Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuronal process outgrowth of human sensory neurons on monolayers of cells transfected with cDNAs for five human N-CAM isoforms

Full length cDNAs for a variety of human N-CAM isoforms have been transfected into mouse L-cells and/or 3T3 cells. Three independent clones of each cell line that were shown to express human N-CAM were tested for their ability to support the morphological differentiation of sensory neurons. The cell surface expression of N-CAM isoforms, linked to the membrane directly by an integral transmembrane spanning domain or indirectly via covalent attachment to a glycosyl- phosphatidylinositol moiety, were consistently found to be associated with a significant increase in the morphological differentiation of both human and rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Modification of the extracellular structure of both classes of N-CAM, consequent to the expression of a glycosylated 37-amino acid sequence normally found expressed exclusively in muscle N-CAM isoforms did not obviously affect the ability of transfected cells to support increased neuronal differentiation. 3T3 cells that were transfected with a full length cDNA encoding a secreted N-CAM isoform, and that have previously been shown to secrete N-CAM into the growth media rather than link it to the membrane did not significantly differ from control cells in their ability to support neuronal differentiation. These data provide direct evidence for both transmembrane and lipid-linked N-CAM isoforms being components of the regulatory machinery that determines neuronal morphology and process outgrowth.
Strengths-Based Social Work: A Meta-Theory to Guide Social Work Research and Practice - eScholarship

Simmons, C.A. , Shapiro, V.B. , Accomazzo, S. , & Manthey, T.J. (2016). Strengths-Based Social Work: A Meta-Theory to Guide Social Work Research and Practice. In N. Coady & P. Lehmann (Eds.), Theoretical Perspectives for Direct Social Work Practice, 3 rd edition (pp. 131-154). New York: Springer Publishing Company. ISBN-13: 978-0826119476 Strengths-Based Social Work: A Meta-Theory to Guide Social Work Research and Practice Social workers strive to promote individual well-being and reduce social problems by building upon the strengths possessed by clients (i.e., capabilities, skills) and by the client systems in which clients interact (i.e., assets, resources). The profession of social work in the United States tends to trace its use of strengths-based practice back to the work of Jane Addams (1902) and the settlement house movement. In modern practice, an aspiration for strengths-based approaches can be seen across all areas of social work practice. Yet translating an ideological emphasis on strengths-based approaches into the provision of strengths-based services has been hampered by a lack of clarity around the concept (Smith, Shapiro, Sperry, & LeBuffe, 2014). The purpose of this chapter is to further this discussion by arguing that strengths-based social work is best
Opinions of Class and Subject Matter Teachers and Candidate Teachers on the Effectiveness of Creative Drama in Teaching Activities.

The objective of this research is to establish the opinions of teachers and candidate teachers on the effect of creative drama. Descriptive research method is used in line with the objective of the research. Questionnaire is used for collecting data for the research. Questionnaire was prepared by the researcher. For the reliability of the questionnaire used, cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was detected as 0.91. For the purpose of scope and appearance validity of the research, the views of the lecturers of Education Science at Siirt University, Education Faculty were used. The population of the research consists of all the class and subject matter teachers working at the primary schools located in the city center of Siirt and candidate teachers studying at Siirt University Education Faculty. For the sample of this study, easily accessible sample method was used. In the analysis of the research data, SPSS 15 pack program and descriptive statistical methods, comparative and relational analyses were used. Comments and suggestions were provided in the light of the findings. Key words: Drama, creative drama, candidate teacher, subject matter teachers
Dynamics of serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels during the luteal phase of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

BACKGROUND To investigate the dynamics of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels during the luteal phase of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and its possible association with follicle development. METHODS We prospectively studied 34 women undergoing COH with GnRH agonist and FSH. On the day of hCG (dhCG), serum AMH, estradiol (E2), progesterone and hCG levels were measured, and ovarian follicles were sorted into three size classes: <12, 12-15 and 16-22 mm. Hormonal measurements were repeated 4 days (hCG + 4) and 7 days (hCG + 7) after hCG. RESULTS From dhCG to hCG + 4, we observed a decline in serum AMH levels (-64 +/- 3%; P < 0.0001), which paralleled that of E2 levels. From hCG + 4 to hCG + 7, an increase in AMH levels occurred (82 +/- 28%; P < 0.02), whose magnitude was correlated with the number of < 12 mm follicles (r = 0.68; P < 0.0001) but not with other follicle size classes nor with the remaining hormone levels. CONCLUSIONS After hCG, AMH levels initially decline, presumably as an effect of follicle luteinization, then increase during the mid-luteal phase. Although the mechanisms implicated in the mid-luteal AMH increase are unclear, its positive association with small follicle count, but not with luteal progesterone and E2 levels, supports the hypothesis that AMH levels might reflect luteal follicle development.
RANKL and OPG Polymorphisms Are Associated with Aromatase Inhibitor-Related Musculoskeletal Adverse Events in Chinese Han Breast Cancer Patients

Background Breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) may experience musculoskeletal adverse events (MS-AEs). Several studies have confirmed that the RANKL/RANK/OPG signaling pathway plays a dominant role in bone health. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the serum levels of RANKL, OPG and their SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) with AI-related MS-AEs. Methodology and Principal Findings Patients with early stage, hormone-sensitive breast cancer who were receiving AI therapy were enrolled. We included 208 cases with AI-related MS-AEs and 212 without (controls). The levels of estradiol, bone-turnover markers, multiple inflammatory cytokines, RANKL,OPG and lumbar spine BMD were measured, and questionnaires were completed. We analyzed 29 SNPs of RANKL, RANK and OPG using Sequenom MassARRAY assays and PCR-based TaqMan assays. The levels of bone-turnover markers and RANKL and the ratio of RANKL/OPG were higher in patients with AI-related MS-AEs than controls (all p < 0.05). A genetic assay showed that the RANKL SNP rs7984870 and OPG SNP rs2073618 were associated with AI-related MS-AEs. In patients with AI-related MS-AEs, rs7984870 CC and rs2073618 CC were risk genotypes. Carriers of the rs7984870 CC genotype were more likely to have a higher RANKL level and RANKL/OPG ratio than carriers of the GG genotype, and carriers of the rs2073618 CC genotype were more likely to have a lower OPG level and a higher RANKL/OPG ratio than carriers of the GG genotype (all p < 0.05). Moreover, risk genotypes were associated with higher levels of serum CTX and PINP and a lower lumbar spine BMD (all p < 0.05). Conclusions and Significance In conclusion, the RANKL and OPG risk genotypes synergize to negatively impact bone health and predispose breast cancer patients to AI-related MS-AEs.
Effective Clinical Responses in Metastatic Melanoma Patients after Vaccination with Primary Myeloid Dendritic Cells

Purpose: Thus far, dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy of cancer was primarily based on in vitro–generated monocyte-derived DCs, which require extensive in vitro manipulation. Here, we report on a clinical study exploiting primary CD1c+ myeloid DCs, naturally circulating in the blood. Experimental Design: Fourteen stage IV melanoma patients, without previous systemic treatment for metastatic disease, received autologous CD1c+ myeloid DCs, activated by only brief (16 hours) ex vivo culture and loaded with tumor-associated antigens of tyrosinase and gp100. Results: Our results show that therapeutic vaccination against melanoma with small amounts (3–10 × 106) of myeloid DCs is feasible and without substantial toxicity. Four of 14 patients showed long-term progression-free survival (12–35 months), which directly correlated with the development of multifunctional CD8+ T-cell responses in three of these patients. In particular, high CD107a expression, indicative for cytolytic activity, and IFNγ as well as TNFα and CCL4 production was observed. Apparently, these T-cell responses are essential to induce tumor regression and promote long-term survival by stalling tumor growth. Conclusions: We show that vaccination of metastatic melanoma patients with primary myeloid DCs is feasible and safe and results in induction of effective antitumor immune responses that coincide with improved progression-free survival. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2155–66. ©2015 AACR.
1 Sources and chemical character of dissolved organic carbon across 2 an alpine/subalpine ecotone, Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front

19 ascending limb of the snowmelt hydrograph, with the higher concentrations at the two 20 subalpine sites. Seasonally, the chemical fractionation of DOC showed that there was a 21 large range (29–72%) in the fulvic acid content of DOC at the four sites, with the highest 22 fulvic acid percentages on the ascending limb of the hydrograph. Yields of DOC at the 23 two gauged sites ranged from 10 to 11 kg ha � 1 over the season with between 45 and 50% 24 of the yield occurring as fulvic acid DOC and the remainder as nonhumic material. The 25 fluorescence properties of DOC from all four sites indicated that during peak runoff, 26 DOC was derived primarily from terrestrial precursor material. However, seasonal 27 changes in the fluorescence properties of fulvic acids at the highest elevation sites suggest 28 that DOC derived from algal and microbial biomass in the lakes is a more important 29 source of DOC above tree line during late summer and fall. We hypothesize that much of 30 the autochthonous DOC production is a result of algal growth in alpine lakes. Further, 31 comparison to a forested control catchment suggests that processes in the alpine reach of 32 the catchment may alter both the amount and chemistry of DOC incident to the 33 downstream subalpine aquatic system. INDEX TERMS: 0322 Atmospheric Composition and 34 Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 1615 Global Change: Biogeochemical processes (4805); 1851 35 Hydrology: Plant ecology; 1854 Hydrology: Precipitation (3354); 1860 Hydrology: Runoff and streamflow; 36 KEYWORDS: DOC, biogeochemistry, snowmelt, chemical fractionation, fluorescence spectroscopy
The local spread of pheochromocytoma after adrenalectomy with a rupture of the tumor capsule at the time of the surgery

Abstract Introduction: We present a case of a 29-year-old patient treated due to fully symptomatic pheochromocytoma of the right adrenal gland. Case presentation: Patient was operated on and an open right-sided adrenalectomy was performed. At the time of the surgery, a rupture of the tumor capsule occurred. Five years post-operatively, a recurrence of the symptoms of chromaffin-cell tumor was noted. After the exact localization of the multiple recurrences, the patient was reoperated on. Conclusion: The case of pheochromocytoma is presented due to the possibility of chromaffin-cell seeding into the peritoneum, with no signs of distal metastases so far.
Hypoxia Regulates BMP4 Expression in the Murine Spleen during the Recovery from Acute Anemia

Background Bone marrow erythropoiesis is primarily homeostatic, producing new erythrocytes at a constant rate. However at times of acute anemia, new erythrocytes must be rapidly produced much faster than bone marrow steady state erythropoiesis. At these times stress erythropoiesis predominates. Stress erythropoiesis occurs in the fetal liver during embryogenesis and in the adult spleen and liver. In adult mice, stress erythropoiesis utilizes a specialized population of stress erythroid progenitors that are resident in the spleen. In response to acute anemia, these progenitors rapidly expand and differentiate in response to three signals, BMP4, SCF and hypoxia. In absence of acute anemic stress, two of these signals, BMP4 and hypoxia, are not present and the pathway is not active. The initiating event in the activation of this pathway is the up-regulation of BMP4 expression in the spleen. Methodology/Principal Findings In this paper we analyze the regulation of BMP4 expression in the spleen by hypoxia. Using stromal cell lines, we establish a role for hypoxia transcription factor HIFs (Hypoxia Inducible Factors) in the transcription of BMP4. We identified putative Hypoxia Responsive Elements (HREs) in the BMP4 gene using bioinformatics. Analysis of these elements showed that in vivo, Hif2α binds two cis regulatory sites in the BMP4 gene, which regulate BMP4 expression during the recovery from acute anemia. Conclusions and Significance These data show that hypoxia plays a key role in initiating the BMP4 dependent stress erythropoiesis pathway by regulating BMP4 expression.
Photosynthetic and Phylogenetic Primers for Detection of Anoxygenic Phototrophs in Natural Environments

ABSTRACT Primer sets were designed to target specific 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences of photosynthetic bacteria, including the green sulfur bacteria, the green nonsulfur bacteria, and the members of theHeliobacteriaceae (a gram-positive phylum). Due to the phylogenetic diversity of purple sulfur and purple nonsulfur phototrophs, the 16S rDNA gene was not an appropriate target for phylogenetic rDNA primers. Thus, a primer set was designed that targets the pufM gene, encoding the M subunit of the photosynthetic reaction center, which is universally distributed among purple phototrophic bacteria. The pufM primer set amplified DNAs not only from purple sulfur and purple nonsulfur phototrophs but also from Chloroflexus species, which also produce a reaction center like that of the purple bacteria. Although the purple bacterial reaction center structurally resembles green plant photosystem II, the pufM primers did not amplify cyanobacterial DNA, further indicating their specificity for purple anoxyphototrophs. This combination of phylogenetic- and photosynthesis-specific primers covers all groups of known anoxygenic phototrophs and as such shows promise as a molecular tool for the rapid assessment of natural samples in ecological studies of these organisms.
Mitofusin 2-Deficiency Suppresses Cell Proliferation through Disturbance of Autophagy

Mitofusin2 (Mfn2), a mitochondrial outer membrane protein serving primarily as a mitochondrial fusion protein, has multiple functions in regulating cell biological processes. Defects of Mfn2 were found in diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we found that knockdown of Mfn2 by shRNA led to impaired autophagic degradation, inhibited mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate and cell glycolysis, reduced ATP production, and suppressed cell proliferation. Inhibition of autophagic degradation mimicked Mfn2-deficiency mediated cell proliferation suppression, while enhancement of autophagosome maturation restored the suppressed cell proliferation by Mfn2-deficiency. Thus, our findings revealed the role of Mfn2 in regulating cell proliferation and mitochondrial metabolism, and shed new light on understanding the mechanisms of Mfn2 deficiency related diseases.
Short-and long-term recency in the temporal context model : Comment on Davelaar et al . 2005

Countering claims that recency effects observed at different time scales arise from a common forgetting process, Davelaar et al. (2005) presented a number of experimental dissociations between shortand long-term recency. They used these dissociations to argue that separate mechanisms underlie shortand long-term recency. Here we show that the temporal context model (TCM), which assumes that both shortand long-term recency arise from the same contextual drift process, can account for the major recency dissociations at different time scales. Our version of TCM, which includes the Usher and McClelland (2001) leaky-accumulator model as a retrieval rule, captures the dynamics of immediate, delayed, and continual distractor free recall, and shows that dissociations between shortand long-term recency naturally arise from a model that uses an internal contextual state as the sole cue for retrieval across time scales.
Speaker detection in broadcast speech databases

Experiments have been carried out to assess the feasibil- ity of detecting target speaker segments in multi-speaker broadcast databases. The experimental database consists of NBC Nightly News broadcasts. The target speaker is the news anchor, Tom Brokaw. Gaussian mixture models are constructed from labelled training data for the target speaker as well as background models for other speakers, commercials, and music. Four labelled 30-min. broadcasts are used for testing. Mel-frequency cepstral features, aug- mented by delta cepstral features are calculated over 20 msec. windows shifted every 10 msec. through a broad- cast. Likelihood ratio scores are calculated for each test frame averaged over blocks of frames with a speci(cid:12)ed du- ration. The block scores are input to a detection routine which returns estimates of target segment boundaries. The range of best results obtained over the test broadcasts is 82% to 100% detection of target segments with segment frame accuracy ranging from 86% to 95%. 0 to 2 false alarm segments are detected over each 30 min. broadcast.
From ICT to Integrated Care: The Performative Cohesion of Organizing Visions

We link the concept of an ‘organizing vision’ to the idea of ‘performativity’ in order to better understand the challenges associated with implementing integrated care, i.e. the usage of ICT in order to coordinate medical treatments of the same patient by multiple medical professionals. More specifically, we focus on how medical autonomy affects the performativity of an organizing vision. Through an inductive case study of one German integrated care provider, we indicate that medical autonomy seems to be positively related to adoption decisions of ICT by medical professionals if an ICT-based business model embraces medical autonomy. However, through looking at the first four years of the implementation process, we also find that medical autonomy seems to be negatively related to important ICT-related outcomes of integrated care. Our study implies that a focus only on how actors translate organizing visions may run the risk of underemphasizing context factors that affect the adoption of integrated care on the organizational level. To depict how such contexts influence the degree at which an organizing vision is performative, we introduce the concept of ‘performative cohesion’.
In Vivo Survival of Autoreactive B Cells: Characterization of Long-Lived B Cells1

To determine the effects of chronic Ag stimulation on B cell survival and phenotype, we compared survival and surface markers of hen egg lysozyme (HEL)-specific B cells in Ig transgenic (Tgn) mice, which lack HEL, and in HEL-Ig transgenic mice, which express soluble HEL. Serum HEL levels were maximized in HEL-Ig Tgn mice by feeding them zinc, which activates the metallothionein promoter that regulates HEL expression. B cell age was characterized by expression of heat-stable Ag, and B220 and B cell survival was studied by evaluating changes in B cell number when lymphopoiesis was suppressed with anti-IL-7 mAb and by identifying newly generated B cells through 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation. Our observations show that the mean B cell life span is considerably reduced in HEL-Ig Tgn compared with Ig Tgn mice, but also demonstrate that some HEL-Ig Tgn B cells survive to maturity. Some of these surviving B cells have undergone receptor editing (substitution of an endogenous Ig light chain for the transgenic Ig light chain), so that their ability to bind HEL is decreased or absent. Surviving HEL-Ig Tgn B cells that retain HEL specificity express decreased mIgD and little or no mIgM. mIgD expression progressively decreases with increasing HEL-Ig Tgn B cell age. These observations suggest that self Ag-specific B cells can survive in the presence of soluble self Ag by down-regulating mIg expression, which should limit B cell signaling by Ag that might otherwise cause deletion of these cells.
Frequency and risk factors of COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations: a nationwide study in Greece (Greek Obstructive Lung Disease Epidemiology and health ecoNomics: GOLDEN study)

Background COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations have been associated with poor prognosis for the COPD patient. Objective To evaluate the frequency and risk factors of COPD exacerbations, hospitalizations, and admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) in Greece by a nationwide cross-sectional study. Materials and methods A nationwide observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in the clinical practice setting of respiratory medicine physicians over a 6 month-period (October 2010 to March 2011). A total of 6,125 COPD patients were recruited by 199 respiratory physicians. Results Participants had a median age of 68.0 years, 71.3% were males, and 71.8% suffered from comorbidities. The median disease duration was 10.0 years. Of the patients, 45.3% were classified as having GOLD (Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stage III or IV COPD. Patients with four or more comorbidities had 78.5% and threefold-higher than expected number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, respectively, as well as fivefold-higher risk of admission to the ICU compared to those with no comorbidities. Obese patients had 6.2% fewer expected exacerbations compared to those with a normal body mass index. Patients with GOLD stage IV had 74.5% and fivefold-higher expected number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, respectively, and nearly threefold-higher risk of admission to the ICU compared to stage I patients. An additional risk factor for exacerbations and hospitalizations was low compliance with treatment: 45% of patients reported forgetting to take their medication, and 81% reported a preference for a treatment with a lower dosing frequency. Conclusion Comorbidities, disease severity, and compliance with treatment were identified as the most notable risk factors for exacerbations, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions. The results point to the need for a multifactorial approach for the COPD patient and for the development of strategies that can increase patient compliance with treatment.
Kernel Partial Least Squares Regression in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space

A family of regularized least squares regression models in a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space is extended by the kernel partial least squares (PLS) regression model. Similar to principal components regression (PCR), PLS is a method based on the projection of input (explanatory) variables to the latent variables (components). However, in contrast to PCR, PLS creates the components by modeling the relationship between input and output variables while maintaining most of the information in the input variables. PLS is useful in situations where the number of explanatory variables exceeds the number of observations and/or a high level of multicollinearity among those variables is assumed. Motivated by this fact we will provide a kernel PLS algorithm for construction of nonlinear regression models in possibly high-dimensional feature spaces.We give the theoretical description of the kernel PLS algorithm and we experimentally compare the algorithm with the existing kernel PCR and kernel ridge regression techniques. We will demonstrate that on the data sets employed kernel PLS achieves the same results as kernel PCR but uses significantly fewer, qualitatively different components.