Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of LAR family phosphatase genes Ptprs and Ptprf causes craniofacial malformations resembling Pierre-Robin sequence

Leukocyte antigen related (LAR) family receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) regulate the fine balance between tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation that is crucial for cell signaling during development and tissue homeostasis. Here we show that LAR RPTPs are required for normal development of the mandibular and maxillary regions. Approximately half of the mouse embryos lacking both Ptprs (RPTPσ) and Ptprf (LAR) exhibit micrognathia (small lower jaw), cleft palate and microglossia/glossoptosis (small and deep tongue), a phenotype closely resembling Pierre-Robin sequence in humans. We show that jaw bone and cartilage patterning occurs aberrantly in LAR family phosphatase-deficient embryos and that the mandibular arch harbors a marked decrease in cell proliferation. Analysis of signal transduction in embryonic tissues and mouse embryonic fibroblast cultures identifies an increase in Bmp-Smad signaling and an abrogation of canonical Wnt signaling associated with loss of the LAR family phosphatases. A reactivation of β-catenin signaling by chemical inhibition of GSK3β successfully resensitizes LAR family phosphatase-deficient cells to Wnt induction, indicating that RPTPs are necessary for normal Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. Together these results identify LAR RPTPs as important regulators of craniofacial morphogenesis and provide insight into the etiology of Pierre-Robin sequence.
Obesity as a prospective predictor of depression in adolescent females.

OBJECTIVE Both obesity and depression are prominent during adolescence, and it is possible that obesity is a trigger for adolescent depression. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether overweight or obese status contributes to the development of depression in adolescent girls. DESIGN Participants were 496 adolescent girls who completed interview based measures of depression and had their height and weight measured at four yearly assessments. Repeated measures logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate whether overweight or obese status were associated with major depression or an increase in depressive symptoms the following year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Major depression and depressive symptoms were evaluating using a modified version of the K-SADS interview. Overweight and obese status was determined by using standardized protocols to measure height and weight. RESULTS RESULTS showed that obese status, not overweight status, was associated with future depressive symptoms, but not major depression. This study demonstrated that obesity is a risk factor for depressive symptoms, but not for clinical depression. CONCLUSIONS As depressive symptoms are considered along the spectrum of depression with clinical depression at the high end, these results suggest that weight status could be considered a factor along the pathway of development of depression in some adolescent females.
A randomized controlled trial of Cognitive Sensory Motor Training Therapy on the recovery of arm function in acute stroke patients

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Sensory Motor Training Therapy (Perfetti’s method) vis-à-vis conventional occupational therapy in the recovery of arm function after acute stroke. Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting: Two rehabilitation centers in Bangkok, Thailand. Subjects: Forty first-time acute stroke patients without severe cognitive or language impairment. Intervention: All subjects were randomly divided into two groups; one was treated using Perfetti’s method and the other using conventional occupational therapy. Each group underwent therapy for 30 minutes, five times a week for four weeks. Main measures: The primary variable was arm function as assessed by the Action Research Arm Test; secondary variables were the extended Barthel Index and the box and block test score. Results: The intention-to-treat analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups at the end of treatment for any variable. Conclusions: There was no evidence of a difference between Cognitive Sensory Motor Training Therapy of Perfetti’s method and conventional occupational therapy with respect to the restoration of hand and arm function after a stroke.
PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTATION ON PLASMA LIPID PEROXIDATION IN SMOKERS

This study was designed to investigate the possible protective effects of antioxidants (vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and red ginseng) on lipid peroxidation in smokers (> or = 20 cigarettes/day). Male student smokers were given antioxidant supplements for 4 wk. Smokers had significantly higher plasma levels of total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and malondialdehyde (MDA) than nonsmokers. No corresponding significant differences in lipid profiles were found between smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers had significantly lower baseline concentrations of plasma vitamin C, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol. After antioxidant (200 IU vitamin E, 9 mg beta-carotene, 500 mg vitamin C, or 1.8 g red ginseng) supplementation for 4 wk, smokers had significantly higher concentrations of plasma antioxidants. After 4 wk of antioxidant supplementation with betacarotene, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations in smokers were significantly increased. Overall, plasma MDA concentrations gradually decreased after antioxidant supplementation over the 4-wk period. Moreover, a significant reduction in plasma MDA concentrations was observed after vitamin E supplementation. The results of our study support the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation concentrations are inversely correlated with plasma antioxidant concentrations. Our data suggest that smokers have insufficient concentrations of antioxidant vitamins in plasma and that supplementation with antioxidants might protect smokers from oxidative damage.
Physician willingness and resources to serve more Medicaid patients: perspectives from primary care physicians.

OBJECTIVE Sixteen million people will gain Medicaid under health reform. This study compares primary care physicians (PCPs) on reported acceptance of new Medicaid patients and practice characteristics. DATA AND METHODS Sample of 1,460 PCPs in outpatient settings was drawn from a 2008 nationally representative survey of physicians. PCPs were classified into four categories based on distribution of practice revenue from Medicaid and Medicare and acceptance of new Medicaid patients. Fifteen in-depth telephone interviews supplemented analysis. FINDINGS Most high- and moderate-share Medicaid PCPs report accepting "all" or "most" new Medicaid patients. High-share Medicaid PCPs were more likely than others to work in hospital-based practices (20%) and health centers (18%). About 30% of high- and moderate-share Medicaid PCPs worked in practices with a hospital ownership interest. Health IT use was similar between these two groups and high-share Medicare PCPs, but more high- and moderate-share Medicaid PCPs provided interpreters and non-physician staff for patient education. Over 40% of high- and moderate-share Medicaid PCPs reported inadequate patient time as a major problem. Low- and no-share Medicaid PCPs practiced in higher-income areas than high-share Medicaid PCPs. In interviews, difficulty arranging specialist care, reimbursement, and administrative hassles emerged as reasons for limiting Medicaid patients. POLICY IMPLICATIONS PCPs already serving Medicaid are positioned to expand capacity but also face constraints. Targeted efforts to increase their capacity could help. Acceptance of new Medicaid patients under health reform will hinge on multiple factors, not payment alone. Trends toward hospital ownership could increase practices' capacity and willingness to serve Medicaid.
Regulation of cell pH by Ca+2-mediated exocytotic insertion of H+- ATPases

Exposure to CO2 acidifies the cytosol of mitochondria-rich cells in turtle bladder epithelium. The result of the decrease in pH in these, the acid-secreting cells of the epithelium, is a transient increase in cell calcium, which causes exocytosis of vesicles containing proton- translocating ATPase. Because mitochondria-rich cells have rapid luminal membrane turnover, we were able to identify single mitochondria- rich cells by their endocytosis of rhodamine-tagged albumin. Using fluorescence emission of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein at two excitation wavelengths, we measured cell pH in these identified mitochondria-rich cells and found that although the cell pH fell, it recovered within 5 min despite continuous exposure to CO2. This pH recovery also occurred at the same rate in Na+-free media. However, pH recovery did not occur when luminal pH was 5.5, a condition under which the H+-pump does not function, suggesting that recovery of cell pH is due to the luminally located H+ ATPase. Chelation of extracellular calcium by EGTA prevented the CO2-induced rise in cell calcium measured with the intracellular fluorescent dyes Quin 2 or Fura 2 and also prevented recovery of cell pH. When the change in cell calcium was buffered by loading the cells with high concentrations of Quin 2, the CO2-induced decrease in pH did not return back to basal levels. We had found previously that buffering intracellular calcium transients prevented CO2-stimulated exocytosis. Further, we show here that the increased H+ current in voltage-clamped turtle bladders, which is directly proportional to the number of H+- pump-containing vesicles that fuse with the luminal membrane, was significantly reduced in calcium-depleted bladders. These results suggest that pH regulation in these acid-secreting cells occurs by calcium-dependent exocytosis of vesicles containing proton pumps, whose subsequent turnover restores the cell pH to its initial levels.
HIGH VISCOUS STRESS OF ORIENTED POLYOLEFINS UNDER UNIAXIAL TENSILE DEFORMATION

In this communication, by means of stress relaxation experiments, the viscous stress at various strains during tensile deformation of oriented polyolefin samples including high density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP), has been determined. The viscous stress in the oriented samples takes up to 50%–70% of the total stress, which is unusually high compared with their isotropic counterparts. The unusual high viscous stress was discussed based on mainly the existence of shish structure in oriented polyolefins, which could enhance the inter-lamella coupling significantly.
Role of Urinary Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Adenoma and Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The growing interest in enhancing and spreading colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been stimulating the exploration of novel biomarkers with greater sensitivity and specificity than immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT). The present study provides i) a systematic review of the urinary biomarkers that have been tested to achieve early CRC diagnosis and assess the risk of colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma, and ii) a meta-analysis of the data regarding the urinary prostaglandin (PG) metabolite PGE-M. As regard to gene markers, we found significantly different percent methylation of the vimentin gene in CRC patients and healthy controls (HC) (p<0.0001). Respect to metabolism of nitrogenous bases, cytidine, 1-methyladenosine, and adenosine, have higher concentrations in CRC patients than in HC (respectively, p<0.01, p=0.01, and p<0.01). As regard to spermine we found that N1,N12 diacetyl spermine (DiAcSpm) and N1, N8 diacetylspermidine (DiAcSpd) were significantly higher in CRC than in HC (respectively p=0.01 and p<0.01). Respect to PGE-M, levels were higher in CRC than in those with multiple polyposis (p<0.006) and HC subjects (p<0.0004). PGE-M seems to be the most interesting and promising urinary marker for CRC and adenoma risk assessment and for CRC screening. In conclusion, evidence suggests that urinary biomarker could have a potential role as urinary biomarkers in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Particularly, PGE-M seems to be the most promising urinary marker for CRC early detection.
Peer Influence: Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Prescription Medications

Abstract Objective: Risk-taking behavior (eg, alcohol abuse, tobacco usage, misuse of prescription medications) among college students is a widespread problem. This study focused not only on the frequency of risky health behaviors in college students, but also the companions with whom they engaged in such behaviors. Methods: Three hundred and twelve college students completed a survey examining the frequency with which they engaged in alcohol, tobacco, and improper prescription medication use, as well as with whom they were most likely to engage in these behaviors. Results: Results indicated that participants were most likely to take health risks when accompanied by someone they consider a friend. Results also indicated gender differences in risk-taking behaviors, as well as an interaction effect between companion and gender. Conclusions: This information would be useful when developing preventive interventions for college students. Implementing interventions that are specific to certain populations might generate greater success in reducing risk-taking behavior.
EFFECT OF CADMIUM STRESS ON GROWTH AND PHOTO- SYNTHESIS OF YOUNG BARLEY (H. vulgare L.) PLANTS. 2. STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPARATUS

Summary. The influence of Cd-stress on the structure and functional activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of 15-day-old barley plants cvs. Obzor and Hemus was investigated. Two concentrations, toxic for the growth of plants, namely 3 and 6 mg Cd/l 1/2 Knops’ solution were used. The contact of plants with heavy metal lasted 12 days. The following results were obtained: In Cd-treated plants was observed a tendency to decrease the photosynthetic rate. At the same time the changes in PS2 functional activity were insignificant, although a part of the chloroplasts were characterized by disturbed ultrastructural organization. The data evaluating growth reaction, structural and functional changes in the photosynthetic apparatus suggest that at the initial stages of plant development, cv. Hemus is more susceptible to Cd-stress than cv. Obzor.
A geometric approach to variance analysis in system identification: Linear Time-Invariant Systems

This paper addresses the problem of quantifying the model error ("variance-error") in estimates of linear time invariant systems. Building on the results in H. Hjalmarsson and J. Martensson (2007), we present an explicit method to construct an expression for the asymptotic variance of system properties such as impulse response coefficients, system gain, or the performance of some (control) application where the identified model is used. The expression is such that the individual impacts of model structure, model order and experimental conditions become visible. The technique is used to derive asymptotic variance expressions for a number of system properties.
PET Quantification of Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism in Small Animals

Understanding cerebral oxygen metabolism is of great importance in both clinical diagnosis and animal experiments because oxygen is a fundamental source of brain energy and supports brain functional activities. Since small animals such as rats are widely used to study various diseases including cerebral ischemia, cerebrovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, the development of a noninvasive in vivo measurement method of cerebral oxygen metabolic parameters such as oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) as well as cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) has been a priority. Although positron emission tomography (PET) with 15O labeled gas tracers has been recognized as a powerful way to evaluate cerebral oxygen metabolism in humans, this method could not be applied to rats due to technical problems and there were no reports of PET measurement of cerebral oxygen metabolism in rats until an 15O-O2 injection method was developed a decade ago. Herein, we introduce an intravenous administration method using two types of injectable 15O-O2 and an 15O-O2 gas inhalation method through an airway placed in the trachea, which enables oxygen metabolism measurements in rats.
Time weight collaborative filtering

Collaborative filtering is regarded as one of the most promising recommendation algorithms. The item-based approaches for collaborative filtering identify the similarity between two items by comparing users' ratings on them. In these approaches, ratings produced at different times are weighted equally. That is to say, changes in user purchase interest are not taken into consideration. For example, an item that was rated recently by a user should have a bigger impact on the prediction of future user behaviour than an item that was rated a long time ago. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm to compute the time weights for different items in a manner that will assign a decreasing weight to old data. More specifically, the users' purchase habits vary. Even the same user has quite different attitudes towards different items. Our proposed algorithm uses clustering to discriminate between different kinds of items. To each item cluster, we trace each user's purchase interest change and introduce a personalized decay factor according to the user own purchase behaviour. Empirical studies have shown that our new algorithm substantially improves the precision of item-based collaborative filtering without introducing higher order computational complexity.
Golli myelin basic proteins stimulate oligodendrocyte progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in remyelinating adult mouse brain

Golli myelin basic proteins are necessary for normal myelination, acting via voltage and store‐dependent Ca2+ entry at multiple steps during oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) development. To date nothing is known regarding the role of golli proteins in demyelination or remyelination events. Here the effects of golli ablation and overexpression in myelin loss and recovery were examined using the cuprizone (CPZ) model of demyelination/remyelination. We found severe demyelination in the corpus callosum (CC) of golli‐overexpressing mice (JOE) during the CPZ treatment, which was accompanied by an increased number of reactive astrocytes and activation of microglia/macrophages. During demyelination of JOE brains, a significant increase in the number of proliferating OPCs was found in the CC as well as in the subventricular zone, and our data indicate that these progenitors matured and fully remyelinated the CC of JOE animals after CPZ withdrawal. In contrast, in the absence of golli (golli‐KO mice) delayed myelin loss associated with a smaller immune response, and a lower number of OPCs was found in these mice during the CPZ treatment. Furthermore, incomplete remyelination was observed after CPZ removal in large areas of the CC of golli‐KO mice, reflecting irregular recovery of the oligodendrocyte population and subsequent myelin sheath formation. Our findings demonstrate that golli proteins sensitize mature oligodendrocytes to CPZ‐induced demyelination, while at the same time stimulate the proliferation/recruitment of OPCs during demyelination, resulting in accelerated remyelination. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Self-reported Emotional and Social Intelligence and Empathy as Distinctive Predictors of Narcissism

In the study, we were interested in the association between narcissism and three psychological constructs, which are considered important in interpersonal relationships – emotional intelligence (EI), social intelligence (SI) and empathy. We supposed that narcissism is positively correlated with EI and with the processing of social information and social skills facets of SI. At the same time, negative correlations between narcissism and social awareness and empathy were expected. The results were gathered upon 306 participants aged from 19 to 26 years (242 females and 64 males), who completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ), the Tromso Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The results supported the assumption of positive association between narcissism, EI and SI, while accompanying negative association with empathy. EI, social skills, perspective taking, emphatic concern and age together explain 28% of variance in predicting narcissism. Results support our expectation about differential relationship of EI, SI, and empathy with narcissism and thus confirming differential validity of these three constructs.
Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells but Not Endothelial Cells Express Prostaglandin E Synthase

In a previous work, we postulated that endothelial cells possess only the following 2 enzymes involved in prostanoid synthesis: cyclooxygenase and prostacyclin synthase. The present work focused on investigating the expression of prostaglandin (PG) E synthase (PGES) in vascular cells. After incubation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with [14C]arachidonic acid, the profile of prostanoid synthesis was assessed by HPLC. Untransformed PGH2 released by the cells was evaluated as the difference in the formation of PGF2&agr; in the incubations performed in the presence and in the absence of SnCl2. Resting SMCs and SMCs stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin (IL)-1&bgr;, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&agr; formed PGE2 and PGI2 (evaluated as 6-oxo-PGF1&agr;), and in the presence of SnCl2 only a small amount of PGE2 was deviated toward PGF2&agr;. In contrast, resting and stimulated HUVECs produced PGI2, PGE2, PGF2&agr;, and PGD2, and SnCl2 completely diverted PGE2 and PGD2 toward PGF2&agr;. Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis shows that mRNA encoding for PGES was not present in HUVECs and in endothelial cells from saphenous vein. Nevertheless, PGES was expressed in SMCs and induced by IL-1&bgr; and TNF-&agr;, and by PMA and LPS, although to a lesser extent. Whereas SMC stimulation led to an increase in the synthesis of PGE2 and PGI2 but not of untransformed PGH2, stimulation of endothelial cells resulted in an enhanced release of the vasoconstricting prostanoid PGH2.