Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 in diabetic epiretinal membranes

Objective The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression and distribution of Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) in diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with epiretinal membranes (ERMs) meanwhile analyze the colocalization of Wip1 and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 in ERMs. Methods ERMs samples were collected from patients with PDR (PDR group) or non-diabetic patients with idiopathic epiretinal membranes (iERMs) (control group) during pars plana vitrectomy. Real-Time PCR analysis was carried out to examine the mRNA expression of Wip1 in ERMs. Immunohistochemical analysis and Immunofluorescent analysis were performed to detect the protein expression of Wip1 in ERMs. Double immunofluorescent staining was performed to detect the colocalization of Wip1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (retinal glial cells marker), also Wip1 and NF-κB. Results ERMs were obtained from 17 eyes of 17 patients with PDR (the PDR group) and 9 eyes of 9 nondiabetic patients (the control group) with iERMs. Our results showed high expression levels of Wip1 mRNAs in ERMs after PDR, but low in iERMs. In addition, both immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assay showed strong immunoreactivity for Wip1 in PDR ERMs. Furthermore, Wip1 and GFAP were coexpressed in PDR membranes. Finally, the expression of Wip1 was paralleled with NF-κB. Conclusion These data support the notion that Wip1 contributes to the formation of the ERMs in PDR membranes via NF-κB signaling.
Contributions of Work-Related Stress and Emotional Intelligence to Teacher Engagement: Additive and Interactive Effects

This study examined the additive and interactive effects of role stress and emotional intelligence for predicting engagement among 288 teachers. Emotional intelligence and engagement were positively associated. Role ambiguity and role conflict showed negative associations with vigor and dedication scores. The interaction of role ambiguity and emotional intelligence was significant in explaining engagement dimensions. Similar results were found considering overall teacher engagement. Emotional intelligence boosted engagement when the levels of role ambiguity were higher. Our findings suggest the need for future research examining the impact of job hindrances on the links between emotional intelligence and teachers’ occupational well-being indicators. Finally, the implications for emotional intelligence training in education are discussed.
The Immunosignature of Mother/Fetus Couples in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Role of HLA-G 14 bp ins/del and PAPP-A A/C Polymorphisms in the Uterine Inflammatory Milieu

We enrolled 151 healthy mother/newborn couples and 26 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). HLA-G and PAPP-A plasma levels were measured by ELISA at first and second trimesters, at delivery, and in cord blood. HLA-G 14 bp ins/del and PAPP-A A/C polymorphisms were genotyped. HLA-G del/del and PAPP-A C/C genotypes were more frequent among GDM mothers than controls. We observed a genetic epistasis between the two polymorphisms: the HLA-G del/del and PAPP-A C/C combination was carried by 8% of GDM mothers and 1.3% of controls (OR = 9.5, 95% CI = 0.8–109, p = 0.07). GDM mothers showed increased sHLA-G levels compared to controls (p = 0.004), and those carrying the HLA-G del/del genotype produced more sHLA-G at the second trimester and at delivery (p = 0.014). A genetic pressure by fetal genotype on maternal sHLA-G production was observed in GDM mothers with heterozygous HLA-G del/ins newborns (p = 0.02). Babies born to GDM mothers showed higher sHLA-G concentrations compared to those born to healthy mothers, and those carrying HLA-G del/del showed the highest sHLA-G levels (p = 0.013). PAPP-A amounts significantly increased along pregnancy (p < 0.001), but the median levels at the first and second trimesters were significantly lower in GDM (p = 0.03). Our findings first suggest an involvement of HLA-G and PAPP-A gene-protein interaction in GDM and highlight a possible contribution of the fetus in balancing maternal inflammation.
Evaluating the potential of effluent extracts from pulp and paper mills in Canada, Brazil, and New Zealand to affect fish reproduction: Estrogenic effects in fish

The authors examined the potential of pulp mill effluent from pulp‐producing countries (Canada, Brazil, New Zealand) to affect fish reproduction. Specifically, the estrogenic effects in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) pulse‐exposed to 11 different mill effluent extracts (intraperitoneal injections of solid‐phase extraction–dichloromethane nonpolar fraction). The results indicated that effluent extracts were estrogenic in juvenile trout irrespective of the gender, as reflected by increasing level of plasma vitellogenin (VTG; Brazil > New Zealand > Canada). Despite the high variability observed among mills, differences in VTG levels were related to the type of mill process (kraft > elementary chlorine‐free kraft > thermomechanical pulping). Moreover, effluent treatments did not appear to significantly decrease VTG induction. A consistent estrogenic effect was observed in those mills that process a combination of feedstocks (softwood and hardwood), with the highest increase in VTG related to eucalyptus feedstock. The results demonstrate significant estrogenic effects of pulp mill effluents on chronically exposed juvenile trout, suggesting that in vivo metabolic activation of precursors is necessary to cause the observed increases in VTG levels. This molecular estrogenic response provides a useful starting point for predicting population‐level impacts through the adverse outcome pathway methodology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1547–1555. © 2016 SETAC
Adverse Childhood Environment: Relationship With Sexual Risk Behaviors and Marital Status in a Large American Sample

A substantial theoretical and empirical literature suggests that stressful events in childhood influence the timing and patterning of subsequent sexual and reproductive behaviors. Stressful childhood environments have been predicted to produce a life history strategy in which adults are oriented more toward short-term mating behaviors and less toward behaviors consistent with longevity. This article tests the hypothesis that adverse childhood environment will predict adult outcomes in two areas: risky sexual behavior (engagement in sexual risk behavior or having taken an HIV test) and marital status (currently married vs. never married, divorced, or a member of an unmarried couple). Data come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The sample contains 17,530 men and 23,978 women aged 18–54 years living in 13 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia. Adverse childhood environment is assessed through 11 retrospective measures of childhood environment, including having grown up with someone who was depressed or mentally ill, who was an alcoholic, who used or abused drugs, or who served time in prison; whether one’s parents divorced in childhood; and two scales measuring childhood exposure to violence and to sexual trauma. The results indicate that adverse childhood environment is associated with increased likelihood of engaging in sexual risk behaviors or taking an HIV test, and increased likelihood of being in an unmarried couple or divorced/separated, for both men and women. The predictions are supported by the data, lending further support to the hypothesis that childhood environments influence adult reproductive strategy.
Effects of palatal crib and bonded spurs in early treatment of anterior open bite: A prospective randomized clinical study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the overbite correction of fixed palatal crib (FPC) and bonded lingual spur (BLS) in the early treatment of anterior open bite (AOB) in mixed dentition (primary outcome) as well as its influence on dental and skeletal cephalometric measurements (secondary outcome). MATERIALS AND METHODS The selected patients had AOB and a mean age of 8.23 years. They were divided into the following three groups by casting lots: control (n = 13), palatal crib (n = 13), and spur (n = 13). Data from the lateral teleradiography was obtained at the beginning, at 6 months, and after 1 year. The cephalometric analysis was performed by Cef-X program, recording the values of SNA, SNB, ANB, SnG oGn, 1.PP, IMPA, nasolabial angle, overbite, and overjet. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons were obtained via one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS The degree of AOB was similar at baseline (P > .05). At 6 months and then after 1 year all groups showed improvement in the overbite. However, only the crib and spur groups showed positive overbite. No cephalometric measurements changed significantly over the period analyzed. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the FPC and BLS are simple and effective for the treatment of anterior open bite, with the advantage given to the FPC.
Omnidirectional Visual Odometry for Flying Robots using Low-power Hardware

Currently, flying robotic systems are in development for package delivery, aerial exploration in catastrophe areas, or maintenance tasks. While many flying robots are used in connection with powerful, stationary computing systems, the challenge in autonomous devices—especially in indoor-rescue or rural missions—lies in the need to do all processing internally on low power hardware. Furthermore, the device cannot rely on a well ordered or marked surrounding. These requirements make computer vision an important and challenging task for such systems. To cope with the cumulative problems of low frame rates in combination with high movement rates of the aerial device, a hyperbolic mirror is mounted on top of a quadrocopter, recording omnidirectional images, which can capture features during fast pose changes. The viability of this approach will be demonstrated by analysing several scenes. Here, we present a novel autonomous robot, which performs all computations online on low power embedded hardware and is therefore a truly autonomous robot. Furthermore, we introduce several novel algorithms, which have a low computational complexity and therefore enable us to refrain from external resources.
A sporting chance

Members of the London Olympic Games Organising Committee could be for the high jump if it fails to deliver on its promise to provide a sustainable sporting legacy after London 2012. However, studies have tended to disprove the claim that hosting the Games inspires populations to put their fitness first. With this in mind, JRSH's Mandy Murphy visits Olympic initiatives in two of the host boroughs to find out if enough is being done to spur the youth of the East End into action.
Dysfunctional insular connectivity during reward prediction in patients with first-episode psychosis.

BACKGROUND Increasing evidence indicates that psychosis is associated with abnormal reward processing. Imaging studies in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) have revealed reduced activity in diverse brain regions, including the ventral striatum, insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), during reward prediction. However, whether these reductions in local brain activity are due to altered connectivity has rarely been explored. METHODS We applied dynamic causal modelling and Bayesian model selection to fMRI data during the Salience Attribution Task to investigate whether patients with FEP showed abnormal modulation of connectivity between the ventral striatum, insula and ACC induced by rewarding cues and whether these changes were related to positive psychotic symptoms and atypical antipsychotic medication. RESULTS The model including reward-induced modulation of insula-ACC connectivity was the best fitting model in each group. Compared with healthy controls (n = 19), patients with FEP (n = 29) revealed reduced right insula-ACC connectivity. After subdividing patients according to current antipsychotic medication, we found that the reduced insula-ACC connectivity relative to healthy controls was observed only in untreated patients (n = 17), not in patients treated with antipsychotics (n = 12), and that it correlated negatively with unusual thought content in untreated patients with FEP. LIMITATIONS The modest sample size of untreated patients with FEP was a limitation of our study. CONCLUSION This study indicates that insula-ACC connectivity during reward prediction is reduced in untreated patients with FEP and related to the formation of positive psychotic symptoms. Our study further suggests that atypical antipsychotics may reverse connectivity between the insula and the ACC during reward prediction.
Immunogenicity and safety of a novel seasonal influenza preservative-free vaccine manufactured in Kazakhstan: Results of a randomized, comparative, phase II clinical trial in adults

ABSTRACT Background: The study was aimed at comparative evaluation of seasonal influenza vaccine RIBSP versus commercial vaccine VAXIGRIP® for immunogenicity and safety in the course of clinical trial phase II on healthy volunteers aged 18–60 years. Methods: The trial involved 150 subjects in randomized 2:1 groups that received either RIBSP vaccine or comparator vaccine VAXIGRIP®. One dose (0.5 ml) of either vaccine contained 15 μg of hemagglutinin of each influenza virus strain recommended by WHO for the Northern hemisphere in 2016–2017 flu season. The observation period lasted 21 day. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT 03016143. Results: Assessment of immunogenic activity of the vaccine under study showed that in 21 day the portion of participants with 4-fold seroconversions was 87.0% to A/H1N1; 63.0% to A/H3N2 and 59.0% to B virus. Antibody titer increase factor in the group of subjects that received RIBSP vaccine was 23.3 for A/H1N1; 4.4 for A/H3N2 and 4.5 for B virus. The volunteers that received RIBSP vaccine demonstrated 95% seroprotection level against A/H1N1; 84% against A/H3N2 and 80% against B virus. RIBSP vaccine met the CHMP criteria of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CPMP/BWP/214/96). In the course of evaluating the vaccine safety no serious undesirable effects were recorded. All changes of laboratory data were slight and single in most cases. All recorded local reactions have been light in character and these have been predicted reactions observed at vaccination against influenza. Conclusion: Comparison of the allantoic inactivated split vaccine obtained in vaccines RIBSP and VAXIGRIP®, showed similar immunogenic activity. Both vaccines were safe for the study participants.
Risky business: Lived experience mental health practice, nurses as potential allies

Mental health policy includes a clear expectation that consumers will participate in all aspects of the design and delivery of mental health services. This edict has led to employment roles for people with lived experience of significant mental health challenges and service use. Despite the proliferation of these roles, research into factors impacting their success or otherwise is limited. This paper presents findings from a grounded theory study investigating the experiences of Lived Experience Practitioners in the context of their employment. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 Lived Experience Practitioners. Risk was identified as a core category, and included sub-categories: vulnerability, 'out and proud', fear to disclose, and self-care. Essentially participants described the unique vulnerabilities of their mental health challenges being known, and while there were many positives about disclosing there was also apprehension about personal information being so publically known. Self-care techniques were important mediators against these identified risks. The success of lived experience roles requires support and nurses can play an important role, given the size of the nursing workforce in mental health, the close relationships nurses enjoy with consumers and the contribution they have made to the development of lived experience roles within academia.
Posttraumatic stress symptoms, co-morbid psychiatric symptoms and distorted cognitions among flood victims of different ages

Abstract Background: In literature, the effect of age on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is inconclusive; the effect on flood-related PTSD is particularly unclear. Little is known on distorted cognitions among flood victims, although cognition distortions and PTSD have been linked among victims of other traumas. Aims: To investigate: (1) whether flood-related PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and cognitive distortions would differ according to age and (2) distinctive patterns of association between the preceding variables for different age groups. Methods: One hundred and fifty-four flood victims of different ages completed standardized questionnaires measuring PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and cognitive distortions. Results: Adolescents and young adults reported significantly fewer PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and distorted cognition symptoms than people who were older. Preoccupation with danger and hopelessness were associated with both outcomes for adolescents, people in their thirties and middle-aged/older people. For young adults, helplessness was associated with PTSD; hopelessness and preoccupation with danger with psychiatric co-morbidity. Conclusions: Adolescents and young adults buffered against flood-related psychological distress better than older people. Distorted cognitions related to distress outcomes differently depending on age.
Frequency distribution of six cytokine gene polymorphisms in North‐ and South‐Italy

Allelic and genotype frequencies of four cytokine genes were obtained from 738 subjects from North‐ and South‐Italy. Populations were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for all genes but significantly differed in the frequency of all SNPs and three haplotypes. In the MDS graph, they were plotted in separate positions close to Europeans and an Ivorian population, respectively.
Establishing Individual Differences in Perceptual Capacity

Limited capacity for visual perception results in various “inattentional blindness” phenomena across a wide variety of manipulations that load perception. Here, we propose that these phenomena are mediated by an underlying generalized capacity for visual perception, which also underlies subitizing: the ability to enumerate a limited number of items in parallel from a brief exposure. We tested this proposal by examining whether individual differences reveal common intraindividual variance between measures of visual perception as well as of subitizing capacity. Visual perception was measured in change blindness (Rensink, O’Regan, & Clark, 1997), load-induced blindness (Macdonald & Lavie, 2008), and multiple object tracking tasks. Subitizing capacity was measured as the number of items that could be reported in parallel in an enumeration task. Perceptual capacity as indexed by subitizing was consistently a unique predictor of performance in change blindness, load-induced blindness, and motion tracking beyond any general factors that apply to both subitizing and estimation of larger set sizes. Moreover, when measures of working memory were included, factor analysis indicated two orthogonal factors: perceptual and working memory. Overall, the results support the hypothesis of a generalized capacity for visual perception, and establish subitizing capacity as a predictor of individual susceptibility to inattentional blindness under load.
TALE-induced bHLH transcription factors that activate a pectate lyase contribute to water soaking in bacterial spot of tomato

Significance AvrHah1 [avirulence (avr) gene homologous to avrBs3 and hax2, no. 1] is a transcription activator-like (TAL) effector (TALE) in Xanthomonas gardneri that enhances water soaking in its known hosts tomato, pepper, and Nicotiana benthamiana. We observe that the water soaking conferred by AvrHah1 is due to the movement of water into the infected apoplast from a wet environment. RNA sequencing identified two basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors that we confirmed as targets of AvrHah1. We discovered that a pectate lyase was upregulated by both of the bHLH transcription factors. Designer TALEs (dTALEs) for both bHLH transcription factors and the pectate lyase complemented the water-soaking phenotype of X. gardneriΔavrHah1. This report demonstrates virulence activity from an indirect TALE target. AvrHah1 [avirulence (avr) gene homologous to avrBs3 and hax2, no. 1] is a transcription activator-like (TAL) effector (TALE) in Xanthomonas gardneri that induces water-soaked disease lesions on fruits and leaves during bacterial spot of tomato. We observe that water from outside the leaf is drawn into the apoplast in X. gardneri-infected, but not X. gardneriΔavrHah1 (XgΔavrHah1)-infected, plants, conferring a dark, water-soaked appearance. The pull of water can facilitate entry of additional bacterial cells into the apoplast. Comparing the transcriptomes of tomato infected with X. gardneri vs. XgΔavrHah1 revealed the differential up-regulation of two basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors with predicted effector binding elements (EBEs) for AvrHah1. We mined our RNA-sequencing data for differentially up-regulated genes that could be direct targets of the bHLH transcription factors and therefore indirect targets of AvrHah1. We show that two pectin modification genes, a pectate lyase and pectinesterase, are targets of both bHLH transcription factors. Designer TALEs (dTALEs) for the bHLH transcription factors and the pectate lyase, but not for the pectinesterase, complement water soaking when delivered by XgΔavrHah1. By perturbing transcriptional networks and/or modifying the plant cell wall, AvrHah1 may promote water uptake to enhance tissue damage and eventual bacterial egression from the apoplast to the leaf surface. Understanding how disease symptoms develop may be a useful tool for improving the tolerance of crops from damaging disease lesions.