Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Personalized Dosimetry with Intensification Using 90Y-Loaded Glass Microsphere Radioembolization Induces Prolonged Overall Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the response rate and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma portal vein thrombosis (PVT) patients treated with 90Y-loaded glass microspheres using a personalized dosimetry and intensification concept. Methods: The microspheres were administered to 41 hepatocellular carcinoma PVT patients (main = 12; lobar/segmental = 29). 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin SPECT/CT quantitative analysis was used to calculate the tumor dose (TD), healthy injected liver dose (HILD), and injected liver dose (ILD). Response was evaluated at 3 mo using the criteria of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, with CT follow-up lasting until disease progression or death. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The mean injected activity was 3.1 ± 1.5 GBq, and mean ILD was 143 ± 49 Gy. When a TD threshold of 205 Gy was applied, 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin SPECT/CT achieved a 100% sensitivity and 90% overall accuracy (0 false-negatives; 4 false-positives) in response prediction. On the basis of TD and HILD values, 37% of patients received an intensification of the treatment (increased injected activity with the aim of achieving a TD ≥ 205 Gy and HILD < 120 Gy, applying an ILD > 150 Gy). This intensification resulted in a high response rate (85%) without increased liver toxicity of grade 3 or higher (6% vs. 12% in the patients who did not receive treatment intensification; not statistically significant). For the total 41 patients, median overall survival (OS) was 18 mo (95% confidence interval, 11–25 mo). For patients with a TD of less than 205 Gy, median OS was 4.3 mo (3.7–5 mo), versus 18.2 mo (8.5–28.7 mo) for those with a TD of 205 Gy or more (P = 0.005). Median OS was 20.9 mo for patients with a TD of 205 Gy or more and good PVT targeting (n = 36). OS was 12 mo (3 mo to ∞) for patients with main PVT, versus 21.5 mo (12–28.7 mo) for those with segmental or lobar PVT (not statistically significant). For the 5 patients with complete portal vein revascularization who underwent lobar hepatectomy, median OS was not reached yet exceeded 24.5 mo and was significantly higher than that of other patients (P = 0.0493). Conclusion: Using a 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin SPECT/CT personalized dosimetry and intensification concept with 90Y-loaded glass microspheres induced prolonged OS for PVT patients as compared with the standard of care (sorafenib), without increasing liver toxicity. Prospective randomized studies are therefore warranted.
[Immunomodulatory effect of Huangqi glycoprotein on mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis].

OBJECTIVE To explore the therapeutic effect and possible mechanism of Huangqi glycoprotein (HQGP) on the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). METHODS Female C57BL/6 mice were immunized subcutaneously with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide-35-55 (MOG35-55) and divided into HQGP-treated group and EAE control group. Clinical score and body mass were recorded every other day. Inflammatory cell infiltrations of spinal cord were observed by HE and immunofluorescence staining. The cell viability of splenic mononuclear cells (MNCs) was detected by MTT assay. The release of NO was measured by Griess method. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ were determined by ELISA. The subtypes of CD4(+)T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS HQGP treatment delayed the onset of EAE, attenuated the clinical symptoms and inhibited CD68(+) macrophage infiltration into the central nervous system. HQGP inhibited the viability of splenic MNCs, downregulated the secretion of NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and increased the secretion of IFN-γ. In addition, HQGP treatment effectively increased the numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells, CD4(+)IL-10(+) T cells and CD4(+)IFN-γ(+) T cells. CONCLUSION HQGP relieve the inflammation of EAE via reducing the number of T cell subsets and inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory cytokines.
A single N-linked oligosaccharide at either of the two normal sites is sufficient for transport of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein to the cell surface

We investigated the role of glycosylation in intracellular transport and cell surface expression of the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (G) in cells expressing G protein from cloned cDNA. The individual contributions of the two asparagine-linked glycans of G protein to cell surface expression were assessed by site-directed mutagenesis of the coding sequence to eliminate one or the other or both of the glycosylation sites. One oligosaccharide at either position was sufficient for cell surface expression of G protein in transfected cells, and the rates of oligosaccharide processing were similar to the rate observed for wild-type protein. However, the nonglycosylated G protein synthesized when both glycosylation sites were eliminated did not reach the cell surface. This protein did appear to reach a Golgi-like region, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, however, and was modified with palmitic acid. It was also apparently not subject to increased proteolytic breakdown.
The Novelty Trap: Why Does Institutional Learning about New Technologies Seem So Difficult?

The emerging controversy over nanotechnology is redolent of the pattern of past disputes over new technological fields, which the author describes as the ‘novelty trap’. In each case, ambitious claims for revolutionary innovation are met by sceptical concerns about unintended consequences and new risks, to which advocates respond with reassurances of continuity with past experience. The paper goes on to identify possible obstacles to institutional learning that may result in the repetition of this pattern, including three versions of the deficit model of public understanding. Finally, the author poses the possibility that the pattern itself may represent an emergent form of societal technology assessment, which embodies informal social learning.
Fine mapping of chromatin structure in Drosophila melanogaster embryos using micrococcal nuclease

The structure of chromatin in eukaryotes exerts significant influences on many DNA related processes, including transcription, replication, recombination and repair. A useful tool for mapping chromatin structure is micrococcal nuclease (MNase), which induces double-strand breaks within nucleosome linker regions, and with more extensive digestion, single-strand nicks within the nucleosome itself. Many studies, carried out largely with microbes and cell cultures, have used MNase to determine the positions of nucleosomes within a region of DNA to identify dynamic changes induced during gene regulation. To measure similar processes in a developmental context, we turned to a tractable model system, the Drosophila embryo. Here we describe a protocol that enables MNase mapping of the enhancer chromatin structure in the embryo, and show how it can be used to identify structural changes on a cis-regulatory element targeted by the Knirps repressor.
Universalism and the Electoral Connection: A Test and Some Doubts

A recurring theme in the academic literature on distributive policy is the tendency for legislators to form oversized coalitions to bestow benefits on virtually every district represented in the legislature. In this paper we offer two tests of the universalism hypothesis. First, we examine the distributional expectation of the universalism thesis under the assumption that separate logrolls occur over the distribution of benefits for individual programs. Se cond, we test the thesis under the assumption that logrolls occur over bundles of programs organized by policy subsystems. Our findings show that the evidence on the extent to which benefits from distributive programs are univer salized is weak. We suggest a number of reasons why these weak results might be expected. We argue that the incentive to universalize benefits is only one goal of legislators and may not always be the most fruitful strategy for enhanc ing their reelection prospects.
The Price of Marriage: Net vs. Gross Flows and the South Asian Dowry Debate

The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a disadvantage on the marriage market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women (brides). However, the logic is curious, and, this paper argues, flawed. The term "dowry" can mean different things, and it may be useful to distinguish between the assets the bride brings at the time of marriage (gross dowry) and those netted against the groom payments (net dowry). The former is what is generally meant by dowry, while the latter is a concept used mainly by economists. I show that there is no evidence of an increase in real net dowries post 1950 in the ICRISAT data set-a data set that has featured prominently in the literature. I take this to suggest that the widespread reports of dowry inflation refer to an increase in gross dowry, a development which may merely reflect greater parental affluence. (JEL: J12, J16) (c) 2006 by the European Economic Association.
Toward a Relevant Agenda for a Responsive Public Administration

The relevance of the concept bureaucratic responsiveness has been questioned in recent years. One reason for the questioned relevance is the apparent environmental changes that are occurring in public administration. Globalization and devolution have infiltrated the halls of bureaucracies. Public agencies are being asked to collaborate with actors in other sectors of society, including, and especially, citizens and citizen associations. In addition to these environmental changes, administrators are being confronted with potentially competing ethical obligations that make decisions regarding responsiveness challenging. This article uses these evolving environments and competing ethical obligations to formulate a set of six variants of bureaucratic responsiveness: dictated, constrained, purposive, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and negotiated. It is argued that to be relevant, writers and researchers in public administration need to consider each of these variants and how they potentially collide with each other to shape administrator thought and behavior, particularly in the collaborative context. In conclusion, it is suggested that calls for the abandonment of responsiveness as a central concept in public administration are premature, and emerging research questions are offered.
WTO Case Review 2001

This WTO Case Review is the sixth in an annual series on the substantive international trade adjudications issued by the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. Each Review explains and comments on the Appellate Body reports adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body during the preceding calendar year (1 January through 31 December), excluding decisions on compliance with recommendations contained in previously adopted reports.
Reduction of sortilin-1 in Alzheimer hippocampus and in cytokine-stressed human brain cells

Sortilin 1 (SORL1) is a transmembrane sorting receptor that regulates the intracellular trafficking of &bgr;-amyloid precursor protein (&bgr;APP). Interactions between SORL1 and &bgr;APP result in the decreased processing of &bgr;APP into toxic amyloid-&bgr;42 (A&bgr;42) peptides that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease brain. Here, we report selectively decreased levels of SORL1 in limbic and occipital regions of Alzheimer brain that inversely correlate with amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangle density. Reduced SORL1, coupled to elevated &bgr;-amyloid cleaving enzyme, presenilin-1 and increased A&bgr;42 peptide secretion, was observed after incubation of cultured human neural cells with the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1&bgr;. The results suggest that SORL1 deficits may not only promote the pathogenic processing of &bgr;APP but may also contribute to A&bgr;42-mediated inflammatory signaling in stressed human brain cells.
Predictome: a database of putative functional links between proteins

The current deluge of genomic sequences has spawned the creation of tools capable of making sense of the data. Computational and high-throughput experimental methods for generating links between proteins have recently been emerging. These methods effectively act as hypothesis machines, allowing researchers to screen large sets of data to detect interesting patterns that can then be studied in greater detail. Although the potential use of these putative links in predicting gene function has been demonstrated, a central repository for all such links for many genomes would maximize their usefulness. Here we present Predictome, a database of predicted links between the proteins of 44 genomes based on the implementation of three computational methods--chromosomal proximity, phylogenetic profiling and domain fusion--and large-scale experimental screenings of protein-protein interaction data. The combination of data from various predictive methods in one database allows for their comparison with each other, as well as visualization of their correlation with known pathway information. As a repository for such data, Predictome is an ongoing resource for the community, providing functional relationships among proteins as new genomic data emerges. Predictome is available at http://predictome.bu. edu.
Size Distribution of Airborne Particulate Matter and Associated Metallic Elements in an Urban Area of an Industrial City in Korea

This study analyzed the size distribution of airborne particulate matter (PM) and 13 metallic elements associated with it. PM samples were collected using an eight-stage cascade impactor in a busy urban area of an industrial city, Korea during four seasons. Most of the fine and coarse particle mass was concentrated in the size range of 0.7–1.1 µm and 9–10 µm, respectively. PM mass showed two peaks in spring: The first peak was observed for the smallest particles (< 0.7 µm) and the second one was found in the coarse particles (2.1–10 µm). However, fine particles (0.7–2.1 µm) showed the highest PM concentrations in winter. In the distribution analysis of 13 metals in PM, three main groups were determined: (i) heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Mn, Ni and Cr) which were present in high concentrations in fine particles (< 2.1 µm) particularly at the size of 0.4–0.7 µm, (ii) light metals (Na, Ca, K, Al) and Fe which had high concentrations in coarse particles, and (iii) other heavy metals (Pb, Mg and Cu) showing high concentrations at sizes larger than 5.8 µm. The concentrations of Cd, Mn and Ni in the size range of 0.4–0.7 µm of the airborne particles and their total levels obtained by summing up the concentrations of the 8 classified size groups were exceeded the proposed thresholds or tolerance levels of the toxic heavy metals. The mass concentrations of Cd, Mn and Ni decreased with increasing particle size, except the size range of 9–10 µm, in PM10. The levels of Pb in PM10 did not show the size characteristics shown in Cd, Mn and Ni and also was below its tolerance level. Principal sources of 13 metallic elements in PM included natural sources and local anthropogenic sources such as non-ferrous metal smelting, oil combustion, welding, vehicular traffic and road dust.
AKT/PKB Phosphorylation of p21Cip/WAF1 Enhances Protein Stability of p21Cip/WAF1 and Promotes Cell Survival*

p21Cip1/WAF1 (p21), a p53-inducible protein, is a critical regulator of cell cycle and cell survival. p21 binds to and inhibits both the DNA synthesis regulator proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin A/E-CDK2 complexes. Recently, p21 has also been shown to be a positive regulator of cell cycle progression as p21 is necessary for the assembly and activation of cyclin D1-CDK4/6 complexes. Furthermore, elevated p21 protein levels have been observed in various aggressive tumors as well as linked to chemoresistance. Here we demonstrate that p21 is directly phosphorylated by AKT/PKB, a survival kinase that is hyperactivated in many late stage tumors. Two sites (Thr145 and Ser146) in the carboxyl terminus of p21 are phosphorylated by AKT/PKB in vitro and in vivo. Phosphorylation of Thr145 inhibits PCNA binding, whereas phosphorylation of Ser146 significantly increases p21 protein stability. Glioblastoma cell lines with activated AKT/PKB show enhanced p21 stability, and they are more resistant to taxol-mediated toxicity. Finally, AKT/PKB controls the assembly of cyclin D1-CDK4 complexes through modulation of p21 and cyclin D1 levels. These data imply that enhanced levels of p21 in tumors are due, in part, to phosphorylation by activated AKT/PKB. Furthermore, they suggest that one mechanism of AKT/PKB regulation of tumor cell survival and/or proliferation is to stabilize p21 protein.
Efficient Market Hypothesis in Modern Day Equity Secondary Markets: Are Dark Pools a Reflection or Refraction of Wider European Equity Market Structure?

Two topics have come under significant debate of late by two connected, but less than interconnected, sectors of the same community. The Efficient Market Hypothesis has struggled almost to the point of persecution by chief investment officers, portfolio managers, analysts and journalists alike. Dark pools, particularly in Europe, have been questioned but have not suffered and are widely deemed as a growing market for equity trading by buy-side dealers, hedge funds, sell-side traders, and electronic trading houses. Rarely do the two topics interact. This article steps across the divide, questions how inter-related the two are, and highlights the need, and perhaps reliance, of each to find their place in modern-day, quantitative-driven equity markets.
Tardive Dyskinesia Associated with Bupropion

Present report describes a 46 year old male patient with a diagnosis of major depression who developed tardive dyskinesia during bupropion therapy. Our patient had no history of neuroleptic use and his laboratory and neurologic examinations were normal. He had no family history of neurologic diseases. Although bupropion induced dyskinesia has been previously reported in the literature, it is rare and our case is the first case regarding tardive dyskinesia.
Implementation of evidence-based nursing practice: nurses' personal and professional factors?

AIMS This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore the relationship between nurses' personal and professional factors and evidence-based nursing practice. BACKGROUND Like most health-related professions, nursing is shifting from the traditional intuition-based paradigm to evidence-based nursing practice. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2007 with a convenience sample of 243 nurses from northern Israel, who worked in hospitals or in the community. Associations between background variables and evidence-based nursing practice were examined. For the purpose of finding factors that predicted behaviour, a logistic regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS The self-reported professional behaviour of nurses with a degree was more evidence-based than that of those without a degree. Moreover, evidence-based nursing practice was more likely where there was access to a rich library with nursing and medical journals, and opportunities for working with a computer and for searching the Internet in the workplace. The variables emerging as predicting evidence-based nursing practice were: education, skills in locating various research sources, support of the organization for searching and reading professional literature, knowledge sources based on colleagues and system procedures (inhibiting variable), knowledge sources based on reading professional literature, and knowledge sources based on experience or intuition. CONCLUSION The findings point to the need for research-based information, exposure to professional journals and, in particular, organizational support for evidence-based nursing practice.
Epilepsy with Bilateral Occipital Calcifications: Sturge‐Weber Variant or a Different Encephalopathy?

Summary: A series of cases of epilepsy with associated bilateral occipital calcifications (EBOC) without signs of phakomatosis and without any disorders known to produce cerebral calcifications have been reported. It is unclear whether EBOC is an incomplete variant of Sturge Weber disease (SWD) or if it is a different, as yet undefined encephalopathy. We describe four new cases of EBOC that are different clinically by age of onset, type, course, severity of epilepsy, and associated cognitive deficits but that are linked by similar neuroradiologic findings. Similar to cases described in the literature, there is convincing evidence in favor of the hypothesis that these cases belong to an encephalopathy different from SWD and frequently associated with celiac disease.
Casualties and Threats: Conditions of Support for War

The Bush Administration called the Iraq War an important part of the “Global War on Terror” (GWOT). In the hours after and ever since the attacks of 11 September 2001, it repeatedly used the threat of more terrorist attacks to push forward its Iraq agenda. The most senior official charged with terrorism recalled that President Bush, “grabbed a few of us . ‘Look’, he told us . ‘I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he’s linked in any way’. ” “But,Mr President,” said Clarke “al-Qaeda did this. ” Bush responded “. Just look. I want to know any shred . ” The Bush Administration tried to equate failure in Iraq to a failure in fighting terrorist strikes against the US and American interests. On the same day that Bush started the IraqWar, he told Congressional leaders that the war in Iraq was a “vital part of the international war on terrorism. ” In his 2007 State of the Union address, he again used the threat of terrorism to justify America’s presence in Iraq. Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.The consequences of failure were clear. Radical Islamic extremists would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and use oil revenues to fund their ambitions. Iran would be emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. TheDirector of National Intelligence’s Report entitled, “The Terrorist Threat to the US Homeland,” released on 17 July 2007, stated that terrorist threats were increasing rather than decreasing, in part because of the Iraq War. The report stated that, “. Al Qaeda will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack the homeland. ” Instead of seeing the war in Iraq as the cause of Defense & Security Analysis Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 289–304, September 2010
Social support reduces cardiovascular reactivity to psychological challenge: a laboratory model.

&NA; In this study we investigated the effects of nonevaluative social interaction on the cardiovascular response to psychological challenge. Thirty‐nine college‐age females appeared accompanied (“Friend” condition) or unaccompanied (“Alone” condition) to an experimental laboratory. In the Friend condition, partners were present while the subject participated in two laboratory tasks, and the partners' evaluation potential was minimized by design. Subjects in the Friend condition showed reduced heart rate reactivity to both tasks, relative to the Alone group, an attenuated task‐related systolic blood pressure response to one of the tasks, and a reduced diastolic blood pressure increase during a solitary interview. In two other instances, partner‐related response reductions were apparent only for Type A subjects. None of these effects was accompanied by differences in task performance or self‐reported emotional response. Interpersonal support may reduce cardiovascular responsivity to stress, an effect with possible implications for understanding the association between social relationships and cardiovascular risk.