Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TAG1 Regulates the Endocytic Trafficking and Signaling of the Semaphorin3A Receptor Complex

Endocytic trafficking of membrane proteins is essential for neuronal structure and function. We show that Transient Axonal Glycoprotein 1 (TAG1 or CNTN2), a contactin-related adhesion molecule, plays a central role in the differential trafficking of components of the semaphorin3A (Sema3A) receptor complex into distinct endosomal compartments in murine spinal sensory neuron growth cones. The semaphorin3A receptor is composed of Neuropilin1 (NRP1), PlexinA4, and L1, with NRP1 being the ligand-binding component. TAG1 interacts with NRP1, causing a change in its association with L1 in the Sema3A response such that L1 is lost from the complex following Sema3A binding. Initially, however, L1 and NRP1 endocytose together and only become separated intracellularly, with NRP1 becoming associated with endosomes enriched in lipid rafts and colocalizing with TAG1 and PlexinA4. When TAG1 is missing, NRP1 and L1 fail to separate and NRP1 does not become raft associated; colocalization with PlexinA4 is reduced and Plexin signaling is not initiated. These observations identify a novel role for TAG1 in modulating the intracellular sorting of signaling receptor complexes.
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH Intimate partner violence and drug-addicted women: from explicative models to gender-oriented treatments

Thanks to studies conducted over the past decades, it has been underlined how harmful consumption of alcohol or other substances and intimate partner violence are intertwined. What has been recognized is, in particular, how the relation between these two factors may be represented as a vicious cycle in which each of them influences the other, reciprocally. The aim of this paper is to offer an overview, firstly, about the global and European scenario of the spread of these constructs, delineating, then, the main explanation models that theorize their connection and those risk factors associated with the environmental settings which may play a significant role. The last part, finally, offers some starting points in order to provide efficient multidisciplinary approaches both to prevent and support victims, increasing their mental, physical, and emotional health.
VEGF concentration from plasma-activated platelets rich correlates with microvascular density and grading in canine mast cell tumour spontaneous model

Canine cutaneous mast cell tumour (CMCT) is a common cutaneous tumour in dog, with a higher incidence than in human. CMCT is classified in three subgroups, well and intermediately differentiated (G1 and G2), corresponding to a benign disease, and poorly differentiated (G3), corresponding to a malignant disease, which metastasize to lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. In this study, we have evaluated serum (S), platelet‐poor plasma (P‐PP), plasma‐activated platelet rich (P‐APR) and cytosol vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations, microvascular density (MVD) and mast cell density (MCD) in a series of 86 CMCTs and we have correlated these parameters with each other, by means of ELISA detection of VEGF and immunohistochemistry. Results show that VEGF level from cytosol P‐APR and MVD were significantly higher in G3 CMCTs as compared to G1 or G2 subgroups. Moreover, a significantly strong correlation among VEGF levels from P‐PAR and cytosol, MVD and MCD was found in G3 subgroup. Because VEGF levels from P‐APR well correlated with MVD and malignancy grade in CMCT, we suggest that VEGF might be secreted from MCs and it may be a suitable surrogate inter‐species angiogenetic markers of tumour progression in CMCT. Finally, CMCT seems to be a useful model to study the role of MCs in tumour angiogenesis and inhibition of MCs degranulation or activation might be a new anti‐angiogenic strategy worthy to further investigations.
Low Vision and the Visual Interface for Interactive Television

Viewers with vision impairments often have difficulty seeing all of the content on television and now they have the added task of seeing and interpreting interactive elements that are primarily image or graphics based. We carried out two studies to examine the difficulties partially sighted and blind users have with current interface designs for interactive television. Results indicate that people’s visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and colour perception differences affected their ability to comprehend the displayed information making it difficult to have a standard set of interface designs that would accommodate the large variety of needs. A series of guidelines to accommodate such a heterogeneous user group are thus provided.
Corneal recovery in a rabbit limbal stem cell deficiency model by autologous grafts of tertiary outgrowths from cultivated limbal biopsy explants

Purpose To determine the corneal regenerative capacity of sequentially generated primary, secondary, and tertiary limbal explant outgrowths in a limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) surgical model. Methods Two-millimeter-long limbal shallow biopsies were surgically excised from the upper quadrant of the right eye of rabbits and set on preserved amniotic membrane for explant culture. After the generation of primary outgrowth, the biopsies were sequentially transferred to new amniotic membrane to generate secondary and then tertiary outgrowths. Eighteen rabbits were subjected to a 360° limbal peritomy extending into the scleral zone and combined with superficial keratectomy of the corneal periphery and thorough mechanical debridement of the central cornea in their left eye. Right eye outgrowths, six of each generation, were engrafted on the ocular surface. Clinical outcomes (neovascularization, corneal clarity, and corneal fluorescein staining) were graded after 6 months. Post-mortem corneas were compared with histology, immunochemistry for p63 and Krt3, ABCG2-dependent dye exclusion, and capacity for outgrowths in explant culture. Results Immunohistology and western blot of the outgrowths for p63 and Krt3 indicated no differences in expression between the primary and tertiary outgrowths for these two markers of growth and differentiation. Clinically, all rabbits treated with amniotic membrane alone developed severe LSCD. Most rabbits grafted with cell outgrowths from all three outgrowth generations achieved stable (>6 months) recovery of the ocular surface. There were partial failures of grafts performed with two secondary and tertiary outgrowths. However, Kruskal–Wallis statistical analysis of the clinical scores yielded no significant difference between the three groups (p=0.524). Histology showed full anatomic recovery of grafts made with primary and tertiary outgrowths. Krt3 and p63 expression throughout the whole limbal corneal epithelium with primary or tertiary outgrowths was not distinguishable from each other. The percentage of dye-excluding cells present within this zone and the capacity of the explant epithelial outgrowth of the regenerated peripheral corneal zone were also on par with those of the donor corneas. The Krt3-negative cells that characterize the basal epithelial layer of the normal limbus could not be found in any regenerated cornea from the primary to tertiary outgrowths. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that in rabbits post-primary explant outgrowths retain the capacity for LSCD recovery found in primary explants.
Constraint-induced movement therapy for upper extremities in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND In stroke patients, upper limb paresis affects many activities of daily life. Reducing disability is therefore a major aim of rehabilitation programmes for hemiparetic patients. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a current approach to stroke rehabilitation that implies the forced use and the massed practice of the affected arm by restraining the unaffected arm. OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of CIMT, modified CIMT (mCIMT), or forced use (FU) for arm management in hemiparetic patients. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group trials register (last searched June 2008), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2008), MEDLINE (1966 to June 2008), EMBASE (1980 to June 2008), CINAHL (1982 to June 2008), and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (June 2008). SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised control trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs (qRCTs) comparing CIMT, mCIMT or FU with other rehabilitative techniques, or none. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently classified the identified trials according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed methodological quality and extracted data. The primary outcome was disability. MAIN RESULTS We included 19 studies involving 619 participants. The trials included participants who had some residual motor power of the paretic arm, the potential for further motor recovery and with limited pain or spasticity, but tended to use the limb little if at all. Only five studies had adequate allocation concealment. The majority of studies were underpowered (median number of included patients was 15) and we cannot rule out small-trial bias. Six trials (184 patients) assessed disability immediately after the intervention, indicating a significant standard mean difference (SMD) of 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 0.65. For the most frequently reported outcome, arm motor function (11 studies involving 373 patients), the SMD was 0.72 (95% CI 0.32 to 1.12). There were only two studies that explored disability improvement after a few months of follow up and found no significant difference, SMD -0.07 (95% CI -0.53 to 0.40). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS CIMT is a multifaceted intervention: the restriction to the normal limb is accompanied by a certain amount of exercise of the appropriate quality. It is associated with a moderate reduction in disability assessed at the end of the treatment period. However, for disability measured some months after the end of treatment, there was no evidence of persisting benefit. Further randomised trials, with larger sample sizes and longer follow up, are justified.
Survey of Network on Chip (NoC) Architectures & Contributions

Multiprocessor architectures and platforms have been introduced to extend the applicability of Moore’s law. They depend on concurrency and synchronization in both software and hardware to enhance the design productivity and system performance. These platforms will also have to incorporate highly scalable, reusable, predictable, cost- and energy-efficient architectures. With the rapidly approaching billion transistors era, some of the main problems in deep sub-micron technologies which are characterized by gate lengths in the range of 60-90 nm, will arise from non-scalable wire delays, errors in signal integrity and unsynchronized communications. These problems may be overcome by the use of Network on Chip (NOC) architecture. In this paper, we have summarized over sixty research papers and contributions in NOC area.
CTX-M-27 Producing Salmonella enterica Serotypes Typhimurium and Indiana Are Prevalent among Food-Producing Animals in China

Salmonella spp. is one of the most important food-borne pathogens causing digestive tract and invasive infections in both humans and animals. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) especially the CTX-M-type ESBLs are increasingly being reported worldwide and in China. These studies seldom focused on Salmonella isolates from food-producing animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles, serotypes and ESBLs and in particular, CTX-M producing Salmonella isolates from chickens and pigs in China. Salmonella isolates were identified by API20E system and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay; serotypes were determined using slide agglutination with hyperimmune sera; antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the ager dilution method; the prevalence of ESBLs and PMQR genes were screened by PCR; CTX-M-producing isolates were further characterized by conjugation along with genetic relatedness and plasmid replicon type. In total, 159 Salmonella strains were identified, among which 95 strains were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, 63 strains were S. enterica serovar Indiana, and 1 strain was S. enterica serovar Enteritidis. All of these isolates presented multi-drug resistant phenotypes. Forty-five isolates carried blaCTX-M genes, the most common subtype was CTX-M-27(34), followed by CTX-M-65(7) and CTX-M-14(4). Most blaCTX-M genes were transmitted by non-typeable or IncN/IncFIB/IncP/IncA/C/IncHI2 plasmids with sizes ranging from 80 to 280 kb. In particular, all the 14 non-typeable plasmids were carrying blaCTX-M-27 gene and had a similar size. PFGE profiles indicated that CTX-M-positive isolates were clonally related among the same serotype, whilst the isolates of different serotypes were genetically divergent. This suggested that both clonal spread of resistant strains and horizontal transmission of the resistance plasmids contributed to the dissemination of blaCTX-M-9G-positive Salmonella isolates. The presence and spread of CTX-M, especially the CTX-M-27 in S. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Indiana from food-producing animals poses a potential threat for public health. Control strategies to limit the dissemination of these strains through the food chain are necessary.
Career Anchors, National Culture and Leave Intent of MIS Professionals in Taiwan

This study focuses on the career anchors of MIS professionals and adopts the well-established career theory, Schein’s Career Anchors, as the fundamental theory in this study. The present paper attempts to investigate the relationship between career anchors and leave intent of MIS professionals in Taiwan. The study adds the cultural construct, Chinese Relationalism, into its research model, in order to comprehend the role of Chinese Relationalism in the context of the career anchor model. Three career anchors: technical competence, autonomy, and entrepreneurship, have direct (negative or positive) and significant impacts on the intents of MIS professionals to leave their employment. This study establishes that Chinese Relationalism impacts on the technical competence, geographical security, identity, lifestyle, and various career anchors of MIS professionals and also moderates the relationships between autonomy, entrepreneurship and the leave intent of MIS professionals in Taiwan. Academically, this study proposes a research model based upon career anchors and intent to leave, and adds Chinese Relationalism into this model. In addition, it develops a qualified reliability and validity questionnaire. Practically, the results of this study could provide enterprises with a useful point of reference for employing and retaining MIS professionals.
The effects of photoionization on galaxy formation – I. Model and results at z=0

We develop a coupled model for the evolution of the global properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and the formation of galaxies, in the presence of a photoionizing background due to stars and quasars. We use this model to predict the thermodynamic history of the IGM when photoionized by galaxies forming in a cold dark matter (CDM) universe. The evolution of the galaxies is calculated using a semi-analytical model, including a detailed treatment of the effects of tidal stripping and dynamical friction on satellite galaxies orbiting inside larger dark matter halos. We include in the model the negative feedback on galaxy formation from the photoionizing background. Photoionization inhibits galaxy formation in low-mass dark matter halos in two ways: (i) heating of the IGM and inhibition of the collapse of gas into dark halos by the IGM pressure, and (ii) reduction in the radiative cooling of gas within halos. The result of our method is a self-consistent model of galaxy formation and the IGM. The IGM is reheated twice (during reionization of Hi and Heii), and we find that the star formation rate per unit volume is slightly suppressed after each episode of reheating. We find that galaxies brighter than L⋆ are mostly unaffected by reionization, while the abundance of faint galaxies is significantly reduced, leading to present-day galaxy luminosity functions with shallow faint end slopes, in good agreement with recent observational data. Reionization also affects other properties of these faint galaxies, in a readily understandable way.
Bottom-Up Biases in Feature-Selective Attention

Previous studies of feature-selective attention have focused on situations in which attention is directed to one of two spatially superimposed stimuli of equal salience. While such overlapping stimuli should maximize stimulus interactions, it is still unknown how bottom-up biases favoring one or the other stimulus influence the efficiency of feature-selective attention. We examined the integration of bottom-up contrast and top-down feature-selection biases on stimulus processing. Two fully overlapping random dot kinematograms (RDKs) of light and dark dots were presented on a gray background of intermediate luminance. On each trial, human participants attended one RDK to detect brief coherent motion targets, while ignoring any events in the unattended RDK. Concurrently, through changes in background luminance, stimulus contrast could be set to five different levels: the stimuli could either be equal, or one of the two stimuli could have twice or four times the contrast of the other stimulus. This manipulation introduced a bottom-up bias toward the stimulus with the higher contrast while keeping the difference between the stimuli constant. Stimulus processing was measured by means of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs). SSVEP amplitudes generally increased with higher contrast of the driving stimulus. At earlier levels of processing, attention increased the slope of this linear relation, i.e., attention multiplicatively enhanced SSVEP amplitudes. However, at later levels of processing, attention had an additive effect. These effects of attention can be attributed to the differential integration of gain enhancement and inhibitory stimulus competition at different levels of the visual processing hierarchy.
On Uneven Expected Earnings in the Lab

We discuss ways to cope with uneven expected lab earnings that are the likely results of role assignments. We identify three problems associated with uneven earnings in the lab: of social preferences, of low marginal return for effort, and of perceived deception. Mining the opinions of respondents from the Economic Science Association’s (ESA) discussion list, the literature, and drawing on our own experience, we present five responses experimenters can use to mitigate the three problems. We discuss the merits and drawbacks of each strategy.
Variation in Working Memory Capacity as Variation in Executive Attention and Control

If, as many psychologists seem to believe, im­ mediate memory represents a distinct system or set of processes from long-term memory (L TM), then what might· it be for? This fundamental, functional question was surprisingly unanswer­ able in the 1970s, given the volume of research that had explored short-term memory (STM), and given the ostensible role that STM was thought to play in cognitive control (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1971 ). Indeed, failed attempts to link STM to complex cognitive· functions, such as reading comprehension, loomed large in Crow­ der's (1982) obituary for the concept. Baddeley and Hitch ( 197 4) tried to validate immediate memory's functions by testing sub­ jects in reasoning, comprehension, and list­ learning tasks at the same time their memory was occupied by irrelevant material. Generally, small memory loads (i.e., three or fewer items) were retained with virtually no effect on the primary tasks, whereas memory loads of six items consistently impaired reasoning, compre­ hension, and learning. Baddeley and Hitch therefore argued that "working memory" (WM)
THE ROMAN DOMINATION NUMBER OF A DIGRAPH

Let D = (V,A) be a finite and simple digraph. A Roman dominating function (RDF) on a digraph D is a labeling f : V (D) → {0, 1, 2} such that every vertex with label 0 has a in-neighbor with label 2. The weight of an RDF f is the value ω(f) = ∑ v∈V f(v). The Roman domination number of a digraph D, denoted by γR(D), equals the minimum weight of an RDF on D. In this paper we present some sharp bounds for γR(D) 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C69.
Selecting a Spatially Efficient Cooperative Relay

Cooperative relaying is a communication technique in wireless networks where neighboring nodes assist communication pairs to mitigate the negative effects of multi-path fading. The resulting performance strongly depends on the selected relays. Although a cooperative relay provides benefits to a given source-destination pair, overall network performance might be degraded due to the increased level of interference. So far almost all relay selection mechanisms consider mainly channel conditions to the potential relays. In this paper we propose a contention-based relay selection mechanism that can take into account also spatial efficiency of potential relays. For that the degree as well as relative position of the nodes are used for selection. With the proposed method a high successful relay selection probability can be achieved, while significantly reducing the amount of additional spatial resources blocked by the cooperative relay.
A Bivariate Model of Federal Reserve and ECB Main Policy Rates

This paper studies when and by how much the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank change their target interest rates. I develop a new non-linear bivariate framework, which allows for elaborate dynamics and potential interdependence between the two countries, as opposed to linear feedback rules, such as a Taylor rule, and I use a novel real-time data set. Although the data sample is inherently small, through a Bayesian estimation approach, I find some evidence in favor of timing synchronization between central banks and against the hypothesis of follower behaviors. Results for the magnitude model support zero correlation in the size of the target rate changes. Institutional factors and inflation represent relevant variables for both timing and magnitude decisions, while output plays a secondary role.