Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of dopamine antagonists on neuronal activity related to a delayed response task in monkey prefrontal cortex.

1. Using iontophoretic techniques, we investigated the influence of dopamine (DA) antagonists [haloperidol (HAL), a non-selective DA antagonist; sulpiride (SUL), a selective antagonist for D2 receptors; and fluphenazine (FLU), a potent antagonist for D1 receptors] on neuronal activity related to a delayed response (DR) task in the monkey prefrontal cortex (PFC). The DR task was initiated by the rotation of a handle to a central zone and consisted of seven distinct periods: an initial intertrial interval of 0.3 s, a precue period of 1 s (a center green lamp), a cue period of 1 s (left or right lamp), a delay period of 4 s, a go period (red lamp in the center; rotation of the handle to either the left or right zone), a hold period (holding of the handle in either the left or right zone), and a final reward period. Because it was shown, as described in the companion paper (Sawaguchi et al. 1990), that DA augments the increased activity of prefrontal neurons related to the cue, delay, and go periods of the DR task, effects of the DA antagonists were examined in a total of 61 neurons that showed increases in activity related to these periods and a response to DA. 2. Consistent with previous studies (Sawaguchi et al. 1988a, 1990), iontophoretically applied DA increased DR task-related activity in prefrontal neurons. Iontophoretically applied HAL and FLU antagonized the increased effect of DA on the task-related activity. By contrast, SUL did not have any clear effects on the influence of DA. 3. By themselves, HAL and FLU reduced prefrontal neuronal activity related to the cue, delay, and go periods of the DR task. The ratio of the reduction by HAL and FLU was significantly larger for activity during the cue, delay, or go period than for background activity during the precue period; and, as a result, the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of the task-related activity to background activity was reduced during the application of HAL and FLU. In contrast, SUL did not have any clear effects on activity related to the cue, delay, and go periods of the DR task, and the S/N ratio during the application of SUL did not significantly differ from that before the application of the drug. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
No association between the CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and endometrial cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE Any association between the CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and endometrial cancer risk remains inconclusive. In order to provide a more precise estimate, we performed the present meta-analysis. METHODS We used fixed effect or random effect models to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for endometrial cancer risk, with the Chi-square-based Q-test used to test for heterogeneity. Begg's and Egger's tests were adopted to check publication bias. RESULTS Six published case-control studies of association between the CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and endometrial cancer risk covering 6,577 subjects were included in the meta-analysis, but the results indicated no significant correlation with allele contrast and genotype comparisons (G vs C: OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.93-1.09; GG vs CC: OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.88-1.23; CG + GG vs CC: OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.97-1.21; GG vs CC + CG: OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.87-1.17). Heterogeneity hypothesis test did not reveal any heterogeneity and Begg's and Egger's tests did not detect obvious publication bias. CONCLUSIONS There is no association between the CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and endometrial cancer risk.
Does advanced cirrhosis with portosystemic shunting affect the value of CT arterial portography in the evaluation of the liver?

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which reduced portal blood flow in patients with advanced cirrhosis affects contrast enhancement of the liver during CT arterial portography (CTAP). We postulated that reduced and/or irregular hepatic enhancement would limit the efficacy of CTAP for the detection of hepatic tumors in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the records of 82 patients who had biopsy-proved advanced cirrhosis and who underwent CTAP. Three experienced radiologists evaluated the CTAP studies for adequacy of hepatic parenchymal enhancement. The presence or absence of varices also was documented in an attempt to select a subgroup of patients in whom CTAP showed better hepatic parenchymal enhancement. RESULTS Forty-seven (57%) of 82 patients had inadequate hepatic parenchymal enhancement to allow an evaluation of the entire liver. Inadequacy was attributable to areas of hyperdense parenchymal enhancement, areas of diffuse nontumoral mottling, or zones of poor parenchymal enhancement (soft-tissue attenuation equal to that of the paraspinal muscle). Parenchymal enhancement was inadequate in 62% of patients with varices and in 28% of patients without demonstrable varices. CONCLUSION Our results show that contrast enhancement of the liver during CTAP is altered significantly in patients with cirrhosis. Thus, it is likely that CTAP has limited usefulness for the detection or characterization of hepatic neoplasms in patients with cirrhosis.
Effect of treatment with 4-hydroxyandrostenedione on the peripheral conversion of androstenedione to estrone and in vitro tumor aromatase activity in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

The effect of treatment with the aromatase inhibitor, 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA) on the peripheral conversion of androstenedione to estrone has been examined in eight postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Before treatment conversion of androstenedione to estrone ([p]AEIBB) ranged from 0.81 to 3.7% and was almost completely inhibited after treatment with 4-OHA (two doses of 500 mg i.m. with an interval of 12 days between doses). Transfer constants were also measured by the urinary method ([p]AEIBU) for some subjects and decreased from 2.3 +/- 0.52% to 0.24 +/- 0.11% after treatment, a mean reduction of 90%. Mean plasma concentration of estradiol (37.4 +/- 16.6 pmol/liter) and estrone (99.0 +/- 32.2 pmol/liter) decreased significantly (P less than 0.01) to 15.7 +/- 4.6 pmol/liter and 52.4 +/- 8.9 pmol/liter, respectively, after treatment. Aromatase and DNA polymerase alpha (a marker of cell proliferation) activities were measured in seven samples of breast tumor tissue obtained before and after treatment. For three samples there was a marked (67 +/- 17%) decrease in tumor aromatase activity after treatment, for two, little change occurred, while tumor aromatase activity in the other two samples appeared to be resistant to the effect of 4-OHA. The correlation between tumor aromatase and DNA polymerase alpha activities (r = 0.45) failed to reach a significant level.
A Novel Role for Viral-Defective Interfering Particles in Enhancing Dendritic Cell Maturation1

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation is a crucial event in the development of adaptive immune responses that confer long-lasting protection against reinfection with the same virus. Sendai virus strain Cantell has a particularly strong ability to mature DCs independently of type I IFNs and TLR signaling, currently the best-described pathways for the induction of DC maturation. In this study, we demonstrate that defective-interfering (DI) particles present in Sendai virus-Cantell stocks are required for its robust DC maturation ability. DI particles contain incomplete genomes that are unable to replicate unless the viral polymerase is supplied by coinfection with complete virus. Accordingly, the improvement in the virus-induced maturation of DCs provided by DI particles requires standard virus coinfection and likely results from increased production of dsRNA replication intermediaries. This unique ability of DI particles to stimulate DC maturation cannot be mimicked by simply increasing the dose of standard virus. Furthermore, viruses with weak DC maturation abilities can be converted into potent DC stimulators with the addition of DI particles, supporting a potential application for DI particles as a novel natural adjuvant for viral immunizations.
Seeking Information About a Risky Medicine: Effects of Risk-Taking Tendency and Accountability

Research about risk perception has paid little attention to the fast that people can usually actively seek information about risks with which they art confronted. We hypothesized that (a) risk avoiders would search information more elaborately than would risk takers; (b) accountability should lead participants to search for information more elaborately; fc) risk avoiders would be more susceptible to the accountability manipulation than would risk takers; and (d) risk takers focus more on positive information, and risk avoiders focus more on negative information. Both a person's risk-taking tendency and being held accountable affected information-search depth, but no interactions were found. Nor did we find support for the idea that risk avoiders and risk takers focus on negative and positive information, respectively.
Average Distance Queries through Weighted Samples in Graphs and Metric Spaces: High Scalability with Tight Statistical Guarantees

The average distance from a node to all other nodes in a graph, or from a query point in a metric space to a set of points, is a fundamental quantity in data analysis. The inverse of the average distance, known as the (classic) closeness centrality of a node, is a popular importance measure in the study of social networks. We develop novel structural insights on the sparsifiability of the distance relation via weighted sampling. Based on that, we present highly practical algorithms with strong statistical guarantees for fundamental problems. We show that the average distance (and hence the centrality) for all nodes in a graph can be estimated using $O(\epsilon^{-2})$ single-source distance computations. For a set $V$ of $n$ points in a metric space, we show that after preprocessing which uses $O(n)$ distance computations we can compute a weighted sample $S\subset V$ of size $O(\epsilon^{-2})$ such that the average distance from any query point $v$ to $V$ can be estimated from the distances from $v$ to $S$. Finally, we show that for a set of points $V$ in a metric space, we can estimate the average pairwise distance using $O(n+\epsilon^{-2})$ distance computations. The estimate is based on a weighted sample of $O(\epsilon^{-2})$ pairs of points, which is computed using $O(n)$ distance computations. Our estimates are unbiased with normalized mean square error (NRMSE) of at most $\epsilon$. Increasing the sample size by a $O(\log n)$ factor ensures that the probability that the relative error exceeds $\epsilon$ is polynomially small.
The impact of social media on informal learning in museums

This paper posits that social networking can take a central role in learning in informal environments such as museums, libraries and galleries. It argues that social media offers young people agency previously unavailable in informal learning environments in order to explore complex responses to and participation with cultural content. The paper will consider transformations in digital literacy and the processes by which young learners can connect with knowledge in informal learning environments to become active cultural participants. Die Wirkung sozialer Medien auf informelle Bildung in Museen Dieses Papier postuliert, dass soziale Vernetzung eine zentrale Rolle im Lernen in informellen Umgebungen wie Museen, Bibliotheken und Galerien annehmen kann. Es behauptet, dass soziale Medien jungen Leuten als Agentur in informellen Lernumgebungen dienen können, die zuvor nicht verfügbar sind, um komplexe Antworten zu erkunden und Beteiligung mit kulturellem Inhalt zu erkennen. Die Autoren betrachten Transformationen in digitalen Fähigkeiten und den Prozessen, durch die junge Anfänger sich mit Wissen in anderen informellen Bildungsumgebungen verbinden können, um aktive kulturelle Teilnehmer zu werden. L’impact des medias “sociaux” sur l’apprentissage informel dans les musées Le présent article affirme que la mise en réseau humain peut jouer un rôle central pour l’apprentissage dans des environnements informels comme les musées,les bibliothèques et les galeries. Il avance que les medias “sociaux” offrent aux jeunes des moyens qui n’existaient pas auparavant dans les environnemetns d’apprentissage informels pour permettre d’explorer des réactions complexes et d’interagir avec le contexte culturel. Les auteurs examinent les mutations de la compétence numérique et les processus par lesquels les jeunes apprenants peuvent se brancher sur la connaissance dans des environnements d’apprentissage informels pour devenir des acteurs culturels dynamiques. El impacto de los medios colectivos sobre el aprendizaje informal en los museos Esta artículo postula que la creación de redes humanas puede desempeñar un papel central para el aprendizaje en entornos informales como los museos, las bibliotecas y las galerías. Apunta que los medios sociales ofrecen a los jovenes capacidades que antes no estaban asequibles dentro de los entornos de aprendizaje informal para explorar las respuestas complejas y interagir con el contexto cultural. Los autores consideran las transformaciones en el alfabetismo digital y los procesos a través de los cuales los jovenes alumnos pueden conectarse con los conocimientos dentro de esos entornos informales de aprendizaje para convertirse en actores culturales dinámicos.
Pathways Toward Self-Authorship: Student Responses to the Demands of Developmentally Effective Experiences

Theories of college student and adult intellectual development have shown that learning to interpret, evaluate, and construct knowledge evolves in a developmentally predictable fashion, and have offered explanations for the difficulties some students face when asked to make their own decisions (Baxter Magolda, 1992; Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986; Fischer, 1980; Fischer & Rose, 2001; King & Kitchener, 1994; Perry, 1970). Unfortunately, research on what students experience is much more prevalent in the literature on student outcomes (e.g., Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) than is research on student interpretations of their experiences. Neglecting to examine interpretation in such studies results in a limited understanding of the lessons students glean from their experiences (e.g., viewing the scientific method as a formula for getting correct answers compared to seeing it as a tool that allows for replication and hypothesis testing). There are substantial gaps in our understanding of developmental mechanisms that enable students to develop more adaptive ways of viewing the world, their roles as learners and citizens, and how they engage in healthy relationships with others. This study was designed to contribute to the small but growing body of research that attempts to ascertain why given experiences have a developmental impact on student learning (e.g., Baxter Magolda, 1999; Baxter Magolda & King, 2004; King, Baxter Magolda, Barber, Kendall Brown, & Lindsay, 2009; Meszaros, 2007; Mezirow, 2000). Gaining more detailed information about the aspects of programs and services that positively affect student learning and development will allow collegiate educators to be more intentional in their programmatic, instructional, and pedagogical choices.
NLRP7 and the Genetics of Hydatidiform Moles: Recent Advances and New Challenges

NOD-like receptor proteins (NLRPs) are emerging key players in several inflammatory pathways in Mammals. The first identified gene coding for a protein from this family is Nlrp5 and was originally called Mater for “Maternal Antigen That Mouse Embryos Require” for normal development beyond the two-cell stage. This important discovery was followed by the identification of other NLRPs playing roles in inflammatory disorders and of the first maternal-effect gene in humans, NLRP7, which is responsible for an aberrant form of human pregnancy called hydatidiform mole (HM). In this review, we recapitulate the various aspects of the pathology of HM, highlight recent advances regarding NLRP7 and its role in HM and related forms of reproductive losses, and expand our discussion to other NLRPs with a special emphasis on those with known roles in mammalian reproduction. Our aim is to facilitate the genetic complexity of recurrent fetal loss in humans and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations in the fields of NLRPs and reproductive loss.
Distributed coding for cooperative wireless networks: An overview and recent advances

Cooperative communication has been shown to be an effective technique enabling single-antenna users to share their antennas to create a virtual MIMO system, thus providing extra spatial diversity in wireless networks. Distributed coding is a type of channel coding strategy developed for cooperative wireless networks. As opposed to conventional channel coding schemes, distributed coding constructs the whole codeword in a distributed manner among the cooperative users. Properly designed distributed coding can effectively approach the capacity of cooperative wireless networks. The aim of this article is to present an overview of recent development in distributed coding design in cooperative wireless networks.
Perceptions of rewarding excellence in teaching: motivation and the scholarship of teaching

This article explores the challenges presented in using the scholarship of teaching as a model of teaching excellence when devising an appropriate approach to reward. It argues that the complexity of staff motivation has to be addressed by a critical evaluation of institutions' commitment to the scholarship of teaching. An expectancy model of motivation drawn from organizational behaviour literature is suggested as an approach to analysing the distance between espoused commitment to the scholarship of teaching and academic staff perspectives. The context of the discussion is set against the background of the UK Government's approach to funding incentives to promote reward for teaching excellence in higher education and the literature related to practices employed in HEIs. The views of academic staff drawn from seven focus groups across all subject areas in one institution demonstrate the need to take account of the motivation process and the need to have a shared understanding of what constitutes excellence.
Reverse signaling through the costimulatory ligand CD137L in epithelial cells is essential for natural killer cell-mediated acute tissue inflammation

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after kidney transplantation is a major cause of delayed graft function. Even though IRI is recognized as a highly coordinated and specific process, the pathways and mechanisms through which the innate response is activated are poorly understood. In this study, we used a mouse model of acute kidney IRI to examine whether the interactions of costimulatory receptor CD137 and its ligand (CD137L) are involved in the early phase of acute kidney inflammation caused by IRI. We report here that the specific expressions of CD137 on natural killer cells and of CD137L on tubular epithelial cells (TECs) are required for acute kidney IRI. Reverse signaling through CD137L in TECs results in their production of the chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 ligands CXCL1 and CXCL2 and the subsequent induction of neutrophil recruitment, resulting in a cascade of proinflammatory events during kidney IRI. Our findings identify an innate pathogenic pathway for renal IRI involving the natural killer cell–TEC–neutrophil axis, whereby CD137–CD137L interactions provide the causal contribution of epithelial cell dysregulation to renal IRI. The CD137L reverse signaling pathway in epithelial cells therefore may represent a good target for blocking the initial stage of inflammatory diseases, including renal IRI.
Frequent genomic imbalances suggest commonly altered tumour genes in human hepatocarcinogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent-occurring malignant tumours worldwide, but molecular changes of tumour DNA, with the exception of viral integrations and p53 mutations, are poorly understood. In order to search for common macro-imbalances of genomic tumour DNA, 21 HCCs and 3 HCC-cell lines were characterized by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), subsequent database analyses and in selected cases by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Chromosomal subregions of 1q, 8q, 17q and 20q showed frequent gains of genomic material, while losses were most prevalent in subregions of 4q, 6q, 13q and 16q. Deleted regions encompass tumour suppressor genes, like RB-1 and the cadherin gene cluster, some of them previously identified as potential target genes in HCC development. Several potential growth- or transformation-promoting genes located in chromosomal subregions showed frequent gains of genomic material. The present study provides a basis for further genomic and expression analyses in HCCs and in addition suggests chromosome 4q to carry a so far unidentified tumour suppressor gene relevant for HCC development. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign www.bjcancer. com
Talk as action in 'collaborative action research': making and taking apart teacher/researcher relationships

This article considers the role of university researchers in a project aimed at developing inclusive practices in schools through collaborative action research. It tells the story of how these researchers became part of the action in one school—Beechbank Primary—through visits, the collection and reporting of data, and through the development of a relationship (particularly with the head teacher) that facilitated learning and change to take place. One of the issues highlighted is that it is in the process of setting up an action research project that many disturbances are evident and, perhaps, inevitable. We argue that it is in working with these disturbances that one might begin to establish the basis of a collaborative relationship, rather than implying that collaboration may result in such things. The approach taken in the section ‘Beechbank Story’ is a conscious departure from the investigations conducted as a consequence of audit mechanisms, where only particular measurable outcomes, designated in ad.
Interactional appraisal models for the anger appraisals of threatened self-esteem, other-blame, and frustration

Starting from the interactional assumption of appraisal theories, the present study aimed to identify situation-specific individual differences and their personality correlates for the anger-relevant appraisals of threat to self-esteem, other-blame, and frustration. Participants engaged in a directed imagery task of descriptions of unpleasant situations after which they reported on the appraisals, and were administered measures of potentially relevant dispositional characteristics. The results demonstrated situation-specific individual differences in threatened self-esteem and other-blame, which showed differential relationships with dispositional variables. Threat to self-esteem was related to an unstable self-esteem, neuroticism, and BIS sensitivity in unpleasant evaluative situations, whereas it was related to feeling lowlily valued by others in non-evaluative situations. Other-blame was found to be related to an unstable self-esteem, BIS sensitivity, and neuroticism when someone else is responsible, whereas it was related to interpersonal distrust and low perceived social esteem when oneself or the circumstances are responsible. Individual differences in frustration were found to generalise across contexts, and were primarily related to BIS sensitivity.