Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Role for Insulin in Diabetic Neuropathy

The peripheral nervous system is one of several organ systems that are profoundly affected in diabetes. The longstanding view is that insulin does not have a major role in modulating neuronal function in both central and peripheral nervous systems is now being challenged. In the setting of insulin deficiency or excess insulin, it is logical to propose that insulin dysregulation can contribute to neuropathic changes in sensory neurons. This is particularly important as sensory nerve damage associated with prediabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes is so prevalent. Here, we discuss the current experimental literature related to insulin's role as a potential neurotrophic factor in peripheral nerve function, as well as the possibility that insulin deficiency plays a role in diabetic neuropathy. In addition, we discuss how sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system respond to insulin similar to other insulin-sensitive tissues. Moreover, studies now suggest that sensory neurons can also become insulin resistant like other tissues. Collectively, emerging studies are revealing that insulin signaling pathways are active contributors to sensory nerve modulation, and this review highlights this novel activity and should provide new insight into insulin's role in both peripheral and central nervous system diseases.
Reader Content and Sex Differences in Achievement.

IT HAS BEEN estimated that up to 80 percent of instructional time is spent each school day on reading instruction and other read ing related activities (Zimet and others, 1973). In spite of this time commitment, and the fact that skill mastery is considered role appro priate for both sexes (Kagan, 1964), boys continue to have signifi cantly more trouble than girls in mastering the reading skill (Money, 1966). The specific contribution of the reading text to this problem is my subject here. With the significant discrepancy that exists between boys' and girls' reading performance, it is tempting to say that if textbook content is a factor influencing achievement, it appears to be working against boys and for girls in the U.S. Stated in another way, the content for young boys is likely to be inappropriate since they make up 75-80 percent of the disabled readers. The con tent for girls, on the other hand, must be more appropriate since girls not only read better and more than boys, but they make up only 15-20 percent of the disabled reader population. I would prefer to say that despite the fact that textbook content has been documented as being devoid of interesting themes and realistic portrayals of adult and child life and behaviors (Zimet, 1972), it appears that girls are more willing than boys to disregard con tent in the process of learning the reading skill. This last explanation is more compatible with what we know about the deference to au thority which marks young girls' behavior as being different from young boys' behavior (Maccoby
Framing Mobile Information Needs: An Investigation of Hierarchical Query Sequence Structure

When using search engines, people often issue multiple related queries to accomplish a complex search task. A simple query-task structure may not fully capture the complexity of query relations since people may divide a task into multiple subtasks. As a result, this paper applies a three-level hierarchical structure with query, goal and mission - a mission includes several goals, and a goal consists of multiple queries. Particularly, we focus on analyzing query-goal-mission structure for mobile web search because of its increasing popularity and lack of investigation in the literature. This study has three main contributions: (1) we study the query-goal-mission structure for mobile web search, which was not studied before. (2) We identify several differences between mobile and desktop search patterns in terms of goal/mission length, duration and interleaving. (3) We demonstrate that the query-goal-mission structure can be applied to design better user satisfaction metrics. Specifically, goal-based search success rate and mission-based abandonment rate are better aligned with users' long-term engagement than query and session based metrics.
BER Analysis of MIMO OFDM System for AWGN & Rayleigh Fading Channel

Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is essentially identical to coded OFDM (COFDM) and discrete multi-tone modulation (DMT). It is a frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) scheme, which is used as a digital multicarrier modulation method. The paper is aimed at analyzing the BER performance of the MIMO (Multi-Input MultiOutput) OFDM system for AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise) Channel, Rayleigh Fading Channel along with a simulation channel using different modulation technique. Also the result of the analysis suggest for the better technique in order to improve the BER characteristic of the MIMO-OFDM system. General Terms AWGN, OFDM, QAM, QPSK, Rayleigh Fading.
The Link of Teacher Career Paths on the Distribution of High Qualified Teachers: A Chilean Case Study.

This paper uses rich data of 79,418 elementary teachers from 5,521 schools in Chile to study the extent of teacher sorting and its association with teacher career paths. A complete analysis of ten measures of teacher quality shows that highly qualified teachers are unequally distributed across schools. Some schools present a large concentration of highly qualified teachers while others do not even have a single one. Schools with a low concentration of highly qualified teachers are more likely to be public and rural, & have a bigger enrollment of low-income and low-performance students. Thus, it is precisely those schools that are most in need. This paper combines the analysis of teacher sorting with teacher career decisions and finds that teacher career paths are associated with the unequal distribution of teachers. At the start of their careers, less qualified teachers are more likely to teach in rural, public, low-income and low-performance schools. These teachers are then more likely to stay in those schools, while less qualified teachers who start working in high-income and high-performing schools are less likely to stay there compared with highly qualified teachers. Education reforms have recognized the key role of teachers. However, efforts have focused on increasing the quality of the teaching workforce and do not target any specific types of schools. This study discusses the lack of targeted policies and educational inequality, & proposes the need for an educational reform.
Social and Emotional Intelligence in Childhood and Adolescence: Spanish Validation of a Measurement Instrument

The Emotional Quotient Questionnaire for Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) was tested and validated using a sample of 1655 Spanish students. A detailed psychometric analysis provided evidence in support of the reliability of the EQ-i:YV and the robustness of its proposed five-factor structure. Using different subsamples of participants, the associations between the EQ-i:YV and a series of relevant constructs (general intelligence, personality traits, self-concept, and academic performance) were examined, which also included data on another trait EI measure (TEIQue-ASF). Overall, the EQ-i:YV showed expected relationships to all other constructs. Finally, the standard score provided can help to interpret the emotional skills, competences and facilitators of Spanish children and adolescents.
A Family of Asymptotically Good Binary Fingerprinting Codes

A fingerprinting code is a set of codewords that are embedded in each copy of a digital object with the purpose of making each copy unique. If the fingerprinting code is c-secure with error, then the decoding of a pirate word created by a coalition of at most c dishonest users, will expose at least one of the guilty parties with probability 1-ϵ. The Boneh-Shaw fingerprinting codes are n-secure codes with ϵ<sub>B</sub> error, where n also denotes the number of authorized users. Unfortunately, the length the Boneh-Shaw codes should be of order O(n<sup>3</sup> log(n/ϵ<sub>B</sub>)), which is prohibitive for practical applications. In this paper, we prove that the Boneh-Shaw codes are (c<; n)-secure for lengths of order O(nc<sup>2</sup> log(n/ϵ<sub>B</sub>)). Moreover, in this paper it is also shown how to use these codes to construct binary fingerprinting codes of length L=O(c<sup>6</sup> log(c/ϵ) log n), with probability of error ϵ<;ϵ<sub>B</sub> and an identification algorithm of complexity poly(log n)=poly(L). These results improve in some aspects the best known schemes and with a much more simple construction.
How an Understanding of Cognition and Metacognition Translates into More Effective Writing Instruction.

This discussion paper investigates the pedagogical implications of the cognitive process writing model proposed by Flower and Hayes (1981). The research of Flower and Hayes (1981) provides insights into how writers go about planning, generating, and revising during the process of writing. Flower and Hayes (1981) believed that this shift in focus, from product to process, had important instructional implications. They further stated that good writing instruction should provide an understanding of the cognitive processes that make up the writing process. This paper attempts to address the following question: How does one move inexperienced writers to the point at which they can begin to engage in the decision-making practices that are used by experienced writers? Sitko (1998) found that one way to engage students in the decision-making process was to provide instruction in metacognition. Explicitly teaching students metacognitive strategies, such as summarizing (self-review), questioning, clarifying, and predicting allowed writers to develop certain strategies to the point of automaticity. Palinscar and Brown (1986) found that teaching students basic metacognitive skills and then reminding them to use those skills was beneficial in improving their ability to monitor their own thinking. Once metacognitive strategies become automatic students are able to devote more of their working memory to the hierarchical stages of writing involving planning, generating, and reviewing. This paper identifies instructional protocols instructors might use to effect students’ metacogntive awareness of the hierarchical decision-making strategies. How an understanding of cognition p. 3
A Novel Retinal Oscillation Mechanism in an Autosomal Dominant Photoreceptor Degeneration Mouse Model

It has been shown in rd1 and rd10 models of photoreceptor degeneration (PD) that inner retinal neurons display spontaneous and rhythmic activities. Furthermore, the rhythmic activity has been shown to require the gap junction protein connexin 36, which is likely located in AII amacrine cells (AII-ACs). In the present study, an autosomal dominant PD model called rhoΔCTA, whose rods overexpress a C-terminally truncated mutant rhodopsin and degenerate with a rate similar to that of rd1, was used to investigate the generality and mechanisms of heightened inner retinal activity following PD. To fluorescently identify cholinergic starburst amacrine cells (SACs), the rhoΔCTA mouse was introduced into a combined ChAT-IRES-Cre and Ai9 background. In this mouse, we observed excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) oscillation and non-rhythmic inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in both ON- and OFF-SACs. The IPSCs were more noticeable in OFF- than in ON-SACs. Similar to reported retinal ganglion cell (RGC) oscillation in rd1 mice, EPSC oscillation was synaptically driven by glutamate and sensitive to blockade of NaV channels and gap junctions. These data suggest that akin to rd1 mice, AII-AC is a prominent oscillator in rhoΔCTA mice. Surprisingly, OFF-SAC but not ON-SAC EPSC oscillation could readily be enhanced by GABAergic blockade. More importantly, weakening the AII-AC gap junction network by activating retinal dopamine receptors abolished oscillations in ON-SACs but not in OFF-SACs. Furthermore, the latter persisted in the presence of flupirtine, an M-type potassium channel activator recently reported to dampen intrinsic AII-AC bursting. These data suggest the existence of a novel oscillation mechanism in mice with PD.
Antitumor Mechanisms of Targeting the PDK1 Pathway in Head and Neck Cancer

G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCR) activate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mediate EGFR-independent signaling pathways to promote the growth of a variety of cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Identification of the common signaling mechanisms involved in GPCR-induced EGFR-dependent and EGFR-independent processes will facilitate the development of more therapeutic strategies. In this study, we hypothesized that phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) contributes to GPCR–EGFR cross-talk and signaling in the absence of EGFR and suggests that inhibition of the PDK1 pathway may be effective in the treatment of HNSCC. The contribution of PDK1 to the EGFR-dependent and EGFR-independent signaling in HNSCC was determined using RNA interference, a kinase-dead mutant, and pharmacologic inhibition. In vivo xenografts studies were also carried out to determine the efficacy of targeting PDK1 alone or in combination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved EGFR inhibitor cetuximab. PDK1 contributed to both GPCR-induced EGFR activation and cell growth. PDK1 also mediated activation of p70S6K in the absence of EGFR. Blockade of PDK1 with a small molecule inhibitor (AR-12) abrogated HNSCC growth, induced apoptosis, and enhanced the antiproliferative effects of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in vitro. HNSCC xenografts expressing kinase-dead PDK1 showed increased sensitivity to cetuximab compared with vector-transfected controls. Administration of AR-12 substantially decreased HNSCC tumor growth in vivo. These cumulative results show that PDK1 is a common signaling intermediate in GPCR–EGFR cross-talk and EGFR-independent signaling, and in which targeting the PDK1 pathway may represent a rational therapeutic strategy to enhance clinical responses to EGFR inhibitors in HNSCC. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(6); 1236–46. ©2012 AACR.
Grand unified theory constrained supersymmetry and neutrinoless double beta decay

We analyze the contributions to the neutrinoless double $\beta$ decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$-decay) coming from the Grand Unified Theory (GUT) constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with trilinear R-parity breaking. We discuss the importance of two-nucleon and pion-exchange realizations of the quark-level $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay transitions. In this context, the questions of reliability of the calculated relevant nuclear matrix elements within the Renormalized Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation (pn-RQRPA) for several medium and heavy open-shell nuclei are addressed. The importance of gluino and neutralino contributions to $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay is also analyzed. We review the present experiments and deduce limits on the trilinear R-parity breaking parameter $\lambda_{111}'$ from the non-observability of $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay for different GUT constrained SUSY scenarios. In addition, a detailed study of limits on the MSSM parameter space coming from the $B \to X_s \gamma$ processes by using the recent CLEO and OPAL results is performed. Some studies in respect to the future $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay project GENIUS are also presented.
Tall Tales: Editing Autobiographical Memories

The impact of exaggerating when sharing an autobiographical memory with another person was investigated. Literature indicates that sharing an autobiographical memory serves a social function. However no research has investigated the impact that exaggerating when sharing specific memories has on this function. Research on lying suggests that deviating from the truth would cause the listener to like the speaker less. Research on what makes a good story indicates deviating from the truth could enhance the social benefits of sharing specific autobiographical memories by increasing the quality of the story. In Study 1, participants read scenarios of a person telling a story about a previous experience. The events were shared in complete honesty, by exaggerating the events, or by adding outrageous, yet entertaining, lies. Results indicated that participants prefer entertaining stories but do not like lies. In Study 2 participants were instructed to recall the events of a video to another participant in an entertaining way, an accurate way, or without any instructions. Results indicated the use of exaggeration, personal evaluations, and less details when recalling events in an entertaining way. Telling events in an entertaining way increased closeness and predicted liking. Participants’ perceptions of accuracy also predicted liking. Together these findings indicated that exciting stories are preferred over boring tales if the listener is unaware of any deviations from the actual facts.
Upregulation of the Hyperpolarization-Activated Current Increases Pacemaker Activity of the Sinoatrial Node and Heart Rate During Pregnancy in Mice

Background— Pregnancy is associated with a faster heart rate (HR), which is a risk factor for arrhythmias. However, the underlying mechanisms for this increased HR are poorly understood. Therefore, this study was performed to gain mechanistic insight into the pregnancy-induced increase in HR. Methods and Results— Using surface ECG we observed that pregnant (P) mice have faster HR (531±14 beats per minute [bpm]) compared with nonpregnant (NP) mice (470±27 bpm; P<0.03). Results obtained with Langendorff-perfused hearts showed that this difference persisted in the absence of autonomic nervous innervation (NP, 327±16 bpm; P, 385±18 bpm; P<0.02). Spontaneous action potentials of sinoatrial node cells from pregnant mice exhibited higher automaticity (NP, 292±13 bpm; P, 330±12 bpm; P=0.047) and steeper diastolic depolarization (NP, 0.20±0.03 V/s; P, 0.40±0.06 V/s; P=0.004). Pregnancy increased the density of the hyperpolarization-activated current (If) (at −90mV: NP, −15.2±1.0 pA/pF; P, −28.6±2.9 pA/pF; P=0.0002) in sinoatrial node cells. Voltage dependence of the If activation curve and the intracellular cAMP levels were unchanged in sinoatrial node cells of pregnant mice. However, there was a significant increase in HCN2 channel protein expression with no change in HCN4 expression. Maximal depolarizing shift of the If activation curve induced by isoproterenol was attenuated in pregnancy. This reduced response to isoproterenol may be attributable to the lower cAMP sensitivity of HCN2 isoform compared with that of HCN4. Conclusions— This study shows that an increase in If current density contributes to the acceleration of sinoatrial node automaticity and explains, in part, the higher HR observed in pregnancy.
Sex-role attributes, self-perception and predisposition to depression in early adolescence

9 This study investigated the relationship of sex-role attributes, self-perception, and predisposition to depression in early adolescence. 235 students from middle schools in Dade County, Florida were asked to complete three instruments; the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, the Perceived Competence Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory. The study was designed to determine the effects of sec-role attributes on self-perception and predisposition to depression in early adolescence. More specifically, the study asked whether instrumental attributes were implicated in higher levels of perceived competence and lower depressive symptomatology while the reverse was true for those with expressive attributes. The results of the study confirmed that instrumentality and perceived competence appear to inoculate against depression. Instrumentality for the entire sample was, in fact, significantly correlated with higher overall perceived competence and significantly inversely correlated with depressive symptomatology. Contrary to the initial hypotheses, however, expressive traits were also positively correlated with higher perceived competence and lower levels of depressive symptomatology in the entire sample. Within the sample, though, those designated as expressive individuals did report a positive but nonsignificant relationship between expressive traits and increased depression measures. Instrumental males and androgynous females reported the lowest percentages 10 of elevated depression scores while undifferentiated males and females reported the highest percentage. While both perceived competence and instrumental attributes were found to have a significant inverse relationship with depression, the hypothesis that instrumental traits mediated the relationship between perceived competence and depression was not borne out with both perceived competence and instrumentality maintaining significant contributions to overall levels of depressive symptoms. The same was not true for expressive attributes as they related to the mediation of perceived competence and depression. When both perceived competence and expressivity were considered expressivity failed to maintain a significant relationship with levels of depressive symptoms. The study also reflected sex role attributes as coping styles similar to problem focused and emotion focused approaches and also suggested an awareness that a coping style other than the individual's predominant style seemed to exist.
Highly efficient homology-driven genome editing in human T cells by combining zinc-finger nuclease mRNA and AAV6 donor delivery

The adoptive transfer of engineered T cells for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease is a rapidly growing field that has shown great promise in recent clinical trials. Nuclease-driven genome editing provides a method in which to precisely target genetic changes to further enhance T cell function in vivo. We describe the development of a highly efficient method to genome edit both primary human CD8 and CD4 T cells by homology-directed repair at a pre-defined site of the genome. Two different homology donor templates were evaluated, representing both minor gene editing events (restriction site insertion) to mimic gene correction, or the more significant insertion of a larger gene cassette. By combining zinc finger nuclease mRNA delivery with AAV6 delivery of a homologous donor we could gene correct 41% of CCR5 or 55% of PPP1R12C (AAVS1) alleles in CD8+ T cells and gene targeting of a GFP transgene cassette in >40% of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells at both the CCR5 and AAVS1 safe harbor locus, potentially providing a robust genome editing tool for T cell-based immunotherapy.
Pedal Sole Immunoreactive Axons in Terrestrial Pulmonates: Limax, Arion, and Helix

A century ago histological techniques such as formic acid–gold chloride showed the nerve morphology of the pedal sole in Limax and Helix. There have been no similar descriptions since then of the central nervous system relevant to locomotory pedal waves in the foot of slugs and snails. Topical application of 5-HT affects locomotory waves, but the innervation of the pedal sole with 5-HT axons is not known. Three-dimensional morphology of pedal axons in terrestrial pulmonate embryos is shown herein with modern histological techniques using antibodies and the confocal microscope. In Limax maximus, pedal ganglia are shown with Tritonia pedal peptide (TPep) antibodies. Ladder-like cross bridges in the pedal sole are shown with antibodies to both TPep and 5-HT. In Arion ater, pedal ganglia neurons and their axons that form a plexus in the pedal sole are shown with 5-HT antibodies. In Helix aspersa, 5-HT immunoreactive pedal ganglia neurons and a developing pedal sole axon plexus are seen as in A. ater. Axons in this plexus that grow across the pedal sole can be seen growing into pre-existing nerves. No peripheral 5-HT neurons were identified in these three species. This immunoreactive plexus to 5-HT antibodies in A. ater and H. aspersa spreads over the pedal sole epithelium. Axons immunoreactive to 5-HT antibodies in A. ater and H. aspersa extend the length of the foot, primarily in the rim, so that activity in these axons cannot provide local patterned input to produce locomotory waves, but may provide modulatory input to pedal sole muscles.