Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sperm‐derived activating ability does not persist in mouse oocytes inseminated during in vitro maturation

Activity of the sperm‐derived oocyte‐activating factor persists in zygotes and can be detected by a fusion with metaphase II (MII) oocytes leading to the activation of the hybrids. We have shown, that in the great majority of oocytes inseminated 1–2 hr after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) the sperm‐derived activating ability was eliminated. Only few hybrids produced by fusion of MII oocytes with oocytes inseminated during in vitro maturation (M × IVM‐P + sperm hybrids) underwent activation, whereas almost all of MII oocyte × zygote hybrids entered interphase. However, frequency of activation of M × IVM‐P + sperm hybrids was higher than that of control hybrids, which were obtained by fusion of MII oocytes with oocytes uninseminated during in vitro maturation. Although the difference was not statistically significant, it suggested that in a certain number of oocytes inseminated after GVBD the sperm‐derived oocyte‐activating factor remained partially active. This was confirmed by our observation that several oocytes, which were inseminated during in vitro maturation and managed to accomplish MII, underwent activation and formed pronuclei when examined 25–26 hr after the beginning of maturation. We have also demonstrated that parthenogenotes, could acquire the sperm‐derived activity, as a consequence of sperm injection. MII oocytes were fused with parthenogenotes inseminated by ICSI and all hybrids underwent activation. This result indicated that the ability to induce activation in hybrid, was sperm‐derived. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 68: 240–249, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Life-Threatening and Fatal Adverse Drug Events in a Danish University Hospital

Objectives Detection of adverse drug events (ADEs) in Danish hospitals relies on health care professionals’ incident reporting to a national database for adverse events, but the method is incomplete; thus, fatal and life-threatening ADEs may remain unrecognized. The objectives of this study were to examine the occurrence of life-threatening and fatal ADEs in population of hospitalized patients with suspected adverse outcome and to compare these findings with the actual number of reported ADEs in the study period of 3 months. Methods Study was designed as a cross-sectional study of adult population, hospitalized for more than 24 hours, having an unplanned transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU), or having unexpected death. Medical records were retrospectively screened by the Global Trigger Tool. All positive triggers were assessed for ADEs by a clinical pharmacologist. Results Of the 26,176 patients admitted in the study period, 105 had an unplanned transfer to the ICU and 36 died unexpectedly. In total, 15 positive triggers were identified in 10 patients. Life-threatening ADEs accounted for 7.6% (8/105) of patients transferred to the ICU, and fatal ADEs constituted 5.5% (2/36) of the deceased patients. Life-threatening and fatal ADEs corresponded to an overall prevalence of 0.04% (10/26,176). Most ADEs were related to hemorrhages and respiratory problems. No serious or fatal ADEs were reported in the incident reporting system in the study period. Conclusions Ten life-threatening and fatal ADEs were uncovered as not reported in the incident reporting system. Further steps are needed for recognition and prevention of this patient safety challenge.
Detection of Escherichia coli in a cattle manure composting process by selective cultivation and colony polymerase chain reaction

Livestock manure is suitable for use as a composting material. However, various intestinal microbes, such as Escherichia coli, are significant components of such manures. Thus, it is desirable that the level of intestinal microbes, and particularly opportunistic pathogens, in compost is inspected and counted regularly. The sensitivity and specificity of detection of E. coli in compost have been improved by selective cultivation followed by colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the ECO primer. Indeed, the sensitivity of this method is higher than that of DNA extraction from compost and PCR. In this study, changes in numbers of E. coli present in a field-scale composting process over time was assessed using selective cultivation and colony PCR. Numbers of ECO-positive colonies after 24 h decreased, with a concomitant rise in compost temperature. ECO-positive colonies were not detected from 33 to 48 h. However, ECO-positive colony numbers increased beginning on day 4 and continuing until day 42. Thus, it seems likely that the high temperatures reached during the composting process did not affect E. coli numbers in the final compost. Additionally, selective cultivation followed by colony PCR using specific primers is an appropriate method of determining levels of cultivable pathogens in composted materials.
Evaluation of Temperature and Emissivity Retrieval using Spectral Smoothness Method for Low-Emissivity Materials

Land surface temperature and emissivity separation (TES) is a key problem in thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing. Along with the development of civil applications, increasing numbers of man-made low-emissivity materials can be found around our living environment. In addition, the characteristics and variation in properties of those materials should also be concerned. However, there are still few TES methods for low-emissivity materials reported in the literature. This paper addresses the performance of the automatic retrieval of temperature and emissivity using spectral smoothness (ARTEMISS) method proposed by Borel (2008) for the retrieval of temperature and emissivity from hyperspectral TIR data for low-emissivity materials. The results show that those modeling errors are less than 0.11 K for temperature and 0.3% for emissivity as shown in the ARTEMISS algorithm if atmospheric parameters and the mean emissivity of material spectra are known. A sensitivity analysis has been performed, and the results show that the retrieval accuracy will be degraded with the increase of instrument noises, the errors of the atmospheric parameters, and the coarser spectral resolution. ARTEMISS can give a reasonable estimation of the temperature and emissivity for high- and low-emissivity materials; however, the performance of the algorithm is more seriously influenced by the atmospheric compensation than by the instrument noises. Our results show that the errors of temperature and emissivity become approximately three times than that when the instrument spectral properties are 1 cm-1 of sampling interval and 2 cm-1 of FWHM, and 4 cm-1 of sampling interval and 8 cm-1 of FWHM, respectively.
New Constraints on Mobility in Europe : Policy Response to European Crises or Constitutional Ambiguity?

This paper investigates the effectiveness of recent measures undertaken by the governments of some European Union Member States such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland as well as of non-EU European countries such as Switzerland in order to face growing concerns in the public opinion with the increase of transnational migration flows on European continent. The authors analyse selected legislative, regulatory and administrative measures motivated by objectives of migration policy or affecting the mobility of workers, taken in the aftermath of the economic and financial crisis. They argue that, albeit political discourse unfavourable on immigration and migrant workers has become the mainstream in some countries, the measures taken by national governments and legislators seldom involve direct constraints on the free movement of workers which is safeguarded by EU treaty provisions. However, concrete examples illustrate that access of such workers to social security benefits has been restricted through making use of certain derogations from the principle of equal treatment allowed under EU law. In some cases national legislators had to abandon plans to limit directly the free movement of workers, because the envisaged provisions were incompatible with the EU Treaties. With regard to social security, regulatory measures and administrative actions may have effectively implemented national policy concerns with large-scale migration movements. In general, it could be concluded that the European Union, while struggling against multiple crises, has taken a not fully favourable approach to free movement and migration of EU citizens. The present political climate unfavourable to intra-European migration may be understood, from the perspective of historical analysis, as an expression of constitutional ambiguity underlying the European Union’s normative Received: August, 2017 1st Revision: September, 2017 Accepted: October, 2017 DOI: 10.14254/20718330.2017/10-3/1 Journal of International Studies S ci en ti fi c P a pe rs © Foundation of International Studies, 2017 © CSR, 2017 Journal of International Studies Vol.10, No.3, 2017 10 framework, consisting in a gap between its formally recognised noble values and the mentalities prevailing in the citizenry, which may place democratic forms of governance in a serious dilemma.
Comparison solving discrete space on flower pollination algorithm, PSO and GA

In order to find an optimal solution of a research problem, the problem parameters are encoded in discrete space (e.g. bits or integers). Genetic algorithm (GA) performs the discrete space by binary chromosome. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) uses probability and sigmoid function to convert the next bird's velocity into binary bit. Flower pollination algorithm (FPA) is quite new and also has a few number of the paper implements to discrete space. This research uses a cut-off parameter applied on FPA. The main objective is to examine the performance of the algorithms on discrete space and calculate velocity of PSO as well as Levy fight movement of FPA when using discrete parameter. The experiment used eight-numerical functions to test conversion from a real value to a bit value and measure the effectiveness of each algorithm. Experiment result showed that FPA could perform better than PSO and GA.
Revascularization of Transplanted Pancreatic Islets Following Culture with Stimulators of Angiogenesis

Background. Insufficient revascularization of transplanted islets may result in chronic hypoxia and loss of islet function. This study investigated whether simple culture of islets with angiogenic substances before transplantation could improve graft revascularization. Methods. Mouse islets were cultured with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; 20 ng/ml), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2; 20 ng/ml) or matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9; 1 &mgr;g/ml). Thereafter, 250 islets were implanted beneath the renal capsule of syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice. One month posttransplantation, blood flow (laser-Doppler flowmetry), oxygen tension (Clark microelectrodes), and vascular density were measured and correlated to graft function. Results. Treatment of islets with VEGF during culture caused islet blood vessels to dilate, whereas FGF-2 treatment induced endothelial cell proliferation. However, the number of capillaries in both cases decreased during culture. When investigated one month posttransplantation, both VEGF and FGF-2 pretreated islets had similar or worse vascular engraftment when compared to transplanted control islets. MMP-9 pretreatment of islets increased vascular density, blood flow and oxygen tension within the grafts. Animals receiving MMP-9 pretreated islets returned, however, more slowly to normoglycemia than control animals, and performed worse than controls in a glucose tolerance test one month posttransplantation. Conclusions. Treatment of islets during culture with VEGF or FGF-2 changed the islet vascular phenotype, but capillaries were still lost. Notably, the number of capillaries in the grafted islets one month posttransplantation was in all cases strikingly similar to that observed prior to transplantation. MMP-9 pretreatment of islets elicited an angiogenic response, which improved revascularization of the transplanted islets.
Access to Medical Care, Dental Care, and Prescription Drugs: The Roles of Race/Ethnicity, Health Insurance, and Income

Background: After accounting for socioeconomic factors and other demographic characteristics, racial/ethnic disparities in access to care were examined. Methods: Using nationally representative data on 34,403 individuals from the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), multiple logistic regression analyses for five outcome measures were conducted: self-reports of being unable to get medical care, dental care, or prescriptions in the past year; and having no doctor or dentist visits in the past year. The main independent variables were race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status. Results: Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to report difficulties in accessing medical care, dental care, and prescriptions as compared to whites. These disparities occurred primarily among the uninsured and Medicaid insured. More objective measures of utilization (ie, no doctor visit or dental visit during the past year) showed that minorities experienced less access than whites. Conclusions: Racial/ethnic disparities in access to care persist, and cannot be entirely explained by socioeconomic differences. In addition, the nature of these disparities depends on the socioeconomic position of racial/ethnic groups as well as the access measure used.
How Do Migration and Remittances Affect Inequality? A Case Study of Mexico

The poverty-reducing effects of remittances have been well-documented, however, their effects on inequality are less clear. This paper examines the impact of remittances on inequality in Mexico using household-level information on the receiving side. It hopes to speak to their insurance role by examining how remittances are affected by domestic and external crises: the 1994 Mexican Peso crisis and the Global Financial Crisis. We find that remittances lower inequality, and that they become more pro-poor over time as migration opportunities become more widespread. This also strengthens their insurance effects, mitigating some of the negative impact of shocks on the poorest.
Targeting of saporin to Hodgkin's lymphoma cells by anti‐CD30 and anti‐CD25 bispecific antibodies

CD25 and CD30 represent suitable target molecules for bispecific antibody (bimAb)‐driven toxin delivery to lymphoid tumour cells. We describe two new anti‐CD30/anti‐saporin bimAbs (termed CD30 × sap1 and CD30 × sap2), produced by hybrid hybridomas, which react against non‐cross‐reactive epitopes of the saporin molecule, and compared their effect with a bimAb reacting with saporin and with CD25 (CD25 × sap1). In a protein synthesis inhibition assay these bimAbs were able to enhance saporin toxicity (IC50 8.5 × 10−9M in the absence of mAbs) with a similar activity: in the presence of 10−9 M CD30 × sap1 bimAb the IC50 was 2.75 × 10−11 M, whereas with CD30 × sap2 bimAb the IC50 was 6.5 × 10−11 M and CD25 × sap1 bimAb displayed an IC50 of 3 × 10−11 M (as saporin). The combined use of the two anti‐CD30 bimAbs further increased cytotoxicity by 100‐fold, resulting in an IC50 of 1.9 × 10−13 M. A slightly less efficient improvement was obtained by combining the CD25 × sap1 bimAb with the CD30 × sap2 bimAb directed against a different toxin epitope (saporin IC50 to 7 × 10−13 M). In contrast, no synergistic effect was observed using the combination of the anti‐CD25 bimAb with the anti‐CD30 bimAb reacting with the same epitope of saporin (IC50 = 4.5 × 10−11 M). Analysis of FITC–saporin binding to L540 cells by flow cytometry demonstrated that the appropriate combinations of the two anti‐CD30/anti‐saporin bimAbs or of the anti‐CD30/anti‐saporin and anti‐CD25/anti‐saporin bimAbs had a cooperative effect on the binding of the ribosome‐inactivating protein (RIP) to the cells, when compared with single bimAbs.
A performance-based conception of competence is changing the regulation of physicians' professional behavior.

It is the obligation of a profession to articulate the special meaning of competence in its field and to foster the good performance of its practitioners through education and discipline. External societal demands for increased accountability, and internal pressures for greater use of measurements of the processes and outcomes of clinical performance, are forcing the medical profession to reevaluate its view of competence and to change the way the profession "manages" the competence of its members. Traditionally, and predicated on the notion of "once in, good for life," medical education has focused on assuring the competence of trainees as they first enter independent professional life. In parallel, professional regulatory authorities have concentrated on apprehending the "false-positives" of the educational system. But viewed from a performance orientation, competence reflects situational relationships among doctors, their patients, and the systems in which they perform and, thus, is only partly dependent on the attributes of individual actors. This shift in thinking has major implications for the practice of medicine, particularly for the process of maintaining and improving performance. In jurisdictions throughout the world, recognition of the need for systematic and accountable ongoing education for practicing doctors is growing. This educational need should not be seen as a mark of weakness or failure but, rather, as the natural consequence of engagement in challenging practice. "Ars longa, vita breva. " The profession must address the complex issues of education-in-practice with the same determination and creativity that it previously applied to education at entry to practice.
D‐serine is distributed in neurons in the brain of the sea lamprey

The amino acid D‐serine is an endogenous coagonist of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors in mammals that has been shown to play an important role in synaptic function, behavior, learning, and memory. The distribution and cellular location of D‐serine in the brain of the sea lamprey was investigated by using immunofluorescence methods. One major finding of our study, unlike early studies of mammals, was the localization of D‐serine immunoreactivity in perikarya and dendrites of neurons, whereas D‐serine immunoreactivity was not generally observed in the lamprey glia. D‐serine‐immunoreactive neurons were observed in different brain regions, including the olfactory bulb, medial pallium, thalamus, torus semicircularis, isthmus, and reticular formation. The colocalization of D‐serine with γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) was also studied with a double‐immunofluorescence technique. The relationship between D‐serine and glycine immunoreactivities was studied in alternate parallel series of sections stained for either D‐serine/GABA or glycine/GABA. Colocalization with GABA was observed in various D‐serine‐immunoreactive populations, and codistribution and possible colocalization with glycine was also observed in some populations, mainly in the dorsal isthmic gray, medial octavolateral nucleus, dorsal column nucleus, interpeduncular nucleus, and reticular formation. Although numerous fibers were strongly GABA‐ and glycine‐immunoreactive, D‐serine immunoreactivity was observed mostly in cell perikarya and dendrites. The present results indicate that the D‐serine immunoreactive cells are small to medium‐sized neurons, some exhibiting classical inhibitory neurotransmitters, in which D‐serine might be acting as a modulator. The neuronal distribution of D‐serine and its frequent colocalization and/or codistribution with the two main inhibitory neurotransmitters appeared early in vertebrates. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:1688–1710, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TNF inhibitor therapy and risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide cohort study

Objective To investigate the risk of breast cancer recurrence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)—patients with tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment and a history of breast cancer, taking several breast cancer, comorbidity and RA-related prognostic factors into account. Methods 143 female TNFi-treated patients (1999–2010) with RA and a history of breast cancer before start of TNFi were identified through register linkages, and matched 1:1 from a cohort of 1598 comparable biologics-naive individuals. 120 TNFi-treated and 120 matched biologics-naive individuals with a history of equally recent/distant breast cancer met the eligibility criteria and comprised the final study population. The primary outcome was first recurrence of breast cancer. Through register-linkages and chart review, individuals were followed until 2011. HRs for recurrence were calculated using Cox regression. Results The median time from breast cancer diagnosis until TNFi-treatment/start of follow-up was 9.4 years. Modest differences in breast cancer characteristics and/or treatment among TNFi-treated and biologics-naive individuals were noted at time of breast cancer diagnosis. Median follow-up from TNFi start was 4.9 years (4.6 years among biologics-naive). Among the TNFi-treated, 9 developed a breast cancer recurrence (crude incidence rate 15/1000 person-years) during follow-up, compared with 9 among the matched biologics-naive (16/1000 person-years). The adjusted corresponding HR was 1.1 (95% CI 0.4 to 2.8). Conclusions Among patients with RA and a history of breast cancer, those who started TNFi-treatment did not experience more breast cancer recurrences than patients with RA treated otherwise. The generalisability of our findings to women with a very recent or a poor prognosis of breast cancer remains unknown.
How does knee pain affect trunk and knee motion during badminton forehand lunges?

Abstract Badminton requires extensive lower extremity movement and a precise coordination of the upper extremity and trunk movements. Accordingly, this study investigated motions of the trunk and the knee, control of dynamic stability and muscle activation patterns of individuals with and without knee pain. Seventeen participants with chronic knee pain and 17 healthy participants participated in the study and performed forehand forward and backward diagonal lunges. This study showed that those with knee pain exhibited smaller knee motions in frontal and horizontal planes during forward lunge but greater knee motions in sagittal plane during backward lunge. By contrast, in both tasks, the injured group showed a smaller value on the activation level of the paraspinal muscles in pre-impact phase, hip–shoulder separation angle, trunk forward inclination range and peak centre of mass (COM) velocity. Badminton players with knee pain adopt a more conservative movement pattern of the knee to minimise recurrence of knee pain. The healthy group exhibit better weight-shifting ability due to a greater control of the trunk and knee muscles. Training programmes for badminton players with knee pain should be designed to improve both the neuromuscular control and muscle strength of the core muscles and the knee extensor with focus on the backward lunge motion.