Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activity-dependent repression of muscle genes by NFAT

Adult skeletal muscles retain an adaptive capacity to switch between slow- and fast-twitch properties that largely depend on motoneuron activity. The NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) family of calcium-dependent transcription factors has been implicated in the up-regulation of genes encoding slow contractile proteins in response to slow-patterned motoneuron depolarization. Here, we demonstrate an unexpected, novel function of NFATc1 in slow-twitch muscles. Using the troponin I fast (TnIf) intronic regulatory element (FIRE), we identified sequences that down-regulate its function selectively in response to patterns of electrical activity that mimic slow motoneuron firing. A bona fide NFAT binding site in the TnIf FIRE was identified by site-directed mutations and by electrophoretic mobility and supershift assays. The activity-dependent transcriptional repression of FIRE is mediated through this NFAT site and, importantly, its mutation did not alter the up-regulation of TnIf transcription by fast-patterned activity. siRNA-mediated knockdown of NFATc1 in adult muscles resulted in ectopic activation of the FIRE in the slow soleus, without affecting enhancer activity in the fast extensor digitorum longus muscle. These findings demonstrate that NFAT can function as a repressor of fast contractile genes in slow muscles and they exemplify how an activity pattern can increase or decrease the expression of distinct contractile genes in a use-dependent manner as to enhance phenotypic differences among fiber types or induce adaptive changes in adult muscles.
Effect of anoxia on heterophoria and its analogy with convergent concomitant squint.

In a previous paper 1 the existing knowledge of the voluntary and motor mechanisms controlling ocular movements was summarized. It was pointed out that the reflex mechanism was more important than the voluntary, in the eyes were constantly under the influence of f involuntary tonic impulses which determined not only their fixation of objects in space but also their relation to each other. This mechanism is the harness which keeps the eyes associated so that the two maculas are used simultaneously. The chief source of reflex tone is the visual fixation reflex. Lancaster 2 pointed out some time ago the importance of this mechanism for fusion, although he considered that it was a conscious, voluntary mechanism and traced the afferent pathway from the frontal centers instead of from the optomotor center in the occipital cortex. The evidence I believe is strongly in favor of its being a purely involuntary reflex.
Transoral robotic surgery for carcinoma of unknown primary in the head and neck

Multiple diagnostic and treatment paradigms exist for the management of carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) metastatic to cervical lymph nodes. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has emerged as a modality for diagnosis and treatment of CUP, optimizing identification and resection of the primary tumor, although also preventing chemotherapy in a subset of patients. This article presents the authors' treatment paradigm and reviews the literature supporting the use of TORS in the management of CUP. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015;112:697–701. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Investigation Of Dynamic Dividend Behavior In Korea

The principal objective of this study was to assess the dynamic dividend behavior of firms in Korea. Specifically, this study tests the presence of dividend smoothing and identifies the firmlevel factors influencing the degree of dividend smoothing. For this purpose, 299 firms listed on the Korea Stock Exchange over a 26-year period, from 1981 to 2006, were investigated. The empirical results of this study demonstrate that Korean firms made dividend payments which were quite closely related to the average interest rate over the sample period. A change in dividend payments is less likely to reflect a change in the fundamentals of Korean companies. Instead, it appears to be related significantly to movements in the interest rate. This study also finds that the majority of Korean firms pay smoothed dividends. However, the degree of dividend smoothing in Korean firms was determined to be lower than that observed in US firms. In addition, the results demonstrate that the long–term target payout ratio is significantly lower than the observed payout ratio. The results indicate that Lintner’s dividend smoothing model does not explain the dynamic dividend behavior in Korea. The theoretical determinants of dividend smoothing were assessed by regressing the degree of dividend smoothing of firms against the firm characteristics. The results show that riskier firms tend to pay more smoothed dividends, thus supporting the prediction previously made by Kumar (1988). However, contrary to the theoretical predictions, our results find that larger and older firms are more likely to smooth dividends in Korea. Controlling shareholder’s ownership, growth, and financial slack all appear to exert insignificant effects on the degree of dividend smoothing. The results suggest that the information and agency theories of dividend smoothing do not explain the dynamic dividend policy of Korean firms.
Responses of the L5178Y tk+/tk− mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay ii: 18 coded chemicals

Eighteen chemicals were tested for their mutagenic potential in the L5178Y tk+/− mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay by the use of procedures based upon those described by Clive and Spector [Mutat Res 44:269–278, 1975] and Clive et al [Mutat Res 59:61–108, 1979]. Cultures were exposed to the chemicals for 4 hr, then cultured for 2 days before plating in soft agar with or without trifluorothymidine (TFT), 3 μg/ml. The chemicals were tested at least twice. Significant responses were obtained with benzofuran, benzyl chloride, bromodi‐chloromethane, butylated hydroxytoluene, chlorendic acid, o‐chlorobenzalmalo‐nitrile, 1,2,3,4‐diepoxybutane, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl hydrogen phosphite, furfural, glutaraldehyde, hydroquinone, 8‐hydroxyquinoline, and resorcinol. Apart from bromodichloromethane, butylated hydroxytoluene and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite, rat liver S9 mix was not a requirement for the activity of any of these compounds. Chemicals not identified as mutagens were water, tert‐butyl alcohol, pyridine, and witch hazel.
Cancer Therapy : Preclinical mTORC 1 Inhibitors Suppress Meningioma Growth in Mouse Models

Purpose: To evaluate the mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) pathway in meningiomas and to explore mTORC1 as a therapeutic target in meningioma cell lines and mouse models. Experimental Design: Tissue microarrays (53 meningiomas of all WHO grades) were stained for phosphorylated polypeptides of mTOR, Akt, and the mTORC1 targets 4EBP1 and p70S6K, the latter being the consensus marker for mTORC1 activity. Expression of proteins and mRNAs was assessed by Western blotting and real-time PCR in 25 tumors. Cell lines Ben-Men-1 (benign), IOMM-Lee and KT21 (malignant), and pairs of merlin-positive or -negative meningioma cells were used to assess sensitivity toward mTORC1 inhibitors in methyl-tetrazolium and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) assays. The effect of temsirolimus (20 mg/kg daily) on tumor weight or MRI-estimated tumor volume was tested by treatment of eight nude mice (vs. 7 controls) carrying subcutaneous IOMM-Lee xenografts, or of eight (5) mice xenotransplanted intracranially with IOMM-Lee (KT21) cells in comparison to eight (5) untreated controls. Results: All components of the mTORC1 pathway were expressed and activated in meningiomas, independent of their WHO grade. A significant dosage-dependent growth inhibition by temsirolimus and everolimus was observed in all cell lines. It was slightly diminished by merlin loss. In the orthotopic and subcutaneous xenograftmodels, temsirolimus treatment resulted in about 70%growth reduction of tumors (P < 0.01), which was paralleled by reduction of Ki67 mitotic index (P < 0.05) and reduction of mTORC1 activity (p70S6K phosphorylation) within the tumors. Conclusion:mTORC1 inhibitors suppress meningioma growth in mouse models, although the present study did not measure survival. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1180–9. 2012 AACR.
Immigrants’ Children's Transition to Secondary School in Italy

Choosing a secondary school represents an important step in the lives of students in Italy, in that it has a strong bearing on their ultimate educational achievement and labor force trajectory. In this article, we analyze the effect of generational status and length of residence on the transition to secondary school among immigrants living in Italy. Using data from the ITAGEN2 follow-up, we analyze scholastic results from the middle school final exam and the choice of secondary school among the adolescents in Italy. Children of immigrants are more likely to have inferior outcomes on the middle school exam and to enroll in vocational and polytechnic schools. Our multivariate results indicate that, after controlling for the family's human capital and other key background factors, immigrant students show greater propensity to choose a vocational path. Differences between immigrants and natives in secondary school tracks are also manifested when previous scholastic results are taken into account.
The transforming growth factor beta signaling pathway is critical for the formation of CD4 T follicular helper cells and isotype-switched antibody responses in the lung mucosa

T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are crucial for the initiation and maintenance of germinal center (GC) reactions and high affinity, isotype-switched antibody responses. In this study, we demonstrate that direct TGF-β signaling to CD4 T cells is important for the formation of influenza-specific Tfh cells, GC reactions, and development of isotype-switched, flu-specific antibody responses. Early during infection, TGF-β signaling suppressed the expression of the high affinity IL-2 receptor α chain (CD25) on virus-specific CD4 T cells, which tempered IL-2 signaling and STAT5 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in Tfh precursor CD4 T cells. Inhibition of mTOR allowed for the differentiation of Tfh cells in the absence of TGF-βR signaling, suggesting that TGF-β insulates Tfh progenitor cells from IL-2-delivered mTOR signals, thereby promoting Tfh differentiation during acute viral infection. These findings identify a new pathway critical for the generation of Tfh cells and humoral responses during respiratory viral infections. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.04851. 001
A Knowledge-Based Approach for Resource Discovery and Allotment in Swarm Middleware

This paper proposes a semantic-based solution to resource discovery, allotment and sharing in swarm intelligence scenarios. The envisioned framework allows a novel and advanced retrieval of resources in highly dense contexts, based on semantics of the annotation they convey. In fact, logic-based inferences permit to determine the compatibility between a request and available resources so enhancing the quality of discovery. In order to do that, a vocabulary (ontology) sharing is unavoidable to properly annotate resources. The approach proposed here bypass centralized and encumbering Knowledge Bases (KBs) through an ontology scattering and rebuilding when needed. On the other hand, factual knowledge follows the material resources and is distributed by nature. The proposed framework has been implemented in a prototype to prove correctness of the approach and obtain an early performance evaluation. The adopted communication solution is represented by Bee Data Distribution System (Bee-DDS), a message-oriented middleware exploiting a publish-subscribe model. It provides affordable interaction among loosely-coupled resources in the scenario to support advanced discovery and sharing functionalities.
Aortic pulsatility assessed by an oscillometric method is associated with coronary atherosclerosis in elderly people

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the association of aortic pulsatility assessed by a non-invasive brachial cuff-based method with coronary atherosclerosis. In total, 139 patients undergoing coronary angiography were included in this cross-sectional study. Aortic blood pressure (BP) indices were recorded invasively by a fluid-filled catheter and non-invasively by a brachial cuff-based oscillometric device. Fractional pulse pressure (FPP) was defined as pulse pressure (PP)/mean BP and pulsatility index (PI) as PP/diastolic BP. Aortic FPP and PI in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients were significantly higher than in non-CAD patients in both invasive and non-invasive methods. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that non-invasively measured aortic FPP and PI were associated with CAD risk in patients aged ≥70 years [aortic FPP per 0.1 odds ratio (OR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–2.64; aortic PI per 0.1 OR =1.39, 95% CI 1.02–1.88; all p < 0.05], but were not associated with CAD risk in patients aged <70 years. In linear regression analysis, non-invasively measured aortic FPP and PI correlated with SYNTAX and Gensini scores only in patients aged ≥70 years. Aortic FPP and PI measured non-invasively by a brachial cuff-based oscillometric device were associated with coronary atherosclerosis in elderly patients.
Addressing the realties of health care in northern aboriginal communities through participatory action research

To address concerns about disruptions in the continuity of health care delivered to residents in three remote aboriginal communities in northern Ontario, Canada, the local health authority initiated a study in collaboration with the department of Health Canada responsible for ensuring that aboriginal reserves receive mandatory health services, and an inter-disciplinary team of researchers from two universities. The study focussed on the delivery of oncology, diabetes and mental health care, specifically, as well as systems issues such as recruitment and retention of health human resources and financial costs. The paper discusses the procedures involved, the benefits derived and the challenges encountered in doing this as a community driven participatory action research project. It also summarizes the findings that led to community formulated policy and program recommendations.
Psychological Distress and Sick Leave in Swedish Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami: A Comparison With a Population Sample

Disaster studies of the effects of trauma exposure on subsequent psychological health have seldom used population comparisons. A total of 1463 tsunami survivors from Stockholm were categorized according to type of exposure, and compared on measures of General Health Questionnaire and sick leave, with a matched population-based sample of 12,045 individuals from the same region. Data from the survivor group were obtained through a postal questionnaire 14 months postdisaster. Data from the population sample were collected in the same year. In comparison to the population sample, levels of sick leave ranged from higher in multiply exposed groups to lower in the least exposed group. For psychological distress, levels in multiply and moderately exposed groups were higher, and in lower exposed groups comparable. The use of a population comparison resulted in a support of recent research showing a relative resiliency of survivors exposed during disaster to potential trauma of lesser severity.
Dietary Saponin and Plasma Cholesterol in the Chicken.∗ †

Summary A study with growing chicks and adult roosters indicated that dietary saponin will depress blood plasma cholesterol previously elevated by feeding low protein levels in presence and absence of dietary cholesterol. It is suggested that complexing of saponin with cholesterol secreted in the intestinal lumen makes less cholesterol available for reabsorption from the intestinal tract.
Adherence to statins is associated with reduced incidence of idiopathic venous thromboembolism: real-life data from a large healthcare maintenance organisation

Objective Previous reports on the association between statin use and venous thromboembolism (VTE) did not examine patient adherence to medications, thus their applicability in a real life setting is questionable. Our objective was to investigate the association between the use of statins and incidence of first ever idiopathic VTE. Design A retrospective cohort study. Settings A large healthcare maintenance organisation. Patients Included were statin initiators aged 30 years or older since 2003 who did not have a statin prescription for at least 4 years before that and had at least 18 months follow-up. Excluded were patients with known risk factors for VTE. End of follow-up was defined as the first of the following: leaving Maccabi Healthcare Services, death, VTE or October 27, 2010. Interventions Prescription drug purchase data was analysed in order to evaluate the association between statin use and adherence and between VTE prevention. Main outcome measures VTE diagnosis during follow-up. Results The study population included 127 822 subjects (53 618 females). The follow-up period was comprised of 594 190 patient years, and included 1375 VTE cases and 5-year cumulative incidence rate of 1.15%. Cox regression analysis demonstrated a significantly lower VTE risk of 19% and 22% in the more adherent patient groups, compared to the risk for the lowest adherence group. The simvastatin dose, the most frequently prescribed statin, was negatively associated with the risk of VTE. Conclusions In a real life healthcare maintenance organisation setting, better adherence to statins is associated with a reduced risk of first ever idiopathic VTE events.
Antimicrobial evaluation, acute and subchronic toxicity studies of Leone Bitters, a Nigerian polyherbal formulation, in rodents.

This study evaluated acute and sub-chronic toxicities in rodents and microbial purity of a polyherbal preparation, Leon Bitters, prepared with Gongronema latifolia (climbing stem), Cocos nucifera (coconut) roots and Parinari curatellifolia seeds. Microbial purity was evaluated on some bacterial and fungal organisms using appropriate diagnostic media. Toxicity of the polyherbal preparation was evaluated in Swiss albino mice by administering to the animals oral graded doses of the lyophilized drug in the ranges of 1.0 g/kg to 20.0 g/kg body weight and observed continuously for the first 4h and hourly for the next 12 h, then 6 hourly for 56 h (72 h, acute toxicity). Wistar rats were also fed with different doses of the lyophilized drug for 30 days and the effects of the drug on some tissues heart, liver, kidney and testes were microscopically examined. Also the effects on the biochemical and haematological parameters were evaluated (sub-chronic toxicity model). No zone of inhibition was observed on either the bacterial culture media or the fungal culture media. The median acute toxicity value (LD50) of the polyherbal medicine was determined to be 7.2 g/kg body weight. No significant increase in the body weight was observed in the groups treated with the drug compared to the control. There was significant increase (p≤ 0.05) in creatinine level while aspartate aminotransferases (AST) and alanine aminotransferases (ALT) showed no appreciable increase. The drug significantly reduced (p≤0.05) triglyceride (TG) level while low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol level was not altered, but led to increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL)–cholesterol in the treated groups compared to the control. There was no significant change in the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in all the treated animals compared to the control. The study showed that the drug exhibited hypolipidemic activity and good reducing effects on cardiovascular factors. However, a long term use may be harmful to the testes, a male reproductive organ.
SICKNESS PRESENCE , SICK LEAVE AND ADJUSTMENT LATITUDE

Objectives: Previous research on the association between adjustment latitude (defined as the opportunity to adjust work efforts in case of illness) and sickness absence and sickness presence has produced inconsistent results. In particular, low adjustment latitude has been identified as both a risk factor and a deterrent of sick leave. The present study uses an alternative analytical strategy with the aim of joining these results together. Material and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, a random sample of employees covered by the Upper Austrian Sickness Fund (N = 930) was analyzed. Logistic and ordinary least square (OLS) regression models were used to examine the association between adjustment latitude and days of sickness absence, sickness presence, and an estimator for the individual sickness absence and sickness presence propensity. Results: A high level of adjustment latitude was found to be associated with a reduced number of days of sickness absence and sickness presence, but an elevated propensity for sickness absence. Conclusions: Employees with high adjustment latitude experience fewer days of health complaints associated with lower rates of sick leave and sickness presence compared to those with low adjustment latitude. In case of illness, however, high adjustment latitude is associated with a higher pro­ bability of taking sick leave rather than sickness presence.
Online Interactive Teaching Modules Enhance Quantitative Proficiency of Introductory Biology Students

There is widespread agreement within the scientific and education communities that undergraduate biology curricula fall short in providing students with the quantitative and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills they need to obtain a deep understanding of biological phenomena and be prepared fully to contribute to future scientific inquiry. MathBench Biology Modules were designed to address these needs through a series of interactive, Web-based modules that can be used to supplement existing course content across the biological sciences curriculum. The effect of the modules was assessed in an introductory biology course at the University of Maryland. Over the course of the semester, students showed significant increases in quantitative skills that were independent of previous math course work. Students also showed increased comfort with solving quantitative problems, whether or not they ultimately arrived at the correct answer. A survey of spring 2009 graduates indicated that those who had experienced MathBench in their course work had a greater appreciation for the role of mathematics in modern biology than those who had not used MathBench. MathBench modules allow students from diverse educational backgrounds to hone their quantitative skills, preparing them for more complex mathematical approaches in upper-division courses.
Spatiotemporal Saliency Estimation by Spectral Foreground Detection

We present a novel approach for spatiotemporal saliency detection by optimizing a unified criterion of color contrast, motion contrast, appearance, and background cues. To this end, we first abstract the video by temporal superpixels. Second, we propose a novel graph structure exploiting the saliency cues to assign the edge weights. The salient segments are then extracted by applying a spectral foreground detection method, quantum cuts, on this graph. We evaluate our approach on several public datasets for video saliency and activity localization to demonstrate the favorable performance of the proposed video quantum cuts compared to the state of the art.
Self-reported reasons among HIV-infected patients for missing clinic appointments

Summary Although adherence to clinic visits is important for successful clinical outcome in HIV treatment, little is known about the reasons patients with HIV miss appointments. We prospectively monitored the self-reported reasons for missed clinic appointments among HIV patients at a university hospital in South Korea from June through December 2006. Of the 1562 scheduled clinic visits, 131 (8%) of appointments were missed. Work schedule, forgetfulness and lack of motivation were the primary reasons given for missed appointments. Considering these factors when scheduling appointments may improve adherence to clinic attendance among HIV-infected patients.