Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intermanual Differences in Movement-related Interhemispheric Inhibition

Interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) between motor cortical areas is thought to play a critical role in motor control and could influence manual dexterity. The purpose of this study was to investigate IHI preceding movements of the dominant and nondominant hands of healthy volunteers. Movement-related IHI was studied by means of a double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol in right-handed individuals in a simple reaction time paradigm. IHI targeting the motor cortex contralateral (IHIc) and ipsilateral (IHIi) to each moving finger was determined. IHIc was comparable after the go signal, a long time preceding movement onset, in both hands. Closer to movement onset, IHIc reversed into facilitation for the right dominant hand but remained inhibitory for left nondominant hand movements. IHIi displayed a nearly constant inhibition with a trough early in the premovement period in both hands. In conclusion, our results unveil a more important modulation of interhemispheric interactions during generation of dominant than nondominant hand movements. This modulation essentially consisted of a shift from a balanced IHI at rest to an IHI predominantly directed toward the ipsilateral primary motor cortex at movement onset. Such a mechanism might release muscles from inhibition in the contralateral primary motor cortex while preventing the occurrence of the mirror activity in ipsilateral primary motor cortex and could therefore contribute to intermanual differences in dexterity.
Prospective cohort study in high responder oocyte donors using two hormonal stimulation protocols: impact on embryo aneuploidy and development.

BACKGROUND Ovarian stimulation regimens for in vitro fertilization seem to have a deleterious effect on oocyte quality and embryo aneuploidy in a dose-dependent manner. This study aims to test the influence of gonadotrophin doses on embryo aneuploidy rates. METHODS A total of 32 young oocyte donors with a high response to ovarian stimulation, were included in the study. Two subsequent stimulation treatments were performed in each donor: first, a standard dose cycle using a 225 IU starting dose of recombinant FSH (r-FSH) and secondly, a reduced dose cycle with a starting dose of 150 IU r-FSH. In both cycles, GnRH agonist co-treatment was used for down-regulation. Ovarian response, embryo development and aneuploidy for chromosomes 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, X and Y were the main outcomes of the study. RESULTS A total of 22 donors completed both treatments with different gonadotrophin doses. In the remaining 10 donors, the reduced dose cycle was cancelled due to low ovarian response. In those donors who completed both regimens, significant increases in rates of fertilization and chromosomally normal blastocysts were observed in the reduced dose cycle. No differences were observed in pregnancy and implantation rates in recipients who received oocytes from standard and reduced doses cycles. CONCLUSIONS Despite the limited numbers in our study, we can conclude that in high responder donors, a decrease in the gonadotrophin dose could improve fertilization rates and embryo quality. However, due to the reduced oocyte numbers with lower doses, a similar reproductive outcome in terms of live births would be expected.
University of Birmingham A single aromatic residue in transcriptional repressor protein KorA is critical for cooperativity with its co-regulator KorB.

Summary A central feature of broad host range IncP-1 plasmids is the set of regulatory circuits that tightly control plasmid core functions under steady-state conditions. Cooperativity between KorB and either KorA or TrbA repressor proteins is a key element of these circuits and deletion analysis has implicated the conserved C-terminal domain of KorAand TrbAin this interaction. By NMR we show that KorA and KorB interact directly and identify KorA amino acids that are affected on KorB binding. Studies on mutants showed that tyrosine 84 (or phenylalanine, in some alleles) is dispensable for repressor activity but critical for the spe-ciﬁc interaction with KorB in both in vivo reporter gene assays and in vitro electrophoretic mobility shift and co-puriﬁcation assays. This conﬁrms that direct and speciﬁc protein–protein interactions are responsible for the cooperativity observed between KorB and its corepressors and lays the basis for determining the biological importance of this cooperativity.
Generalising tractable VCSPs defined by symmetric tournament pair multimorphisms

We study optimisation problems that can be formulated as valued constraint satisfaction problems (VCSP). A problem from VCSP is characterised by a \emph{constraint language}, a fixed set of cost functions taking finite and infinite costs over a finite domain. An instance of the problem is specified by a sum of cost functions from the language and the goal is to minimise the sum. We are interested in \emph{tractable} constraint languages; that is, languages that give rise to VCSP instances solvable in polynomial time. Cohen et al. (AIJ'06) have shown that constraint languages that admit the MJN multimorphism are tractable. Moreover, using a minimisation algorithm for submodular functions, Cohen et al. (TCS'08) have shown that constraint languages that admit an STP (symmetric tournament pair) multimorphism are tractable. We generalise these results by showing that languages admitting the MJN multimorphism on a subdomain and an STP multimorphisms on the complement of the subdomain are tractable. The algorithm is a reduction to the algorithm for languages admitting an STP multimorphism.
Assessment of Quality of Life of Women with Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in 145 countries worldwide, and the success of healthcare for women with this disease is measured with the quality of life of survivors. The aim of this study was to examine how the breast cancer affects the quality of life and in what dimension of health quality of life is the least accomplished. Method: A pilot research had been performed in the period from June 10 to August 15 2011, on 100 women from Association of women with breast cancer “Iskra” in Banja Luka, aged 20-75. The survey research was based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0 and questionnaire for assessment of quality of life of those suffering from breast cancer QLQ-BR23 with 53 questions in total. Results: The average age of women in research was 51.8 years (±11.23). Statistically important differences (χ24=221.941; p<0.01) are higher mean values of the score for the functional scale, (66.32±17.82) cognitive functions (63.50±28.00) in relation to functional role (46.83±20.88), social (37.00±27.58) and emotional (36.58 ±25.15) functioning. Mean values of the score for the symptoms scale were statistically higher for symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia and pain in relation to other symptoms. Mean values of the score for body image scale are statistically higher in relation to mean values of the score of sexual functions and enjoyment scale, and the scale for grading the future perspectives. Conclusion: Breast cancer affects all the domains of the quality of life, and in our population it is the most prominent in domains of emotional and social functions, as well as role functions. Symptoms of fatigue, insomnia and pain have the most importance influence on these domains.
The Mass-Temperature Relation of 22 Nearby Clusters

We present a new investigation of the mass-temperature (Mtot-TX) relation of 22 nearby clusters based on the analysis of their ROSAT X-ray surface brightness profiles (SX ) and their ASCA emission-weighted temperatures. Two methods of the cluster mass estimations are employed and their results are compared: (1) the conventional β-model for gas distribution along with the isothermal and hydrostatic equilibrium assumptions, and (2) the NFW profile for dark matter distribution whose characteristic density and length are determined by the observed SX(r). These two models yield essentially the same goodness of fits for SX(r) and the similar Mtot-TX relations, with the latter demonstrating a significant departure from the simple gravitational scaling of Mtot ∝ T. It is also shown that the best-fit Mtot-TX relations could be reconciled with the theoretical expectation if the low-temperature clusters (TX < 3.5 keV) are excluded from the list, which lends support to the scenario that the intracluster medium is preheated in the early phase of cluster formation. Together with the entropy-temperature distribution, the existence of a similarity break at TX = 3-4 keV in the dynamical scaling relations for galaxy clusters has been confirmed.
Persistence of Asthmatic Response after Ammonium Persulfate-Induced Occupational Asthma in Mice

Introduction Since persulfate salts are an important cause of occupational asthma (OA), we aimed to study the persistence of respiratory symptoms after a single exposure to ammonium persulfate (AP) in AP-sensitized mice. Material and Methods BALB/c mice received dermal applications of AP or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on days 1 and 8. On day 15, they received a single nasal instillation of AP or saline. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was assessed using methacholine provocation, while pulmonary inflammation was evaluated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), IgG1 and IgG2a were measured in blood at 1, 4, 8, 24 hours and 4, 8, 15 days after the single exposure to the causal agent. Histological studies of lungs were assessed. Results AP-treated mice showed a sustained increase in AHR, lasting up to 4 days after the challenge. There was a significant increase in the percentage of neutrophils 8 hours after the challenge, which persisted for 24 hours in AP-treated mice. The extent of airway inflammation was also seen in the histological analysis of the lungs from challenged mice. Slight increases in total serum IgE 4 days after the challenge were found, while IgG gradually increased further 4 to 15 days after the AP challenge in AP-sensitized mice. Conclusions In AP-sensitized mice, an Ig-independent response is induced after AP challenge. AHR appears immediately, but airway neutrophil inflammation appears later. This response decreases in time; at early stages only respiratory and inflammatory responses decrease, but later on immunological response decreases as well.
Analysis of the traffic on the gnutella network

The Gnutella network is an overlay network developed as a peer−to−peer file sharing system which uses the Gnutella protocol. The Gnutella network was designed by Nullsoft in 1999 and has quickly grown in popularity since its release. Unfortunately this growth has occurred rapidly and haphazardly and there has been little research done into the performance and workload characteristics of Gnutella. This paper describes some initial analysis of the traffic on the Gnutella network.
The bright galaxy population of five medium redshift clusters. I. Color-magnitude relation, blue fra

Aims. Using data from five clusters of galaxies within the redshift range 0.15 ≤ z ≤ 0.25, imaged with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) in the central ≈ 1M pc 2 in very good seeing conditions, we have performed an exhaustive inspection of their bright galaxy population. That range of redshift, where only a small amount of data with the required resolution and quality is available, is particularly important for the understanding of the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies. Methods. We have inspected the color−magnitude relation (CMR) for those clusters and measured the blue fraction of galaxies in their cores to check for evidence of evolution as found in other works. Visual classification of the galaxy morphology has been performed and the morphology-radius relation examined. Results. We have not found signs of evolution either in the slope of the CMR or in the blue fraction of galaxies. A diversity of situations regarding those parameters and in the morphological mixing has been noticed, with two out of five clusters containing a dominant late-type core population. The cluster A1878 stands out as some of its properties differ from those of the other clusters in the sample. Conclusions. No clear signs of evolution appear in our analysis. The data support the view that the morphology and the stellar content of the galaxies in our clusters already have been settled at z ∼ 0.2. Only the fraction of interacting galaxies in the clusters appear to be larger than in clusters like Coma, although the number of clusters in the sample is too small to give a definitive conclusion.
Prevalence and perception of following too close in Queensland

This paper reports on a three year multidisciplinary research project for Motor Accident Insurance Commission investigating the relationship between rear-end crashes and unsafe car-following behaviours in Queensland. The methodology combined on-road data collection, crash data and self-report behavioural data. On-road measurements (3 million data-points) confirmed that tailgating is a major contributor to rear-end crashes. Results from the community survey (N=495) indicated that most drivers expressed the belief that they are keeping safe distances. However, objective measurements from the larger on-road analysis showed that this is generally not the case. Our findings and the policy implications will be discussed in detail.
Trait adaptation promotes species coexistence in diverse predator and prey communities

Abstract Species can adjust their traits in response to selection which may strongly influence species coexistence. Nevertheless, current theory mainly assumes distinct and time‐invariant trait values. We examined the combined effects of the range and the speed of trait adaptation on species coexistence using an innovative multispecies predator–prey model. It allows for temporal trait changes of all predator and prey species and thus simultaneous coadaptation within and among trophic levels. We show that very small or slow trait adaptation did not facilitate coexistence because the stabilizing niche differences were not sufficient to offset the fitness differences. In contrast, sufficiently large and fast trait adaptation jointly promoted stable or neutrally stable species coexistence. Continuous trait adjustments in response to selection enabled a temporally variable convergence and divergence of species traits; that is, species became temporally more similar (neutral theory) or dissimilar (niche theory) depending on the selection pressure, resulting over time in a balance between niche differences stabilizing coexistence and fitness differences promoting competitive exclusion. Furthermore, coadaptation allowed prey and predator species to cluster into different functional groups. This equalized the fitness of similar species while maintaining sufficient niche differences among functionally different species delaying or preventing competitive exclusion. In contrast to previous studies, the emergent feedback between biomass and trait dynamics enabled supersaturated coexistence for a broad range of potential trait adaptation and parameters. We conclude that accounting for trait adaptation may explain stable and supersaturated species coexistence for a broad range of environmental conditions in natural systems when the absence of such adaptive changes would preclude it. Small trait changes, coincident with those that may occur within many natural populations, greatly enlarged the number of coexisting species.
miR-140 Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Targeting Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNA molecules that play important roles in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the roles and mechanisms of miR-140 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We found that miR-140 is significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that miR-140 suppresses NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Importantly, overexpression of miR-140 effectively repressed tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse models. Integrated analysis identified IGF1R as a direct and functional target of miR-140. Knockdown of IGF1R inhibited cell proliferation and invasion resembling that of miR-140 overexpression, while overexpression of IGF1R attenuated the function of miR-140 in NSCLC cells. Together, our results highlight the significance of miR-140 and IGF1R in the development and progression of NSCLC.
Pentoxifylline decreases serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein in hemodialysis patients: results of a randomized double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

AIM The aim of this study was to compare the effect of pentoxifylline versus placebo on serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) of hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS This is a randomized double-blind, controlled clinical trial. HD patients without infection or drugs with anti-inflammatory effect were randomly allocated to a study (n = 18, pentoxifylline 400 mg/day) or control (n = 18, placebo) group; all patients had arteriovenous fistula. Besides clinical and laboratory monthly assessments, serum TNF-α and IL-6 (ELISA) and CRP (nephelometry) were measured at 0, 2 and 4 months. RESULTS All the inflammation markers significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the pentoxifylline group: TNF-α [baseline 0.4 (0-2) versus final 0 (0-0) pg/mL], IL-6 [baseline 9.4 (5-14) versus final 2.9 (2-5) pg/mL] and CRP [baseline 7.1 (3-20) versus final 2.6 (1-8) mg/L], whereas no significant changes were observed in the placebo group: TNF-α [baseline 0 (0-0) versus final 1.2 (0-4) pg/mL], IL-6 [baseline 8.0 (5-11) versus final 8.7 (4-11) pg/mL] and CRP [baseline 4.5 (2-9) versus final 3.8 (3-23) mg/L]. CONCLUSIONS Pentoxifylline significantly decreased serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP compared to placebo. Pentoxifylline could be a promising and useful strategy to reduce the systemic inflammation frequently observed in patients on HD.
Acute effect of inhaled bradykinin on tracheobronchial clearance in normal humans.

BACKGROUND: Bradykinin, a nonapeptide that contributes as a mediator to the pathogenesis of asthma, may affect lung mucociliary clearance, as it has been shown to be a potent secretagogue in canine airways and in human nasal mucosa in vivo. To evaluate this possibility the effect of inhaled bradykinin on mucociliary clearance has been studied in 10 healthy volunteers. METHODS: Subjects attended the laboratory on two occasions to take part in tracheobronchial clearance studies using a non-invasive radioisotopic technique. Inhalation of radioaerosol was followed 30 minutes later by inhalation of either bradykinin (8 mg/ml) or vehicle placebo in a randomised, double blind fashion. After each inhalation the number of coughs was recorded. Whole lung radioactivity was measured every half hour for six hours with two collimated scintillation counters, and a tracheobronchial clearance curve was plotted for each subject on each occasion. RESULTS: Mucociliary clearance, expressed as the area under the tracheobronchial radioaerosol retention curve calculated for the first six hours (AUC0-6h), was greater in nine out of 10 subjects after inhalation of bradykinin than after placebo. The median values (range) for AUC0-6h were significantly reduced from 126% (78-232%)/h with placebo to 87% (51-133%)/h with bradykinin. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that acute exposure to inhaled bradykinin accelerates tracheobronchial clearance in normal human airways.
A Unique Role of GATA1s in Down Syndrome Acute Megakaryocytic Leukemia Biology and Therapy

Background Acute megakaryocytic leukemia (AMkL) in Down syndrome (DS) children is uniformly associated with somatic GATA1 mutations, which result in the synthesis of a shorter protein (GATA1s) with altered transactivation activity compared to the wild-type GATA1. It is not fully established whether leukemogenesis and therapeutic responses in DS AMkL patients are due to loss of the wild-type GATA1 or due to a unique function of GATA1s. Methodology Stable clones of CMK cells with decreased GATA1s or Bcl-2 levels were generated by using GATA1- or BCL-2-specific lentivirus shRNAs. In vitro ara-C, daunorubicin, and VP-16 cytotoxicities of the shRNA stable clones were determined by using the Cell Titer-blue reagent. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Changes in gene transcript levels were determined by gene expression microarray and/or real-time RT-PCR. Changes in protein levels were measured by Western blotting. In vivo binding of GATA1s to IL1A promoter was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Results Lentivirus shRNA knockdown of the GATA1 gene in the DS AMkL cell line, CMK (harbors a mutated GATA1 gene and only expresses GATA1s), resulting in lower GATA1s protein levels, promoted cell differentiation towards the megakaryocytic lineage and repressed cell proliferation. Increased basal apoptosis and sensitivities to ara-C, daunorubicin, and VP-16 accompanied by down-regulated Bcl-2 were also detected in the CMK GATA1 shRNA knockdown clones. Essentially the same results were obtained when Bcl-2 was knocked down with lentivirus shRNA in CMK cells. Besides Bcl-2, down-regulation of GATA1s also resulted in altered expression of genes (e.g., IL1A, PF4, and TUBB1) related to cell death, proliferation, and differentiation. Conclusion Our results suggest that GATA1s may facilitate leukemogenesis and potentially impact therapeutic responses in DS AMkL by promoting proliferation and survival, and by repressing megakaryocytic lineage differentiation, potentially by regulating expression of Bcl-2 protein and other relevant genes.
a Ressignificação do tRabalho aRtesanal como estRatégia paRa a RepRodução de Relações desiguais de podeR

En los albores del siglo XXI, una actividad tan antigua como la artesania ha sido el objetivo de los incentivos economicos del Estado y de las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONGs) que operan en Brasil. Medidas de intervencion adoptadas por organizaciones como el Servicio Brasileno de Apoyo a las Micro y Pequenas Empresas (Sebrae), tiene como objetivo transformar la produccion de artesania brasilena en una actividad generadora de empleo e ingresos, vinculados a los circuitos internacionales de consumo y/o actividad turistica. Al examinar las propuestas que subyacen a este tipo de intervenciones, es notorio un discurso que ressignifica la artesania y la identidad artesanal, a traves incentivo de la accion empreendedora y el enfasis en la gestion y en la urgente necesidad de imponer los estandares de la artesania de la competitividad inherente a la economia capitalista. Pero los nuevos artesanos-empreendedores tienen en la redefinicion de su actividad la aparicion de una integracion social que no se materializa. Debido a que los procesos de intervencion que se han replanteado la produccion artesanal de Brasil, se observa cierta perdida de rasgos materiales y simbolicos que son peculiares a las caracteristicas artesanales, que culmino con la naturalizacion de la ideologia del empreendedorismo como un modelo para la configuracion de la artesania. En este contexto, lo que ocurre es la mera incorporacion de mas y mas personas atrapadas en el sistema-mundo que alimenta la matriz del poder capitalista moderno/colonial. Y este proceso, que hace hincapie en la empresarizacion de la artesania, tanto trivializa como opera la idea del desarrollo como sinonimo de expansion de la capacidad de consumo. La logica detras de esta ideologia es la idea de que la proclamada libertad que seria inherente a la politica neoliberal esta radicada en el potencial consumo individual. La mercantilizacion cierra un ciclo que en ultima instancia, eliminar la autonomia del artesano, lo elimina de una perspectiva emancipadora y reproduce una situacion de dependencia en la que no hay perspectivas de cambio. La inclusion social es un eufemismo para la incorporacion de nuevos consumidores en el mercado de masas.