Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultural Capital and Educational Attainment

According to Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, children from middle-class families are advantaged in gaining educational credentials due to their possession of cultural capital. In order to assess this theory, I have developed a broad operationalisation of the concept of cultural capital, and have surveyed pupils on both their own and their parents' cultural capital. I will conclude that cultural capital is transmitted within the home and does have a significant effect on performance in the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. However, a large, direct effect of social class on attainment remains when cultural capital has been controlled for. Therefore, `cultural reproduction' can provide only a partial explanation of social class differences in educational attainment.
Automatic Web widgets prediction for Web 2.0 access technologies

The World Wide Web (Web) has evolved from a collection of static pages that need reloading every time the content changes, into dynamic pages where parts of the page updates independently, without reloading it. As such, users are required to work with dynamic pages with components that react to events either from human interaction or machine automation. Often elderly and visually impaired users are the most disadvantaged when dealing with this form of interaction. Operating widgets require the user to have the conceptual design knowledge of the widget to complete the task. Users must have prior experience with the widget or have to learn to operate it independently, because often no user documentation is available.An automated Widget Prediction Framework (WPF) is proposed to address the issues discussed. It is a pre-emptive approach that predicts different types of widget and their locations in the page. Widgets with similar characteristics and functionalities are categorised based on a definition provided by widget design pattern libraries. Some design patterns are more loosely defined than others, and this causes confusion and ambiguity when identifying them. A formal method to model widgets based on a Widget Ontology was developed. The paradigm of the ontology provides a framework for developers to communicate their ideas, while reducing ambiguity between different types of widget. A Widget Prediction System (WPS) was developed using the concepts of the WPF. To select the types of widget for WPS evaluation, a widget popularity investigation was conducted. Seven of the most popular widgets from the investigation, done across fifty Websites, were selected. To demonstrate how WPF can be applied to predict widgets, fifty websites were used to evaluate the feasibility of the approach using WPS. On average, WPS achieved 61.98% prediction accuracy with two of the widgets > 84% accuracy. These results demonstrated the feasibility of the framework as the backend for tools that support elderly or visually impaired users.
A genealogical study of Alzheimer disease in the Saguenay region of Quebec

We performed an analysis of inbreeding and kinship among the ascending genealogies of 205 autopsy‐confirmed Alzheimer disease (AD) subjects recruited in the Saguenay area of Québec. We hypothesized that if some traits pertaining to the disease were determined by inherited factors, and if the corresponding genes were not too frequent in the population, it might be possible to detect some clusters of patients related to common ancestors and presenting a level of kinship and/or inbreeding higher than is observed in the unaffected population of the same age. In view of the heterogeneity of the disease, we also verified if some of the factors investigated could be associated more specifically with subsets of cases based on age of onset and on apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. Results were compared with those obtained on 205 controls matched for gender, place and year of birth. We found that late‐onset AD cases with an APOE‐ϵ4 were significantly more inbred than controls and that this increase was explained by the high level of inbreeding of a few cases whose parents were related at the first‐cousin level. This could possibly indicate the implication of a recessive element in a small subset of AD cases in the Saguenay population. We also found that late‐onset ϵ4+ cases were significantly more closely related among themselves than with controls. This increase in kinship may be attributable to the presence of the ϵ4 allele or to some other unidentified genetic factor possibly acting in conjunction with APOE‐ϵ4. Genet. Epidemiol. 16:412–425, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Seedlings of five boreal tree species differ in acclimation of net photosynthesis to elevated CO(2) and temperature.

Biochemical models of photosynthesis suggest that rising temperatures will increase rates of net carbon dioxide assimilation and enhance plant responses to increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO(2). We tested this hypothesis by evaluating acclimation and ontogenetic drift in net photosynthesis in seedlings of five boreal tree species grown at 370 and 580 &mgr;mol mol(-1) CO(2) in combination with day/night temperatures of 18/12, 21/15, 24/18, 27/21, and 30/24 degrees C. Leaf-area-based rates of net photosynthesis increased between 13 and 36% among species in plants grown and measured in elevated CO(2) compared to ambient CO(2). These CO(2)-induced increases in net photosynthesis were greater for slower-growing Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P., Pinus banksiana Lamb. , and Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch than for faster-growing Populus tremuloides Michx. and Betula papyrifera Marsh. , paralleling longer-term growth differences between CO(2) treatments. Measures at common CO(2) concentrations revealed that net photosynthesis was down-regulated in plants grown at elevated CO(2). In situ leaf gas exchange rates varied minimally across temperature treatments and, contrary to predictions, increasing growth temperatures did not enhance the response of net photosynthesis to elevated CO(2) in four of the five species. Overall, the species exhibited declines in specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen concentration, and increases in total nonstructural carbohydrates in response to CO(2) enrichment. Consequently, the elevated CO(2) treatment enhanced rates of net photosynthesis much more when expressed on a leaf area basis (25%) than when expressed on a leaf mass basis (10%). In all species, rates of leaf net CO(2) exchange exhibited modest declines with increasing plant size through ontogeny. Among the conifers, enhancements of photosynthetic rates in elevated CO(2) were sustained through time across a wide range of plant sizes. In contrast, for Populus tremuloides and B. papyrifera, mass-based photosynthetic rates did not differ between CO(2) treatments. Overall, net photosynthetic rates were highly correlated with relative growth rate as it varied among species and treatment combinations through time. We conclude that interspecific variation may be a more important determinant of photosynthetic response to CO(2) than temperature.
Gender-specific differences in associations of overweight and obesity with asthma and asthma-related symptoms in 30 056 children: result from 25 districts of Northeastern China

Abstract Objective: The relationship between obesity and allergic respiratory diseases in childhood is still controversial. Furthermore, significant debate on the issue of whether or not gender modifies this association also exists due to inconsistent findings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between obesity and respiratory health in children, and to investigate the modifications of gender on this association. Methods: 30 056 children (aged 2–14 years) were randomly selected from 25 districts within 7 cities in Northeastern China in 2009. A standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society was used to characterize the childrens’ histories of respiratory symptoms and illnesses. Child weight and height were measured, and obesity was calculated with an age and sex-specific body mass index. Results: The overall prevalence rates of obesity and overweightness were 14.08% and 12.32%, respectively. Compared to the children with normal body weights, asthma and asthma-related symptoms were more prevalent in overweight and obese children. Analysis stratified by gender showed that obesity was associated with more respiratory symptoms and diseases in females than in males. A significant association between obesity and diagnosed asthma [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.60], as well as current wheezing (aOR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.20–1.79) was found in females but not in males. Conclusions: There is an association between asthma symptoms and obesity in these Chinese children, and obesity had a significantly larger effect on females than males.
Computational haemodynamic analysis of left pulmonary artery angulation effects on pulmonary blood flow.

OBJECTIVES To study the effect of the angulation between the left pulmonary artery (LPA) and the main pulmonary artery on pulmonary haemodynamics. METHODS A 3D model of patient-specific pulmonary artery (PA) was reconstructed as an original model. Four models with descendent LPA angulation equalled to 120°, 110°, 100° and 90°, were reconstructed by computer-aided design for the virtual simulation of the pulmonary flow under different surgical strategies. Computational fluid dynamics was introduced to calculate the pulmonary blood flow in five models. Streamlines, wall shear stress, energy loss and flow distribution ratio were calculated and compared to determine the better haemodynamics in the pulmonary artery. RESULTS Vortices were formed at the lower wall of the opening of right PA and LPA in models with LPA angles equal to or less than 100° (Models 3 and 4). Relative high wall shear stress areas at the lateral and lower wall of LPA opening had an ascendant tendency as the angle declined. Decreased flow distribution ratio to left lung (original model: 0.58, Model 1: 0.63, Model 2: 0.586, Model 3: 0.564, Model 4: 0.55) and increased energy loss (original model: 385.2 mV, Model 1: 239.4 mV, Model 2: 384.3 mV, Model 3: 430.9 mV, Model 4: 439.8 mV) in a cardiac cycle were noted as the angle reduced. CONCLUSIONS Acute LPA angulation is associated with adverse haemodynamic performance. This should be particularly addressed during the reconstruction of pulmonary artery in the repair of tetralogy of Fallot.
Phenolic Lipids Synthesized by Type III Polyketide Synthase Confer Penicillin Resistance on Streptomyces griseus*

Type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) found in plants, fungi, and bacteria synthesize a variety of aromatic polyketides. A Gram-positive, filamentous bacterium Streptomyces griseus contained an srs operon, in which srsA encoded a type III PKS, srsB encoded a methyltransferase, and srsC encoded a flavoprotein hydroxylase. Consistent with this annotation, overexpression of the srs genes in a heterologous host, Streptomyces lividans, showed that SrsA was a type III PKS responsible for synthesis of phenolic lipids, alkylresorcinols, and alkylpyrones, SrsB was a methyltransferase acting on the phenolic lipids to yield alkylresorcinol methyl ethers, and SrsC was a hydroxylase acting on the alkylresorcinol methyl ethers. In vitro SrsA reaction showed that SrsA synthesized alkylresorcinols from acyl-CoAs of various chain lengths as a starter substrate, one molecule of methylmalonyl-CoA, and two molecules of malonyl-CoA. SrsA was thus unique in that it incorporated the extender substrates in a strictly controlled order of malonyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, and methylmalonyl-CoA to produce alkylresorcinols. An srsA mutant, which produced no phenolic lipids, was highly sensitive to β-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin G and cephalexin. Together with the fact that the alkylresorcinols were fractionated mainly in the cell wall fraction, this observation suggests that the phenolic lipids, perhaps associated with the cytoplasmic membrane because of their amphiphilic property, affect the characteristic and rigidity of the cytoplasmic membrane/peptidoglycan of a variety of bacteria. An srs-like operon is found widely among Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, indicating wide distribution of the phenolic lipids.
Calcium Channel Blockers and Hypertension

Effective treatment of high blood pressure (BP) represents a key strategy for reducing the burden of hypertension-related cardiovascular and renal diseases. In spite of these well-established concepts, hypertension remains poorly controlled worldwide. In order to improve BP control in patients with hypertension, several interventions have been proposed, among which (1) preferred use of more effective, sustained, and well-tolerated antihypertensive drug aimed to ensure adherence to prescribed medications and (2) extensive use of rational, integrated, and synergistic combination therapies, even as first-line strategy, aimed to achieve the recommended BP targets. Within the possible antihypertensive drug classes currently available for the clinical management of hypertension, both in monotherapy and in combination therapy, drugs inhibiting the renin–angiotensin system and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have demonstrated to be effective and safe in lowering BP levels and achieving the recommended BP targets with a good tolerability profile. In particular, CCBs have been one of the most widely used classes of antihypertensive agents in the last 20 years, based on their effectiveness in reducing BP levels, good tolerability, and abundant evidence on reducing cardiovascular and renal consequences of hypertension. This article provides an updated overview of the evidence supporting the use of CCBs-based antihypertensive regimen, both in monotherapy and in combination therapies with different classes of antihypertensive drugs.
Laying performance and egg quality in hens kept in standard or furnished cages

A total of 1992 ISA Brown hens were housed from 18 to 70 weeks of age, in four different types of cages: 2 models of standard cages (S5 and S6) and 2 models of furnished cages (F7 and F15). These cages housed 5, 6, 7 and 15 hens respectively with areas per hen of 660, 635, 826 and 1134 cm 2 . Furnished cages were fitted with a nest, a dust-bath and perches. The mortality rate was higher in the standard cages than in the furnished cages (cumulative mortality: S6 = 21%, S5 = 17%, F15 = 11%, F7 = 10%; P < 0.001). Mortality was mostly due to thermal stress and the difference between the 2 types of cages was probably attributable to the larger available floor space in the furnished cages, facilitating heat dissipation. The type of cage did not affect the laying rate. In the furnished cages, the percentage of eggs laid in the nest was low, especially in F15 (43.5% versus 68.1% in F7). The percentage of broken eggs was significantly higher in the furnished than in the standard cages (S5 = 5.4%, S6 = 3.3%, F7 = 7.7%, F15 = 8.4%). The difference between these two rearing systems was, however, considerably reduced when only the eggs laid in the nest were considered in the furnished cages (F7 = 4.9% and F15 = 5.1%). The percentage of dirty eggs was significantly different between the types of cages (S5 = 7.7%, S6 = 9.2%, F7 = 10.3% and F15 = 8.2%; P = 0.002). However, in the furnished cages, the number of dirty eggs was reduced when only the eggs laid in the nest were taken into account (F7 = 8.2% and F15 = 6.7%). We conclude that egg production could be similar in furnished and standard cages if most of the eggs were laid in the nest in furnished cages. This suggests that the improvement of furnished cages should first focus on the provision of more attractive nests. cage design / laying hen / nest / egg / quality
Genetic Studies on Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament of the Spine

To study the genetic background in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL), 1,030 relatives of probands with cervical OPLL in 347 families were investigated by observing their spinal x-ray films, and the following results were obtained. Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament was found in 26.15% of the parents of the probands and 28.89% of the siblings of the probands. These prevalences were significantly higher than in the general population. The segregation rate in the siblings corresponded neither with the hypothesis of autosomal dominant inheritance nor with that of autosomal recessive inheritance. The possibility of polygene inheritance was also ruled out, considering the risk of recurrence in the siblings of the probands. However, owing to the segregation rate in the siblings exceeding 0.25 and the high prevalence of OPLL in the parents, OPLL was suggested to be a disorder possibly controlled by autosomal dominant inheritance.
DC subsets in positive and negative regulation of immunity

Summary: Since their discovery in 1973, dendritic cells (DCs) have gained strong interest from immunologists because of their unique capacity to sensitize naive T cells. There is now strong evidence that cells of the dendritic family not only control immunity but also regulate responses to self and non‐self, thereby avoiding immunopathology. These two complementary functions are critical to ensure the integrity of the organism in an environment full of antigens. How DCs display these opposite functions is still intriguing. Here, we review the role of DC subsets in the regulation of T‐helper responses in vivo.
The Classification of Depression by Numerical Taxonomy

Controversy over the classification of depressive phenomena has been a prominent feature of the psychiatric scene for about forty years and the issues involved have been reviewed on a number of occasions (Partridge 1949; Grinker et al. 1961; Kiloh 1965; Rosenthal and Klerman 1966; Mendels and Cochrane 1968). Briefly it may be stated that a number of attempts have been made to support or refute the validity of classifying depressions into those which are “endogenous” and those which are “reactive” or “neurotic”; using a variety of statistical methods which have included factor analysis, principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis.
Sex Steroids and Prostate Carcinogenesis

Abstract: Androgens are thought to cause prostate cancer, but there is little epidemiological support for this notion. Animal studies, however, demonstrate that androgens are very strong tumor promotors for prostate carcinogenesis after tumor‐initiating events. Even treatment with low doses of testosterone alone can induce prostate cancer in rodents. Because testosterone can be converted to estradiol‐17β by the enzyme aromatase, expressed in human and rodent prostate, estrogen may be involved in prostate cancer induction by testosterone. When estradiol is added to testosterone treatment of rats, prostate cancer incidence is markedly increased and even a short course of estrogen treatment results in a high incidence of prostate cancer. The active testosterone metabolite 5α‐dihydrotestosterone cannot be aromatized to estrogen and hardly induces prostate cancer, supporting a critical role of estrogen in prostate carcinogenesis. Estrogen receptors are expressed in the prostate and may mediate some or all of the effects of estrogen. However, there is also evidence that in the rodent and human prostate conversion occurs of estrogens to catecholestrogens. These can be converted to reactive intermediates that can adduct to DNA and cause generation of reactive oxygen species, and thus estradiol can be a weak DNA damaging (genotoxic) carcinogen. In the rat prostate DNA damage can result from estrogen treatment; this occurs prior to cancer development and at exactly the same location. Inflammation may be associated with prostate cancer risk, but no environmental carcinogenic risk factors have been definitively identified. We postulate that endogenous factors present in every man, sex steroids, are responsible for the high prevalence of prostate cancer in aging men, androgens acting as strong tumor promoters in the presence of a weak, but continuously present genotoxic carcinogen, estradiol‐17β.
Blocking Wnt/LRP5 signaling by a soluble receptor modulates the epithelial to mesenchymal transition and suppresses met and metalloproteinases in osteosarcoma Saos‐2 cells

We previously reported the Wnt receptor low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 5 (LRP5) was frequently expressed in osteosarcoma (OS) tissue and correlated with metastasis and a lower disease‐free survival. Subsequent in vitro analysis revealed that dominant‐negative, soluble LRP5 (sLRP5) can reduce in vitro cellular invasion. In the current study, we examined the molecular mechanisms of blocking canonical Wnt signaling by sLRP5 in Saos‐2 osteosarcoma cells. Transfection of sLRP5 caused a marked up‐regulation of E‐cadherin in this cell line. This increase in E‐cadherin, seen primarily at the cell–cell contact borders, was associated with down‐regulation of Slug and Twist, transcriptional repressors which mediate cancer invasion and metastasis. In contrast, N‐cadherin, a mesenchymal marker, was reduced by sLRP5. In addition, blocking Wnt signaling by sLRP5 modulated other epithelial and mesenchymal markers (keratin 8 and 18, fibronectin), suggesting a reversal of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) seen during cancer progression. SLRP5 also reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 14, consistent with a decrease in invasive capacity. SLRP5 transfection decreased both Met expression and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)‐induced cell motility. Taken together, these results support a role for Wnt/LRP5 signaling in invasiveness of a subset of OS cells. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:964–971, 2007
Calcium inflow‐dependent protein kinase C activity is involved in the modulation of transmitter release in the neuromuscular junction of the adult rat

Using intracellular recording, we studied how protein kinase C activity affected miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) and evoked endplate potentials (EPPs) in the neuromuscular junctions of the levator auris longus muscle from adult rats. The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA, 10 nM) increased the quantal content by ∼150% (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the quantal content decreased by ∼40% (P < 0.05) for all the protein kinase C inhibitors tested (Calphostin‐C, 10 μM; Chelerythrine, 1 μM; Staurosporine, 200 nM). These changes in acetylcholine release were maintained at plateau for 1 to 7 h. Moreover, none of the protein kinase C activators or inhibitors used could modify the spontaneous MEPP mean size (P > 0.05). We reduced the calcium influx in nerve terminals using the P/Q‐type channel blocker ω‐Aga‐IVA(100 nM) or with 5 mM magnesium in physiological solution. In neither situation was the quantal content modified by PMA or by CaC. However, when high Ca2+ (5 mM) was added to a preparation that was previously blocked with ω‐Aga‐IVA, PMA and CaC had their full effect. We conclude that under physiological conditions PKC is dependent on the calcium inflow through the P/Q‐type voltage‐dependent calcium channels during evoked activity and works near the maximum rate at normal external calcium concentration. Synapse 57:76–84, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.