Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Twelve-week physical exercise does not have a long-lasting effect on kynurenines in plasma of depressed patients

Background Physical exercise has well-characterized positive effects on depressive symptoms. The underlying biologic mechanisms are, however, far from established. A recently discovered mechanism has linked the enhanced conversion of kynurenine to kynurenic acid (KYNA) to an increased resilience toward stress-induced depression in mice. The aim of this study was to translate these findings to humans. Materials and methods Kynurenine and KYNA levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in plasma samples from 117 patients affected by mild-to-moderate depression before and within a week after a 12-week training period at three different intensities. The patients were part of the Regassa study. Results No differences in plasma levels of kynurenine and KYNA or in their ratio could be detected between before and after training. No effect of the intensity group could be observed. No correlation with the improvement in cardiovascular fitness (Åstrand score) or the improvement in mood (Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score) could be observed. Limitations As the Regassa study is based on an intention-to-treat protocol, the exact time and the exact intensity of the physical exercise are not known. Analyses of pulse data as well as personal interviews, however, were used to control the exercise protocols. Furthermore, the observations reflect chronic changes. Conclusion Physical exercise positively affects mood and cardiovascular fitness, but does not lead to long-lasting changes in plasma levels of kynurenine and KYNA in patients affected by mild-to-moderate depression.
The Relation between Birth Weight and Insulin Resistance in Korean Adolescents

Low birth weight is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in adults. The fetal programming hypothesis has shown that insulin resistance and its associated metabolic disturbances result from a poor gestational environment, for which low birth weight is a surrogate. An at-home questionnaire survey was performed on 660 middle school students (12-15 years) in Seoul, Korea, and 152 cases were randomly selected based on their birth weight. Subjects were divided into three groups according to birth weight. We recorded their birth weight and measured their current anthropometric data, blood pressure, lipid profile, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β, and compared these parameters among the groups. The relation of birth weight to physiological characteristics in adolescence was examined. Systolic blood pressure, lipid profiles, and fasting plasma glucose, HOMA-β were not significantly different among the groups, but diastolic blood pressure was lower in the third tertile. Insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR were higher in the lower birth weight tertile. After adjustment for confounding factors, birth weight was inversely related to diastolic blood pressure, insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR. We conclude that low birth weight may predict the risk of the insulin resistance and its progression over age, and that adequate gestational nutrition is therefore necessary to prevent low birth weight.
IFN-γ and TNF-α Synergize to Inhibit CTGF Expression in Human Lung Endothelial Cells

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is an angiogenetic and profibrotic factor, acting downstream of TGF-β, involved in both airway- and vascular remodeling. While the T-helper 1 (Th1) cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is well characterized as immune-modulatory and anti-fibrotic cytokine, the role of IFN-γ in lung endothelial cells (LEC) is less defined. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is another mediator that drives vascular remodeling in inflammation by influencing CTGF expression. In the present study we investigated the influence of IFN-γ and TNF-α on CTGF expression in human LEC (HPMEC-ST1.6R) and the effect of CTGF knock down on human LEC. IFN-γ and TNF-α down-regulated CTGF in human LEC at the promoter-, transcriptional- and translational-level in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of IFN-γ on CTGF-expression could be almost completely compensated by the Jak inhibitor AG-490, showing the involvement of the Jak-Stat signaling pathway. Besides the inhibitory effect of IFN-γ and TNF-α alone on CTGF expression and LEC proliferation, these cytokines had an additive inhibitory effect on proliferation as well as on CTGF expression when administered together. To study the functional role of CTGF in LEC, endogenous CTGF expression was down-regulated by a lentiviral system. CTGF silencing in LEC by transduction of CTGF shRNA reduced cell proliferation, but did not influence the anti-proliferative effect of IFN-γ and TNF-α. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that CTGF was negatively regulated by IFN-γ in LEC in a Jak/Stat signaling pathway-dependent manner. In addition, an additive effect of IFN-γ and TNF-α on inhibition of CTGF expression and cell proliferation could be found. The inverse correlation between IFN-γ and CTGF expression in LEC could mean that screwing the Th2 response to a Th1 response with an additional IFN-γ production might be beneficial to avoid airway remodeling in asthma.
Market Statistics of a Psychology-Based Heterogeneous Agent Model

We continue an investigation into a class of agent-based market models that are motivated by a psychologically-plausible form of bounded rationality. Some of the agents in an otherwise efficient hypothetical market are endowed with differing tolerances to the tension caused by being in the minority. This herding tendency may be due to purely psychological effects, momentum-trading strategies, or the rational response to perverse marketplace incentives.The resulting model has the important properties of being both very simple and insensitive to its small number of fundamental parameters. While it is most certainly a caricature market, with only boundedly rational traders and the globally available information stream being modeled directly, other market participants and effects are indirectly replicated. We show that all of the most important "stylized facts" of real market statistics are reproduced by this model.Another useful aspect of the model is that, for certain parameter values, it reduces to a standard efficient-market system. This allows us to isolate and observe the effects of particular kinds of non-rationality. To this end, we consider the effects of different asymmetries in agent behavior and show that one in particular leads to skew statistics consistent with those seen in some real financial markets.
Attributions of Trust in Decision Support Technologies: A Study of Recommendation Agents for E-Commerce

As organizations increasingly utilize Web-based technologies to support customers better, trust in decision support technologies has emerged as an important issue in online environments. In this study, we identify six reasons users trust (or do not trust) a technology in the early stages of its use by extending the theories of trust formation in interpersonal and organizational contexts to that of decision support technologies. We study the particular context of decision support technologies for e-commerce: online recommendation agents (RAs), which facilitate users' decision making by providing advice on what to buy based on user-specified needs and preferences. A laboratory experiment is conducted using a multimethod approach to collect data. Both quantitative data about participants' trust in RAs and written protocols that explain the reasons for their levels of trust are collected. A content analysis of the written protocols identifies both positive and negative trust attributions that are then mapped to six trust reasons. A structural equation modeling analysis is employed to test the causal strengths of the trust reasons in explaining participants' trust in RAs. The results reveal that in the early stages of trust formation, four positive reasons (i.e., knowledge-based, interactive, calculative, and dispositional) are associated with higher trust in RAs and two negative reasons (i.e., calculative and interactive) are associated with lower trust in RAs. The results also demonstrate some distinctive features of trust formation with respect to decision support technologies. We discuss the research and practical implications of the findings and describe opportunities for future research.
In-Lab Programming Tests in a Data Structures Course in C for Non-Specialists

This paper reports on our experiences with in-lab programming tests (i.e., using a compiler and IDE) in a large undergraduate data structures course in C for non-specialists. By adding a suite of in-lab programming tests to our regular assessments (midterm, final exam, programming homework, etc.), we expected students to improve significantly in these areas: (1) programming ability as measured by final exam grades on programming-related questions, (2) confidence in programming ability, and (3) contributions/effectiveness in pair programming partnerships. Goal (1) was not met. Although Goal (2) was met, improved confidence did not translate into improved performance. Goal (3) was partially met. We present data gathered from in-lab programming test assessments, final exam programming assessments, and post-course surveys, including a two-year follow-up survey.
Effects of early afterdepolarizations on ventricular tachycardia in human heart

Experimental studies suggest EADs may occur at rapid heart rates as a consequence of tachyarrhythmias. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between EAD and rapid reentrant excitation waves and assess its effects with electrocardiogram (ECG). The simulation results indicated that, at the cellular level, reduced repolarization reserve contributed to action potential duration (APD) prolongation (ENDO: 302ms vs. 402ms, MIDDLE: 414ms vs.>1000ms, EPI: 298ms vs. 397ms) and genesis of EADs only in MIDDLE cells. In the 3D model, EADs caused drift of rapid rotors. Multiple focal excitations arising from EADs kept regeneration of reentrant excitation waves by breaking excitation wave fronts. ECGs presented periodic features with stable reentry in control condition, but degenerated into irregular and complex patterns in EADs condition. The simulation results demonstrate that MIDDLE cells are prone to genesis of EADs at rapid heart rates, which plays an important role in degenerating ventricular tachycardia into ventricular fibrillation.
Genetic Regulation of Growth in Height and Weight from 3 to 12 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Study of Dutch Twin Children

Abstract Human growth is a complex and poorly understood process. We studied the effect of genetic and environmental factors on height and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) based on maternal reports at 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 12 years of age in a large longitudinal cohort of Dutch twins (7755 complete twin pairs at age 3). Several multivariate variance component models for twins were fitted to the data using the Mx statistical package. The first-born twin was taller until age 10 and heavier until age 12 than the second-born co-twin. Heritability estimates were high for height (a2 = .58–.91) and BMI (a2 = .31–.82), but common and unshared environmental factors were also important. The phenotypic correlations across the ages for height and BMI were mainly explained by correlated additive genetic factors (ra = .77–.96 for height and .43–.92 for BMI), but common (rc = .40–.84 and .09–.78, respectively) and specific environmental correlations (re = .50–.81 and .42–.80, respectively) were also significant. Additive genetic factors decreased with increasing age difference for both height and BMI. However, the full Cholesky model, which does not make any assumptions regarding the underlying genetic structure, had the best fit. High genetic correlations across the ages, especially for height, may help further molecular genetic studies of human growth. Environmental factors affecting height and BMI during growth period are also important, and further studies are needed to identify these factors and test whether they interact with genetic factors.
Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Brain Network Topology during the First Two Years of Life

The mature brain features high wiring efficiency for information transfer. However, the emerging process of such an efficient topology remains elusive. With resting state functional MRI and a large cohort of normal pediatric subjects (n = 147) imaged during a critical time period of brain development, 3 wk- to 2 yr-old, the temporal and spatial evolution of brain network topology is revealed. The brain possesses the small world topology immediately after birth, followed by a remarkable improvement in whole brain wiring efficiency in 1 yr olds and becomes more stable in 2 yr olds. Regional developments of brain wiring efficiency and the evolution of functional hubs suggest differential development trend for primary and higher order cognitive functions during the first two years of life. Simulations of random errors and targeted attacks reveal an age-dependent improvement of resilience. The lower resilience to targeted attack observed in 3 wk old group is likely due to the fact that there are fewer well-established long-distance functional connections at this age whose elimination might have more profound implications in the overall efficiency of information transfer. Overall, our results offer new insights into the temporal and spatial evolution of brain topology during early brain development.
Vision-based attention in maritime environments

This paper presents a saliency inspired visual attention technique for maritime scenes. The main focus is on finding regions in images which there is a high likelihood of a maritime object being present. Experimentation has shown that many regional and global features are required because no single feature can reliably detect these objects. Examples of the features used are right angle corner detectors, edge density, and colour difference. A Gaussian classifier has been used to produce an Attention Map of pixel responses. Experiments using ground truthed images show the technique is effective on a large set of images of maritime scenes and is better at detecting maritime objects than existing generic salient detectors.
Dark energy constraints from cosmic shear power spectra: impact of intrinsic alignments on photometric redshift requirements

Cosmic shear constrains cosmology by exploiting the apparent alignments of pairs of galaxies due to gravitational lensing by intervening mass clumps. However, galaxies may become (intrinsically) aligned with each other, and with nearby mass clumps, during their formation. This effect needs to be disentangled from the cosmic shear signal to place constraints on cosmology. We use the linear intrinsic alignment model as a base and compare it to an alternative model and data. If intrinsic alignments are ignored then the dark energy equation of state is biased by ∼50%. We examine how the number of tomographic redshift bins affects uncertainties on cosmological parameters and find that when intrinsic alignments are included two or more times as many bins are required to obtain 80% of the available information. We investigate how the degradation in the dark energy figure of merit depends on the photometric redshift scatter. Previous studies have shown that lensing does not place stringent requirements on the photometric redshift uncertainty, so long as the uncertainty is well known. However, if intrinsic alignments are included the requirements become a factor of three tighter. These results are quite insensitive to the fraction of catastrophic outliers, assuming that this fraction is well known. We show the effect of uncertainties in photometric redshift bias and scatter. Finally, we quantify how priors on the intrinsic alignment model would improve dark energy constraints.
The Effect of Mini-PEG-Based Spacer Length on Binding and Pharmacokinetic Properties of a 68Ga-Labeled NOTA-Conjugated Antagonistic Analog of Bombesin

The overexpression of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) in cancer can be used for peptide-receptor mediated radionuclide imaging and therapy. We have previously shown that an antagonist analog of bombesin RM26 conjugated to 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N',N''-triacetic acid (NOTA) via a diethyleneglycol (PEG2) spacer (NOTA-PEG2-RM26) and labeled with 68Ga can be used for imaging of GRPR-expressing tumors. In this study, we evaluated if a variation of mini-PEG spacer length can be used for optimization of targeting properties of the NOTA-conjugated RM26. A series of analogs with different PEG-length (n = 2, 3, 4, 6) was synthesized, radiolabeled and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The IC50 values of natGa-NOTA-PEGn-RM26 (n = 2, 3, 4, 6) were 3.1 ± 0.2, 3.9 ± 0.3, 5.4 ± 0.4 and 5.8 ± 0.3 nM, respectively. In normal mice all conjugates demonstrated similar biodistribution pattern, however 68Ga-NOTA-PEG3-RM26 showed lower liver uptake. Biodistribution of 68Ga-NOTA-PEG3-RM26 was evaluated in nude mice bearing PC-3 (prostate cancer) and BT-474 (breast cancer) xenografts. High uptake in tumors (4.6 ± 0.6%ID/g and 2.8 ± 0.4%ID/g for PC-3 and BT-474 xenografts, respectively) and high tumor-to-background ratios (tumor/blood of 44 ± 12 and 42 ± 5 for PC-3 and BT-474 xenografts, respectively) were found already at 2 h p.i. of 68Ga-NOTA-PEG3-RM26. Results of this study suggest that variation in the length of the PEG spacer can be used for optimization of targeting properties of peptide-chelator conjugates. However, the influence of the mini-PEG length on biodistribution is minor when di-, tri-, tetra- and hexaethylene glycol are compared.
A multilingual and multimodal approach to literacy teaching and learning in urban education: a collaborative inquiry project in an inner city elementary school

This paper presents findings from a collaborative inquiry project that explored teaching approaches that highlight the significance of multilingualism, multimodality, and multiliteracies in classrooms with high numbers of English language learners (ELLs). The research took place in an inner city elementary school with a large population of recently arrived and Canadian-born linguistically and culturally diverse students from Gambian, Indian, Mexican, Sri Lankan, Tibetan and Vietnamese backgrounds, as well as a recent wave of Roma students from Hungary. A high number of these students were from families with low-SES. The collaboration between two Grade 3 teachers and university-based researchers sought to create instructional approaches that would support students’ academic engagement and literacy learning. In this paper, we described one of the projects that took place in this class, exploring how a descriptive writing unit could be implemented in a way that connected with students’ lives and enabled them to use their home languages, through the creation of multiple texts, using creative writing, digital technologies, and drama pedagogy. This kind of multilingual and multimodal classroom practice changed the classroom dynamics and allowed the students access to identity positions of expertise, increasing their literacy investment, literacy engagement and learning.
Bursting Your Balloon: Examining Differences in Self-Other Decision Making Using the BART Task

Making risky decisions for oneself and the role affect play in that process has been extensively studied. In contrast however, little is known about the process of risky decision making on behalf of others. This thesis explores risky decision making, whether making risky decisions for others differs from making them for oneself, and if so how. Furthermore, it examines if positive and negative affect differentially affect decision making for others versus oneself. Participants were 37 undergraduate psychology students. Age ranged from 21 to 38 years (M = 24.46, SD =3.83), 32 were female and 5 were male. Participants were randomly assigned conditions. They either had to make decisions for themselves or to make decisions for a nonspecific family member. Decisions were measured using the BART task and positive and negative affect was assessed with the PANAS scale. The results showed that there was no difference between groups regarding decision making. Positive affect was associated with increased risk but negative affect was unrelated to risky decision making. Finally, affect did not differentially affect decision making for others versus oneself. Future studies should use a more holistic approach to further our understanding of decision making as a whole.
Scheduled announcements and volatility patterns: the effects of monetary policy committee announcements on LIBOR and short sterling futures and options

Both the UK spot and futures markets in short term interest rates are found to react strongly to surprises in the scheduled announcements of the repo rate and RPI. Therefore these announcements should also affect the market for options on short term interest rates. Because the repo rate and RPI announcements are scheduled, the options market can predict the days on which announcement shocks may hit, and build this information into its volatility expectations.
Lessons learned in evaluating the Familias Fuertes program in three countries in Latin America.

This report describes 1) the evaluation of the Familias Fuertes primary prevention program in three countries (Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador) and 2) the effect of program participation on parenting practices. Familias Fuertes was implemented in Bolivia (10 groups, 96 parents), Colombia (12 groups, 173 parents), and Ecuador (five groups, 42 parents) to prevent the initiation and reduce the prevalence of health-compromising behaviors among adolescents by strengthening family relationships and enhancing parenting skills. The program consists of seven group sessions (for 6-12 families) designed for parents/caregivers and their 10-14-year-old child. Parents/caregivers answered a survey before the first session and at the completion of the program. The survey measured two important mediating constructs: "positive parenting" and "parental hostility. " The Pan American Health Organization provided training for facilitators. After the program, parents/caregivers from all three countries reported significantly higher mean scores for "positive parenting" and significantly lower mean scores for "parental hostility" than at the pre-test. "Positive parenting" practices paired with low "parental hostility" are fundamental to strengthening the relationship between parents/caregivers and the children and reducing adolescents' health-compromising behaviors. More research is needed to examine the long-term impact of the program on adolescent behaviors.