Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of lncRNA HOTAIR on acute kidney injury in sepsis rats through regulating miR-34a/Bcl-2 pathway.

OBJECTIVE To study the regulatory effect of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) on acute kidney injury (AKI) in sepsis rats and its regulatory mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sepsis-induced AKI model was established in Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats through cecal ligation puncture. A total of 30 SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, model group and lncRNA HOTAIR mimic group, with 10 rats in each group. Relative levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in kidney tissues were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Apoptosis of kidney tissues was detected via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Moreover, the target gene of miR-34a was searched using the miRNA online database. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of miR-34a and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were detected via Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Compared with those in the control group, the rats in the model group showed injured pathological morphology of kidney, elevated contents of TNF-α and IL-1β, and apoptosis in kidney tissues. The target gene of miR-34a was Bcl-2, according to the miRNA online database. MiR-34a level in kidney tissues was upregulated, while the mRNA level of Bcl-2 significantly decreased in the model group. Compared with those in the model group, the pathological morphology of kidney tissues was improved, the content of TNF-α and IL-1β markedly declined, and the apoptotic rate of kidney tissues also reduced in lncRNA HOTAIR mimic group. The miR-34a level in kidney tissues decreased, while the Bcl-2 mRNA level remarkably increased in lncRNA HOTAIR mimic group. CONCLUSIONS LncRNA HOTAIR overexpression can alleviate AKI in sepsis rats by inhibiting the apoptosis of kidney tissues by downregulating the miR-34a/Bcl-2 signaling pathway.
Giving Up on Unattainable Goals: Benefits for Health?

Three studies examined associations between goal disengagement and goal reengagement tendencies and indicators of physical health (e.g., health problems, cortisol rhythms, sleep efficiency). Based on research showing that goal adjustment tendencies are associated with subjective well-being, the authors predicted that people who are better able to disengage from unattainable goals and reengage with alternative goals also may experience better physical health. Across the three studies, the findings demonstrate that the ability to disengage from unattainable goals is associated with better self-reported health and more normative patterns of diurnal cortisol secretion. Goal reengagement, by contrast, was unrelated to indicators of physical health but buffered some of the adverse effects of difficulty with goal disengagement. The results also indicate that subjective well-being can mediate the associations between goal disengagement tendencies and physical health.
THE QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF FLORAL TRAIT VARIATION IN LOBELIA: POTENTIAL CONSTRAINTS ON ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION

Abstract Although pollinator-mediated natural selection has been measured on many floral traits and in many species, the extent to which selection is constrained from producing optimal floral phenotypes is less frequently studied. In particular, negative correlations between flower size and flower number are hypothesized to be a major constraint on the evolution of floral displays, yet few empirical studies have documented such a trade-off. To determine the potential for genetic constraints on the adaptive evolution of floral displays, I estimated the quantitative genetic basis of floral trait variation in two populations of Lobelia siphilitica. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analyses of greenhouse- grown half-sib families were used to estimate genetic variances and covariances for flower number and six measures of flower size. There was significant genetic variation for all seven floral traits in both populations. Flower number was negatively genetically correlated with four measures of flower size in one population and three measures in the other. When the genetic variance-covariance matrices were combined with field estimates of phenotypic selection gradients, the predicted multivariate evolutionary response was less than or opposite in sign to the selection gradient for flower number and five of six measures of flower size, suggesting genetic constraints on the evolution of these traits. More generally, my results indicate that the adaptive evolution of floral displays can be constrained by trade- offs between flower size and number, as has been assumed by many theoretical models of floral evolution.
On the Predictability of Global Stock Returns

Stock return predictability is a central issue in empirical finance. Yet no comprehensive study of international data has been performed to test the predictive ability of lagged explanatory variables. In fact, most stylized facts are based on U.S. stock-market data. In this paper, I test for stock return predictability in the largest and most comprehensive data set analyzed so far, using four common forecasting variables: the dividend- and earnings-price ratios, the short interest rate, and the term spread. The data contain over 20,000 monthly observations from 40 international markets, including markets in 22 of the 24 OECD countries. I also develop new asymptotic results for long-run regressions with overlapping observations. I show that rather than using auto-correlation robust standard errors, the standard t-statistic can simply be divided by the square root of the forecasting horizon to correct for the effects of the overlap in the data. Further, when the regressors are persistent and endogenous, the long-run OLS estimator suffers from the same problems as does the short-run OLS estimator, and similar corrections and test procedures as those proposed by Campbell and Yogo (2003) for the short-run case should also be used in the long-run; again, the resulting test statistics should be scaled due to the overlap. The empirical analysis conducts time-series regressions for individual countries as well as pooled regressions. The results indicate that the short interest rate and the term spread are fairly robust predictors of stock returns in OECD countries. The predictive abilities of both the short rate and the term spread are short-run phenomena; in particular, there is only evidence of predictability at one and 12-month horizons. In contrast to the interest rate variables, no strong or consistent evidence of predictability is found when considering the earnings- and dividend-price ratios as predictors. Any evidence that is found is primarily seen at the long-run horizon of 60 months. Neither of these predictors yields any consistent predictive power for the OECD countries. The interest rate variables also have out-of-sample predictive power that is economically significant; the welfare gains to a log-utility investor who uses the predictive ability of these variables to make portfolio decisions are substantial.
From palliation to cure: PIPAC for peritoneal malignancies.

INTRODUCTION Systemic chemotherapy offers poor control over peritoneal disease, maybe as a consequence of restricted drug availability within the abdominal cavity. Locoregional chemotherapy may overcome this shortcomings but its administration is limited to a few patients with confined peritoneal spread. Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) emerged in the last years as a novel method of intraperitoneal drug administration. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We report a meta-analysis of published studies on PIPAC safety and pathological anti-tumoral efficacy on PC from various tumor entities, with the aim of providing more evidence to support further research. This systematic review and meta-analysis were designed, conducted and reported according to the PRISMA statement. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS An overall pathological response rate of 43,7% was calculated on a total of 668 patients who underwent 1480 PIPAC cycles across the 20 studies. Pooled severe adverse events rate (CTCAE grade 3-4 was 10% and 7 deaths across all studies were reported, of which only 4 related to PIPAC. CONCLUSIONS PIPAC is a safe procedure which has a relevant anti-tumoral activity on peritoneal carcinomatosis. Further studies, even in the early stage of disease, are awaited to assess the clinical benefit of PIPAC. This review may serve as a reliable basis for future research.
Cervical cancer screening in rural Bhutan with the careHPV test on self-collected samples: an ongoing cross-sectional, population-based study (REACH-Bhutan)

Objectives The Bhutanese Screening Programme recommends a Pap smear every 3 years for women aged 25–65 years, and coverage ranges from 20% to 60%, being especially challenging in rural settings. The ‘REACH-Bhutan’ study was conducted to assess the feasibility and outcomes of a novel approach to cervical cancer screening in rural Bhutan. Design Cross-sectional, population-based study of cervical cancer screening based on the careHPV test on self-collected samples. Setting Women were recruited in rural primary healthcare centres, that is, Basic Health Units (BHU), across Bhutan. Participants Overall, 3648 women aged 30–60 were invited from 15 BHUs differing in accessibility, size and ethnic composition of the population. Interventions Participants provided a self-collected cervicovaginal sample and were interviewed. Samples were tested using careHPV in Thimphu (the Bhutanese capital) referral laboratory. Main outcome measures Screening participation by geographic area, centre, age and travelling time. Previous screening history and careHPV positivity by selected characteristics of the participants. Results In April/May 2016, 2590 women (median age: 41) were enrolled. Study participation was 71% and significantly heterogeneous by BHU (range: 31%–96%). Participation decreased with increase in age (81% in women aged 30–39 years; 59% in ≥50 years) and travelling time (90% in women living <30 min from the BHU vs 62% among those >6 hours away). 50% of participants reported no previous screening, with the proportion of never-screened women varying significantly by BHU (range: 2%–72%). 265 women (10%; 95% CI 9% to 11%) were careHPV positive, with a significant variation by BHU (range: 5%–19%) and number of sexual partners (prevalence ratio for ≥3 vs 0–1, 1.55; 95% CI 1.05 to 2.27). Conclusions Community-based cervical cancer screening by testing self-collected samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) can achieve high coverage in rural Bhutan. However, solutions to bring self-collection, HPV testing and precancer treatment closer to the remotest villages are needed.
Bone marrow transplantation for adults with acute leukaemia and 11q23 chromosomal abnormalities

Adults with acute leukaemia and abnormalities of chromosome 11q23 have a poor prognosis when treated with conventional chemotherapy. To determine whether more intensive therapy can improve outcome for patients with this karyotypic finding, a retrospective analysis of all patients with acute leukaemia and 11q23 abnormalities treated at our centre was performed. 12 patients were treated with conventional chemotherapy alone (CC); 20 patients received high‐dose chemo/radiotherapy (HDCT) with autologous (seven patients) or allogeneic (13 patients) bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The treatment‐related mortality was 25% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 7–69%] for the CC group and 46% (CI 25–73%) for the BMT group (P = 0.69). Cumulative risk of leukaemia progression was 89% (CI 61–100%) in the CC patients and 38% (CI 12–69%) in the BMT patients (P = 0.001). The 2‐year event‐free survival for patients treated with CC was 8% (CI 0–31%) and for patients receiving HDCT and BMT was 34% (CI 14–54%) (P = 0.03). These results confirm that conventional chemotherapy is rarely curative for adults with acute leukaemia and 11q23 abnormalities but that HDCT with BMT can result in long‐term survival in a significant proportion of patients.
Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Activity of LB-100, an Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A, in Patients with Relapsed Solid Tumors: An Open-Label, Dose Escalation, First-in-Human, Phase I Trial

Purpose: To determine the MTD and to assess the safety, tolerability, and potential activity of LB-100, a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in adult patients with progressive solid tumors. Experimental Design: LB-100 was administered intravenously daily for 3 days in 21-day cycles in a 3 + 3 dose escalation design. Results: There were 29 patient entries over 7 dose escalations. One patient stopped treatment after one dose because of an acute infection and was reenrolled after recovery; each course was analyzed as a separate patient entry. Two patients had dose-limiting toxicity (reversible increases in serum creatinine or calculated serum creatinine clearance) at the 3.1 mg/m2 level. Probable or possible study drug-related grade 3 adverse events occurred in 6 (20.7%) patients [anemia (n = 2), decreased creatinine clearance, dyspnea, hyponatremia, and lymphopenia]. Ten (50%) of 20 response-evaluable patients had stable disease for four or more cycles. One patient with pancreatic adenocarcinoma had a partial response noted after 10 cycles, which was maintained for five additional cycles. The other patients achieving stable disease had one of the following: fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, thymoma, atypical carcinoid of lung, or ovarian, testicular, breast (n = 2), and prostate cancer. The recommended phase II dose of LB-100 is 2.33 mg/m2 daily for 3 days every 3 weeks. Conclusions: The safety, tolerability, preliminary evidence of antitumor activity, and novel mechanism of action of LB-100 support its continued development alone and in combination with other therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3277–84. ©2016 AACR.
Productivity and employment growth: an empirical review of long and medium run evidence : background working paper for the world employment report 2004

This study argues that the creation of productive jobs is the key to economic growth, social development and improvements in living standards. The study provides extensive empirical evidence showing that the long run trend has been towards simultaneous growth in per capita income, productivity and employment growth. However, depending on the type of indicator and the time frame adopted, there are legitimate concerns about the distribution of the productivity and welfare gains from growth both within as well as between countries. Following the analysis of the long term growth pattern (Chapter 2), the study investigates under which conditions, in which regions and which industries a trade-off occurs between productivity and employment growth. In Chapter 3 patterns of employment-productivity trade-offs are established across regions and time periods at the macro level. Chapter 4 focuses on sectors of the economy. In Chapter 5 the study discusses the policy areas that will be most conducive to breaking or reducing the trade-off between productivity growth and employment in order to exploit the long run growth potential. We argue that, in addition to sound macroeconomic policies, a sensible role for market forces in allocating resources to their most productive uses is important. However, the key challenge is to create an institutional environment that can alleviate some of the negative effects in the short and medium run while not hampering the realisation of the long run growth potential. Support to the creation of social capabilities and national innovation systems are important policy areas to achieve this goal. While strengthening an economy’s fundamentals in the short and medium run, these also contribute to the virtuous circle of productivity growth, employment creation and poverty alleviation, which is the main theme of the ILO World Employment Report 2004.
Association of excision repair cross‐complimentary group 1 gene polymorphisms with breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility

The role of excision repair cross‐complimentary group 1 (ERCC1) gene polymorphisms in breast and ovarian cancer development has long been controversial and existing data were inconsistent. Here, we conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis to better clarify the association. Case‐control studies published from December 2008 to November 2018 were assessed. The statistical analyses of the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Fifteen articles with 24 case‐control studies and 3 ERCC1 polymorphisms were enrolled. A total of 20 923 participants including 9896 cases and 11 027 controls were analyzed. The results showed that C to T variation in the ERCC1 rs11615 (C/T) polymorphisms was correlated with breast cancer susceptibility (T vs C: OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.02‐1.38; TT + CT vs CC: OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.12‐1.36). ERCC1 rs3212986 (C/A) polymorphisms posed an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer as whole (A vs C: OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.01‐1.25; AA + CA vs CC: OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02‐1.22), and presented especially higher risk for ovarian cancer (A vs C: OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.05‐1.63; AA vs CA + CC: OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.12‐2.47; AA vs CC: OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.12‐2.64). Meanwhile, neither overall group analyses nor stratified analyses displayed any association of ERCC1 rs2298881 (A/C) polymorphisms in breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility. This meta‐analysis suggested that ERCC1 rs11615 (C/T) polymorphisms were associated with breast cancer susceptibility and rs3212986 (C/A) polymorphisms were especially correlated with ovarian cancer risk. More case‐control studies with well‐adjusted data and diverse populations are essential for validation of our conclusion.
Spatial and body‐size dependent response of marine pelagic communities to projected global climate change

Temperature, oxygen, and food availability directly affect marine life. Climate models project a global warming of the ocean's surface (~+3 °C), a de‐oxygenation of the ocean's interior (~−3%) and a decrease in total marine net primary production (~−8%) under the ‘business as usual’ climate change scenario (RCP8.5). We estimated the effects of these changes on biological communities using a coupled biogeochemical (PISCES) – ecosystems (APECOSM) model forced by the physical outputs of the last generation of the IPSL‐CM Earth System Model. The APECOSM model is a size‐structured bio‐energetic model that simulates the 3D dynamical distributions of three interactive pelagic communities (epipelagic, mesopelagic, and migratory) under the effects of multiple environmental factors. The PISCES‐APECOSM model ran from 1850 to 2100 under historical forcing followed by RCP8.5. Our RCP8.5 simulation highlights significant changes in the spatial distribution, biomass, and maximum body‐size of the simulated pelagic communities. Biomass and maximum body‐size increase at high latitude over the course of the century, reflecting the capacity of marine organisms to respond to new suitable environment. At low‐ and midlatitude, biomass and maximum body‐size strongly decrease. In those regions, large organisms cannot maintain their high metabolic needs because of limited and declining food availability. This resource reduction enhances the competition and modifies the biomass distribution among and within the three communities: the proportion of small organisms increases in the three communities and the migrant community that initially comprised a higher proportion of small organisms is favored. The greater resilience of small body‐size organisms resides in their capacity to fulfill their metabolic needs under reduced energy supply and is further favored by the release of predation pressure due to the decline of large organisms. These results suggest that small body‐size organisms might be more resilient to climate change than large ones.
Learner-adapted practice promotes skill transfer in unskilled adults learning the basketball set shot

Abstract The current study used a complex, sport-specific movement skill to explore the effects of a win-shift/lose-stay practice schedule on learning and compared its effectiveness with that of blocked and random practice schedules. Thirty-six adults (24.9 ± 3.3 years) were assigned to blocked, random and learner-adapted training groups. Each participant performed 360 trials of the basketball set shot from multiple locations across six practice sessions. For the learner-adapted group, switching between task variations was performance-contingent; switching between shooting locations occurred only following a successful shot. Shooting success was calculated as the percentage of successful shots performed, and measured during pre-acquisition (i.e. baseline), acquisition (i.e. practice) and post-acquisition (i.e. retention and transfer). Despite scoring less shots throughout practice compared to baseline testing, the learner-adapted group showed a significant improvement for shooting success in transfer (d = 1.02). Blocked practice demonstrated significant improvements for shooting success in immediate retention (d = 1.83), delayed retention (d = 1.69) and transfer (d = 1.39). Random practice significantly improved shooting success in both immediate (d = 1.03) and delayed retention (d = 0.81). The current findings highlight that performance during practice does not necessarily represent the permanency and adaptability of skill learning. The implications of the findings and their practical applications are discussed in the context of practice scheduling during learning of a sports skill.
Bounds on list decoding of MDS codes

We derive upper bounds on the number of errors that can be corrected by list decoding of maximum distance separable (MDS) codes using small lists. We show that the performance of Reed-Solomon codes, for certain parameter values, is limited by worst-case codeword configurations, but that with randomly chosen codes over large alphabets, more errors can be corrected.
Competitiveness and External Imbalances within the Euro Area

The onset of the financial crisis in 2008 has highlighted the problems of diverging external imbalances within Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the role of persistent losses in competitiveness. This paper starts by investigating some of the competitiveness factors which contributed to external imbalances in euro area countries. The evidence suggests significant heterogeneity across countries in both price/cost and non-price competitiveness in the euro area and that there is no one factor, but rather a range of potential factors explaining diverging external imbalances. In particular, while non-price competitiveness effects contributed largely to the trade surplus in some countries, for some southern European countries the trade balance was also driven by price factors. The second part of the paper studies the implications of competitiveness adjustment by means of quantitative tools. Using four different multi-country macro models, improvements in both price/cost aspects (namely wage reduction, productivity improvements or fiscal devaluation) and non-price competitiveness factors (quality improvements) were shown – under certain conditions – to improve external imbalances. The analysis suggests differences in countries’ composition of trade could lead to heterogeneity in the potential gains from improvements in competitiveness.