Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for a Conserved Role for CrkII and Rac in Engulfment of Apoptotic Cells*

Apoptosis or programmed cell death occurs in multicellular organisms throughout life. The removal of apoptotic cells by phagocytes prevents secondary necrosis and inflammation and also plays a key role in tissue remodeling and regulating immune responses. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the engulfment of apoptotic cells are just beginning to be elucidated. Recent genetic studies in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have implicated at least six genes in the removal of apoptotic cell corpses. The gene products of ced-2, ced-5, and ced-10are thought to be part of a pathway that regulates the reorganization of the cytoskeleton during engulfment. The adapter proteins CrkII and Dock180 and the small GTPase Rac represent the mammalian orthologues of the ced-2, ced-5 and ced-10 gene products, respectively. It is not known whether CrkII, Dock180, or Rac proteins have any role during engulfment in mammalian cells. Here we show, using stable cell lines and transient transfections, that overexpression of wild-type CrkII or an activated form of Rac1 enhances engulfment. Mutants of CrkII failed to mediate this increased engulfment. The higher CrkII-mediated uptake was inhibited by coexpression of a dominant negative form of Rac1 but not by a dominant a negative Rho protein; this suggested that Rac functions downstream of CrkII in this process, which is consistent with genetic studies in the worm that place ced-10 (rac) downstream ofced-2 (crk) in cell corpse removal. Taken together, these data suggest that CED-2/CrkII and CED-10/Rac are part of an evolutionarily conserved pathway in engulfment of apoptotic cells.
Infanticide in the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota)

We report the first case of directly observed infanticide in the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota). Moreover, previous and present observations suggest that 12 young could have been killed by infanticide in the population under study. The bodies of five of them were found with similar neck injuries. In all cases, infanticidal animals were adult males entering a territory in the absence of the resident or having taken over the territory. As in the Arctic ground squirrel, Spermophilus parryii, infanticide could have evolved in Alpine marmots as a part of the reproductive strategy of new resident males. According to ARNOLD (1990), young increase the energetic cost for related animals hibernating with them. Thus, while a rapid return to oestrus is not a realistic outcome, because it occurs only in early spring, infanticide could reduce hibernation costs for the female and increase her reproductive potential in the following year. A sexual selection hypothesis would explain infanticide in Alpine marmot.
Healing at mandibular block-grafted sites. An experimental study in dogs.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate the healing of autologous bone block grafts or deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) block grafts applied concomitantly with collagen membranes for horizontal alveolar ridge augmentation. MATERIAL AND METHODS In six Labrador dogs, molars were extracted bilaterally, the buccal bony wall was removed, and a buccal box-shaped defect created. After 3 months, a bony block graft was harvested from the right ascending ramus of the mandible and reduced to a standardized size. A DBBM block was tailored to similar dimensions. The two blocks were secured with screws onto the buccal wall of the defects in the right and left sides of the mandible, respectively. Resorbable membranes were applied at both sides, and the flaps sutured. After 3 months, one implant was installed in each side of the mandible, in the interface between grafts and parent bone. After 3 months, biopsies were harvested and ground sections prepared to reveal a 6-month healing period of the grafts. RESULTS 77 ± 6.2% and 5.9 ± 7.5% of vital mineralized bone were found at the autologous bone and DBBM block graft sites, respectively. Moreover, at the DBBM site, 63 ± 11.7% of connective tissue and 31 ± 15.5% of DBBM occupied the area analyzed. Only 0.2 ± 0.4% of DBBM was found in contact with newly formed bone. The horizontal loss was in a mean range of 0.9-1.8 mm, and 0.3-0.8 mm, at the autologous bone and DBBM block graft sites, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Autologous bone grafts were vital and integrated to the parent bone after 6 months of healing. In contrast, DBBM grafts were embedded into connective tissue, and only a limited amount of bone was found inside the scaffold of the biomaterial.
Indoor Air Quality in Fifty Residences in Athens

Abstract Measurements of indoor air pollutants covering the concentrations of CO2, CO, TVOC’s, PM2.5, and PM10were performed in 50 residences in Athens. In addition the ventilation rate in each dwelling was continuously measured by monitoring CO2 concentration. Apart from carbon monoxide, almost all the remaining pollutants showed high concentrations that exceeded the maximum threshold levels of the relevant standards. The rate of ventilation was found to have a very important impact on the concentration of indoor pollutants. Finally, the impact of tobacco smoking was found to be very important and the concentration of almost all pollutants increased significantly when the rate of smoking increased.
Effect of trust level on mobile banking satisfaction: a multi-group analysis of information system success instruments

Mobile banking is increasingly being used for banking service applications. However, few empirical studies have been conducted on mobile banking services. Therefore, the current study focuses on whether or not trust in mobile banking influences the relationship between customer satisfaction and perceptions of the system quality, information quality and information presentation of mobile banking. Using the partial least squares approach, the analysis reveals that information quality and system quality influence customer satisfaction, whereas information presentation does not have an effect on customer satisfaction. Moreover, the research model articulates how perceptions of the system quality, information quality and information presentation of mobile banking moderated by trust influence customer satisfaction with this type of service.
The Impact of Performance Ratings on Job Satisfaction for Public School Teachers

Spurred by the federal Race to the Top competition, the state of Tennessee implemented a comprehensive statewide educator evaluation system in 2011. The new system is designed to increase the rigor of evaluations and better differentiate teachers based on performance. The use of more differentiated ratings represents a significant shift in education policy. We merge teacher performance evaluations from the new system with data from post-evaluation teacher surveys to examine the effects of the differentiated ratings on job satisfaction for teachers. Using a regression-discontinuity design, we show that higher ratings under the new system causally improve teachers’ perceptions of work relative to lower ratings. Our findings offer the first causal evidence of which we are aware on the relationship between performance ratings and job satisfaction for individual teachers.
Rethinking advice seeking networks as catalysts for power in technology firms: They are a correlate, not a cause

Previous research has demonstrated that a person's central position in a social network is associated with a powerful status. Revisiting the advice network from a technological firm similar findings are done in this paper, but in further analyses it is not found that an asymmetrical advice tie affects dyadic power asymmetry. Taken together, the paper argues that powerful employees are situated in central positions as a function of others' dependency on them. The data from a longitudinal study is also revisited, and the conclusion from both datasets point in the same direction. Thus, position in advice seeking networks appears to be a correlate, and not a cause, of power, and the paper discusses the findings' theoretical and practical implications.
Mu‐opioid receptor A118G polymorphism in healthy volunteers affects hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis adrenocorticotropic hormone stress response to metyrapone

The mu‐opioid receptor encoded by the gene OPRM1 plays a primary role in opiate, alcohol, cocaine and nicotine addiction. Studies using opioid antagonists demonstrate that the mu‐opioid receptor (MOP‐r) also mediates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis stress response. A common polymorphism in exon one of the MOP‐r gene, A118G, has been shown to significantly alter receptor function and MOP‐r gene expression; therefore, this variant likely affects HPA‐axis responsivity. In the current study, we have investigated whether the presence of the 118AG variant genotype affects HPA axis responsivity to the stressor metyrapone, which transiently blocks glucocorticoid production in the adrenal cortex. Forty‐eight normal and healthy volunteers (32 men, 16 women) were studied, among whom nine men and seven women had the 118AG genotype. The 118G allele blunted the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response to metyrapone. Although there was no difference in basal levels of ACTH, subjects with the 118AG genotype had a more modest rise and resultant significantly lower ACTH levels than those with the prototype 118AA at the 8‐hour time point (P < 0.02). We found no significant difference between genders. These findings suggest a relatively greater tonic inhibition at hypothalamic–pituitary sites through the mu‐opioid receptor and relatively less cyclical glucocorticoid inhibition in subjects with the 118G allele.
Characteristics of subsurface wastewater infiltration systems fed with dissolved or particulate organic matter

The influent type of organic matter (dissolved or particulate) on the characteristics of two subsurface wastewater infiltration systems (SWISs) was investigated. One of the SWISs was fed with dissolved organic matter (glucose, assumed to be readily biodegradable) and the other with particulate organic matter (starch, assumed to be slowly biodegradable). Results showed that both biofilm growth and particle accumulation in substrate could reduce the effective porosity and infiltration rate of SWIS, especially for the high organic matter concentration wastewater. The reduction in effective porosity and infiltration rate was primarily caused by organic particle accumulation. The contribution of the accumulated organic particle to the process of clogging was greater than that of biofilm growth and the clogging mainly occurred in the upper layer in starch-fed systems. The SWISs fed with glucose were not clogged till the end of experiments. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) increased with time in start-up period and was almost invariable after mature in glucose-fed systems; in starch-fed systems, clogging of substrate prolonged the HRT. The two identical experimental SWISs were almost equal efficiencies for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The removal efficiencies of COD were not influenced by clogging under the experimental conditions. Ammonia N removal efficiency was higher in glucose-fed systems than that in starch-fed systems.
New transgenic reporters identify somatosensory neuron subtypes in larval zebrafish

To analyze somatosensory neuron diversity in larval zebrafish, we identified several enhancers from the zebrafish and pufferfish genomes and used them to create five new reporter transgenes. Sequential deletions of three of these enhancers identified small sequence elements sufficient to drive expression in zebrafish trigeminal and Rohon‐Beard (RB) neurons. One of these reporters, using the Fru.p2x3‐2 enhancer, highlighted a somatosensory neuron subtype that expressed both the p2rx3a and pkcα genes. Comparison with a previously described trpA1b reporter revealed that it highlighted the same neurons as the Fru.p2x3‐2 reporter. To determine whether neurons of this subtype possess characteristic peripheral branching morphologies or central axon projection patterns, we analyzed the morphology of single neurons. Surprisingly, although these analyses revealed diversity in peripheral axon branching and central axon projection, PKCα/p2rx3a/trpA1b‐expressing RB cells did not possess obvious characteristic morphological features, suggesting that even within this molecularly defined subtype, individual neurons may possess distinct properties. The new transgenes created in this study will be powerful tools for further characterizing the molecular, morphological, and developmental diversity of larval somatosensory neurons. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., 2013
A Survey into the Teacher's Perception of Self-Regulated Learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a term that describes an individual's ability to learn how to learn. New pedagogical theories encourage teachers to motivate and support their students into achieving a high level of self-regulation in their learning. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a survey that was conducted with educators in the UK and abroad, regarding their perception of SRL. The results of this survey provide an insight into the challenges involved in teaching students with different SRL levels, as well as the instruments used by teachers to encourage SRL among their students.
The anti-neoplastic effect of trichinellosis in a syngeneic murine model

Summary C57B1/6 male mice with chronic trichinellosis, and age-matched uninfected control mice, were inoculated with B16 melanoma cells. Tumour development was inhibited in the infected animals. In the infected tumour-bearing mice, the tumour induction intervals were longer and the tumour size was subsequently smaller than in the control mice. Moreover, when the number of tumour cells in the inoculum was less than that required to produce 100% tumour incidence in the uninfected mice (<1 × 104 cells), significantly more of the mice with an infection of 2 months duration remained tumour-free. These results were significant at the P<0·05 level.
Polio Survivors: Falls and Subsequent Injuries

Silver JK, Aiello DD: Polio survivors: Falls and subsequent injuries. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2002;81:567–570. Objective This study examines the frequency of falls in polio survivors and their resulting morbidity. Design Two groups, fallers vs. nonfallers, were investigated in this descriptive study. A total of 233 polio survivors volunteered to complete a structured questionnaire on fall history and sequelae. Results Of the study participants, 64% had fallen within the previous year, and 61% had falls for which they received medical attention, including 35% who had at least one fracture. There was not a correlation between age and falling, but there was a strong correlation between tripping and falling. Conclusions Falls with resultant injuries are a significant issue for polio survivors that warrants further study. Because tripping was predictive of falling in this sample, bracing should be considered as a treatment or preventative measure.
Language, and the learning of data modelling

entity. It is often difficult to grasp the meaning of a relational phenomenon, due to the fact that the instances of the entity are ‘‘no longer rooted in the original situation and must be formulated on a purely abstract plane, without reference to any concrete situation or impressions. ’’ (Vygotsky, 1986, p141). Students S and T in Excerpt 1 are working on the crime registry. They have introduced a relational entity between denouncer and denouncement, which they have called denouncementregistration. They continue by considering the cardinality restrictions of the relationship between denouncer and denouncementregistration (lines 105 ff). Failing to recognise the meaning of the new abstract relational phenomenon, they conclude correctly that each denouncer can give many registrations (line 105), but also that a denouncementregistration can be made by several denouncers. This makes T conclude that they have yet another many-to-many relationship (line 120), which is supported by S (line 121). The two students do not seem to realise the difference between the semiconcrete phenomenon of denouncement and the relational phenomenon of denouncementregistration, and end up recursively generating relational phenomena from many-to-many relationships. The students do not seem to conceive the instances of denouncementregistration as physically existing objects. Hence this entity remains a generic concept that will relate to other entities in a generalised manner. It appears that the students do not consider each Conceptualization and Labelling as Challenges 151
Use of proton pump inhibitors is associated with anemia in cardiovascular outpatients.

BACKGROUND Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are frequently prescribed in combination with aspirin for preventing peptic ulcer in patients with atherosclerotic diseases. In contrast, long-term use of PPI has been suggested to be associated with iron or vitamin B12 deficiency. The effect of PPI on hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, however, has not been clarified in cardiovascular outpatients. METHODS AND RESULTS We retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of 278 continuous outpatients who received blood test including complete blood count and serum creatinine concentration (mean age, 69.9 ± 10.8 years; male, 68.7%). The frequency of anemia was 51% in patients receiving PPI and 19% in those not receiving PPI (chi-squared test, P<0.001). On multivariate analysis female sex (P<0.001), peripheral artery disease (P=0.003), PPI (P=0.003), low white blood cell count (P=0.004), old age (P=0.007), and low estimated glomerular filtration rate (P=0.010) were independently associated with low Hb. Among these patients, we investigated the change in Hb after the initiation of PPI in 36 patients for whom data on Hb level within 1 year before and within 1 year after the initiation of PPI were available. Mean decrease in Hb after the initiation of PPI was 0.38 ± 0.87 g/dl (95% confidence interval: -0.67 to -0.09 g/dl). CONCLUSIONS Use of PPI was associated with anemia in Japanese cardiovascular outpatients.
Differential Effects of Aging on Executive and Automatic Inhibition

One of the major accounts of cognitive aging states that age effects are related to a deficiency of inhibitory mechanisms (Hasher & Zacks, 1988). Given that inhibition has traditionally been associated with the frontal cortex, and that the frontal cortex deteriorates early with age (Raz, 2000), this is consistent with the frontal hypothesis of aging (West, 1996). However, not all inhibitory processes require executive control, and so they are not all equally supported by the frontal cortex. As a consequence, one would expect dissociations between inhibitory tasks in the sense of a greater susceptibility of executive/frontal inhibition to aging. Based on Nigg's (2000) working inhibition taxonomy, we tested this hypothesis by combining inhibitory paradigms with different levels of executive control within the same participants. The results showed that age affects Stroop interference but not negative priming (Experiment 1) and stop signal responsiveness but not negative priming (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that tasks with a high executive (or effortful) inhibitory control are more sensitive to aging than tasks with a lower executive (more automatic) inhibitory control. The results are discussed in relation to the inhibitory and frontal accounts of aging.
Magnetic-field effect on thermal convection of a nematic liquid crystal at large Rayleigh numbers

Abstract We report on near-turbulent thermal convection of a nematic liquid crystal heated from below in a cylindrical cell with an aspect ratio (diameter/height) equal to 0.50 for Rayleigh numbers $2\times 1{0}^{7} \lesssim \mathit{Ra}\lesssim 3\times 1{0}^{8} $ and a Prandtl number of about 355. The Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}$ as a function of $\mathit{Ra}$ did not differ significantly from that of an isotropic fluid. In a vertical magnetic field $\mathbi{H}$ , we found $\mathit{Nu}(H)/ \mathit{Nu}(0)= 1+ a(\mathit{Ra}){H}^{2} $ , with $a(\mathit{Ra})= 0. 24{\mathit{Ra}}^{0. 75} ~{\mathrm{G} }^{- 2} $ . We present a model that describes the $H$ dependence in terms of a change of the thermal conductivity in the thermal boundary layers due to a field-induced director alignment.
SPINAL CORD STIMULATION FAILED TO RELIEVE AKINESIA OR RESTORE LOCOMOTION IN PARKINSON DISEASE

Dorsal column spinal stimulation in dopamine-depleted rodents was recently reported to disrupt pathologic corticostriatal synchronization, alleviate akinesia, and restore locomotion.1 This claim has prompted consideration that spinal stimulation “might become an efficient and less invasive alternative for treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) in the future. ” In this study, we investigated whether dorsal column stimulation was of therapeutic benefit in 2 patients with PD. ### Level of evidence. This study provides Class II evidence that for patients with moderate to severe motor impairment from PD, high-frequency epidural cervical spinal cord stimulation does not significantly improve motor function as measured by the motor subsection of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). ### Methods. Two patients with PD had spinal stimulators (Medtronic models 3487a or 3898) implanted surgically into the high cervical epidural space without complication, as described previously.2 Patient 1, 75 years old, had moderate motor impairment (off/on medication motor UPDRS = 30/18). Patient 2, 77 years old, had more severe motor impairment (off/on medication UPDRS = 51/38) and was unable to walk without dopaminergic medication. Both patients met UK Brain Bank criteria for PD.3 Ten days postoperatively, both patients participated in a double-blind crossover study of the motor effects of spinal stimulation. In an initial exploratory phase, an antiparkinsonian effect of spinal stimulation was sought over a range of frequencies (30–300 Hz) and intensities (up to 4.0 V and 240 μs). Having failed to establish a clear benefit for any particular set of parameters, for the purposes of the study, patient 1 was …
What are the implications of human papillomavirus status in oropharyngeal tumors for clinical practice?

Purpose of reviewHuman papillomavirus (HPV) status itself is an important and very probably the strongest prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. Because of the prognostic advantage of patients with HPV-positive cancers, the issue of the quality of life of survivors has become increasingly important. The possibility of treatment de-escalation in patients with virally induced tumors is being considered. Many challenges have to be addressed in order to integrate HPV status in the routine decision-making in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. The present review discusses the standardization of detection methods suitable for clinical use and the differences in predictive parameters between patients with HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors. Recent findingsThe gold standard for the identification of patients with oropharyngeal tumors etiologically linked to HPV infection is undoubtedly the detection of HPV 16 E6/E7 mRNA. The detection of a surrogate marker of active viral infection, p16ink4a, has a low sensitivity when used alone and must therefore be combined with the detection of HPV DNA or HPV-specific antibodies. The detailed knowledge of the importance of specific prognostic parameters is crucial in the choice of treatment. Nodal staging is probably much less important in HPV-positive cancers. SummaryIt is of great importance to implement standardized testing for the identification of patients with HPV-induced oropharyngeal tumors. The treatment decision models in HPV-positive tumors have to take into account the probably different prognostic value of nodal parameters. Before introducing treatment de-escalation in patients with virally induced tumors into clinical practice, more research and clinical studies are needed.