Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathway-based association analysis of genome-wide screening data suggest that genes associated with the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid receptor signaling pathway are involved in neuroleptic-induced, treatment-resistant tardive dyskinesia

Objective Neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia (TD) is an involuntary movement disorder that develops in patients who have undergone long-term treatment with antipsychotic medications, and its etiology is unclear. In this study, a genome-wide association screening was done to identify the pathway(s) in which genetic variations influence susceptibility to neuroleptic-induced TD. Methods Screening with Sentrix Human-1 Genotyping BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, California, USA) was done for 50 Japanese schizophrenia patients with treatment-resistant TD and 50 Japanese schizophrenia patients without TD. A total of 40 573 single nucleotide polymorphisms that were not in linkage disequilibrium with each other and were located in the exonic and intronic regions of 13 307 genes were analyzed. After gene-based corrections, P values for allelic associations were subjected to canonical pathway-based analyses with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software (Ingenuity Systems, Inc., Redwood City, California, USA). Results Eight genes (ABAT, ALDH9A1, GABRA3, GABRA4, GABRB2, GABRAG3, GPHN, and SLC6A11) contained polymorphisms with gene-based corrected allelic P values of less than 0.05. They were aggregated significantly in 33 genes belonging to the &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor signaling pathway (P=0.00007, corrected P=0.01). Associations were replicated in an independent sample of 36 patients with TD and 136 patients without TD for polymorphisms in SLC6A11 (GABA transporter 3) (P=0.0004 in the total sample), GABRB2 (&bgr;-2 subunit of GABA-A receptor) (P=0.00007 in the total sample), and GABRG3 (&ggr;-3 subunit of GABA-A receptor) (P=0.0006 in the total sample). Conclusion The results suggest that the GABA receptor signaling pathway may be involved in genetic susceptibility to treatment-resistant TD, at least in a subgroup of Japanese patients with schizophrenia. The present results suggest that benzodiazepines may be considered as possible treatment option for TD.
Generalized Classication-bas ed Approximate Policy Iteration

Classication-bas ed approximate policy iteration is very useful when the optimal policy is easier to represent and learn than the optimal value function. We theoretically analyze a general algorithm of this type. The analysis extends existing work by allowing the policy evaluation to be performed by any reinforcement learning algorithm, by handling nonparametric representations of policies, and by providing tighter convergence bounds. A small illustration shows that this approach can be faster than purely value-based methods.
Bluetongue Virus Targets Conventional Dendritic Cells in Skin Lymph

ABSTRACT Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the etiological agent of bluetongue, a hemorrhagic disease of ruminants (particularly sheep), which causes important economic losses around the world. BTV is transmitted primarily via the bites of infected midges, which inject the virus into the ruminant's skin during blood feeding. The virus initially replicates in the draining lymph node and then disseminates to secondary organs where it induces edema, hemorrhages, and necrosis. In this study, we show that ovine conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are the primary targets of BTV that contribute to the primary dissemination of BTV from the skin to draining lymph nodes. Lymph cDCs support BTV RNA and protein synthesis, as well as the production of infectious virus belonging to several different BTV serotypes, regardless of their level of attenuation. Afferent lymph cell subsets, other than cDCs, showed only marginal levels of BTV protein expression. BTV infection provoked a massive recruitment of cDCs to the sheep skin and afferent lymph, providing cellular targets for infection. Although BTV productively infects cDCs, no negative impact on their physiology was detected. Indeed, BTV infection and protein expression in cDCs enhanced their survival rate. Several serotypes of BTV stimulated the surface expression of the CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules on cDCs as well as the mRNA synthesis of cytokines involved in inflammation and immunity, i.e., interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-1β, and IL-6. BTV-infected cDCs stimulated antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 proliferation as well as gamma interferon production. BTV initially targets cDCs while preserving their functional properties, reflecting the optimal adaptation of the virus to its host cells for its first spread.
Looking to the Future: New Agents for Chronic Hepatitis B

New antiviral agents are currently being developed to treat patients with chronic hepatitis B. Both pegylated interferon alfa-2a and entecavir are now approved for the treatment of hepatitis B while telbivudine, tenofovir, emtricitabine, and pegylated interferon alfa-2b are in clinical development. Successive advances have resulted in more profound suppression of hepatitis B replication, a reduction in breakthrough resistance, and an increase in the frequency of attainment of virologic, serologic, biochemical, and histologic clinical endpoints.
An Unexpected Location of the Arginine Catabolic Mobile Element (ACME) in a USA300-Related MRSA Strain

In methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) was initially described in USA300 (t008-ST8) where it is located downstream of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). A common health-care associated MRSA in Copenhagen, Denmark (t024-ST8) is clonally related to USA300 and is frequently PCR positive for the ACME specific arcA-gene. This study is the first to describe an ACME element upstream of the SCCmec in MRSA. By traditional SCCmec typing schemes, the SCCmec of t024-ST8 strain M1 carries SCCmec IVa, but full sequencing of the cassette revealed that the entire J3 region had no homology to published SCCmec IVa. Within the J3 region of M1 was a 1705 bp sequence only similar to a sequence in S. haemolyticus strain JCSC1435 and 2941 bps with no homology found in GenBank. In addition to the usual direct repeats (DR) at each extremity of SCCmec, M1 had two new DR between the orfX gene and the J3 region of the SCCmec. The region between the orfX DR (DR1) and DR2 contained the ccrAB4 genes. An ACME II-like element was located between DR2 and DR3. The entire 26,468 bp sequence between DR1 and DR3 was highly similar to parts of the ACME composite island of S. epidermidis strain ATCC12228. Sequencing of an ACME negative t024-ST8 strain (M299) showed that DR1 and the sequence between DR1 and DR3 was missing. The finding of a mobile ACME II-like element inserted downstream of orfX and upstream of SCCmec indicates a novel recombination between staphylococcal species.
Interaction cloning of NS1-I, a human protein that binds to the nonstructural NS1 proteins of influenza A and B viruses

The yeast interaction trap system was used to identify, NS1-I (for NS1 interactor), which is a human protein that binds to the nonstructural NS1 protein of the influenza A virus. NS1-I is a human homolog of the porcine 17beta-estradiol dehydrogenase precursor protein, to which it is 84% identical. We detected only one NS1-I mRNA species, of about 3.0 kb, in HeLa cells, and the NS1-I cDNA was found to have a coding capacity for a 79.6-kDa protein. However, immunoblot analysis detected predominantly a 55-kDa protein in human cells, suggesting that NS1-I, like the porcine 17beta-estradiol dehydrogenase, is posttranslationally processed. Using an in vitro coprecipitation assay, we showed that NS1-I interacts with NS1 proteins from extracts of cells infected with five different influenza A virus strains as well as with the NS1 of an influenza B virus. The fact that influenza A and influenza B virus NS1 proteins bind to NS1-I suggests that this cellular protein plays a role in the influenza virus life cycle.
Five Families: Mexican Case Studies in the Culture of Poverty

* Introduction by Margaret Mead * Foreword by Oliver La Farge * The Setting * A Day in a Mexican Village: The Martnez Family * The Casa Grande: The Gmez Family * Street of the Bakers: The Gutirrez Family * On the Edge of Mexico City: The Snchez Family * Lomas de Chapultepec: The Castro Family
Generative Structure Learning for Markov Logic Networks Based on Graph of Predicates

In this paper we present a new algorithm for generatively learning the structure of Markov Logic Networks. This algorithm relies on a graph of predicates, which summarizes the links existing between predicates and on relational information between ground atoms in the training database. Candidate clauses are produced by means of a heuristical variabilization technique. According to our first experiments, this approach appears to be promising.
The evolution of the dust temperatures of galaxies in the SFR–M∗ plane up to z ~ 2

We study the evolution of the dust temperature of galaxies in the SFR− M∗ plane up to z ~ 2 using far-infrared and submillimetre observations from the Herschel Space Observatory taken as part of the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) and Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) guaranteed time key programmes. Starting from a sample of galaxies with reliable star-formation rates (SFRs), stellar masses (M_∗) and redshift estimates, we grid the SFR− M_∗parameter space in several redshift ranges and estimate the mean dust temperature (T_(dust)) of each SFR–M_∗ − z bin. Dust temperatures are inferred using the stacked far-infrared flux densities (100–500 μm) of our SFR–M_∗ − z bins. At all redshifts, the dust temperature of galaxies smoothly increases with rest-frame infrared luminosities (L_(IR)), specific SFRs (SSFR; i.e., SFR/M_∗), and distances with respect to the main sequence (MS) of the SFR− M_∗ plane (i.e., Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) = log [SSFR(galaxy)/SSFR_(MS)(M_∗,z)]). The T_(dust) − SSFR and T_(dust) − Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) correlations are statistically much more significant than the T_(dust) − LIR one. While the slopes of these three correlations are redshift-independent, their normalisations evolve smoothly from z = 0 and z ~ 2. We convert these results into a recipe to derive T_(dust) from SFR, M_∗ and z, valid out to z ~ 2 and for the stellar mass and SFR range covered by our stacking analysis. The existence of a strong T_(dust) − Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) correlation provides us with several pieces of information on the dust and gas content of galaxies. Firstly, the slope of the T_(dust) − Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) correlation can be explained by the increase in the star-formation efficiency (SFE; SFR/M_(gas)) with Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) as found locally by molecular gas studies. Secondly, at fixed Δlog (SSFR)_(MS), the constant dust temperature observed in galaxies probing wide ranges in SFR and M_∗ can be explained by an increase or decrease in the number of star-forming regions with comparable SFE enclosed in them. And thirdly, at high redshift, the normalisation towards hotter dust temperature of the T_(dust) − Δlog (SSFR)_(MS) correlation can be explained by the decrease in the metallicities of galaxies or by the increase in the SFE of MS galaxies. All these results support the hypothesis that the conditions prevailing in the star-forming regions of MS and far-above-MS galaxies are different. MS galaxies have star-forming regions with low SFEs and thus cold dust, while galaxies situated far above the MS seem to be in a starbursting phase characterised by star-forming regions with high SFEs and thus hot dust.
The pulmonary artery catheter: In medio virtus

Objective:To clarify the role of the pulmonary artery catheter in the intensive care unit. Data Sources:Recent and relevant literature from MEDLINE and authors' personal databases. Study Selection:Studies on pulmonary artery catheter use and use of other monitoring devices in critically ill patients. Data Extraction:Based largely on clinical experience and assessment of the relevant published literature and in response to recent articles attacking the pulmonary artery catheter, we propose that the pulmonary artery catheter is still a valuable tool for the hemodynamic monitoring of patients with complex disease processes in whom the information obtained from the pulmonary artery catheter may influence management. We suggest that there is a need to revisit the basics of hemodynamic management and reassess the way in which the pulmonary artery catheter is used, applying three key principles: correct measurement, correct data interpretation, and correct application. Conclusion:The pulmonary artery catheter is still a valuable tool for hemodynamic monitoring when used in selected patients and by physicians adequately trained to correctly interpret and apply the data provided.
A national survey of the prevalence, incidence, primary care burden and treatment of atrial fibrillation in Scotland

Objective: To examine the epidemiology, primary care burden and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Design: Cross-sectional data from primary care practices participating in the Scottish Continuous Morbidity Recording scheme between April 2001 and March 2002. Setting: 55 primary care practices (362 155 patients). Participants: 3135 patients with AF. Results: The prevalence of AF in Scotland was 9.4/1000 in men and 7.9/1000 in women (p<0.001) and increased with age (to 71/1000 in individuals aged >85 years). The prevalence of AF decreased with increasing socioeconomic deprivation (9.2/1000 least deprived and 7.5/1000 most deprived category, p = 0.02 for trend). 71% of patients with AF received rate-controlling medication: β-blocker 28%, rate-limiting calcium-channel blocker 42% and digoxin 43%. 42% of patients received warfarin, 44% received aspirin and 78% receeved more than one of these. Multivariable analysis showed that men and women aged ⩾75 years were more likely (than those aged <75 years) to be prescribed digoxin (men OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.74; women OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.50 to 2.37) and aspirin (2.04, 1.66 to 2.51; 1.79, 1.42 to 2.25) and less likely to receive an antiarrhythmic drug (0.62, 0.48 to 0.81; 0.52, 0.39 to 0.70) or warfarin (0.74, 0.60 to 0.91; 0.58, 0.46 to 0.73). Adjusted analysis showed no socioeconomic gradient in prescribing. Conclusions: AF is a common condition, more so in men than in women. Deprived individuals are less likely to have AF, a finding raising concerns about socioeconomic gradients in detection and prognosis. Recommended treatments for AF were underused in women and older people. This is of particular concern, given the current trends in population demographics and the evidence that both groups are at higher risk of stroke.
Predictors of maternal and child double burden of malnutrition in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND Many developing countries now face the double burden of malnutrition, defined as the coexistence of a stunted child and overweight mother within the same household. OBJECTIVE This study sought to estimate the prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition and to identify associated maternal, child, and household characteristics in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh. DESIGN A total of 247,126 rural households that participated in the Indonesia Nutrition Surveillance System (2000-2003) and 168,317 rural households in the Bangladesh Nutritional Surveillance Project (2003-2006) were included in the analysis. Maternal and child double burden (MCDB) and its association with individual and household characteristics were determined by using logistic regression models. RESULTS MCDB was observed in 11% and 4% of the households in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh, respectively. Maternal short stature [Indonesia (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 2.25, 2.40); Bangladesh (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.96, 2.26)], and older age were strong predictors of MCDB. Child characteristics such as older age and being female were associated with an increased odds of MCDB, whereas currently being breastfed was protective against MCDB [Indonesia (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.84); Bangladesh (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.58)]. A large family size and higher weekly per capita household expenditure predicted MCDB [Indonesia (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.40); Bangladesh (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.77, 2.12)]. CONCLUSIONS Double burden is not exclusive to urban areas. Future policies and interventions should address under- and overweight simultaneously in both rural and urban developing country settings.
Decreased olfactory bulb volume in idiopathic Parkinson's disease detected by 3.0‐Tesla magnetic resonance imaging

A number of neuropathological studies have demonstrated that the olfactory system is among the first brain regions affected in Parkinson's disease (PD). These findings correlate with pathophysiological and pathological data that show a loss in olfactory bulb (OB) volume in patients with PD. However, to date, MRI has not been a reliable method for the in vivo detection of this volumetric loss in PD. Using a 3.0‐Tesla MRI constructive interference in the steady‐state sequence, OB volume was evaluated in patients with PD (n = 16) and healthy control subjects (n = 16). A significant loss of OB volume was observed in patients with PD, compared to the healthy control group (91.2 ± 15.72 versus 131.4 ± 24.56 mm3, respectively). Specifically, decreased height of the left OB appears to be a reliable parameter that is adaptable to clinical practice and significantly correlates with OB volume loss in patients with idiopathic PD. Measuring both the volume and height of the OB by MRI may be a valuable method for the clinical investigation of PD. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Eliminating the freezing frames for the mobile user over unreliable wireless networks

The main challenge of real time video streaming over a wireless network is to provide good quality service (QoS) to the mobile viewer. However, wireless networks have a limited bandwidth that may not be able to handle the continues video frame sequence and also with the possibility that video frames could be dropped or corrupted during the transmission. This could severely affect the video quality. In this study we come up with a mechanism to eliminate the frozen video and provide a quality satisfactory for the mobile viewer. This can be done by splitting the video frames to sub-frame and transmitted over multiple channels. We will present a subjective test, the Mean Opinion Score (MOS). MOS is used to evaluate our scenarios where the users can observe three levels of frame losses for real time video streaming. The results for our technique significantly improves the indicate perceived that video quality.
In vitro Studies on Endometrial Adhesiveness for Trophoblast: Cellular Dynamics in Uterine Epithelial Cells

Initiation of embryo implantation involves adhesion of trophoblast cells to the epithelial lining of the endometrium. The mechanisms regulating the adhesive properties of the uterine epithelium for trophoblast during initiation of human embryo implantation, however, are still incompletely understood. We report here on model studies that we have performed in our laboratory, and in particular on certain methodological approaches that seem to yield new insight into basic mechanisms involved. Of central interest is the ability of the uterine epithelium to develop an adhesion competence at its apical cell pole. This confronts us with a cell biological paradox in that adhesion must be established at the pole which in simple epithelia is typically specialized to resist adhesion. Gain of apical adhesion competence by uterine epithelial cells should be related to cellular rearrangements, i.e. a modulation of their apicobasal cell polarity. Here, we used monolayer-cultured uterine epithelial RL95-2 cells as an in vitro model for the human receptive uterine epithelium. We demonstrated that formation of stable cell-to-cell bonds between the free (apical) pole of these cells and attaching trophoblast (modelled by JAr cells) depends on a number of structural and functional peculiarities that RL95-2 cells have in contrast to other uterine epithelial cells (HEC-1-A cells) which resist attachment via this cell pole. RL95-2 cells were shown to lack tight junctions and to exhibit only rudimentary adherens junctions and a non-polar organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Using the atomic force microscope in a force spectroscopy mode, we exactly defined the time dependence of adhesive interactions between RL95-2 cells and trophoblast, measured the pressure force needed to initiate this process, and screened the buildup of the adhesive forces between the binding partners. A dynamic interaction between the actin cytoskeleton and integrins (a prerequisite for functional activity of integrins) was shown to be an important aspect of the adhesive properties of RL95-2 cells. In addition, at least two types of calcium channels in the plasma membrane of RL95-2 cells seem to play a role in activation of a variety of calcium-sensitive response mechanisms including adhesiveness for trophoblast, i.e. diltiazem-sensitive channels seem to contribute to the initiation of JAr cell binding and SKF-96365-sensitive channels to participate in a feedback loop that controls the balance of bonds. By extrapolation, these data suggest an active role of the uterine epithelium in the process of embryo implantation which we are just beginning to understand in terms of its cell biology.
Mainstreaming and Maintaining: Perspectives of Social Justice from HBCU PETE Alumni.

Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to garner the perspectives of teaching for social justice (TSJ) and teacher education for social justice from individuals who were previously or currently are affiliated with physical education teacher education (PETE) programs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A second purpose was to elucidate the meaning of TSJ as it pertains to PETE faculty who were once students of color at HBCUs. Participants: The participants were five Black Americans (three men and two women) alumni of HBCUs. Method: The research design was descriptive-qualitative using an interviewing approach for data collection, which also included artifact analysis. (Gay, 1996). Specifically, primary data were collected through semistructured in depth interviews. Data analysis occurred through the usage of immersion. Results: The emergent themes were: mainstreaming and maintaining, intergenerational justice, and different and divergent. Conclusion: Results of this study indica.
Aging Increases Nuclear Chromatin Entropy of Erythroid Precursor Cells in Mice Spleen Hematopoietic Tissue

Abstract Despite recent advances in hematopoietic tissue research, effects of aging on hematopoietic erythroid precursor (EP) cells are unclear. In this article we present results suggesting that chromatin textural entropy of EP cells in mouse spleen increases with age, while chromatin homogeneity decreases. The experiment was conducted on a total of 32 male Swiss white mice. Spleen tissue was acquired from four age groups: 10 days, 1 month, 4 months, and 7 months old mice. A total of 640 randomly selected, nonoverlapping EP cell nuclei (20 per animal) were analyzed using the gray level co-occurrence matrix method. There was statistically highly significant difference between the age groups, both in chromatin entropy (ANOVA, F = 12.99, p < 0.0001) and in homogeneity (ANOVA, F = 7.05, p < 0.001). When the individual groups were compared (ANOVA post hoc test), statistical difference was detected in all group pairs, except between the animals 4 months and 7 months old, either in chromatin entropy or homogeneity. The detected increase of chromatin disorder in mouse juvenile period/early adulthood suggests that cell intrinsic factors such as epigenetic dysregulation and DNA damage accumulation may have an important role in EP cell aging.