Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation

The human retinal pigment epithelium forms early in development and subsequently remains dormant, undergoing minimal proliferation throughout normal life. Retinal pigment epithelium proliferation, however, can be activated in disease states or by removing retinal pigment epithelial cells into culture. We review the conditions that control retinal pigment epithelial proliferation in culture, in animal models and in human disease and interpret retinal pigment epithelium proliferation in context of the recently discovered retinal pigment epithelium stem cell that is responsible for most in vitro retinal pigment epithelial proliferation. Retinal pigment epithelial proliferation-mediated wound repair that occurs in selected macular diseases is contrasted with retinal pigment epithelial proliferation-mediated fibroblastic scar formation that underlies proliferative vitreoretinopathy. We discuss the role of retinal pigment epithelial proliferation in age-related macular degeneration which is reparative in some cases and destructive in others. Macular retinal pigment epithelium wound repair and regression of choroidal neovascularization are more pronounced in younger than older patients. We discuss the possibility that the limited retinal pigment epithelial proliferation and latent wound repair in older age-related macular degeneration patients can be stimulated to promote disease regression in age-related macular degeneration.
When Can Helper Node Selection Improve Regenerating Codes? Part II: An Explicit Exact-Repair Code Construction

Part I of this work answered the following fundamental question: Under and only under what (n,k,d) values does proactively choosing the helper nodes improve the storage-bandwidth tradeoff of regenerating codes (RCs)? A critical component of the achievability results in Part I is a low-complexity helper selection solution, termed the family helper selection (FHS) scheme. In Part I, FHS was proved to be optimal or weakly optimal (depending on the underlying scenario) based on the assumption that as long as the minimum min-cut value of FHS is no less than the file size, we can always find a distributed storage code that can reconstruct the original file. This work relaxes this assumption by providing an exact-repair code construction that attains the minimum-bandwidth-regenerating (MBR) point of FHS, previously calculated/predicted only by the min-cut analysis in Part I. As an outcome, for the MBR points, FHS is indeed optimal or weakly optimal under various scenarios. In addition to closing the loop of the graph-based study in Part I, the proposed construction can also be viewed as a generalization of the existing fractional repetition (FR) codes. FR codes are exact-repair codes that admit the highly-desirable repair-by-transfer property. However, the unique construction of FR codes limits its application to a restricted set of (n,k,d) system parameters. In contrast, our new construction, termed the generalized FR (GFR) codes, can be applied to arbitrary (n,k,d) values. Our GFR codes retain most of the practical benefits of FR codes, i.e., being exact-repair and being almost repairable-by-transfer.
Relationship Between Esophageal Cancer and Blood Groups

Risk factors for development of esophageal cancer and patients at risk have not been well understood yet. In this study we evaluated the association of ABO blood groups with incidence and clinicopathologic features of esophageal squamus cell carcinoma (SCC) in 375 cases treated in the referral cancer institute during five years period (2001-2006). Overall, the most prevalent blood group both in SCC and the general population was A. In the SCC group, the frequencies of blood groups B and AB were more than and frequencies of blood groups A and O were less than control group (P value = 0.027). In comparison of individuals with B antigen (blood groups B and AB) and without B antigen (blood groups A and O), this difference became more prominent (P value = 0.004) (Odds ratio=1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.86). There was no statistically significant association between ABO and Rh blood groups with age, gender, site and size of tumor, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, degree of differentiation, presence of vascular, lymphatic and perineural invasion and presence of simultaneous multiple cancers. We found presence of B antigen as a possible risk factor for esophageal SCC. This association was more pronounced in male patients.
Screening for the production of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes by non‐Saccharomyces wine yeasts

Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate what types of enzymes are being produced by non‐Saccharomyces yeasts isolated from grapes in South Africa vineyards and clarified grape juice. These enzyme profiles could pave the way for attributing specific effects in wine to some of these enzymes produced by so‐called wild yeasts associated with grape must.
Detour to Arrive: Distancing in Service of Approach Goals

Although in most situations approaching desired end-states entails decreasing distance between oneself and an object, and avoiding undesired end-states increases such distance, in some cases distancing can also be a means to approach a given goal. We highlight examples involving responses to obstacles to achievement and self-control dilemmas, showing that motivational direction is not equivalent to the motivational strategy involved when people pursue their goals.
Full Length Research Article DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAHPIC VARIABLES ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UDI EDUCATION ZONE

The study investigated differences in demographic variables on conflict management styles of special education sports administrators in secondary schools in Udi education. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was fifty four sports administrators and three sports co - ordinators in Udi Education Zone. All the fifty seven (57) subjects were used for the study. A close ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Frequency and percentages were used to answer the research questions while Chi - square was used to test the hypothesis at . 0 5 level of significance. It was found out that gender and marital status make no difference in the conflict management styles of sports administrators in Udi Education Zone. The findings showed that gender and marital status make no significant differences in conflict management styles of sports administrators in Udi Uducation Zone. It was recommended among others that Government should provide adequate resources such as necessary sports facilities and equipment, qualified physical education teachers and ot her necessary conditions in school sports to avoid frequent conflict emanating from such inadequacies.
Two-Stage Bayesian Model Averaging in Endogenous Variable Models

Economic modeling in the presence of endogeneity is subject to model uncertainty at both the instrument and covariate level. We propose a Two-Stage Bayesian Model Averaging (2SBMA) methodology that extends the Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) estimator. By constructing a Two-Stage Unit Information Prior in the endogenous variable model, we are able to efficiently combine established methods for addressing model uncertainty in regression models with the classic technique of 2SLS. To assess the validity of instruments in the 2SBMA context, we develop Bayesian tests of the identification restriction that are based on model averaged posterior predictive p-values. A simulation study showed that 2SBMA has the ability to recover structure in both the instrument and covariate set, and substantially improves the sharpness of resulting coefficient estimates in comparison to 2SLS using the full specification in an automatic fashion. Due to the increased parsimony of the 2SBMA estimate, the Bayesian Sargan test had a power of 50% in detecting a violation of the exogeneity assumption, while the method based on 2SLS using the full specification had negligible power. We apply our approach to the problem of development accounting, and find support not only for institutions, but also for geography and integration as development determinants, once both model uncertainty and endogeneity have been jointly addressed.
Brain Oscillations during Spoken Sentence Processing

Spoken sentence comprehension relies on rapid and effortless temporal integration of speech units displayed at different rates. Temporal integration refers to how chunks of information perceived at different time scales are linked together by the listener in mapping speech sounds onto meaning. The neural implementation of this integration remains unclear. This study explores the role of short and long windows of integration in accessing meaning from long samples of speech. In a cross-linguistic study, we explore the time course of oscillatory brain activity between 1 and 100 Hz, recorded using EEG, during the processing of native and foreign languages. We compare oscillatory responses in a group of Italian and Spanish native speakers while they attentively listen to Italian, Japanese, and Spanish utterances, played either forward or backward. The results show that both groups of participants display a significant increase in gamma band power (55–75 Hz) only when they listen to their native language played forward. The increase in gamma power starts around 1000 msec after the onset of the utterance and decreases by its end, resembling the time course of access to meaning during speech perception. In contrast, changes in low-frequency power show similar patterns for both native and foreign languages. We propose that gamma band power reflects a temporal binding phenomenon concerning the coordination of neural assemblies involved in accessing meaning of long samples of speech.
Governance and Bureaucracy in Singapore: Contemporary Reforms and Implications

In recent decades, there have been substantial reforms in governance and administration based on neoliberal assumptions, market-driven policies, and neo-managerial principles. These contem- porary reforms aimed at reinventing government and restructuring the state began in a few advanced capitalist nations, and gradually became a global model affecting countries around the world, including the interventionist developmental states in Asia. This article examines the case of Singapore in terms of the recent trends of reform in its public governance and explores the major local and global factors shaping this reform agenda. It also briefly considers the implications of these changes for the state, bureaucracy, and people in Singapore.
Girls and Young Women Living in the Slums of Kampala

This study determined the prevalence and correlates of victimization among girls and young women in Kampala. The study population, a convenience sample of youth living in the slums, were 14 to 24 years of age, and participants in community-based drop-in centers (N = 313). Overall, the prevalence of physical fights (37%), being threatened or injured with a weapon (28%), and being raped (30%) was high and increased with age. Multivariate analyses revealed that sadness, drunkenness, and hunger were associated with multiple forms of victimization. Findings suggest that additional services are needed to address the cumulative impact of victimizations, depression, and living conditions.
Functional Architecture of the Rat Parasubiculum

The parasubiculum is a major input structure of layer 2 of medial entorhinal cortex, where most grid cells are found. Here we investigated parasubicular circuits of the rat by anatomical analysis combined with juxtacellular recording/labeling and tetrode recordings during spatial exploration. In tangential sections, the parasubiculum appears as a linear structure flanking the medial entorhinal cortex mediodorsally. With a length of ∼5.2 mm and a width of only ∼0.3 mm (approximately one dendritic tree diameter), the parasubiculum is both one of the longest and narrowest cortical structures. Parasubicular neurons span the height of cortical layers 2 and 3, and we observed no obvious association of deep layers to this structure. The “superficial parasubiculum” (layers 2 and 1) divides into ∼15 patches, whereas deeper parasubicular sections (layer 3) form a continuous band of neurons. Anterograde tracing experiments show that parasubicular neurons extend long “circumcurrent” axons establishing a “global” internal connectivity. The parasubiculum is a prime target of GABAergic and cholinergic medial septal inputs. Other input structures include the subiculum, presubiculum, and anterior thalamus. Functional analysis of identified and unidentified parasubicular neurons shows strong theta rhythmicity of spiking, a large fraction of head-direction selectivity (50%, 34 of 68), and spatial responses (grid, border and irregular spatial cells, 57%, 39 of 68). Parasubicular output preferentially targets patches of calbindin-positive pyramidal neurons in layer 2 of medial entorhinal cortex, which might be relevant for grid cell function. These findings suggest the parasubiculum might shape entorhinal theta rhythmicity and the (dorsoventral) integration of information across grid scales. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Grid cells in medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) are crucial components of an internal navigation system of the mammalian brain. The parasubiculum is a major input structure of layer 2 of MEC, where most grid cells are found. Here we provide a functional and anatomical characterization of the parasubiculum and show that parasubicular neurons display unique features (i.e., strong theta rhythmicity of firing, prominent head-direction selectivity, and output selectively targeted to layer 2 pyramidal cell patches of MEC). These features could contribute to shaping the temporal and spatial code of downstream grid cells in entorhinal cortex.
The immune and neurological impacts of developmental bisphenol a exposure in a C57BL/6 mouse model

Environmental exposure to exogenous agents during critical time points of development may be associated with the onset of deleterious effects, including immune and neurological disorders. Numerous studies have shown that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can disrupt myriad biological systems. This research was focused on the immune and neurological impacts of developmental exposure to BPA both with and without an acute exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adulthood. LPS exposure given around the time of learning " unmasks " developmental deficits in learning and memory induced by exposure to an exogenous agent earlier in life. We hypothesized that adult exposure to LPS would unmask BPA-induced developmental impacts to hippocampal-dependent learning and memory of C57BL/6 offspring. In one set of experiments, C57BL/6 female mice were exposed to 0, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg of BPA in a corn oil vehicle by gavage, beginning at pairing with males and ending at weaning of offspring. The F1 generation were assessed on a Barnes maze at postnatal day 21 (PND21), 42, and 60. Splenic lymphocyte immunophenotype was evaluated after behavioral testing. The behavioral results from this study included high intra-and intertrial variability across ages and between sexes. While this is not unusual for this type of behavioral measure, significant differences between ages and dose groups did not conform to any observable patterns during acquisition learning. On the final reference day, exposure to BPA was associated with more correct attempts in the Barnes maze. The fewest number of correct attempts was observed in BPA-exposed females at PND60. Several significant differences in behavior were noted among age groups, and indicate that as these C57BL/6 mice aged, they responded differently to the same tasks. BPA exposure led to modified immune cell numbers at different doses and ages. Overall, this study demonstrated that BPA could alter behavior, but no consistent patterns emerged with regard to the effects of BPA dose or age at testing. In another set of experiments, pregnant C57BL/6 female mice were exposed to 0, 0.4, or 50 mg/kg of BPA in a corn oil vehicle. The resulting offspring were assessed on a Barnes maze at PND60, beginning 4 hours after a single challenge with LPS. Mice developmentally exposed to different doses of BPA made more correct escape attempts than vehicle control animals; no control groups outperformed BPA exposed groups on any behavioral measure. Control animals injected with saline significantly outperformed LPS-challenged animals. Female animals were 88% …
Mining Massive Amounts of Genomic Data: A Semiparametric Topic Modeling Approach

ABSTRACT Characterizing the functional relevance of transcription factors (TFs) in different biological contexts is pivotal in systems biology. Given the massive amount of genomic data, computational identification of TFs is emerging as a useful approach to bridge functional genomics with disease risk loci. In this article, we use large-scale gene expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) data corpuses to conduct high-throughput TF-biological context association analysis. This work makes two contributions: (i) From a methodological perspective, we propose a unified topic modeling framework for exploring and analyzing large and complex genomic datasets. Under this framework, we develop new statistical optimization algorithms and semiparametric theoretical analysis, which are also applicable to a variety of large-scale data analyses. (ii) From an experimental perspective, our method generates an informative list of tumor-related TFs and their possible effected tumor types. Our data-driven analysis of 38 TFs in 68 tumor biological contexts identifies functional signatures of epigenetic regulators, such as SUZ12 and SET-DB1, and nuclear receptors, in many tumor types. In particular, the TF signature of SUZ12 is present in a broad range of tumor types, many of which have not been reported before. In summary, our work established a robust method to identify the association between TFs and biological contexts. Given the limited amount of genome-wide binding profiles of TFs and the massive number of expression profiles, our work provides a useful tool to deconvolute the gene regulatory network for tumors and other biological contexts. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Heteromeric HCN1–HCN4 Channels: A Comparison with Native Pacemaker Channels from the Rabbit Sinoatrial Node

‘Funny‐’ (f‐) channels of cardiac sino‐atrial node (SAN) cells are key players in the process of pacemaker generation and mediate the modulatory action of autonomic transmitters on heart rate. The molecular components of f‐channels are the hyperpolarization‐activated, cyclic nucleotide‐gated (HCN) channels. Of the four HCN isoforms known, two (HCN4 and HCN1) are expressed in the rabbit SAN at significant levels. However, the properties of f‐channels of SAN cells do not conform to specific features of the two isoforms expressed locally. For example, activation kinetics and cAMP sensitivity of native pacemaker channels are intermediate between those reported for HCN1 and HCN4. Here we have explored the possibility that both HCN4 and HCN1 isoforms contribute to the native If in SAN cells by co‐assembling into heteromeric channels. To this end, we used heterologous expression in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells to investigate the kinetics and cAMP response of the current generated by co‐transfected (HCN4 + HCN1) and concatenated (HCN4‐HCN1 (4–1) tandem or HCN1‐HCN4 (1–4) tandem) rabbit constructs and compared them with those of the native f‐current from rabbit SAN. 4–1 tandem, but not co‐transfected, currents had activation kinetics approaching those of If; however, the activation range of 4–1 tandem channels was more negative than that of the f‐channel and their cAMP sensitivity were poorer (although that of 1–4 tandem channels was normal). Co‐transfection of 4–1 tandem channels with minK‐related protein 1(MiRP1) did not alter their properties. HCN1 and HCN4 may contribute to native f‐channels, but a ‘context’‐dependent mechanism is also likely to modulate the channel properties in native tissues.
Beneficial Impact of CCL2 and CCL12 Neutralization on Experimental Malignant Pleural Effusion

Using genetic interventions, we previously determined that C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) promotes malignant pleural effusion (MPE) formation in mice. Here we conducted preclinical studies aimed at assessing the specific therapeutic potential of antibody-mediated CCL2 blockade against MPE. For this, murine MPEs or skin tumors were generated in C57BL/6 mice by intrapleural or subcutaneous delivery of lung (LLC) or colon (MC38) adenocarcinoma cells. Human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) were used to induce MPEs in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Intraperitoneal antibodies neutralizing mouse CCL2 and/or CCL12, a murine CCL2 ortholog, were administered at 10 or 50 mg/kg every three days. We found that high doses of CCL2/12 neutralizing antibody treatment (50 mg/kg) were required to limit MPE formation by LLC cells. CCL2 and CCL12 blockade were equally potent inhibitors of MPE development by LLC cells. Combined CCL2 and CCL12 neutralization was also effective against MC38-induced MPE and prolonged the survival of mice in both syngeneic models. Mouse-specific CCL2-blockade limited A549-caused xenogeneic MPE, indicating that host-derived CCL2 also contributes to MPE precipitation in mice. The impact of CCL2/12 antagonism was associated with inhibition of immune and vascular MPE-related phenomena, such as inflammation, new blood vessel assembly and plasma extravasation into the pleural space. We conclude that CCL2 and CCL12 blockade are effective against experimental MPE induced by murine and human adenocarcinoma in mice. These results suggest that CCL2-targeted therapies may hold promise for future use against human MPE.
Behavioural Problems in Children with Headache and Maternal Stress: Is Children's Attachment Security a Protective Factor?

Headache is a potentially disabling condition involving enduring pain that negatively influences the quality of family life. Behavioural problems are more common in children with headache and are potentially associated with higher levels of parental stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which children's behavioural problems were associated with maternal stress and how the child's perception of security in the maternal attachment relationship moderates this association. Seventy-one school-aged children with headache (headache group (HG), age M = 9.8 years old, SD = 1.3) and 71 children from a low-risk normative population (control group (CG), age M = 9.2 years old, SD = 1) and their mothers were involved in the study. Mothers' reports of children's behavioural problems were associated with higher maternal stress in the caring task both in the HG and in the CG. Results also showed that the HG was more at risk for behavioural problems, whereas no difference between groups was detected for parenting stress and for attachment insecurity. In children with headache, perception of attachment security decreased the strength of the association between maternal stress and externalizing behavioural problems. Secure attachment may provide children with headache and their parents with support in managing the negative emotions that arise in the context of significant health issues. Implications for practice are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.