Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biological and Oncogenic Properties of p53-Deficient Salivary Gland Epithelial Cells with Particular Emphasis on Stromal-Epithelial Interactions in Tumorigenesis

Objective: To understand the salivary gland pathobiology, we established an immortalized duct/basal cell line (MSE) from the submandibular glands of p53-deficient mice. Methods: A variety of culture assays and xenograft experiments were conducted. Cellular characteristics were analyzed using histological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular techniques. Results: Inoculation of a mixture of MSE and Matrigel reconstructed polarized ducts whereas cotransplantation of MSE with both Matrigel and NIH3T3 (3T3) cells developed mixed tumors of adenoma and sarcoma. A daughter adenoma line (MSA) showed some transformed phenotype in vitro, but was marginally tumorigenic in vivo. Notably, pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) was expressed in MSA but not in MSE. As compared with MSE, MSA showed higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR). Interestingly, 3T3 sarcoma secreted insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), while MSA did not. Conclusion: The intrinsic tumorigenic programs of p53 null salivary epithelium are promoted by 3T3 sarcoma-derived IGF-IIin a paracrine manner through overexpression of PLAG1 and IGF-IR.
Correlations between mechanical stress history and tissue differentiation in initial fracture healing

A general theory for the role of intermittently imposed stresses in the differentiation of mesenchymal tissue is presented and then applied to the process of fracture healing. Two‐dimensional finite element models of a healing osteotomy in a long bone were generated and the stress distributions were calculated throughout the early callus tissue under various loading conditions. These calculations were used in formulating theoretical predictions of tissue differentiation that were consistent with the biochemical and morphological observations of previous investigators. The results suggest that intermittent hydrosatic (dilatational) stresses may play an important role in influencing revascularization and tissue differentiation and determining the morphological patterns of initial fracture healing.
Frontal lobe differences in bipolar disorder as determined by proton MR spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVES Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides insight into neurochemical processes. Imaging and postmortem studies have implicated abnormalities of structure and function within the frontal lobe. Patients with bipolar disorder having a manic or mixed episode were hypothesized to demonstrate metabolic abnormalities within the frontal lobe. METHODS Seventeen patients with bipolar disorder type I (ages 16-35 years, mean 22 +/- 7.3 years) hospitalized for a manic (n = 9) or mixed (n = 8) episode and 21 healthy subjects (ages 16-35 years, mean 21.7 +/- 5.2 years) were evaluated with proton MRS. The gray matter medially and white matter laterally within the frontal lobe were sampled. Metabolite concentrations were calculated for each voxel, corrected for cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) contributions to the voxel, and compared between study populations. RESULTS Patients demonstrated with multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) a significant overall difference in gray matter metabolite concentrations compared with healthy subjects. The largest effect sizes for group differences were found with reductions of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and Choline (Cho) concentrations (f = 0.41 and 0.37, respectively). A significant group difference with MANOVA in white matter metabolite concentrations was also observed with the largest effect size at f = 0.44 for elevation of the composite amino acid (AA) concentration. CONCLUSIONS A reduction of NAA within the gray matter of patients suggests neuronal dysfunction. Altered phospholipid metabolism suggestive of a trend toward decreased volume is implicated with a reduction of Cho concentrations. Within white matter, composite concentrations of AAs were elevated in patients indicating altered neurotransmission.
The VF-14. An index of functional impairment in patients with cataract.

OBJECTIVE To describe the development and the performance of a brief questionnaire designed to measure functional impairment caused by cataract (the VF-14). DESIGN Observational cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited between July 15 and December 15, 1991. SETTING Patients were recruited from the practices of 70 ophthalmologists, located in Columbus, Ohio (N = 21), St Louis, Mo (N = 26), and Houston, Tex (N = 23). PATIENTS Seven hundred sixty-six patients undergoing cataract surgery for the first time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Preoperative best corrected visual acuity in each eye; scores on the VF-14, a new index of functional impairment in patients with cataract; patient reports of overall trouble and satisfaction with their vision; and scores on the Sickness Impact Profile, a measure of general health status. RESULTS The VF-14 has high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .85) and correlates more strongly with the overall self-rating of the amount of trouble and satisfaction patients have with their vision than do several measures of visual acuity or the Sickness Impact Profile score. The VF-14 score is moderately correlated with visual acuity in the better eye. CONCLUSIONS The VF-14 is a reliable and valid measure of functional impairment caused by cataract and provides information not conveyed by visual acuity or a general measure of health status.
Empower Social Influence by Linking the Social Opinion to Social Network

With the rapid development of social Web and electronic commerce, the potential consumers seek for product-related information before making a purchase decision from various online resources. Among all kinds of online resources, customer review provides critical product features that general consumers might care the most about their opinions. The discussion boards play another vital role for peer communication online to share the user-generated content. The social network generated in the discussion boards are not only the relationship among the users led by their behaviour’s in the community but also the interpretational information. With the rich online resources, consumers easily to get ideas about their purchase decisions. However, there is a lack of integration of these rich online resources that cause consumers overwhelmed by information. This study particularly investigates customer review and social network and explores how two social resources associated with each other to improve the insight into each user’s preference with a social role they act. By tracking hidden trends on posts and capturing consumers’ preference altogether, this study can guide and recommend marketing practitioners to launch the advertising campaigns and make use of the dissatisfied comments on specific product feature. Meanwhile, the product designer can gain some insights to modify the functionality of a product or a service.
Impaired Extinction of Learned Contextual Fear Memory in Early Growth Response 1 Knockout Mice

Inductive expression of early growth response 1 (Egr-1) in neurons is associated with many forms of neuronal activity. However, only a few Egr-1 target genes are known in the brain. The results of this study demonstrate that Egr-1 knockout (KO) mice display impaired contextual extinction learning and normal fear acquisition relative to wild-type (WT) control animals. Genome-wide microarray experiments revealed 368 differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus of Egr-1 WT exposed to different phases of a fear conditioning paradigm compared to gene expression profiles in the hippocampus of KO mice. Some of genes, such as serotonin receptor 2C (Htr2c), neuropeptide B (Npb), neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4), NPY receptor Y1 (Npy1r), fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7), and neuropeptide Y (Npy) are known to regulate processing of fearful memories, and promoter analyses demonstrated that several of these genes contained Egr-1 binding sites. This study provides a useful list of potential Egr-1 target genes which may be regulated during fear memory processing.
mRNA expression of members of the IGF system in the organ of Corti, the modiolus and the stria vascularis of newborn rats

We analyzed the mRNA expression of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family genes and of selected downstream pathway genes using the Affymetrix microarray system and confirmatory RT-PCR in the freshly prepared organ of Corti (OC), modiolus (MOD) and stria vascularis (SV) from neonatal rats (3–5 days old) and after 24 h in culture. Among the seven members of the IGF family analyzed in this paper, IGF1, IGF2 and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP2) had the highest basal expression in all regions. Preparatory stress and culture increased the expression of IGF2, IGFBP2, IGFBP3, IGFBP5, glucose transporter1 (GLUT1), signal transducer, and activator of transcription3 (STAT3), phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit (Pik3r1), Jun oncogene (c-jun) and decreased that of mitogen-activated protein kinases MAPK3 and MAPK14 in all regions. Region-specific changes were observed in OC (GLUT1), MOD (IGFBP3 and c-jun) and SV (IGF2 and IGFBP2).
Antenna Pattern Shift Keying Modulation for MIMO Channels

Antenna pattern shift keying (APSK) modulation is a low-complexity scheme for multiple antenna wireless systems. In this paper, APSK modulation is introduced to convey information jointly by a general phase modulation, the indices of transmitter antennas and antenna beam patterns to improve the spectral efficiency and reliability while keeping the detection simple. The idea behind this transmission technique is to map the bit vector corresponding to one symbol in three information carrying blocks: the first block determines the active antenna indices, the second maps to the antenna beam patterns and the third block maps to the conventional amplitude/phase modulation (APM) symbols. APSK modulation combines two novel schemes: generalized phase spatial shift keying (GPSSK) modulation which exploits the antenna indices and the other scheme called antenna beam pattern modulation (ABPM) which uses the beam patterns to carry information. The receiver estimates these three blocks which are used to de-map the signal. The performance of this method is evaluated in terms of bit error rate (BER) and throughput.
Análisis estático de programas para la generación de computación ubicua: inferencia de tipos

Este trabajo expone una linea de investigacion en analisis estatico de programas logicos. El objetivo general de la computacion ubicua es la generacion automatica de software en el contexto de recursos limitados. Un aspecto importante para este objetivo es lograr la informacion de los tipos en lenguajes no tipados como Prolog. Esta linea de investigacion abarca el estudio de todas las consideraciones para una inferencia automatica eficiente y precisa de la informacion de tipos en el contexto de la programacion logica.
Development of a light wearable exoskeleton for upper extremity augmentation

This study aims to develop a light and wearable exoskeleton controlled by Electromyography (EMG) signals for upper extremity augmentation to support the elbow and shoulder joints. This exoskeleton has four degrees of freedom, one for elbow joint and three for shoulder joint. The flexion and extension movements of elbow and shoulder joints are actively powered to support the wearer and other two DoFs of shoulder joints are freely passive. The processing of EMG signals and the mechanism and control system are developed. The movements of the exoskeleton are verified.
The prevalence of rectal chlamydial infection amongst men who have sex with men attending the genitourinary medicine clinic in Edinburgh

Little is known about the prevalence of rectal chlamydial infection amongst men who have sex with men (MSM). Previous studies using culture methods reported this to be between 4-6%. The emergence of nucleic acid amplification tests has significantly increased the sensitivity and specificity for chlamydial detection, making it possible to estimate the prevalence of rectal infection more accurately. A prospective cross sectional study involving 443 MSM who were screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) between May 1999 and January 2002. Rectal swabs for chlamydiae were obtained in addition to specimens for routine STI screening. Rectal chlamydiae were detected by ligase chain reaction (LCR) utilizing the Abbott LCX Amplicor with confirmation by COBASE amplicor for the majority of cases. Those with rectal chlamydial infection were treated with azithromycin. The characteristics of men with rectal chlamydial infection were compared with those who were not infected at this site. Rectal chlamydia was detected in 32 (7.2%) of 443 patients. Those with rectal chlamydial infection were more likely to have rectal symptoms (12/32) or having a partner with confirmed chlamydial (2/32) or gonococcal (3/32) urethritis than those MSM without rectal chlamydial infection. They were also more likely to have a history of receptive anal sex (25/32) in the previous three months compared to those MSM without rectal chlamydial infection (263/411). The most common symptoms of patients with rectal chlamydial infection were pruritus ani and peri-anal pain. Eight (25%) of those with rectal chlamydial infection were known to be HIV seropositive. Rectal chlamydial infection is common amongst MSM and is effectively diagnosed by LCR. The test should be included in the routine STI screening offered to MSM.
Effects of 6 degree elevation of the heels on 3D kinematics of the distal portion of the forelimb in the walking horse.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Understanding of the biomechanical effects of heel elevation remains incomplete because in vivo studies performed with skin markers do not measure the actual movements of the 3 digital joints. OBJECTIVE To quantify the effects of 6 degree heel wedge on the 3-dimensional movements of the 4 distal segments of the forelimb in the walking horse. METHODS Four healthy horses were used. Kinematics of the distal segments was measured invasively with a system based on ultrasonic triangulation. Three-dimensional rotations of the digital joints were calculated by use of a 'joint coordinate system' (JCS). Data obtained with heel wedges were compared to those obtained with standard shoes during the stance phase of the stride. RESULTS Heel wedges significantly increased maximal flexion of the proximal (PIPJ) and distal (DIPJ) interphalangeal joints and maximal extension (mean +/- s.d. +0.8 +/- 0.3 degrees) of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ). Extension of the PIPJ and DIPJ was decreased at heel-off. Few effects were observed in extrasagittal planes of movement. CONCLUSIONS Heel wedges affect the sagittal plane kinematics of the 3 digital joints. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Controversial effects previously observed on the MPJ may be explained by the substantial involvement of the PIPJ, which was wrongly neglected in previous studies performed on the moving horse.
Bcl‐2 is overexpressed and alters the threshold for apoptosis in a cholangiocarcinoma cell line

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant neoplasm originating from cholangiocytes. The mechanisms responsible for oncogenesis of cholangiocytes are unknown. Resistance to apoptosis, especially by altered expression of B‐cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (Bcl‐2) family members, has been implicated as a mechanism contributing to malignant transformation. Thus, our aim was to test the hypothesis that altered expression of Bcl‐2 family members by cholangiocarcinoma cells renders them resistant to apoptosis. We compared the apoptotic threshold and expression of the Bcl‐2 protein family members, Bcl‐2, Bcl‐XL, and Bax, in two human cell lines: 1) nonmalignant human cholangiocytes immortalized by transfection with the simian virus 40 (SV 40) large T antigen; and 2) a malignant human cholangiocarcinoma cell line. Apoptosis was induced pharmacologically using beauvericin. Bcl‐2, Bcl‐x long, and Bax protein expression were evaluated by immunoblot analysis, and Bcl‐2 expression was modulated using antisense technology. The cholangiocyte and malignant/nonmaligant phenotype of both cell lines was verified using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Beauvericin induced apoptosis of nonmalignant cholangiocytes in a concentration‐ (0 to 25 µmol/L) and time‐ (0 to 6 hours) dependent manner. In contrast, malignant cholangiocytes were resistant to apoptosis. Although expression of Bcl‐x long and Bax protein were similiar in the two cell lines, Bcl‐2 protein expression was 15‐fold greater in malignant than in nonmalignant cholangiocytes. An 18 mer bcl‐2 antisense oligonucleotide reduced expression of Bcl‐2 protein by 50% and increased the rate of beauvericin‐induced apoptosis more than threefold in the malignant cells. Our results support the hypothesis that resistance to apoptosis by overexpression of Bcl‐2 may be a feature of cholangiocarcinoma.
Perforant pathway changes and the memory impairment of Alzheimer's disease

The perforant pathway is a large neuronal projection that arises from layers II and III of the entorhinal cortex of the parahippocampal gyrus. It is the principal source of cortical input to the hippocampal formation. In 11 cases of Alzheimer's disease, we have found that neurofibrillary tangles develop in the cells of origin of the perforant pathway. In addition, the termination zone of the perforant pathway, in the outer two thirds of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus, contains a distinct layer of neuritic plaques. None of the 8 control subjects had such changes. These profound alterations effectively disconnect the hippocampal formation from the association and limbic cortices. Because of the central role of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus in learning, it is likely that pathological changes in the perforant pathway, by precluding normal hippocampal operation, account for some aspects of the memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease.
Quality and co-ordination in supply chains — The case of pork chains in the Netherlands

To satisfy consumer demands co-ordination between member organisations of a supply chain is necessary. Various co-ordination mechanisms exist, like standardisation of products or processes, quality management systems, chain integrators, or inter-organisational information systems. In this paper we will investigate which type of co-ordination mechanisms are suitable to use in connection with particular quality choices. Our approach is tested for two rather different pork chains in The Netherlands: one large, open, chain, and one small, closed, chain. A research agenda is proposed for investigating similar relationships in other chains in Europe. By relating such relationships to performance cross-border knowledge exchange and learning is made possible. The work is part of the FP6 Integrated Project Q-Porkchains.
Sialendoscopy under local anaesthesia

Abstract Conclusions: In most cases, both diagnostic and interventional sialendoscopy are well tolerated under local anaesthesia (LA) or under local anaesthesia with sedation (LAS), with reasonably low patient-reported discomfort. Sialendoscopy can be considered a patient-friendly and relatively painless, gland-preserving, minimally invasive procedure suitable for day surgery. Objective: To investigate patient experience and compliance in sialendoscopy under LA/LAS. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at an academic tertiary-care university hospital. During a period of 22 months, 89 patients between ages 16–81 years underwent diagnostic or interventional sialendoscopy under LA (20%) or LAS (80%). After the operation the patients filled in a questionnaire formulated by the authors concerning their procedure-related experiences. Patients’ demographic data, ASA status score, pre- and intra-operative blood pressure and heart rate measurements, affected gland, operation time, intervention type, as well as pre-, peri-, and postoperative medication were gathered later from the medical records. Results: The level of discomfort and pain experienced during the operation was assessed as ‘mild’ or ‘none’ by 85% and 89% of the patients, respectively. The level of pain experienced after the operation was ‘major’ in 4% of patients and ‘mild’ or ‘none’ in the majority (87%) of patients. The patients’ estimations showed no significant difference between the diagnostic and interventional procedures, although it seems that patients who underwent stone removal by transoral incision experienced the operation as a bit more uncomfortable and painful than other patients. Afterwards 97% of patients stated that they would agree to a new LA/LAS sialendoscopy in the future if needed.
ACTIVATION OF BACTERIAL ENDOSPORES

A. Keynan (Israel Institute of Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel), Z. Evenchik, H. O. Halvorson, and J. W. Hastings. Studies on the activation of bacterial endospores. J. Bacteriol. 88:313–318. 1964. —Heat activation of bacterial endospores was imitated by suspending spores in reducing agents (mercaptoethanol or thioglycolate) or in a pH less than 4.5. Urea (6 m) had no effect on spores. In addition to the well-known activation at 65 C for 45 min, spores were also activated by exposure to 34 C for 48 hr. The activation by heat and by reducing agents was reversible; the reverse reaction was temperature-dependent. No reversion occurred at −20 C, whereas at 28 C the spores reversed to their original dormant state within 72 hr. It is suggested that the heat-activation phenomenon could be explained by assuming that heat or reducing agents change the tertiary structure of a protein responsible for the maintenance of the dormant state by reducing the disulfide linkages which stabilize the protein in a specific configuration. The partial denaturation of this protein is reversible by reoxidation of the reduced disulfide bonds.
Understanding the Use of a Bug Tracking System in a Global Software Development Setup

Bug fixing is a highly cooperative work activity where developers, testers, product managers and other stakeholders collaborate using a bug tracking system. In the context of Global Software Development (GSD), where software development is distributed across different geographical locations, we focus on understanding the role of bug trackers in supporting software bug fixing activities. We carried out a small-scale ethnographic fieldwork in a software product team distributed between Finland and India at a multinational engineering company. Using semi-structured interviews and in-situ observations of 16 bug cases, we show that the bug tracker 1) supported information needs of different stake holder, 2) established common-ground, and 3) reinforced issues related to ownership, performance and power. Consequently, we provide implications for design around these findings.
Newborn hearing assessment in 2010.

In 1993 the Rhode Island General Assembly mandated universal newborn hearing screening (UHNS) and required third-party payment for screenings (RI Public Law 23-23-13). Rhode Island was the first state in the nation to do so. Today 45 states and territories have statutes related to UNHS. A large body of research supports the effectiveness of newborn hearing screening in detecting hearing loss at an early age and reducing the age at which children with hearing loss are enrolled in Early Intervention (EI) programs. Current challenges include improving post-diagnosis follow-up; ensuring timely enrollment in EI; appropriately and effectively referring for amplification; and monitoring for later-onset hearing loss.