Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carbonic Anhydrase IX Promotes Tumor Growth and Necrosis In Vivo and Inhibition Enhances Anti-VEGF Therapy

Purpose: Bevacizumab, an anti-VEGFA antibody, inhibits the developing vasculature of tumors, but resistance is common. Antiangiogenic therapy induces hypoxia and we observed increased expression of hypoxia-regulated genes, including carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), in response to bevacizumab treatment in xenografts. CAIX expression correlates with poor prognosis in most tumor types and with worse outcome in bevacizumab-treated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, malignant astrocytoma, and recurrent malignant glioma. Experimental Design: We knocked down CAIX expression by short hairpin RNA in a colon cancer (HT29) and a glioblastoma (U87) cell line which have high hypoxic induction of CAIX and overexpressed CAIX in HCT116 cells which has low CAIX. We investigated the effect on growth rate in three-dimensional (3D) culture and in vivo, and examined the effect of CAIX knockdown in combination with bevacizumab. Results: CAIX expression was associated with increased growth rate in spheroids and in vivo. Surprisingly, CAIX expression was associated with increased necrosis and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. We found that acidity inhibits CAIX activity over the pH range found in tumors (pK = 6.84), and this may be the mechanism whereby excess acid self-limits the build-up of extracellular acid. Expression of another hypoxia inducible CA isoform, CAXII, was upregulated in 3D but not two-dimensional culture in response to CAIX knockdown. CAIX knockdown enhanced the effect of bevacizumab treatment, reducing tumor growth rate in vivo. Conclusion: This work provides evidence that inhibition of the hypoxic adaptation to antiangiogenic therapy enhances bevacizumab treatment and highlights the value of developing small molecules or antibodies which inhibit CAIX for combination therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 18(11); 3100–11. ©2012 AACR.
Central as well as Peripheral Attentional Bottlenecks in Dual-Task Performance Activate Lateral Prefrontal Cortices

Human information processing suffers from severe limitations in parallel processing. In particular, when required to respond to two stimuli in rapid succession, processing bottlenecks may appear at central and peripheral stages of task processing. Importantly, it has been suggested that executive functions are needed to resolve the interference arising at such bottlenecks. The aims of the present study were to test whether central attentional limitations (i.e., bottleneck at the decisional response selection stage) as well as peripheral limitations (i.e., bottleneck at response initiation) both demand executive functions located in the lateral prefrontal cortex. For this, we re-analyzed two previous studies, in which a total of 33 participants performed a dual-task according to the paradigm of the psychological refractory period (PRP) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In one study (N = 17), the PRP task consisted of two two-choice response tasks known to suffer from a central bottleneck (CB group). In the other study (N = 16), the PRP task consisted of two simple-response tasks known to suffer from a peripheral bottleneck (PB group). Both groups showed considerable dual-task costs in form of slowing of the second response in the dual-task (PRP effect). Imaging results are based on the subtraction of both single-tasks from the dual-task within each group. In the CB group, the bilateral middle frontal gyri and inferior frontal gyri were activated. Higher activation in these areas was associated with lower dual-task costs. In the PB group, the right middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were activated. Here, higher activation was associated with higher dual-task costs. In conclusion we suggest that central and peripheral bottlenecks both demand executive functions located in lateral prefrontal cortices (LPFC). Differences between the CB and PB groups with respect to the exact prefrontal areas activated and the correlational patterns suggest that the executive functions resolving interference at least partially differ between the groups.
“ Jerk ” or “ Judgemental ” ? Patient Perceptions of Male versus Female Physicians in Online Reviews

We analyze patient reviews (posted online) of male and female physicians with respect to numerical ratings and language use. We find that females tend to receive less favorable numerical ratings overall, and that there seems to be higher variance in the sentiment of words used in reviews of female vs. those of male physicians. Introduction and Motivation Individuals are increasingly turning to the web to gather information relevant to their healthcare. An important example of this includes online reviews of physicians: a relatively recent survey (Fox and Duggan 2013) found that 72% of internet users have looked online for health information in the past year. And one in five of these users have looked for reviews of either particular treatments or doctors. Patient-generated reviews are especially interesting as a data source because they provide a direct, unmediated window into the patient experience. Further, these reviews may influence other individuals’ opinions of (potential) physicians (Grabner-Kräuter and Waiguny 2015), in turn affecting patient care. Indeed, Li et al. (2015) concluded via a randomized trial that exposure to negative reviews “led to a reduced willingness to use the physician’s services. ” Much of the previous work on examining online reviews of physicians has been qualitative in nature (López et al. 2012; Gao et al. 2012; Kilaru et al. 2016). Following our prior work (Wallace et al. 2014; Paul, Wallace, and Dredze 2013), we adopt a more data-drive approach in this study. Our focus in this work concerns investigating differences in online reviews of male versus female physicians, both with respect to patient satisfaction (ratings) and language use. We aim to complement the relatively robust body of evidence that strongly suggests that female physicians “don’t get the credit they deserve” (Roter and Hall 2015). For instance, Hall et al. (2011) performed a meta-analysis of studies looking at patient satisfaction and concluded that female physicians “are not evaluated as highly by their patients, relative to male physicians, as one would expect based on their practice style and patients’ values. ” Does the same hold in online reviews? Copyright c © 2016, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. In the remainder of this paper, we (i) describe the dataset we use, (ii) present results from regression analyses of numerical ratings and (iii) results from a lexical analysis of review texts. We then (iv) conclude with a discussion of our results and limitations. As far as we are aware, this is the first work to explicitly explore the relationship between physician gender and attributes of online reviews regarding the care they provide.
'I'm not a therapist you know...I'm an artist': Facilitating well-being and basic psychological needs satisfaction through community arts participation

The role of the artist is crucial to the success of arts for health initiatives yet remains under-explored in the research literature. This article examines the practice of arts facilitation through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). Fourteen interviews with artists leading projects for older adults across three settings were subject to a secondary thematic analysis. A hybrid approach was adopted with themes developed inductively and deductively. Artists were found to satisfy participants’ basic psychological needs in diverse ways. Autonomy: artists spoke of valuing the expression of individual differences and identities, encouraging participants to assume ownership of projects. Competence: developing participants’ aptitudes and skills and repairing negative self-beliefs emerged as common goals. Relatedness: artists sought to cultivate social interaction within groups and forge relationships with participants themselves. Self-determination theory provides a well-validated framework to conceptualize the psycho-social processes mediating arts project outcomes relating to psychological well-being.
The vgll3 Locus Controls Age at Maturity in Wild and Domesticated Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Males

Wild and domesticated Atlantic salmon males display large variation for sea age at sexual maturation, which varies between 1-5 years. Previous studies have uncovered a genetic predisposition for age at maturity with moderate heritability, thus suggesting a polygenic or complex nature of this trait. The aim of this study was to identify associated genetic loci, genes and ultimately specific sequence variants conferring sea age at maturity in salmon. We performed a GWAS using a pool sequencing approach (20 individuals per river and trait) of salmon returning to rivers as sexually mature either after one sea winter (2009) or three sea winters (2011) in six rivers in Norway. The study revealed one major selective sweep, which covered 76 significant SNP in which 74 were found in a 370 kb region of chromosome 25. Genotyping other smolt year classes of wild salmon and domesticated salmon confirmed this finding. Genotyping domesticated fish narrowed the haplotype region to four SNPs covering 2386 bp, containing the vgll3 gene, including two missense mutations explaining 33-36% phenotypic variation. This study demonstrates a single locus playing a highly significant role in governing sea age at maturation in this species. The SNPs identified may be both used as markers to guide breeding for late maturity in salmon aquaculture and in monitoring programs of wild salmon. Interestingly, a SNP in proximity of the VGLL3 gene in human (Homo sapiens), has previously been linked to age at puberty suggesting a conserved mechanism for timing of puberty in vertebrates. Author summary For most species the factors that contribute to the genetic predisposition for age at maturity are currently unknown. In salmon aquaculture early maturation is negative for the growth, disease resistance and flesh quality. In addition, using populations of salmon selected to mature late may limit the genetic impact of aquaculture escapees, as these late maturing fish are more likely to die before they reach maturity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the genetic predisposition for salmon maturation. We determined the sequences of genomes from Atlantic salmon maturing early and late in six Norwegian rivers. This methodology enabled us to identify a short genomic region involved in determining the age at maturity in Atlantic salmon. This region has also previously been linked to time of puberty in humans – supporting a general mechanism behind age at maturity in vertebrates. The results of this study may be used to breed salmon that are genetically predisposed to mature late which will improve welfare and production in aquaculture industry and aid in the management of escaped farmed salmon.
Conservation of food tree species in Niger: towards a participatory approach in rural communities

Aim of study: Indigenous woody species play an important role as a complement on the diet of rural populations in Niger, especially in periods of food scarcity. However, these species are nowadays overexploited and management programmes are necessary to conserve them. In order to design a conservation programme for edible woody species, this paper presents a sociological analysis about the use of edible woody species and their products during shortage periods in Niger.Area of study: Four villages in two distinct agro-ecological regions were selected to conduct structured enquiries based on focus group discussions and surveys with key informants.Material and Methods: Perceptions of the conservation status of these species were identified; as well the factors affecting food values, perceptions, management and collection practices.Main results: Results show that B. senegalensis was a staple food in the driest areas, and M. crassifolia was used for fodder and human consumption in the most critical situations. The local communities related the drivers of species conservation status specific to the agro-ecological regions, and gender and ethnic differences were also identified.Research highlights: Understanding these factors constitutes a first step towards adaptive management strategies for the conservation of woody food species in rural communities of Niger.Keywords: Africa; biodiversity; cultural preferences; food; NTFPs.
Finite Element Analysis of Single Slot Antenna for Microwave Tumor Ablation

This study is aimed at investigating the characteristics of various slot sizes of microwave antenna suitable for ablation of hepatic and other tumors. The single slot antenna for hepatic MWA was designed using COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS 4.3b software. A total number of 140 antennas models were designed out of which one was selected based on the variation in its reflection coefficient, total power density and Specific Absorption Ratio. The three antennas have different geometry parameters based on the effective wavelength in liver tissue at 2.45GHz. The inner and outer conductors of the antenna were modeled using perfect electric conductor (PEC) boundary conditions. The model was simulated at multiple discrete lengths of slot between 2.5mm and 4.5mm, using 0.1mm increment to determine the antenna efficiency. The antenna has a reflection coefficient as low as -44.67618 dB, with a corresponding total power dissipation of 9.47744 W at slot size 3.5 mm. The results show that the antenna operates with low reflection coefficient which at high power levels prevents overheating of the feedline. Feedline overheating may damage the coaxial line, thereby making it is suitable for ablation of hepatic and other tumors.
Unfamiliar face matching in the applied context

Matching unfamiliar faces is a difficult task. Despite this, ID checks are the primary screening method for individuals wishing to access countries, employment and a range of financial and medical services. Those we might consider experts, such as passport officers, are no better at the task than general population. Individuals with superior unfamiliar face matching have been identified, but the range of ability remains large across expert and general populations alike. Even individuals with superior face recognition skills have not been consistently found to have superior unfamiliar face matching abilities. This suggests that unfamiliar face matching ability may be highly specific. It may also suggest that the unfamiliar matching tasks carried out in the lab are different from ID checks in the applied context. It is the aim of this thesis to investigate the nature of unfamiliar face matching in the applied context and identify ways in which performance might be predicted. In Chapters 2 and 3 participants are required to match unfamiliar faces shown with a passport context and to check the validity of the accompanying biographical information. The presence of a passport context biases viewers to identify face pairs as the same and presence of a face pair biases and reduces accuracy when checking biographical information. These findings demonstrate that applied error rates in unfamiliar face matching may well have been underestimated. In Chapter 4, a battery of tasks is used to identify predictors of unfamiliar face matching ability. The results show that unfamiliar face matching is positively associated with other face identity tasks. However, same and different unfamiliar face matching also associate with more general measures of local processing and space perception. These findings are tested in Chapter 5 and the theoretical implications of these results and methods for optimising unfamiliar face matching performance are discussed.
Enclothed Cognition and Controlled Attention during Insight Problem-Solving

Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) increase the ability, and tendency, to devote greater attentional control to a task—improving performance on a wide range of skills. In addition, recent research on enclothed cognition demonstrates that the situational influence of wearing a white lab coat increases controlled attention, due to the symbolic meaning and physical experience of wearing the coat. We examined whether these positive influences on attentional control lead to negative performance outcomes on insight problem-solving, a task thought to rely on associative processes that operate largely outside of explicit attentional control. Participants completed matchstick arithmetic problems while either wearing a white lab coat or in a no-coat control condition. Higher WMC was associated with lower insight problem-solving accuracy in the no-coat condition. In the coat condition, the insight problem-solving accuracy of lower WMC individuals dropped to the level of those higher in WMC. These results indicate that wearing a white lab coat led individuals to increase attentional control towards problem solving, hindering even lower WMC individuals from engaging in more diffuse, associative problem-solving processes, at which they otherwise excel. Trait and state factors known to increase controlled attention and improve performance on more attention-demanding tasks interact to hinder insight problem-solving.
Reasons for Victims’ Nonreporting Practices in Lagos, Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT Nonreporting practices have significant effects on public safety, yet the scientific community knows little about the reasons that predispose victims towards nonreporting in Lagos, Nigeria. The author examined the reasons using qualitative methods, and used a purposive sampling technique to select participants. Data were content analyzed. The findings indicated that economic and sociocultural considerations account for nonreporting among victims. The study concluded that numerous economic and sociocultural reasons including poverty, police extortion, and taboos explain nonreporting among victims, and suggests that the government should strengthen families and schools to transmit reporting values to children for safer communities in Lagos, Nigeria.
Analysis of prognostic factors in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the results of the treatment of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder with radical cystectomy and determine which prognostic factors can be utilized as disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival independent variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical records of 113 patients submitted to radical cystectomy and bilateral iliac lymphadenectomy between 1993 and 2005 were reviewed. The risk factors analyzed were age, sex, pathological stage, tumor grade, presence of carcinoma in situ and the presence of lymph nodes involvement. RESULTS After a mean follow-up of 31.7 +/- 28.5 months, 46 patients (40.7%) presented recurrence and 24 patients (21.2%) died due to cancer. Only pathological stage and the lymph nodes involvement became independent variables for recurrence and survival. Patients with T4 stage presented 9.6 times the risk of recurrence of the disease when compared with stage T0 patients (p = 0.010) and the patients with lymph node involvement presented 2.5 times the risk of recurrence (p = 0.047) and 3.1 times the risk of death (p = 0.022) when compared to patients without lymph nodes involvement. CONCLUSIONS Pathological stage and the involvement of lymph nodes represented more important prognostic variables, and in the presence of advanced stage tumors (T3/T4) and involvement of lymph nodes, the institution of adjuvant treatment should be considered.
Massive Gene Transfer and Extensive RNA Editing of a Symbiotic Dinoflagellate Plastid Genome

Genome sequencing of Symbiodinium minutum revealed that 95 of 109 plastid-associated genes have been transferred to the nuclear genome and subsequently expanded by gene duplication. Only 14 genes remain in plastids and occur as DNA minicircles. Each minicircle (1.8–3.3 kb) contains one gene and a conserved noncoding region containing putative promoters and RNA-binding sites. Nine types of RNA editing, including a novel G/U type, were discovered in minicircle transcripts but not in genes transferred to the nucleus. In contrast to DNA editing sites in dinoflagellate mitochondria, which tend to be highly conserved across all taxa, editing sites employed in DNA minicircles are highly variable from species to species. Editing is crucial for core photosystem protein function. It restores evolutionarily conserved amino acids and increases peptidyl hydropathy. It also increases protein plasticity necessary to initiate photosystem complex assembly.
Preschoolers’ Conceptions of Technological Artefacts and Gender in Picture Books

Picture books are a frequent element of daily preschool activities (Damber, Nilsson & Ohlsson, 2013; Simonsson, 2004; SOU 2006:75). They are important pedagogical tools that can help children acquire an understanding of the everyday technology they come in contact with, as well as the human application of technology (Axell, 2015; Axell & Bostrom, 2015). These are skills that are emphasised in the Swedish preschool curriculum. In the curriculum it is also stated that the preschool should counteract traditional gender patterns and gender roles (Skolverket, 2010). However, an investigation of a selection of picture books aimed at preschool children shows that the books content is somewhat problematic. Many of the picture books provide a focus on the function of separate artefacts without any sort of context or explanation of their implications in a societal context. There also tends to be an emphasis on traditional masculine-coded technology in the books. Building and making and working with machines is depicted as a male activity. The male stereotype is essentially connected with different kinds of vehicles like cars, airplanes, motorbikes, tractors etc. (Axell & Bostrom, 2015; See also Holbrok, 2008). Based on these previous findings, the aim of this pilot study was to obtain an initial concept about how children’s literature may influence preschool children’s view on technological artefacts. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with four five-year-olds, two girls and two boys. Through a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) three overarching themes were identified: The relationship between design and function, anthropomorphic animals as users of artefacts, and gender and artefacts. Some of the key findings were that the 5-year-olds did not know what “technology” is, but had good knowledge about tools. Additionally, they did not genderise any of the artefacts included in the study.
RanBPM regulates cell shape, arrangement, and capacity of the female germline stem cell niche in Drosophila melanogaster

Experiments in cultured cells with Ran-binding protein M (RanBPM) suggest that it links cell surface receptors and cell adhesion proteins. In this study, we undertake a genetic study of RanBPM function in the germline stem cell (GSC) niche of Drosophila melanogaster ovaries. We find that two RanBPM isoforms are produced from alternatively spliced transcripts, the longer of which is specifically enriched in the GSC niche, a cluster of somatic cells that physically anchors GSCs and expresses signals that maintain GSC fate. Loss of the long isoform from the niche causes defects in niche organization and cell size and increases the number of GSCs attached to the niche. In genetic mosaics for a null RanBPM allele, we find a strong bias for GSC attachment to mutant cap cells and observe abnormal accumulation of the adherens junction component Armadillo (β-catenin) and the membrane skeletal protein Hu-li tai shao in mutant terminal filament cells. These results implicate RanBPM in the regulation of niche capacity and adhesion.