After September 2001, but particularly after the events of 2015 and 2016, the geopolitical situation of the world was radically changed. New hot spots were created, including the European migrant crisis and its local manifestations. In this paper, we focus on the Serbian‐Hungarian border where the fence building has turned this research relevant. Through a survey including mapping the mental cognition of borders, we monitor the hypothesis that the closedness of the border has appeared in the minds of the local population, but their security perception has not increased significantly. Persisting asymmetries and polarized revelations are the landmarks of the changing border zone. Despues de septiembre de 2001, pero sobre todo despues de los acontecimientos de 2015 y 2016, la situacion geopolitica del mundo cambio radicalmente. Se han creado nuevos puntos de interes, como la crisis Europea de inmigracion y sus manifestaciones locales. En este articulo nos centramos en la frontera serbio‐hungara, donde la construccion de la valla ha hecho que esta investigacion sea relevante. Por medio de una encuesta que incluye el mapeo de la cognicion mental sobre las fronteras, se monitoreo la hipotesis de que el cierre de la frontera esta presente en las mentes de la poblacion local, pero su percepcion sobre la seguridad no ha aumentado significativamente. Las asimetrias persistentes y las revelaciones polarizadas son los hitos de la cambiante zona fronteriza. 2001年の9月以降、特に2015年と2016年の出来事の後で、世界の地政学的状況は大きく変化した。 欧州移民危機と欧州各地における政策表明など、新しいホットスポットが生み出されたのである。 本稿では、セルビアとハンガリーの国境に焦点を当てるが、その塀がこの研究を重要なものにしている。 現地住民の心に国境の閉鎖性が現れてきているという仮説を、国境における心理的な認識のマッピングなどの調査により検証するが、治安に対する意識の高まりは著しいものではないことがわかる。 非対称性の存続と偏った新事実の表面化が、変わりつつある国境ゾーンのランドマークである。
Defense and death responses to pore forming toxins

Abstract Pore forming toxins (PFT) are important virulence factors produced by bacteria to kill eukaryotic cells by forming holes in the cellular membrane. They represent a diverse group of proteins with a wide range of target cells. Although the amino acid sequence is not conserved among the different PFT, many of them share some aspects of their mechanism of action. In general, the mode of action of PFT involves receptor recognition, activation by proteases, and aggregation into oligomeric-structures that insert into the membrane to form ionic pores. Beside the pore formation activity, PFT may have other effects during its interaction with their target cells such as intra-cellular signaling or transport of other enzymatic components, as in the case of anthrax or diphtheria toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis and Corynebacterium diphtheria, respectively (Parker and Feil, 2005). Although PFT have evolved as a pathogenic mechanism, some of them have great impact in society since they have different applications in biotechnology or are used as therapeutic agents, or as tools in the study of cell biology (Schiavo and van der Goot, 2001). On the other side, their target organisms have evolved different mechanisms to counter toxin action. Understanding the mechanism of action of PFT as well as the host responses to toxin action would provide ways to deal with these pathogens or with emerging pathogens and more importantly to improve the action of toxins that have biotechnological applications. In this review we will describe the intracellular effects induced by some PFT and the cellular responses evolved by eukaryotic cell to overcome PFT action.
Soluble HLA-G circulates in maternal blood during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE Soluble isoforms of the HLA class Ib gene HLA-G have been identified at the maternal-fetal interface. Because soluble forms of other HLA class I antigens modulate T-cell reactivity and induce cellactivated apoptosis, our goal was to determine whether soluble HLA-G circulates in maternal or fetal blood and to identify the specific isoform. STUDY DESIGN Capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with mouse monoclonal antibodies directed toward an epitope present on all isoforms of soluble HLA-G were constructed to identify soluble HLA-G in 44 serum samples from nonpregnant control subjects, 129 serum samples from pregnant women, and 10 samples of term cord blood. Distinguishing between soluble HLA-G1, which is composed of heavy chains complexed with light chains (beta(2)-microglobulin), and soluble HLA-G2, which consists only of heavy chains, was achieved by substituting a monoclonal antibody that requires beta(2)-microglobulin for binding (W6/32) in the capture phase of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with mouse anti-soluble HLA-G showed that soluble HLA-G was present at all stages of gestation and that levels of soluble HLA-G were statistically significantly higher in serum samples from pregnant women than in serum samples from nonpregnant women. In contrast, W6/32 failed to detect soluble HLA-G in serum samples from pregnant women. Cord serum samples did not contain detectable soluble HLA-G. CONCLUSION Collectively, the data indicate that pregnancy is characterized by the presence of soluble HLA-G circulating in maternal blood and strongly suggest that the major isoform is soluble HLA-G2.