Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Thoracotomy and/or Intrathoracic Anastomosis Still Predictors of Postoperative Mortality After Esophageal Cancer Surgery?: A Nationwide Study

Background: Intrathoracic (vs cervical) anastomosis and a thoracotomy (vs absence) have previously been associated with increasing postoperative mortality (POM). Recent improvements in surgical practices and perioperative management may have changed these dogmas. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of performing intrathoracic anastomosis and/or thoracotomy on POM after esophageal cancer surgery in recent years. Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent esophageal cancer surgery with reconstruction between 2010 and 2012 in France were included (n = 3286). Patients with a thoracoscopic approach were excluded (n = 4). We compared 30-day POM between patients having received intrathoracic (vs cervical) anastomosis and between those having received a thoracotomy or not. Multivariate analyses and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounding factors. Results: Patients had either cervical (n = 548) or intrathoracic (n = 2738) anastomosis. Thirty-day POM was higher after cervical anastomosis (8.8% vs 4.9%, P < 0.001). Having received a thoracotomy (n = 3061) was associated with a decreased risk of 30-day POM (5.3% vs 9.3%, P = 0.011). After adjustment for confounding factors, cervical anastomosis was associated with 30-day POM [odds ratio (OR) 1.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–2.77); P = 0.032], whereas performing a thoracotomy was not associated with 30-day POM (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.51–1.84; P = 0.926). Conclusions: Nowadays, intrathoracic anastomosis provides a lower 30-day POM rate compared to cervical anastomosis, and performing a thoracotomy is not associated with POM. Systematic anastomosis neck placement or thoracotomy avoidance is not a relevant argument anymore to decrease POM.
The role of metabolic factors and blood pressure in the association of obesity with osteoarthritis of the knee.

The role of systemic/metabolic factors in the association of obesity with knee osteoarthritis (OA) was analyzed using radiographic data, metabolic measures, and blood pressure for 3885 American adults aged 45-74 from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1971-1975 (NHANES I). Obesity was associated with both bilateral and unilateral OA, but more strongly with bilateral OA. Controlling for age, sex, serum cholesterol, serum uric acid, diabetes, body fat distribution, and blood pressure did not significantly reduce the association between obesity and knee OA. Findings from these data are not supportive of a metabolic link between obesity and knee OA.
Bex3 Dimerization Regulates NGF-Dependent Neuronal Survival and Differentiation by Enhancing trkA Gene Transcription

The development of the nervous system is a temporally and spatially coordinated process that relies on the proper regulation of the genes involved. Neurotrophins and their receptors are directly responsible for the survival and differentiation of sensory and sympathetic neurons; however, it is not fully understood how genes encoding Trk neurotrophin receptors are regulated. Here, we show that rat Bex3 protein specifically regulates TrkA expression by acting at the trkA gene promoter level. Bex3 dimerization and shuttling to the nucleus regulate the transcription of the trkA promoter under basal conditions and also enhance nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated trkA promoter activation. Moreover, qChIP assays indicate that Bex3 associates with the trkA promoter within a 150 bp sequence, immediately upstream from the transcription start site, which is sufficient to mediate the effects of Bex3. Consequently, the downregulation of Bex3 using shRNA increases neuronal apoptosis in NGF-dependent sensory neurons deprived of NGF and compromises PC12 cell differentiation in response to NGF. Our results support an important role for Bex3 in the regulation of TrkA expression and in NGF-mediated functions through modulation of the trkA promoter.
Evaluation of student performance in laboratory applications using fuzzy decision support system model

In recent years, the importance of laboratory applications in engineering education has increased because, there is need for transferring the theoretical knowledge to empirical research and practice, which is particularly significant for the development of students in their career. Therefore, the evaluation of these laboratory applications should be effective. In this study, we propose a new approach to this assessment system. Our approach uses fuzzy decision support system and proposes a new approach that is called `refinement process' on student grades. Fuzzy helps more reliable decision making and evaluation of applications using a pre-determined list of criteria. This model based on fuzzy multi criteria method, is developed for evaluating student performances in laboratory activities which consolidate theoretical knowledge with practical applications. In our approach, we use peer assessment, group assessment and personal assessment methods. This study shows that fuzzy system can provide a better evaluation system than classical systems.
Forward‐Looking USDA Price Forecasts

USDA generates monthly season‐average price forecasts for key agricultural commodities. Uncertainty about each forecast is indicated by its publication as a price interval. USDA’s forecasting methodology is non‐public, but its uncertainty levels are anecdotally based on historical patterns of price uncertainty and informed by expert opinion. No confidence level is attached to USDA’s intervals, so it is difficult to gauge their accuracy. But in practice, realized season‐average prices regularly fall outside of USDA‐forecasted intervals, particularly those made prior to harvest and late in the marketing year. We demonstrate that forward‐looking density forecasts for the season‐average corn price can be constructed based on the market’s expectation of volatility implied by commodity options premia, combined with historical forecast errors between futures market prices and cash prices paid to farmers. Because implied volatility is forward‐looking, confidence intervals based on these densities reflect anticipatory market sentiment not present in historical data. In out‐of‐sample trials, our 95% confidence intervals contained the final season‐average price for over 92% of the 358 forecasts made between 1995/96 and 2014/15. Compared to a model based on historical data alone, the forward‐looking model is less susceptible to forecast errors. Our approach can enhance the informational value of USDA season‐average price forecasts.
Classification of Direction perception EEG Based on PCA-SVM

In this paper, an experiment was designed to get the electroencephalography (EEG) when people caught the vision of moving to different direction (right, left, front, back). Through Fourier Transform. , the feature of the EEG was obtained. Then, the algorithm of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to simplify the feature. Finally, in order to classify the direction perception EEG, it was distinguished by the feature with support vector machine (SVM). Result proved that the classification of direction perception EEG was feasible.
Mechanism Design, dynamics Modelling and Experiments of bionic undulating fins

The undulating ﬁn propulsion is inspired by ﬁsh using Median and/or Paired Fin (MPF) mode. This mode provides advantages of the vector thrust production and small disturbance to the ambient ﬂow ﬁeld, and also it could be applied on underwater robots conveniently. Two bionic undulating ﬁns are designed to imitate the structure and function of undulating ﬁn of aquatic animals, which are ﬁxed-waveform mode and independently-driven mode. The active deformation of bionic undulating ﬁns is described by a kinematic model. Base on the kinematic model, a simpliﬁed computational model is derived theoretically to analyse the dynamics of the bionic propulsor. The dynamic model considers six components of forces and moments. The dynamics performance related to the geometric parameters, undulating parameters as well as the carrier velocity are further discussed through simulation. Furthermore, the above analytic method is veriﬁed through the thrust/moment and velocity test using the bionic propulsor.
As mudanças climáticas no Twitter: a ascendência da mídia e da política

A 21a Conferencia das Partes (COP21) da Convencao-Quadro das Nacoes Unidas sobre Mudancas no Clima foi apontada como a mais promissora reuniao para um acordo global de combate aos efeitos das mudancas climaticas e reducao da emissao de gases de efeito estufa. Este artigo analisa a comunicacao sobre as mudancas climaticas no ambiente online durante o periodo da Conferencia. Os temas debatidos nas redes sociais sao suscetiveis a afetar o debate de forma ampla e trazem importantes informacoes a respeito da opiniao publica e de percepcoes sobre as mudancas climaticas (Williams et al ., 2015). Para este fim, o trabalho foca-se na popular rede social Twitter, que tem sido apontada como um termometro da percepcao publica (Brown & Wake, 2015). O Twitter tem mais de 310 milhoes de utilizadores ativos por mes, dos quais 79% estao fora dos Estados Unidos da America, o que possibilita analisar outros contextos e fomentar a investigacao em idiomas sub investigados, como o espanhol e o portugues. Lanca-se um primeiro olhar sobre os usos e conteudos publicados no Twitter nas linguas mencionadas visando responder as seguintes questoes: Que tipo de conteudos sao mais populares no Twitter sobre mudancas climaticas? Qual a linguagem (palavras, nomes) utilizada para se debater o tema? Ate que ponto e que a midia tradicional e referencia relevante no contexto da comunicacao sobre as mudancas climaticas na rede social? Quem sao os atores que formam esta rede e quais sao os mais influentes? Conclui-se, entre outros aspectos, que entre os atores da rede se destacam diversos politicos e que a midia e referencia importante de informacao nesta rede social. Nos dados em lingua portuguesa, constatou-se um nivel de atividade muito elevado dos cidadaos, que dominaram a producao de conteudos sobre a COP 21.
Customer quality and type 2 diabetes from the patients' perspective: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Quality in health care can be seen as having three principal dimensions: service, technical and customer quality. This study aimed to measure Customer Quality in relation to self-management of Type 2 diabetes. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 577 Type 2 diabetes people was carried out in Australia. The 13-item Patient Activation Measure was used to evaluate Customer Quality based on self-reported knowledge, skills and confidence in four stages of self-management. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 13.0. RESULTS All participants achieved scores at the level of stage 1, but ten percent did not achieve score levels consistent with stage 2 and a further 16% did not reach the actual action stage. Seventy-four percent reported capacity for taking action for self-management and 38% reported the highest Customer Quality score and ability to change the action by changing health and environment. Participants with a higher education attainment, better diabetes control status and those who maintain continuity of care reported a higher Customer Quality score, reflecting higher capacity for self-management. CONCLUSION Specific capacity building programs for health care providers and people with Type 2 diabetes are needed to increase their knowledge and skills; and improve their confidence to self-management, to achieve improved quality of delivered care and better health outcomes.
A Hox gene controls lateral line cell migration by regulating chemokine receptor expression downstream of Wnt signaling

Significance The migration of cells during embryo development or in cancer often occurs collectively as a group. Underlying mechanisms have been studied in the zebrafish lateral line, in which Wnt signaling regulates the spatially restricted expression of two chemokine receptors required for directional migration of the cell cluster along the track of Sdf1a ligand. We show that a Hox transcription factor, hoxb8a, is essential for correct migration and acts downstream of Wnt signals to regulate the spatial expression of both chemokine receptors. These findings uncover a Wnt-Hox–chemokine receptor pathway that may act widely in the control of directional cell migration. The posterior lateral line primordium in zebrafish provides an amenable model to study mechanisms of collective cell migration. The directed migration of the cell cluster along the path of Sdf1a chemokine requires two receptors, Cxcr4b and Cxcr7b, which are expressed in the leading and trailing part of the primordium, respectively. The polarized expression of receptors is regulated by Wnt signaling, but downstream players mediating this control remain to be found. Here, we show that the Hox homeobox gene Hoxb8a is a critical component that acts downstream of the Wnt pathway to coordinate the expression of both chemokine receptors. We find that Hoxb8a is expressed in the leading part of the primordium and is required for the correct speed and extent of migration. Hoxb8a expression is dependent upon Wnt activity and needed both for cxcr4b expression and to repress and thus restrict cxcr7b expression to the trailing zone of the primordium. In the absence of Wnt activity, overexpressed Hoxb8a is able to repress cxcr7b but not up-regulate cxcr4b expression. Together with results from expressing dominant activator and repressor constructs, these findings suggest that Hoxb8a is induced by and cooperates with Wnt signaling to up-regulate cxcr4b, and acts through multiple mechanisms to repress cxcr7b expression.
Characterizations of critical processes in liquid–liquid phase separation of the elastomeric protein–water system: Microscopic observations and light scattering measurements

Biological self‐assembly process of tropoelastin in an extracellular space, viewed as a key step of the elastogenesis, can be mimicked by the temperature‐dependent coacervation of the elastin‐related polypeptide–water system. Early and late stages of the phase separation behavior of the bovine neck ligamental α‐elastin–water system were examined respectively by the laser light scattering photometry and phase contrast microscopy. Changes in the hydrodynamic size of molecular assemblies and visible microcoacervate droplet size were traced as a function of the concentration of α‐elastin and temperature. Near the critical point, α‐elastin concentration of 0.11 mg/mL and temperature of 21.5°C, the phase separation was initiated after fast increase of the hydrodynamic size of primary aggregates as scattering particles and followed by the appearance of larger microcoacervate droplets with a broad size distribution. Whereas in the off‐critical region, slow decrease of the hydrodynamic size of primary particles induced phase separation with smaller droplets of a narrow size distribution. Observation of the phase separation processes in the α‐elastin–water system with metal chlorides and hydrophobic synthetic model polypeptide–water system indicated that the fast and slow molecular assembly processes were based on the fundamental hydrophobic interactions and involvements of electrostatic interactions between charged amino acid residues, respectively. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 53: 369–379, 2000
Administrative Responses to Portfolios Prepared by Teacher Candidates.

This study, an extension of previous research conducted at the College of Education, University of Akron (Ohio), focuses on the concerns and opinions of administrators regarding the use of portfolios for assessing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of teacher candidates. School administrators (N=15) were asked to evaluate one of three portfolios created by students in a previous study. Administrator input was sought via survey and questionnaire regarding 17 beginning teacher competencies (BTCs), identified by the college; their reactions to the portfolio concept were alsc sought. Results indicate that administrators find portfolios useful and are willing to spend time in review; there was substantial agreement regarding preferred format and the quality and type of evidence to be included. Based upon this information, the college can better direct preservice teachers in the organization and preparation of a portfolio that will aid them in seeking employment after graduation. Findings are displayed in tabular form; an appendix provides a demographic survey form; a questionnaire evaluating portfolio content, labels, explanations, reflective statements, presentation, and general impressions; and a brief description of each BTC adopted by the college along with a matrix for rating each competence. (Contains 11 references.) (LL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT Evaluating Student Perceptions of a Learner-Centered Drug Literature Evaluation Course

Objective. To evaluate pharmacy students’ perceptions of a drug literature evaluation course implementing learner-centered teaching principles. Design. A drug literature evaluation course was redesigned to create a more learner-centered course through the inclusion of optional assignments, self-reflection opportunities, and a point-based grading system. A questionnaire was developed to assess student perceptions of the course and preferences for the learner-centered approach. Assessment. One hundred two questionnaires were returned (94.4% response rate). The most highly rated items were those related to student control in determining their overall grade (4.7 6 0.6; mean 6 SD), less pressure to perform well on every examination or assignment (4.5 6 0.9), and a less stressful learning environment (4.4 6 1.0). Eighty-eight percent of students found that completing the optional assignments helped reinforce material presented in class. Conclusions. Learner-centered methods were viewed favorably by students. The effects of learnercentered teaching on pharmacy education deserve further study.
Defining the correct role of minimal residual disease tests in the management of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Minimal residual disease (MRD) has acquired a prominent role in the management of childhood and adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) for its high prognostic value. Several studies have demonstrated the strong association between MRD and risk of relapse in childhood and adult ALL, irrespective of the methodology used. MRD is now used in clinical trials for risk assignment and to guide clinical management. Negativity at early time points may be considered to decrease treatment burden in patients who are likely to be cured with reduced intensity regimens. On the other hand, high MRD levels at late time points (end of consolidation) define ALL subgroups which deserve investigation of more effective treatments. The predictivity of MRD as a measurement of drug response in vivo opened new perspectives for its use in clinical decision, to deliver risk‐based treatments, and possibly as a surrogate for efficacy in the evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches.
Book Review: Farming Systems in the Tropics. Second Edition

essay is Chapter II, 'The contributions of Sir John Lubbock (Lord Avebury) to insect physiology'. John Lubbock pursued successful careers in banking, politics and archaeology as well as in entomology. Despite being labelled 'an amateur' he wrote the Ray Society volume on Collembola and Thysanura, pioneered the experimental study of behaviour by demonstrating colour vision in bees and contributed greatly to the theory of insect metamorphosis. He served as President of twenty-six learned societies, not to mention his commitments to professional and governmental bodies. In the concluding chapters Wigglesworth makes clear his devotion to science, firstly in defending it against attacks upon it by the poet Wordsworth and secondly in his claim that science can legitimately be regarded as a religion. Wigglesworth's highly personal style makes Insects and the Life of Man stimulating reading for biologists of all persuasions; the chapters dealing with the relationship between pure and applied science might well be considered essential reading for those inclined towards research. R K SMITH
Energetics of Syntrophic Propionate Oxidation in Defined Batch and Chemostat Cocultures

ABSTRACT Propionate consumption was studied in syntrophic batch and chemostat cocultures of Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans andMethanospirillum hungatei. The Gibbs free energy available for the H2-consuming methanogens was <−20 kJ mol of CH4−1 and thus allowed the synthesis of 1/3 mol of ATP per reaction. The Gibbs free energy available for the propionate oxidizer, on the other hand, was usually >−10 kJ mol of propionate−1. Nevertheless, the syntrophic coculture grew in the chemostat at steady-state rates of 0.04 to 0.07 day−1 and produced maximum biomass yields of 2.6 g mol of propionate−1 and 7.6 g mol of CH4−1 for S. fumaroxidans andM. hungatei, respectively. The energy efficiency for syntrophic growth of S. fumaroxidans, i.e., the biomass produced per unit of available Gibbs free energy was comparable to a theoretical growth yield of 5 to 12 g mol of ATP−1. However, a lower growth efficiency was observed when sulfate served as an additional electron acceptor, suggesting inefficient energy conservation in the presence of sulfate. The maintenance Gibbs free energy determined from the maintenance coefficient of syntrophically grown S. fumaroxidans was surprisingly low (0.14 kJ h−1 mol of biomass C−1) compared to the theoretical value. On the other hand, the Gibbs free-energy dissipation per mole of biomass C produced was much higher than expected. We conclude that the small Gibbs free energy available in many methanogenic environments is sufficient for syntrophic propionate oxidizers to survive on a Gibbs free energy that is much lower than that theoretically predicted.
The ability of Ia and H‐2Kk‐bearing membranes to replace the antigen‐presenting cell in an H‐2Kkallogeneic cytotoxic T cell response

Induction of an allogeneic cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response is dependent, in part, on uptake and processing of the class I alloantigen by antigen‐presenting cells and subsequent Ia‐restricted recognition of the alloantigen by helper T cells, resulting in lymphokine production. The nature of the antigen‐processing event has been investigated using reconstituted membranes to replace the antigen‐presenting cells in the generation of a secondary allogeneic CTL response. Membranes were isolated from an Iad‐positive antigen presenting B cell lymphoma (D2N), detergent solubilized and then reconstituted together with affinity‐purified H‐2Kk antigen in the presence of protease inhibitors. These reconstituted vesicles, containing both syngeneic Ia and alloantigen, were able to induce the helper T cell arm of the CTL response in cultures depleted of antigen‐presenting cells. A variety of control experiments provided strong evidence that the helper T cells recognized the H‐2Kk, probably in its native form, in an Ia‐restricted manner on the vesicles, while the pre‐CTL can directly recognize H‐2Kk. Recognition was only effective if both the Ia and alloantigen were inserted into the same membrane bilayer. The results strongly suggest that the obligatory antigen processing event required for helper T cell recognition of alloantigen is simply the insertion of the alloantigen into the same membrane bilayer as the syngeneic Ia restricting element.