Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human polyomaviruses and cancer: expanding repertoire

Polyomaviruses were originally isolated in mouse and in monkey (SV40) about 50 years ago. In 1971, the first human polyomaviruses BK and JC were isolated and subsequently demonstrated to be ubiquitous in the human population. Recent studies have shown that SV40 can spread between humans and led to the identification of three new human polyomaviruses (KIPyV, MCPyV, and WUPyV). BKV, JCV, and SV40 appear harmless in healthy individuals, but possess pathogenic properties in immunosuppressed patients. Moreover they may play an etiological role in human malignancies. Epidemiologic and pathogenic studies of KIPyV, MCPyC, and WUPyV are limited so far, but MCPyV may be associated with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer. We describe the biology of human polyomaviruses, review their non‐malignant and malignant potentials, and discuss the mechanisms by which these viruses may contribute to transformation.
Efficacy of the controlled release of concentrated platelet lysate from a collagen/gelatin scaffold for dermis-like tissue regeneration.

INTRODUCTION A collagen/gelatin scaffold (CGS) can provide a sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which promotes wound healing. However, bFGF is approved for clinical use in Japan and China only. One potential alternative to bFGF is platelet lysate (PL), a safe and easily attainable source of a wide range of growth factors necessary for tissue repair. In the present study, we investigated the use of PL with CGS to repair wounds and identified the optimal concentration of PL for wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS We generated PL from concentrated platelets harvested from individual healthy donors. We measured growth factors in PL. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and bFGF were selected because they were the major growth factors contained in platelets and showed the greatest ability to enhance the maturation of newly formed blood vessels. Pieces of CGS impregnated with PL solution (×1, ×2, ×3, or ×4 concentrated) or normal saline solution (NSS) were implanted into full-thickness skin defects on the backs of mice. We evaluated the wound area, neoepithelium length, and total area of newly formed capillaries in the implanted CGS. RESULTS Our release experiments revealed that PDGF-BB and TGF-β1 were released from CGS incubated with collagenase in a sustained manner. CGS impregnated with concentrated PL was more effective than CGS impregnated with NSS in all evaluated items. The ×2 concentrated PL accelerated wound healing and enhanced cell proliferation and vessel growth in granulation tissue. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that CGS can bind to TGF-β1 and PDGF-BB and release these growth factors in a sustained manner. ×2 concentrated PL-impregnated CGS accelerates the formation of dermis-like tissue.
Papilloma Development and Long-term Ciclosporin Use in Chronic Ocular Allergy With Associated Keratoconus

Purpose: Conjunctival papillomata are squamous epithelial tumors with a strong association with human papilloma virus (HPV) types 6 and 11. They are benign conjunctival tumors that can be treated by surgical excision. We report a case where topical immunosuppressive therapy modified the local T-cell immunity in the conjunctiva resulting in papilloma development in a patient with keratoconus and a strong atopic history. Methods: A case report of a 44-year-old man with a history of severe ocular and generalized atopy is presented. We present the problems encountered in management of his severe ocular allergy and how these impeded the management of his keratoconus. Results: Conventional antiallergy topical medication was not producing symptom relief in this patient, and so topical immunosuppression was commenced using ciclosporin ointment 0.2%. This therapy modified the local T-cell immunity in the conjunctiva resulting in the development of papillomata which contributed to the intolerance of contact lens wear for visual rehabilitation of the keratoconus in the patient. These lesions were surgically removed but typically recurred and required further surgical excision. Adjunct cryotherapy was also performed at the time of the surgery to try to stem the recurrence of the papillomas. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge and following a review of the published literature using key databases that include Medline and PubMed, this is the first report confirming the development of conjunctival papillomas secondary to HPV type 6 in a ciclosporin-treated patient.
Revised indications for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity: results of the early treatment for retinopathy of prematurity randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether earlier treatment using ablation of the avascular retina in high-risk prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) results in improved grating visual acuity and retinal structural outcomes compared with conventional treatment. METHODS Infants with bilateral high-risk prethreshold ROP (n = 317) had one eye randomized to early treatment with the fellow eye managed conventionally (control eye). In asymmetric cases (n = 84), the eye with high-risk prethreshold ROP was randomized to early treatment or conventional management. High risk was determined using a model based on the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity natural history cohort. At a corrected age of 9 months, visual acuity was assessed by masked testers using the Teller acuity card procedure. At corrected ages of 6 and 9 months, eyes were examined for structural outcome. Outcomes for the 2 treatment groups of eyes were compared using chi2 analysis, combining data for bilateral and asymmetric cases. RESULTS Grating acuity results showed a reduction in unfavorable visual acuity outcomes with earlier treatment, from 19.5% to 14.5% (P =.01). Unfavorable structural outcomes were reduced from 15.6% to 9.1% (P<.001) at 9 months. Further analysis supported retinal ablative therapy for eyes with type 1 ROP, defined as zone I, any stage ROP with plus disease (a degree of dilation and tortuosity of the posterior retinal blood vessels meeting or exceeding that of a standard photograph); zone I, stage 3 ROP without plus disease; or zone II, stage 2 or 3 ROP with plus disease. The analysis supported a wait-and-watch approach to type 2 ROP, defined as zone I, stage 1 or 2 ROP without plus disease or zone II, stage 3 ROP without plus disease. These eyes should be considered for treatment only if they progress to type 1 or threshold ROP. CONCLUSIONS Early treatment of high-risk prethreshold ROP significantly reduced unfavorable outcomes to a clinically important degree. Additional analyses led to modified recommendations for the use of peripheral retinal ablation in eyes with ROP. Long-term follow-up is being conducted to learn whether the benefits noted in the first year after birth will persist into childhood.
The high‐affinity D2/D3 agonist D512 protects PC12 cells from 6‐OHDA‐induced apoptotic cell death and rescues dopaminergic neurons in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease

In this study, in vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out with the high‐affinity multifunctional D2/D3 agonist D‐512 to explore its potential neuroprotective effects in models of Parkinson's disease and the potential mechanism(s) underlying such properties. Pre‐treatment with D‐512 in vitro was found to rescue rat adrenal Pheochromocytoma PC12 cells from toxicity induced by 6‐hydroxydopamine administration in a dose‐dependent manner. Neuroprotection was found to coincide with reductions in intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage. In vivo, pre‐treatment with 0.5 mg/kg D‐512 was protective against neurodegenerative phenotypes associated with systemic administration of MPTP, including losses in striatal dopamine, reductions in numbers of DAergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), and locomotor dysfunction. These observations strongly suggest that the multifunctional drug D‐512 may constitute a novel viable therapy for Parkinson's disease.
Phonetic Temporal Neural Model for Language Identification

Deep neural models, particularly the long short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM-RNN) model, have shown great potential for language identification (LID). However, the use of phonetic information has been largely overlooked by most existing neural LID methods, although this information has been used very successfully in conventional phonetic LID systems. We present a phonetic temporal neural model for LID, which is an LSTM-RNN LID system that accepts phonetic features produced by a phone-discriminative DNN as the input, rather than raw acoustic features. This new model is similar to traditional phonetic LID methods, but the phonetic knowledge here is much richer: It is at the frame level and involves compacted information of all phones. Our experiments conducted on the Babel database and the AP16-OLR database demonstrate that the temporal phonetic neural approach is very effective, and significantly outperforms existing acoustic neural models. It also outperforms the conventional i-vector approach on short utterances and in noisy conditions.
Use of Exposure History to Identify Patterns of Immunity to Pneumonia in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)

Individual host immune responses to infectious agents drive epidemic behavior and are therefore central to understanding and controlling infectious diseases. However, important features of individual immune responses, such as the strength and longevity of immunity, can be challenging to characterize, particularly if they cannot be replicated or controlled in captive environments. Our research on bighorn sheep pneumonia elucidates how individual bighorn sheep respond to infection with pneumonia pathogens by examining the relationship between exposure history and survival in situ. Pneumonia is a poorly understood disease that has impeded the recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) following their widespread extirpation in the 1900s. We analyzed the effects of pneumonia-exposure history on survival of 388 radio-collared adults and 753 ewe-lamb pairs. Results from Cox proportional hazards models suggested that surviving ewes develop protective immunity after exposure, but previous exposure in ewes does not protect their lambs during pneumonia outbreaks. Paradoxically, multiple exposures of ewes to pneumonia were associated with diminished survival of their offspring during pneumonia outbreaks. Although there was support for waning and boosting immunity in ewes, models with consistent immunizing exposure were similarly supported. Translocated animals that had not previously been exposed were more likely to die of pneumonia than residents. These results suggest that pneumonia in bighorn sheep can lead to aging populations of immune adults with limited recruitment. Recovery is unlikely to be enhanced by translocating naïve healthy animals into or near populations infected with pneumonia pathogens.
Nrf2 Activation Is a Potential Therapeutic Approach to Attenuate Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose Oxidative stress is a causal factor in the development of diabetic retinopathy; however, clinically relevant strategies to treat the disease by augmenting antioxidant defense mechanisms have not been fully explored. We hypothesized that boosting nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant capacity with the novel Nrf2 activator dh404, would protect the retina in diabetes including vision-threatening breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) and associated damage to macroglial Müller cells. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to become diabetic or nondiabetic and administered dh404 by gavage for 10 weeks. Complementary in vitro studies were performed in cultured Müller cells exposed to hyperglycemia. Results In diabetes, dh404 prevented vascular leakage into the retina and vitreous cavity as well as upregulation of the vascular permeability and angiogenic factors, VEGF, and angiopoietin-2, and inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α and IL-6. Müller cells, which maintain BRB integrity and become gliotic in diabetes with increased immunolabeling for glial fibrillary acidic protein, were protected by dh404. In diabetes, dh404 bolstered the antioxidant capacity of the retina with an increase in hemeoxygenase-1, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADH/NADPH) quinine oxidoreductase-1, and Nrf2. Further, dh404 attenuated the diabetes-induced increase in oxidative stress as measured by dihydroethidium and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) immunolabeling as well as NADPH oxidase isoform expression. Studies in Müller cells supported these findings with dh404 attenuating the hyperglycemia-induced increase in vascular permeability, angiogenic and inflammatory mediators, and oxidative stress. Conclusions Our data demonstrate the ability of dh404 to protect the retina against diabetes-induced damage and potentially prevent vision loss.
Cognitive plasticity in older adults: effects of cognitive training and physical exercise

Cognitive training, physical activity, and exercise have often been reported to improve cognitive performance in older adults. This paper reviews some seminal and recent studies using these approaches to improve cognition and physical functioning in healthy older adults and in patients suffering from non‐neurological chronic medical conditions. Results from cognitive training studies suggest that despite performance improvement in trained tasks, transfer effects appeared very limited. Surprisingly though, computerized dual‐task training has been shown to improve balance and postural control in tests of physical functioning, suggesting that broad transfer can sometimes be observed. Physical exercise intervention studies generally found significant and large improvements in physical capacity, in some cognitive domains, and in quality of life. The benefits seem to be equivalent between frail and nonfrail participants. Overall, results reviewed here support the notion that cognitive plasticity for attentional control, as induced by cognitive training or physical activity and exercise, is preserved in late adulthood. Moreover, results of studies with patients at risk of cognitive decline also suggest that cognitive training and exercise interventions are promising nonpharmaceutical tools to help improve cognition in older at‐risk individuals.
A Quarter of a Century of Adult Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis at an Australian Medical Center

Background Peritonitis remains one of the major complications of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and results in reduced technique survival and increased patient morbidity and mortality. Methods We prospectively recorded comprehensive data on all episodes of PD peritonitis over a 25-year period, including organisms isolated and antibiotic sensitivities. Data on 1588 PD patient-years with 2073 episodes of peritonitis were analyzed; 2089 organisms were isolated in 608 patients. Peritoneal dialysis technique and patient survival were also recorded. Results There was a significant decline over the years in the incidence of peritonitis, from 6.5 to 0.35 episodes/patient-year, with the decline in the post twin-bag era from 2.3 to 0.47 (p < 0.001) due primarily to a decrease in gram-positive organisms. The most common isolates (68.9%) were gram-positive organisms; gram-negative organisms comprised 26.8% and fungi 4.1%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common pathogen isolated (35.3%). Culture-negative peritonitis was seen in 13.4% of episodes. Conclusion This is the largest series of PD peritonitis reported, demonstrating a dramatic reduction over a 25-year period and also detailing the changing trends of organisms isolated in association with improved technique and patient survival. Although rates have improved, peritonitis remains a major complication and further research needs to be done to improve both PD technique and patient survival.
Culture, Perception, and Artistic Visualization: A Comparative Study of Children's Drawings in Three Siberian Cultural Groups

In a study of three indigenous and non-indigenous cultural groups in northwestern and northeastern Siberia, framed line tests and a landscape drawing task were used to examine the hypotheses that test-based assessments of context sensitivity and independence are correlated with the amount of contextual information contained in drawings, and with the order in which the focal and background objects are drawn. The results supported these hypotheses, and inspection of the regression relationships suggested that the intergroup variations in test performance were likely to result from differences in the attention accorded to contextual information, as revealed by the drawings. Social and environmental explanations for the group differences in context sensitivity are also discussed. The conclusions support the argument that cultural differences in artistic styles and perceptual tests reflect the same underlying perceptual tendencies, and they are consistent with the argument that these tendencies reflect corresponding differences in patterns of social and environmental interaction.
Empirical essays on recent patterns in the British labour market

This thesis presents three essays, which each address a salient recent pattern in the British labour market. The first essay concerns whether or not men and women experience the business cycle differently, through their labour market outcomes, and why this might be the case. The second essay seeks to explain the cyclical amplification of unemployment duration, in particular the substantial and persistent increase in UK long-term unemployment observed during and since the Great Recession. The final essay studies recent changes in British wage inequality. To shed light on the possible factors driving these changes, it asks simply whether they are mostly determined by increasing or decreasing wage dispersion within or between firms. Gender and the business cycle: an analysis of labour markets in the US and UK Starting from an improved understanding of the relationship between gender labour market stocks and the business cycle, we analyse the contributing role of flows in the US and UK. Focusing on the post-2008 recession period, the subsequent greater rise in male unemployment can mostly be explained by a less cyclical response of flows between employment and unemployment for women, especially the entry into unemployment. Across gender and country, the inactivity rate is generally not sensitive to the state of the economy. However, a flows based analysis reveals a greater importance of the participation margin over the cycle. Changes in the rates of flow between unemployment and inactivity can each account for around 0.8-1.1 percentage points of the rise in US male and female unemployment rates during the latest downturn. For the UK, although the participation flow to unemployment similarly contributed to the increase of the female unemployment rate, this was not the case for men. The countercyclical flow rate from inactivity to employment was also more significant for women, especially in the US, where it accounted for approximately all of the fall in employment, compared with only forty percent for men. Long-term unemployment and the Great Recession: evidence from UK stocks and flows Although modest by historical standards, long-term unemployment nonetheless more
Identifying hub genes and dysregulated pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify the hub genes and dysregulated pathways of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the molecular mechanism of the biological process associated with HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Microarray data were got from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The most significant top 100 up-regulated gene signatures and top 100 down-regulated gene signatures were identified by integrated analysis of the multiple microarray datasets using a novel model genome-wide relative significance (GWRS) and genome-wide global significance (GWGS). Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and pathway analysis of those genes were performed based on Gene Ontology website and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using Cytoscape 2.1. In addition, we analysed the significantly dysregulated signaling pathways across the PPI network and KEGG pathway analysis. RESULTS We screened 2920 up-regulated and 2231 down-regulated gene signatures across multiple studies by GWRS and GWGS. The top 100 up-regulated and top 100 down-regulated gene signatures were selected for further research. GO enrichment analysis showed that these genes significantly enriched in terms of mitosis (p = 5.83×10-20), nuclear division (p = 5.83×10-20) and M phase of mitotic cell cycle (p = 9.39×10-20). The most significant terms of KEGG pathway included cell cycle (p = 1.33×10-8), oocyte meiosis (p = 1.41×10-4), drug metabolism (p = 2.15×10-4) and p53 signaling pathway (p = 3.57×10-4). PPI network suggested that BIRC5, CDC20, CCNB1, BUB1B, MAD2L1 and CDK1 were important significant genes which were considered as hub genes. Across the PPI and pathway, cell cycle, oocyte meiosis and p53 signaling pathway were the significantly dysregulated pathways. CONCLUSIONS Our study displayed robust gene signatures in HCC. It showed that the dysregulations of cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, p53 signaling pathway and progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation pathway were closely associated to the development and progression of HCC. Besides, genes BIRC5, CDC20, CCNB1, BUB1B, MAD2L1 and CDK1 as the hub genes might play important roles for diagnosing and therapy of HCC.
Does Institutional Quality Matter for Financial Development and Growth? Further Evidence from MENA Countries

This study scrutinises the role of institutional quality in the linkage of financial development and economic growth in 21 Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. Using the common correlated effect mean pooled approach and annual data for the period 1980–2012, we find that not all measures of financial development promote economic growth in the absence of institutional quality, but they all augment growth in the presence of institutional quality. Furthermore, we find that foreign direct investment enhances the growth of MENA countries by the development of financial markets.