Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatal re-expansion of hypertensive cerebellar hematoma

Intracerebral hemorrhage is one of the most devastating forms of stroke especially in the posterior fossa. Expansion of cerebral hematomas was common in the acute phase (< 6 hours) but rarely reported 24 hours later. A 70-year-old man, with history of hypertension, was admitted to the emergency service with the complaint of headache, dizziness and vomiting. He was neurologically intact except for neck stiffness. A cranial CT-scan demonstrated a left hemispheric cerebellar hematoma (about 2 cm in diameter) and a fourth ventricular hemorrhage without hydrocephalus (A). The patient was kept under observation. About 32 hours of onset, the patient complained of severe occipital headache and sudden loss of consciousness. He was brought to the ICU, where he appeared drowsy and bradipnoic. Neurological examination showed anisocoria. An emergency CT-scan revealed an increase of hematoma volume, the diameter was about three times as large with acute hydrocephalus (B). The patient was transferred to the operating room but unfortunately died before performing any surgery. This case shows that we should always consider the risk of hematomas enlargement or re-expansion following a hemorrhagic stroke. This secondary phenomenon can occur late and may be cause a rapid fatal outcome if not detected and managed early.
Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse: Field Test of the SmartRx Web Program

Purpose of the project was to test a Web-based program designed to prevent prescription drug misuse. Study sample consisted of 346 working women randomized into either an experimental or wait-list control condition. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression were used to compare responses. Women receiving the intervention had greater knowledge of drug facts and greater self-efficacy in medication adherence and ability to manage problems with medications compared with controls. Women receiving the intervention also had reduced symptoms reported on the CAGE for prescription medications. Findings suggest that multimedia Web-based programs can be a beneficial addition to substance misuse prevention services. The study's limitations are noted.
Nucleocapsid-independent assembly of coronavirus-like particles by co-expression of viral envelope protein genes.

Budding of enveloped viruses has been shown to be driven by interactions between a nucleocapsid and a proteolipid membrane. By contrast, we here describe the assembly of viral envelopes independent of a nucleocapsid. Membrane particles containing coronaviral envelope proteins were assembled in and released from animal cells co‐expressing these proteins' genes from transfected plasmids. Of the three viral membrane proteins only two were required for particle formation, the membrane glycoprotein (M) and the small envelope protein (E). The spike (S) protein was dispensable but was incorporated when present. Importantly, the nucleocapsid protein (N) was neither required not taken into the particles when present. The E protein, recently recognized to be a structural protein, was shown to be an integral membrane protein. The envelope vesicles were found by immunogold labelling and electron microscopy to form a homogeneous population of spherical particles indistinguishable from authentic coronavirions in size (approximately 100 nm in diameter) and shape. They were less dense than virions and sedimented slightly slower than virions in sucrose velocity gradients. The nucleocapsid‐independent formation of apparently bona fide viral envelopes represents a novel mode of virus assembly.
Network Scaling for Achieving Energy Efficient Cellular Networks - A Quantitative Analysis

In this paper, we consider a network scaling approach to realize network energy savings (NES). As cellular networks are typically deployed to meet the high traffic demand during the busy hour, a scaled down version of the network should be able to effectively handle the low traffic load in the off-peak hours without compromising the network performance. In order to demonstrate the realistic utility of this idea, we conducted a network energy savings analysis for a commercially deployed dual-carrier UMTS network. In an urban area, it is found that 20% - 35% of the cells can be switched off during the off-peak hours even after turning off one carrier entirely. Based on the base station energy consumption model developed from the measurements in commercial base stations, this translates to 11% network energy savings. In a suburban area, on the other hand, it is found that approximately 12% of the sites can be switched off after disabling one carrier. This still offers 8% network energy savings.
ADALIMUMAB FOR ULCERATIVE COLITIS: RESULTS OF A BRAZILIAN MULTICENTER OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

BACKGROUND Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) inhibitor that has efficacy for inducing and maintaining remission in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Real world studies with adalimumab in Latin American ulcerative colitis patients are scarce. OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical remission rates in induction and maintenance with adalimumab therapy in ulcerative colitis. METHODS Observational, multicenter and retrospective study on a case series of patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis under adalimumab therapy. The variables analyzed were: demographic data, previous infliximab status, concomitant drugs, the Montreal Classification, disease activity (Mayo score) at weeks 0, 8, 26 and 52, or until the last follow-up. Clinical remission was defined as a partial Mayo score ≤2 and Last observation carried forward (LOCF) and Non responder imputation (NRI) analysis were used. RESULTS Thirty-six patients were included in the study. With LOCF analysis, remission rates at weeks 8, 26 e 52 were of 41.7%, 47.2% and 47.2%, respectively. With NRI analysis, remission rates at weeks 8, 26 and 52 were of 41.7%, 41.7% and 27.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION Adalimumab was effective in the treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Clinical remission was observed in approximately 40% of the patients at weeks 8 and 26, and in almost a quarter of the patients after 1 year of follow up.
Glucocorticoid receptor dimerization is required for survival in septic shock via suppression of interleukin‐1 in macrophages

Sepsis is controlled by endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs). Previous studies provided evidence that crosstalk of the monomeric GC receptor (GR) with proinflammatory transcription factors is the crucial mechanism underlying the suppressive GC effect. Here we demonstrate that mice with a dimerization‐deficient GR (GRdim) are highly susceptible to sepsis in 2 different models, namely cecal ligation and puncture and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced septic shock. TNF‐α is normally regulated in these mice, but down‐regulation of IL‐6 and IL‐1β is diminished. LPS‐treated macrophages derived from GRdim mice are largely resistant to GC actions in vitro in terms of morphology, surface marker expression, and gene expression. Treatment with recombinant IL‐1 receptor antagonist improved survival of GRdim mice and mice lacking the GR in macrophages (GRLysMCre) mice. This suggests that regulation of IL‐1β in macrophages by GCs is pivotal to control sepsis. —Kleiman, A. , Hübner, S. , Rodriguez Parkitna, J. M. , Neumann, A. , Hofer, S. , Weigand, M. A. , Bauer, M. , Schmid, W. , Schütz, G. , Libert, C. , Reichardt, H. M. , Tuckermann, J. P. Glucocorticoid receptor dimerization is required for survival in septic shock via suppression of interleukin‐1 in macrophages. FASEB J. 26, 722–729 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Information Systems in a Future of Decreased and Redistributed Global Growth

Information systems cycles of innovation rely on global economic growth. However, a 2015 study in Nature predicted that climate change will dramatically slow and redistribute growth in the coming decades. This paper explores how decreased and redistributed growth may impact future information systems and digital innovation. While a long-term global slowdown is not certain, different countries will likely experience significant changes in their growth trajectories, and resulting civilizational transformations. We seek to establish quantitative and theoretical foundations for how a future characterized by climate change would impact information systems around the globe.
Principals, agents and neighbours: the European Neighbourhood Policy through a Principal-Agent lens

The thesis tests the efficacy of Principal-Agent (PA) theory in explaining the creation and development of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). As such, the thesis is subject as well as theory-driven. Empirically, the focal point is how the interaction between the EU member states and the European Commission affected the development of the ENP. It is a theme which is largely overlooked in the ENP literature. In terms of theory, the ENP represents a fascinating case study for PA analysis not only because it has rarely been applied to the field of EU foreign policy but also because PA has seldom been used for studying the evolution of a policy (both pre and post-delegation). Conceptualising EU member states as principals and the European Commission as agent, the thesis examines PA dynamics through the following three ENP policy stages: formulation (2002-2004), finalisation (2004-2006), and implementation (2007-2009). Three hypotheses are tested for each stage of the ENP. Two hypotheses are rooted in PA scholarship, and address the influence of the agent as an informal agenda-setter, while the third distinguishes the agent's influence between different stages of the policy development. Methodologically, the research design is based on within-case process-tracing while the empirical data is drawn from a triangulation of official documents, secondary sources and elite interviews. The thesis findings show that during the initial stages of the policy, the Commission took advantage of its favourable position (e.g. informational asymmetries and uncertainty among the member states) to establish itself as the key actor in the ENP. As the ENP evolved, the Commission’s influence has diminished while the member states, collectively and individually, became more engaged in determining the course of the policy. However, contrary to PA assumptions, member states' increased oversight over the Commission did not come as a response to disobedient behaviour. Based on the empirical data, the Commission, as an agent, was in fact trying to implement the ENP following the guidelines which were previously agreed by its principals. Thus, in the case of the ENP, my PA analysis shifts from the traditional inquiry of how principals control opportunistic agents, to examining how principals could hinder the work of the agent. This phenomenon, broadly defined by Thompson (2007) as the ‘principal problem’, is an anomaly in existing PA literature dominated by an agency-biased standpoint and has previously not been analysed in the context of the European Union. Finally, the wider implication of this thesis is that there is still room for broadening the scope of PA analysis while highlighting the necessity to keep a watchful eye on both the principals and the agent.
ST22 and ST239 MRSA duopoly in Singaporean hospitals: 2006–2010

SUMMARY Surveillance is integral for the monitoring and control of infectious diseases. We conducted prospective laboratory surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in five Singaporean public-sector hospitals from 2006 to 2010, using WHONET 5.6 for data compilation and analysis. Molecular profiling using multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec classification and multilocus sequence typing was performed for a random selection of isolates. Our results showed overall stable rates of infection and bacteraemia, although there was significant variance among the individual hospitals, with MRSA rates increasing in two smaller hospitals and showing a trend towards decreasing in the two largest hospitals. The proportion of blood isolates that are EMRSA-15 (ST22-IV) continued to increase over time, slowly replacing the multi-resistant ST239-III. A new MRSA clone – ST45-IV – is now responsible for a small subset of hospital infections locally. More effort is required in Singaporean hospitals in order to reduce the rates of MRSA infection significantly.
Repetitive ipsilateral painful A‐delta fibre stimuli induce bilateral LEP amplitude habituation

In the scientific approach to central processing of pain, the habituation phenomenon has been frequently described. Recent studies mentioned electrophysiological habituation during the recording of laser‐evoked potentials (LEP). In this study we intended to test whether habituation can be reproducibly induced by repetitive painful laser stimuli and simultaneously measured with LEP. Inspired by findings from previous imaging studies that showed bilateral activation of the operculo‐insular cortices, we hypothesized that repetitive painful laser stimuli applied to one hand lead to bihemispheral LEP amplitude habituation.
Recent developments in multiplexing techniques for immunohistochemistry

Methods to detect immunolabeled molecules at increasingly higher resolutions, even when present at low levels, are revolutionizing immunohistochemistry (IHC). These technologies can be valuable for the management and examination of rare patient tissue specimens, and for improved accuracy of early disease detection. The purpose of this article is to highlight recent multiplexing methods that are candidates for more prevalent use in clinical research and potential translation to the clinic. Multiplex IHC methods, which permit identification of at least 3 and up to 30 discrete antigens, have been divided into whole-section staining and spatially-patterned staining categories. Associated signal enhancement technologies that can enhance performance and throughput of multiplex IHC assays are also discussed. Each multiplex IHC technique, detailed herein, is associated with several advantages as well as tradeoffs that must be taken into consideration for proper evaluation and use of the methods.
MYC‐regulated genes involved in liver cell dysplasia identified in a transgenic model of liver cancer

Foci of liver cell dysplasia (LCD) are distinct morphological entities and may evolve into hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). While most HCCs overexpress c‐Myc, its role in LCD remains uncertain. Therefore, a c‐Myc transgenic model of HCC was investigated to understand the genetic events forcing liver cells into dysplasia and subsequent malignant transformation. Specifically, whole genome scans enabled fingerprinting of genes at different stages of disease, ie LCD and HCC, while laser microdissected LCD lesions were used to validate regulation of candidate genes by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR, ie Mybbp1a, Rps7, Rps19, Rpl10a, Skp1a, Tfdp1, Nhp2, and Bola2. EMSA band shift assays confirmed c‐Myc DNA binding at regulatory sequences of candidate gene‐specific promoters. Additionally, published ChIP‐seq data helped to define the candidate genes as c‐Myc bona fide targets. Treatment of the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 with hepatic growth factor (Hgf) caused c‐Myc protein induction and transcriptional up‐regulation of candidate genes, albeit at different levels when individual genes were compared. A significant increase of HepG2 entering the G1‐phase was associated with up‐regulation of the candidate genes in an Hgf concentration‐dependent matter. Finally, we confirmed regulation of candidate genes in patients' samples with low‐ and high‐grade dysplasia and HCC staged T1 to T3, while their expression was unchanged in focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatic adenoma, therefore asserting the diagnostic value and clinical significance of these candidate genes. Overall, novel c‐Myc targeted genes were identified and may contribute to hepatocyte transformation by altering cell cycle control, thereby contributing to c‐Myc's oncogenic activity. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correcting Polling Error in Over-Engaged Samples Using Representative Turnout Weighting

In previous research (Mellon & Prosser, Missing Non-Voters and Misweighted Samples: Explaining the 2015 Great British Polling Miss) we show that the primary cause of the polling miss at the 2015 UK General Election was the undersampling of less politically engaged respondents, particularly non-voters. We show that this problem can partially be corrected after the fact by including turnout as a weighting factor. In this paper we elaborate and extend this method and show that it could be applied prior to an election as well. We do so by estimating the probability of respondents will vote in the election and calibrate the distribution of turnout probabilities so that the expected level of turnout in the sample matches is pegged to that expected in the election. Using data that was available prior to the 2015 election we demonstrate that had this method been applied to the BES Internet Panel survey it would have substantially reduced the level of error in the survey.
Local adaptation of a Drosophila parasitoid: habitat‐specific differences in thermal reaction norms

Local climate is an important source of selection on thermal reaction norms that has been well investigated in cline studies, where populations sampled along altitudinal or latitudinal gradients are compared. Several biotic factors vary with climate, but are rarely integrated as alternative agents of selection to climatic factors. We tested the hypothesis that habitat may select for thermal reaction norms and magnitude of phenotypic plasticity in a drosophila parasitoid, independently of the climate of origin. We sampled populations of Leptopilina boulardi, a Drosophila parasitoid in two different habitats, orchards and forests. Orchards offer laying opportunities over small distances for parasitoids, with a low variability in the number of hosts per patch, while forests offer more dispersed and more variable patches. The sampling was realized in a temperate and a Mediterranean climate. We measured egg load, volume of eggs, longevity and lipid content for parasitoids reared at two temperatures. Reaction norms were opposite for populations from forests and orchards for investment in reproduction, independently of the climate of origin. The maximal investment of resources in reproduction occurred at the lower temperature in orchards and the higher temperature in forests. Host distribution differences between habitats may explain these opposite reaction norms. We also observed a flatter reaction norm for egg load in forests than in orchards. This relative canalization may have been selected in response to the higher variability in laying opportunities observed in forests. Our results demonstrate the potential role of resource distribution in evolution of thermal plasticity.
How cells process information: Quantification of spatiotemporal signaling dynamics

Arguably, one of the foremost distinctions between life and non‐living matter is the ability to sense environmental changes and respond appropriately—an ability that is invested in every living cell. Within a single cell, this function is largely carried out by networks of signaling molecules. However, the details of how signaling networks help cells make complicated decisions are still not clear. For instance, how do cells read graded, analog stress signals but convert them into digital live‐or‐die responses? The answer to such questions may originate from the fact that signaling molecules are not static but dynamic entities, changing in numbers and activity over time and space. In the past two decades, researchers have been able to experimentally monitor signaling dynamics and use mathematical techniques to quantify and abstract general principles of how cells process information. In this review, the authors first introduce and discuss various experimental and computational methodologies that have been used to study signaling dynamics. The authors then discuss the different types of temporal dynamics such as oscillations and bistability that can be exhibited by signaling systems and highlight studies that have investigated such dynamics in physiological settings. Finally, the authors illustrate the role of spatial compartmentalization in regulating cellular responses with examples of second‐messenger signaling in cardiac myocytes.
Differential protection with inhibitors of caspase-8 and caspase-3 in murine models of tumor necrosis factor and Fas receptor-mediated hepatocellular apoptosis.

Excessive apoptosis has been implicated in a number of acute and chronic human diseases. The activation of caspases has been shown to be critical for the apoptotic process. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the beneficial effects and mechanism of action of the caspase-8 inhibitor IETD-CHO and the caspase-3 inhibitor DEVD-CHO against tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced hepatocellular apoptosis in vivo and compare these results to effects of the same inhibitors against Fas-induced apoptosis. Treatment of C3Heb/FeJ mice with 700 mg/kg galactosamine/100 microg/kg endotoxin induced parenchymal apoptosis (indicated by caspase-3 activation and morphology) and severe liver injury (indicated by the increase in plasma alanine aminotransferase activities and histology) at 7 h. Treatment with IETD-CHO or DEVD-CHO (10 mg/kg at 3, 4.5, and 5.5 h) significantly attenuated caspase-3 activation and liver injury. Western analysis showed that DEVD-CHO had no effect while IETD-CHO substantially reduced procaspase-3 and procaspase-9 processing. On the other hand, caspase-3 activation and liver injury by the anti-Fas antibody Jo-2 was completely prevented by a single dose of DEVD-CHO and, as previously shown, by IETD-CHO at 90 min. Both inhibitors prevented procaspase-3 and procaspase-9 processing. Thus, there are fundamental differences in the efficacy of caspase inhibitors in these two models. We conclude that Fas may rely exclusively on caspase-8 activation and mitochondria to activate caspase-3, which can process more procaspase-8 and thus propagate the amplification of the apoptotic signal. TNF can activate a similar signaling pathway. However, alternative signaling mechanisms seem to exist, which can compensate if the main pathway is blocked.
Sarcopenia as a prognostic factor in hepatolithiasis-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients following hepatectomy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia is closely associated with poor performance status and high mortality in cancer patients. The present study is to determine the correlation between sarcopenia and prognosis of hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHHCC). METHODS Sixty-seven eligible IHHCC patients who underwent hepatectomy, between January 2000 and August 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. Sarcopenia was determined from skeletal muscle index (SMI), assessed by skeletal muscle mass on axial computed tomography images. Factors contributing to overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Sarcopenia occurred in 33 (49.3%) out of 67 patients. Median OS of the enrolled patients was 12 months. Sarcopenic patients had a shorter OS compared with non-sarcopenic patients (P < 0.001). On univariate analyses, sarcopenia was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS; both P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, sarcopenic patients suffered poor overall survival (P < 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.011) compared with non-sarcopenic patients. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative sarcopenia is an independent biomarker of poor prognosis in IHHCC patients following hepatectomy. The identification of sarcopenia may enhance a clinical consideration on decision making for IHHCC patients before surgery.