Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Folic Acid Represses Hypoxia-Induced Inflammation in THP-1 Cells through Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α Pathway

Though hypoxia has been implicated as a cause of inflammation, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Folic acid has been shown to provide protection against oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with cardiovascular disease and various models approximating insult to tissue via inflammation. It has been reported that hypoxia-induced inflammation is associated with oxidative stress, upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), and production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Whether folic acid protects human monocytic cells (THP-1 cells) against hypoxia-induced damage, however, remains unknown. We used THP-1 cells to establish a hypoxia-induced cellular injury model. Pretreating THP-1 cells with folic acid attenuated hypoxia-induced inflammatory responses, including a decrease in protein and mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), coupled with increased levels of IL-10. Folic acid also reduced hypoxia-induced Akt phosphorylation and decreased nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α protein. Both LY294002 (a selective inhibitor of phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinase, PI3K) and KC7F2 (a HIF-1α inhibitor) reduced levels of hypoxia-induced inflammatory cytokines. We also found that insulin (an Akt activator) and dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG, a HIF-1α activator) induced over-expression of inflammatory cytokines, which could be blocked by folic acid. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how folic acid attenuates the hypoxia-induced inflammatory responses of THP-1 cells through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α pathway.
Functional Genomics Screening Utilizing Mutant Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Identifies Novel Radiation-Response Genes

Elucidating the genetic determinants of radiation response is crucial to optimizing and individualizing radiotherapy for cancer patients. In order to identify genes that are involved in enhanced sensitivity or resistance to radiation, a library of stable mutant murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs), each with a defined mutation, was screened for cell viability and gene expression in response to radiation exposure. We focused on a cancer-relevant subset of over 500 mutant ESC lines. We identified 13 genes; 7 genes that have been previously implicated in radiation response and 6 other genes that have never been implicated in radiation response. After screening, proteomic analysis showed enrichment for genes involved in cellular component disassembly (e.g. Dstn and Pex14) and regulation of growth (e.g. Adnp2, Epc1, and Ing4). Overall, the best targets with the highest potential for sensitizing cancer cells to radiation were Dstn and Map2k6, and the best targets for enhancing resistance to radiation were Iqgap and Vcan. Hence, we provide compelling evidence that screening mutant ESCs is a powerful approach to identify genes that alter radiation response. Ultimately, this knowledge can be used to define genetic variants or therapeutic targets that will enhance clinical therapy.
Modelling post-absorptive protein and amino acid metabolism in the ruminant

A goal of animal scientists has been to generate information capable of improving the productivity of farm animals. Historically, improvements in productivity have been achieved by enhancements in performance, i.e. increased rates of growth, lactation, etc. However, maximum performance may not always equate to maximum profit, particularly if one considers environmental costs associated with the animal enterprise (Tamminga, 1992). In addition, as generally each of the ingredients that can be fed has a different nutritive value and financial cost, various combinations of ingredients will yield different levels of performance and costs of production for the producer. In order to give due consideration to all these factors, mathematical equations adequate to describe the relationships between inputs and outputs must be formulated. Failure to formulate such relationships prevents one from truly maximizing profitability except in a serendipitous manner. Mathematical systems describing the energetics of most ruminant farm animals have been formulated and parametrized (Janige, 1978; Van Es, 1978; Agricultural Research Council, 1980; National Research Council, 1989; Agricultural and Food Research Council, 1990). These systems have been refined over time and have served the industry well.
Effect of Attitudinal, Situational and Demographic Factors on Annoyance Due to Environmental Vibration and Noise from Construction of a Light Rapid Transit System

The aim of this paper is to determine what non-exposure factors influence the relationship between vibration and noise exposure from the construction of a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system and the annoyance of nearby residents. Noise and vibration from construction sites are known to annoy residents, with annoyance increasing as a function of the magnitude of the vibration and noise. There is not a strong correlation between exposure and levels of annoyance suggesting that factors not directly related to the exposure may have an influence. A range of attitudinal, situational and demographic factors are investigated with the aim of understanding the wide variation in annoyance for a given vibration exposure. A face-to-face survey of residents (n = 350) near three sites of LRT construction was conducted, and responses were compared to semi-empirical estimates of the internal vibration within the buildings. It was found that annoyance responses due to vibration were strongly influenced by two attitudinal variables, concern about property damage and sensitivity to vibration. Age, ownership of the property and the visibility of the construction site were also important factors. Gender, time at home and expectation of future levels of vibration had much less influence. Due to the measurement methods used, it was not possible to separate out the effects of noise and vibration on annoyance; as such, this paper focusses on annoyance due to vibration exposure. This work concludes that for the most cost-effective reduction of the impact of construction vibration and noise on the annoyance felt by a community, policies should consider attitudinal factors.
Purchase Decision Making : the Effects of Unconscious Thought , Information Quality , and Information Quantity

The prosperity of online shopping has led e-commerce vendors to provide increasingly rich information, particularly for experience products, to enhance consumers‘ shopping experience and satisfaction. However, there is little awareness that consumers may not be able to process all the information available because of human beings‘ limited capacity to process information. Online shoppers could be easily confused when facing rich information, particularly when the information greatly exceeds their processing capacity. In contrast to previous research which has focused on the formatting of appropriate information or user interfaces to solve the information overload problem, this study explores a new solution based on the role of unconscious thought. Integrating information processing theory and the unconscious thought theory, the current study examines the different roles of information quantity, information quality and the thought mode in consumers‘ decision satisfaction, in the presence of rich information. Our results show that unconscious thought moderates the relationship between information quality and consumer satisfaction towards their decision making, and is thus worthy of special attention in the design of e-commerce web pages. Moreover, unconscious thoughts show a significant impact on the decision process involving experience products but not search products, indicating a possible boundary of its usage which was ignored in previous literature. The study contributes to both unconscious thought theory and information processing theory by exploring the interaction effect of the quality and quantity of information with thought mode in affecting the quality of purchasing decisions.
Becoming "Black" in America: Exploring Racial Identity Development of African Immigrants

Godfried Asante wrote Becoming “Black” in America: Exploring Racial Identity Development of African Immigrants in completion of his Masters degree in Communication Studies in Minnesota State University, Mankato. This qualitative study critically examined how African immigrants experience racialization and the process of developing Black racial consciousness. Focus group interviews were conducted to sample the collective racial experience among African immigrants. Thematic analysis was used as the basic methodology for analyzing the data. It was discovered that the participants “become African” and also “become Black” during the process of racial identification. “Becoming African” and “Becoming Black” constituted two sets of processes that simultaneously shaped the identity of African immigrants as they assimilated into the United States. From the study it became evident that there was tension between ethnic identification as African and racial identification as Black. Most of the participants affirmed their ethnic identity as African over their racial identity. Using the culturalist racist discourse as the conceptual framework, I argued that ethnic definitions do not overturn the negative connotations of blackness. Rather, it assumes the contemporary colorblind nature of American society while the system of racism stays the same.
Getting In and Getting On: Isolated Bilingual Children's Experiences of Schooling in Primary Schools

This interpretive, mixed methods study examines newly arrived, isolated bilingual children’s experiences of schooling in primary schools. Using a theoretical stance that draws on a sociocultural and socialization framework as a process of change, involving the complex interplay between identity, agency and power, the study explores the factors that contribute to bilingual children’s experiences of schooling, how their experiences change over time, and how the children seek ways to strategically manage their situation. It also explores whether or not experiences of schooling differ between bilingual and monolingual pupils. Questionnaires generating quantitative data were completed by 29 bilingual children from various ethnic backgrounds and 162 monolingual, White British children from 12 schools. Qualitative data were generated through questionnaires with the 29 bilingual pupils exclusively. The voice of the children is central, through interview based case studies involving the perspectives of five bilingual children, their parents, teachers and monolingual
AA size micro power conversion cell for wireless applications

This paper presents the preliminary design and experimental results of a standard AA size vibration-induced micro energy transducer which is integrated with a power-management circuit. The transducer is a spring mass system which uses SU-8 molding and MEMS electroplating technologies fabricated copper springs to convert mechanical energy into electrical power by Faraday's law of induction. We have shown that when the MPG is packaged into an AA battery size container along with a power-management circuit that consists of rectifiers and a capacitor, it is capable of producing /spl sim/1.6 V DC when charged for less than 1 min. Potential applications for this micro power generator to serve as a power supply for a wireless temperature sensing system was proved to be possible with input frequencies at about 100 Hz and amplitudes be approximately 250 microns.
Erythropoietin update 2011

Summary Traditionally, erythropoietin (EPO) is described as a hematopoietic cytokine, regulating proliferation and differentiation and survival of the erythroid progenitors. The recent finding of new sites of EPO production and the wide spread distribution of EPO receptors (EPO-R) on endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, renal cells as well as the central and peripheral nervous system raised the possibility that EPO may exert pleiotropic actions on several targets. Indeed studies (mainly preclinical) have documented protective, non-hematopoietic, abilities of EPO in a variety of tissue. However, the data obtained from clinical studies are more skeptical about these properties. This article provides a comprehensive overview of EPO and its derivatives.
Repeatability and Reproducibility of a Double-Pass Optical Quality Analysis Device

Purpose To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of a double-pass instrument (OQASII, Visiomereics SL, Spain), which objectively measures overall optical quality of the human eyes. Methods The right eye of 119 healthy subjects with best corrected visual acuity of 20/25 or better was included in this prospective, comparative, observational study. Two separate tests with OQASII were conducted sequentially on the same day by two different examiners. A week later, the first examiner conducted the third measurement. All subjects underwent three consecutive tests during each session. The repeatability and reproducibility of the modulation transfer function cut off frequency (MTF cutoff), the Strehl ratio, the OQAS values (OVs) at contrasts of 100%, 20% and 9%, and the objective scatter index (OSI) were analyzed. Results For MTF cutoff, Strehl ratio, OV100%, OV20%, OV9%, and OSI, the mean values were 39.32±9.75cpd, 0.22±0.06, 1.31±0.33, 1.33±0.39, 1.33±0.41, 0.60±0.42, respectively. Repeatability and reproducibility were good with a very low coefficient of variation and high interclass correlation coefficients (>0.88) for all parameters. Bland-Altman plots showed good correlation with 95% limits of agreement ranged from -6.04 to 6.78cpd, -0.05 to 0.05, -0.20 to 0.23, -0.29 to 0.32, -0.40 to 0.42, -0.23 to 0.21 in inter-observer, and -6.56 to 7.42cpd, -0.06 to 0.06, -0.22 to 0.24, -0.30 to 0.32, -0.35 to 0.34, -0.24 to 0.23 in inter-visit, respectively. Conclusion The OQASII system yields excellent repeatability and good reproducibility for objective measurements of overall optical quality in clinic.
Youth, the ‘underclass’ and social exclusion

The idea that Britain, the US and other western societies are witnessing the rise of an underclass of people at the bottom of the social heap, structurally and culturally distinct from traditional patterns of 'decent' working-class life, has become increasingly popular in the 1990s. Anti-work, anti-social, and welfare dependent cultures are said to typify this new 'dangerous class' and 'dangerous youth' are taken as the prime subjects of underclass theories. Debates about the family and single-parenthood, about crime and about unemployment and welfare reforms have all become embroiled in underclass theories which, whilst highly controversial, have had remarkable influence on the politics and policies of governments in Britain and the US, Youth, the 'Underclass' and Social Exclusion constitutes the first concerted attempt to grapple with the underclass idea in relation to contemporary youth. It focuses upon unemployment, training, the labour market, crime, homelessness, and parenting and will be essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and criminology.
Effector-Triggered Immune Response in Arabidopsis thaliana Is a Quantitative Trait

We identified loci responsible for natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) responses to a bacterial pathogen virulence factor, HopAM1. HopAM1 is a type III effector protein secreted by the virulent Pseudomonas syringae strain Pto DC3000. Delivery of HopAM1 from disarmed Pseudomonas strains leads to local cell death, meristem chlorosis, or both, with varying intensities in different Arabidopsis accessions. These phenotypes are not associated with differences in bacterial growth restriction. We treated the two phenotypes as quantitative traits to identify host loci controlling responses to HopAM1. Genome-wide association (GWA) of 64 Arabidopsis accessions identified independent variants highly correlated with response to each phenotype. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in a recombinant inbred population between Bur-0 and Col-0 accessions revealed genetic linkage to regions distinct from the top GWA hits. Two major QTL associated with HopAM1-induced cell death were also associated with HopAM1-induced chlorosis. HopAM1-induced changes in Arabidopsis gene expression showed that rapid HopAM1-dependent cell death in Bur-0 is correlated with effector-triggered immune responses. Studies of the effect of mutations in known plant immune system genes showed, surprisingly, that both cell death and chlorosis phenotypes are enhanced by loss of EDS1, a regulatory hub in the plant immune-signaling network. Our results reveal complex genetic architecture for response to this particular type III virulence effector, in contrast to the typical monogenic control of cell death and disease resistance triggered by most type III effectors.
Forecasting Exchange Rates under Parameter and Model Uncertainty

We introduce a forecasting method that closely matches the econometric properties required by exchange rate theory. Our approach formally models (i) when (and if) predictor variables enter or leave a regression model, (ii) the degree of parameter instability, (iii) the (potentially) rapidly changing relevance of regressors, and (iv) the appropriate shrinkage intensity over time. We consider (short-term) forecasting of six major US dollar exchange rates using a standard set of macro fundamentals. Our results indicate the importance of shrinkage and flexible model selection/averaging criteria to avoid poor forecasting results.
Proteomic analysis of multiple primary cilia reveals a novel mode of ciliary development in mammals

Summary Cilia are structurally and functionally diverse organelles, whose malfunction leads to ciliopathies. While recent studies have uncovered common ciliary transport mechanisms, limited information is available on the proteome of cilia, particularly that of sensory subtypes, which could provide insight into their functional and developmental diversities. In the present study, we performed proteomic analysis of unique, multiple 9+0 cilia in choroid plexus epithelial cells (CPECs). The analysis of juvenile swine CPEC cilia identified 868 proteins. Among them, 396 were shared with the proteome of 9+0 photoreceptor cilia (outer segment), whereas only 152 were shared with the proteome of 9+2 cilia and flagella. Various signaling molecules were enriched in a CPEC-specific ciliome subset, implicating multiplicity of sensory functions. The ciliome also included molecules for ciliary motility such as Rsph9. In CPECs from juvenile swine or adult mouse, Rsph9 was localized to a subpopulation of cilia, whereas they were non-motile. Live imaging of mouse choroid plexus revealed that neonatal CPEC cilia could beat vigorously, and the motility waned and was lost within 1–2 weeks. The beating characteristics of neonatal CPEC cilia were variable and different from those of typical 9+2 cilia of ependyma, yet an Efhc1-mediated mechanism to regulate the beating frequency was shared in both types of cilia. Notably, ultrastructural analysis revealed the presence of not only 9+0 but also 9+2 and atypical ciliary subtypes in neonatal CPEC. Overall, these results identified both conserved and variable components of sensory cilia, and demonstrated a novel mode of ciliary development in mammals.
Analytical model of a magnetically levitated linear actuator

This paper concerns an analytical model of an iron less, magnetically levitated, three degree-of-freedom linear actuator, as a pre-prototype of a six degree-of-freedom planar actuator. The actuator has moving magnets and stationary coils. The translator with the magnets is repelled by the coils. The forces and torques exerted by a stator coil on the array of permanent magnets have been calculated analytically and compared with measurements and numerical predictions. The same approach can be applied to model an ironless planar actuator.
For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism

Nationalism and patriotism are two of the most powerful forces shaping world history. Though seen by many as two sides of the same coin, they have come to have widely different connotations. Nationalism is increasingly seen as destructive, and at the root of the world's bloodiest conflicts; patriotism seems something more benign, a political virtue. How are we to mark the distinction between these two phenomena? How can we rescue patriotism from the tainted grasp of nationalism? Reconstructing the historical the meaning of the terms, Maurizio Viroli shows how the two concepts have been used within specific cultural and ideological contexts. He reviews the political though of Italy, England, and Germany and shows how patriotism and nationalism have fundamentally different roots. Professor Viroli concludes that it is morally unacceptable, and indeed unnecessary, to be a nationalist to defend the values that nationalists hold dear. Patriotism, however, is a valuable source of civic responsibility.
Mechanism Through Methodology: No Madness to the Method

Grau and Joynes (2005) assess the current state of the field of animal learning and behavior, with particular emphasis on pedagogical and curricular issues. They suggest that the conventional framework which organizes lecture material around methodology is flawed and that an organization around mechanism should be used instead. They also advocate a shift from a purely behavioral approach to research on learning and behavior to a neural-functionalist approach more akin to contemporary behavioral neuroscience. While I support many of the suggestions for improving instruction, I disagree with their proposed shift away from purely behavioral investigations of animal behavior. Behavioral research continues to be a thriving and productive source of empirical and theoretical discoveries. The diverse array of specialized methodologies that have been developed to pursue this work are still paying dividends by illuminating the nature of behavioral mechanisms. Banishing purely behavioral approaches to learning and behavior, such as those used to study associative learning, animal cognition, and comparative psychology, would severely hamper our knowledge of behavioral mechanism. “A complete theory of learning must speak to all of the ways in which experience can alter behavior…. ” (Grau & Joynes, 2005, p. 15). This statement resonates the views espoused by most contemporary researchers of learning and behavior. Grau and his students have published excellent work on the neural basis of learning in spinal rats. This research is exemplary in its use of rigorous methodology and the nuanced appreciation of the theoretical issues it raises. Thus, they are in an excellent position to comment on the state of the field of learning. Grau and Joynes (2005) address a number of important issues that are germane to the study of learning and behavior. Most importantly, they provide a timely critique of the current state of pedagogy and curriculum. They delineate inherent problems with the manner in which theory and research are portrayed in standard textbooks for academic courses on learning. The conventional view, as Grau and Joynes see it, adopted by textbooks organizes information around the methodologies used to understand learning rather than around the mechanisms of learning. One problem with a methodological approach is that it fails to provide a coherent theme or framework in which to connect all of the disparate findings and theories. Thus, issues relevant to both Pavlovian and instrumental learning, for example, are presented in separate chapters with little integration into a larger, coherent framework. This disconnection between facts and framework probably contributes significantly to the tendency for students to perceive courses on learning as difficult or uninteresting. The conventional framework produces another negative consequence: neuroscientists who wish to study the neural mechanisms of learning often receive an antiquated (at best) or misguided (at worst) understanding of