Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Management of Multiple and Large Pancreatic Pseudocysts by Endoscopic Transpapillary Nasopancreatic Drainage Alone

OBJECTIVE:Endoscopic drainage of a single pseudocyst is a well-known treatment modality. Its role in the management of multiple pseudocysts is not well established. We evaluated the role of endoscopic transpapillary nasopancreatic drain (NPD) placement in the management of multiple and large pseudocysts.METHODS:Over 3 yr (2001–2004), endoscopic transpapillary NPD placement was attempted in 11 patients (age range 12–50 yr, 10 men) with symptomatic communicating multiple pseudocysts of pancreas (three in two and two in nine cases). A 5Fr/7Fr NPD was placed across the most distal duct disruption or into one of the pseudocysts.RESULTS:Eight patients had an underlying chronic pancreatitis and three patients had pseudocysts as seque-lae of acute pancreatitis. The size of pseudocysts ranged from 2 to 14 cm (mean 7.5 cm). Eight patients (72.7%) had at least one pseudocyst more than 6 cm in size. Nine patients had a partial disruption and two patients had complete disruption of the pancreatic duct. The NPD was successfully placed in 10 of 11 (90.9%) patients. Postprocedure acute febrile illness in one patient was the only complication noted, which responded to intravenous antibiotics. All pseudocysts resolved in 4–8 wk in 7 of 7 patients with successful bridging of the most distal ductal disruption. There was no recurrence of the pseudocysts in a mean follow-up of 19.4 months. Two patients, in whom there was a complete disruption and the NPD could not bridge the disruption, required surgery for the nonresolution of pseudocysts. In one patient with partial ductal disruption that could not be bridged, there was complete resolution of one pseudocyst and a decrease in the size of the other pseudocyst from 12 to 4 cm. The NPD was replaced by a stent and both the pseudocysts resolved in 20 wk.CONCLUSION:Endoscopic transpapillary NPD placement is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of multiple and large pseudocysts, especially when there is partial ductal disruption, and the disruption can be bridged.
Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL play important roles in the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis

Autophagy and apoptosis play important roles in the development, cellular homeostasis and, especially, oncogenesis of mammals. They may be triggered by common upstream signals, resulting in combined autophagy and apoptosis. In other instances, they may be mutually exclusive. Recent studies have suggested possible molecular mechanisms for crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis. Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL, the well‐characterized apoptosis guards, appear to be important factors in autophagy, inhibiting Beclin 1‐mediated autophagy by binding to Beclin 1. In addition, Beclin 1, Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL can cooperate with Atg5 or Ca2+ to regulate both autophagy and apoptosis. Thus, Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL represent a molecular link between autophagy and apoptosis. Here, we discuss the possible roles of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL in apoptosis and autophagy, and the crosstalk between them.
Shifting imaging targets in multiple sclerosis: From inflammation to neurodegeneration

Classically multiple sclerosis (MS) has been regarded as an auto‐immune disease of the white matter in the central nervous system leading to severe disability over the course of several decades. Current therapeutic strategies in MS are mostly based on either immune suppression or immune modulation. Although effective in decreasing relapse frequency and severity as well as delaying disease progression, MS pathology ensues nonetheless. In the last decade it became evident that gray matter pathology plays an important role in disease progression and helps explaining certain aspects of MS‐related disability such as cognitive decline. Conventional MRI outcome measures commonly used in clinical trials are sufficient to demonstrate an anti‐inflammatory drug‐effect but lack pathological specificity and are poor to moderate predictors of disability. In this article, we review new insights in gray matter pathology and functional reorganization in MS and how these novel fields in MS research may validate and establish new MRI outcome measures, aid in the development of new therapeutic strategies for neuroprotection and neurorepair, and may lead to development of novel predictive measures of disability and disease progression in MS. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012; 36:1–19. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interference of DNA sequence divergence with precise recombinational DNA repair in mammalian cells.

Studies done in prokaryotes and eukaryotes have indicated that DNA sequence divergence decreases the frequency of homologous recombination. To determine which step(s) of homologous recombination is sensitive to DNA sequence divergence in mammalian cells we have used an assay that does not rely on the recovery of functional products. The assay is based on the acquisition by homologous recombination of endogenous LINE‐1 sequences by exogenous LINE‐1 sequences. In parallel experiments, we introduced into mouse cells two gapped exogenous LINE‐1 sequences, one from the mouse, L1Md‐A2, and the other from the rat, L1Rn‐3. Although L1Rn‐3 is on average less than 85% homologous to the LINE‐1 elements of the mouse, the frequency of homologous recombination with endogenous LINE‐1 elements obtained with L1Rn‐3 was the same as the one obtained with L1Md‐A2 which is on average 95% homologous to the LINE‐1 elements of the mouse. The endogenous LINE‐1 sequences rescued by L1Rn‐3 were 8‐18% divergent from L1Rn‐3 sequences, whereas those rescued by L1Md‐A2 were 2‐5% divergent from L1Md‐A2 sequences. The gap which had been introduced into the exogenous LINE‐1 sequences had been precisely repaired in 50% of the recombinants obtained with L1Md‐A2. None of the L1Rn‐3 recombinants showed precise gap repair. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cross-Talk Between IL-1 and IL-6 Signaling Pathways in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts1

The balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines plays an important role in determining the severity of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Antagonism between opposing cytokines at the level of signal transduction plays an important role in many other systems. We have begun to explore the possible contribution of signal transduction cross-talk to cytokine balance in RA by examining the effects of IL-1, a proinflammatory cytokine, on the signaling and action of IL-6, a pleiotropic cytokine that has both pro- and anti-inflammatory actions, in RA synovial fibroblasts. Pretreatment with IL-1 suppressed Janus kinase-STAT signaling by IL-6, modified patterns of gene activation, and blocked IL-6 induction of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases 1 expression. These results suggest that proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to pathogenesis by modulating or blocking signal transduction by pleiotropic or anti-inflammatory cytokines. The mechanism of inhibition did not require de novo gene activation and did not depend upon tyrosine phosphatase activity, but, instead, was dependent on the p38 stress kinase. These results identify a molecular basis for IL-1 and IL-6 cross-talk in RA synoviocytes and suggest that, in addition to levels of cytokine expression, modulation of signal transduction also plays a role in regulating cytokine balance in RA.
How Fanconi anemia proteins promote the four Rs: Replication, recombination, repair, and recovery

The genetically complex disease Fanconi anemia (FA) comprises cancer predisposition, developmental defects, and bone marrow failure due to elevated apoptosis. The FA cellular phenotype includes universal sensitivity to DNA crosslinking damage, symptoms of oxidative stress, and reduced mutability at the X‐linked HPRT gene. In this review article, we present a new heuristic molecular model that accommodates these varied features of FA cells. In our view, the FANCA, ‐C, and ‐G proteins, which are both cytoplasmic and nuclear, have an integrated dual role in which they sense and convey information about cytoplasmic oxidative stress to the nucleus, where they participate in the further assembly and functionality of the nuclear core complex (NCCFA = FANCA/B/C/E/F/G/L). In turn, NCCFA facilitates DNA replication at sites of base damage and strand breaks by performing the critical monoubiquitination of FANCD2, an event that somehow helps stabilize blocked and broken replication forks. This stabilization facilitates two kinds of processes: translesion synthesis at sites of blocking lesions (e.g., oxidative base damage), which produces point mutations by error‐prone polymerases, and homologous recombination‐mediated restart of broken forks, which arise spontaneously and when crosslinks are unhooked by the ERCC1‐XPF endonuclease. In the absence of the critical FANCD2 monoubiquitination step, broken replication forks further lose chromatid continuity by collapsing into a configuration that is more difficult to restart through recombination and prone to aberrant repair through nonhomologous end joining. Thus, the FA regulatory pathway promotes chromosome integrity by monitoring oxidative stress and coping efficiently with the accompanying oxidative DNA damage during DNA replication. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2005. Published 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HArCo: Hierarchical Fiducial Markers for Pose Estimation in Helicopter Landing Tasks

A reliable pose estimation is crucial in the landing tasks of helicopters. This paper mainly focuses on presenting a smooth and reliable pose estimation method during helicopter landing using Augmented Reality (AR) markers. Based on the proposed hierarchical fiducial marker system called Hierarchical Augmented Reality Code (HArCo), pose estimation can be performed within a much longer range. The design of the system, generation of the marker dictionary and the application in helicopter landing are thoroughly described in this paper. The performance of the pose estimation algorithm based on HArCo is tested in a landing task. As pose information is accessible throughout the landing procedure, a safe auto-landing based on HArCo can also be conducted.
Low muscle fitness is associated with metabolic risk in youth.

PURPOSE To examine the independent associations of muscle fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness with clustered metabolic risk in youth. METHODS In 2005-2006, a cohort of 9- and 15-yr-olds (N = 2818) was randomly selected from all regions of Norway. The participation rate was 89% and 74% among the 9-and 15-yr-olds, respectively. We assessed muscular strength by measuring explosive, isometric, and endurance strength. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured directly as peak oxygen uptake during a cycle ergometry test. Risk factors included in the composite risk factor score (sum of z-scores) were systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin resistance, and waist circumference. RESULTS Muscle fitness was negatively associated with clustered metabolic risk, independent of cardiorespiratory fitness, and after adjustment for age, sex, and pubertal stage (beta = -0.112, P < 0.001). Independent of muscle fitness, an inverse association was found between cardiorespiratory fitness and clustered metabolic risk (beta = -0.337, P < 0.001). Moreover, the odds ratios for having clustered risk in the least fit quartile compared with the most fit quartile were 7.2 (95% confidence interval (CI)=4.3-12.0) and 17.3 (95% CI = 9.2-32.7) for muscle fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that muscle fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness are independently associated with metabolic risk in youth.
Location Determinants of Portuguese FDI in Poland

Abstract In recent years, Poland has become one of the most attractive locations for foreign investment and has strengthened its position in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and throughout Europe. The aim of this paper is to analyse what makes Poland an attractive market for foreign investors, to offer a better understanding of reasons why Poland is a more attractive location compared to its neighbours in the CEE. After surveying Portuguese investors in Poland, our results indicate that the most significant factor determining locating a business in Poland is its large domestic market. Poland’s location is also appreciated by Portuguese investors while deciding on FDI. As indicated by Portuguese investors, the most important obstacles to investment in Poland are language barriers, cultural differences and bureaucracy. These results are relevant for companies who wish to invest in Poland and can also assist policymakers in designing policies to attract FDI.
Oligomerization of a trans-Golgi/ trans-Golgi Network Retained Protein Occurs in the Golgi Complex and May Be Part of Its Retention (*)

The mouse hepatitis virus M protein is a triple spanning membrane glycoprotein that, when expressed independently, localizes to trans-Golgi as well as to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Passage of this protein from the endoplasmic reticulum through the intermediate compartment to the late Golgi and TGN can be conveniently followed by analyzing its O-linked sugars. Using pulse-chase analyses we studied the oligomerization of the M protein in sucrose gradients. The Golgi and TGN forms migrated as large heterogeneous complexes, whereas the endoplasmic reticulum and intermediate compartment forms of the protein appeared to migrate as monomer. Moreover, a mutant of the M protein lacking the 22 COOH-terminal amino acids, that is transported to the plasma membrane, gave rise to similar complexes, albeit smaller in size, that persisted at the plasma membrane. We propose that the trans-Golgi/TGN retention of the MHV-M protein is governed by two mechanisms: oligomerization possibly mediated by the transmembrane domains and binding of its cytoplasmic tail to cellular factors in trans Golgi/TGN.
Examining the practices of organizational management and expectations of employees from human resources departments

Today Bangladesh stands on the juncture of economic emancipation. The stage is set for rapid growth and development in every sector of the economy. The agriculture sector is also experiencing significant changes. Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) is determined to play a leading role in the development of the agriculture sector in the twenty-first century. Besides, other organizations such as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Department Agriculture Extension, Non-Government Organizations, Jute Traders, Jute and Jute Goods Exporters, jute based cottage industries are also being received the services of BJRI. In today's rapidly changing business world Human Resources department has to play a very critical role. Various departments are related to the functions like Human Resource, Admin, Sales, Finance and Accounts, and Procurement etc. Though BJRI is a research Institute and research is the priority for the institute, its Human Resource Management plays a vital role to hiring the right person for the right post and also trained the employee and scientist to achieve its objectives. The main objective of this study is to find out the weakness and strength of the institute. To examine the HR practices of the management and expectations of employees and give some recommendation of these study. Key words: Human resource management, training and development, performance appraisal, human resource planning, reward and punishment.
Neonatal milestones, behavior and growth rate of Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) calves born and bred in captivity.

The birth of Sumatran rhino calves at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden offered a unique opportunity to study early development and cow-calf behavior in this elusive, critically endangered species. Study goals were to: (1) record developmental milestones of newborn calves; (2) characterize cow and calf behavior during the first year following birth; (3) compare trends in the behavioral development of a male vs. female calf; and (4) record weight gain and footprint size throughout the first year. In addition to recording eight neonatal milestones, more than 450 hr of behavioral data were collected on each of the two calves (one male and one female) and their dam during the first 12 months of life. Neonatal milestones were achieved within 24 hr of birth with the exception of first defecation, which occurred at 16-18 days. Although nursing bouts decreased slightly in the second half of the year (from once every 90 min to once every 2 hr), they continued to occur frequently throughout the day and night. Therefore, calves grew rapidly from approximately 33 kg at birth to 400 kg at 12 months. Average daily weight gain for the first week was approximately 2.0 kg, whereas average daily weight gain for the remaining 12 months was slight (<1 kg) and did not differ between calves. Eating and resting occupied 70-80% of the Sumatran rhino cow and calves' time and no gender biases in either maternal investment or developmental parameters were noted. Finally, footprint measurements proved valuable for estimating calf age.
Coastal livelihood transitions under globalization with implications for trans-ecosystem interactions

Anthropogenic threats to natural systems can be exacerbated due to connectivity between marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, complicating the already daunting task of governance across the land-sea interface. Globalization, including new access to markets, can change social-ecological, land-sea linkages via livelihood responses and adaptations by local people. As a first step in understanding these trans-ecosystem effects, we examined exit and entry decisions of artisanal fishers and smallholder farmers on the rapidly globalizing Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. We found that exit and entry decisions demonstrated clear temporal and spatial patterns and that these decisions differed by livelihood. In addition to household characteristics, livelihood exit and entry decisions were strongly affected by new access to regional and global markets. The natural resource implications of these livelihood decisions are potentially profound as they provide novel linkages and spatially-explicit feedbacks between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Our findings support the need for more scientific inquiry in understanding trans-ecosystem tradeoffs due to linked-livelihood transitions as well as the need for a trans-ecosystem approach to natural resource management and development policy in rapidly changing coastal regions.
Galantamine Prolonged-Release Formulation in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a flexible dosing regimen (16 or 24 mg/day) of galantamine prolonged-release capsule (PRC) compared with placebo in subjects with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This phase III, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group trial randomized 971 patients to treatment for 6 months. Efficacy endpoints included change in the 11-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog/11), Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change plus caregiver input (CIBIC-plus), Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores. Galantamine was associated with significant improvements in the ADAS-cog/11 score but not in the CIBIC-plus or NPI scores. Galantamine PRC was associated with significant improvement in ADCS-ADL scores. Galantamine PRC had similar tolerability and safety profiles compared with twice-daily galantamine, and when administered as a once-daily flexible dosing regimen of 16 or 24 mg/day, was demonstrated to be as safe and effective for the treatment of mild to moderate AD.
Schistosoma mansoni and Biomphalaria: past history and future trends

Schistosoma mansoni is one of the most abundant infectious agents of humankind. Its widespread distribution is permitted by the broad geographic range of susceptible species of the freshwater snail genus Biomphalaria that serve as obligatory hosts for its larval stages. Molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that Schistosoma originated in Asia, and that a pulmonate-transmitted progenitor colonized Africa and gave rise to both terminal-spined and lateral-spined egg species groups, the latter containing S. mansoni. Schistosoma mansoni likely appeared only after the trans-Atlantic dispersal of Biomphalaria from the Neotropics to Africa, an event that, based on the present African fossil record, occurred only 2–5 million years ago. This parasite became abundant in tropical Africa and then entered the New World with the slave trade. It prospered in the Neotropics because a remarkably susceptible and productive host, B. glabrata, was widely distributed there. Indeed, a snail similar to B. glabrata may have given rise to the African species of Biomphalaria. Schistosoma mansoni has since spread into other Neotropical Biomphalaria species and mammalian hosts. The distribution of S. mansoni is in a state of flux. In Egypt, S. mansoni has nearly completely replaced S. haematobium in the Nile Delta, and has spread to other regions of the country. A susceptible host snail, B. straminea, has been introduced into Asia and there is evidence of S. mansoni transmission in Nepal. Dam and barrage construction has lead to an epidemic of S. mansoni in Senegal, and the parasite continues its spread in Brazil. Because of competition with introduced aquatic species and environmental changes, B. glabrata and consequently S. mansoni have become less abundant on the Caribbean islands. Control of S. mansoni using praziquantel and oxamniquine has reduced global prevalence but control is difficult to sustain, and S. mansoni can develop tolerance/resistance to praziquantel, raising concerns about its future efficacy. Because of legitimate environmental concerns, snail control is unlikely to be an option in future control efforts. Global warming will impact the distribution of Biomphalaria and S. mansoni, but the magnitude and nature of the effects are poorly understood.
Government Funding to the NGOs

The impacts of the government funding on the NGOs in terms of advantages and disadvantages has received mixed response from the scholars. This study attempts to review the promises and perils of government funding on the NGOs and aims to gather the scattered knowledge from literature at one place. Literature review was carried out for the relevant studies. Using the inclusion/exclusion criteria established for this article, 31 studies were finally selected for review. Using thematic analysis approach, 5 main themes regarding government funding impacts on NGOs were extracted from the reviewed 31 studies. The themes are institutional theory and Isomorphism, accountability, loss of autonomy, mission drift and crowding out. Some scholars and studies linked these themes with underperformance while others linked them with stability of the NGOs. Definite results are hard to draw to determine the impacts of government funding on NGOs and in fact these impacts depend upon a number of factors such as, age, size, sector, demography, political, economic and social environments of an NGO