Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression and Localization of the Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Kir 7 . 1 in Native Bovine Retinal Pigment Epithelium

RESULTS. RT-PCR analysis revealed Kir7.1 transcript in both RPE and neural retina, but Kir4.1 transcript only in the neural retina. In Northern blot analysis, Kir4.1 probe hybridized to an appropriately sized-transcript in neural retina but not in RPE. Kir7.1 probe hybridized to a major transcript of 1.5 kb in both RPE and neural retina, but with greater expression in RPE. In Western blot analysis, Kir7.1 antibody recognized a major monomer of 53 kDa in RPE, whereas Kir4.1 antibody recognized a monomer of 60 kDa in neural retina but not in RPE. Intense Kir7.1 immunolabeling was present on the apical surface of all RPE cells and appeared to extend over the length of the apical processes. Na ,K -ATPase expression varied among RPE cells, but in highly expressing cells, it colocalized with Kir7.1.
Differential Matrix Rigidity Response in Breast Cancer Cell Lines Correlates with the Tissue Tropism

Metastasis to a variety of distant organs, such as lung, brain, bone, and liver, is a leading cause of mortality in the breast cancer patients. The tissue tropism of breast cancer metastasis has been recognized and studied extensively, but the cellular processes underlying this phenomenon, remain elusive. Modern technologies have enabled the discovery of a number of the genetic factors determining tissue tropism of malignant cells. However, the effect of these genetic differences on the cell motility and invasiveness is poorly understood. Here, we report that cellular responses to the mechanical rigidity of the extracellular matrix correlate with the rigidity of the target tissue. We tested a series of single cell populations isolated from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line in a variety of assays where the extracellular matrix rigidity was varied to mimic the environment that these cells might encounter in vivo. There was increased proliferation and migration through the matrices of rigidities corresponding to the native rigidities of the organs where metastasis was observed. We were able to abolish the differential matrix rigidity response by knocking down Fyn kinase, which was previously identified as a critical component of the FN rigidity response pathway in healthy cells. This result suggests possible molecular mechanisms of the rigidity response in the malignant cells, indicating potential candidates for therapeutic interventions.
Physical Activity: Exploring Views of Older Russian-Speaking Slavic Immigrants

Many of the 1.3 million Russian-speaking immigrants in the US have chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. They engage in physical activity less often than other groups, and little is known about their views of physical activity. This qualitative study explored physical activity attitudes, beliefs, motivators, and barriers among older Russian-speaking immigrants. In four focus group interviews, 23 participants discussed physical activity. “Movement is life” was a theme throughout all interviews. Walking was the most frequently mentioned activity. Increased energy and decreased pain were described as health benefits. Motivators for physical activity were maintaining function, improved health, and the support of God and family. Barriers included poor health and environmental safety concerns. Participants suggested community walking groups and church-supported programs as useful methods to promote physical activity. Future research includes developing culturally appropriate interventions that utilize physical activity to prevent and manage chronic illness with ethnic minority older adults.
Bilateral Counterparty Risk Valuation with Stochastic Dynamical Models and Application to Credit Default Swaps

We introduce the general arbitrage-free valuation framework for counterparty risk adjustments in presence of bilateral default risk, including default of the investor. We illustrate the symmetry in the valuation and show that the adjustment involves a long position in a put option plus a short position in a call option, both with zero strike and written on the residual net value of the contract at the relevant default times. We allow for correlation between the default times of the investor, counterparty and underlying portfolio risk factors. We use arbitrage-free stochastic dynamical models. We then specialize our analysis to Credit Default Swaps (CDS) as underlying portfolio, generalizing the work of Brigo and Chourdakis (2008) [5] who deal with unilateral and asymmetric counterparty risk. We introduce stochastic intensity models and a trivariate copula function on the default times exponential variables to model default dependence. Similarly to [5], we find that both default correlation and credit spread volatilities have a relevant and structured impact on the adjustment. Differently from [5], the two parties will now agree on the credit valuation adjustment. We study a case involving British Airways, Lehman Brothers and Royal Dutch Shell, illustrating the bilateral adjustments in concrete crisis situations.
Prediction of distress and identification of potential M&As targets in UK

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify financial characteristics that assess and predict corporate financial distress in publicly traded firms quoted in the London Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach - The model incorporates three existing literatures as an alternative to bankruptcy. The model has two stages: the first stage discriminates financially healthy or distressed firms utilizing binary logit regression. The second stage makes use of the univariate analysis. Firms can be further categorized into four possible outcomes: financially healthy, potentially healthy targets and financially distressed and potentially distressed acquisition targets. Findings - It was found that financial distress could be identified as early as three years prior to the event. Moreover, statistically significant differences were found between the four firm sample groups. Research limitations/implications - The vast changing environment and the financial crisis highlight the need for future research on the world trade implications, as well as the individual macroeconomic variables of each country. Originality/value - This is the first time a UK study makes use of this model in order to follow the hazard model's procedure based on recent financial data. Due to the scope of the analysis, a new version of the latter procedure is employed. A further innovation that makes the model unique is its ability to classify a firm into one of several a priori groupings according to the latter's individual characteristics. This overcomes the limitation of earlier studies that only considered two possible outcomes for firms.
Research Paper No . 2005 / 40 Globalization , Production and Poverty Rhys Jenkins

The impact of globalization on poverty is a matter of keen debate but empirical work in this area has been dominated by cross-country regressions. This paper attempts to link the more macro impacts of globalization, particularly as manifested through the impact on employment, with the micro level analysis of poverty at the individual and household level. The link is provided through the analysis of specific value chains (horticulture, textiles and garments) which are driven by changes at the global level but which have impacts at the local level in terms of employment and poverty. The paper reports on studies carried out in four countries—Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam—which have all become more integrated with the global economy in recent years. The approach presented gives no universal conclusions about the impact of globalization on poverty but shows that outcomes are highly context dependent.
A fuzzy pre-compensated-PI controller for indirect field oriented controlled induction motor drive

This paper presents design, analysis and simulation of fuzzy logic controller for indirect field oriented control (FOC) of induction motor drives. The induction motor drive is controlled using a FOC, which allows a fast transient response of the system by controlling a decoupled flux and torque components. Moreover, a fuzzy pre-compensated proportionalintegral (PI) controller is used for attaining a better dynamic performance of the proposed drive system. The performance of the proposed fuzzy controller is compared with the conventional-PI controller for the operation of the induction motor drive at rated load and light loading conditions. The obtained results demonstrate effectiveness and robustness of the proposed fuzzy logic controller.
Effects of Self-Directed Learning Readiness on Academic Performance and Perceived Usefulness for Each Element of Flipped Learning

This study aims to examine the effects of self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) on academic performance and the perceived usefulness for each elements of flipped learning. Based on their SDLR scores, 69 students were assigned to a high SDLR group and a low SDLR group. Academic performance was measured by the completion rate of a pre-class online learning and the final exam score, and perceived usefulness for each element of flipped learning was measured by a survey designed by the researcher. For academic performance, the high SDLR group showed a significantly higher completion rate than the low SDLR group, but no significant difference was observed in their final exam scores. Students in the high SDLR group perceived in-class student-centered activities as more useful than those in the low SDLR group. Additional qualitative analyses indicated that students needed more support from instructors and well-prepared peers. Finally, this study suggested that more examination on the various learning characteristics that may influence the effectiveness of flipped learning should be done.
The competitive dimension of comparative optimism / La dimensión competitiva del optimismo comparativo

Abstract We usually think that positive events are more likely to occur to us than to others and vice versa for negative events. This phenomenon, called comparative optimism, increases both social utility and the tendency to present oneself as above average. The literature highlights the same elements in competition. Our objective was to study the links between comparative optimism and competition and to argue that social utility can explain this relation. In our study, we presented participants with comparative optimistic, comparative pessimistic or neutral targets. We observed that a comparative optimistic target was perceived to fit better with a competitive situation than other targets because he/she was deemed socially useful (e.g., assertive, self-confident). Participants also felt that a comparative optimistic target pursued more performance goals than the other targets. This effect was mediated by the perception of this target as a competitive person. These results, consistent with our assumptions, highlight the competitive dimension of comparative optimism.
The Seniors’ Outdoor Survey (SOS Tool): comparing ratings and reliability between Italy and the USA

ABSTRACT To test applicability of an environmental assessment instrument in new settings, the ratings and reliability of the SOS Tool were compared in diverse settings with a similar climate: Milan, Italy; and Bryan/College Station, Texas, USA. This instrument evaluates physical environment support for outdoor usage by residents at senior facilities. Two trained raters assigned ratings (using a 1–7 scale) to the 60 instrument items at each setting (Italy: 94 outdoor spaces, 67 facilities; US: 22 outdoor spaces, 12 facilities). Overall mean ratings were similar across both sites (6% difference), and three of the five domains had comparable mean ratings. Mean inter-rater reliability was good in both settings but higher in Italy (ICC = .97 versus .82). Despite geographic/cultural differences, mean ratings for most items and domains were surprisingly similar between Italy and the US. This finding, and the high inter-rater reliability found in both settings, suggest this instrument may be useful in a wide range of settings.
The First Peopling of South America: New Evidence from Y-Chromosome Haplogroup Q

Recent progress in the phylogenetic resolution of the Y-chromosome phylogeny permits the male demographic dynamics and migratory events that occurred in Central and Southern America after the initial human spread into the Americas to be investigated at the regional level. To delve further into this issue, we examined more than 400 Native American Y chromosomes (collected in the region ranging from Mexico to South America) belonging to haplogroup Q – virtually the only branch of the Y phylogeny observed in modern-day Amerindians of Central and South America – together with 27 from Mongolia and Kamchatka. Two main founding lineages, Q1a3a1a-M3 and Q1a3a1-L54(xM3), were detected along with novel sub-clades of younger age and more restricted geographic distributions. The first was also observed in Far East Asia while no Q1a3a1-L54(xM3) Y chromosome was found in Asia except the southern Siberian-specific sub-clade Q1a3a1c-L330. Our data not only confirm a southern Siberian origin of ancestral populations that gave rise to Paleo-Indians and the differentiation of both Native American Q founding lineages in Beringia, but support their concomitant arrival in Mesoamerica, where Mexico acted as recipient for the first wave of migration, followed by a rapid southward migration, along the Pacific coast, into the Andean region. Although Q1a3a1a-M3 and Q1a3a1-L54(xM3) display overlapping general distributions, they show different patterns of evolution in the Mexican plateau and the Andean area, which can be explained by local differentiations due to demographic events triggered by the introduction of agriculture and associated with the flourishing of the Great Empires.
The Economic Value of Data : A New Revenue Stream for Global Custodians

Among the newer revenue streams upon which some firms have embarked is to monetize the large volumes of data assets they hold on behalf of their clients to meet regulatory mandates – the maintenance of which carries a major technology price tag for custodians. Leveraging this data in aggregated form to offer time-series analysis, predictive analytics, business intelligence and visualizations provides significant insights to decision-makers at custodian firms and their operations teams. This is made possible with technology innovations in big data management and analytics.
Family Health History Tools as Communication Resources: Perspectives from Caucasian, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander Families

ABSTRACT Many tools facilitate gathering family health history (FHH) information. Public health initiatives have focused on improving FHH communication. Research indicates that tools remain largely unused in non-clinical settings and people tend to refrain from engaging in FHH communication. Research also indicates that cultural and family relationship factors influence FHH communication and tool use. This study investigated FHH tools as resources for FHH communication within Caucasian, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander families. Interviews with 10 family dyads from each racial/ethnic group included opportunities for participants to evaluate two FHH tools. Using structurating activity theory, the qualitative analysis revealed that participants viewed the tools as a structure for FHH information, a guide for how to communicate about FHH, and a source for stories about family health. Results are discussed in terms of how family system elements and social structures shape perceptions and use of FHH tools. Conclusions include implications for research and practice.
Noise and Lombard Effect Compensation for In-Vehicle Automatic Speech Recognition

Presence of background noise in speech impacts the performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR). Adverse noisy environments are also known to induce so-called Lombard effect (LE), where speakers adjust their speech production in order to preserve intelligible communication. LE leads to further ASR degradation, often stronger than the one due to noise. Recently, a set of techniques reducing the impact of noise and LE have been introduced. In this paper, these algorithms are incorporated in a novel ASR setup and evaluated on neutral and Lombard speech corrupted by noise samples from a newly acquired car noise database. It is shown that the proposed scheme provides considerable performance improvement over the baseline and state-of-the-art approaches for all considered car environments and noise levels, reaching 4–17% absolute word error rate (WER) reduction.
DNMT1 and HDAC2 Cooperate to Facilitate Aberrant Promoter Methylation in Inorganic Phosphate-Induced Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition

While phosphorus in the form of inorganic or organic phosphate is critically involved in most cellular functions, high plasma levels of inorganic phosphate levels have emerged as independent risk factor for cardiac fibrosis, cardiovascular morbidity and decreased life-expectancy. While the link of high phosphate and cardiovascular disease is commonly explained by direct cellular effects of phospho-regulatory hormones, we here explored the possibility of inorganic phosphate directly eliciting biological responses in cells. We demonstrate that human coronary endothelial cells (HCAEC) undergo an endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) when exposed to high phosphate. We further demonstrate that such EndMT is initiated by recruitment of aberrantly phosphorylated DNMT1 to the RASAL1 CpG island promoter by HDAC2, causing aberrant promoter methylation and transcriptional suppression, ultimately leading to increased Ras-GTP activity and activation of common EndMT regulators Twist and Snail. Our studies provide a novel aspect for known adverse effects of high phosphate levels, as eukaryotic cells are commonly believed to have lost phosphate-sensing mechanisms of prokaryotes during evolution, rendering them insensitive to extracellular inorganic orthophosphate. In addition, our studies provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying specific targeting of select genes in context of fibrogenesis.
Familial Melanoma: A Meta-analysis and Estimates of Attributable Fraction

Melanoma commonly clusters in families, and the recent identification of numerous genotypes predicting higher risks of melanoma has led to the widespread perception that this cancer is predominantly a genetic disease. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to quantify the contribution of familial factors to melanoma, estimated by the population attributable fraction (PAF). Eligible studies were those that permitted quantitative assessment of the association between histologically confirmed melanoma and family history of the disease; we identified 22 such studies using citation databases, followed by manual review of retrieved references. We calculated summary RRs using weighted averages of the log RR, taking into account random effects, and used these to estimate the PAF. Overall, family history was associated with a significant 2-fold increased risk of melanoma (odds ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.72-2.45); however, there was significant heterogeneity (P = 0.01). The pooled estimate for population-based studies (n = 11) was 2.03 (1.70-2.43), and 2.51 (1.55-4.07) for clinic/hospital-based studies (n = 11), both with significant heterogeneity (P = 0.049 and P = 0.013, respectively). Two studies used record linkage to verify family history in relatives; the pooled risk estimate from these two studies was 2.52 (2.11-3.00) with no evidence of heterogeneity (P = 0.258). Estimates of PAF associated with a positive family history ranged from 0.007 for Northern Europe to 0.064 for Australia (0.040 for all regions combined). Our findings suggest that only a small percentage of melanoma cases (always <7%) are attributable to familial risk; the majority of melanomas are presumably attributable to other factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(1); 65–73
Dental Age in Orthodontic Patients with Different Skeletal Patterns

Objective. To evaluate the difference between chronological and dental age, calculated by Willems and Cameriere methods, in various skeletal patterns according to Steiner's ANB Classification. Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study comprised the sample of 776 participants aged between 7 and 15 years (368 males and 408 females). For each participant, panoramic images (OPT) and laterolateral cephalograms (LC) were collected from the medical database. On LC ANB angle was measured; on OPT dental age (DA) was calculated while chronological age (CA) and sex were recorded. The sample was divided into three subgroups (Class I, Class II, and Class III) with similar distribution based on the chronological age and ANB angle. CA was calculated as the difference between the date of OPT imaging and the date of birth, while DA was evaluated using Willems and Cameriere methods. ANB angle was measured on LC by two independent investigators using the cephalometric software. Differences between sexes and the difference between dental and chronological age were tested by independent and paired samples t-test, respectively; one-way ANOVA was used to test differences among ANB classes with Tukey post hoc test to compare specific pairs of ANB classes. Results. The significant difference was found between Class III and other two skeletal classes in males using both dental age estimation methods. In Class III males dental age was ahead averagely by 0.41 years when using Willems method, while Cameriere method overestimated CA for 0.22 years. Conclusion. In males with Class III skeletal pattern, dental development is faster than in Classes I and II skeletal pattern. This faster development is not present in females.
Net-Energy Analysis of Integrated Food and Bioenergy Systems Exemplified by a Model of a Self-Sufficient System of Dairy Farms

Agriculture is expected to contribute in substituting of fossil fuels in the future. This constitutes a paradox as agriculture depends heavily on fossil energy for providing fuel, fodder, nutrients and machinery. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether organic agriculture is capable of providing both food and surplus energy to the society as evaluated from a model study. We evaluated bioenergy technologies in a Danish dairy farming context in four different scenarios: 1) vegetable oil based on oilseed rape, 2) biogas based on cattle manure and grass-clover lays, 3) bioethanol from rye grain and whey, and 4) a combination of 1) and 2). When assessing the energetic net-contribution to society from bioenergy systems, two types of problems arise: How to aggregate non-equivalent types of energy services, and how to account for non-equivalent types of inputs and co-products from the farming? To avoid the first type, the net output of liquid fuels, electricity, useful heat and food were calculated separately. Further, to avoid the second type, all scenarios were designed to provide self-sufficiency with fodder and fertilizer and to utilize co-products within the system. This approach resulted in a transparent assessment of the net-contribution to society, which is easy to interpret. We conclude that if 20% of land is used for energy crops, farm-gate energy self-sufficiency can be achieved at the cost of 17% reduction in amount of food produced. These results demonstrate the strong limitations for (organic) agriculture in providing both food and surplus energy.