Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proximal and distal esophageal sensitivity is decreased in patients with Barrett's esophagus.

AIM To investigate sensations to multimodal pain stimulation in the metaplastic and normal parts of the esophagus in patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE). METHODS Fifteen patients with BE and 15 age-matched healthy volunteers were subjected to mechanical, thermal and electrical pain stimuli of the esophagus. Both the metaplastic part and the normal part (4 and 14 cm, respectively, above the esophago-gastric junction) were examined. At sensory thresholds the stimulation intensity, referred pain areas, and evoked brain potentials were recorded. RESULTS Patients were hyposensitive to heat stimulation both in the metaplastic part [median stimulation time to reach the pain detection threshold: 15 (12-34) s vs 14 (6-23) s in controls; F = 4.5, P = 0.04] and the normal part of the esophagus [median 17 (6-32) s vs 13 (8-20) s in controls; F = 6.2, P = 0.02]. Furthermore, patients were hyposensitive in the metaplastic part of the esophagus to mechanical distension [median volume at moderate pain: 50 (20-50) mL vs 33 (13-50) mL in controls; F = 5.7, P = 0.02]. No indication of central nervous system abnormalities was present, as responses were comparable between groups to electrical pain stimuli in the metaplastic part [median current evoking moderate pain: 13 (6-26) mA vs 12 (9-24) mA in controls; F = 0.1, P = 0.7], and in the normal part of the esophagus [median current evoking moderate pain: 9 (6-16) mA, vs 11 (5-11) mA in controls; F = 3.4, P = 0.07]. Furthermore, no differences were seen for the referred pain areas (P-values all > 0.3) or latencies and amplitudes for the evoked brain potentials (P-values all > 0.1). CONCLUSION Patients with BE are hyposensitive both in the metaplastic and normal part of esophagus likely as a result of abnormalities affecting peripheral nerve pathways.
Bacillus cereus, a Volatile Human Pathogen

SUMMARY Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, motile, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium that is widely distributed environmentally. While B. cereus is associated mainly with food poisoning, it is being increasingly reported to be a cause of serious and potentially fatal non-gastrointestinal-tract infections. The pathogenicity of B. cereus, whether intestinal or nonintestinal, is intimately associated with the production of tissue-destructive exoenzymes. Among these secreted toxins are four hemolysins, three distinct phospholipases, an emesis-inducing toxin, and proteases. The major hurdle in evaluating B. cereus when isolated from a clinical specimen is overcoming its stigma as an insignificant contaminant. Outside its notoriety in association with food poisoning and severe eye infections, this bacterium has been incriminated in a multitude of other clinical conditions such as anthrax-like progressive pneumonia, fulminant sepsis, and devastating central nervous system infections, particularly in immunosuppressed individuals, intravenous drug abusers, and neonates. Its role in nosocomial acquired bacteremia and wound infections in postsurgical patients has also been well defined, especially when intravascular devices such as catheters are inserted. Primary cutaneous infections mimicking clostridial gas gangrene induced subsequent to trauma have also been well documented. B. cereus produces a potent β-lactamase conferring marked resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Antimicrobials noted to be effective in the empirical management of a B. cereus infection while awaiting antimicrobial susceptibility results for the isolate include ciprofloxacin and vancomycin.
Selective activation of the JNK/AP-1 pathway in Fas-mediated apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis synoviocytes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the Fas-dependent signaling pathway, we examined the involvement of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and the DNA binding activity of AP-1 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cultured synovial cells. METHODS The number of dead cells was counted after treatment with anti-Fas antibody in the presence of protein tyrosine kinase or phosphatase inhibitor. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation in synoviocytes after Fas ligation was examined by immunoblot and immunoprecipitation analyses. The DNA binding activity of AP-1 was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS Treatment with the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, orthovanadate, significantly enhanced the apoptosis of RA synoviocytes after Fas ligation. Ligation of the Fas molecule on RA synoviocytes induced a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of JNK (c-Jun amino-terminal kinase) and formation of the AP-1 transcription factor. CONCLUSION Our results strongly suggest that the JNK/AP-1 signaling pathway is activated during the process of Fas-mediated apoptosis of RA synovial cells.
High-Speed Optical Interconnect Coupler Based on Soft Lithography Ribbons

In this paper, high-speed optical ribbon couplers for card-to-backplane interconnect applications are presented. The ribbon couplers are based on evanescent coupling between flexible multimode waveguide arrays. A soft lithographic technique is utilized to fabricate the ribbons. A flexible nonterminating optical data bus has been developed. Using BeamPROP software, we simulated the evanescent light coupling between two closely spaced ribbon waveguides to study the effects of waveguides separation, interaction length, and misalignment on coupling efficiency. Further experimental analysis and tests have been performed to quantify these effects. To investigate data transmission performance, a 12-channel optical interconnect link has been assembled. Experimental results demonstrated successful evanescent coupling; facilitating auto alignment coupling between card and backplane ribbon waveguides at data speeds as high as 10 Gb/s per channel. The evident high-speed interconnect performance and rapid ribbon prototyping approach can result in overall lower cost coupler fabrication for prospective optical interconnect applications.
HEMOSTASIS, THROMBOSIS, AND VASCULAR BIOLOGY von Willebrand Factor Propeptide in Vascular Disorders: A Tool to Distinguish Between Acute and Chronic Endothelial Cell Perturbation

Before de novo synthesized von Willebrand factor (vWF) leaves the endothelial cell, it undergoes endoproteolytic cleavage of its propeptide (vW antigen II). The processed vWF and propeptide are either released constitutively or, following activation of the endothelium, released through the regulated pathway. In a recent study (Borchiellini et al, Blood88:2951, 1996), we showed that the half-life of mature vWF and of its propeptide differ fourfold to fivefold. We postulated that the molar ratio of the propeptide to mature vWF could serve as a tool to assess the extent of endothelial cell activation under physiologic and clinical conditions. To test this hypothesis, we measured mature vWF and propeptide in patients with documented acute and chronic vascular disease, including patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), acute septicemia, and diabetes mellitus. These data were compared with experimental conditions in healthy subjects in which perturbation of the endothelium was simulated by physical exercise or by administration of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) or endotoxin. In all individuals of the latter study group, both vWF and propeptide levels were elevated during the acute phase of the experimentally induced vascular perturbation; at later time points after stimulation, only vWF levels remained elevated. In patients with sepsis and TTP, both vWF and propeptide were elevated several-fold. Thus, this pattern can readily be explained in terms of acute perturbation of the endothelium. In contrast, in patients with diabetes mellitus propeptide levels were only slightly elevated, whereas vWF levels were elevated twofold to threefold. This pattern is a typical feature of chronic, low-grade activation of the endothelium. These observations support our hypothesis that measurement of both propeptide and vWF levels allows to discriminate between chronic and acute phases of endothe- lial cell activation in vivo. Measurement of only vWF is less indicative in this respect.
Autologous Bone-Marrow Mononuclear Cell Transplantation after Acute Myocardial Infarction: Comparison of Two Delivery Techniques

The objective of this study was to investigate safety and feasibility of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) transplantation in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), comparing anterograde intracoronary artery (ICA) delivery with retrograde intracoronary vein (ICV) approach. An open labeled, randomized controlled trial of 30 patients admitted with STEMI was used. Patients were enrolled if they 1) were successfully reperfused within 24 h from symptoms onset and 2) had infarct size larger than 10% of the left ventricle (LV). One hundred million BMMNC were injected in the infarct-related artery (intra-arterial group) or vein (intravenous group), 1% of which was labeled with Tc99m-hexamethylpropylenamineoxime. Cell distribution was evaluated 4 and 24 h after injection. Baseline MRI was performed in order to evaluate microbstruction pattern. Baseline radionuclide ventriculography was performed before cell transfer and after 3 and 6 months. All the treated patients were submitted to repeat coronary angiography after 3 months. Thirty patients (57 ± 11 years, 70% males) were randomly assigned to ICA (n = 14), ICV (n = 10), or control (n = 6) groups. No serious adverse events related to the procedure were observed. Early and late retention of radiolabeled cells was higher in the ICA than in the ICV group, independently of microcirculation obstruction. An increase of EF was observed in the ICA group (p = 0.02) compared to baseline. Injection procedures through anterograde and retrograde approaches seem to be feasible and safe. BMMNC retention by damaged heart tissue was apparently higher when the anterograde approach was used. Further studies are required to confirm these initial data.
Argonaute-mediated translational repression (and activation)

microRNAs (miRNAs) down-regulate the expression of their target genes by inducing translational repression and/or mRNA decay. Under specific conditions, miRNAs can even activate translation of their target mRNAs. These processes occur via miRNA-protein complexes, or RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs), which contain Argonaute (Ago) subfamily protein as a core component. However, detailed mechanisms of miRNA-mediated translational regulation remain unclear. We recently reported that, in Drosophila, both of the two Ago proteins, Ago1 and Ago2, can repress translation of the target mRNAs, but by remarkably different mechanisms. Furthermore, we here show that Ago2, but not Ago1, can activate translation of the target mRNAs when they lack the poly(A) tail, suggesting that the length of poly(A) tail is an important determinant for the consequences of Ago2 function. This review focuses on how miRNAs regulate translation in light of these new findings.
Conglomerates in the world economy: comparing keiretsu, chaebol and grupos

Although corporate structures in Japan and, to a lesser extent Korea, have been examined in the literature, in most cases the framework is not comparative. In other cases the framework is comparative, with keiretsu and chaebol compared to US conglomerates. A third foreign conglomerate, the Mexican grupo, has thus far escaped much serious attention by scholars. Attempts to compare the structure of keiretsu, chaebol, and grupo in terms of the other. Aims to identify what can be learned from comparing foreign corporate structures with other foreign corporate structures, rather than with corporate structures in the USA.
Sex at the margins: parthenogenesis vs. facultative and obligate sex in a Neotropical ant

Geographic parthenogenesis is a distribution pattern, in which parthenogenetic populations tend to live in marginal habitats, at higher latitudes and altitudes and island‐like habitats compared with the sexual forms. The facultatively parthenogenetic ant Platythyrea punctata is thought to exhibit this general pattern throughout its wide range in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Workers of P. punctata from the Caribbean produce diploid female offspring from unfertilized eggs by thelytokous parthenogenesis, and mated females and males are rare. In contrast, workers in one colony from Costa Rica were incapable of thelytoky; instead mated workers produced all female offspring. Because sample sizes were very low in former studies, we here use microsatellite markers and explicit tests of thelytoky to examine the population genetic structure of ancestral and derived populations of P. punctata throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Populations from the Caribbean islands were fully capable of parthenogenesis, and population genetic signatures indicate that this is the predominant mode of reproduction, although males are occasionally produced. In contrast, the northernmost population on the mainland (Texas) showed signatures of sexual reproduction, and individuals were incapable of reproduction by thelytoky. Contrary to expectations from a geographic parthenogenesis distribution pattern, most parts of the mainland populations were found to be facultatively thelytokous, with population genetic signatures of both sexual and parthenogenetic reproduction.
The Role of the Media in Building a Political Community. The Press in the Transition to Democracy in Spain

The behavior and a�4 itudes adopted by the Spanish press during the period of transition to democracy (November 1975 to December 1978), a time when the most relevant political and institutional changes in that process occurred, are analyzed in this article. The role of the major newspapers is explained from several perspectives, as are the reasons that prompted them to reach a consensus on the fundamental topics of public debate. The result is a demonstration of how the mass media were decisive in helping to build a new political community based on democracy. Using several daily newspapers as examples -taken one by one and as a whole- the author explains the special characteristics of this interesting case of cooperation between political power and journalism. Several exceptions are included as well, such as the extreme right-wing press and the Basque nationalist sectors.
Partition-based collaborative tensor factorization for POI recommendation

The rapid development of location-based social networks U+0028 LBSNs U+0029 provides people with an opportunity of better understanding their mobility behavior which enables them to decide their next location. For example, it can help travelers to choose where to go next, or recommend salesmen the most potential places to deliver advertisements or sell products. In this paper, a method for recommending points of interest U+0028 POIs U+0029 is proposed based on a collaborative tensor factorization U+0028 CTF U+0029 technique. Firstly, a generalized objective function is constructed for collaboratively factorizing a tensor with several feature matrices. Secondly, a 3-mode tensor is used to model all users U+02BC check-in behaviors, and three feature matrices are extracted to characterize the time distribution, category distribution and POI correlation, respectively. Thirdly, each user’s preference to a POI at a specific time can be estimated by using CTF. In order to further improve the recommendation accuracy, PCTF U+0028 Partition-based CTF U+0029 is proposed to fill the missing entries of a tensor after clustering its every mode. Experiments on a real checkin database show that the proposed method can provide more accurate location recommendation.
Myocardial infarction. Effects of beta-blockade.

By the mid 1960s a beneficial effect of post-myocardial infarction treatment with beta-blockade had been proposed. However, it was not until 1981 that large clinical trials clearly demonstrated a beneficial effect both in terms of reduction in mortality and morbidity. Today treatment with beta-blockers both in the acute phase of acute myocardial infarction as well as in the stable post-myocardial infarction patient is well established. In this review article, different aspects of early and late treatment with beta-adrenoceptor blockers are discussed. The cardioprotective effects of beta-blockers on mortality and morbidity should not be considered class effects valid for all beta-blockers. Pooled data have clearly demonstrated that beta-blockers with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity have less marked effects. Impressive effects on mortality and morbidity have been obtained with propranolol, timolol, and metoprolol, which are noncardioselective as well as more beta 1-selective (metoprolol), but they are all lacking intrinsic sympathomimetic activity and, furthermore, have a relatively high degree of lipophilicity. It is clear that acute beta-adrenoceptor blockade in suspected acute myocardial infarction reduces mortality and morbidity as well as complications such as chest pain and ventricular arrhythmias during the acute phase. In post-myocardial infarction treatment, it is clear that both mortality and morbidity are reduced. Reports from extended follow-ups after termination of initial double-blind beta-blocker studies in postinfarction patients indicate that withdrawal of the active treatment may increase mortality after cessation of treatment. This is observed despite measures having been taken to avoid so-called acute withdrawal phenomena. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fiber loop ring-down refractive index sensor based on high-Q photonic crystal cavity

A miniature refractive index sensor formed by a high quality (Q-) photonic crystal (PhC) cavity based fiber loop ring-down (FLRD) was demonstrated. To the best of our knowledge, this technology has not been reported. The ring-down time would be changed with the transmittance of PhC cavity, which is related to the refractive index of the infiltrated liquids. By using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the system sensitivity was simulated. Result showed that the sensitivity of this simple scheme could reach to 1.25ms per refractive index unit (RIU) and the detection limit below 8×10-6RIU was achieved. Moreover, the proposed structure has the potential to build on-chip device for in-situ measurement with high sensitivity and high precision.
Matrix Algorithms for Modeling Acoustic Waves in Piezoelectric Multilayers

Matrix algorithms for modeling acoustic waves in piezoelectric multilayers are presented. All the algorithms considered are capable of resolving the numerical instability of transfer matrix at high frequency-thickness product. The formulation of basic matrices for the algorithm building blocks, and the development of recursive algorithms for the stack matrices, are systematically presented for both the conventional scattering and impedance matrices as well as the more recent hybrid matrix. Many variants of the algorithms are discussed, along with their respective usefulness and deficiency. Comparisons are made in their computational efficiency and numerical stability. For unconditional stability throughout large and small thicknesses, both scattering and hybrid matrix algorithms are applicable. For most efficiency, the algorithms that syner- gize both scattering and hybrid or impedance submatrices are superior, using surface matrix approach. Other aspects of algorithms such as formula conciseness, physical insight, versatility in incorporating boundary conditions, etc., are also noted.
Income, Schooling, and Ability: Evidence from a New Sample of Twins

In this paper we set out a simple model of optimal schooling investments that emphasizes the interaction between schooling choices and income determination; and estimate it using a fresh sample of data on over 700 identical twins. According to the model, equally able individuals from the same family should attain the same observed schooling levels, apart from random errors of optimization or measurement. A variety of direct and indirect tests provides no evidence against this hypothesis. We estimate an average return to schooling of 10% for genetically identical individuals, but estimated returns are slightly higher for less able individuals. Unlike the results in Ashenfelter and Krueger (1994), which were based on a much smaller sample, we estimate that schooling is positively correlated with ability level, so that simple cross-section estimates are slightly upward biased. Taken together these empirical results imply that more able individuals attain more schooling because they face lower marginal costs of schooling, not because they obtain higher marginal benefits. The results stand in sharp contrast to recent claims that genetic factors predetermine education and income, and that such differences are not amenable to alteration by public or private choices.
Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of Plasma DNA from Cancer Patients: Factors Influencing Consistency with Tumour DNA and Prospective Investigation of Its Utility for Diagnosis

Use of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) as a liquid biopsy has been proposed for potential identification and monitoring of solid tumours. We investigate a next-generation sequencing approach for mutation detection in ctDNA in two related studies using a targeted panel. The first study was retrospective, using blood samples taken from melanoma patients at diverse timepoints before or after treatment, aiming to evaluate correlation between mutations identified in biopsy and ctDNA, and to acquire a first impression of influencing factors. We found good concordance between ctDNA and tumour mutations of melanoma patients when blood samples were collected within one year of biopsy or before treatment. In contrast, when ctDNA was sequenced after targeted treatment in melanoma, mutations were no longer found in 9 out of 10 patients, suggesting the method might be useful for detecting treatment response. Building on these findings, we focused the second study on ctDNA obtained before biopsy in lung patients, i.e. when a tentative diagnosis of lung cancer had been made, but no treatment had started. The main objective of this prospective study was to evaluate use of ctDNA in diagnosis, investigating the concordance of biopsy and ctDNA-derived mutation detection. Here we also found positive correlation between diagnostic lung biopsy results and pre-biopsy ctDNA sequencing, providing support for using ctDNA as a cost-effective, non-invasive solution when the tumour is inaccessible or when biopsy poses significant risk to the patient.
THE IMPACT of a Simulation Lab Experience for Nursing Students

ABSTRACT A simulation clinical learning experience was initiated by a diploma school of nursing at a multidisciplinary training and research facility for simulation‐based education. The simulation focused on pediatric and obstetrical scenarios. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact simulation laboratory experiences have on critical thinking, student satisfaction, self‐confidence, and cognitive learning. With 63 students participating over four semesters, a positive response was found for satisfaction and self‐confidence in learning; there was also a significant increase in cognitive knowledge. No definitive conclusion regarding critical thinking was established, but a discovery was made regarding the importance of process during the simulation.