Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MiR-27a promotes the autophagy and apoptosis of IL-1β treated-articular chondrocytes in osteoarthritis through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disorder, which involves articular cartilage degeneration as well as joint inflammatory reactions. The recent studies have identified microRNA (miRNA) as one of the epigenetic mechanisms for the regulation of gene expression. Here we aim to reveal the role of miRNA in the regulation of gene expression in articular chondrocytes and its significance in the OA pathogenesis. In the present study, miRNA profiling was performed using OA cartilage and normal healthy cartilage tissues. As compared to their levels in normal cells and tissues, miR-27a expression was found to be upregulated in OA cartilage and IL-1β-treated articular chondrocytes. TUNEL staining, as well as flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double labeling indicated that miR-27a inhibition reduced the apoptosis of IL-1β-treated articular chondrocytes. Bioinformatics prediction and the dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-27a targeted the 3′-UTR of the PI3K gene to silence it. The PI3K mRNA level in OA cartilage and IL-1β-treated articular chondrocytes was also downregulated, comparing with normal cells and tissues. Transfection of chondrocytes transfected with the miR-27a inhibitor upregulated the PI3K expression. This study demonstrated miR-27a is a regulator of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis in human chondrocytes and could participate in OA pathogenesis.
AHRR methylation predicts smoking status and smoking intensity in both saliva and blood DNA

Many existing DNA repositories do not have robust characterizations of smoking, while for many currently ongoing studies, the advent of vaping has rendered traditional cotinine‐based methods of determining smoking status unreliable. Previously, we have shown that methylation status at cg05575921 in whole blood DNA can reliably predict cigarette consumption. However, whether methylation status in saliva can be used similarly has yet to be established. Herein, we use DNA from 418 biochemically confirmed smokers or nonsmokers to compare and contrast the utility of cg05575921 in classifying and quantifying cigarette smoking. Using whole blood DNA, a model incorporating age, gender, and methylation status had a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) for predicting smoking status of 0.995 with a nonlinear demethylation response to smoking. Using saliva DNA, the ROC AUC for predicting smoking was 0.971 with the plot of the relationship of DNA methylation to daily cigarette consumption being very similar to that seen for whole blood DNA. The addition of information from another methylation marker designed to correct for cellular heterogeneity improved the AUC for saliva DNA to 0.981. Finally, in 31 subjects who reported quitting smoking 10 or more years previously, cg05575921 methylation was nonsignificantly different from controls. We conclude that DNA methylation status at cg05575921 in DNA from whole blood or saliva predicts smoking status and daily cigarette consumption. We suggest these epigenetic assessments for objectively ascertaining smoking status will find utility in research, clinical, and civil applications.
Emission Characteristics of a Diesel Engine Fuelled with Preheated Vegetable Oil and Biodiesel

Currently, there are many studies carried out aimed at finding alternative fuels. These renewable resources are potentially useful for the environment since they could replace the depleting fossil fuels. The emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with diesel oil (DO), biodiesel from Jatropha oil (JOME), and preheated coconut oil (PCO) were used for comparative analysis. The fuels were tested at full load and different revolution, from 1000 rpm to 2000 rpm of engine speed. The exhaust gas temperature (Tex) and emission parameters such as carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (HCs), smoke, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) were measured and compared. Results showed that, relative to diesel fuel, the CO and HC emissions were higher in the case of using preheated coconut oil and lower in the case of using JOME. The NOx emissions were also seen higher for JOME and lower for PCO in comparison with DO. Findings of this paper denote that JOME and preheated coconut oil up to 100° C (PCO_t100) can be considered as fuels for diesel engines. Philippine Journal of Science 146 (4): 475-482, December 2017 ISSN 0031 7683 Date Received: 28 Feb 2017
Conflict in Skipped Generation Households in Thailand

A common phenomenon in rural Thailand is that adult children migrate to find work and leave their children behind in the care of their grandparents. The resulting living arrangement is referred to as a skipped generation household. This arrangement can benefit the intergenerational family but can also be associated with conflict. This study explores different types of conflict between grandparents and their adult children in skipped generation households and how they manage these conflicts. In-depth interviews were conducted with 48 grandparents in rural Thailand. Using thematic analysis, conflicts including decision to care for grandchildren, how to raise and discipline grandchildren, where the grandchildren should live, grandchildren’s education, and inconsistent remittances from the migrant children to their parents were identified. The findings revealed the strategies grandparents use to cope by either trying to prevent or dealing with conflicts. Buddhist teachings play an important role in the way families react to conflict.
Development of Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory in Offspring of Depressed Mothers

ABSTRACT Maternal depression increases the risk for offspring cognitive vulnerabilities, which may be a mechanism underlying the intergenerational transmission of depression. Little is known about how cognitive vulnerabilities, particularly memory biases, develop in the offspring of depressed mothers. Understanding the etiology of memory biases may lead to novel intervention targets. Therefore, the current study examined the prospective impact of maternal depression on the development of offspring overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM; i.e., the tendency to recall less specific memories), a cognitive vulnerability implicated in the intergenerational transmission of depression. Participants were offspring (ages 8–14; 51% daughters, 81% Caucasian) of mothers with (n= 129) or without (n= 122) a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) during the offspring’s life. Mothers and offspring completed assessments every 6 months for 2 years. Compared to offspring of never-depressed mothers, offspring of mothers with a history of MDD recalled less specific memories in response to negative, but not positive, cue words at the initial assessment, and this bias was maintained across the 2-year follow-up. For offspring of depressed, but not never-depressed, mothers, higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms at a given assessment predicted prospective decreases in the children’s autobiographical memory specificity. Again, this finding was specific to negative, but not positive, cue words. These results suggest that maternal depression has both short- and long-term effects on the development of offspring OGM to negative cues, which may represent a malleable cognitive vulnerability for the intergenerational transmission of MDD that could be targeted for intervention.
Identifying roles for peptidergic signaling in mice

Significance Peptidergic signaling, which plays key roles in the many pathways that control thermoregulation, salt and water balance, metabolism, anxiety, pain perception, and sexual reproduction, is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis. Despite the fact that peptides generally signal through G protein-coupled receptors, it has proven difficult to use knowledge about peptide synthesis, storage, and secretion to develop effective therapeutics. Our goal was to develop an in vivo bioassay system that would reveal physiologically meaningful deficits associated with disturbed peptidergic signaling. We did so by developing a system in which an enzyme essential for the production of many bioactive peptides could be eliminated in a tissue-specific manner. Despite accumulating evidence demonstrating the essential roles played by neuropeptides, it has proven challenging to use this information to develop therapeutic strategies. Peptidergic signaling can involve juxtacrine, paracrine, endocrine, and neuronal signaling, making it difficult to define physiologically important pathways. One of the final steps in the biosynthesis of many neuropeptides requires a single enzyme, peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), and lack of amidation renders most of these peptides biologically inert. PAM, an ancient integral membrane enzyme that traverses the biosynthetic and endocytic pathways, also affects cytoskeletal organization and gene expression. While mice, zebrafish, and flies lacking Pam (PamKO/KO) are not viable, we reasoned that cell type-specific elimination of Pam expression would generate mice that could be screened for physiologically important and tissue-specific deficits. Conditional PamcKO/cKO mice, with loxP sites flanking the 2 exons deleted in the global PamKO/KO mouse, were indistinguishable from wild-type mice. Eliminating Pam expression in excitatory forebrain neurons reduced anxiety-like behavior, increased locomotor responsiveness to cocaine, and improved thermoregulation in the cold. A number of amidated peptides play essential roles in each of these behaviors. Although atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is not amidated, Pam expression in the atrium exceeds levels in any other tissue. Eliminating Pam expression in cardiomyocytes increased anxiety-like behavior and improved thermoregulation. Atrial and serum levels of ANP fell sharply in PAM myosin heavy chain 6 conditional knockout mice, and RNA sequencing analysis identified changes in gene expression in pathways related to cardiac function. Use of this screening platform should facilitate the development of therapeutic approaches targeted to peptidergic pathways.
Application of biological variation and six sigma models to evaluate analytical quality of six HbA1c analyzers and design quality control strategy

Abstract Objective To apply biological variation and six Sigma models to evaluate analysis performance of 6 HbA1c analyzers and design the new quality control strategy. Method We collected data of imprecision and inaccuracy from routine internal quality control (June 2017–December 2017) and proficiency test of NGSP, respectively. The coefficient of variance (CV)% and bias% were plotted in the biological variation and six sigma models. The new quality control strategy was designed by the sigma value and OPSpecs. The quality improvement was guided by the QGI. Results The analytical performance of 6 HbA1c analyzers in our laboratory were good in the routine model, However, 50% (3/6) and 67% (4/6) of the HbA1c analyzers reached the acceptable level in the biological variation and six Sigma model, respectively. We also design personalized control strategy and promote quality improvement by combining the sigma value, OPSpecs, and QGI. Conclusions Biological variation model and six sigma model could visually display the performance of 6 HbA1c analyzers and personalized control strategy could be designed based on the sigma value, OPSpecs, and QGI.
Cardiac reactions to emotional words in adolescents and young adults with PTSD after child abuse.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with alterations in cardiac reactivity to threat cues. Meta-analyses have summarized that adults with PTSD have increased heart rates in response to trauma-related stimuli. However, the opposite effect (i.e., cardiac hyporeactivity) has recently been reported in subgroups of PTSD patients. In children and adolescents with PTSD, reports of cardiac alterations are rare and ambiguous. So far, most studies in adolescents and young adults are restricted to victims of accidents, even though PTSD is highly prevalent in victims of child maltreatment. The present study aimed at investigating cardiac reactions in adolescents and young adults with PTSD after child abuse. Cardiac responses to standardized emotional words were studied in 39 adolescent and young adult PTSD patients after childhood sexual and/or physical abuse as compared to 39 healthy control subjects (age range: 15-20 years). The experimental paradigm consisted of a passive reading task with neutral, positive, physically threatening, and socially threatening (swear) words. Results showed that cardiac reactions to negative stimuli, particularly physically threatening stimuli, were less pronounced in PTSD patients than in controls. Moreover, cardiac reactions in response to socially threatening words were less variable in the PTSD group. No differences between and within groups were present in reaction to neutral or positive stimuli. Findings suggest that a physiologically blunted subtype of PTSD may already manifest during adolescence and young adulthood. Moreover, the results of the present study emphasize the relevance of individual trauma history for physiological reactions.
Pediatric Pulmonology

Division of Pediatrics and Neonatal Critical Care, “A. Béclère” Medical Centre, South Paris University Hospitals, APHP, Paris, France Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Ventilab, Institute of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Roma, Italy Physiopathology and Therapeutic Innovation Unit, INSERM U999, South Paris‐Saclay University, Paris, France
Phytochemical Profile and Antimicrobial Potential of Extracts Obtained from Thymus marschallianus Willd

Thymus marschallianus Willd. is a Lamiaceae species spread in a large variety of habitats worldwide. The aim of the present research was to analyse two different samples belonging to this species, one obtained from the spontaneous flora and one from culture. The total polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acid contents were spectrophotometrically determined. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyphenols was performed by an HPLC-DAD-ESI (+)-MS method. For the antibacterial assay, the well-diffusion and the broth microdilution methods were used. Analysis of polyphenols revealed for both samples the presence of flavonoids like luteolin, quercetin, apigenin and their derivatives, but also of rosmarinic acid and methyl-rosmarinate. Differences regarding the amount of these compounds were emphasized. Significantly larger amounts of flavonoids were found for the sample harvested in the spontaneous flora, while for the rosmarinic acid, larger amounts were found for the cultured sample. Both samples displayed promising antibacterial activity, particularly towards Gram positive organisms. T. marschallianus represents, therefore, a rich source of polyphenolic compounds that prove its promising potential as a medicinal species.
University of Birmingham Comprehensive landscape of active deubiquitinating enzymes profiled by advanced chemoproteomics

Enzymes that bind and process ubiquitin, a small 76-amino-acid protein, have been recognized as pharmacological targets in oncology, immunological disorders, and neurodegeneration. Mass spectrometry technology has now reached the capacity to cover the proteome with enough depth to interrogate entire biochemical pathways including those that contain DUBs and E3 ligase substrates. We have recently characterized the breast cancer cell (MCF7) deep proteome by detecting and quantifying ∼ 10,000 proteins, and within this data set, we can detect endogenous expression of 65 deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), whereas matching transcriptomics detected 78 DUB mRNAs. Since enzyme activity provides another meaningful layer of information in addition to the expression levels, we have combined advanced mass spectrometry technology, pre-fractionation, and more potent/selective ubiquitin active-site probes with propargylic-based electrophiles to proﬁle 74 DUBs including distinguishable isoforms for 5 DUBs in MCF7 crude extract material. Competition experiments with cysteine alkylating agents and pan-DUB inhibitors combined with probe labeling revealed the proportion of active cellular DUBs directly engaged with probes by label-free quantitative (LFQ) mass spectrometry. This demonstrated that USP13, 39, and 40 are non-reactive to probe, indicating restricted enzymatic activity under these cellular conditions. Our extended chemoproteomics workﬂow increases depth of covering the active DUBome, including isoform-speciﬁc resolution, and provides the framework for more comprehensive cell-based small-molecule DUB selectivity proﬁling.
Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Polish Central Sensitization Inventory

Objectives The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is a new, simple clinimetric instrument intended to help doctors who deal with pain of unclear origin. It may be particularly useful when there is a large component of neuropathic pain and to assess non-specific symptoms associated with the phenomenon of central sensitization known under the common name of the central sensitization syndrome. The aim of this study is to perform translation of the CSI into Polish, its cultural adaptation and its preparation for further validation. The proposed adaptation of the scale may be applied both at the clinical level and at the level of primary care. Material and methods The CSI translation process took place in several stages. Firstly, the text of the questionnaire was translated from English to Polish by five independent translators. Secondly, the optimal version of the text was determined and, at the third stage, it was submitted to a linguist in order to assess it in the context of the idiomatic and semantic clarity. Thirdly, the translation was passed on to a native speaker who verified the congruence of the Polish translation with its original version. At a later stage, the effect of translating the scale and its usefulness were discussed by a group of experts in order to adapt a cultural tool. The final step was to provide it to be completed and evaluated by twenty anonymous patients with the aim of pre-assessing the level of its understanding. Results The final result of the undertaken activities is the Polish version of the CSI ready for validation. Conclusions After the multistage preparation and thorough verification of the Polish questionnaire at conceptual, empirical, semantic and idiomatic levels, necessary due to numerous cultural and linguistic differences, the Polish translation of the CSI seems to be a product ready for further validation and introduction to clinical practice.
Entity-Enhanced Adaptive Reconstruction Network for Weakly Supervised Referring Expression Grounding

Weakly supervised Referring Expression Grounding (REG) aims to ground a particular target in an image described by a language expression while lacking the correspondence between target and expression. Two main problems exist in weakly supervised REG. First, the lack of region-level annotations introduces ambiguities between proposals and queries. Second, most previous weakly supervised REG methods ignore the discriminative location and context of the referent, causing difficulties in distinguishing the target from other same-category objects. To address the above challenges, we design an entity-enhanced adaptive reconstruction network (EARN). Specifically, EARN includes three modules: entity enhancement, adaptive grounding, and collaborative reconstruction. In entity enhancement, we calculate semantic similarity as supervision to select the candidate proposals. Adaptive grounding calculates the ranking score of candidate proposals upon subject, location and context with hierarchical attention. Collaborative reconstruction measures the ranking result from three perspectives: adaptive reconstruction, language reconstruction and attribute classification. The adaptive mechanism helps to alleviate the variance of different referring expressions. Experiments on five datasets show EARN outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods. Qualitative results demonstrate that the proposed EARN can better handle the situation where multiple objects of a particular category are situated together.
ESTIMATING QUANTILES OF EXPONENTIAL POPULATIONS

Abstract We consider the problem of estimating the quantile of a population when independent samples from other exponential populations with the same location parameter but different scaJe parameters are available. We show that the minimum variance unbiased estimator So and the best affine equivariant estimatoT based on one sample can be improved on using all the samples. Further improvements are obtained using the Brewster-Zidek technique [1].
Cue additivity and adaptivity in predictive processing

ABSTRACT This study tests how the parser adapts to input by considering how multiple redundant cues are integrated in predictive processing. We employ the visual world paradigm to investigate whether German native speakers use case and prosody together to anticipate post-verbal arguments. In Experiment 1, participants heard subject-first and object-first sentences containing either case and prosodic cues or only case cues in a single mixed block. In Experiments 2 and 3, sentences were presented in separate blocks, such that participants heard sentences with prosodic cues in either Block 1 (Experiment 3) or Block 2 (Experiment 2). The results show that participants used prosodic and case-marking cues additively to anticipate post-verbal arguments. Additive effects varied according to the distribution of the cues and their order of presentation. We conclude that the presence of multiple redundant cues facilitates sentence processing and that the parser adapts to the utility of cues based on their availability.
Are the Representative Agent ’ s Beliefs Based on Efficient Econometric Models ?

No, they are not; at least not in the UK. By examining GDP dynamics we find that, over a time-span of two decades, an easy-to-perform adaptive expectations model outperforms other standard predictors in terms of squared forecasting errors. This should reduce model uncertainty and thereby lead to increased homogeneity in expectations. However data collected in surveys shows that great variety in expectations persists even in this situation, weakening the general validity of approaches assuming predictions based on efficient econometric models. Moreover, Granger tests show that the level of disparity across expectations revealed in surveys helps improve the predictive accuracy of the optimal econometric model. On one hand it confirms that representative agents’ beliefs do not derive from the best model; on the other, it supports previous findings on the one-way information flow running from survey expectations to macroeconomic outcomes. Given the sign of the parameters it also turns out that the greater the entropy in the survey, the higher the uncertainty in the market. Results are based on real time data and are robust to both several predictors and nonlinearities.
On Modal Kinetic Energy and Effective Independence

The comparison and inherent relationship between two influencing sensor placement methods, i.e. Modal Kinetic Energy and Effective Independence, are addressed in this paper. The problem is of primary concern for dynamic testing, damage identification and structural health monitoring. By analyzing the sensor placement problem with Effective Independence method from the perspective of a new reduced system, the connection of Modal Kinetic Energy with Effective Independence method is revealed. The latter is an iterated version of the former, and the reduced mode shapes are ortho-normalized repeatedly during iterations of the latter. Two alternative forms for efficient computation of the iterative Effective Independence method are presented. Finally, both methods are applied to the I-40 Bridge, and the relationship is verified.