Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-endoscopic diagnosis of multifocal atrophic gastritis; efficacy of serum gastrin-17, pepsinogens and Helicobacter pylori antibodies.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Infection with H. pylori is an important risk factor for the development of gastric cancer and glandular atrophy is an intermediate stage in gastric carcinogenesis. While screening the patients with atrophic gastritis by endoscopy is unrealistic, a concept of "serological gastric biopsy" based on measurement of gastric secretory proteins and peptides should be further validated. We sought to determine if the laboratory panel composed of serum PGI and protein stimulated gastrin-17 might select patients with MAG, and what is diagnostic significance of H. pylori serology in population of high prevalence of H. pylori infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS 55 consecutive patients of both sexes (M/F 25/30; range of age 55 -81 years) were referred for gastroscopy with antrum and corpus mucosal biopsies. Patients with histological signs of glandular atrophy at any site of the stomach were considered to have multifocal atrophic gastritis. A first blood sample was collected for measurement of basal gastrin-17, pepsinogens and H. pylori IgG-antibodies, and second was taken 20 minutes after use of protein-rich drink to measure stimulated gastrin-17. RESULTS Signs of mucosal atrophy were found in 19 patients, while 29 patients showed non-atrophic gastritis and seven H. pylori-negative patients had no histological pathology. Low serum level of stimulated gastrin-17 (< 5 pmol/l) and/or pepsinogen I (< 50 microg/l), were found in 16 of 19 patients (84.2%) with and in 7 of 36 patients (19.4%) without atrophy in the histological study. Combining of H. pylori serology with serum levels of secretory peptides had no significant effect on diagnostic sensitivity of the test panel. CONCLUSION The test panel composed of pepsinogen I and protein stimulated gastrin-17 may be used as the "serological gastric biopsy" detecting multifocal atrophic gastritis. The diagnostic sensitivity of this test panel is not increased by knowledge of H. pylori status.
Incidence of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in France: National Registry of Childhood Leukaemia and Lymphoma, 1990–1999

The French National Registry of Childhood Leukaemia and Lymphoma (NRCL) covers the whole French mainland population aged less than 15 years (approximately 11 million children) for all childhood haematopoietic tumours since 1 January 1990, except Hodgkin's disease, which has been registered since 1 January 1999. During the period from 1990 to 1999, 5757 cases of leukaemia, lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome were registered in the NRCL, with an average of 2.5 sources per case. The age-standardized incidence rates per million per year were 43.1 for leukaemia (34.3 for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 7.1 for acute myeloblastic leukaemia, 0.6 for chronic myeloid leukaemia and 0.5 for chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia), 8.9 for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and 6.7 for Hodgkin's disease. Down's syndrome was present in 110 cases of acute leukaemia (2.5%) and three cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (0.3%). The incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia showed a typical peak at age 2 years for girls and 3 years for boys. The incidence rates of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma did not show any temporal trends over the 10 year period.
Avidity confers FcγR binding and immune effector function to aglycosylated immunoglobulin G1

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are an integral part of the adaptive immune response that provide a direct link between humoral and cellular components of the immune system. Insights into relationships between the structure and function of human IgGs have prompted molecular engineering efforts to enhance or eliminate specific properties, such as Fc‐mediated immune effector functions. Human IgGs have an N‐glycosylation site at Asn297, located in the second heavy chain constant region (CH2). The composition of the Fc glycan can have substantial impacts on Fc gamma receptor(FcγR) binding. The removal of the glycan through enzymatic deglycosylation or mutagenesis of the N‐linked glycosylation site has been reported to “silence” FcγR‐binding and effector functions, particularly with assays that measure monomeric binding. However, interactions between IgGs and FcγRs are not limited to monomeric interactions but can be influenced by avidity, which takes into account the sum of multimeric interactions between antigen‐engaged IgGs and FcγRs. We show here that under in vitro conditions, which allowed avidity binding, aglycosylated IgGs can bind to one of the FcγRs, FcγRI, and mediate effector functions. These studies highlight how the valency of a molecular interaction (monomeric binding versus avidity binding) can influence antibody/FcγR interactions such that avidity effects can translate very low intrinsic affinities into significant functional outcomes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Studies on money and labour market dynamics and goods market imperfections

Koskinen, Hannu Studies on Money and Labour Market Dynamics and Goods Market Imperfections Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2010, 106 p. (Jyvaskyla Studies in Business and Economics, ISSN 1457-1986; 90) ISBN 978-951-39-3989-2 (PDF), 978-951-39-3934-2 (nid.) Diss. Finnish summary The aim of this thesis is to analyse both empirically and theoretically the structures and functioning of the money, labour and goods markets, all of which have a crucial role in the conduct of monetary policy, in order to clarify the extent of their similarities or structural differences across some EU countries. The thesis consists of three empirical studies and one theoretical study: two of the empirical studies analyse the demand for money and one the effects of shocks on the labour market in the EU countries of interest. The theoretical study analyses the way different relative price changes affects the welfare of economic agents due to imperfect competition in goods market. In analysing the money markets the theoretical identification scheme relies on the Money-In-the-Utility function (MIUF) framework. Multivariate VAR procedures and cointegration are used to identify empirically the structural features and changes in each of the EU countries considered. In addition, special attention is paid to identifying smooth structural changes that could introduce nonlinearities into the cointegration relations of the country-specific variables. We verify the existence of parameter constancy in some problematic cases where the linearity conditions are violated (nonlinearity) by structural changes and the estimates of the parameters are otherwise associated with low precision. In the labour market analyses the theoretical scheme is the insider-outsider union bargaining framework, and the empirical identification of shocks relies on the identification restrictions proposed by Blanchard and Quah. In the goods market the theoretical analysis relies on the duality theorem for the theory of demand. This theorem is based on optimising behavior on the part of economic agents. The concept of duality offers a tractable way to evaluate the welfare gains or losses that an economic agent faces as a result of price changes. We find out that, even in an environment with aggregate price stability, imperfect competition in the goods market could lead to adverse welfare effects stemming from fluctuations in labour efforts. According to the empirical results, the structures and the dynamics of the markets studied, together with the implied preferences of agents, show notable differences.
Transdisciplinary Conceptual Modeling of Socio-Ecological System

Management of natural resources is a complex issue. Human history shows the need for sustainable management of natural resources and one of the premises for this is knowledge integration. Nevertheless the need to integrate different types of knowledge poses a challenge. This paper proposes Conceptual Modeling as a tool to improve deliberation processes and research. Praia da Vitoria Bay in Terceira Island, part of Azores archipelago is the case study for Conceptual Modeling in a transdisciplinary setting towards system definition. During a three hour workshop, 18 stakeholders worked together to produce Conceptual Models describing Praia da Vitória Bay socio-ecological system. Participants included scientist of Azores University, local government with management responsibilities, private institutions that explore the area and local non-governmental institutions. The process, models obtained and stakeholder feedback are discussed. The exercise reveals that conceptual modeling is a challenging task for non-scientists. Nevertheless participants agree that this was a profitable moment of discussion and sharing visions, while cooperating to finalize the task. Information derived from the workshop includes not only variables and processes but, also scenarios. The overall result shows that during the 3 hour workshop data identification and integration has been achieved. The conclusion of this application is that collective Conceptual Modeling will not serve all purposes but, can be an important step towards integrated management.
Matching Patient Safety Goals to the Nursing Specialty: Using Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Services

With increasing nursing specialization, administrators may not have clear guidelines directing which specialists should be targeting specific patient populations and specific patient care issues. Because pressure ulcers are an important indicator of quality of care, this discussion focuses on selecting the appropriate wound, ostomy, continence specialist to develop and support programs that are designed to prevent pressure ulcers, treat patients with pressure ulcers, as well as management of other types of wounds, stomas, fistulas, incontinence, and skin breakdown. Nurse leaders are in a position to ensure that appropriate resources are available to support the development of hospital programs that will promote safe, efficient, and cost-conscious patient care.
Use of Distance and Location in Short-Term Motor Memory

A retroactive interference paradigm was used to determine whether kinesthetic distance, location, or distance and location cues are used at recall of a blind, simple linear movement. Students performed interpolated movements which varied distance and location cues separately or jointly. Relative to a rest condition, joint distance and location interpolation produced significant interference while no significant interference was found for interpolation of individual distance or location. The results were interpreted as supporting the involvement of multiple kinesthetic cues in the establishment of memorial representations of motor movements.
Isolation of seventeen proteins and amino-terminal amino acid sequences of eight proteins from cytoplasmic ribosomes of yeast.

Seventeen ribosomal proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from small ribosomal subunits and disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate treated 80S ribosomes by chromatography on a column of carboxymethylcellulose and/or by filtration through Sephacryl S-200. The isolated proteins are YS4, YS7, YS8, YS9, YS10, YS12, YS14, YS18, YS23, YS29, YL11, YL13, YL16, YL17, YL22, YL38, and YL40 [nomenclature according to Otaka & Osawa (1981) [Otaka, E. , & Osawa, S. (1981) Mol. Gen. Genet. 181, 176-182]]. The purification procedures and the amino acid compositions of these proteins are presented. Amino-terminal amino acid sequences of YS4, YS6, YS11, YS15, YS16, YS22, YL10, and YL31 have been determined and compared with those from rat liver [Wittmann-Liebold, B. , Geissler, A. W. , Lin, A. , & Wool, I. G. (1979) J. Supramol. Struct. 12, 425-433] and Halobacterium cutirubrum [Matheson, A. T. , Möller, W. , Amons, R. , & Yaguchi, M. (1980) in Ribosomes: Structure, Function and Genetics (Chambliss, G., et al., Eds.) pp 297-332, University Park Press, Baltimore, MD; M. Yaguchi, unpublished experiments].
Optimization of Synthetic Jet Position for Heat Transfer Enhancement and
 Temperature Uniformity of a Heated Wall in Micro-Channels

In this study, the synthetic jet position was optimized to obtain the maximum rate of heat transfer and the best state of temperature uniformity on a heated surface in micro-channels. Based on micro-channel length, several cases were simulated to investigate the effects of synthetic jet position on the heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity. After that, the synthetic jet position was optimized using the CFD results and the GMDH-MOGA optimization code. The obtained results show that the synthetic jet placement in all longitudinal positions of micro-channel increases the heat transfer rate, although the improvement of temperature uniformity of heated surface decreases at some positions as compared to the micro-channel without synthetic jet. The optimization results show that for obtaining the maximum value of heat transfer and the best state of temperature uniformity on the heated surface, the dimensionless longitudinal position of synthetic should be between 0.45 and 0.65. The maximum rate of heat transfer and the best state of temperature uniformity have been observed in the vicinity of lower and upper bounds of this range, respectively.
NKp46 and NKG2D Recognition of Infected Dendritic Cells Is Necessary for NK Cell Activation in the Human Response to Influenza Infection1

At an early phase of viral infection, contact and cooperation between dendritic cells (DCs) and NK cells activates innate immunity, and also influences recruitment, when needed, of adaptive immunity. Influenza, an adaptable fast-evolving virus, annually causes acute, widespread infections that challenge the innate and adaptive immunity of humanity. In this study, we dissect and define the molecular mechanisms by which influenza-infected, human DCs activate resting, autologous NK cells. Three events in NK cell activation showed different requirements for soluble mediators made by infected DCs and for signals arising from contact with infected DCs. IFN-α was mainly responsible for enhanced NK cytolysis and also important for CD69 up-regulation, whereas IL-12 was necessary for enhancing IFN-γ production. Increased CD69 expression and IFN-γ production, but not increased cytolysis, required recognition of influenza-infected DCs by two NK cell receptors: NKG2D and NKp46. Abs specific for these receptors or their known ligands (UL16-binding proteins 1–3 class I-like molecules for NKG2D and influenza hemagglutinin for NKp46) inhibited CD69 expression and IFN-γ production. Activation of NK cells by influenza-infected DCs and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C))-treated DCs was distinguished. Poly(I:C)-treated DCs did not express the UL16-binding protein 3 ligand for NKG2D, and in the absence of the influenza hemagglutinin there was no involvement of NKp46.
Bariatric Surgery Does Not Exacerbate and May Be Beneficial for the Microvascular Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

The effects of bariatric surgery on microvascular complications remain underexplored despite more than 40 years of surgery on patients with type 2 diabetes. The literature has focused predominantly on glycemic control and very little on diabetes-related complications, which confer high rates of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to assess whether the gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding procedures are safe for the retinal and renal complications of type 2 diabetes, especially as they lead to rapid improvements in glycemia, which may paradoxically cause or exacerbate microvascular complications. Prospectively collected retinal photographs (two-field) and urine albumin creatinine ratios (ACRs) were analyzed retrospectively in 84 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes before and 12–18 months after surgery. The results were confirmed by an independent ophthalmologist who was blinded to clinical information. Improvement or deterioration was defined as a decrease or increase of at least two …
The effect of inflation and time discounting on inventory replenishment model for deteriorating item with time-varying demand and shortages in all cycles

Abstract We consider here the inventory replenishment problem over a finite time horizon with time-varying demand, equal replenishment cycles and shortages in every cycle under taking account of time discounting. This paper, we provide the proof of uniqueness of the optimal replenishment schedule and check the second-order optimality condition for the proposed model. Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are also providing to illustrate the solution procedure. The advantage of allowing shortage in all cycles is also illustrated with numerical examples.
Theoretical Fundamentals of Human Factor

The purpose of this paper is to identify the theoretical approaches presented by the literature on the human factor. In order to achieve such objective we have performed a qualitative research by analyzing the content of several papers published in internationally renowned journals, classified according to the list of journals' ranking provided by the Association of Business Schools (UK), in relation to the theories that have been approached within it. Our findings suggest that from all identified theories, the human capital theory, agency theory, signaling theory and organizational theory are the most frequently approached theories.
Worlds at Our Fingertips: Reading (in) What Remains of Edith Finch

Video games are works of written code that portray worlds and characters in action and facilitate an aesthetic and interpretive experience. Beyond this similarity to literary works, some video games deploy various design strategies that blend gameplay and literary elements to explicitly foreground a hybrid literary/ludic experience. We identify three such strategies: engaging with literary structures, forms, and techniques; deploying text in an aesthetic rather than a functional way; and intertextuality. This article aims to analyze how these design strategies are deployed in What Remains of Edith Finch to support a hybrid readerly/playerly experience. We argue that this type of design is particularly suited for walking simulators (or walking sims) because they support interpretive play through slowness, ambiguity, narrative, and aesthetic aspirations. Understanding walking sims as literary games can shift the emphasis from their lack of “traditional” gameplay complexity and focus instead on the opportunities that they afford for hybrid storytelling and for weaving literature and gameplay in innovative and playful ways.
Education and Skills: An Assessment of Recent Canadian Experience

The skills issue is currently at or near the top of the federal government’s policy agenda, given its importance for harnessing the benefits of technological advances. Policy initiatives in the area should be premised on an accurate assessment of Canada’s recent experience in education and skill formation. In his paper, W. Craig Riddell attempts such an assessment. He provides a careful examination of trends in education expenditures and outcomes in Canada compared to other countries, looks at trends in the incidence of education, and analyzes the link between education and labour market success. Riddell’s overall assessment of Canada’s record in education and skills is quite positive. He finds that relative to other OECD countries, Canada ranks near the top in terms of expenditure per student and share of GDP devoted to elementary, secondary and post-secondary education; that Canada’s population is well educated by international standards, with the highest proportion of the population with non-university, post-secondary education in the OECD; and that the country’s literacy skills, particularly for the young and well educated, are above average among the G7 countries that participated in the International Adult Literacy Survey. One possible weakness he identifies is the relatively low student achievement in mathematics among the G7 countries that participated in the standardized tests. This suggests Canada may not be obtaining good “value for money” from its relatively high expenditure on education. Riddell notes that the conventional estimates of the return to education appear downward biased so that the causal effect of education on earnings may be higher than previously believed. Evidence suggests that the marginal return to incremental investment in education exceeds the average from previous investments and that there is no evidence that investments in schooling are running into diminishing returns. Riddell concludes that investments in human capital remain an important potential source of economic growth and equality of opportunity.
Applying machine learning techniques for ADME-Tox prediction: a review

Introduction: Pharmacokinetics involves the study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity of xenobiotics (ADME-Tox). In this sense, the ADME-Tox profile of a bioactive compound can impact its efficacy and safety. Moreover, efficacy and safety were considered some of the major causes of clinical failures in the development of new chemical entities. In this context, machine learning (ML) techniques have been often used in ADME-Tox studies due to the existence of compounds with known pharmacokinetic properties available for generating predictive models. Areas covered: This review examines the growth in the use of some ML techniques in ADME-Tox studies, in particular supervised and unsupervised techniques. Also, some critical points (e.g., size of the data set and type of output variable) must be considered during the generation of models that relate ADME-Tox properties and biological activity. Expert opinion: ML techniques have been successfully employed in pharmacokinetic studies, helping the complex process of designing new drug candidates from the use of reliable ML models. An application of this procedure would be the prediction of ADME-Tox properties from studies of quantitative structure–activity relationships or the discovery of new compounds from a virtual screening using filters based on results obtained from ML techniques.
A planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) to be attached to metal containers for an active RFID tag

The main purpose of this paper is to present a planar inverted-F antenna to be attached to metal containers. The designed PIFA introduce various shapes of slots and meander line for size reduction and loop-shaped stubs for impedance matching. The impedance bandwidth of the PIFA is about 1.4% for VSWR<2 and the maximum gain is about 2.5 dBi