Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Events in Retinal Degeneration Caused by Rhodopsin Mutation or Pigment Epithelium Malfunction: Differences and Similarities

To study the course of photoreceptor cell death and macro and microglial reactivity in two rat models of retinal degeneration with different etiologies. Retinas from P23H-1 (rhodopsin mutation) and Royal College of Surgeon (RCS, pigment epithelium malfunction) rats and age-matched control animals (Sprague-Dawley and Pievald Viro Glaxo, respectively) were cross-sectioned at different postnatal ages (from P10 to P60) and rhodopsin, L/M- and S-opsin, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) proteins were immunodetected. Photoreceptor nuclei rows and microglial cells in the different retinal layers were quantified. Photoreceptor degeneration starts earlier and progresses quicker in P23H-1 than in RCS rats. In both models, microglial cell activation occurs simultaneously with the initiation of photoreceptor death while GFAP over-expression starts later. As degeneration progresses, the numbers of microglial cells increase in the retina, but decreasing in the inner retina and increasing in the outer retina, more markedly in RCS rats. Interestingly, and in contrast with healthy animals, microglial cells reach the outer nuclei and outer segment layers. The higher number of microglial cells in dystrophic retinas cannot be fully accounted by intraretinal migration and PCNA immunodetection revealed microglial proliferation in both models but more importantly in RCS rats. The etiology of retinal degeneration determines the initiation and pattern of photoreceptor cell death and simultaneously there is microglial activation and migration, while the macroglial response is delayed. The actions of microglial cells in the degeneration cannot be explained only in the basis of photoreceptor death because they participate more actively in the RCS model. Thus, the retinal degeneration caused by pigment epithelium malfunction is more inflammatory and would probably respond better to interventions by inhibiting microglial cells.
Dual Representations of Cardinal Preferences

Given a set of vector outcomes and the set of lotteries over it, we define sets of (a) von Neumann-Morgenstern representations of cardinal preferences over the lotteries, (b) mappings that yield the certainty equivalent outcomes corresponding to a lottery, (c) mappings that yield the risk premia corresponding to a lottery, (d) mappings that yield the acceptance set of lotteries corresponding to an outcome, and (e) vector valued functions that yield generalized Arrow-Pratt coefficients corresponding to an outcome. Our main results establish bijections between these sets of mappings for very general specifications of outcome spaces, lotteries and preferences. As corollaries of these results, we derive analogous dual representations of risk averse preferences. Some applications to financial theory illustrate the potential uses of our results. Finally, we provide criteria for comparing the risk aversion of preferences in terms of the dual representations.
Multi-modal prediction of PTSD and stress indicators

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that affects a large population and that is currently diagnosed mostly through subject interviews and manual analysis of self-reported symptoms and of subject behavior. However, most PTSD cases are believed to go underdiagnosed and un-dertreated. We present a multi-modal system for computer-aided diagnosis of PTSD and stress that requires no clinician interview and relies principally in the elicitation of multimodal neurophysiological responses to audio-visual stimuli. We conduct a thorough evaluation of the discriminative power of the modalities involved (electro encephalography, galvanic skin-response, electrocardiography, head motion and speech), type of stimuli presented (audio, images, audio-and-images and video), and emotions evoked (positive, negative, and trauma-specific) between PTSD subjects and high and low-stress control groups. Our analysis indicates that the multi-modal prediction from the elicitation of trauma-specific emotions from images and audio is a promising approach to computer-aided diagnosis.
Sex specificity of asthma associated with objectively measured body mass index and waist circumference: the Humboldt study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate the possibility of sex specificity for the association of obesity and asthma using objective measures of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). DESIGN Cross-sectional study of adults (n = 2,057) living in Humboldt, SK, Canada in 2003. SETTING A rural community. MEASUREMENTS Ever-asthma was defined as lifetime physician-diagnosed asthma, and recent asthma was defined as asthma diagnosed by a physician during the past 12 months. BMI and WC were objectively measured. RESULTS Among the participants, 5.6% of men and 10.0% of women reported having ever-asthma, and 2.7% and 6.0% had recent asthma, respectively. Higher levels of both BMI and WC were significantly associated with asthma in women but not in men. The adjusted odds ratios for women with a BMI of at least 30.0 kg/m2 relative to women with a BMI of < 25.0 kg/m2 were 2.06 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42 to 4.05) for ever-asthma and 3.47 (95% CI, 1.64 to 7.32) for recent asthma. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that the increased risk of asthma associated with obesity was only significant in women but not in men even when BMI was objectively measured, and this association was robust to the anthropometric measures.
Negotiating leisure constraints: the case of an amateur musician with epilepsy

Abstract The purpose of this case study was to identify the negotiation strategies employed by an epileptic amateur musician engaged in serious leisure to overcome leisure constraints. Data were collected by semi-structured interview, observation and informal interaction. Results revealed that the subject employed various cognitive (i.e. anticipating benefits, weighing pros and cons, immediate resolving, accepting costs and pragmatism about performance) and behavioural (i.e. planning/event management, scaling back participation and communication and cooperation) negotiation strategies. While strategies were employed to overcome constraints, participation was also facilitated by individual beliefs and interpersonal relationships. Results also suggested that negotiation strategies are interconnected, and that perceived stigma did not influence participation in serious leisure.
The circular hydraulic jump in low gravity

An experimental study of the circular hydraulic jump (CHJ) was carried out to show how reducing gravity to 10–2 times that of the Earth's normal gravity affects the CHJ diameter and the downstream flow patterns. Water was the working fluid. Measurements of the CHJ diameter and the shape of the free liquid surface across the jump were made in low gravity using the downstream fluid height and the flow rate as the parameters. Comparisons are made with normal–gravity flow conditions. A drop tower was used to create low gravity. The measurements are compared with an existing theory for predicting how gravity affects the CHJ diameter. Results show that the steady–state CHJ diameter is larger at low gravity than normal gravity. As the downstream fluid height is increased, the CHJ diameter at normal gravity moves inward, but at low gravity the CHJ diameter does not show a similar influence of downstream fluid height. The curvature across the CHJ is higher at normal gravity than at low gravity and the length of the transition zone from the upstream to downstream height increases as gravity is reduced. Waves in the downstream flow are observed for all low–gravity flow conditions but at normal gravity they were observed only for selected flow conditions, suggesting that the influence of surface tension and viscosity dominate at low gravity. Measured normal–gravity and low–gravity CHJ diameters were bounded by theoretical predictions which assume either fully developed or developing flow conditions for the upstream thin film.
Hodgkin's lymphoma in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), there is a well-documented increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but little is known about the risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). The purpose of our work was to describe the phenomenon of HL in SLE. METHODS A multi-site cohort of 9547 SLE subjects was assembled; HL cases were ascertained through cancer registry linkage, and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for HL was determined. We also performed a literature search for HL cases in SLE, and compared these with our sample. Finally, we pooled results from our cohort study with two large population-based cohort studies providing SIR estimates for HL in SLE. RESULTS Five cases of HL occurred in our SLE cohort during the observation interval, for an SIR of 2.4 (95% CI 0.8, 5.5). The literature review documented 13 HL case reports developing in patients with SLE. A pooled analysis combining our data with the other large cohort studies yielded a standardized incidence ratio of 3.16 (95% CI, 1.63-5.51) for HL in SLE. CONCLUSIONS Data suggest that risk in SLE is increased not only for NHL, but also for other malignancies arising from B-lymphocytes, including HL.
Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Clinical Specimens and Proposal for Amendment of MLVA Nomenclature

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the major respiratory bacterial pathogens that cause pneumonia in humans. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) is currently the most discriminative method for typing M. pneumoniae strains. To better understand the epidemic of M. pneumoniae-related pneumonia in pediatric patients in Beijing, China, we performed MLVA analysis on 118 specimens collected during an epidemic from 2010–2012. Eleven distinct MLVA types were identified, including four novel types. There was no obvious association of macrolide resistance with any of the genotypes. Considering the instability of VNTR locus Mpn1, we propose an amended MLVA nomenclature system based on the remaining four VNTR loci.
Unified theories of active galactic nuclei: a hard X-ray sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies

We have re-analysed the Ginga 2-18 keY X-ray observations of Seyfert 2 galaxies, and find that their mean spectrum can be described by a power law of index ! Y. '" 1, reflection from an optically thick accretion disc and/or molecular torus, and absorption from cold material. These objects then have a mean intrinsic spectrum similar to that of Seyfert Is, and so support the predictions of orientation-dependent Seyfert unification schemes. There is also an intrinsic dispersion about this mean spectrum which is similar to that seen in the Seyfert Is. We demonstrate this dispersion explicitly in several objects with data of high signal-to-noise ratio, where the intrinsic spectra are much flatter or steeper than ! Y. '" 1 despite the inclusion of neutral reflection, ionized reflection, unobscured reflection and/or ionized absorption. This is important, as a currently popular explanation for the Seyfert 1 spectra (and hence the Seyfert 2 spectra presented here) is that of Haardt & Maraschi, in which the UV seed photons for Compton cooling of the energetic electrons are produced from reprocessing of the hard X-ray spectrum in an accretion disc. This feedback model correctly predicts the observed mean spectral index of ! Y. '" 1 for a wide range of optical depths. Steeper spectra than this can be produced naturally in these models if the thermal plasma optical depth approaches unity or if there is intrinsic emission from the disc itself. However, such models are unable easily to explain intrinsic spectra much flatter than ! Y. '" 1. Thus the flat spectrum sources presented here, which are most reminiscent of the atypical Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151, pose serious problems for no other modifying the X-ray
Relationships between dendritic fields and functional architecture in striate cortex of normal and visually deprived cats

We examined relationships between the pattern of geniculocortical innervation and the dendritic fields of cells in layer 4 of in cat primary visual cortex. Experiments were performed on normal animals and on cats in which the geniculocortical projection was altered by monocular deprivation or by the induction of divergent squint during the critical period. Thalamic afferents providing the input from the contralateral eye were anterogradely labeled by injecting the fluorescent tracer Dil into lamina A of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Intracellular staining with Lucifer yellow in slice preparations allowed simultaneous visualization of the morphology of individual cells and the thalamic afferents. Our results demonstrate that spiny stellate cells close to the upper and lower margin of the geniculocortical input have highly asymmetric dendritic fields, and thereby confine their dendrites to the termination zone of these afferents. This effect was specific for the cell class; it was not observed in pyramidal neurons. These dendritic asymmetries perpendicular to the laminar borders of spiny stellate cells were not altered by monocular deprivation or strabismus. In contrast, visual deprivation strongly influenced the dendritic arbors of spiny stellate cells near the borders between adjacent ocular dominance columns. In normal animals, the dendrites of cells near columnar borders remained preferentially within one column. These dendritic asymmetries became much more pronounced in strabismic animals. Monocular deprivation weakened the influence of the columnar borders on dendritic fields. Spiny stellate cells within the columns of the open eye exhibited a slight tendency to confine their dendrites to these columns. Cells in the columns of the deprived eye showed the opposite effect; they extended their dendrites preferentially into the adjacent columns of the open eye. These results demonstrate that the segregation of geniculocortical afferents into ocular dominance columns and its perturbation by manipulation of the visual input plays an important role in defining the morphology of cortical target cells. Thus, activity-dependent structural changes not only occur at the level of the presynaptic terminals, but also at the level of the postsynaptic target cells, and thereby contribute to build up the functional architecture of the cortex.
Is Teacher Value Added a Matter of Scale? The Practical Consequences of Treating an Ordinal Scale as Interval for Estimation of Teacher Effects

ABSTRACT Research shows that assuming a test scale is equal-interval can be problematic, especially when the assessment is being used to achieve a policy aim like evaluating growth over time. However, little research considers whether teacher value added is sensitive to the underlying test scale, and in particular whether treating an ordinal scale as interval might lead to erroneous conclusions about teacher quality. This article addresses the issue by estimating teacher value added, then applying extremely mild nonlinear transformations to the original scale and re-estimating the value added. Although by definition at most one of these scales can be equal-interval, all are treated as if interval-scaled when estimating value added. Results show that value added is sensitive to the scale used. While rank orderings of teachers do not change radically by transformation, even mild departures from the original scale can change a teacher’s odds of being considered high- or low-performing by a factor of 5.
Trichostatin A Targets the Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain, Increasing Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Production to Trigger Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Aim Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs)-based therapies have stimulated interest via their anti-tumor activities, including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, cell differentiation, and autophagy. However, the mechanisms of HDACI-associated anti-tumor activity are not yet clearly defined. The aim of this study was to explore the key events of Trichostatin A (TSA), a classic HDACI agent, against breast cancer cells. Methods The MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A cell lines were evaluated with colony-forming and cell viability assays. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometry. Mitochondrial function was measured with biochemical assays, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. Results TSA inhibited breast cancer cell viability and proliferation, without affecting MCF-10A cell. TSA-induced breast cancer cell apoptosis was initiated by G2-M arrest and depended on mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced subsequent to reduced mitochondrial respiratory chain activity. The enhanced mitochondrial ROS production and apoptosis in cancer cells were markedly attenuated by antioxidants, such as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), reduced glutathione (GSH) and Vitamin C. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that TSA-induced cell death by arresting cell cycle in G2-M phase and was dependent on production of mitochondria-derived ROS, which was derived from impaired mitochondrial respiratory chain.
Tidal evolution of discy dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way potential: the formation of dwarf spheroidals

We conduct high-resolution collisionless N-body simulations to investigate the tidal evolution of dwarf galaxies on an eccentric orbit in the Milky Way (MW) potential. The dwarfs originally consist of a low surface brightness stellar disk embedded in a cosmologically motivated dark matter halo. During 10 Gyr of dynamical evolution and after 5 pericentre passages the dwarfs suffer substantial mass loss and their stellar component undergoes a major morphological transformation from a disk to a bar and finally to a spheroid. The bar is preserved for most of the time as the angular momentum is transferred outside the galaxy. A dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy is formed via gradual shortening of the bar. This work thus provides a comprehensive quantitative explanation of a potentially crucial morphological transformation mechanism for dwarf galaxies that operates in groups as well as in clusters. We compare three cases with different initial inclinations of the disk and find that the evolution is fastest when the disk is coplanar with the orbit. Despite the strong tidal perturbations and mass loss the dwarfs remain dark matter dominated. For most of the time the 1D stellar velocity dispersion, �, follows the maximum circular velocity, Vmax, and they are both good tracers of the bound mass. Specifically, we find that Mbound / V 3.5 max � )
THE GEOMETRY OF CONDITIONAL INDEPENDENCE TREE MODELS WITH HIDDEN VARIABLES

In this paper we investigate the geometry of undirected graphical models of trees when all the variables in the system are binary and some of them are hidden. We obtain a full description of those models which is given by polynomial equations and inequalities and give exact formulas for their parameters in terms of the marginal probability over the observed variables. We also show how correlations link to tree metrics considered in phylogenetics. Finally, a new system of coordinates is given that is intrinsically related to the phylogenetic tree models and which allows us to classify phylogenetic invariants.
Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (MCH): Role in REM Sleep and Depression

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a peptidergic neuromodulator synthesized by neurons of the lateral sector of the posterior hypothalamus and zona incerta. MCHergic neurons project throughout the central nervous system, including areas such as the dorsal (DR) and median (MR) raphe nuclei, which are involved in the control of sleep and mood. Major Depression (MD) is a prevalent psychiatric disease diagnosed on the basis of symptomatic criteria such as sadness or melancholia, guilt, irritability, and anhedonia. A short REM sleep latency (i.e., the interval between sleep onset and the first REM sleep period), as well as an increase in the duration of REM sleep and the density of rapid-eye movements during this state, are considered important biological markers of depression. The fact that the greatest firing rate of MCHergic neurons occurs during REM sleep and that optogenetic stimulation of these neurons induces sleep, tends to indicate that MCH plays a critical role in the generation and maintenance of sleep, especially REM sleep. In addition, the acute microinjection of MCH into the DR promotes REM sleep, while immunoneutralization of this peptide within the DR decreases the time spent in this state. Moreover, microinjections of MCH into either the DR or MR promote a depressive-like behavior. In the DR, this effect is prevented by the systemic administration of antidepressant drugs (either fluoxetine or nortriptyline) and blocked by the intra-DR microinjection of a specific MCH receptor antagonist. Using electrophysiological and microdialysis techniques we demonstrated also that MCH decreases the activity of serotonergic DR neurons. Therefore, there are substantive experimental data suggesting that the MCHergic system plays a role in the control of REM sleep and, in addition, in the pathophysiology of depression. Consequently, in the present report, we summarize and evaluate the current data and hypotheses related to the role of MCH in REM sleep and MD.
Exogenous sources of regional industrial change

The role of exogenous sources of new path development has been underplayed in the literature on regional industrial change so far. The aim of this article is to explore in a conceptual way under which conditions and in what ways non-local knowledge can lead to new path development in different regional innovation systems (RISs). We distinguish between organizationally thick and diversified RISs, thick and specialized RISs and thin RISs and argue that these types vary substantially in their needs for exogenous sources as well as in their capacities to attract and absorb knowledge generated elsewhere.
Associative Learning during Early Adulthood Enhances Later Memory Retention in Honeybees

Background Cognitive experiences during the early stages of life play an important role in shaping the future behavior in mammals but also in insects, in which precocious learning can directly modify behaviors later in life depending on both the timing and the rearing environment. However, whether olfactory associative learning acquired early in the adult stage of insects affect memorizing of new learning events has not been studied yet. Methodology Groups of adult honeybee workers that experienced an odor paired with a sucrose solution 5 to 8 days or 9 to 12 days after emergence were previously exposed to (i) a rewarded experience through the offering of scented food, or (ii) a non-rewarded experience with a pure volatile compound in the rearing environment. Principal Findings Early rewarded experiences (either at 1–4 or 5–8 days of adult age) enhanced retention performance in 9–12-day-conditioned bees when they were tested at 17 days of age. The highest retention levels at this age, which could not be improved with prior rewarded experiences, were found for memories established at 5–8 days of adult age. Associative memories acquired at 9–12 days of age showed a weak effect on retention for some pure pre-exposed volatile compounds; whereas the sole exposure of an odor at any younger age did not promote long-term effects on learning performance. Conclusions The associative learning events that occurred a few days after adult emergence improved memorizing in middle-aged bees. In addition, both the timing and the nature of early sensory inputs interact to enhance retention of new learning events acquired later in life, an important matter in the social life of honeybees.