Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress‐induced asthma: a review of research and potential mechanisms

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by recurrent attacks of airways obstruction. Common symptoms are dyspnoea, persistent cough and negative emotions [1]. The prevalence of asthma in industrialized countries is rising quickly; more than 10% of current school children in developed countries are affected by the disorder [2]. Asthma is a major cause of absenteeism from school and work, and may disrupt social relationships, future prospects and overall quality of life [3,4]. Consequently, living with asthma generates a vulnerability to worry, anxiety, panic and depression [5]. Whereas asthma often evokes negative emotions, the notion that asthma may be triggered by stress or emotions is a topic of dispute in asthma literature. In general, the potential impact of psychological factors in asthma has long puzzled clinicians and researchers [6±8]. Asthma has been considered a prototype for psychosomatic disease. In the extreme psychoanalytic perspective, children were believed to develop asthma after a repetitive repression of crying [9]. Increasing knowledge about immunological factors in asthma resulted in the conceptualization of intrinsic vs extrinsic asthma, relating to emotions and immunological triggers, respectively [10]. A more realistic perspective proposed that ̄uctuations in airways obstruction are attributed to negative emotions; hence, related psychological effects became the focus of clinical attention. For example, patients learned to inhibit emotional expressions in order to prevent stressinduced asthma attacks [11], or childhood asthma could be reversed by separating children from their mothers [12]. The 1970s provided a host of empirical data about psychological factors in asthma, predominantly emotions, stress and suggestion [13]. Not only were mixed results obtained, but many of these studies were criticised on methodological grounds [14,15]. Isenberg and coworkers [6] argued that only one out of ®ve patients with asthma would be vulnerable to develop airways obstruction after exposure to emotional triggers. Specialists at a workshop on stress and asthma admitted that they had a negative bias, believing that stress may play a role in asthma, but was not a prominent factor [10]. The dif®dence regarding stressinduced asthma is maintained by uncertainty about the potential causal mechanisms involved. The present review provides a critical evaluation of the empirical support for stress-induced asthma. Since several reviews exist and since few recent studies have been published, the focus is on issues that have been neglected in literature; neuro-immunological factors, emotional breathing patterns (in ̄uencing both airways obstruction, and dyspnoea irrespective of airways obstruction), and symptom perception (in ̄uencing dyspnoea without airways obstruction).
US Food Aid and Civil Conflict

We study the effect of U.S. food aid on conflict in recipient countries. Our analysis exploits time variation in food aid shipments due to changes in U.S. wheat production and cross-sectional variation in a country's tendency to receive any U.S. food aid. According to our estimates, an increase in U.S. food aid increases the incidence and duration of civil conflicts, but has no robust effect on inter-state conflicts or the onset of civil conflicts. We also provide suggestive evidence that the effects are most pronounced in countries with a recent history of civil conflict.
Erythromycin Infusion Prior to Endoscopy for Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Trial

BACKGROUND/AIM:Presence of clots in the stomach makes emergency endoscopy difficult in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We investigated whether the association of erythromycin infusion to gastric lavage could improve stomach cleansing before endoscopy.PATIENTS AND METHODS:One hundred patients admitted for upper gastrointestinal bleeding were randomly assigned to receive either gastric lavage plus intravenous erythromycin (250 mg) or gastric lavage plus placebo before endoscopy in a double-blind study. The primary end point was the efficacy of intravenous erythromycin to improve stomach cleansing before endoscopy, assessed by both subjective and objective criteria.RESULTS:Characteristics of patients at admission were similar in both groups. Sixty-six patients had portal hypertension. The gastric mucosa was entirely visualized by the endoscopist in 65% of patients in the erythromycin group, versus 44% in the placebo group (p < 0.05). The quality of examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract, assessed by using a 10-cm visual analog scale, was better in the erythromycin group (4.2 ± 2 vs. 3.3 ± 2.2, p < 0.05). Clots were found in the stomach in 30% of patients in the erythromycin group, versus 52% in the placebo group (p < 0.05). However, ability to identify the source of bleeding, mean duration of endoscopy, and need for a second-look endoscopy, did not differ between the two groups. Similar results were observed in the subgroup of cirrhotic patients. Erythromycin was well tolerated by all patients.CONCLUSION:Intravenous erythromycin before endoscopy improves stomach cleansing and quality of endoscopic examination in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, but the clinical benefit is limited.
Interferences in Match Kernels

We consider the design of an image representation that embeds and aggregates a set of local descriptors into a single vector. Popular representations of this kind include the bag-of-visual-words, the Fisher vector and the VLAD. When two such image representations are compared with the dot-product, the image-to-image similarity can be interpreted as a match kernel. In match kernels, one has to deal with interference, i.e., with the fact that even if two descriptors are unrelated, their matching score may contribute to the overall similarity. We formalise this problem and propose two related solutions, both aimed at equalising the individual contributions of the local descriptors in the final representation. These methods modify the aggregation stage by including a set of per-descriptor weights. They differ by the objective function that is optimised to compute those weights. The first is a “democratisation” strategy that aims at equalising the relative importance of each descriptor in the set comparison metric. The second one involves equalising the match of a single descriptor to the aggregated vector. These concurrent methods give a substantial performance boost over the state of the art in image search with short or mid-size vectors, as demonstrated by our experiments on standard public image retrieval benchmarks.
Millennia-Long Co-Existence of Two Major European Whitefish (Coregonus spp.) Lineages in Switzerland Inferred from Ancient Mitochondrial DNA

Archaeological fish remains are an important source for reconstructing past aquatic ecosystems and ancient fishing strategies using aDNA techniques. Here, we focus on archaeological samples of European whitefish (Coregonus spp.) from Switzerland covering different time periods. Coregonus bones and scales are commonly found in archaeological assemblages, but these elements lack species specific features and thus inhibit morphological species identification. Even today, fish taxonomy is confusing and numerous species and ecotypes are recognized, and even more probably existed in the past. By targeting short fragments of the mitochondrial d-loop in 48 morphologically identified Coregonus scales and vertebrae from 10 archaeological sites in Switzerland, endogenous d-loop sequences were found in 24 samples from one Neolithic, two Roman, and four Medieval sites. Two major mtDNA clades, C and N, known from contemporary European whitefish populations were detected, suggesting co-occurrence for at least 5000 years. In the future, NGS technologies may be used to explore Coregonus or other fish species and ecotype diversity in the past to elucidate the human impact on lacustrine/limnic environments.
Spinal Inhibitory Neurons that Modulate Cutaneous Sensory Pathways during Locomotion in a Simple Vertebrate

During locomotion, reflex responses to sensory stimulation are usually modulated and may even be reversed. This is thought to be the result of phased inhibition, but the neurons responsible are usually not known. When the hatchling Xenopus tadpole swims, responses to cutaneous stimulation are modulated. This occurs because sensory pathway interneurons receive rhythmic glycinergic inhibition broadly in phase with the motor discharge on the same side of the trunk. We now describe a new whole-cell recording preparation of theXenopus tadpole CNS. This has been used with neurobiotin injection to define the passive and firing properties of spinal ascending interneurons and their detailed anatomy. Paired recordings show that they make direct, glycinergic synapses onto spinal sensory pathway interneurons, and the site of contact can be seen anatomically. During swimming, ascending interneurons fire rhythmically. Analysis shows that their firing is more variable and not as reliable as other interneurons, but the temporal pattern of their impulse activity is suitable to produce the main peak of gating inhibition in sensory pathway interneurons. Ascending interneurons are not excited at short latency after skin stimulation but are strongly active after repetitive skin stimulation, which evokes vigorous and slower struggling movements. We conclude that ascending interneurons are a major class of modulatory neurons producing inhibitory gating of cutaneous sensory pathways during swimming and struggling.
The experiences and meanings of adults who were raised in and later departed from evangelical fundamentalism : a descriptive phenomenological inquiry

In this descriptive phenomenological inquiry, I explored the experiences and meanings of five adult research participants who were raised in and later departed from evangelical fundamentalism in some measure. Life Review, a structured guided autobiographical group-based adult learning model designed to assist people in organizing life events, was utilized to explore the research participants' experiences and meanings of being raised in a religious fundamentalist orientation. As a result of participating in Life Review, the research participants generated thirty descriptive written narratives that served as the primary source of data for this inquiry. For the purpose of this inquiry, the research participants attended eight Life Review sessions. Sessions one and eight focused on group formation and closure, respectively. Sessions two through seven focused on assigned topics. In this regard, the research participants prepared six two-page single spaced narratives via a word processor describing their experiences and meanings specific to: 1) choosing to participate in this study, 2) major branching points in life, 3) family of origin, 4) parenting practices, 5) the effects of being raised in evangelical fundamentalism, and 6) the meaning of life. During Life Review sessions two through seven, the research participants read their respective narratives aloud to the other participants. A time limited reflective group discussion followed the reading of each narrative. A phenomenological data analysis model was applied to the research participant's narratives. The analysis of the data culminated in the emergence of themes that revealed the essence of the lived experience and meanings of being raised in and later departing from evangelical fundamentalism. The themes included the experience and meaning of: 1)
a-Decomposition of polygons $

Decomposing a shape into visually meaningful parts comes naturally to humans, but recreating this fundamental operation in computers has been shown to be difficult. Similar challenges have puzzled researchers in shape reconstruction for decades. In this paper, we recognize the strong connection between shape reconstruction and shape decomposition at a fundamental level and propose a method called a-decomposition. The a-decomposition generates a space of decompositions parameterized by a, the diameter of a circle convolved with the input polygon. As we vary the value of a, some structural features appear and disappear quickly while others persist. Therefore, by analyzing the persistence of the features, we can determine better decompositions that are more robust to both geometrical and
Parietal cortex integrates contextual and saliency signals during the encoding of natural scenes in working memory

The Brief presentation of a complex scene entails that only a few objects can be selected, processed indepth, and stored in memory. Both low‐level sensory salience and high‐level context‐related factors (e.g., the conceptual match/mismatch between objects and scene context) contribute to this selection process, but how the interplay between these factors affects memory encoding is largely unexplored. Here, during fMRI we presented participants with pictures of everyday scenes. After a short retention interval, participants judged the position of a target object extracted from the initial scene. The target object could be either congruent or incongruent with the context of the scene, and could be located in a region of the image with maximal or minimal salience. Behaviourally, we found a reduced impact of saliency on visuospatial working memory performance when the target was out‐of‐context. Encoding‐related fMRI results showed that context–congruent targets activated dorsoparietal regions, while context–incongruent targets de‐activated the ventroparietal cortex. Saliency modulated activity both in dorsal and ventral regions, with larger context‐related effects for salient targets. These findings demonstrate the joint contribution of knowledge‐based and saliency‐driven attention for memory encoding, highlighting a dissociation between dorsal and ventral parietal regions. Hum Brain Mapp 36:5003–5017, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isoflavones and Prostate Cancer: A Review of Some Critical Issues

Objective:The purpose of this review is to discuss some critical issues of isoflavones protective against the development of prostate cancer (PCa). Data Sources:Data cited in this review were obtained primarily from PubMed and Embase from 1975 to 2015. Study Selection:Articles were selected with the search terms “isoflavone”, “Phytoestrogen”, “soy”, “genistin”, and “PCa”. Results:Isoflavones do not play an important role on prostate-specific antigen levels reduction in PCa patients or healthy men. The effect of isoflavones on sex hormone levels and PCa risk may be determined by equol converting bacteria in the intestine, specific polymorphic variation and concentrations of isoflavones. The intake of various types of phytoestrogens with lower concentrations in the daily diet may produce synergistic effects against PCa. Moreover, prostate tissue may concentrate isoflavones to potentially anti-carcinogenic levels. In addition, it is noteworthy that isoflavones may act as an agonist in PCa. Conclusions:Isoflavones play a protective role against the development of PCa. However, careful consideration should be given when isoflavones are used in the prevention and treatment of PCa.
Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Accelerates Tooth Movement via Activation of the BMP-2 Signaling Pathway

The present study was designed to determine the underlying mechanism of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) induced alveolar bone remodeling and the role of BMP-2 expression in a rat orthodontic tooth movement model. Orthodontic appliances were placed between the homonymy upper first molars and the upper central incisors in rats under general anesthesia, followed by daily 20-min LIPUS or sham LIPUS treatment beginning at day 0. Tooth movement distances and molecular changes were evaluated at each observation point. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to detect HGF (Hepatocyte growth factor)/Runx2/BMP-2 signaling pathways and receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) expression by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry. At day 3, LIPUS had no effect on the rat orthodontic tooth movement distance and BMP-2-induced alveolar bone remodeling. However, beginning at day 5 and for the following time points, LIPUS significantly increased orthodontic tooth movement distance and BMP-2 signaling pathway and RANKL expression compared with the control group. The qRT-PCR and Western blot data in vitro and in vivo to study BMP-2 expression were consistent with the immunohistochemistry observations. The present study demonstrates that LIPUS promotes alveolar bone remodeling by stimulating the HGF/Runx2/BMP-2 signaling pathway and RANKL expression in a rat orthodontic tooth movement model, and LIPUS increased BMP-2 expression via Runx2 regulation.
“Good Girls”

Women’s participation in slut shaming is often viewed as internalized oppression: they apply disadvantageous sexual double standards established by men. This perspective grants women little agency and neglects their simultaneous location in other social structures. In this article we synthesize insights from social psychology, gender, and culture to argue that undergraduate women use slut stigma to draw boundaries around status groups linked to social class—while also regulating sexual behavior and gender performance. High-status women employ slut discourse to assert class advantage, defining themselves as classy rather than trashy, while low-status women express class resentment—deriding rich, bitchy sluts for their exclusivity. Slut discourse enables, rather than constrains, sexual experimentation for the high-status women whose definitions prevail in the dominant social scene. This is a form of sexual privilege. In contrast, low-status women risk public shaming when they attempt to enter dominant social worlds.
Migration of retinal cells through a perforated membrane: implications for a high-resolution prosthesis.

PURPOSE One of the critical difficulties in design of a high-resolution retinal implant is the proximity of stimulating electrodes to the target cells. This is a report of a phenomenon of retinal cellular migration into a perforated membrane that may help to address this problem. METHODS Mylar membranes with an array of perforations (3-40 microm in diameter) were used as a substrate for in vitro retinal culture (chicken, rats) and were also transplanted into the subretinal space of adult RCS rats. A membrane was also constructed with a seal on one side to restrict the migration. RESULTS Retinal tissue in vitro grew within 3 days through perforations of greater than 5 microm in diameter when the membranes were positioned on the photoreceptor side, but no migration occurred if the implant was placed on the inner retinal surface. Histology with light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that migrating cells retain neuronal structures for signal transduction. Similar growth of RCS rat retinal cells occurred in vivo within 5 days of implantation. A basal seal kept the migrating tissue within a small membrane compartment. CONCLUSIONS Retinal neurons migrate within a few days into perforations (> 5 microm in diameter) of a membrane placed into the subretinal space. This may provide a means of gaining close proximity between electrodes in a retinal prosthetic chip and target cells, and thus allow a greater density of stimulating elements to subserve higher resolution. Further studies are needed to explore the long-term stability of the retinal migration.
Targeted beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (betaARK1) inhibition by gene transfer in failing human hearts.

BACKGROUND Failing human myocardium is characterized by an attenuated contractile response to beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) stimulation due to changes in this signaling cascade, including increased expression and activity of the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (betaARK1). This leads to desensitization and downregulation of betaARs. Previously, expression of a peptide inhibitor of betaARK1 (betaARKct) has proven beneficial in several animal models of heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS To test the hypothesis that inhibition of betaARK1 could improve beta-adrenergic signaling and contractile function in failing human myocytes, the betaARKct was expressed via adenovirus-mediated (AdbetaARKct) gene transfer in ventricular myocytes isolated from hearts explanted from 10 patients with end-stage HF undergoing cardiac transplantation. AdbetaARKct also contained the marker gene, green fluorescent protein, and successful gene transfer was confirmed via fluorescence and immunoblotting. Compared with uninfected failing myocytes (control), the velocities of both contraction and relaxation in the AdbetaARKct-treated cells were increased in response to the beta-agonist isoproterenol (contraction: 57.5+/-6.6% versus 37.0+/-4.2% shortening per second, P<0.05; relaxation: 43.8+/-5.5% versus 27.5+/-3.9% lengthening per second, P<0.05). Fractional shortening was similarly enhanced (12.2+/-1.2% versus 8.0+/-0.9%, P<0.05). Finally, adenylyl cyclase activity in response to isoproterenol was also increased in AdbetaARKct-treated myocytes. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that as in animal models of HF, expression of the betaARKct can improve contractile function and beta-adrenergic responsiveness in failing human myocytes. Thus, betaARK1 inhibition may represent a therapeutic strategy for human HF.
Effects of input training on second language syntactic representation entrenchment

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of linguistic input training on second language (L2) syntactic representation entrenchment using English subject–verb agreement structures as the stimuli. Methodology: A pre-test/training/first-post/delayed post-test experimental design was adopted. Sixty Chinese (L1)–English (L2) adult learners participated in the experiments and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). In training sessions, EG learned the subject–verb structures, and CG learned other syntactic structures. Data and analysis: Reaction time and comprehension accuracy data were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance. P2 and P3 signified the key positions of the verb and the word immediately following the verb in the experimental sentence, respectively. For example, the reading time indicator was the time for reading the key positions of the example sentence “The book under the newspaper was interesting”. The words “newspaper”, “was”, and “interesting” were marked as P1, P2, and P3, respectively. Findings/conclusions: At pre-test, there was no difference between the EG and the CG in processing the subject–verb agreement structures. After two sessions of intensive training, the first post-test indicated that the EG had significantly longer reading times for the P2 and P3 positions of the ungrammatical sentences than those of the grammatical versions. The CG showed no differences in reading times. At delayed post-test, the EG had significantly longer reading times for the P3 position for all of the ungrammatical sentences than for the grammatical ones. The CG exhibited no differences in reading times. The results indicated both short-term and long-term efficacy of input training and transfer effects of input on representation entrenchment. Originality: In adult L2 syntactic literature, the current study empirically and directly explored the role of input training in entrenching L2 syntactic representation. Significance: The study suggested that input training can entrench representation. These results support the usage-based theory.