Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Necdin Promotes GABAergic Neuron Differentiation in Cooperation with Dlx Homeodomain Proteins

Necdin, a member of the MAGE (melanoma antigen) protein family, is expressed predominantly in terminally differentiated neurons. The necdin gene NDN is maternally imprinted and expressed only from the paternal allele, the deficiency of which is implicated in the pathogenesis of the neurodevelopmental disorder Prader-Willi syndrome. Necdin binds to its homologous MAGE protein MAGE-D1 (also known as NRAGE or Dlxin-1), which interacts with Msx (msh homeobox) and Dlx (distal-less homeobox) family homeodomain transcription factors. Members of the Dlx homeobox gene family are involved in the differentiation and specification of forebrain GABAergic neurons. Here we demonstrate that necdin associates with Dlx homeodomain proteins via MAGE-D1 to promote the differentiation of GABAergic neurons in mouse embryonic forebrain. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that necdin was coexpressed with Dlx2, Dlx5, or MAGE-D1 in a subpopulation of embryonic forebrain cells. Necdin bound to Dlx2 and Dlx5 via MAGE-D1 and enhanced Dlx2-dependent activation of the Wnt1 (wingless-type MMTV integration site family) promoter. Necdin significantly increased the populations of cells expressing the GABAergic neuron markers calbindin D-28k and glutamic acid decarboxylase when overexpressed by electroporation in cultured forebrain slices. In this assay, Dlx5N, a truncated Dlx5 mutant that competes with Dlx2 to bind MAGE-D1, diminished the effect of necdin on GABAergic neuron differentiation. Furthermore, mutant mice lacking the paternal necdin allele showed a significant reduction in the differentiation of forebrain GABAergic neurons in vivo and in vitro. These results suggest that paternally expressed necdin facilitates the differentiation and specification of GABAergic neurons in cooperation with Dlx homeodomain proteins.
Limitations of Front-To-End Bidirectional Heuristic Search

We present an intuitive explanation for the limited effectiveness of front-to-end bidirectional heuristic search, supported with extensive evidence from many commonly-studied domains. While previous work has proved the limitations of specific algorithms, we show that any front-to-end bidirectional heuristic search algorithm will likely be dominated by unidirectional heuristic search or bidirectional brute-force search. We also demonstrate a pathological case where bidirectional heuristic search is the dominant algorithm, so a stronger claim cannot be made. Finally, we show that on the four-peg Towers Of Hanoi with arbitrary start and goal states, bidirectional brute-force search outperforms unidirectional heuristic search using pattern-database heuristics.
Quantitative DT-MRI Investigations of the Human Cingulum Bundle

ABSTRACT White matter fiber pathways are key structural components of the brain and its functional organization. The limbic system carries a great deal of its anatomic connectivity via the cingulum bundle. By allowing the in vivo delineation of the stem of the major fiber pathway systems, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging has opened a new window into the detailed structure of the white matter in health and disease. Topographic, biophysical, and volumetric information about fiber tracts will provide a more complete understanding of the brain. By appreciating its interconnections, the precise anatomical knowledge of the cingulum bundle will improve our understanding of the limbic system and may enable improvements in the assessment and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, the stem of the cingulum bundle was investigated and defined in terms of its trajectory, anisotropy, and volume, in four normal human subjects, using diffusion tensor imaging.
EL MIEDO EN EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA: UNA HISTORIA RECONOCIBLE

Fear determines how students live, learn and grow up in schools. Drawing on ethnographic data, this study explores fear experience in Physical Education (PE) through a narrative perspective. Creative analytical practices were used to analyse data and represent findings. The core of the paper is a story told by Eva, a student who faces a PE exam. Through her gaze, the story shows rather than tells what fear does within several narrative environments. The story is offered as a resource to think with and about fear experienced in PE.
Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Down-Regulation of the Imprinted Tumor Suppressor Gene ARHI (DRAS3) in Ovarian Cancer

Purpose: ARHI expression is lost or markedly down-regulated in the majority of ovarian cancers. The mechanism by which ARHI is down-regulated in ovarian cancers is still not clear. Our previous reports indicated that ARHI promoter activity was reduced in ovarian cancer cells, due in part to the effects of negative regulatory transcription factor(s). Experimental Design and Results: We now show that E2F1 and E2F4, but not E2F2, E2F3, or E2F5, bind to the ARHI promoter and repress its activity in ovarian cancer cells. Consistent with this observation, immunochemical staining of cell lines and of 364 samples of ovarian cancer tissue show that the expression of E2F1 and E2F4 proteins is much higher in ovarian cancer cells than in normal ovarian epithelial cells, and that increased expression of E2Fs was negatively correlated with ARHI expression (P < 0.05). Mutation of the putative E2F binding site in the ARHI promoter reversed this inhibitory effect and significantly increased ARHI promoter activity. In addition to the effects of transcriptional regulation, ARHI mRNA also exhibited a significantly reduced half-life in ovarian cancer cells when compared with that in normal ovarian epithelial cells (P < 0.01), suggesting posttranscriptional regulation of ARHI expression. ARHI mRNA contains AU-rich elements (ARE) in the 3′-untranslated region. We have found that these AREs interact with HuR, an ARE-binding protein that stabilizes bound mRNAs, possibly contributing to the rapid turnover of ARHI mRNA. Finally, reduced HuR ARE binding activity was observed in ovarian cancer cells when compared with normal ovarian surface epithelium. Conclusions: Taken together, our data suggest that ARHI expression is regulated at both the transcriptional and the posttranscriptional levels, contributing to the dramatic decrease in ARHI expression in ovarian cancers.
Analyzing social relationship in visual social media

My thesis focuses on analyzing image-based social relations of people in a given photo. Compared to general face recognition problems, social relation analysis between facial images is a new research topic. There are two parts in my thesis: first part deals with pair-wise kinship verification, and second part deals with group photo analysis for social relation. Because of the importance of age estimation in group photo analysis, I propose a novel age estimation scheme to improve the estimation performance. Furthermore, I also study the scheme to minimize the influence of gender and race for age estimation. Most current studies are based on measuring the appearance similarities between global faces. However, most significant cues for kinship verification are from local facial regions instead of the global face. My study solves this problem by finding these local appearance cues. Meanwhile, to improve the verification performance, I also build a 2D face geometry model to measure the face shape similarity between facial images. Comprehensive evaluations are performed for my fused appearance and geometry model. In everyday life, people usually take photos together. Predicting the relationship of group of people thus becomes an essential topic for image-based social relation inference. It has several applications since family is one of the most important social units in the society, thus categorizing family photos constitutes an essential step towards image-based social analysis and content-based retrieval of consumer photos. Our model aims to capture the characteristics of group photos from different aspects. We propose an approach that combines multiple unique and complimentary cues for recognizing family photos. I first propose a geometry model to characterize people’s standing pattern. To better measure the facial
Comparison of the Effects of Bilateral Orbital Prefrontal Cortex Lesions and Amygdala Lesions on Emotional Responses in Rhesus Monkeys

The present study examines the effects of bilateral orbital prefrontal cortex (PFo) lesions on monkeys' emotional responses in two different contexts: in the presence of a rubber snake and in the presence of a human intruder. For comparison, we also assessed the responses of rhesus monkeys with selective amygdala lesions on these same tasks. Monkeys with PFo lesions, like those with amygdala lesions, displayed blunted emotional responses to the fake snake. Unlike monkeys with amygdala lesions, however, monkeys with PFo lesions displayed more mild aggression than controls in the presence of a human intruder. The findings support the idea that the PFo helps integrate sensory signals in the service of choosing among competing responses. In addition, they point to a divergence of the roles of the PFo and amygdala in responding to a social stimulus, the human intruder.
Influence of corticosteroid therapy on the serum antibody response to influenza vaccine in elderly patients with chronic pulmonary diseases

Annual influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for patients with chronic pulmonary diseases, such as bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial pulmonary diseases. However, many of these patients regularly receive systemic and/or inhaled corticosteroid therapy, and the impact of corticosteroid therapy on influenza vaccine efficacy and safety is unclear. Patients with chronic pulmonary diseases were enrolled in the study and divided into three groups based on their maintenance therapy: (A) without corticosteroid therapy (17 males, three females; mean age, 72.3 ± 7.9), (B) oral corticosteroid therapy (four males, seven females; mean age, 66.1 ± 10.6), and (C) inhaled corticosteroid therapy (eight males, nine females; mean age, 62.4 ± 16.0). All patients received influenza vaccine, and serum hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies against influenza strains A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B were measured at baseline (before vaccination) and 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Sufficient antibody titers or significant increases were observed after vaccination compared with titers before vaccination in all three groups. No systemic reactions were reported. Long-term oral/inhaled corticosteroid therapy was not associated with vaccination side effects and did not affect the immune response to the influenza vaccine.
Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Coronary Blood Flow and Myocardial Metabolism

The effect of smoking on the heart has been a controversial subject. The present studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on the coronary flow, myocardial usage of oxygen and myocardial extraction of glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and ketones. Catheterization of the coronary sinus revealed that cigarette smoking in patients without heart disease results in a significant rise in coronary blood flow and heart rate and a significant (Icelilie in coronary vascular resistance and myocardial extraction of oxygen and glucose. No evi(lence of coronary vascular constriction was detected. An uncomplicated method is described that provides an adequate circulation of oxygenated blood to the vital organs of the body during the period of cardiac by-pass in patients undergoing operations within the open chambers of the heart. This is accomplished by a simple pump that simultaneously delivers blood from an arterial reservoir to the arterial system of the patient and withdraws an equal volume of venous blood from the vena caval system. A simple method of obtaining blood possessing arterial chemical characteristics with which to supply the arterial reservoir is discussed. This can be done by utilizing the physiologic observa-tion that blood drawn from a vein of an extremity that has been subjected to an external heat of 45 to 47 C. for 15 to 20 min. is arterialized. Thus, by preheating the arms of blood bank donors, relatively large quantities of arterialized venous blood can be collected with ease. The first patient in which a high interventricular septal defect was repaired under direct vision using the described reservoir method of perfusion and arterialized venous blood is reported. This infant has made an uncomplicated recovery. The advantages of the method and the feasibility of its clinical application, especially to small patients, are discussed in detail.
‘Show me the money and the party!’ – variation in Facebook and Twitter adoption by politicians

ABSTRACT Our study explores the adoption of Facebook and Twitter by candidates in the 2013 German Federal elections. Utilizing data from the German Longitudinal Election Study candidate survey fused with data gathered on the Twitter and Facebook use of candidates, we draw a clear distinction between Facebook and Twitter. We show that adoption of both channels is primarily driven by two factors: party and money. But the impact of each plays out differently for Facebook and Twitter. While the influence of money is homogenous for Facebook and Twitter with the more resources candidates have, the more likely they are to adopt, the effect is stronger for Facebook. Conversely, a party’s impact on adoption is heterogeneous across channels, a pattern we suggest is driven by the different audiences Facebook and Twitter attract. We also find candidates’ personality traits only correlate with Twitter adoption, but their impact is minimal. Our findings demonstrate that social media adoption by politicians is far from homogenous, and that there is a need to differentiate social media channels from one another when exploring motivations for their use.
Knowledge and Attitude of Iranian Physicians towards Organ and Tissue Donation

Background: Nowadays, organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage organ failure, which increases the importance of organ procurement. It seems that the attitude towards organ donation and transplantation affects people’s satisfaction. Moreover, health care personnel, especially physicians, should be familiar with transplantation rules and standards. It seems that understanding the knowledge and attitude of this group can affect the transplantation center policies. Objective: To assess knowledge and attitude of a group of Iranian physicians towards organ and tissue donation. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 560 Iranian physicians including nephrologists, urologists and internists were asked to fill out a validated questionnaire containing their demographics, knowledge and attitude towards organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Results: Of 560 participants, 435 (78%) agreed with organ donation after death and 285 (51%) agreed with living kidney donation. The most common reason provided by those who agreed with donation was “helping people” whereas the most common cause of disagreement was “to honor the body. ” Only 32 (6%) physicians had no knowledge about transplantation rules. Complete awareness about theoretical basis and financial issues of transplantation was observed in 265 (47%) and 221 (40%) participants, respectively. Conclusion: Physicians had a good attitude towards organ and tissue transplantation although less than half of them had knowledge of transplantation rules and its theoretical basis and financial issues; therefore, additional awareness and education of physicians is needed in all areas of the organ donation process in Iran.
Class discovery and classification of tumor samples using mixture modeling of gene expression data - a unified approach

MOTIVATION The DNA microarray technology has been increasingly used in cancer research. In the literature, discovery of putative classes and classification to known classes based on gene expression data have been largely treated as separate problems. This paper offers a unified approach to class discovery and classification, which we believe is more appropriate, and has greater applicability, in practical situations. RESULTS We model the gene expression profile of a tumor sample as from a finite mixture distribution, with each component characterizing the gene expression levels in a class. The proposed method was applied to a leukemia dataset, and good results are obtained. With appropriate choices of genes and preprocessing method, the number of leukemia types and subtypes is correctly inferred, and all the tumor samples are correctly classified into their respective type/subtype. Further evaluation of the method was carried out on other variants of the leukemia data and a colon dataset.
Morphologic Characteristics of the Outer Retina in Cone Dystrophy on Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose To investigate the morphologic changes in the outer retina of patients with cone dystrophy, using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods The medical records of 15 cone dystrophy patients examined from January 2007 to January 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. All patients underwent ophthalmic evaluation including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), color vision testing, fundus examination, full-field standard electroretinography (ERG), multifocal (mf) ERG, and SD-OCT. Qualitative and quantitative SD-OCT data and ERG responses were analyzed and compared among the patient categories and the normal control group. Results There were 4 major categories of SD-OCT findings, based on the status of the ellipsoid portion of the photoreceptor inner segment (ISe), outer segment (OS) contact cylinder, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer. Category 0 showed no structural abnormalities. Category 1 showed foveal ISe loss and obscurity of the border between the ISe band and the external limiting membrane (ELM). Category 2 showed foveal thinning and focal foveal ISe disruption with an intact ELM. Category 3 showed foveal thickening and perifoveal disruption of the ISe layer. Category 1 to 3 showed OS contact cylinder layer absence and RPE thickening. The patients in category 0 tended to be younger (mean, 10.0 years) than those in categories 1 to 3 (mean, 17.6 years), although this difference was not statistically significant. Category 1 to 3 patients exhibited statistically significant thinning of the central retina and outer nuclear layer and thickening of the RPE layer relative to the category 0 and normal control group. There was a significant correlation between the central foveal thickness and BCVA in the patients with cone dystrophy. ERG and mfERG responses did not differ significantly among the different cone dystrophy categories. Conclusions The morphologic features of cone dystrophy as revealed by SD-OCT, could be categorized as either normal or 1 of 3 different types of outer retinal changes. The presence of normal retinal structures in young cone dystrophy patients with functional impairment (category 0) indicates that electrophysiologic studies are superior to current imaging modalities for the early diagnosis of cone dystrophy. The characteristic SD-OCT findings in cone dystrophy patients may aid in differential diagnosis and be useful for future research on the pathology of cone dystrophy.
Salivary Creatinine Estimation as an Alternative to Serum Creatinine in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Context. Sampling blood for serum analysis is an invasive procedure. A noninvasive alternative would be beneficial to patients and health care professionals. Aim. To correlate serum and salivary creatinine levels and evaluate the role of saliva as a noninvasive alternative to serum for creatinine estimation in chronic kidney disease patients. Study Design. Case-control study. Methods. Blood and saliva samples were collected from 37 healthy individuals and 105 chronic kidney disease patients. Serum and salivary creatinine levels were estimated using automatic analyser. Statistical Analysis. The serum and salivary creatinine levels between controls and cases were compared using t-test. Correlation between serum and salivary creatinine was obtained in controls and cases using Pearson correlation coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was done to assess the diagnostic performance of salivary creatinine. Cut-off values were established for salivary creatinine. Results. Serum and salivary creatinine levels were significantly higher in CKD patients than controls. The correlation was negative in controls and positive in cases. Area under the curve for salivary creatinine was found to be 0.967. A cut-off value of 0.2 mg/dL gave a sensitivity of 97.1% and specificity of 86.5%. Conclusion. Saliva can be used as a noninvasive alternative to serum for creatinine estimation.
FTIR imaging in diffusion studies: CO2 and H2O in a synthetic sector-zoned beryl

In this work we investigate the strongly inhomogeneous distribution of CO2 and H2O in a synthetic beryl having a peculiar hourglass zoning of Cr due to the crystal growth. The sample was treated at 800°C, 500 MPa, in a CO2-rich atmosphere. High-resolution FESEM images revealed that the hourglass boundary is not correlated to physical discontinuities, at least at the scale of tens of nanometers. Polarized FPA-FTIR imaging, on the other side, revealed that the chemical zoning acts as a fast pathway for carbon dioxide diffusion, a feature never observed so far in minerals. The hourglass zone boundary may be thus considered as a structural defect possibly due to the mismatch induced by the different growth rates of each sector. High-resolution synchrotron-light FTIR imaging, in addition, also allows enhancement of CO2 diffusion along the hourglass boundary to be distinguished from diffusion along fractures in the grain. Therefore, FTIR imaging provides evidence that different diffusion mechanisms may locally combine, suggesting that the distribution of the target molecules needs to be be carefully characterized in experimental studies. This piece of information is mandatory when the study is aimed at extracting diffusion coefficients from analytical profiles. Combination of TOF-SIMS and FPA data shows a significant depletion of type II H2O along the hourglass boundary, indicating that water diffusion could be controlled by the distribution of alkali cations within channels, coupled to a plug effect of CO2.