Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta-Analysis of Second Malignant Tumors in Head and Neck Cancer: The Case for an Endoscopic Screening Protocol

A meta-analysis was performed on data from the Washington University Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Tumor Registry and 24 studies reporting synchronous and metachronous malignancies in head and neck cancer patients. The overall second malignant tumor (second primary) prevalence was 14.2% in 40,287 patients, the majority of tumors being metachronous. Site relationships between index tumors and second primaries revealed significantly high risks along the digestive tract axis or the respiratory tract axis, although lung second primaries were prevalent in all groups. Head and neck second primaries were the largest group, being significantly more common in the oral cavity, oropharynx, and hypopharynx than in the larynx. Oral cavity index tumors showed the highest overall rate of second primary formation. Half of all aerodigestive tract second primaries are detected by 2 years from index tumor presentation, but non-aerodigestive tract tumors are common beyond 5 years. A significantly higher detection rate was proven for the prospective panendoscopy studies. We recommend routine interval endoscopic intervention within 2 years of treatment for optimum detection of second primaries in head and neck cancer patients. Also, a lifetime of clinical surveillance is suggested for aerodigestive tract second neoplasms in oral cavity, oropharynx, and hypopharynx cancer patients and for lung and non-aerodigestive tract neoplasms in larynx cancer patients.
Effects of fibronectin on the interaction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with unopsonized and antibody-opsonized bacteria.

Fibronectin (Fn) affects the interaction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) with certain bacteria. Fn alone enhanced the response, in a chemiluminescence (CL) assay, of PMNLs to Staphylococcus aureus (P less than .05) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (P less than .01) but had no effect on type III, group B streptococci (GBS) or Escherichia coli. When GBS or E. coli were first preopsonized in antibody, Fn significantly enhanced the CL response of PMNLs (P less than .05). The intracellular metabolic inhibitor NaN3 but not the extracellular scavengers superoxide dismutase or human serum albumin inhibited Fn-enhanced CL; this fact suggests that enhancement of the respiratory burst by Fn is an intracellular event. We used an acridine orange-crystal violet monolayer assay to examine the effects of Fn on ingestion and intracellular killing of bacteria by PMNLs. Fn alone promoted uptake and killing of S. aureus (P less than .01) and S. epidermidis (P less than .05) by PMNLs but did not enhance monolayer phagocytosis of GBS or E. coli, unless these bacteria were preopsonized in antibody (P less than .01).
Estado actual de la investigación en Responsabilidad Social Corporativa a nivel organizativo: consensos y desafíos futuros

Este trabajo pretende mostrar el estado actual de la investigacion sobre Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) a nivel organizativo publicada en las revistas de mas alto impacto segun la Academic Journal Quality Guide, en el ambito del Management durante el periodo 2000-2014. En concreto, aporta una clasificacion que evidencia los aspectos donde hay acuerdo entre los investigadores y facilita la labor a cualquier lector que desee aproximarse a la situacion actual de la investigacion sobre este tema de estudio. Asimismo, identifica los retos a los que se enfrentara la investigacion en un futuro, tras senalar las lagunas, inconsistencias y oportunidades encontradas en la revision de la literatura.
Acute and subacute dermal toxicity of Break‐Free CLP®: a weapons cleaning and maintenance compound

Break‐Free CLP® is a commercial cleaning, lubricating and preserving compound used in both the military and civilian sectors for maintenance of small‐ and large‐caliber weapons. Like many commercial mixtures, there is very little information available on the toxicity of Break‐Free CLP. Studies were conducted to characterize the biological effects of single or repeat dermal application of Break‐Free CLP to the clipped backs of CD‐1 mice. Break‐Free CLP was applied neat, 50 µl three times of week for up to 2 weeks. Foci of epithelial ulceration were observed in skin sections from 22% of Break‐Free CLP‐treated animals in conjunction with markedly thickened epithelium suggesting that robust epithelial regeneration was occurring in these animals. Skin histopathology of Break‐Free CLP‐treated animals closely matched the histopathology from mice treated repeatedly with 2% croton oil in acetone (dermal irritation positive control). Serum alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly (P < 0.05) lower for mice treated with Break‐Free CLP, 2% croton oil or 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) compared with negative and vehicle control mice. Skin nitric oxide (NO) levels were not significantly elevated for mice treated with Break‐Free CLP but were significantly elevated for mice treated with dermal irritation positive control compound DMBA. The cumulative skin changes in Break‐Free CLP‐treated animals support conducting a subchronic dermal application study. The observed decreases in serum alkaline phosphatase activity suggest that future studies should include the liver and bone as possible target organs. Additionally, dermal penetration studies could provide key health risk assessment information for characterizing the potential health risks associated with chronic dermal exposure to Break‐Free CLP. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
To Mix or Specialise? A Coordination Productivity Indicator for English and Welsh farms

This paper introduces a nonparametric measure of coordination Luenberger productivity growth where the subprocesses are explicitly modelled in the production technology. The coordination productivity indicator is decomposed into a coordination technical inefficiency change component and a coordination technical change component. This decomposition allows to assess how reallocation impacts the different sources of productivity growth. The empirical application focusses on a large panel of English and Welsh farms over the period 2007−2013. The results show that coordination inefficiency significantly increases with the proportion of resources allocated to livestock production in economic and statistical terms. Coordination inefficient farms should generally allocate more land to crop production. Depending on the region, the average coordination Luenberger productivity growth ranges from -9.7 percent to 15.9 percent per year. It is driven by coordination technical change rather than coordination inefficiency change.
Fern Gathering on the San Bernardino National Forest: Cultural versus Commercial Values Among Korean and Japanese Participants

Most attention to special forest products (SFPs),bothin the literatureand in management practice, has focused on economic aspects of gathering activities. The majority of bracken fern gatherers on the Arrowhead Ranger District are of Japanese and Korean backgrounds, and they pick ferns not for commercial purposes, but as a recreational, social, and outdoor activity. These findings indicate that economically and commercially based assumptions are sometimes inappropriate for managing SFP gathering activities.
Detecting structural changes in the nanocarbon domain based on the time distribution of text information of academic papers

In recent years, there has been an increasing need for the early detection of emerging research fronts. Research in this field usually employs citation networks, but this methodology does not address the citation lag problem. Text information is required to solve the time gap in citation networks because text information is available immediately when papers are published. However, text information has an inherent domain dependency problem. To address this, we introduce the “Dynamic Topic Model” (DTM). In a DTM, text information is represented in an abstract “topic” form and text information is captured as an increase or decrease in topics. We apply a DTM to the nanocarbon domain, which has experienced significant structural changes. We note that the choice of a suitable number of topics for the DTM requires further research. In this paper, we show that the proposed methodology, text information analysis with a DTM, can detect emerging research fronts earlier than the citation network technique.
Serotonergic drugs and valvular heart disease

Background: The serotonin (5-HT) releasers (±)-fenfluramine and (+)-fenfluramine were withdrawn from clinical use owing to increased risk of valvular heart disease. One prevailing hypothesis (i.e., the ‘5-HT hypothesis’) suggests that fenfluramine-induced increases in plasma 5-HT underlie the disease. Objective: Here, we critically evaluate the possible mechanisms responsible for fenfluramine-associated valve disease. Methods: Findings from in vitro and in vivo experiments performed in our laboratory are reviewed. The data are integrated with existing literature to address the validity of the 5-HT hypothesis and suggest alternative explanations. Conclusions: The overwhelming majority of evidence refutes the 5-HT hypothesis. A more likely cause of fenfluramine-induced valvulopathy is activation of 5-HT2B receptors on heart valves by the metabolite norfenfluramine. Future serotonergic medications should be designed to lack 5-HT2B agonist activity.
C-reactive protein Levels and Sleep Disturbances: Observations Based on The Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study

Objective: To investigate whether sleep disturbances are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at the population level. Elevated CRP levels have been found to accompany sleep disturbances, but evidence so far comes only from limited clinical and experimental studies; epidemiological studies are lacking. Methods: We utilized the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, whose participants have been followed up to the age of 31 years. The hs-enzyme immunoassay method was used to measure highly sensitive-CRP (hs-CRP) concentrations (4011 participants). Self-reported sleep disturbances were ranked from 1 (no problem) to 5 (severe disturbances). Results: Multivariate analyses, after adjusting for confounders, revealed that hs-CRP levels in men in the sleep disturbance category “moderate, considerable and severe” (i.e., self-reported sleep disturbances rated 3, 4, or 5), were >18% (18.2%, 95% Confidence Interval 3.0% to 36.3%) higher than those in men with “no” sleep disturbance. In women, hs-CRP levels did not significantly differ between different sleep disturbance categories. Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that moderate-to-severe sleep disturbances in men are associated with slightly increased CRP levels at the epidemiological level. Further investigations are called for to see whether our results can be replicated in other databases. CRP = C-reactive protein; IL-6 = interleukin-6; EIA = enzyme immunoassay; Hs-CRP = highly sensitive C-reactive protein; HSCL-25 = Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25.
"We have these rules inside": The effects of exercising voice in a children's online forum.

The spread of digital technology and an accompanying new digital culture are giving rise to a profound revision of views about the ages and stages of human development. Much of what has been written about this change concentrates on the negative effects of digital culture on children – they will grow up too soon, will be exposed to negative influences, will no longer play outdoors or with real human friends. But there are also many potentially positive effects of digital connectivity on children. This chapter describes Junior Summit ’98, an online forum and in-person summit that gathered together more than 3000 children from 139 countries. The children, without adult input, debated the role that technology could play in improving the world for children, came up with action plans, voted for delegates to represent them at the in-person summit, and began to implement their plans. This chapter examines the results of participating in the Junior Summit community, and adopting such an increased role on the world stage, on children’s feelings of self-worth, their belief that they can change the world, and their ability to raise their voices . In fact, children seem to have emerged from the experience of participating in the Junior Summit with increased feelings of self-efficacy. They have continued to voice their opinions, to act on these opinions, and to make themselves heard by the decision makers of the world.
Down's Syndrome and Celiac Disease: The Prevalence of High IgA‐Antigliadin Antibodies and HLA‐DR and DQ Antigens in Trisomy 21

Patients with Down's syndrome (DS) or celiac disease (CD) have altered immune systems. Autoimmune diseases have been described in both conditions; the coexistence of DS and CD has been occasionally reported, but a clear relationship has not been definitely established. In this study we determined IgA antigliadin antibodies (IgA-AGA) in 155 children with DS, and the results were compared with those of the control groups formed by 320 children affected by upper-respiratory tract infections and 115 children with gastrointestinal symptoms but with normal jejunal mucosa. High IgA-AGA levels were found in 26% of DS patients, in 1% of the first control group and in 10% of the second control group. Such differences are statistically significant. Twenty-one DS patients with high IgA-AGA levels and gastrointestinal symptoms underwent jejunal biopsy, and total villous atrophy was found in seven of them (33.33%). HLA-DR and -DQ antigens were also determined in 75 DS patients (20 with high and 55 with normal IgA-AGA levels), and the percentages of the different phenotypes were compared in the two groups and with those of a control group. No statistically significant difference was found, but DR3, DR7, and DQ2 alleles were always present in DS patients with jejunal atrophy. Our study confirms the data reported in the literature about higher levels of IgA-AGA in DS patients and the relatively high incidence of CD in this group of patients.
Compact Blue Light Source by Single-Pass Second Harmonic Generation of DBR Tapered Laser Radiation

We demonstrate a continuous-wave 460-nm compact visible laser module having a footprint of 75 mm × 25 mm × 25 mm. This blue light source is achieved through single-pass second harmonic generation with a distributed Bragg reflector tapered diode laser as a single-frequency pump source at ~920 nm in a periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate crystal with a planar waveguide. The compact blue laser module reached an optical output power of 286 mW with the highest optical conversion efficiency of 11.6% at room temperature. The power stability of the blue light from the laser module is measured at an output power of 268 mW with a variation of ±3.5% during a period of 1 h.
Adaptation of Alphaviruses to Heparan Sulfate: Interaction of Sindbis and Semliki Forest Viruses with Liposomes Containing Lipid-Conjugated Heparin

ABSTRACT Passage of Sindbis virus (SIN) in BHK-21 cells has been shown to select for virus mutants with high affinity for the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS). Three loci in the viral spike protein E2 (E2:1, E2:70, and E2:114) have been identified that mutate during adaptation and independently confer on the virus the ability to bind to cell surface HS (W. B. Klimstra, K. D. Ryman, and R. E. Johnston, J. Virol. 72:7357-7366, 1998). In this study, we used HS-adapted SIN mutants to evaluate a new model system involving target liposomes containing lipid-conjugated heparin (HepPE) as an HS receptor analog for the virus. HS-adapted SIN, but not nonadapted wild-type SIN TR339, interacted efficiently with HepPE-containing liposomes at neutral pH. Binding was competitively inhibited by soluble heparin. Despite the efficient binding of HS-adapted SIN to HepPE-containing liposomes at neutral pH, there was no fusion under these conditions. Fusion did occur, however, at low pH, consistent with cellular entry of the virus via acidic endosomes. At low pH, wild-type or HS-adapted SIN underwent fusion with liposomes with or without HepPE with similar kinetics, suggesting that interaction with the HS receptor analog at neutral pH has little influence on subsequent fusion of SIN at low pH. Finally, Semliki Forest virus (SFV), passaged frequently on BHK-21 cells, also interacted efficiently with HepPE-containing liposomes, indicating that SFV, like other alphaviruses, readily adapts to cell surface HS. In conclusion, the liposomal model system presented in this paper may serve as a novel tool for the study of receptor interactions and membrane fusion properties of HS-interacting enveloped viruses.
Influence of mutation frequency on the persistence of Salmonella enterica serotypes in natural waters.

Abstract In aquatic environments, the survival of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella spp. , may represent a risk to public health. The mutation frequency was hypothesized to influence the persistence of Salmonella serotypes in environmental waters. The mean mutation frequency to rifampin resistance of the 11 major serotypes of Salmonella enterica isolated from the Tech River (Pyrénées-Orientales, France) was determined. Then, a comparison of the survival of three serotypes holding different mutation frequencies showed no significant differences, suggesting that a high mutation rate was not directly linked to increased persistence of Salmonella cells under stressful conditions. However, we demonstrated, via controlled experiments, that long-term starvation in natural water could influence the mutation frequency of the Salmonella Typhimurium serotype. This effect, which was not observed for the serotypes Virchow and Infantis, could be a way of adapting to stressful conditions for the serotype Typhimurium and could explain its recurrence in aquatic systems.
The Effect of Reciprocity on Buyback Contract Coordination and Decision Behaviors

To analyze the effect of reciprocity on buyback contract coordination and its dynamic effect on agents' decisions,this paper established the extended utility function including the preference of reciprocity based on the model of buyback contract.Besides,controlled experiments were designed to test the above results.Unlike research results of wholesale price contract,reciprocity causes the failure of buyback contract.Supplier's decision did not meet the condition for coordination.Therefore,the retailer's order quantity is lower than the benchmark under centralized decision,which means the efficiency of supply chain could not be promoted. During the exchange process,participants not only purse their own interests,while the relationship is also part of their goal.
A Trimetal Site and Substrate Distortion in a Family II Inorganic Pyrophosphatase*

We report the first crystal structures of a family II pyrophosphatase complexed with a substrate analogue, imidodiphosphate (PNP). These provide new insights into the catalytic reaction mechanism of this enzyme family. We were able to capture the substrate complex both by fluoride inhibition and by site-directed mutagenesis providing complementary snapshots of the Michaelis complex. Structures of both the fluoride-inhibited wild type and the H98Q variant of the PNP-Bacillus subtilis pyrophosphatase complex show a unique trinuclear metal center. Each metal ion coordinates a terminal oxygen on the electrophilic phosphate and a lone pair on the putative nucleophile, thus placing it in line with the scissile bond without any coordination by protein. The nucleophile moves further away from the electrophilic phosphorus site, to the opposite side of the trimetal plane, upon binding of substrate. In comparison with earlier product complexes, the side chain of Lys296 has swung in and so three positively charged side chains, His98, Lys205 and Lys296, now surround the bridging nitrogen in PNP. Finally, one of the active sites in the wild-type structure appears to show evidence of substrate distortion. Binding to the enzyme may thus strain the substrate and thus enhance the catalytic rate.
Variation in colonization, ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating cytotoxin, and pulmonary disease severity among mycoplasma pneumoniae strains.

RATIONALE Mycoplasma pneumoniae was recently discovered to produce an ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating cytotoxin, designated CARDS toxin, which is hypothesized to be a primary pathogenic mechanism responsible for M. pneumoniae-induced pulmonary inflammation. It is unknown if cytotoxin production varies with M. pneumoniae strain or if variation in cytotoxin production affects pulmonary disease severity. OBJECTIVES To examine the production of CARDS toxin by various strains of M. pneumoniae and compare the disease manifestations elicited by these strains in an experimental model of M. pneumoniae respiratory infection. METHODS BALB/c mice were inoculated once intranasally with SP4 broth (negative control) or three different M. pneumoniae strains: M129-B7, M129-B9, or S1. Mice were assessed at 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days after inoculation. Outcome variables included comparisons among M. pneumoniae strains relative to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) M. pneumoniae quantitative culture, CARDS toxin-based PCR, and CARDS toxin protein determinations, as well as cytokine and chemokine concentrations. Graded lung histopathologic score (HPS) was also assessed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS CARDS toxin concentrations were significantly increased in mice inoculated with strain S1 compared with mice inoculated with M129-B7 or M129-B9 strains. Quantitative M. pneumoniae culture and polymerase chain reaction were also significantly greater in mice infected with S1 strain compared with the other two strains, as were lung HPS and concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-1α, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and keratinocyte-derived chemokine. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between CARDS toxin concentration and lung HPS. CONCLUSIONS CARDS toxin concentrations in BAL are directly linked to the ability of specific M. pneumoniae strains to colonize, replicate, and persist, and elicit lung histopathology. This variation among strains may predict the range in severity of pulmonary disease observed among patients.
Pimagedine: a novel therapy for diabetic nephropathy

Hyperglycaemia is directly involved in causing long-term diabetic complications. The non-enzymatic glycation of proteins, yielding irreversible advanced glycation end products and advanced glycation end products-derived protein crosslinking, participates in the development of diabetic complications, such as diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is becoming a major medical problem with increasing numbers of these patients progressing to end stage renal disease, thus requiring renal replacement therapy. While several interventions may slow the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy, there is no effective treatment to prevent or reverse the disease. Pimagedine (aminoguanidine HCl) has been shown to be an effective agent in reducing the severity of the structural and functional alterations associated with experimental diabetic nephropathy. Preliminary studies suggest a beneficial effect of pimagedine in treating patients with diabetic nephropathy. In summary, these observations support a role for advanced glycation end products inhibitors, like pimagedine, in the management of diabetic nephropathy, either alone or in combination with other therapies.