Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemomobilization with high‐dose etoposide and G‐CSF results in effective and safe stem cell collection in heavily pretreated lymphoma patients: report from a single institution study and review

The optimal mobilization strategy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (auto‐SCT) for patients with lymphoma is yet to be determined. We reviewed our institutional experience using chemomobilization with high‐dose (HD) etoposide (1.6 g/m2) and G‐CSF (300 μg/day) in 79 patients with lymphoma. The majority (76%) had received at least two prior regimens of chemotherapy, and 12 (15.2%) patients had previously failed to mobilize following HD cyclophosphamide or DHAP or ICE with G‐CSF. HD etoposide and G‐CSF chemomobilization resulted in successful collection (>2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) in 82.3% of patients within a median 2 (1–6) apheresis days. Patients had stem cells collected between days +8 and +15, with a median +12 day. Median total CD34+ cells/kg collected was 5.95 × 106 (0.1–36.8). Seventy‐one percent of patients yielded >2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg in ≤2 d of apheresis and were defined as good mobilizers. While median CD34+ cells/kg collected for good mobilizers was 7.6 × 106, it was 2.6 × 106 for poor mobilizers (P < 0.001). This regimen was safe with a low rate of febrile neutropenia (7.6%) and acceptable rates of RBC (40.5%) and platelet transfusions (22.8%). Hematopoietic recovery after auto‐SCT was achieved on expected time. Therapy‐related myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia occurred in only one patient (1.3%) with in a median follow‐up of 16 months after chemomobilization. We conclude that HD etoposide and G‐CSF chemomobilization appear to result in effective, tolerable, and safe stem cell collection in the majority of heavily pretreated lymphoma patients.
Volume transport across tracheal and bronchial airway epithelia in a tubular culture system.

Airway epithelia are thought to play an important role in maintaining the depth (volume) and composition of airway surface liquid (ASL). However, due to the difficulty in measuring airway epithelial volume flow (Jv) and ASL composition, our knowledge of ASL homeostasis is limited. We have developed a permeable tubular culture system (biofiber) suitable for growing airway epithelia on the biofiber luminal surface, which allows measurements of bioelectric properties and Jv. Canine tracheal and bronchial epithelia readily attach, grow to confluence, and develop an electrical potential difference (-10 to -40 mV) across the biofiber. Using a six-hormone-supplemented medium, we detected a significant basal absorptive Jv across both the tracheal cells (0.65 +/- 0.08 microliter.cm-2.h-1) and bronchial cells (2.21 +/- 0.42 microliters.cm-2.h-1), which was significantly reduced by amiloride. Forskolin stimulated a net secretory Jv in tracheal biofibers (-0.56 +/- 0.19 microliter.h-1.cm-2) only. When the culture medium was supplemented with cholera toxin (CT), the basal absorptive Jv was significantly reduced in the bronchial biofibers and the tracheal biofibers exhibited net secretion. The forskolin-stimulated secretory Jv in the tracheal biofibers was significantly greater in the presence of CT than in its absence (-1.30 +/- 0.29 microliters.h-1.cm-2), whereas bronchial biofibers exhibited no significant Jv response to forskolin. We conclude that the Jv measured in tubular culture is highly dependent on the region from which the cells originated as well as the composition of the culture medium. Use of the biofiber culture system to study airway epithelia should give further insight into factors regulating Jv and composition of ASL.
Buy it now: A hybrid market institution

This paper analyzes seller choices and outcomes in approximately 700 Internet auctions of a relatively homogeneous good. The ‘Buy it Now’ option allows the seller to convert the auction into a posted price market. We use a structural model to control for the conduct of the auction as well as product and seller characteristics. In explaining seller choices, we find that the ‘Buy it Now’ option was used more often by sellers with higher ratings and offering fewer units; and posted prices were more prevalent for used items. In explaining auction outcomes, we find that auctions with a ‘Buy it Now’ price had higher winning bids, ceteris paribus, whether or not the auction ended with the ‘Buy it Now’ offer being accepted, possibly reflecting signaling or bounded rationality. We also find that posting prices, by combining ‘Buy it Now’ and an equal starting price, was an effective strategy for sellers in the sample.
Toxoplasma gondii : What are the implications on society of recent studies ?

The implications of the results found by recent studies and experiments done on the parasite Toxoplasma gondii are possibly groundbreaking, large stepping stones into the study of the human brain and biological adaptations to modify its function. If this process was completely understood it could possibly bring us new technology advances (e.g., nanotechnologies) and possible cures to poorly understood mood disorders and neuropathologies.
Policies for Seed and Early Stage Finance: Findings from the 2012 OECD Financing Questionnaire

This report highlights the growth in support for financial instruments for seed and early stage firms across OECD member countries. These instruments include grants, loans and guarantee schemes, tax incentives and equity funds. This increased support is linked to the recent financial crisis and the growing concern about young firms’ access to finance. The paper notes that framework conditions play an important role in access to finance and must be taken into consideration as a significant part of the policy mix. Demand-side policies to develop entrepreneurial and investment talent and networks are also critical. The role of evaluation and the need to better link policy objectives and outcomes are also discussed.
Measuring Integration and Urban Sustainability with Indicators

This paper proposes a framework to monitor progress towards improved integration in public transport. The framework adapts some elements of Transport Sustainability Barometer (TSB) which is a tool to assess transport sustainability in Swedish cities. The suggested indicator set follows the complex hierarchy of layers in integration (Process, System, Quality and Use). The selected indicators allow progress to be monitored from two perspectives, objective evidence and citizens’ perceptions. The proposed framework is only the first step towards a tool to monitor integration in public transport, and we provide recommendations to further develop a tool in consultation with its intended users.
Postnatal development of crossed and uncrossed corticorubral projections in kitten: A PHA‐L study

Morphological changes in individual corticorubral fibers and the pattern of crossed and uncrossed corticorubral projections were studied during the postnatal development of cats in order to understand cellular mechanisms for restriction of corticorubral projections with development. The anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA‐L) was injected into restricted areas of the pericruciate cortex in kittens and PHA‐L‐labeled axons in the red nucleus were examined at postnatal days (PND) 7–73.
Phosphorylation of MAP2c and MAP4 by MARK kinases leads to the destabilization of microtubules in cells.

Microtubules serve as transport tracks in molecular mechanisms governing cellular shape and polarity. Rapid transitions between stable and dynamic microtubules are regulated by several factors, including microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). We have shown that MAP/microtubule affinity regulating kinases (MARK) can phosphorylate the microtubule-associated-proteins MAP4, MAP2c, and tau on their microtubule-binding domain in vitro. This leads to their detachment from microtubules (MT) and an increased dynamic instability of MT. Here we show that MARK protein kinases phosphorylate MAP2 and MAP4 on their microtubule-binding domain in transfected CHO cells. In CHO cells expressing MARK1 or MARK2 under control of an inducible promoter, MARK2 phosphorylates an endogenous MAP4-related protein. Prolonged expression of MARK2 results in microtubule-disruption, detachment of cells from the substratum, and cell death. Concomitant with microtubule disruption, we also observed a breakdown of the vimentin network, whereas actin fibers remained unaffected. Thus, MARK seems to play an important role in controlling cytoskeletal dynamics.
A design approach of constrained linear time-varying quadratic regulation

A new method for the infinite horizon quadratic regulation of constrained linear time varying systems is addressed. The key idea is to achieve a cost value arbitrarily close (but not equal) to the theoretically minimum one. In a neighborhood of the origin, the controller is formulated as a min-max LQR based on polytopic inclusion of the dynamics in this neighborhood. Outside this neighborhood, the control moves are obtained by solving a constrained finite horizon optimization problem and an unconstrained Riccati iteration formula. The proposed solver has low computational burden and preserves the feasibility of the original problem iff the min-max LQR exists as a feasible solution. A simulation example validates its stability.
The relief of pain in laboratory animals

The data concerning the types of analgesic drugs available and the experimental evidence for their efficacy in laboratory species are reviewed. The information is then extrapolated to the clinical situation to provide guidance as to methods of achieving effective analgesia in experimental animals. The most generally useful agent at present seems to be buprenorphine which can be used to provide effective, long lasting analgesia in a wide range of species.
A new futility test approach in clinical interim data monitoring

Sequential monitoring of efficacy and safety data has become a vital component of modern clinical trials. It affords companies the opportunity to stop studies early in cases when it appears as if the primary objective will not be achieved or when there is clear evidence that the primary objective has already been met. This paper introduces a new concept of the backward conditional hypothesis test (BCHT) to evaluate clinical trial success. Unlike the regular conditional power approach that relies on the probability that the final study result will be statistically significant based on the current interim look, the BCHT was constructed based on the hypothesis test framework. The framework comprises a significant test level as opposed to the arbitrary fixed futility index utilized in the conditional power method. Additionally, the BCHT has proven to be a uniformly most powerful test. Noteworthy features of the BCHT method compared with the conditional power method will be presented. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interferon and ribavirin for patients with chronic hepatitis C who did not respond to previous interferon therapy: A meta‐analysis of controlled and uncontrolled trials

The efficacy of interferon (IFN) combined with ribavirin for the treatment of patients with hepatitis C who failed to respond to initial IFN therapy is not well established. The primary goal of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature evaluating the efficacy of combination therapy in nonresponders. Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE, abstracts of scientific meetings, and review of the bibliographies of retrieved studies. Controlled trials were included in the primary analysis whereas uncontrolled trials and trials reported as abstracts were included for sensitivity analysis. The primary endpoints were biochemical and virologic response. A combined estimate of the odds ratio (OR) for each endpoint was obtained by using the random effects model. The number needed to treat (NNT) was calculated by taking the inverse of the pooled risk difference. Nine controlled trials (789 patients) were identified. Six months after treatment, the overall sustained biochemical and virologic responses to 24 weeks of combination therapy were 15.2% and 13.2% with a common OR of 3.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2‐6.7) and 4.9 (95% CI 2.1‐11.2) compared with patients treated with IFN monotherapy. The pooled risk difference for the sustained virologic response (SVR) to combination therapy was 7% (95% CI 2‐13). The NNT was 14 (95% CI 8‐50), suggesting that approximately 14 patients would need to be treated with 6 months of combination therapy for 1 patient to have a SVR. A number of variables were associated with a high response rate in individual studies. Sensitivity analysis of preliminary trials suggest a higher response rate with longer duration of therapy and non‐type 1 genotypes.
Sensory factors involved in mother-young bonding in sheep: a review

The aim of this review is to discuss sensory recognition (olfaction, vision, vocalisation, hearing and direct contact) in relation to the ewe-lamb bond, and the relevance of this information for animal management, considering that sensory recognition between ewes and their offspring is a key element of lamb welfare. In some parental care strategies, parents promote recognition of their own young in order to ensure their survival by providing them – and only them – with food, while the young simultaneously learn features of the environment. In the specific case of sheep, mother-young bonding is established during the sensitive period of the first 4 h after birth. The ewe prints a distinctive signal on her lambs that marks her as the legitimate mother, while stimulating the offspring’s learning processes through olfactory, visual and acoustic cues. However, the sensory basis for proximal recognition of lambs changes over time as they learn to recognise the signals emitted by the mother. After 4 h – or less – the ewe becomes maternally selective; this means that she accepts only her own lambs at the udder, while actively rejecting alien newborns. Likewise, newborn lambs develop a preference for their mothers in less than one day. This preference is regulated by the difference between the acceptance behaviour manifested by the lamb’s own mother and the aggressive rejecting behaviour shown by alien ewes. This early discriminative ability allows the lamb to avoid the aggressive actions of alien dams and maintain close contact with its own lactating mother. At around one week of age, lambs learn to develop the sensory cues that allow them to recognize their mother. These include olfactory, visual, acoustic and tactile information. Mutual ewe-lamb recognition at an early age also ensures that newborns will be fed and cared for by their own mother, which satisfies some of the requirements for their survival and welfare. For all these reasons, any disruption of ewe-lamb bonding during parturition is detrimental to lamb welfare and survival.
A Nonsmooth Newton Method with Path Search and Its Use in Solving C1, 1 Programs and Semi-Infinite Problems

In [S. Butikofer, Math. Methods Oper. Res., 68 (2008), pp. 235-256] a nonsmooth Newton method globalized with the aid of a path search was developed in an abstract framework. We refine the convergence analysis given there and adapt this algorithm to certain finite dimensional optimization problems with $C^{1,1}$ data. Such problems arise, for example, in semi-infinite programming under a reduction approach without strict complementarity and in generalized Nash equilibrium models. Using results from parametric optimization and variational analysis, we work out in detail the concrete Newton schemes and the construction of a path for these applications and discuss a series of numerical results for semi-infinite and generalized semi-infinite optimization problems.
Utilization of health services and prescription patterns among lupus patients followed by primary care physicians and rheumatologists in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVE To examine the utilization of health services and prescription patterns among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) followed by primary care physicians and rheumatologists in Puerto Rico. METHODS The insurance claims submitted by physicians to a health insurance company of Puerto Rico in 2003 were examined. The diagnosis of lupus was determined by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code for SLE (710.0). Of 552,733 insured people, 665 SLE patients were seen by rheumatologists, and 92 were followed by primary care physicians. Demographic features, selected co-morbidities, healthcare utilization parameters, and prescription patterns were examined. Fisher exact test, chi2 test, and analysis of variances were used to evaluate differences between the study groups. RESULTS SLE patients followed by rheumatologists had osteopenia/osteoporosis diagnosed more frequently than did patients followed by primary care physicians. The frequency of high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, and renal disease was similar for both groups. Rheumatologists were more likely to order erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-dsDNA antibodies, and serum complements. No differences were observed for office or emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and utilization of routine laboratory tests. Rheumatologists prescribed hydroxychloroquine more frequently than did primary care physicians. The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, glucocorticoids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate was similar for both groups. CONCLUSION Overall, the utilization of health services and prescription patterns among SLE patients followed by primary care physicians and rheumatologists in Puerto Rico are similar. However, rheumatologists ordered SLE biomarkers of disease activity and prescribed hydroxychloroquine more frequently than did primary care physicians.
Information security culture in health informatics environment: A qualitative approach

Information security culture is recognised as having an influence towards end-user compliance towards information security controls and policies in the organisation. Literature agrees that cultural beliefs can be found to influence behaviours among members of a profession that distinguish them in the organisational system and profession that they belong to. Therefore, these phenomena led towards the investigation and understanding of factors influencing information security culture in healthcare organisations. A qualitative approach has been conducted to evaluate the proposed conceptual model that hinges on Systematic Literature Review (SLR), organisational culture characteristics and Health Belief Model (HBM). A semi-structured interview has been conducted with 19 healthcare professionals. Twelve themes found to be the factors that may influence information security culture in health informatics environment. The study outcomes may contribute towards the design of an appropriate Information Security Management System (ISMS) for establishing information security culture in healthcare organisations.
Expression of oncogenic K‐ras and loss of Smad4 cooperate to induce the expression of EGFR and to promote invasion of immortalized human pancreas ductal cells

Activating mutation of K‐ras and inactivation of DPC4 are two common genetic alterations that occur in the development and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). A separate common event in PDAC progression is increased expression of phosphotyrosine kinase receptors (PTKRs). In our study, we examined whether activating mutations of K‐ras and loss of Smad4 play a role in causing the aberrant expression of PTKRs. Immortalized human pancreas ductal cells (HPNE) were genetically modified by expressing oncogenic K‐ras and/or by shRNA knockdown of Smad4. EGFR and erbB2 protein levels but not Ron or IGF‐1R were substantially upregulated in HPNE cells that express K‐ras(GD12). The increased expression of EGFR in HPNE cells that expressed K‐ras(GD12) was mediated by both stabilizing EGFR protein and by increasing EGFR transcription. TGF‐β signaling partially suppressed K‐ras(GD12) induced EGFR transcription in Smad4 intact HPNE cells; whereas knockdown of Smad4 in cells expressing K‐ras(GD12) further enhanced expression of EGFR and erbB2. The upregulation of EGFR and erbB2 was associated with an increase of invasion, which was blocked by a kinase inhibitor of EGFR. Our study indicates for the first time, that oncogenic ras and loss of Smad signaling cooperate to upregulate EGFR and erbB2, which plays a role in promoting invasion.
The MicroRNA 390 / TAS 3 Pathway Mediates Symbiotic Nodulation and Lateral Root Growth 1 [ OPEN ]

Karen Vanesa Hobecker , Mauricio Alberto Reynoso , Pilar Bustos-Sanmamed, Jiangqi Wen, Kirankumar S. Mysore , Martín Crespi, Flavio Antonio Blanco , and María Eugenia Zanetti a,4 Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, FCE-UNLP CCT-CONICET, C.P. 1900 La Plata, Argentina Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Universités Paris-Sud, Evry, Paris-Diderot, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
High levels of fatty acid synthase expression in esophageal cancers represent a potential target for therapy

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is overexpressed in many human cancers and is considered to be a promising target for therapy. To investigate the expression of this candidate target in esophageal cancer, we evaluated expression of FAS protein in 22 cases of esophageal squamous cancer, 79 cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and 16 cases of Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia - a lesion thought to represent a pre-invasive precursor to esophageal cancer. Using immunohistochemistry, we found significantly higher levels of FAS expression in 77 % of the squamous cancers, 96% of the adenocarcinomas, and 94% of the Barrett's lesions with high-grade dysplasia, when compared to levels in normal esophageal epithelium and non-dysplastic Barrett mucosa. To evaluate the potential for inhibiting this enzyme as a treatment of esophageal cancer, we treated mice bearing xenografts of the Colo680N esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line using C93, a rationally designed molecule that inhibits FAS activity. In these experiments, C93 significantly inhibited the growth of orthotopic xenograft tumors without causing anorexia and weight loss in the treated animals. We conclude that, similar to several other common types of human cancer, FAS is expressed at very high levels in esophageal cancer, and growth of these cancers can be inhibited by pharmacological agents that target this enzyme. Moreover, this high expression of FAS is also seen in high-risk, pre-invasive lesions of the esophagus, leading us to propose considering FAS-inhibitors for purposes of esophageal cancer chemoprevention.
The Influence of Some Demographic Factors on Job Satisfaction on Academic Staff in Tertiary Institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study investigated the demographic factors on job satisfaction among academic staff in tertiary institutions in two universities in Ogun State, testing five hypotheses. A total of one hundred and twenty respondents were randomly selected. Male and female academic staff in three of the departments were used for this study. A set of structured questionnaire were administered after the reliability and the validity of it had been tested. The five null hypotheses were analyzed using chi-square statistics at 0.05 point significant level. The findings of the study revealed that most of the academic staff in the universities were dissatisfied with their jobs because of inadequate salaries, allowances, high volume of work and inadequate facilities. It is therefore recommended that greater efforts should be made to provide facilities and infrastructures that will encourage academic staff. Moreover, a more responsive incentive package will relatively motivate and satisfy academic staff on the job. The implications of this will allow effective administration of the system and therefore, avoidance of industrial strike of Unions in our tertiary institutions.