Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perivascular Human Endometrial Mesenchymal Stem Cells Express Pathways Relevant to Self-Renewal, Lineage Specification, and Functional Phenotype1

ABSTRACT Human endometrium regenerates on a cyclic basis from candidate stem/progenitors whose genetic programs are yet to be determined. A subpopulation of endometrial stromal cells, displaying key properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has been characterized. The endometrial MSC (eMSC) is likely the precursor of the endometrial stromal fibroblast. The goal of this study was to determine the transcriptome and signaling pathways in the eMSC to understand its functional phenotype. Endometrial stromal cells from oocyte donors (n = 20) and patients undergoing benign gynecologic surgery (n = 7) were fluorescence-activated cell sorted into MCAM (CD146)+/PDGFRB+ (eMSC), MCAM (CD146)−/PDGFRB+ (fibroblast), and MCAM (CD146)+/PDGFRB− (endothelial) populations. The eMSC population contained clonogenic cells with a mesenchymal phenotype differentiating into adipocytes when cultured in adipogenic medium. Gene expression profiling using Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays revealed 762 and 1518 significantly differentially expressed genes in eMSCs vs. stromal fibroblasts and eMSCs vs. endothelial cells, respectively. By principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses, eMSCs clustered with fibroblasts and distinctly from endothelial cells. Endometrial MSCs expressed pericyte markers and were localized by immunofluorescence to the perivascular space of endometrial small vessels. Endometrial MSCs also expressed genes involved in angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, steroid hormone/hypoxia responses, inflammation, immunomodulation, cell communication, and proteolysis/inhibition, and exhibited increased Notch, TGFB, IGF, Hedgehog, and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways, characteristic of adult tissue MSC self-renewal and multipotency. Overall, the data support the eMSC as a clonogenic, multipotent pericyte that displays pathways of self-renewal and lineage specification, the potential to respond to conditions during endometrial desquamation and regeneration, and a genetic program predictive of its differentiated lineage, the stromal fibroblast.
Auxiliary potentials in pseudochiral omega media

The expressions for scalar and vector potentials due to axial electric and magnetic current sources within pseudochiral omega media are derived in this work. The E/spl I.oarr/ and H/spl I.oarr/fields in terms of these potentials are obtained. A method of analyzing the EM fields in the spectral domain due to a VED source outside a pseudochiral omega half space is introduced. It is observed that for the case of axial current sources, similar to common dielectric media, there is no magneto-electric cross coupling via current sources in pseudochiral omega media.
Resistant mutants induced by adefovir dipivoxil in hepatitis B virus isolates.

AIM To investigate the loci of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV)-induced resistance in hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates and optimize the management of ADV-treated patients. METHODS Between June 2008 and August 2010, a cross-sectional control study was conducted comprising 79 patients with chronic HBV infection-related liver disease who had been administered ADV monotherapy. Patients underwent liver imaging. Serum DNA extracts were analyzed for HBV DNA levels, genotypes, and serology markers, and deep sequencing of the HBV P gene was performed. RESULTS ADV-resistant patients were found either with a single mutated locus, or with coexisting mutated loci. The most prevalent mutations were rtA181T, rtV214A, and rtN236T. Twenty-six patients had more than two mutated loci. The mutants were distributed among the patients without any significant affinity for gender, age, end-stage of liver disease, complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or HBV DNA levels. Patients with the rtA181T mutant were primarily infected with genotype C and e-antigen negative HBV, while patients with the rtN236T mutant were primarily infected by genotype B HBV (χ(2) = 6.004, 7.159; P = 0.023, 0.007). The duration of treatment with ADV was shorter in the single mutant group compared with the multi-mutant group (t = 2.426, P = 0.018). CONCLUSION Drug-resistant HBV mutants are complex and diverse. Patients should receive the standard and first-line antiviral treatment, strictly comply with medication dosage, and avoid short-term withdrawal.
Apolipoprotein A1 Gene Polymorphisms at the - 75 bp and + 83/84 bp Polymorphic Sites in Healthy Omanis Compared with World Populations

The relative frequencies of the *A allele of the APOA1 gene at - 75 bp (M1 -) and the C or T +83/+84 bp allele (M2 -) varied significantly between populations. We found the frequencies of M1 - and M2 - to be 0.22 and 0.067, respectively, in 150 healthy Omanis. These frequencies were compared to frequencies found in other world populations.
Gamification aware: users perception about game elements on non-game context

Many applications such as Foursquase, Stackoverflow and Livemocha are using gamification to try keep users motivated to perform tasks that require the users collaboration and to increase data collection from users feedback. The term gamification refers to the use of game elements on systems and researchers from human-computer interaction (HCI) area have recently started studies to explore its effects on user experiences. In this paper we report the results from a survey performed with 368 participants about the use of gamification, their motivation and perception about it. The results show that users are not aware from some game elements and they have distinct motivation and knowledge about gamification.
Adolescent nutritional status in developing countries

In the last 10 years, interest in adolescence has increased worldwide. Much of the attention has been on adolescent health, in particular adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection, but adolescent nutrition has aroused little interest. 11 studies on nutritional status of boys and girls have recently been conducted in Benin, Cameroon, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nepal, Guatemala, and the Philippines. The studies differed in protocol, sample size, and data collection methods. Anemia was the most important nutritional problem. Anemia prevalence was high in 4 studies (55% in India, 42% in Nepal, 32% in Cameroon, 48% in Guatemala) and significant in 2 others (17% in Ecuador and 16% in Jamaica). Slow growth was common in 9 studies (27-65%). Height in girls as well as in boys did not improve during the entire 8 years of adolescence. It approached the fifth percentile at age 10 and at age 18. Low body mass index (BMI) was high (23-53%) in only 3 studies. It was surprising that boys had a BMI 2 times lower than that of girls relative to sex-specific data. With the difference in growth in height, BMI increased substantially throughout the 8 years of adolescence among all girls for both low BMI or satisfactory BMI at age 10 but only for low BMI among boys age 10. At age 18, the median BMI for girls and boys was well below the fifth percentile. However, in 3 countries where the median BMI at age 10 was low, the boys did not reach the 50th percentile and were still growing, while girls had reached the 50th percentile and stopped growing. These results suggest that the iron status of adolescents needs to be improved, but it is necessary to be cautious when improving height when the BMI is adequate for age 18.
Soft-tissue facial characteristics of attractive Chinese men compared to normal men.

OBJECTIVE To compare the facial characteristics of attractive Chinese men with those of reference men. MATERIALS AND METHODS The three-dimensional coordinates of 50 facial landmarks were collected in 40 healthy reference men and in 40 "attractive" men, soft tissue facial angles, distances, areas, and volumes were computed and compared using analysis of variance. RESULTS When compared with reference men, attractive men shared several similar facial characteristics: relatively large forehead, reduced mandible, and rounded face. They had a more acute soft tissue profile, an increased upper facial width and middle facial depth, larger mouth, and more voluminous lips than reference men. CONCLUSIONS Attractive men had several facial characteristics suggesting babyness. Nonetheless, each group of men was characterized by a different development of these features. Esthetic reference values can be a useful tool for clinicians, but should always consider the characteristics of individual faces.
Exploring Minority Empowerment: Symbolic Politics, Governing Coalitions and Traces of Political Style in Los Angeles

Theory: Symbolic politics and governing coalition theories are used to predict political orientations of blacks, whites, and Hispanics in cities with long-term minority regimes. Hypotheses: Positive attitudes toward the minority regime and its policies are a function of the symbolic value people place on minority empowerment and whether one is part of the dominant governing coalition. Methods: Analysis of variance and multivariate regression analysis of Los Angeles area public opinion data. Results: Membership in the governing coalition is the best predictor of political attitudes toward the administration and its policies. The standard symbolic politics model is revised to incorporate ideas about competing "political styles" in the African-American community.
Can Intellectual Property Rights Protection Generate Brain Gain from International Migration?

This paper studies the interaction between international migration and intellectual property rights (IPR) in determining innovation performance of developing countries. Although emigration may directly cause brain drain, it generates a flow of knowledge acquired by emigrants abroad back to their home countries, which could be better absorbed under sound IPR institutions. IPRs thus work as a moderating factor to overcome brain drain by creating the conditions to better absorb potential gains from migration. Using a panel dataset of emerging and developing countries, we establish a positive correlation between emigration and innovation when IPRs are sufficiently strong.
MILP Model of Electricity Distribution System Expansion Planning Considering Incentive Reliability Regulations

This paper aims at proposing a mixed-integer linear formulation to incorporate reliability-oriented costs into the expansion planning model of electricity distribution networks. In this respect, revenue lost associated with the undelivered energy caused by network interruptions as well as costs incurred by the widely used reward–penalty regulations is considered as the major reliability-related costs from distribution companies point of view. A set of mixed-integer linear equations is proposed to calculate the most common distribution system reliability indices, i.e., expected energy not served, system average interruption frequency index, and system average interruption duration index. It is found that these equations can also facilitate the formulation of radiality constraint in the presence of distributed generation units. Moreover, application of the proposed method is investigated through various case studies performed on two test distribution networks with 24 and 54 nodes.
User Discretion Advised: Fiscal Consolidation and the Recovery

Since the financial crisis in 2008, controversy has existed over whether governments should use fiscal policy in an attempt to stimulate economic activity, or whether fiscal consolidation is preferred. Those who call for continued stimulation focus on how slow and incompletely shared our recovery has been, while those favouring austerity argue that postponement of deficit and debt reduction retards business expansion, thereby hurting the recovery. This study evaluates the many strands of this fiscal policy debate, and applies the lessons to the decisions currently facing the federal and Ontario governments.The main conclusions are:• In normal times, fiscal policy should focus on allocation and distribution questions – public good provision, support for those on low incomes, and debt control – and should not focus on the short-run cycles in economic activity. Cyclical problems are normally best addressed by relying on monetary policy to strengthen the economy’s self-correction mechanism. • In non-normal times – involving very low interest rates and synchronized recessions across countries – monetary policy is relatively ineffective and fiscal policy is decidedly more effective than usual. This situation – precisely what we have been confronting since 2008 – is the exception to the general rule. In this case, fiscal policy should take an active part in stabilization initiatives. • The federal government should delay its final stage of deficit reduction by three years. If its deficit-to-GDP ratio is held at one-half of one percentage point for three years before reducing it to zero, it is estimated that the nation’s unemployment rate would be four-tenths of one percentage point lower during this three-year period. This opportunity to help working Canadians should not be passed up – especially when the cost in terms of reaching the government’s stated debt-ratio target of 25 percent by 2021 is so small – a missing of that target by just one percentage point. • The federal government’s deficit and debt targets are internally inconsistent. A debt-ratio target of 25 percent – along with an ongoing nominal GDP growth rate of 4 percent – requires a permanent deficit ratio of 1 percent, not zero. The government could achieve internal consistency by eventually lowering its debt target to zero. However, achieving consistency by raising its deficit target back up to 1 percent makes more sense when there are other short-term-pain-for-long-term-gain initiatives that are needed to address more pressing objectives than lowering a debt ratio that is already the envy of the world. • The Ontario government should address its long-term sustainability challenge before it embarks on major new expenditures. Policy-created uncertainty cannot be overcome when the government’s plans involve an increase in the deficit before it may start to decline. Infrastructure investments are particularly appealing when borrowing costs are low, but credibility requires that these debt service costs be covered by well-identified reductions in the operating expenses associated with existing government programs.
Kentsel Yoksulluk ve Mikro Finansman: Kocaeli Örneği

Dar gelirli bireylere yardim/bagis yerine bankalar, sivil toplum kuruluslari, kredi kooperatifleri ve diger resmi mali sistem unsurlari araciligiyla onlari uretime sevk edecek dusuk miktarda kredilerin kullandirilmasi, tasarruf ve diger temel finansal hizmetlerin saglanmasi olarak tanimlanabilen mikro finansman, yoksullukla mucadelede etkili oldugu savunulan populer yaklasimlardandir. Turkiye’de fert basina gelir baglaminda uzun suredir ilk siralarda olan Kocaeli’de, demografik unsurlar kentsel yoksullugu cozum bekleyen sorunlar arasina yerlestirmektedir. Bu calisma, kentsel yoksullugun mikro kredi uygulamalariyla azaltilabilecegi argumanini Kocaeli orneginde incelemeyi ve mikro kredilerin katkisini saptamayi amaclamaktadir
In vitro effects of aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones on keratocytes.

PURPOSE Commonly used fluoroquinolones are reported to have less of an effect than aminoglycosides on corneal epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of these antibiotics on stromal keratocytes in vitro. METHODS Cultured rabbit keratocytes were incubated with various concentrations of gentamicin, tobramycin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Evaluations were performed by means of phase-contrast microscopy and [3H]thymidine uptake assay after 24 hours and 48 hours of incubation with the drug (concentrations from 3 to 0.003 mg/ml). RESULTS At a concentration of 3 mg/ml, all three fluoroquinolones inhibited keratocyte proliferation significantly more than either aminoglycoside after 24 hours (P<0.001) and after 48 hours (P<0.001). In contrast to the aminoglycosides, all three fluoroquinolones induced a dose- dependent inhibition of proliferation after 24 hours. Even at the lowest concentration (0.003 mg/ml), ofloxacin and norfloxacin inhibited keratocyte proliferation significantly (P=0.001) compared to control after 24 hours. Concentrations of fluoroquinolones ranging from 0.09 to 0.24 mg/ml produced a 50% inhibition of proliferation, a level of inhibition not observed with any tested concentration of aminoglycosides. After 24 hours, all three fluoroquinolones, but neither of the aminoglycosides, showed moderate to severe signs of cytotoxicity at a concentration of 3 mg/ml. CONCLUSIONS Relative effects of fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides on epithelial cells and stromal keratocytes appear to be different. This might have an impact on choosing the optimal antibiotic drug to be applied prophylactically in clinical situations in which the epithelium is absent, such as after photorefractive keratectomy or chemical burn.
for Unionization Across Affluent Democracies Institutional, Economic, or Solidaristic? Assessing Explanations

can be found at: Work and Occupations Additional services and information for http://wox.sagepub. com/cgi/alerts Email Alerts: http://wox.sagepub. com/subscriptions Subscriptions: http://www.sagepub. com/journalsReprints.nav Reprints: http://www.sagepub. com/journalsPermissions.nav Permissions: http://wox.sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/34/1/67#BIBL SAGE Journals Online and HighWire Press platforms): (this article cites 25 articles hosted on the Citations
Superoxide Activates Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein 2 from the Matrix Side

Superoxide activates nucleotide-sensitive mitochondrial proton transport through the uncoupling proteins UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 (Echtay, K. S., et al. (2002)Nature 415, 1482–1486). Two possible mechanisms were proposed: direct activation of the UCP proton transport mechanism by superoxide or its products and a cycle of hydroperoxyl radical entry coupled to UCP-catalyzed superoxide anion export. Here we provide evidence for the first mechanism and show that superoxide activates UCP2 in rat kidney mitochondria from the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membrane: (i) Exogenous superoxide inhibited matrix aconitase, showing that external superoxide entered the matrix. (ii) Superoxide-induced uncoupling was abolished by low concentrations of the mitochondrially targeted antioxidants 10-(6′-ubiquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (mitoQ) or 2-[2-(triphenylphosphonio)ethyl]-3,4-dihydro-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol bromide (mitoVit E), which are ubiquinone (Q) or tocopherol derivatives targeted to the matrix by covalent attachment to triphenylphosphonium cation. However, superoxide-induced uncoupling was not affected by similar concentrations of the nontargeted antioxidants Qo, Q1, decylubiquinone, vitamin E, or 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman 2-carboxylic acid (TROLOX) or of the mitochondrially targeted but redox-inactive analogs decyltriphenylphosphonium or 4-chlorobutyltriphenylphosphonium. Thus matrix superoxide appears to be necessary for activation of UCP2 by exogenous superoxide. (iii) When the reduced to oxidized ratio of mitoQ accumulated by mitochondria was increased by inhibiting cytochrome oxidase, it induced nucleotide-sensitive uncoupling that was not inhibited by external superoxide dismutase. Under these conditions quinols are known to produce superoxide, and because mitoQ is localized within the mitochondrial matrix this suggests that production of superoxide in the matrix was sufficient to activate UCP2. Furthermore, the superoxide did not need to be exported or to cycle across the inner membrane to cause uncoupling. We conclude that superoxide (or its products) exerts its uncoupling effect by activating the proton transport mechanism of uncoupling proteins at the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membrane.
A Low-Power, Single-Chip Electronic Skin Interface for Prosthetic Applications

A low-power, single-chip electronic skin interface is presented. The system on chip (SoC) implementation significantly reduces the physical footprint and power requirements compared to commercial interfaces, which enables the creation nimble prosthetic limbs. Its small size and reduced battery requirements are ideal for advanced prosthetics that utilize electronic skin to provide their user tactile feedback. The architecture consists of multiple charge-sensitive analog front ends (AFEs) interfaced to a central, 16-bit microcontroller core which is capable of processing the sensory information in real time. Event-driven operation allows the chip to monitor all input channels while consuming minimal energy. A test chip has been fabricated in a 0.13 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m CMOS technology and its functionality demonstrated by interfacing the chip to a prototype electronic skin based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric sensors. Tactile signals from the sensors are measured and processed on-chip to calculate the corresponding charge. This is accomplished by programming the microcontroller with a custom software algorithm, granting the system the flexibility to interface to different types of sensors. The single-chip electronic skin system consumes 7.0 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mu {\rm W}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> per channel and 93.5 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mu {\rm W}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> in the example application when stimulated at 1 Hz, making it suitable for use with battery-powered prosthetics.
Higher Order Aberrations Induced by Soft Contact Lenses in Normal Eyes with Myopia

Purpose. To evaluate and compare the wavefront characteristics of normal eyes with and without hydrogel soft contact lenses for correction of myopia. Methods. Higher order aberrations (HOA) of 30 eyes of 15 soft contact lens users who had no ocular diseases other than myopia were quantified with a Nidek Marco three dimensional Wave wavefront analyzer. Zernike’s polynomial was used to describe the wavefront measurements. Root mean square (RMS) values of the total HOAs, total coma, total trefoil and total spherical aberrations were obtained in the same eyes with and without soft contact lenses. We used paired sample t-test to analyze the data. Results. Mean RMS values for all higher order aberration components with and without soft contact lenses were: total HOA 0.364 ± 0.129 &mgr;m without lenses and 0.456 ± 0.175 &mgr;m with lenses (P = 0.01), total coma 0.203 ± 0.095 &mgr;m without lenses and 0.220 ± 0.133 &mgr;m with lenses (P = 0.51), total trefoil 0.193 ± 0.074 &mgr;m without lenses and 0.254 ± 0.153 &mgr;m with lenses (P = 0.06), total spherical aberration 0.126 ± 0.121 &mgr;m without lenses and 0.148 ± 0.095 &mgr;m with lenses (P = 0.36). Conclusions. Wavefront analysis showed soft contact lenses for myopia induced a significant increase in total HOA. Though total coma, trefoil and spherical aberrations were also higher with contact lenses they were not statistically significant when individually evaluated and compared to values without contact lenses.