Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Dynamic Notch Injury Response Activates Epicardium and Contributes to Fibrosis Repair

Rationale: Transgenic Notch reporter mice express enhanced green fluorescent protein in cells with C-promoter binding factor-1 response element transcriptional activity (CBF1-REx4-EGFP), providing a unique and powerful tool for identifying and isolating “Notch-activated” progenitors. Objective: We asked whether, as in other tissues of this mouse, EGFP localized and functionally tagged adult cardiac tissue progenitors, and, if so, whether this cell-based signal could serve as a quantitative and qualitative biosensor of the injury repair response of the heart. Methods and Results: In addition to scattered endothelial and interstitial cells, Notch-activated (EGFP+) cells unexpectedly richly populated the adult epicardium. We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate EGFP+ cells and excluded hematopoietic (CD45+) and endothelial (CD31+) subsets. We analyzed EGFP+/CD45−/CD31− cells, a small (<2%) but distinct subpopulation, by gene expression profiling and functional analyses. We called this mixed cell pool, which had dual multipotent stromal cell and epicardial lineage signatures, Notch-activated epicardial-derived cells (NECs). Myocardial infarction and thoracic aortic banding amplified the NEC pool, increasing fibroblast differentiation. Validating the functional vitality of clonal NEC lines, serum growth factors triggered epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the immobilized Notch ligand Delta-like 1–activated downstream target genes. Moreover, cardiomyocyte coculture and engraftment in NOD-SCID (nonobese diabetic–severe combined immunodeficiency) mouse myocardium increased cardiac gene expression in NECs. Conclusions: A dynamic Notch injury response activates adult epicardium, producing a multipotent cell population that contributes to fibrosis repair.
Linguistic distance effect on cross-linguistic transfer of morphological awareness

ABSTRACT This study examined transfer facilitation effect of first language morphological awareness on second language lexical inference ability among Grade 6 Chinese-speaking English as a foreign language learners in China. A set of paper and pencil tests was administered to measure children's morphological awareness and lexical inference ability in both Chinese and English. Results showed that the contribution of Chinese morphological awareness to English morphological awareness was larger for compound words than for derived words. In addition, the indirect effect of Chinese compound awareness on English compound word meaning inference was significant, but that of Chinese derivational awareness on English derived word meaning inference did not achieve significance. These findings confirmed that cross-linguistic transfer of Chinese morphological awareness was responsive to the linguistic distance between Chinese and English.
Dietary Lactoferrin Alleviates Age-Related Lacrimal Gland Dysfunction in Mice

Background Decrease in lacrimal gland secretory function is related to age-induced dry eye disease. Lactoferrin, the main glycoprotein component of tears, has multiple functions, including anti-inflammatory effects and the promotion of cell growth. We investigated how oral administration of lactoferrin affects age-related lacrimal dysfunction. Methods and Findings Twelve-month-old male C57BL/6Cr Slc mice were randomly divided into a control fed group and an oral lactoferrin treatment group. Tear function was measured at a 6-month time-point. After euthanasia, the lacrimal glands were subjected to histological examination with 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) antibodies, and serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and hexanoyl-lysine adduct (HEL) were evaluated. Additionally, monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression levels were determined by real-time PCR. The volume of tear secretion was significantly larger in the treated group than in the control. Lactoferrin administration reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and the MCP-1 and TNF-α expression levels. Serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and HEL in the lactoferrin group were lower than those in the control group and were associated with attenuated 8-OHdG immunostaining of the lacrimal glands. Conclusion Oral lactoferrin administration preserves lacrimal gland function in aged mice by attenuating oxidative damage and suppressing subsequent gland inflammation.
Influence of DGAT1 K232A Polymorphism on Milk Fat Percentage and Fatty Acid Profiles in Romanian Holstein Cattle

Milk and dairy products are considered the main sources of saturated fatty acids, which are a valuable source of nutrients in the human diet. Fat composition can be adjusted through guided nutrition of dairy animals but also through selective breeding. Recently, a dinucleotide substitution located in the exon 8 of the gene coding for acyl CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), that alters the amino acid sequence from a lysine to an alanine (p.Lys232Ala) in the mature protein, was shown to have a strong effect on milk fat content in some cattle breeds. Therefore, the objectives of this work were to study the occurrence of the DGAT1 p.Lys232Ala polymorphism in Romanian Holstein cattle and Romanian Buffalo breeds and to further investigate its possible influence on fat percentage and fatty acid profiles. The results obtained in this study show that in Romanian Holstein cattle the K allele is associated with increased fat percentage and higher levels of C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids. The ratio of saturated fatty acids versus unsaturated fatty acids (SFA/UFA) was also higher in KK homozygous individuals, whereas the fractions of C14:0, unsaturated C18 decreased. The DGAT1 p.Lys232Ala polymorphism revealed a high genetic variance for fat percentage, unsaturated C18, C16:0, and SFA/UFA. Although the effect of this polymorphism was not so evident for short chain fatty acids such as C4:0–C8:0, it was significant for C14:0 fatty acids. We concluded that selective breeding of carriers of the A allele in Romanian Holsteins can contribute to improvement in unsaturated fatty acids content of milk. However, in buffalo, the lack of the A allele makes selection inapplicable because only the K allele, associated with higher saturated fatty acids contents in milk, was identified.
Tongue Sole CD209: A Pattern-Recognition Receptor that Binds a Broad Range of Microbes and Promotes Phagocytosis

CD209 is an immune receptor that plays an important role in the initiation of innate immunity and activation of adaptive immunity in mammals. However, much less is known about the immunological function of CD209 in lower vertebrates. In the present study, we examined the immune effect of a CD209 homologue (CsCD209) from the teleost fish tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis. CsCD209 possesses a lectin domain that shares high levels of similarity with the lectin domains of human and mouse CD209. CsCD209 expression was most abundant in kidney and blood and was significantly upregulated during bacterial infection. CsCD209 exhibited a subcellular localization mainly on the cell surface of myelomonocytes. Recombinant CsCD209 displayed apparent binding capacities to a broad range of bacteria and fungi, and significantly promoted the phagocytosis of the bound bacteria by C. semilaevis leukocytes. Collectively, the results indicate that teleost CD209 serves as a pattern recognition receptor that exerts an influence on the phagocytosis process during pathogen infections.
The Spanish Case

SPAIN IS THE WESTERN COUNTRY WHICH, SECOND ONLY TO PORTUGAL, holds the record for the most unmitigated, the most lasting and – by its own standards – the most successful domination of the extreme Right. None should be surprised, then, that after thirty-one years of determined authoritarian rule, Spanish anarchism should not be a significant force at present. Like all revolutionaries everywhere and always, Spanish anarchists in the past managed to gather some strength only when there was a degree of freedom allowing them to organize politically, unheard of in General Franco's regime, or else when dictators were afflicted by impotence in certain geographical areas, or by glaring imbecility, none of which has been the case in post-civil war Spain.
Everyday Moments

American popular and academic discourses suggest that `quality time' — conceived as unstressed, uninterrupted special time with children — is important for family well-being. However, such discourses often engender stress and guilt among working parents, who have difficulty finding time for `quality time'. This article explores the concept of `quality time' in academic and popular literature (such as websites) and then draws on interviews and ethnographic video recordings of 32 dual-earner, two-parent American families to explore both perceived and lived experiences of family time. It proposes that everyday activities (like household chores or running errands) may afford families quality moments, unplanned, unstructured instances of social interaction that serve the important relationship-building functions that parents seek from `quality time'.
Fragile X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: Clinical features, genetics, and testing guidelines

Fragile X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with core features of action tremor and cerebellar gait ataxia. Frequent associated findings include parkinsonism, executive function deficits and dementia, neuropathy, and dysautonomia. Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies in FXTAS demonstrate increased T2 signal intensity in the middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP sign) in the majority of patients. Similar signal alterations are seen in deep and subependymal cerebral white matter, as is general cortical and subcortical atrophy. The major neuropathological feature of FXTAS is the presence of intranuclear, neuronal, and astrocytic, inclusions in broad distribution throughout the brain and brainstem. FXTAS is caused by moderate expansions (55–200 repeats; premutation range) of a CGG trinucleotide in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, the same gene which causes fragile X syndrome when in the full mutation range (200 or greater CGG repeats). The pathogenic mechanism is related to overexpression and toxicity of the FMR1 mRNA per se. Although only recently discovered, and hence currently under‐diagnosed, FXTAS is likely to be one of the most common single‐gene disorders leading to neurodegeneration in males. In this report, we review information available on the clinical, radiological, and pathological features, and prevalence and management of FXTAS. We also provide guidelines for the practitioner to assist with identifying appropriate patients for DNA testing for FXTAS, as well as recommendations for genetic counseling once a diagnosis of FXTAS is made. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Improving Generalization for Temporal Difference Learning: The Successor Representation

Estimation of returns over time, the focus of temporal difference (TD) algorithms, imposes particular constraints on good function approximators or representations. Appropriate generalization between states is determined by how similar their successors are, and representations should follow suit. This paper shows how TD machinery can be used to learn such representations, and illustrates, using a navigation task, the appropriately distributed nature of the result.
Sex differences in performance on the mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test: A bidirectional validity study.

In this article, Howard Wainer and Linda Steinberg examine sex differences in scores on the mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT-M) by comparing the SAT-M scores of men and women who performed similarly in first-year college math courses. Matching almost 47,000 men and women on type of math course taken and grade received, the authors found that, on average, women had scored about 33 SAT points lower than men who had taken the same course and received the same grade. The authors then analyzed the same data using prospective regression analysis and found somewhat larger sex differences in the same direction. Though the data do not allow any conclusions about the cause of these differences in SAT-M scores, they do provide evidence of sex differences in the validity of the SAT-M as a predictor of college math performance. The authors conclude with a discussion of how educators might respond to possible inequities in test performance.
Failure Diagnosis for Configuration Problem in Storage System

Configuration problem in storage system is one of the well recognized issues in today’s enterprise environment. Traditional approaches usually reply on deep knowledge of the underlying system. However, such solution usually cannot scale up when the system become large and complex. Recent research work has started using machine learning techniques to improve the overall performance of the diagnosis process. In this project, we try to identify the proper procedure to transform a configuration problem into a machine learning problem, which lays down the foundation of our future work in the area of configuration and change management.
Image Reconstruction for Electrical Capacitance Tomography Through Redundant Sensitivity Matrix

Image reconstruction in electrical capacitance tomography usually employs sensitivity matrices that map the relation between permittivity distribution and sensor readings. As a simple linearization of a highly nonlinear problem, this approach suffers from drawbacks, such as mismatches of position and size of the objects being imaged. To overcome these issues, we propose a sparse reconstruction scheme that employs a redundant sensitivity matrix built with the K-singular value decomposition dictionary learning method and nonlinear simulation. This redundant sensitivity matrix is trained with real data and, thus, is able to better capture typical structures of the object under measurement. As the reconstruction has prior information that the solution is sparse, we solve the optimization with greedy algorithms to obtain a true <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> solution. We show through simulations and real-world experiments that the proposed method improves reconstructed images quality even with reduced number of measurements.
CAN KOREAN PCL-R PREDICT IMPLICIT AGGRESSION AMONG KOREAN INMATES? 1)

This paper focuses on the relationship between psychopathy scores measured by the Korean Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (Cho & Lee, 2008) and inmates’ implicit aggression (as opposed to verbally/physically explicit aggression) by correctional staff’s evaluations to suggest the utilization of Korean PCL-R. Numerous studies identified the Factor 2 score of the PCL-R as being a more significant predictor of higher levels of disruptive institutional behavior and recidivism than the Factor 1 score (e.g., Walters, 2003). First, we found tha tKorean psychopathy scores, in comparison to other static variables (age, the number of previous crimes, using a weapon, and having an accomplice), predicted implicit aggression among Korean inmates using the hierarchical regression model. Secondly, we found Factor 2 to be a better predictor for implicit aggression than Factor 1. Therefore, our study suggests the utilization of the Korean PCL-R to the criminal justice system in South Korea.
Rethinking social support in women’s midlife years: Women’s experiences of social support in online environments

The midlife years (45–55) often coincide with fundamental changes in women’s lives, as women experience transitions such as menopause, changes to family structure due to departure of children or divorce, and parents’ ageing and death. These circumstances tend to increase women’s reliance upon their social support networks. Evidence suggests that social support is critical in helping women manage transitions during the midlife period and develop a sense of self-efficacy; this article highlights that this support is being increasingly exchanged through mediated communication channels. The article presents a comparative investigation of mediated communication channels, primarily email and online chat, through which women give and receive social support, and addresses the factors underpinning women’s media choices. The findings indicate that in determining their media selection, women are judging their ‘audience’ and social context of their communication in order to select the most appropriate channel through which to exchange support.
Expression of the serine protease hepsin and clinical outcome of human endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND Hepsin is a type II transmembrane serine protease originally identified in the human liver as a cDNA clone. Hepsin was found to be significantly overexpressed in cancer samples compared to matched various tissues (e.g. prostate, renal, ovarian carcinoma). The purpose of the present study was to examine hepsin expression and to evaluate its clinicopathological significance in endometrial cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Hepsin expression was examined by immunohistochemisty in 34 cases with normal endometrium as a control, 11 cases with endometrial hyperplasia, and 128 cases with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. RESULTS Hepsin expression was found to be significantly higher in endometrial cancer compared to normal endometrium and endometrial hyperplasia. High levels of hepsin expression were associated with advanced stage (p<0.001), high grade (p=0.002), depth of myometrial invasion (p<0.001), cervical involvement (p=0.007), lymph node metastasis (p=0.001), lymph vascular space (LVS) involvement (p=0.006), ovarian metastasis (p=0.002), and peritoneal cytology (p=0.03) of endometrial cancer. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that hepsin protein expression could be an important indication for high risk of endometrial cancer.
Iodine-123 labelled reboxetine analogues for imaging of noradrenaline transporter in brain using single photon emission computed tomography

Preliminary investigation of the radioiodinated (S,S)-reboxetine analogue, I-INER, in baboons showed this tracer to have promise for imaging the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). More recently the radioiodinated (R,S)-stereoisomer of IINER , I-NKJ64 has been synthesised and preliminary evaluation in rats has been reported. This paper reports the brain distribution and pharmacokinetic properties of I-NKJ64 in baboons and compares results with I-INER data in the same species. SPECT studies were conducted in two ovariectomised adult female baboons using two different protocols: (1) bolus of I-INER or I-NKJ64; and (2) bolus plus constant infusion of I-NKJ64 with reboxetine (2.0 mg/kg) administration at equilibrium. Following bolus injection, both radiotracers rapidly and avidly entered the baboon brain. The regional brain accumulation of I-NKJ64 did not match the known distribution of NAT in baboon brain, contrasting with previous results obtained in rats. Conversely, the regional distribution of I-INER was consistent with known distribution of NAT in baboon brain. No displacement of I-NKJ64 was observed following administration of reboxetine. This contrasts with previous data obtained for I-INER, where 60% of specific binding was displaced by a lower dose of reboxetine. These data suggest that I-NKJ64 may lack affinity and selectivity for NAT in baboon brain and I-INER is the most promising iodinated reboxetine analogue developed to date for in vivo imaging of NAT in brain using SPECT. This study highlights the importance of species differences during radiotracer development and the stereochemical configuration of analogues of reboxetine in vivo.
When does prior knowledge disproportionately benefit older adults’ memory?

ABSTRACT Material consistent with knowledge/experience is generally more memorable than material inconsistent with knowledge/experience – an effect that can be more extreme in older adults. Four experiments investigated knowledge effects on memory with young and older adults. Memory for familiar and unfamiliar proverbs (Experiment 1) and for common and uncommon scenes (Experiment 2) showed similar knowledge effects across age groups. Memory for person-consistent and person-neutral actions (Experiment 3) showed a greater benefit of prior knowledge in older adults. For cued recall of related and unrelated word pairs (Experiment 4), older adults benefited more from prior knowledge only when it provided uniquely useful additional information beyond the episodic association itself. The current data and literature suggest that prior knowledge has the age-dissociable mnemonic properties of (1) improving memory for the episodes themselves (age invariant), and (2) providing conceptual information about the tasks/stimuli extrinsically to the actual episodic memory (particularly aiding older adults).
Effects of emotional spoken words on exogenous attentional orienting

Attentional biases linked to emotional stimuli were investigated in healthy people using an auditory adaptation of the cueing paradigm. Specifically, we investigated whether both validity effects elicited by predictive, endogenous cues and the Inhibition of Return phenomenon (IOR; Posner & Cohen, 1984) elicited by unpredictive, exogenous cues are influenced by the emotional content of spoken words. Supporting the idea that exogenous orienting is not an encapsulated phenomenon (Stolz, 1996), we found abolished IOR for negative words (Experiments 3 and 4). Thus, attention would not be prevented from returning to the previously explored location of a negative word. On the contrary, no emotional modulation of the validity effects was observed (Experiments 1 and 2), suggesting that the intervention of resource-demanding orienting strategies increased cognitive load and thus prevented any emotional modulation. Still, facilitative, nonspatial effects of negative words were found when initial attentional shifts elicited by the cue were both exogenous and endogenous (Experiment 1), but not when they were exclusively endogenous (Experiment 2). These results highlight the importance of both the negativity of a stimulus and the automaticity of attentional shifts in eliciting spatial and nonspatial attentional effects.
Three-dimensional visualization of intact mouse lung by synchrotron radiation CT

Airway is a complex branching structure of many compliant tubes, and then airway geometry and compliance have many biomechanical and clinical implications. In this study, we visualized an intact mouse lung without dehydration and fixation using synchrotron radiation CT at SPring-8 in Japan. The CT system consists of X-ray light source, a double crystal monochromator, a rotation stage and a high-resolution image detector. The angular projections were sequentially obtained during the sample rotation with the total scan shorter time than 15 min. The effective spatial resolution was 30 /spl mu/m. Using this system, three-dimensional images of small airways and alveoli were obtained under physiological condition. Moreover, we visualized the same airways at FRC (functional residual capacity) and TLC (total lung capacity). The airway geometry deformed dramatically and the diameter expanded 1.2-1.7 times at TLC in comparison with at FRC. This deformation was larger for smaller airways. This system opens the way to new research of the pulmonary dynamics and physiological implications.