Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wnt5a is essential for hippocampal dendritic maintenance and spatial learning and memory in adult mice

Significance The maintenance of neuronal morphology in the adult brain is an understudied area. Here, using tissue-specific deletion in mice, we reveal Wnt5a, a member of the Wnt family of developmental morphogens, as an essential factor for the long-term stability of dendritic architecture in the adult hippocampus. Wnt5a influences synaptic plasticity and related cognitive functions in the mature hippocampus through CaMKII-mediated signaling, Rac1-dependent actin dynamics, and cyclic AMP-responsive element binding-mediated NMDA receptor biosynthesis. In the long-term, Wnt5a-mediated regulation of cytoskeletal signaling and excitatory synaptic transmission is responsible for the maintenance of dendritic arbors and spines in adult CA1 pyramidal neurons. These findings provide insight into the poorly understood structural maintenance mechanisms that exist in the adult brain. Stability of neuronal connectivity is critical for brain functions, and morphological perturbations are associated with neurodegenerative disorders. However, how neuronal morphology is maintained in the adult brain remains poorly understood. Here, we identify Wnt5a, a member of the Wnt family of secreted morphogens, as an essential factor in maintaining dendritic architecture in the adult hippocampus and for related cognitive functions in mice. Wnt5a expression in hippocampal neurons begins postnatally, and its deletion attenuated CaMKII and Rac1 activity, reduced GluN1 glutamate receptor expression, and impaired synaptic plasticity and spatial learning and memory in 3-mo-old mice. With increased age, Wnt5a loss caused progressive attrition of dendrite arbors and spines in Cornu Ammonis (CA)1 pyramidal neurons and exacerbated behavioral defects. Wnt5a functions cell-autonomously to maintain CA1 dendrites, and exogenous Wnt5a expression corrected structural anomalies even at late-adult stages. These findings reveal a maintenance factor in the adult brain, and highlight a trophic pathway that can be targeted to ameliorate dendrite loss in pathological conditions.
From Organizational Guidelines to Business Process Models: Exploratory Case for an Ontology Based Methodology

Ontologies and process models are two essential artifacts of enterprises. They are used for creating knowledge, enabling a shared understanding within a domain and developed by utilizing organizational resources such as guidelines, regulations and policies which are considered as unstructured text. Although organizations frequently have guidelines in natural language, extracting the roles, activities, information carriers, business rules and the relationship, for modelling requires significant time and effort. To address this problem, we suggest discovering the process ontology from organizational guidelines and using this ontology to generate process models. This way, not only will the required effort and time be minimized, but the precision and semantic quality of the business process models and their consistency with the process ontology will be improved. This paper presents an exploratory case study designed and conducted to develop such a methodology. We discuss the results and identify potential improvement opportunities.
Retraction Statement: CXCL12/CXCR4 chemokine signaling in spinal glia induces pain hypersensitivity through MAPKs‐mediated neuroinflammation in bone cancer rats

‘CXCL12/CXCR4 chemokine signaling in spinal glia induces pain hypersensitivity through MAPKs‐mediated neuroinflammation in bone cancer rats’ by Hu X. ‐M. , Liu Y. ‐N. , Zhang H. ‐L. , Cao S. ‐B. , Zhang T. , Chen L. ‐P. and Shen W.
Design and Simulation of Depth-Encoding PET Detector using Wavelength-Shifting (WLS) Fiber Readout

We propose a new concept for a depth of interaction (DOI) positron emission tomography (PET) detector based on dual-ended-scintillator (DES) readout for small animal imaging. The detector consists of lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) arrays coupled with orthogonal wavelength-shifting (WLS) fibre placed on the top and bottom of the arrays. On every other line, crystals that are 2 mm shorter are arranged to create grooves. WLS fibre is inserted into these grooves. This paper describes the design and performance evaluation of this PET detector using Monte Carlo simulations. To investigate sensitivity by crystal size, five types of PET detectors were simulated. Because the proposed detector is composed of crystals with three different lengths, degradation in sensitivity across the field of view was also explored by simulation. In addition, the effect of DOI resolution on image quality was demonstrated. The simulation results proved that the devised PET detector with excellent DOI resolution is helpful for reducing the channels of sensors/electronics and minimizing gamma ray attenuation and scattering while maintaining good detector performance.
Climatic niche evolution is faster in sympatric than allopatric lineages of the butterfly genus Pyrgus

Understanding how speciation relates to ecological divergence has long fascinated biologists. It is assumed that ecological divergence is essential to sympatric speciation, as a mechanism to avoid competition and eventually lead to reproductive isolation, while divergence in allopatry is not necessarily associated with niche differentiation. The impact of the spatial context of divergence on the evolutionary rates of abiotic dimensions of the ecological niche has rarely been explored for an entire clade. Here, we compare the magnitude of climatic niche shifts between sympatric versus allopatric divergence of lineages in butterflies. By combining next-generation sequencing, parametric biogeography and ecological niche analyses applied to a genus-wide phylogeny of Palaearctic Pyrgus butterflies, we compare evolutionary rates along eight climatic dimensions across sister lineages that diverged in large-scale sympatry versus allopatry. In order to examine the possible effects of the spatial scale at which sympatry is defined, we considered three sets of biogeographic assignments, ranging from narrow to broad definition. Our findings suggest higher rates of niche evolution along all climatic dimensions for sister lineages that diverge in sympatry, when using a narrow delineation of biogeographic areas. This result contrasts with significantly lower rates of climatic niche evolution found in cases of allopatric speciation, despite the biogeographic regions defined here being characterized by significantly different climates. Higher rates in allopatry are retrieved when biogeographic areas are too widely defined—in such a case allopatric events may be recorded as sympatric. Our results reveal the macro-evolutionary significance of abiotic niche differentiation involved in speciation processes within biogeographic regions, and illustrate the importance of the spatial scale chosen to define areas when applying parametric biogeographic analyses.
Exploring the Correlation Between Nontraditional Variables and Student Success: A Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this project was to determine whether a correlation exists between the traditional admission criteria of grade point averages with the potential admission criteria of emotional intelligence (EI) scores or critical thinking (CT) scores to predict upper division student outcomes. METHOD A quantitative, longitudinal design was selected to examine the identified variables to predict undergraduate student success. The recruiting sample included a convenience sample drawn from 112 junior-level undergraduate nursing students beginning their first of a five-semester nursing program. RESULTS EI and HESI® CT scores did not significantly correlate with main analysis variables. CONCLUSION Although EI and CT scores were not significant in this study, it remains vital to incorporate EI and CT activities throughout the curriculum to develop students' ability to think like a nurse and, therefore, be successful in nursing practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(6):351-355. ].
An assessment of predictive current control applied to the direct matrix converter based on SiC-MOSFET bidirectional switches

Matrix converters are devices that allow the man­agement of bidirectional flows of energy with reduced size, increased useful life and high efficiency in ac-ac energy conversion systems. In this paper the experimental results obtained after the application of a predictive current control technique for a SiC-MOSFET based direct matrix converter feeding an isolated load are presented. The results obtained are compared with a scheme based on IGBT technology in terms of power consumption and total harmonic distortion.
High-throughput identification of small molecules that affect human embryonic vascular development

Significance It is well recognized that several chemicals and/or drugs are potentially harmful if used during pregnancy. Unfortunately, systems capable of predicting which drugs affect embryonic development rely almost exclusively on prenatal animal testing, with all the associated limitations. Using human pluripotent stem cells, we developed a fully humanized system capable of predicting which drugs affect, specifically, vascular embryonic development. The system was used to screen a library of chemicals (1,280 drugs), and two compounds were identified as specific inhibitors of human embryonic vasculature. The platform described here is a valid alternative to animal testing and can be used to screen existing and newly developed drugs. Birth defects, which are in part caused by exposure to environmental chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs, affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year. The current standard to screen drugs that affect embryonic development is based on prenatal animal testing; however, this approach yields low-throughput and limited mechanistic information regarding the biological pathways and potential adverse consequences in humans. To develop a screening platform for molecules that affect human embryonic development based on endothelial cells (ECs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells, we differentiated human pluripotent stem cells into embryonic ECs and induced their maturation under arterial flow conditions. These cells were then used to screen compounds that specifically affect embryonic vasculature. Using this platform, we have identified two compounds that have higher inhibitory effect in embryonic than postnatal ECs. One of them was fluphenazine (an antipsychotic), which inhibits calmodulin kinase II. The other compound was pyrrolopyrimidine (an antiinflammatory agent), which inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), decreases EC viability, induces an inflammatory response, and disrupts preformed vascular networks. The vascular effect of the pyrrolopyrimidine was further validated in prenatal vs. adult mouse ECs and in embryonic and adult zebrafish. We developed a platform based on human pluripotent stem cell-derived ECs for drug screening, which may open new avenues of research for the study and modulation of embryonic vasculature.
Coarse roots prevent declines in whole-tree non-structural carbohydrate pools during drought in an isohydric and an anisohydric species

Predicted increases in the frequency and severity of droughts have led to a renewed focus on how plants physiologically adjust to low water availability. A popular framework for understanding plant responses to drought characterizes species along a spectrum from isohydry to anisohydry based on their regulation of gas exchange and leaf water potential under drying conditions. One prediction that arises from this theory is that plant drought responses may hinge, in part, on their usage of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) pools. For example, trees that respond to drought by closing stomates (i.e., isohydric) are predicted to deplete NSC reserves to maintain metabolism, whereas plants that keep stomata open during water stress (i.e., anisohydric), may show little change or even increases in NSC concentration. However, empirical tests of this theory largely rely on aboveground measurements of NSC, ignoring the potentially conflicting responses of root NSC pools. We sought to test these predictions by subjecting potted saplings of Quercus alba L. (an anisohydric species) and Liriodendron tulipifera L. (an isohydric species) to a 6 week experimental drought. We found that stem NSC concentrations were depleted in the isohydric L. tulipifera but maintained in the anisohydric Q. alba-as predicted. However, when scaled to whole-plant NSC content, the drought-induced decreases in stem NSCs in L. tulipifera were offset by increases in root NSCs (especially soluble sugars), resulting in no net change to whole-plant NSC content. Similarly, root sugars increased in Q. alba in response to drought. This increase was concurrent with declines in growth, suggesting a potential trade-off between allocation of photoassimilates to root sugars vs biomass during drought. Collectively, our results suggest that the responses of NSC in coarse roots can differ from stems, and indicate a prominent role of coarse roots in mitigating drought-induced declines in whole-tree NSC pools.
Increased cutaneous miR-let-7d expression correlates with small nerve fiber pathology in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

Abstract Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic widespread pain condition probably comprising subgroups with different underlying pathomechanisms. There is increasing evidence for small nerve fiber impairment in subgroups of patients with FMS. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate molecular factors determining nerve de- and re-generation. We investigated whether systemic and cutaneous miRNA expression in patients with FMS is related to small nerve fiber pathology. We confirmed previous findings of disturbed small fiber function and reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber density in subgroups of patients with FMS. We found 51 aberrantly expressed miRNAs in white blood cells of patients with FMS, of which miR-let-7d correlated with reduced small nerve fiber density in patients with FMS. Furthermore, we demonstrated miR-let-7d and its downstream target insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor as being aberrantly expressed in skin of patients with FMS with small nerve fiber impairment. Our study gives further evidence of small nerve fiber pathology in FMS subgroups and provides a missing link in the pathomechanism that may lead to small fiber loss in subgroups of patients with FMS.
Margins in breast cancer: How much is enough?

The appropriate negative margin width for women undergoing breast‐conserving surgery for both ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma is controversial. This review examines the available data on the margin status for invasive breast cancer and DCIS, and highlights the similarities and differences in tumor biology and standard treatments that affect the local recurrence (LR) risk and, therefore, the optimal surgical margin. Consensus guidelines support a negative margin, defined as no ink on tumor, for invasive carcinoma treated with breast‐conserving therapy. Because of differences in the growth pattern and utilization of systemic therapy, a margin of 2 mm has been found to minimize the LR risk for women with DCIS undergoing lumpectomy and radiation therapy (RT). Wider negative margins do not improve local control for DCIS or invasive carcinoma when they are treated with lumpectomy and RT. Re‐excision for negative margins should be individualized, and the routine practice of performing additional surgery to obtain a wider negative margin is not supported by the literature. Cancer 2018;124:1335‐41. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Exploring Enforced Collaborative Agreement in Gaming with Young People

This paper explores the concept of Enforced Collaborative Agreement (ECA) whereby players in a digital game must synchronously `agree' on their controller inputs in order to interact. The focus of this paper is on the collaborative strategies young people (aged 14-16 years) adopted to reach decisions and control during gameplay. A two player collocated game supporting three different interaction methods has been studied. Video analysis of gameplay, along with post-gameplay interviews, surveys and gameplay interaction logs were used to gain insights into player behavior. The key contributions of the paper are an understanding of six key strategies players adopted to reach agreement within an ECA game, a set of more general issues related to the ECA gameplay, and an exploration of the impact of different interaction methods on gameplay experience. The work highlights the potential benefits of ECA in alleviating the often solitary nature of children's computer use.
PoseTrack: A Benchmark for Human Pose Estimation and Tracking

Existing systems for video-based pose estimation and tracking struggle to perform well on realistic videos with multiple people and often fail to output body-pose trajectories consistent over time. To address this shortcoming this paper introduces PoseTrack which is a new large-scale benchmark for video-based human pose estimation and articulated tracking. Our new benchmark encompasses three tasks focusing on i) single-frame multi-person pose estimation, ii) multi-person pose estimation in videos, and iii) multi-person articulated tracking. To establish the benchmark, we collect, annotate and release a new dataset that features videos with multiple people labeled with person tracks and articulated pose. A public centralized evaluation server is provided to allow the research community to evaluate on a held-out test set. Furthermore, we conduct an extensive experimental study on recent approaches to articulated pose tracking and provide analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the state of the art. We envision that the proposed benchmark will stimulate productive research both by providing a large and representative training dataset as well as providing a platform to objectively evaluate and compare the proposed methods. The benchmark is freely accessible at https://posetrack.net/.
An analysis of effects of heterozygosity in dairy cattle for bovine tuberculosis resistance

Summary Genetic selection of cattle more resistant to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) may offer a complementary control strategy. Hypothesising underlying non‐additive genetic variation, we present an approach using genome‐wide high density markers to identify genomic loci with dominance effects on bTB resistance and to test previously published regions with heterozygote advantage in bTB. Our data comprised 1151 Holstein–Friesian cows from Northern Ireland, confirmed bTB cases and controls, genotyped with the 700K Illumina BeadChip. Genome‐wide markers were tested for associations between heterozygosity and bTB status using marker‐based relationships. Results were tested for robustness against genetic structure, and the genotypic frequencies of a significant locus were tested for departures from Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. Genomic regions identified in our study and in previous publications were tested for dominance effects. Genotypic effects were estimated through ASReml mixed models. A SNP (rs43032684) on chromosome 6 was significant at the chromosome‐wide level, explaining 1.7% of the phenotypic variance. In the controls, there were fewer heterozygotes for rs43032684 (P < 0.01) with the genotypic values suggesting that heterozygosity confers a heterozygote disadvantage. The region surrounding rs43032684 had a significant dominance effect (P < 0.01). SNP rs43032684 resides within a pseudogene with a parental gene involved in macrophage response to infection and within a copy‐number‐variation region previously associated with nematode resistance. No dominance effect was found for the region on chromosome 11, as indicated by a previous candidate region bTB study. These findings require further validation with large‐scale data.
Synergy or interference of a H9N2 avian influenza virus with a velogenic Newcastle disease virus in chickens is dose dependent

ABSTRACT Field observations indicate that the impact of velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) is more severe in countries with concomitant circulation of low pathogenicity avian influenza virus, as is the case in the Middle East, in particular in Israel, where H9N2 and NDV are endemic. In our study, we evaluated how the exposure of chickens to an H9N2 challenge either favours or interferes with a subsequent vNDV infection and its transmission to sentinels. For this purpose, single vNDV and sequential H9/NDV challenges were performed with increasing doses of vNDV (101–106 EID50). The H9N2 challenge made birds more susceptible to the vNDV, lowering the minimum dose required to cause an infection, exacerbating the clinical outcome, while delaying the onset of the disease and time of death. Interestingly, the presence and degree of these seemingly contrasting effects were dose-dependent and not mutually exclusive.
Association between human herpesvirus infections and dementia or mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Persisting neurotropic viruses are proposed to increase the risk of dementia, but evidence of association from robust, adequately powered population studies is lacking. This is essential to inform clinical trials of targeted preventive interventions. Methods and analysis We will carry out a comprehensive systematic review of published and grey literature of the association between infection with, reactivation of, vaccination against or treatment of any of the eight human herpesviruses and dementia or mild cognitive impairment. We will search the Cochrane Library, Embase, Global Health, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, clinical trials registers, the New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Report, Electronic Theses Online Service through the British Library and the ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index for randomised controlled trials, cohort, case–control, case crossover or self-controlled case series studies reported in any language up to January 2017. Titles, abstracts and full-text screening will be conducted by two researchers independently. Data will be extracted systematically from eligible studies using a piloted template. We will assess risk of bias of individual studies in line with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. We will conduct a narrative synthesis, grouping studies by exposure and outcome definitions, and will describe any differences by population subgroups and dementia subtypes. We will consider performing meta-analyses if there are adequate numbers of sufficiently homogeneous studies. The overall quality of cumulative evidence will be assessed using selected Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations criteria. Ethics and dissemination As this is a review of existing studies, no ethical approval is required. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and at national and international conferences. We anticipate the review will clarify the current extent and quality of evidence for a link between herpesviruses and dementia, identify gaps and inform the direction of future research. Prospero registration number CRD42017054684.