Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Cell Adhesion-Mediated Drug Resistance of Multiple Myeloma Cells in Vivo

Background/Aims Multiple myeloma is an incurable disease and patients eventually die of disease progression due to drug resistance. VLA-4 (very late antigen 4), VCAM (vascular adhesion molecule), LFA-1 (leukocyte function-associated antigen 1), and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1)-mediated adhesion of myeloma cells to bone marrow stromal cells induces primary multidrug resistance in vitro. Based on these preclinical data we hypothesized that myeloma cells with strong adhesion - due to strong expression of adhesion molecules on the cell surface - are selected by chemotherapy in patients. To prove this hypothesis we determined the expression levels of adhesion molecules in 31 multiple myeloma patients by flow cytometry. Methods A 3-color stain with CD38, CD138 and antibodies against VLA-4, ICAM-1, LFA-1, and VCAM was performed. The patients were either at diagnosis (chemo-naive; n=17) or at relapse (pre-treated; n=15). Furthermore, the response to the next chemotherapy of chemo-naive patients was correlated with the expression levels of adhesion molecules. Results ICAM-1, VLA-4, and VCAM expression was higher in pre-treated patients than in chemo-naive patients and the expression levels increased with the number of chemotherapy regimens. Primarily multidrug-resistant patients had significantly higher expression levels of VLA-4 and ICAM-1 than responders. Conclusion This study suggests that multiple myeloma cells expressing high levels of VLA-4 and ICAM-1 are drug resistant and that such a subpopulation of cells is selected by chemotherapy.
SEXUAL SELECTION AND THE EVOLUTION OF COSTLY FEMALE PREFERENCES: SPATIAL EFFECTS

Abstract Models of Fisher's runaway process show that if there is a cost to female preference, no preference or male trait exaggeration will evolve. Surprisingly, this is true no matter how small the cost, which reveals that these models of Fisher's process are structurally unstable (Bulmer 1989). Here a model of Fisher's runaway process is presented to demonstrate that costly female preference evolves very easily when space is explicitly included in the model. The only requirement is that the optimal male phenotype changes across the species' range. The model shows that the spatial average of the female preference and male trait reach an evolutionary equilibrium that is identical to those of nonspatial models, but that the preference and male trait can deviate greatly from these averages at any point in space. For example, if random mating results in the lowest cost to females, then at equilibrium the spatial average preference will be zero. Nevertheless, there will be some locations at which females prefer males with larger ornaments and others where they prefer males with smaller ornaments. Results also show that the structural instability of nonspatial models of Fisher's process is less of a problem in spatial models. In particular, many of the main qualitative features of cost-free spatial models of Fisher's process remain valid even when there are small costs of female preference. Finally, the model shows that abrupt changes in the optimal male phenotype across space can result in an amplification of this pattern when preference has a small cost, but it can also result in a pattern similar to reproductive character displacement. Which of these occurs depends on the magnitude of the cost of female preference. This suggests that some patterns of reproductive character displacement in nature might be explained simply by sexual selection rather than by hybrid dysgenesis and reinforcement. Corresponding Editor: J. Mallet
Impaired insulin secretion and glucose intolerance in synaptotagmin-7 null mutant mice

Vertebrates express at least 15 different synaptotagmins with the same domain structure but diverse localizations and tissue distributions. Synaptotagmin-1,-2, and -9 act as calcium sensors for the fast phrase of neurotransmitter release, and synaptotagmin-12 acts as a calcium-independent modulator of release. The exact functions of the remaining 11 synaptotagmins, however, have not been established. By analogy to the role of synaptotagmin-1, -2, and -9 in neurotransmission, these other synaptotagmins may serve as Ca2+ transducers regulating other Ca2+-dependent membrane processes, such as insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. Of these other synaptotagmins, synaptotagmin-7 is one of the most abundant and is present in pancreatic β-cells. To determine whether synaptotagmin-7 regulates Ca2+-dependent insulin secretion, we analyzed synaptotagmin-7 null mutant mice for glucose tolerance and insulin release. Here, we show that synaptotagmin-7 is required for the maintenance of systemic glucose tolerance and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Mutant mice have normal insulin sensitivity, insulin production, islet architecture and ultrastructural organization, and metabolic and calcium responses but exhibit impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion, indicating a calcium-sensing defect during insulin-containing secretory granule exocytosis. Taken together, our findings show that synaptotagmin-7 functions as a positive regulator of insulin secretion and may serve as a calcium sensor controlling insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells.
Near Absence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci but High Carriage Rates of Quinolone-Resistant Ampicillin-Resistant Enterococci among Hospitalized Patients and Nonhospitalized Individuals in Sweden

ABSTRACT Rates of colonization with enterococci with acquired resistance to vancomycin (vancomycin-resistant enterococci [VRE]) and ampicillin (ampicillin-resistant enterococci [ARE]) were determined by using fecal samples from 670 nonhospitalized individuals and 841 patients in 27 major hospitals. Of the hospitalized patients, 181 (21.5%) were carriers of ARE and 9 (1.1%) were carriers of VRE. In univariate analyses, length of hospital stay (odds ratio [OR], 4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5 to 8.9) and antimicrobial therapy (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 3.3 to 6.7) were associated with ARE colonization, as were prior treatment with penicillins (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.8 to 5.5), cephalosporins (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7 to 5.0), or quinolones (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5 to 4.7). In logistic regression analysis, antimicrobial therapy for at least 5 days was independently associated with ARE carriage (adjusted OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.6 to 5.4). Over 90% of the ARE isolates were fluoroquinolone resistant, whereas 14% of the ampicillin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium isolates were fluoroquinolone resistant. ARE carriage rates correlated with the use of fluoroquinolones (P = 0.04) but not with the use of ampicillin (P = 0.68) or cephalosporins (P = 0.40). All nine VRE isolates were E. faecium vanB and were found in one hospital. Seven of these isolates were related according to their types as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Among the nonhospitalized individuals, the ARE carriage rate was lower (6%; P< 0.05), and only one person, who had recently returned from Africa, harbored VRE (E. faecium vanA). The absence of VRE colonization in nonhospitalized individuals reflects an epidemiological situation in Sweden radically different from that in countries in continental Europe where glycopeptides have been widely used for nonmedical purposes.
Dysgonic Fermenter‐2 Septicemia

&NA; A 62 yr‐old man with a recent history of dog bite and a past history of splenectomy developed septicemia and signs suggestive of a generalized Schwartzman reaction, including fever, hypotension, symmetrical peripheral gangrene and laboratory evidence of consumptive coagulopathy. The causative organism was a Dysgonic Fermenter‐2 (DF‐2), a designation given to an unnamed group of Gram‐negative rod shaped bacteria. This organism has not previously been reported in Australia. A review of documented cases of serious infection suggests that splenectomy and dog bite are predisposing factors to disease caused by this organism.
A QM/MM investigation of the catalytic mechanism of metal-ion-independent core 2 β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase.

β1,6-GlcNAc-transferase (C2GnT) is an important controlling factor of biological functions for many glycoproteins and its activity has been found to be altered in breast, colon, and lung cancer cells, in leukemia cells, in the lymhomonocytes of multiple sclerosis patients, leukocytes from diabetes patients, and in conditions causing an immune deficiency. The result of the action of C2GnT is the core 2 structure that is essential for the further elongation of the carbohydrate chains of O-glycans. The catalytic mechanism of this metal-ion-independent glycosyltransferase is of paramount importance and is investigated here by using quantum mechanical (QM) (density functional theory (DFT))/molecular modeling (MM) methods with different levels of theory. The structural model of the reaction site used in this report is based on the crystal structures of C2GnT. The entire enzyme-substrate system was subdivided into two different subsystems: the QM subsystem containing 206 atoms and the MM region containing 5914 atoms. Three predefined reaction coordinates were employed to investigate the catalytic mechanism. The calculated potential energy surfaces discovered the existence of a concerted SN 2-like mechanism. In this mechanism, a nucleophilic attack by O6 facilitated by proton transfer to the catalytic base and the separation of the leaving group all occur almost simultaneously. The transition state for the proposed reaction mechanism at the M06-2X/6-31G** (with diffuse functions on the O1', O5', OGlu , and O6 atoms) level was located at C1-O6=1.74 Å and C1-O1=2.86 Å. The activation energy for this mechanism was estimated to be between 20 and 29 kcal mol⁻¹, depending on the method used. These calculations also identified a low-barrier hydrogen bond between the nucleophile O6H and the catalytic base Glu320, and a hydrogen bond between the N-acetamino group and the glycosidic oxygen of the donor in the TS. It is proposed that these interactions contribute to a stabilization of TS and participate in the catalytic mechanism.
Effect of lavender aromatherapy on hemodynamic indices among patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

Aims: Patients who are hospitalized in coronary care unit are at risk for hemodynamic instability secondary to anxiety and stress. Aromatherapy may have positive effects on hemodynamic status and can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lavender aromatherapy on hemodynamic indices among patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients who had been hospitalized in the coronary care unit of Namazi hospital, Shiraz, Iran, in 2013. A sample of 110 patients with acute coronary syndrome was recruited. Patients were randomly allocated to either the experimental or the placebo groups. Patients in the experimental and placebo groups were respectively treated with lavender essence and almond oil drop aromas. Participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressures as well as heart rate were measured seven times—before, during, and after the study intervention. For analyzing the data, statistical tests such as Chi-square, ttest, and repeated measures analysis of variance were performed by using the SPSS16. Results: There was a downward trend of systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate changes across the seven measurement time-points in both groups. However, there was no significant difference between the study groups regarding systolic blood pressure (p=0.586), diastolic blood pressure (p=0.557) and heart rate (p=0.846). Conclusions: Given its positive effects on hemodynamic indices, aromatherapy can be used as an effective alternative therapy. Please cite this paper as: Nategh M, Heidari MR, Ebadi A, Kazemnejad A, Babaei Beigi A. Effect of lavender aromatherapy on hemodynamic indices among patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial. Iran J Crit Care Nurs. 2015;7(4):201-208. Iran J Crit Care Nurs. 2015;7(4):201-208 * Correspondence Author: Mohammad Reza Heidari Medicinal Plants Research Center, Nursing & Midwifery Faculty, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Dietary zinc modulation of Moloney sarcoma virus oncogenesis.

To explore the relationship between dietary zinc and the natural history of Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV) oncogenesis, BALB/c mice were fed diets which contained four levels of zinc: 100 ppm zinc (designated control); 9 ppm zinc (designated marginal deficiency); 5 ppm zinc (designated moderate deficiency); and 2.5 ppm zinc (designated severe deficiency). Moreover, because zinc deficiency is associated with some degree of inanition, a group of mice was fed the control diet but in amounts equal to the intake of animals fed 5 ppm zinc. All diets were initiated in 10-week-old mice at 0, 1, 3, and 6 weeks before injection of the MSV. When the diets were introduced simultaneously with the MSV, little significant impact upon natural history of the tumor was observed. With 1 week of prior dietary zinc deprivation, severely deprived mice experienced inhibition of tumor growth. However, with 3 weeks of limited zinc availability prior to MSV injection, alteration of tumor growth was observed and was directly dependent upon the specific level of zinc in the diet. Mice fed 9 and 5 ppm zinc showed an increase in sarcoma growth when compared with control animals while mice fed 2.5 ppm zinc demonstrated a decreased incidence of sarcomas and a reduction in the size of those tumors which developed. Feeding low-zinc diets for 6 weeks resulted in a marked reduction in sarcoma initiation and progression in mice fed 9, 5, and 2.5 ppm zinc. With sufficient severity and duration, animals maintained in low-zinc environments also experienced an increase in tumor latency period and tumor regression time. Caloric restriction, as evidenced by inanition controls, caused markedly altered tumor incidence and kinetics, making it difficult to quantify those effects due to inanition and those due to zinc deficiency. The present experiment underscores the critical influence that magnitude and duration play in determining the ultimate impact of various degrees of zinc deficiency upon tumor initiation and progression and further emphasizes the need for caloric restriction controls in all studies of trace element deprivation.
Stability analysis of disturbance observer based controllers for two-wheel wheelchair systems

Previously, two-wheel wheelchair systems have been receiving attention since they have high mobility better than conventional four-wheel wheelchair systems. However, in two-wheel wheelchair systems, pitch angle must be stabilized by actuated wheels since two-wheel wheelchair systems are underactuated systems. Furthermore, stabilization control needs to be achieved under parameter variation or disturbances considering safety of human. In this paper, two kinds of disturbance observer (DOB) based controllers are compared in terms of stability of inertia variation. One is Lyapunov controller based on pitch angle disturbance observer with DOB. The other is Lyapunov controller based on synthesized pitch angle disturbance observer. Root locus is conducted to analyze stability of inertia variation of these systems. Simulation and experimental results verify the accuracy of this analysis. Graphical Abstract
Social Capital: Critical Perspectives

The idea of social capital is increasingly prominent in international, national, and local policy-making and in the social sciences. However, its rapid rise to prominence has not been matched by proper scrutiny of the idea and its consequences. This book provides the first full critical analysis of social capital, written by authors from a wide range of disciplinary and policy backgrounds. The book asks searching questions: Is the concept of social capital really new? Does it offer significant anaytic purchase? Can it be an operational, as opposed to rhetorica concept? Can policies based on social capital deal with conflict and social exclusion? These issues are explored through studies of education, health, political science, urban regeneartion, economic development and other areas and disciplines. The authors - who include academics, professionals and policy specialists - are all distinguished and prominent contributors in their own fields. Contributors to this volume - Stephen Baron, University of Glasgow, Scotland Phillip Brown, University of Cardiff, Wales Catherine Campbell, London School of Economics, University of London, England Ralph Fevre, University of Cardiff, Wales John Field, University of Warwick, England Ben Fine, School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London, England Francis Green, University of Kent, England Peter Loizos, London School of Economics, University of London, England Hugh Lauder, University of Bath, England Jon Lauglo, World Bank, Washington, USA Alex MacGillivray, New Economics Foundation, London, England William Maloney, University of Aberdeen, Scotland Peter Maskell, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark Pamela Munn, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Lindsay Paterson, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Tom Schuller, Birkbeck College, University of London Graham Smith, University of Strathclyde, Scotland Gerry Stoker, University of Strathclyde, Scotland Simon Szreter, St. John's College, University of Cambridge Perry Walker, New Economics Foundation, London, England
Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome: A case report and review of literature

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a hereditary autosomal dominant disorder caused by defective tumor suppression gene at 3p25-p26. The gene for VHL disease is found on chromosome 3, and is inherited in a dominant fashion. The VHL gene is a tumor suppressor gene. This means that its role in a normal cell is to stop the uncontrolled growth and proliferation. It is characterized by abnormal growth of blood vessels. It strikes the eyes, central nervous system, kidneys, endocrine glands, etc. It predisposes the patient to retinal angiomas, central nervous system hemangioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pheochromocytomas, islet cell tumor of the pancreas, endolymphatic sac tumors, renal, pancreatic, epididymal cysts. We present a case of familial VHL syndrome whose Fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan was truly positive for adrenal pheochromocytoma but was falsely negative for RCC. Review of literature related to this entity is made.
On the cooperativity of biological membranes.

Abstract : We extend the Monod-Wyman-Changeux of allosteric transitions in enzyme-substrate reactions to a membrane composed of identical units (protomers). It is supposed that each protomer can exist in two states. The interaction between protomers is treated in the molecular field approximation. It appears possible to have a first-order phase transition when the chemical potential of the substrate is varied, holding the temperature constant. The wide range of possible biological implications is discussed. (Author)
Pedagogical competence for engineering educators: Re-conceptualizing teaching portfolios

The demand for engineering graduates is increasing globally. National governments understand the importance of the sector for economic growth, while students are becoming more aware of the greater life opportunities open to them as a result of an engineering education. The role of effective teaching in the attainment of student outcomes is increasingly recognized and many engineering departments require faculty to meet standards of pedagogical competence. Our aim in this research was to investigate the role of teaching portfolios in the enhancement of engineering educators' pedagogical competence, in particular engineering faculty's changing understanding of key aspects of pedagogical competence over the process of developing teaching portfolios. We found several shifts in participants' understandings and attitudes over a short course intended to support engineering academics in the construction of teaching portfolios for the purposes of tenure, promotion or awards. For example, participants shifted from describing or ‘showcasing’ their teaching and learning achievements towards a greater appreciation of the role of reflective practice, and from a focus on course content and ‘coverage’ towards an understanding of concept-building, sequencing and curricular coherence. This paper argues that a short course in the development of teaching portfolios for the purposes of tenure, promotion or teaching awards can contribute to the development of pedagogical competence amongst engineering faculty, but that considerable attention should be given to the complex issue of reflection on practice and that trustworthy assessment of teaching portfolios requires clear criteria for pedagogical competence at different levels of practice.
Development and Testing of a New Outcome Measure of Relationship Between Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Their Partners

In mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), loss of relationship with the patient is a significant consequence for the partner (relative) and may be amenable to improvement with effective intervention. To evaluate relationship dynamics, the authors developed and tested content and discriminative validity of the self-administered Partner-Patient Questionnaire for Shared Activities among 100 partners of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Principal component analysis confirmed that interference in 17 activities derived from the literature and partner-specified activities comprised a relationship factor; internal consistency was very high. Time spent caregiving, care-giver esteem, lack of family support, and impact on partner health and activities were significant predictors of the Partner-Patient Questionnaire for Shared Activities, but the patient's cognitive and mood states were not. The Partner-Patient Questionnaire for Shared Activities warrants additional psychometric testing as a measure of Alzheimer's disease outcome.
Does Competition Improve Service Quality? The Case of Nursing Homes Where Public and Private Payers Coexist

Competition plays an ambiguous role in nursing home markets where public and private payers coexist. Using U.S. nursing home data with a wide range of market structures, we find a U-shaped relationship between competition and service quality when nursing homes serve a mix of public and private segments, and a monotonically increasing relationship when nursing homes mostly serve the public, price-regulated, segment. The outcomes can be explained by the interplay of two opposing effects of competition: the reputation-building effect, whereby competing firms choose high quality to build a good reputation, and the rent-extraction effect, whereby competition hinders investment for quality improvements by lowering price premia. These observations are consistent with a repeated game model that incorporates public and private-payer segments. This paper was accepted by Stefan Scholtes, healthcare management.
Joint minimum BER power allocation and receiver design for Distributed Space-Time Coded cooperative MIMO relaying systems

An adaptive joint power allocation (JPA) and linear receiver design algorithm using the minimum bit error rate (MBER) criterion for a cooperative Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) network is proposed. The system employs multiple relays with Distributed Space-Time Coding (DSTC) schemes and an Amplify-and-Forward (AF) strategy. It is designed according to a joint constrained optimization algorithm to determine the MBER power allocation parameters and the receive filter parameters for each transmitted symbol. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm obtains performance gains compared to the equal power allocation systems and the minimum mean square error (MMSE) designs.