Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physiological effects of meditation: a longitudinal study.

Previous research has shown physiological differences between meditators and non-meditators but it is not known whether these differences are attributable to the practice of meditation. It is hypothesized that the regular relaxation, associated with the practice of meditation, produces physiological de-arousal outside of meditation itself. Eleven subjects were taught meditation in the belief that it was an untried relaxation exercise. They regularly practised the technique for a period of 6 months. Pre-, mid- and post-‘treatment’ measures of skin conductance and spontaneous skin conductance responses were taken and were compared with similar measures taken from a comparison group, who merely attended for retesting. The experimental group showed a significant decrease in spontaneous skin conductance responses over the 6 month period. The comparison group and a small group of subjects who gave up meditation early in the experiment exhibited no significant change on this parameter. The experimental group also demonstrated a progressively greater decrease in skin conductance during meditation over the 6 months. This progression was not evident in the small group of ‘drop-outs’. The results suggested that regular meditation practice might be effective in producing some physiological relaxation outside of the meditation state itself.
Evidence for 26 distinct acyl-coenzyme A synthetase genes in the human genomes⃞s⃞ The online version of this article (available at http://www.jlr.org) contains supplementary data in the form of 3 Tables. Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 30, 2007.

Acyl-coenzyme A synthetases (ACSs) catalyze the fundamental, initial reaction in fatty acid metabolism. “Activation” of fatty acids by thioesterification to CoA allows their participation in both anabolic and catabolic pathways. The availability of the sequenced human genome has facilitated the investigation of the number of ACS genes present. Using two conserved amino acid sequence motifs to probe human DNA databases, 26 ACS family genes/proteins were identified. ACS activity in either humans or rodents was demonstrated previously for 20 proteins, but 6 remain candidate ACSs. For two candidates, cDNA was cloned, protein was expressed in COS-1 cells, and ACS activity was detected. Amino acid sequence similarities were used to assign enzymes into subfamilies, and subfamily assignments were consistent with acyl chain length preference. Four of the 26 proteins did not fit into a subfamily, and bootstrap analysis of phylograms was consistent with evolutionary divergence. Three additional conserved amino acid sequence motifs were identified that likely have functional or structural roles. The existence of many ACSs suggests that each plays a unique role, directing the acyl-CoA product to a specific metabolic fate. Knowing the full complement of ACS genes in the human genome will facilitate future studies to characterize their specific biological functions.
Managing consequences of climate‐driven species redistribution requires integration of ecology, conservation and social science

Climate change is driving a pervasive global redistribution of the planet's species. Species redistribution poses new questions for the study of ecosystems, conservation science and human societies that require a coordinated and integrated approach. Here we review recent progress, key gaps and strategic directions in this nascent research area, emphasising emerging themes in species redistribution biology, the importance of understanding underlying drivers and the need to anticipate novel outcomes of changes in species ranges. We highlight that species redistribution has manifest implications across multiple temporal and spatial scales and from genes to ecosystems. Understanding range shifts from ecological, physiological, genetic and biogeographical perspectives is essential for informing changing paradigms in conservation science and for designing conservation strategies that incorporate changing population connectivity and advance adaptation to climate change. Species redistributions present challenges for human well‐being, environmental management and sustainable development. By synthesising recent approaches, theories and tools, our review establishes an interdisciplinary foundation for the development of future research on species redistribution. Specifically, we demonstrate how ecological, conservation and social research on species redistribution can best be achieved by working across disciplinary boundaries to develop and implement solutions to climate change challenges. Future studies should therefore integrate existing and complementary scientific frameworks while incorporating social science and human‐centred approaches. Finally, we emphasise that the best science will not be useful unless more scientists engage with managers, policy makers and the public to develop responsible and socially acceptable options for the global challenges arising from species redistributions.
Drug-induced eosinophilic pneumonia

Background and objective: Eosinophilic pneumonia (EP) is an important subset of patients who present with pulmonary infiltrates and eosinophilia (PIE). EP is classified by chronicity and etiology and drug-induced EP is the main cause of secondary EP. The primary goal of this review was to examine all the case reports published since the syndrome was defined in 1990. It remains unclear whether acute or chronic EP (AEP or CEP) represent different diseases, and the secondary goal of this review is to determine if there are factors that may help distinguish these 2 entities. Methods: PubMed (MEDLINE and Medical Subject Headings) was searched for case reports of drug-induced EP or PIE syndrome published between 1990 and 2017. Case reports were only included if the diagnostic criteria for AEP or CEP were fulfilled. For each case, data were extracted pertaining to age, sex, type of medication associated with the disease, time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis, eosinophil counts in the blood, eosinophil fractions in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, initial chest radiograph and computed tomography results, use of mechanical ventilation, and use of steroid treatment and recurrence. Results: We found 196 case reports describing drug-induced EP. The leading cause was daptomycin. From our review, we found that AEP is more common in younger patients with no gender preference. Eosinophilia in the blood at the time of diagnosis characterized only the CEP patients (80% in CEP vs. 20% in AEP). Abnormal findings on radiographic imagine was similar in both syndromes. A significant portion of AEP patients (20%) presented with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Most patients with EP were treated with steroids with a higher rate of relapse observed in patients with CEP. Conclusion: AEP is a much more fulminant and severe disease than the gradual onset and slowly progressive nature of CEP. The pathogenesis of AEP and CEP remains unclear. However, there is significant clinical overlap among AEP and CEP that are associated with drug toxicity, suggesting the possibility that AEP and CEP are distinct clinical presentations that share a common pathogenic pathway.
Long term effects of non-invasive mechanical ventilation on pulmonary haemodynamics in patients with chronic respiratory failure

BACKGROUND It is not known whether long term nocturnal mechanical ventilation (NMV) reduces pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF). METHODS Pulmonary haemodynamics, spirometric values, and gas exchange were studied in 33 patients requiring NMV due to CRF (20 with thoracic restriction, 13 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) at baseline and after 1 year of NMV given in the volume cycled mode. Patients with COPD also received supplemental oxygen. RESULTS Long term NMV improved gas exchange while lung function remained unchanged. Mean pulmonary artery pressure at rest before NMV was higher in patients with thoracic restriction than in those with COPD (33 (10) mm Hgv 25 (6) mm Hg). After 1 year of NMV mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased in patients with thoracic restriction to 25 (6) mm Hg (mean change –8.5 mm Hg (95% CI –12.6 to –4.3), p<0.01) but did not change significantly in patients with COPD (mean change 2.2 mm Hg (95% CI –0.3 to 4.8)). CONCLUSIONS Long term NMV in CRF improves pulmonary haemodynamics in patients with thoracic restriction but not in patients with COPD.
Tumor angiogenesis as a prognostic assay for invasive ductal breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Tumor angiogenesis, as assayed by microvessel density, has been proposed as an independent prognostic marker for clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. PURPOSE The present study evaluated the microvessel density assay and assessed its utility, alone and together with the evaluation of other tumor characteristics, in predicting outcome in patients with invasive ductal carcinomas. METHODS In a blinded design, cases of invasive ductal carcinoma were selected from a registry containing the records of and tumor specimens from 386 breast cancer patients treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1977 through 1982. After the exclusion of ineligible patients and inadequate specimens, 220 patients were included in the study; their median time of follow-up was 11.5 years. Half of these patients (n = 110) were positive for axillary lymph node metastases. Histologic sections of the tumors were stained immunocytochemically for factor VIII, a coagulation protein expressed by blood vessel endothelium, and for p53 protein. Independently, two analysts counted microvessels in three microscope fields selected from separate vascular regions of the tumor. Variability in microvessel scores between analysts and among different fields of the same tumor was summarized by the coefficient of variation. The kappa statistic tested for agreement between the analysts while correcting for chance agreement. The effects of tumor characteristics on metastasis-free survival and overall survival were tested univariately by the Harrington-Fleming rank test procedure. The effect of multiple factors on survival was tested under a Cox multivariate proportional hazards model. RESULTS Microvessel count showed considerable variability between the two analysts and among regions within each tumor, with an overall concordance for tumor classification of 73%. Univariate analysis revealed no association between microvessel count and any other tumor or patient characteristic. Multivariate analysis indicated, for these patients, that nodal status and p53 staining predicted metastasis-free survival and that nodal status, estrogen receptor (ER) status and tumor grade predicted overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Microvessel count showed much variation among different regions of each tumor. It did not predict metastasis-free survival or overall survival. Nodal status was the most powerful criterion to stratify these patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast into different survival groups. Only ER status, tumor grade, and p53 staining had additional prognostic utility for these patients after they had been stratified by nodal status.
Autonomous technologies in short sea shipping: trends, feasibility and implications

ABSTRACT The maritime industry has been continuously transforming the nature of its business and striving to embrace technology in many aspects. In this context, autonomous technologies have been receiving momentum with a potential to revolutionise the landscape of shipping industry. After conducting a comprehensive literature review on the issues facing by the short sea shipping (SSS) industry, a model is developed to explore the potential savings of removing crew and use of autonomous technologies through a Continuously Unmanned Ship (CUS) that is operated by a Shore Control Centre (SCC). The analysis shows that autonomous technologies are viable to the challenges that the shipping industry is facing in terms of crew costs and skill shortage. To validate this statement, a case study is selected and various scenarios were tested based on relevant operational and financial considerations, including crew arrangement, cargo utilisation levels and shore wage coefficients. The results suggest that the savings occur in demand-uncertain markets and where a network of vessels are operated via a control centre. While autonomous technology use in shipping holds promise, there remain several limitations that this research addresses in terms of implementation, commercial attractiveness, risk profile, legislative, workforce planning and port operations.
CNTN-1 Enhances Chemoresistance in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Through Induction of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Targeting the PI3K/Akt Pathway

Background/Aims: Chemoresistance has been a major obstacle to the effective treatment of lung cancer. Previously, we found that contactin-1 (CNTN-1) is related to cisplatin resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism behind the role of CNTN-1 in cisplatin resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: EMT-associated phenotypes, including alterations in cellular morphology and marker (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin) expression, were compared between A549 cells and A549/DDP cells (a cisplatin-resistant cell line of lung adenocarcinoma with abnormal CNTN-1 expression) by using real-time time PCR and Western blotting. Other methods, including CNTN-1 overexpression in A549 cells and CNTN-1 knockdown in A549/DDP cells, were also used to investigate the role of CNTN-1 in mediating the EMT phenotype and thr resulting cisplatin resistance and malignant progression of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Results: A549/DDP cells exhibited an EMT phenotype and aggravated malignant behaviors. CNTN-1 knockdown in A549/DDP cells partly reversed the EMT phenotype, increased drug sensitivity, and attenuated the malignant progression whereas CNTN-1 overexpression in A549 cells resulted in the opposite trend. Furthermore, the PI3K/Akt pathway was involved in the effects of CNTN-1 on EMT progression in A549/DDP cells, verified by the xenograft mouse model. Conclusion: CNTN-1 promotes cisplatin resistance in human cisplatin-resistant lung adenocarcinoma through inducing the EMT process by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. CNTN-1 may be a potential therapeutic target to reverse chemoresistance in cisplatin-resistant lung adenocarcinoma.
ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE TOURIST DEMAND TO BALI USING CO-INTEGRATION TEST AND VECTOR ERROR CORRECTION MODEL

This study was aimed to figure out of the long term and short term correlation between -tourism price and tourist income to the tourism demand of Japanese to Bali. Quarterly data from 2003-2016 were analyzed by cointegration test and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The result showed that there were both long term and short term balance among research variables. At long term, the tourist income has a positive influence on tourism demand and on the other hand the tourism price has a negative one. Meanwhile at the short term the tourist income has a negative influence on the tourism demand.
A combination of decision tree learning and clustering for data classification

In this paper, we present a new classification algorithm which is a combination of decision tree learning and clustering called Tree Bagging and Weighted Clustering (TBWC). The TBWC algorithm was developed to enhance a classification performance of a clustering algorithm. In the experiments, five datasets were used to evaluate the predictive performance. The experimental results show that the TBWC algorithm yields the highest accuracies when compared with decision tree learning and clustering for all datasets. In addition, this algorithm can improve the predictive performance especially for multi-class datasets which can increase the accuracy up to 36.67%. Finally, it can reduce attributes up to 59.82%.
NGOs and the policy‐making process in Russia: The case of child welfare reform

© 2018 The Authors. Governance Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This article explores the issue of the major reform of the child welfare sector that has been carried out in Russia in recent years. Focusing on deinstitutionalization and a child's right to a family, this reform moves Russia in the direction of international trends in this area and represents a break with previous state- and institution-dominated approach to “problem families. ” The article explores how and why this process has come about in a traditionally top-down hybrid regime and applies the Multiple Streams Framework first developed by Kingdon to argue that Russian child welfare nongovernmental organizations have acted in concert with government officials to act as policy entrepreneurs in framing the policy problem and presenting solutions to it in a way that has influenced national priorities in this area. At the same time, the article acknowledges that major challenges remain in terms of implementing the reform at the regional level of government in Russia.
"Examining the Sources of Excess Return Predictability: Stochastic Volatility or Market Inefficiency?"

We use a consumption based asset pricing model to show that the predictability of excess returns on risky assets can arise from only two sources: (1) stochastic volatility of model variables, or (2) departures from rational expectations that give rise to predictable investor forecast errors and market inefficiency. From an empirical perspective, we investigate whether 1-month ahead excess returns on stocks can be predicted using measures of consumer sentiment and excess return momentum, while controlling directly and indirectly for the presence of stochastic volatility. A variable that interacts the 12-month sentiment change with recent return momentum is a robust predictor of excess stock returns both in-sample and out-of-sample. The predictive power of this variable derives mainly from periods when sentiment has been declining and return momentum is negative, forecasting a further decline in the excess stock return. We show that the sentiment-momentum variable is positively correlated with fluctuations in Google searches for the term ? stock market,? suggesting that the sentiment-momentum variable helps to predict excess returns because it captures shifts in investor attention, particularly during stock market declines.
‘Cultural icons’: media representations of second homes in New Zealand

New Zealanders have a long history of second home ownership, and the second home landscape is an important part of the New Zealand culture. Traditional second homes are known colloquially as the ‘bach’ or ‘crib’, and it is part of the New Zealand psyche to ‘escape to the bach’ for the weekend, especially over the summer months. However, since the 1960s these traditional second homes have been replaced in many areas by second homes that are indistinguishable from urban homes. They have become much larger, are often architecturally designed and with more modern conveniences and technology than the traditional bach. Over the last two decades, perhaps as a response to these changes, the media has valorized traditional second homes, and the ‘bach’ has been increasingly constructed as a form of ‘cultural icon’. This study utilises a thematic discourse analysis of popular media articles on second homes to examine how the notion of the bach as a cultural icon has been constructed. Findings show that the media utilises the idea of a (collective) great New Zealand dream as the basis for its construction, with three identifiable themes coming through in the discourse; living the dream, losing the dream, and clinging to the dream. Each is examined in turn. This study shows that popular media provides a rich source of empirical material for research into second home culture and thus also has relevance for other countries where second homes are imbued with cultural significance.
Assessment of a 2D CFD model for a single phase natural circulation loop

The use of passive safety systems are more and more diffused in many technological fields. Natural circulation is probably one of the main phenomenon applied in this kind of systems: indeed, as known, by means of gravity and buoyancy forces, the fluids can circulate without any external power sources. In this paper, a preliminary analysis (also by comparisons between experimental tests and numerical simulations) of a natural circulation based loop (namely a natural circulation based facility installed at University of Genova) is presented. Starting from some experimental results, the data deriving from CFD loop simulations (both in steady and in unsteady conditions) are used for a first preliminary validation, mainly in order to have a computational tool reliable and able to computationally simulate motion inversions related phenomena. The physical inversions phenomena are very well reproduced also by the a simplified numerical 2D model of the loop, and the physical considerations related to the temperature and velocity fluctuations during the transient simulations, are in agreement with the well-known observations formulated by Welander on the basis of a simple point source analysis scheme.
Association between RAD51 polymorphisms and susceptibility of head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND The associations between RAD51 gene polymorphisms (G135C and G172T) and risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) have been investigated, but the results are controversial. The aim of this study was to provide a more precise estimation of its relationship with HNC using a meta-analysis. METHODS Relevant studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Strict selection and exclusion criteria were determined, and the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of the association between RAD51 polymorphisms and HNC risk. RESULTS Six studies were eligible for RAD51 G135C (1593 cases and 1719 controls), and three studies were eligible for RAD51 G172T (997 cases and 979 controls). In the overall population, significant association between RAD51 G135C polymorphism and HNC risk was observed under allele model (C vs G: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04-1.41, P = 0.015). In the subgroup analysis by smoking status, a significant association was found among smokers (C vs G: OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.25-2.04; GC vs GG: OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.29-4.05; GC + CC vs GG: OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.56-2.78). When stratified based on drinking status, a significant association was found among drinkers(C vs G: OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.21-2.11; GC vs GG: OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.16-5.38; GC + CC vs GG: OR = 2.17,95% CI = 1.56-3.01). However, no significant association with HNC risk was demonstrated when stratified based on source of control and ethnicity. For G172T polymorphism, the results showed no significant risk association in overall analysis. In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the result suggested that a decreased HNC risk was found among Caucasians (T vs G: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72-0.95; TT vs GG: OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46-0.84; TT vs GT + GG: OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.49-0.84). CONCLUSION This meta-analysis suggested that RAD51 G135C is associated with increased HNC risk, especially among smokers and drinkers, while G172T polymorphism may play a protective role against HNC among Caucasians. Larger-scale and well-designed studies are needed to further clarify the association.