Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with metabolic syndrome often develop without significant liver fibrosis: A pathological analysis

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a newly identified risk factor in chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to analyze the pathological characteristics of HCC and nontumoral liver in patients with MS as the only risk factor for liver disease in comparison with those that developed in the course of other CLDs in order to provide further insight into the physiopathology of HCC associated with MS. HCC patients with features of MS as the only risk factor for liver diseases (MS group, n = 31) were compared to HCC patients with overt causes of CLD (CLD group, n = 81) or without causes of CLD (cryptogenic group, n = 16) who underwent surgical resection during the same period of time. Among the patients of the MS group, there were 30 males and 1 female. In comparison with the patients with HCC of the CLD group, the patients with MS were older (mean age: 67± 7 versus 59 ± 14 years, P < 0.01), and the background liver was significantly more often free of significant fibrosis (F0–F2: 65% in the MS group versus 26% in the CLD group, P < 0.001). In addition, HCCs associated with MS were more often well differentiated (65% versus 28%, P < 0.001). Five HCCs, all from the MS group, developed on a preexisting liver cell adenoma, with three of them showing typical histological features of telangiectatic adenoma. Conclusion: This study shows that HCCs in patients with features of MS as the only risk factor for liver disease have distinct morphological characteristics and mainly occur in the absence of significant fibrosis in the background liver. In addition, some of them arise through malignant transformation of a preexisting liver cell adenoma. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
You Say the Party is Dull, I Say It is Lively

A componential approach to situation perceptions is presented, disentangling Perceiver (how much people differ in perceiving situations), Situation (how much situations differ in how they are perceived), and Perceiver × Situation variance (how much perceivers idiosyncratically perceive specific situations) in a Situation Perception Components Model (SPCM). For frequency, valence, and activation ratings of 55 Big Five situations, the percentage of Perceiver, Situation, and Perceiver × Situation variance and relations between perceiver effects and perceivers' Big Five were investigated (N = 126). Perceiver × Situation variance appeared high for all situation classes. Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness situation classes yielded more perceiver, and Extraversion and Agreeableness situation classes more situation variance. Situation–perceiver effects correlated strongest with the perceivers' Big Five trait they expressed. The viability of variance decomposition in situation perception and future research is discussed.
Dabrafenib inhibits the growth of BRAF‐WT cancers through CDK16 and NEK9 inhibition

Although the BRAF inhibitors dabrafenib and vemurafenib have both proven successful against BRAF‐mutant melanoma, there seem to be differences in their mechanisms of action. Here, we show that dabrafenib is more effective at inhibiting the growth of NRAS‐mutant and KRAS‐mutant cancer cell lines than vemurafenib. Using mass spectrometry‐based chemical proteomics, we identified NEK9 and CDK16 as unique targets of dabrafenib. Both NEK9 and CDK16 were highly expressed in specimens of advanced melanoma, with high expression of both proteins correlating with a worse overall survival. A role for NEK9 in the growth of NRAS‐ and KRAS‐mutant cell lines was suggested by siRNA studies in which silencing was associated with decreased proliferation, cell cycle arrest associated with increased p21 expression, inhibition of phospho‐CHK1, decreased CDK4 expression, and the initiation of a senescence response. Inhibition of CDK4 but not CHK1 recapitulated the effects of NEK9 silencing, indicating this to be the likely mechanism of growth inhibition. We next turned our attention to CDK16 and found that its knockdown inhibited the phosphorylation of the Rb protein at S780 and increased expression of p27. Both of these effects were phenocopied in NRAS‐ and KRAS‐mutant cancer cells by dabrafenib, but not vemurafenib. Combined silencing of NEK9 and CDK16 was associated with enhanced inhibition of melanoma cell proliferation. In summary, we have identified dabrafenib as a potent inhibitor of NEK9 and CDK16, and our studies suggest that inhibition of these kinases may have activity against cancers that do not harbor BRAF mutations.
Interpreting Consumer Perceptions of Advertising: An Application of the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique

Abstract For more than three decades, research has theorized about and investigated consumers' attitudes toward advertising. In this study, we interview fourteen U.S. consumers using the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, a method that involves semi-structured, in-depth, personal interviews centered around visual images. Our metaphor and cross-case analyses further contribute to an understanding of consumers' impressions of advertising and the meanings that they associate with it. The metaphors attributed to advertising reveal that advertising has positive value, in that it relates information (hostess, teacher, counselor, enabler, and magician), provides entertainment (performer), and stimulates growth in the economy (engine). However, the goodwill derived from these aspects of advertising is countered by several liabilities, as epitomized by the omnipresent being, nosy neighbor, con-man, seducer, and evil therapist metaphors. In addition, three groups (the ambivalents, the skeptics, and the hostiles) with varying levels of appreciation for the institution of advertising emerge from our cross-case analysis.
Optimal aspect ratios for minimal-area standard-cell integrated circuits

What aspect ratio yields minimal area for a standard-cell integrated circuit (IC) that has a fixed number of cells and set of interconnections? Do square ICs really have minimal area? Our deterministic mathematical model provides answers and can help IC designers who want to vary the aspect ratio of a standard-cell block incorporated in a custom IC. Through a series of layout experiments, we show the model to be very accurate (the average error is 2.0 percent). We show that a cubic equation must be solved to find the aspect ratio that yields the theoretical minimal area. Key ingredients in our analysis are the maximum vertical and horizontal densities, which we empirically show to be linear functions of the number of rows. The major conclusion of this work is that square ICs do yield minimal area. But even over a wide range of aspect ratios (i.e., nonsquare shapes), little increase in area is incurred.
Promotion of scientific literacy: Bangladeshi teachers’ perspectives and practices

Background: In Bangladesh, a common science curriculum caters for all students at the junior secondary level. Since this curriculum is for all students, its aims are both to build a strong foundation in science while still providing students with the opportunities to use science in everyday life – an aim consistent with the notion of scientific literacy. Purpose: This paper reports Bangladeshi science teachers’ perspectives and practices in regard to the promotion of scientific literacy. Sample: Six science teachers representing a range of geographical locations, school types with different class sizes, lengths of teaching experience and educational qualifications. Design and method: This study employed a case study approach. The six teachers and their associated science classes (including students) were considered as six cases. Data were gathered through observing the teachers’ science lessons, interviewing them twice – once before and once after the lesson observation, and interviewing their students in focus groups. Results: This study reveals that participating teachers held a range of perspectives on scientific literacy, including some naïve perspectives. In addition, their perspectives were often not seen to be realised in the classroom as for teachers the emphasis of learning science was more traditional in nature. Many of their teaching practices promoted a culture of academic science that resulted in students’ difficulty in finding connections between the science they study in school and their everyday lives. This research also identified the tension which teachers encountered between their religious values and science values while they were teaching science in a culture with a religious tradition. Conclusions: The professional development practice for science teachers in Bangladesh with its emphasis on developing science content knowledge may limit the scope for promoting the concepts of scientific literacy. Opportunities for developing pedagogic knowledge is also limited and consequently impacts on teachers’ ability to develop the concepts of scientific literacy and learn how to teach for its promotion.
Targeting BCL2 Family in Human Myeloid Dendritic Cells: A Challenge to Cure Diseases with Chronic Inflammations Associated with Bone Loss

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are common and rare diseases, respectively. They associate myeloid cell recruitment and survival in inflammatory conditions with tissue destruction and bone resorption. Manipulating dendritic cell (DC), and, especially, regulating their half-life and fusion, is a challenge. Indeed, these myeloid cells display pathogenic roles in both diseases and may be an important source of precursors for differentiation of osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing multinucleated giant cells. We have recently documented that the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17A regulates long-term survival of DC by inducing BCL2A1 expression, in addition to the constitutive MCL1 expression. We summarize bibliography of the BCL2 family members and their therapeutic targeting, with a special emphasis on MCL1 and BCL2A1, discussing their potential impact on RA and LCH. Our recent knowledge in the survival pathway, which is activated to perform DC fusion in the presence of IL-17A, suggests that targeting MCL1 and BCL2A1 in infiltrating DC may affect the clinical outcomes in RA and LCH. The development of new therapies, interfering with MCL1 and BCL2A1 expression, to target long-term surviving inflammatory DC should be translated into preclinical studies with the aim to increase the well-being of patients with RA and LCH.
Can we treat anorgasmia in women? The challenge to experiencing pleasure

A consistent finding in the literature has been that only about half of the women experiencing orgasm difficulties also report associated distress. This may suggest that orgasms are less important for women's sexual satisfaction than they are for men. Evidence is provided to suggest that orgasms are important for women's sexual satisfaction. The lack of distress seems related to women's lesser consistency of orgasm during partnered sexual activity and not to orgasms being less important per se. In contrast to current suggestions that inability to orgasm during vaginal intercourse points to psychological immaturity, data are presented that imply that women's orgasm consistency in all forms of partnered sexual activity is associated with sexual autonomy (i.e., the extent to which one feels that one's sexual behaviours are self-determined). This paper ends with a brief overview of organic and psychosexual factors associated with problems with sexual excitation and sexual inhibition and reviews evidence-based treatment of anorgasmia. For orgasm problems that are related to problems with sexual excitation, effective treatments are available. We recommend that more effort is given to studying factors associated with sexual inhibition.
Massive spinors and dS/CFT correspondence

Using the map between free massless spinors on d+1 dimensional Minkowski spacetime and free massive spinors on dS d+1 , we obtain the boundary term that should be added to the standard Dirac action for spinors in the dS/CFT correspondence. It is shown that this map can be extended only to theories with vertex ()2 but arbitrary d ≥ 1. In the case of scalar field theories such an extension can be made only for d = 2,3,5 with vertices 6 , 4 and 3 respectively.
The Influence of Emotional Progression Factors on Adjustment to Loss and Grief on Kenyan Orphaned Secondary School Students

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of emotional progression factors on adjustment to Loss and Grief on orphaned Kenyan secondary school students.The study was informed by Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Human Development. Mixed method research approach was used and with it, concurrent triangulation design was adopted. The target population consisted of 47 schools, 20 focus group discussion students, 10 personal interviews and 1,245 Form 3 orphaned students from public secondary schools in Kisumu Central Sub-County of Kenya. A sample size of 453 students from 15 secondary schools were sampled for the study using stratified random sampling technique. Reliability of the instruments was ascertained through a pilot study of 9% of the population that did not participate in the final study. Internal consistency was also used to determine the reliability of questionnaires and coefficient values of r=0.0771 was reported for the questionnaire. Face validity of the instruments was ascertained by pilot testing the questionnaires and also by seeking expert judgment by university lecturers. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic framework. Trustworthiness of qualitative data was ensured by analyzing the framework as fronted by Lincoln &Guba (1985). The study findings revealed that emotional progression factors effected adolescents’ adjustment to loss and grief. Respondents were positive about death and they concluded that death was not their greatest fear, yet, the feeling of being loved generated more positive feelings among adolescent respondents who said that the sense of being loved made them happy. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015. v6n4s3p190
Influence of the small leader exons 2 and 3 on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gene expression.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) uses an elaborate alternative splicing pattern for the generation of both the 1.8-kb as well as the 4-kb classes of mRNA. An additional diversity of transcripts in both classes is created by the optional inclusion of the small exons 2 and 3 in the leader sequence. To analyze a possible influence of these leader exons on HIV-1 gene expression, several series of expression vectors with different leaders were constructed, expressing either Rev and Env or a heterologous coding sequence, i.e., the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) ORF. Transfection experiments of HeLa-T4(+) cells revealed for all series of constructs that mRNA as well as protein expression was stimulated by the presence of exon 2 and reduced by exon 3. The function of the leader exons 2 and 3 is neither dependent on the regulatory proteins Tat or Rev nor on viral coding sequences. Neither transcription rates nor stability of polyadenylated RNAs were found to be responsible for the different levels of steady-state mRNA. When either exon 2 or 3 was inserted into a heterologous intron, processing of the primary transcripts generated identical mRNA species while maintaining the differences in exon 2/3-dependent mRNA steady-state levels. These results may be explained by exon-specific nuclear RNA degradation rates, as also indicated by results from an in vitro degradation assay using a HeLa nuclear extract.
The Level at Which Accounting Professors Use Information Technology at Universities

Since education is affected by technological developments, more than anything else, it needs to equip itself to the latest technologies. In this research, we have reviewed the reasons of disagreements in choosing technology in accounting educations in MA and PHD courses. This research which is an applied survey research is performed through choosing 11 different technologies and sending questionnaire to two groups of professors in MA and PHD courses of state and Azad universities, then by using this information we analyzed the results. The measurement tool in this research has been questionnaire, and research population has been the professors of MA and PHD of accounting course in state, Azad, Payam-Noor and nonprofit universities of Iran. Statistical method of this research is t test. The results indicate that there is a significant difference between uses of above mentioned cases between two groups of accounting professors of MA and PHD courses of state and Azad universities. Practical solution to cover this gap is to use more information technology in accounting education, in order to improve the quality of education by dear professors in one side, and the affairs of students in learning modern technologies and applying them practically in another side.
Learning Heuristic Functions through Approximate Linear Programming

Planning problems are often formulated as heuristic search. The choice of the heuristic function plays a significant role in the performance of planning systems, but a good heuristic is not always available. We propose a new approach to learning heuristic functions from previously solved problem instances in a given domain. Our approach is based on approximate linear programming, commonly used in reinforcement learning. We show that our approach can be used effectively to learn admissible heuristic estimates and provide an analysis of the accuracy of the heuristic. When applied to common heuristic search problems, this approach reliably produces good heuristic functions.
Crisis Casework for Policy Courses

We teach Business Policy (BP) to help students develop an ability to respond to chaos and crisis with creativity. Business is a difficult artistic medium and many students, especially those without business experience, have difficulty knowing what to do with a BP problem. Similarly, too many BP cases frame only ’tame’ or inherently solvable problems (Rittel and Webber, 1973). The data is overly ordered by casewriters who, perhaps, also have little experience and eliminate too much of the chaos of the real situations they report. Such cases do not challenge the students’ creativity nor do they train them for the ’wicked’ or inherently unsolvable problems of real business. This paper describes a different kind of case, designed specifically to help students get a sense of creativity in organizational situations. We set up a hypothetical situation which is thrown into crisis by a ’critical incident’ (Flanagan, 1954; Champion and Bridges, 1969). The students have to sort out what to do to get things moving again. But the situation is set up quite deliberately to make this difficult. Getting out of this frustrating bind calls for considerable creativity and can be a powerful learning experience.
Phonetic Analysis and the Automatic Segmentation and Labeling of Speech Sounds

A fundamentally important practice in phonetics is the analysis of continuous speech into a sequence of discrete segments. There has been considerable debate about the theoretical validity of this practice within classical auditory/kinaesthetic phonetics and in phonology as well as in the context of the acoustic analysis of speech; in recent years the issue has become more widely important as research work in automatic speech processing has resulted in computer algorithms for segmenting speech and assigning phonetic labels to the segments. Work on the automatic segmentation and labeling of speech sounds has been carried on in our department since 1980. This paper begins by examining the theoretical issues involved in segmentation and labeling, then describes our own work.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Some solutions of linearized 5-d gravity with brane

We consider linearized 5-d gravity in the Randall-Sundrum brane world. The class of static solutions for linearized Einstein equations is found. We also we obtain wave solutions describing radiation from an imaginary point source located at the Planck distance from the brane. We analyse the fields' asymptotic behaviour and peculiarities of matter sources.
Temporal genetic variation of mitochondrial DNA and the female effective population size of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

We studied genetic drift of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype frequencies in a natural population of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). The amount of genetic drift observed across temporally adjacent year classes (1986–89) was used to estimate variance effective (female) population size (Nef). Nef was estimated to be 14 308 and the ratio of female effective size to adult female census size was approximately 0.004, which is among the lowest value reported for vertebrate animals. Low effective size relative to census size among red drum in the northern Gulf may result from yearly fluctuations in the number of breeding females, high variance in female reproductive success, or both. Despite low genetic effective size relative to census size, the genetic effective population size of red drum in the northern Gulf appears sufficiently large to preclude potentially deleterious effects of inbreeding.
The Mitochondrial p55 Accessory Subunit of Human DNA Polymerase γ Enhances DNA Binding, Promotes Processive DNA Synthesis, and Confers N-Ethylmaleimide Resistance*

Human DNA polymerase γ is composed of a 140-kDa catalytic subunit and a smaller accessory protein variously reported to be 43–54 kDa. Immunoblot analysis of the purified, heterodimeric native human polymerase γ complex identified the accessory subunit as 55 kDa. We isolated the full-length cDNA encoding a 55-kDa polypeptide, expressed the cDNA in Escherichia coli and purified the 55-kDa protein to homogeneity. Recombinant Hp55 forms a high affinity, salt-stable complex with Hp140 during protein affinity chromatography. Immunoprecipitation, gel filtration, and sedimentation analyses revealed a 190-kDa complex indicative of a native heterodimer. Reconstitution of Hp140·Hp55 raises the salt optimum of Hp140, stimulates the polymerase and exonuclease activities, and increases the processivity of the enzyme by several 100-fold. Similar to Hp140, isolated Hp55 binds DNA with moderate strength and was a specificity for double-stranded primer-template DNA. However, Hp140·Hp55 has a surprisingly high affinity for DNA, and kinetic analyses indicate Hp55 enhances the affinity of Hp140 for primer termini by 2 orders of magnitude. Thus the enhanced DNA binding caused by Hp55 is the basis for the salt tolerance and high processivity characteristic of DNA polymerase γ. Observation of native DNA polymerase γ both as an Hp140 monomer and as a heterodimer with Hp55 supports the notion that the two forms act in mitochondrial DNA repair and replication. Additionally, association of Hp55 with Hp140 protects the polymerase from inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide.