Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vascular tissue engineering of small‐diameter blood vessels: reviewing the electrospinning approach

Vascular tissue engineering is a relevant research field aimed at elaborating and proposing innovative solutions to overcome the drawbacks related to the use of conventional blood vessel substitutes, especially referring to small‐diameter grafts. For this aim, electrospinning can be regarded as a valuable technique to produce novel scaffolds with several functional characteristics that can be usefully tailored for the application discussed here. The reproduction of the natural extracellular matrix obtained by processing bioresorbable polymers, either functionalized or not, is driving the biomedical research towards technical solutions that can lead to an actual therapeutic improvement. In this context, this paper reviews those studies focused on the selection of suitable biomaterials for vascular applications, their microstructure, the cell response to polymeric fibres and the strategies considered so far to modify and therefore enhance the performance of final electrospun scaffolds. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mammalian two pore domain mechano‐gated S‐like K+ channel

Aplysia S‐type K+ channels of sensory neurons play a dominant role in presynaptic facilitation and behavioural sensitization. They are closed by serotonin via cAMP‐dependent phosphorylation, whereas they are opened by arachidonic acid, volatile general anaesthetics and mechanical stimulation. We have identified a cloned mammalian two P domain K+ channel sharing the properties of the S channel. In addition, the recombinant channel is opened by lipid bilayer amphipathic crenators, while it is closed by cup‐formers. The cytoplasmic C‐terminus contains a charged region critical for chemical and mechanical activation, as well as a phosphorylation site required for cAMP inhibition.
Effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons on sperm function in vitro

For the past few years there has been controversial discussion of whether environmental pollutants in general, and chlorinated hydrocarbons in particular, may impair male fertility. Organochlorine compounds, e.g. dichlorodiphenyltrichlorothane (DDT) and metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are highly persistent in the environment and there is therefore some concern about human exposure. These chlorinated compounds are universally found in human body fluids. Substantial amounts are detected in human body fluids associated with reproduction such as follicular fluid, seminal fluid and cervical mucus. The available data on male fertility and organochlorines are scarce and controversial. Fertilization rates in in vitro fertilization procedures were found to be decreased in couples in whom the male partner was exposed to pesticides. Data on the effects of PCBs on human sperm motility and acrosome reaction in vitro are controversial. Various PCDD congeners had no effect on human sperm motility in vitro. Effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons on sperm function in vivo seem to be unlikely since the concentrations used in vitro were far higher than those found in fluids of the human reproductive tract. However, negative effects on human spermatozoa in vivo cannot be totally excluded because other organohalogen compounds can be identified in the genital tract and little is known about their synergistic effects.
Auction-Based Frameworks for Secure Communications in Static and Dynamic Cognitive Radio Networks

This paper investigates the secure communication issue for both static and dynamic cognitive radio networks (CRNs), where multiple nonaltruistic primary users (PUs), secondary users (SUs), and eavesdroppers exist. The design objective is to provide secure communications for PUs and, meanwhile, to ease the starvation of transmission opportunities for SUs. To achieve this goal, we propose a barter-like trading model to incentivize the cooperation among nonaltruistic users. Specifically, PUs leverage the assistance of SUs in the form of cooperative relaying or friendly jamming and, in return, yield certain licensed spectrum accessing time to the aided SUs. We propose a truthful nonmonetary double auction framework (FONDA) toward secure communications for static CRN where PUs and SUs interact in a single round. Then, we extend our framework to d-FONDA for dynamic CRN, where SUs who have patience (tolerant of traffic delay) arrive and leave the network dynamically. We prove that both FONDA and d-FONDA preserve nice economic properties, including truthfulness, individual rationality, and budget balance. Simulation results reveal that the proposed frameworks provide substantial performance gains compared with the baseline scheme and suffer acceptable performance degradation over ideal schemes.
Stock Return Cross-Autocorrelations and Market Conditions in Japan

We show that changes in market conditions significantly affect cross-autocorrelations and speed of adjustment in weekly stock returns. We find significant positive cross-autocorrelations between weekly returns on a portfolio of small firms and lagged large-firm portfolio returns only when the lagged aggregate market has experienced a decline in value. These positive-return cross-autocorrelations are also associated with lower abnormal portfolio trading volume and greater delays in the adjustment of individual stock prices to (negative) market-wide information, particularly for small firms. The effect of lagged market states cannot be explained by market microstructure biases such as nonsynchronous trading or thin trading.
Importancia de los Péptidos Catiónicos en la Respuesta Inmune Innata

Actualmente, esta clara la importancia de los peptidos cationicos en la respuesta inmunitaria innata y existen gran cantidad de estudios que demuestran sus funciones en muchas especies de organismos, que van desde plantas hasta animales, incluyendo al ser humano. Los peptidos cationicos se definen como peptidos codificados por un genoma, no sinteticos, que comprenden entre 12 y 50 aminoacidos, con al menos dos cargas positivas en exceso, dadas por residuos de lisina y arginina y cerca del 50 por ciento de los aminoacidos con caracteristicas hidrofobicas. Secuencias de aminoacidos con estas descripciones se han encontrado en proteinas como las defensinas y las catelicidinas, a lo cual se le atribuyen muchos de sus mecanismos de accion. (AU)
Late Activation of Stress-activated Protein Kinases/c-Jun N-terminal Kinases Triggered by Cisplatin-induced DNA Damage in Repair-defective Cells*

Although stress-activated protein kinases/c-Jun N-terminal kinases (SAPK/JNK) are rapidly activated by genotoxins, the role of DNA damage in this response is not well defined. Here we show that the SEK1/MKK4-mediated dual phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK (Thr-183/Tyr-185) correlates with the level of cisplatin-DNA adducts at late times (16–24 h) after drug treatment in both human and mouse cells. Transfection of platinated plasmid DNA also caused SAPK/JNK activation. A defect in transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair resting on a mutation in Cockayne syndrome group B protein promoted the late SAPK/JNK activation following cisplatin exposure. Signaling to SAPK/JNK was accompanied by activation of Ataxia telangiectasia mutated- and Rad3-related kinase, replication protein A, and checkpoint kinases as well as by the formation of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Ionizing radiation-induced DSBs did not provoke SAPK/JNK activation, and inhibition of transcription also failed to provoke this response. Late activation of SAPK/JNK stimulated by cisplatin-induced DNA lesions was reduced in the absence of specific DNA repair proteins, such as xeroderma pigmentosum protein C, pointing to an essential function of individual repair factors in DNA damage signaling to SAPK/JNK. Collectively, the data indicate that late SAPK/JNK activation is triggered by non-repaired cisplatin adducts in transcribed genes and involves replication-associated events, DSBs, tyrosine kinases, Rho GTPases, and specific repair factors.
Propuesta de Extensión de UML para Proceso de Conceptualización De Requisitos

El Proceso de Conceptualizacion de Requisitos, estructurado en una primera fase de Analisis Orientado al Problema y una segunda fase de Analisis Orientado al Producto, tiene como objetivo principal mejorar la comprension y captura de los requisitos actuando como vinculo entre las actividades de educcion de requisitos y modelado conceptual. No obstante, para mejorar aun mas la calidad de los modelos que se obtienen como resultado de la actividad de conceptualizacion y facilitar la comunicacion entre los distintos participes del proceso de software se propone en este trabajo una extension de UML para dar soporte al proceso de conceptualizacion de requisitos con herramientas estandar y de uso difundido.
Meningitis in pediatric cancer patients: a review of forty cases from a single institution.

BACKGROUND Although the clinical features of bacterial meningitis in adult cancer patients and in healthy children have been described, no previous large series has described the clinical features of meningitis in pediatric cancer patients. We performed a retrospective review of bacterial or fungal meningitis in pediatric cancer patients to determine its clinical presentation, microbiology and outcome. METHOD We reviewed the medical records of all patients younger than 18 years old with a diagnoses of any malignancy and bacterial or fungal meningitis at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, WA, from January, 1981, to June, 1998. RESULTS During the study period there were 40 cases of bacterial or fungal meningitis in 36 pediatric cancer patients. Most patients (65%) had recent neurosurgery, a central nervous system device or cerebrospinal fluid leak. Neutropenia was present in 30% of patients. Fever and altered mental status were the most consistent signs at presentation. In addition at least one additional symptom or sign of meningitis (headache, neck pain or rigidity, seizures or photophobia) was present in 77% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most common microbiologic isolates. The five patients with fatal outcome were neutropenic. Neutropenia and seizures within 2 days of presentation were associated with long neurologic sequelae. CONCLUSIONS Meningitis in pediatric cancer patients was associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric cancer patients with meningitis had clinical features and microbiology distinctly different from those of adult cancer patients and normal children with meningitis.
The Influence of Unions on Companies’ CSR Profiles: More Internal Policies and Programs, But Not Always at the Expense of External Endeavors

This paper compares the CSR profiles of companies operating under the same macroeconomic institutions but with different levels of union density. Drawing from stakeholder and neo-institutional theories that distinguish between internal and external actions, this paper finds that companies initially have to substitute internal for external CSR. After some experience dealing with unions, companies can complement both actions. There is perhaps a reinforcement of mutual trust and loyalty, and has implications for managerial prerogatives.
Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy with bleomycin and methotrexate for advanced inoperable head and neck cancer: update of a Northern California Oncology Group randomized trial.

Between 1978 and 1984, the Northern California Oncology Group (NCOG) conducted a randomized trial to study the efficacy of combined radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) for stage III or IV inoperable head and neck cancer. One hundred four patients were randomized to receive: (1) RT alone, or (2) RT plus CT. RT consisted of 7,000 cGy to the involved areas and 5,000 cGy to uninvolved neck at 180 cGy/fraction, five fractions/wk. CT consisted of bleomycin, 5 U intravenously (IV), twice weekly during RT, followed by bleomycin, 15 U IV, and methotrexate, 25 mg/m2 IV weekly for 16 weeks after completion of RT. Fifty-one patients in the RT alone group and 45 in the combined treatment group were evaluable. The local-regional complete response (CR) rate was 45% v 67% (P = .056); the 2-year local-regional control rate, including salvage surgery, was 26% v 64% (P = .001); and the incidence of distant metastasis was 24% v 38% (P greater than .25), for the RT alone and RT plus CT groups, respectively. The relapse-free survival curves were significantly different (P = .041), favoring the combined treatment. However, the survival curves were not significantly different (P = .16). Patient compliance to maintenance CT was poor. Bleomycin significantly increased the acute radiation mucositis, although the difference in late normal tissue toxicity was not statistically significant. Thus, bleomycin and concurrent RT produced a more favorable CR rate, local-regional control rate, and relapse-free survival, but the difference in survival was not statistically significant.
Use of blood gases and lactic acid analyses in diagnosis and prognosis of respiratory diseases in calves

In calves suffering from chronic bronchopneumonia, marked arterial hypoxaemia (pO2 near the values normally found in venous blood – 4 up to 6 kPa) accompanied by various degree of hypercapnia was observed. Moreover, hypercapnia and subsequent respiratory acidosis were associated with metabolic compensation - in the most cases blood pH values were found within normal range. Despite apparent clinical improvement of health status during the treatment, values of blood gases showed no or only slight temporary improvement. After the treatment we found worsening of hypoxaemia and hypercapnia. Following our observations, assessment of the diseases by analysis of lactic acid levels in blood serum, showed no marked advantages compared with the blood gases analyses. Higher levels of blood serum lactic acid were recorded only in some cases, particularly in calves near to death.
Remote memory and neglect syndrome

Three patients with right cerebral infarctions and neglect syndrome failed to recall left hemispatial remote memories, even when the imagined orientation was reversed by 180°. One patient was retested 4 months later and, although improved, continued to consistently recall more right-sided items. He was tested at east and west mental orientations with his headleyes oriented physically to each side. Recall for items imagined in left hemispace improved 26% when his head/eye orientation was physically shifted from right to left hemispace. Findings suggest that the engrams for left-sided visuospatial memories in neglect syndrome are not destroyed, but rather fail to be activated.
An Integrated Framework for Relating Diverse Consumer Characteristics to Supermarket Coupon Redemption

The author proposes a model of consumer redemption of grocery coupons, integrating the separate literatures on consumer demographics, nondemographic consumer characteristics, and cost/benefit perceptions. The model posits that demographics are poor predictors of coupon-use behavior, because they are the farthest in the causal chain. The effects of demographics are mediated by three layers of mediating variables, each successively closer to coupon attitudes and use. Data from a sample of grocery shoppers show most of the hypothesized mediational paths to be significant. The research cautions against arbitrary use of demographics for targeting promotional efforts and offers an approach to constructing an understanding of the psychological processes that mediate between consumers’ demographics and their marketplace behaviors.
Optical backscattering from near-spherical water, ice, and mixed phase drops.

An experimental assessment of the scattering behavior of freely falling artificial raindrops and mechanically suspended drops in the ice and mixed phase has been undertaken with a device which simultaneously measures the parallel and cross polarized components of backscattered linearly polarized laser light (6328 A). Among the findings are that linear depolarization ratios (delta) are generally <0.01 for raindrops up to nearly 6-mm diam, near 0.5 for regularly shaped frozen drops, and between 0.35 and 1.0 for more irregular ice particles. Anomalous scattering behavior has been observed during the liquid to solid drop phase transition (delta > 1.0) and in the relatively great amounts of parallel polarized energy returned from raindrops >~4 mm. Backscattered signal variations produced during drop melting reveal that delta values tend to remain near the initial ice value until most of the ice has changed phase. The details of the variations aid in the determination of the dominant scattering mechanisms responsible for the b ckscatter from large, near-spherical particles. The results are shown to have some bearing on measurements of atmospheric hydrometeors obtained by lidar.
The molecular characterization of two barley proteins establishes the novel PR-17 family of pathogenesis-related proteins.

Summary Two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cDNA clones (pBH6-12 and pBH6-17) were isolated from a cDNA library prepared from leaves 6 h after inoculation with Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh). The two transcripts accumulate strongly in response to Bgh, peaking around 6, 15-24 and 48-96 h after inoculation, concomitant with fungal penetration attempts, hypersensitive response and fungal growth. The encoded proteins, HvPR-17a and HvPR-17b, belong to a new family of plant pathogenesis-related proteins, designated 'PR-17'. The family also include NtPRp27 from tobacco (Okushima et al., 2000, Plant Mol. Biol.42, 479-488) and WCI-5 from wheat (Görlach et al., 1996, Plant Cell8, 629-643), responsive to viral and fungal infection, respectively. Antisera were raised to HvPR-17a and HvPR-17b, and the proteins exhibit apparent molecular weights of 26 and 24 kDa, respectively. They accumulate in the mesophyll apoplast following Bgh-inoculation, as well as in the leaf epidermis, the only tissue to be invaded by the fungus. Several homologous plant proteins exist, and a highly conserved part of the members of this new protein family show similarity to the active site and to the peptide-binding groove of the exopeptidase 'aminopeptidase N' from eukaryotes and the endopeptidase 'thermolysin' from bacteria.
Study on the Compensation Method of Force Reflective Equipment Under Low Fresh Rate

A control algorithm ensuring the stability of system was proposed to solve the problem of interpolated compensation under low fresh rate. The result satisfied the demand of system stability other than the result of numeric interpolation. The compensation algorithm in main thread ran in the non-blocking mode by using an asynchronous callback function. As a result of improving stability, the transparency might be degraded. A method of virtual coupling which individual spring was in parallel connection with virtual environment was proposed to increase effective impedance of system. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can not only keep stability, but also improve the transparency of system.
Increased Risk of Death for Patients on the Waitlist for Liver Transplant Residing at Greater Distance From Specialized Liver Transplant Centers in the United States

Background We have previously shown that patients listed for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in United Network for Organ Sharing Region 4 (Texas and Oklahoma) have higher waitlist mortality rates when residing more than 30 miles from specialized liver transplant centers (LTC). Considering that findings might only be exclusive for this region with its peculiarities in terms of having the highest land surface extensions, lowest population densities, and largest rural populations. We investigated the entire OLT patient population in the United States to assess if our previous regional findings are nationally validated and if a rural, micropolitan, or metropolitan residence location affects outcome of waitlisted OLT patients in the nation. Methods Patients waiting for OLT in the United States from 2002 to 2012 were stratified by distance from the patients' residence to LTC and by Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes classification. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate risk of mortality on the waitlist and the likelihood to receive an OLT using a Cox proportional hazards model and a generalized additive model with a logistic link. Results Survival time and probability of death while on the waitlist for OLT using distance to LTC showed significant increased risk with the distance (P = 0.001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). At the same time, using RUCA classification as the variable did not show significance (P = 0.14 and P = 0.73, respectively). Conclusions Distance from an LTC is a risk factor of mortality on the waitlist for OLT, whereas RUCA classification is not a significant factor.
Hair cortisol levels, perceived stress and body mass index in women and children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods: the READI study

Abstract Disadvantaged communities provide adverse psychosocial exposures that have been linked to high levels of stress, and this may provide one explanatory pathway linking socioeconomic disadvantage to obesity. This study used hair cortisol analysis to quantify associations between stress and body mass index (BMI), and between hair cortisol and perceived psychological stress levels, in women and children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Participants were a volunteer sample of 70 women from the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality study, including 30 maternal–child pairs. Women self-reported body weight, height and perceived psychological stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and provided hair samples for themselves and their child. Children’s body weight and height were measured. Following extraction, hair cortisol levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multiple linear regression models examined associations between stress and BMI, and between hair cortisol and perceived stress levels in women and children. Women’s hair cortisol levels were not associated with their BMI or PSS scores. Women’s PSS scores were positively associated with their BMI (p = 0.015). Within maternal–child pairs, mothers and children’s hair cortisol levels were strongly positively associated (p = 0.006). Maternal hair cortisol levels and PSS scores were unrelated to their child’s zBMI. Children’s hair cortisol levels were not associated with their zBMI or with their mother’s PSS score. Findings suggest that cortisol-based and perceived psychological measures of stress may be distinct among women and children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Perceived psychological measures may be more important predictors of weight-related risk.