Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of DNA doublestrand repair proteins in oral leukoplakia and the risk of malignant transformation

The present study assessed the expression of the DNA doublestrand repair (DDR) proteins ATM serine/threonine kinase (ATM), checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) and γH2A histone family member X (γH2AFX) in oral leukoplakia (OL) and evaluated their clinical significance and usefulness as biomarkers for predicting OL transformation. Retrospectively, ATM, CHEK2 and γH2AFX protein levels were evaluated using immunohistochemical analysis in 61 OL, 33 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and 15 normal oral mucosa tissues. OL tissues were classified into two groups according to the epithelial dysplasia pathology: The low risk dysplasia group (n=41) and the high-risk dysplasia group (n=20). The results of the present study revealed that the expression of ATM and γH2AFX in OSCC was significantly increased compared with that in OL with low-risk dysplasia and normal oral mucosa tissues. There was no statistically significant difference in CHEK2 expression among the groups. ATM expression was correlated with that of γH2AFX in OSCC tissue. The prognostic values of the DDR proteins and their correlation with clinical and pathological parameters were evaluated further in 99 OL patients with low risk dysplasia. Multivariate analysis revealed that increased expression of ATM and γH2AFX was significantly associated with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Immunohistochemical analysis of ATM and γH2AFX protein expression provided useful prognostic information on the carcinogenesis of OL. Increased ATM and γH2AFX expression may indicate a poor prognosis.
Application of laparoscopy in urology : a study on the learning curve in experience at a large center including 4707 cases

Purpose: To analyze the effects of a learning curve in laparoscopic approaches in urological surgery and the prevalence of complications in a large medical center. Materials and methods: Clinical data of all patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery at the Department of Urology, West China Hospital, from March 2003 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. All postoperative complications were recorded and classified according to the Clavien-Dindo system, and the parameters of average operating time (OT), estimated blood loss (EBL), length of hospital stay after operation (LOSO), and rate of complication (RC) were analyzed statistically. Results: Of a total of 4707 patients selected, 4293 (91.2%) were treated by a retroperitoneal approach and 414 were treated by a transperitoneal approach. With the gradual maturity of technologies, OT, EBL, LOSO, and RC significantly decreased (P < 0.001). RC reached a plateau after the 3rd year. Furthermore, all postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo system revealed that complications occurred in 778 (16.5%) cases, 78 during surgery and 700 after surgery. Conclusions: Trends in OT, EBL, LOSO, and intraand postoperative RCs significantly decreased throughout the study period. The 3rd year was regarded as a turning point in the learning curve for laparoscopic surgery. However, the applied range expanded along with an increase in difficult and complicated pRCedures. Complications may be efficiently reduced by summarizing RC and analysis of treatments and characteristics of the learning curve.
Routing protocols in VANET — A survey

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is an integrated approach being developed to exchange relevant information to increase the safety and efficiency of the road transportation systems. Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET), a variant of mobile ad hoc networks (MANET), is a core component of ITS. Performance of this smart ITS mainly owes to the design of efficient routing protocols in VANETs. Distinct features of VANETs like unsteady connectivity, high mobility and partitioning of the network have made routing of the information in VANETs difficult and challenging, hence dictating the development of efficient routing protocols. The computation of the best route measures the performance of communication whereas routing protocols takes care of communication & routing of the data. Provision of smart communication, necessitates the analysis of routing protocols in VANET. Accordingly in this paper we have reviewed various types of existing routing protocols in VANET, listing their advantages and disadvantages. Lastly possible inclinations of forthcoming research linked to VANET routing are discussed.
Blink reflex recovery cycle to differentiate progressive supranuclear palsy from corticobasal syndrome

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) may share similar clinical findings and tests to distinguish between the two disorders could be useful. We evaluated the blink reflex and R2 blink reflex recovery cycle (R2BRRC), determining diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value of R2BRRC in differentiating patients with PSP from those with CBS.
Echocardiography a Non-Invasive Method for Investigating Preclinical Drug Toxicity and Safety

Echocardiography (EC) is a method used for investigating cardiac morphology and function. Two-dimensional EC gives a visualization of the morphology of the heart. M-mode EC allows heart function to be monitored. Pulsed Doppler EC is the method of choice for measuring blood flows through valves and large vessels. EC is used in routine in clinic and veterinary practice but is infrequently applied to preclinical evaluation of drug toxicity and safety pharmacology despite a number of advantages. Since similar investigations can be done in laboratory animals and humans, preclinical and clinical findings can easily be transposed to each other. EC is totally non-invasive, it does not induce any suffering to the animals and has no impact on health and physiology. It allows repeated measurements and consequently monitoring of development and evolution of adverse effects. In this way, EC evaluates the functional adverse effects of drugs on the cardiovascular system and the consequences of induced lesions. Moreover, using the different modes of EC it is possible to determine the changes in heart contractility and hemodynamics that are involved in the development of cardiovascular lesions. This is illustrated by an experiment in dogs treated with minoxidil. The development of lesions in the right atrium and left ventricle were considered to be related to changes in the function of these cardiac structures as demonstrated by EC recordings. These findings confirm the usefulness of EC in assessing the pathogenesis of drug-related cardiac toxicity.
The UMLS Knowledge Source Server: An Experience in Web 2.0 Technologies

The UMLS Knowledge Source Server (UMLSKS), developed at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), makes the knowledge sources of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) available to the research community over the Internet. In 2003, the UMLSKS was redesigned utilizing state-of-the-art technologies available at that time. That design offered a significant improvement over the prior version but presented a set of technology-dependent issues that limited its functionality and usability. Four areas of desired improvement were identified: software interfaces, web interface content, system maintenance/deployment, and user authentication. By employing next generation web technologies, newer authentication paradigms and further refinements in modular design methods, these areas could be addressed and corrected to meet the ever increasing needs of UMLSKS developers. In this paper we detail the issues present with the existing system and describe the new system's design using new technologies considered entrants in the Web 2.0 development era.
The climate adaptation imperative: local choices targeting global problems?

ABSTRACT When confronted with the demands of global climate change, what causes some policy-makers to move the climate adaptation agenda forward in their communities, while others seemingly get little accomplished? To answer this question, we first discuss work on policy-drivers in a coupled human–natural systemic context. This summary review of past research helps us develop a set of competing and complementary explanations for why some communities aggressively pursue climate adaptation policies, while others do less. Following the discussion of policy-drivers, we then undertake an aggregate-level analysis of data collected across the 169 towns in Connecticut regarding climate adaptation, thus linking policy to its fundamental global cause. The quantitative data are augmented with interview data from policy-makers and activists from around the New England region.
Generalized Schemes for High-Throughput Manipulation of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris Genome

ABSTRACT The ability to conduct advanced functional genomic studies of the thousands of sequenced bacteria has been hampered by the lack of available tools for making high-throughput chromosomal manipulations in a systematic manner that can be applied across diverse species. In this work, we highlight the use of synthetic biological tools to assemble custom suicide vectors with reusable and interchangeable DNA “parts” to facilitate chromosomal modification at designated loci. These constructs enable an array of downstream applications, including gene replacement and the creation of gene fusions with affinity purification or localization tags. We employed this approach to engineer chromosomal modifications in a bacterium that has previously proven difficult to manipulate genetically, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, to generate a library of over 700 strains. Furthermore, we demonstrate how these modifications can be used for examining metabolic pathways, protein-protein interactions, and protein localization. The ubiquity of suicide constructs in gene replacement throughout biology suggests that this approach can be applied to engineer a broad range of species for a diverse array of systems biological applications and is amenable to high-throughput implementation.
International Trade and the Division of Labor

This paper develops a model of international trade based on the division of labour under perfect competition. International trade, by eliminating the duplication of coordination costs, leads to a greater variety of intermediate goods, each produced at a larger scale than in autarky. The greater variety of intermediate inputs implies greater division of labour and hence gains from trade. Similarly to models of international trade under imperfect competition, the volume of trade depends on the relative sizes of the trading partners. Extending the model to two factors of production yields the additional result that if the two countries are sufficiently similar in their relative endowments, then both factors of production can experience gains from trade.
Acquisition of Multiple Graph Structured Patterns by an Evolutionary Method Using Sets of TTSP Graph Patterns as Individuals

Knowledge acquisition from graph structured data is an important task in machine learning and data mining. TTSP (Two-Terminal Series Parallel) graphs are used as data models for electric networks and scheduling. We propose a learning method for acquiring characteristic multiple graph structured patterns by evolutionary computation using sets of TTSP graph patterns as individuals, from positive and negative TTSP graph data, in order to represent sets of TTSP graphs more precisely.
Changes in corneal ultrastructure resulting from early lens removal in the developing chick embryo.

Lenses were removed from chick embryos at 4 days of incubation and the corneas were studied at various time intervals postoperatively through 17 days of incubation. Approximately 2 to 4 hours postoperatively a wave of mesenchymal tissue, presumably perilimbic in origin, moved in to cover the posterior surface of the cornea. This retrocorneal sheet of tissue grew in thickness and differentiated along lines similar to that of the sclera. At 17 days of incubation, the collagen fibrils within this band of tissue had cross-sectional diameters that were 1.8 to 3.0 times greater than those of fibrils within normal corneal stromas. These changes were found only within the lentectomy group. The corneal stroma, Descemet's membrane, and the mesothelium (endothelium) failed to develop in the lentectomized eyes. Failure of vitreous body enlargement, a concomitant feature of lens removal at 4 days of incubation (Coulombre and Coulombre, 1966), was explored as a causal mechanism. Eyes of chick embryos were intubated at 4 days of incubation, allowing vitreous to escape, and the corneas were studied at various time intervals postoperatively through 17 days of incubation. At 17 days of incubation, the collagen fibrils within the stromas of the intubated group had cross-sectional diameters that did not differ significantly from those in normal stromas. In the corneas of the intubated eyes, Descemet's membrane and the mesothelium were present, having a normal cytoarchitecture, thereby negating lack of vitreous body enlargement as a causal factor. Other possible mechanisms to explain the aberration in corneal development following early lens removal are discussed.
Toward a Practical Ontology for Socioeconomic Metabolism

The complexity of data and methods in industrial ecology (IE) keeps growing, and the demand for comprehensive and interdisciplinary assessments increases. To keep up with this development, the field needs a data infrastructure that allows researchers to annotate, store, retrieve, combine, and exchange data at low cost, without loss of information, and across disciplines and model frameworks. A consensus‐building debate about how to describe the common object of study, socioeconomic metabolism (SEM), is necessary for the development of practical data structures and databases. We review the definitions of basic concepts to describe SEM in IE and related fields such as integrated assessment modeling. We find that many definitions are not compatible, are implicit, and are sometimes lacking. To resolve the conflicts and inconsistencies within the current definitions, we propose a hierarchical system of terms and definitions, a practical ontology, for describing objects, their properties, and events in SEM. We propose a typology of object properties and use sets to group objects into a hierarchical, mutually exclusive, and collectively exhaustive (H‐MECE) classification. This grouping leads to a general definition of stocks. We show that a MECE representation of events necessarily requires two complementary concepts: processes and flows, for which we propose general definitions based on sets. Using these definitions, we show that the system structure of any interdisciplinary model of SEM can be formulated as a directed graph. We propose guidelines for semantic data annotation and database design, which can help to turn the vision of a powerful data infrastructure for SEM research into reality.
Does breaking up prolonged sitting when sleep restricted affect postprandial glucose responses and subsequent sleep architecture? – a pilot study

ABSTRACT This pilot study investigated the impact of breaking up prolonged sitting with light-intensity walking on postprandial glucose responses and sleep architecture. In a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design, six healthy males completed a sitting condition and an active condition (sitting interrupted with light-intensity walking) for three consecutive days, following 5-h sleep opportunities at night. Postprandial glucose response and sleep (time spent in all stages) was assessed. Breaking up prolonged sitting with light-intensity walking did not affect postprandial glucose responses in sleep-restricted participants; however a small increase (~9 min) in slow-wave sleep was observed.
Analysis and Numerical Approximation of a Contact Problem Involving Nonlinear Hencky-Type Materials with Nonlocal Coulomb’s Friction Law

Abstract A static frictional contact problem between an elasto-plastic body and a rigid foundation is considered. The material’s behavior is described by the nonlinear elastic constitutive Hencky’s law. The contact is modeled with the Signorini condition and a version of Coulomb’s law in which the coefficient of friction depends on the slip. The existence of a weak solution is proved by using Schauder’s fixed-point theorem combined with arguments of abstract variational inequalities. Afterward, a successive iteration technique, based on the Kačanov method, to solve the problem numerically is proposed, and its convergence is established. Then, to improve the conditioning of the iterative problem, an appropriate Augmented Lagrangian formulation is used and that will lead us to Uzawa block relaxation method in every iteration. Finally, numerical experiments of two-dimensional test problems are carried out to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Herbal medicine (Suoquan) for treating nocturnal enuresis

Background: Suoquan is widely used to treat frequent urination, enuresis, and other diseases caused by kidney qi deficiency. Many clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of Suoquan for the treatment of enuresis have been reported. This review will assess the clinical evidence for and against the use of Suoquan as a treatment for enuresis. Methods and analysis: Fourteen databases will be searched until 2018. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining Suoquan decoctions for any type of enuresis. All RCTs of decoctions or modified decoctions will be included. The methodological qualities of the RCTs will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias. Ethics and dissemination: This systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The review will be disseminated both electronically and in print. It will be updated to inform and guide healthcare practices. Trial registration number: CRD42018087900
Plume Characterization of a Laboratory Model 22 N GPIM Thruster via High-Frequency Raman Spectroscopy

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will demonstrate the capability of a green propulsion system, specifically, one using the monopropellant, AF-M315E. One of the risks identified for GPIM is potential contamination of sensitive areas of the spacecraft from the effluents in the plumes of AF-M315E thrusters. Plume characterization of a laboratory-model 22 N thruster via optical diagnostics was conducted at NASA GRC in a space-simulated environment. A high-frequency pulsed laser was coupled with an electron-multiplied ICCD camera to perform Raman spectroscopy in the near-field, low-pressure plume. The Raman data yielded plume constituents and temperatures over a range of thruster chamber pressures and as a function of thruster (catalyst) operating time. Schlieren images of the near-field plume enabled calculation of plume velocities and revealed general plume structure of the otherwise invisible plume. The measured velocities are compared to those predicted by a two-dimensional, kinetic model. Trends in data and numerical results are presented from catalyst mid-life to end-of-life. The results of this investigation were coupled with the Raman and Schlieren data to provide an anchor for plume impingement analysis presented in a companion paper. The results of both analyses will be used to improve understanding of the nature of AF-M315E plumes and their impacts to GPIM and other future missions.
Repeated Induced Abortion and Son Preference in India

India recorded the highest of repeated induced abortion in the world. Literature on it is scanty and the role of son preference is often ignored. We have attempted to answer the question: Does son preference associate with repeated induced abortion? We have used the third round of District Level Household Survey (DLHS-3). Bi variate analyses, Scatter Matrix Plot and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used. The results reveal that repeated induced abortions were more among the women with son preference. For the first time this study estimates repeated induced abortions by major states and socio-economic groups in India. Also, for the first time, the study gives a comprehensive sociological perspective to repeated induced abortions. In the absence of reliable information on sex-selective abortions, repeated induced abortions can be used as an important proxy indicator. The reduction of repeated abortions will reduce unsafe abortions and maternal deaths, as well as contribute to balanced sex ratio.
A comparative in vivo and in vitro L-band EPR study of irradiated rat incisors

L-band (∼ 1 GHz) EPR has the potential to measure the absorbed radiation dose in human teeth inside the mouth (in vivo analyses). One crucial point in the development of the method is to know if dosimetry evaluation carried out in vivo after accidental exposures can be reliably based on calibration curves built in vitro. The aim of the present work is to specifically address this point. First, we compared L-band in vitro and in vivo analyses in irradiated rat teeth and estimated the possible loss in in vivo experiments due to rat movements and mouth proximity. Second, the lower pair of rat incisors were analysed by L-band EPR before and after irradiation (50 Gy), first on the living rat, then on the same dead rat, finally after extraction of the teeth. X-band powder spectra were also taken after crushing of the two teeth. Irradiations of dead rats and extracted teeth were also carried out. Comparing L-band spectra obtained with living rats and removed heads does not show any significant difference due to possible small rat movements or breathing. Relative standard deviations of the amplitudes of the dosimetric signal are quite high (27–54%). Nevertheless, it seems to be a tendency to have higher signals in irradiated extracted teeth than in irradiated animals. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Formation and Interplay of Social Capital in the ORFE Processes of Crowd Funded Social Ventures

The multi-leveled processes taking place in crowdfunding, when tapping a large heterogeneous crowd for resources, and the often fundamentally different intentions of individual crowd members in the case of highly desirable social ventures with little prospect for economic gains, may lead to a different logic and approach to how entrepreneurship develops. The author therefore seeks evidence and a new understanding of these processes by using the sociological perspectives of Bourdieus’ four forms of capital: social, cultural, symbolic and economic, on 36 cases of social ventures. In the cases, opportunity recognition, formation and exploitation could not be distinguished as separate processes. Crowdfunding and sourcing helps form the actual opportunity and disperse information at the same time. In addition, the ‘nexus’ of opportunity and entrepreneur is breached in crowdfunding of social causes through the constant exchange of ideas with the crowd, leading to norm-value pairs between the funders and the entrepreneurs. Issues of identification and control are thus not based upon any formal relationship but based on perceived legitimization and offered democratic participation. Success in seeking funds from the crowd ventures is based upon the original social capital of the entrepreneurial teams, yet the actual resource exchange and transformation of capital is highly moderated by cultural and symbolic capital. Crowdfunding seems an ideal match for entrepreneurs seeking for ‘societal’ value more than for economic gain. While the entrepreneurs act as catalysts, members of the crowd take over various roles at the same time, from co-founders to funders as well as to customers and co-workers.