Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Evaluation of a Learning Intervention Targeting First-Year Resident Defibrillation Skills

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate an educational intervention targeting the acquisition and retention of critical core skills of defibrillation in first-year pediatric residents using simulation-based training and deliberate practice. Methods From January 2011 to April 2012, a total of 23 first-year pediatric residents participated in a pretest-posttest study. An initial survey evaluated previous experience, training, and comfort. The scoring tool was designed and validated using a standard setting procedure and 60% was determined to be the minimum passing score. The 1-hour educational intervention included a brief video describing the defibrillator, 10 to 15 minutes of hands-on time with the defibrillator, and 30 minutes of simulation-based scenarios using deliberate practice with real-time feedback. Results The number of subjects who achieved competency in defibrillation skills increased from 8 to 16 of 23 (35% vs 70%, P < 0.05), pretest versus posttest, with the posttest occurring 4 months after the intervention. There was a significant improvement in checklist score (53% vs 68%, P < 0.05) and time to defibrillation (282-189 s, P < 0.05). For those who initiated chest compressions, there was a nonsignificant improvement in time to compressions (50 vs 33 s, P = 0.08). Previous Pediatric Advanced Life Support training was not associated with performance on pretest or posttest. Conclusions This brief educational intervention was shown to be effective 4 months after instruction in achieving and retaining competency of defibrillation skills by first-year pediatric residents. In the process, we uncovered educational gaps in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other resuscitation skills that need to be addressed in future educational interventions and training.
Reporter mice express green fluorescent protein at initiation of meiosis in spermatocytes

Transgenic mice were generated using a heat shock protein 2 (Hspa2) gene promoter to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) at the beginning of meiotic prophase I in spermatocytes. Expression was confirmed in four lines by in situ fluorescence, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and PCR assays. The expression and distribution of the GFP and HSPA2 proteins co‐localized in spermatocytes and spermatids in three lines, but GFP expression was variegated in one line (F46), being present in some clones of meiotic and post‐meiotic germ cells and not in others. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to isolate purified populations of spermatocytes and spermatids. Although bisulfite sequencing revealed differences in the DNA methylation patterns in the promoter regions of the transgene of the variegated expressing GFP line, a uniformly expressing GFP reporter line, and the Hspa2 gene, these differences did not correlate with variegated expression. The Hspa2‐GFP reporter mice provide a novel tool for studies of meiosis by allowing detection of GFP in situ and in isolated spermatogenic cells. They will allow sorting of meiotic and post‐meiotic germ cells for characterization of molecular features and correlation of expression of GFP with stage‐specific spermatogenic cell proteins and developmental events. genesis 52:976–984, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Towards efficient path planning of a mobile robot on rough terrain

Most path planning methods for mobile robots divide the environment in two areas - free and occupied - and restrict the path to lie entirely within the free space. However, the problem of path planning in rough terrain for a field robot, e.g. tracked wheel, is still a challenging problem, for which those methods cannot be directly applied. This paper addresses the problem of path planning on rough terrains, where the local properties of the environment are used to both constrain and optimize the resulting path. Finding both the feasibility and the cost of the robot crossing the terrain at a given point is cast as an optimization problem. Intuitively, this problem models dropping the robot at a given location and determining the minimal potential energy attitude. Then, a Fast Marching Method algorithm is used to obtain a potential field free of local minima. This field is then used to either pre-compute a complete trajectory or to control in real time the locomotion of the robot. Preliminary results are presented, showing feasible paths over an elevation map of a rough terrain.
Cost-sensitive Information Acquisition in Structured Domains

Many real-world prediction tasks require collecting information about the domain entities to achieve better predictive performance. Collecting the additional information is often a costly process (money, time, risk, etc.) that involves acquiring the features describing the entities and annotating the entities with target concepts and labels. For example, document collections need to be manually annotated for document classification and lab tests need to be ordered for medical diagnosis. Annotating the whole document collection and ordering all possible lab tests might be infeasible due to limited resources or may prove unnecessary. Thus, we need to be selective about which entity we annotate and which features we acquire. In this thesis, I explore effective and efficient ways of choosing the right information to acquire under limited resources. Specifically, I develop and empirically evaluate algorithms for feature and label acquisition in structured domains. For the problem of feature acquisition, we are given entities with missing features and the task is to classify them with minimum misclassification cost. The likelihood of misclassification can be reduced by acquiring features but acquiring features incurs costs as well. The objective is to acquire the right set of features that balance acquisition cost and misclassification cost. Because finding the optimal solution is intractable in general, most previous approaches have been greedy. However, greedy approaches often get stuck in local minima and cannot naturally address the practical scenario where more than one feature needs to be acquired. I introduce a technique that can reduce the space of possible sets of features to consider for acquisition by exploiting the conditional independence properties in the underlying probability distribution. For the problem of label acquisition, I consider two real-world scenarios. In the first one, we are given a previously trained model and a budget determining how many labels we can acquire, and the objective is to determine the right set of labels to acquire so that the accuracy on the remaining ones is maximized. In this setup, the entities appear in a network and acquiring the label of an entity helps us determine the correct labels of the other entities in the network. I describe a system that can automatically learn and predict on which entities the underlying classifier is likely to make mistakes and it suggests acquiring the labels of the entities that lie in a high density potentially-misclassified region. In the second scenario, we are given a network of entities that are unlabeled and our objective is to learn a classification model that will have the least future expected error by acquiring minimum number of labels. I describe an active learning technique that can exploit the relationships in the network both to select informative entities to label and to learn a collective classifier that utilizes the label correlations in the network.
MicroRNA-138 Regulates DNA Damage Response in Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Directly Targeting H2AX

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for a significant proportion of all lung cancer cases. Even so, the underlying mechanism governing SCLC development remains poorly understood and SCLC related cancer death stands high despite decades of intensive investigation. We noted that both miR-138 and H2AX have been implicated in development of various malignancies. Also, there is a recent report showing the role of miR-138 in mediating DNA damage response by targeting H2AX. In light of these data, we sought to characterize the role of miR-138 for SCLC cell growth and cell-cycle progression by regulating H2AX expression. Results showed that miR-138 is significantly down-regulated in SCLC tumor tissues as well as in three SCLC cell lines. After successfully engineering miR-138 overexpression in one of the SCLC cell lines, NCI-H2081, we observed a remarkable reduction of cell growth and a significant inhibition on cell-cycle progression. Moreover, we were able to show that miR-138 potently inhibits H2AX expression, which suggests that H2AX may serve as a downstream executor for miR-138. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that engineered H2AX knockdown achieves a similar effect as observed for miR-138 overexpression in terms of SCLC growth and cell cycle regulation. We also showed that H2AX overexpression largely abolished miR-138-mediated SCLC cancer cell growth and cell-cycle progression inhibition, which strongly suggests, at least in vitro, that miR-138 potently regulates SCLC development by targeting H2AX. In addition, we found lower miR-138 expression confers SCLC cells with greater DNA damage repair capacity. Finally, we were able to show miR-138 overexpression inhibits DNA damage repair in SCLC cells while miR-138 knockdown further facilitates DNA damage repair in these cells after IR. To date, there has been no study showing the role of miR-138/H2AX machinery in SCLC development. Our results may shed a light to development of new lines of SCLC diagnosis and treatment approaches.
Changing Me to Keep You

Individuals sometimes alter their self-views to be more similar to others—traditionally romantic partners—because they are motivated to do so. A common motivating force is the desire to affiliate with a partner. The current research examined whether a different motivation—romantic jealousy—might promote individuals to alter their self-views to be more similar to a romantic rival, rather than a partner. Romantic jealousy occurs when individuals perceive a rival as a threat to their relationship and motivates individuals to defend their relationship. We proposed that one novel way that individuals might defend their relationship is by seeing themselves as more similar to a perceived romantic rival. We predicted individuals would alter their self-views to be more similar to a rival that they believed their partner found attractive. Importantly, we predicted that state romantic jealousy would motivate these self-alterations. Three studies confirmed these hypotheses.
Enhanced blood pressure and renal hemodynamic effect of chronic versus acute lisinopril administration in the rabbit.

This study was aimed at evaluating the factors responsible for the marked renal hemodynamic effect of 6-day treatment with lisinopril. Blood pressure (BP) and renal blood flow (RBF) were monitored in six groups of rabbits. Animals treated with lisinopril for 6 days (Group I) had lower BP (77 +/- 3 mm Hg) than normal controls (Groups II/III, 106 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < .05) or those given lisinopril acutely (Group IV, 93 +/- 8 mm Hg, P < .05). In addition, RBF was higher in Group I (81 +/- 2 ml/min) than in Groups II/III (54 +/- 5 ml/min, P < .05) or Group IV (66 +/- 8 ml/min, P < .05). Intrarenal arterial infusion of a B2 bradykinin receptor antagonist, D-Arg-O-[Hyp-3-Thi-5,8-D-Phe-7]bradykinin, had no effect on either BP or RBF in Group I. Administration of lisinopril for 6 days also resulted in attenuation of the vasoconstrictor responses to renal nerve stimulation (Group V). Intravenous infusion of D-Arg-O-[Hyp-3-Thi-5,8-D-Phe-7]bradykinin had no effect on the responses to nerve stimulation in lisinopril-treated rabbits (Group V) or their controls (Group VI). Moreover, D-Arg-O-[Hyp-3-Thi-5,8-D-Phe-7]bradykinin given i.v. did not alter the BP or RBF in Groups V and VI. The results indicate that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition over a 6-day period is more effective than acute inhibition in lowering BP and dilating the renal vascular bed. The use of bradykinin antagonists did not indicate kinin involvement in the long-term effect of lisinopril on BP and RBF.
Wellness Sensor Networks: A Proposal and Implementation for Smart Home for Assisted Living

In recent times, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have become the backbone of many systems. Smart homes based on WSN protocols are used to provide an assisted living environment to humans. The currently reported smart home systems based on generalized WSN protocols suffer from complexity, large data handling, and data transmission delay. This paper has reported a new protocol especially developed to address smart homes for assisted living. The whole purpose of a smart home is to provide a safe environment for the well-being of its inhabitants. Ergo, the protocol is named as wellness sensor networks. The developed protocol has been used in an old home built in 1938, which was converted into a smart home with the use of sensing technologies.
Biochemical Characterization of the Drosophila Wingless Signaling Pathway Based on RNA Interference

ABSTRACT Regulation of Armadillo (Arm) protein levels through ubiquitin-mediated degradation plays a central role in the Wingless (Wg) signaling. Although zeste-white3 (Zw3)-mediated Arm phosphorylation has been implicated in its degradation, we have recently shown that casein kinase Iα (CKIα) also phosphorylates Arm and induces its degradation. However, it remains unclear how CKIα and Zw3, as well as other components of the Arm degradation complex, regulate Arm phosphorylation in response to Wg. In particular, whether Wg signaling suppresses CKIα- or Zw3-mediated Arm phosphorylaytion in vivo is unknown. To clarify these issues, we performed a series of RNA interference (RNAi)-based analyses in Drosophila S2R+ cells by using antibodies that specifically recognize Arm phosphorylated at different serine residues. These analyses revealed that Arm phosphorylation at serine-56 and at threonine-52, serine-48, and serine-44, is mediated by CKIα and Zw3, respectively, and that Zw3-directed Arm phosphorylation requires CKIα-mediated priming phosphorylation. Daxin stimulates Zw3- but not CKIα-mediated Arm phosphorylation. Wg suppresses Zw3- but not CKIα-mediated Arm phosphorylation, indicating that a vital regulatory step in Wg signaling is Zw3-mediated Arm phosphorylation. In addition, further RNAi-based analyses of the other aspects of the Wg pathway clarified that Wg-induced Dishevelled phosphoylation is due to CKIα and that presenilin and protein kinase A play little part in the regulation of Arm protein levels in Drosophila tissue culture cells.
Ileal MUC2 gene expression and microbial population, but not growth performance and immune response, are influenced by in ovo injection of probiotics in broiler chickens

ABSTRACT 1. The objective of present study was to evaluate the effects of intra-amniotic injection of different probiotic strains (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus acidilactici) on the intestinal MUC2 gene expression, microbial population, growth performance and immune response in broiler chicken. 2. In a completely randomised design, different probiotic strains were injected into the amniotic fluid of the 480 live embryos (d 18 of incubation), with 4 treatments and 5 replicates. Ileal MUC2 gene expression, microbial profile, growth performance and immune response were determined. 3. Injection of probiotic strains, especially B. subtilis, had significant effect on expression of the MUC2 on d 21 of incubation and d 3 post-hatch, but not on d 19 of incubation. 4. Injection of the probiotic strains decreased significantly the Escherichia coli population and increased the lactic acid bacteria population during the first week post-hatch. 5. Inoculation of probiotics had no significant effect on antibody titres against Newcastle disease virus, antibody titres against sheep red blood cell and cell-mediated immune response of chickens compared to control. 6. In ovo injection of the probiotic strains had no significant effect on growth performance of broiler chickens. 7. It was concluded that injection of probiotic bacteria especially B. subtilis into the amniotic fluid has a beneficial effect on ileal MUC2 gene expression and bacteria population during the first week post-hatch, but has no effect on growth performance and immune response in broiler chickens.
The new classification of diabetes mellitus and IGT: a critical approach.

In 1999 WHO published the new recommendations for diagnostic criteria for diabetes. The same publication introduced several new categories including the first proposal for diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome. Also, WHO established a new category labelled "impaired fasting glycaemia", and thereafter this new group and the already established impaired glucose tolerance was combined as a common entity labelled "impaired glucose regulation". --These recommendations from WHO followed a decision in the American Diabetes Association to lower the diagnostic plasma glucose threshold for diabetes in the fasting state from 7.8 to 7.0 mmol/l and to use fasting values as the diagnostic test for diabetes. The suggested changes in the diagnostic criteria will include a new group of individuals as having diabetes, while others may be left undiagnosed if fasting glucose values are used as the only diagnostic criteria. The consequence of this has been analysed by several groups including the collaborative European activity (the DECODE-study). --This review summarises the findings. One major problem is that if fasting glucose values are used as the only diagnostic criteria in screening for diabetes, approximately one third of the diabetic individuals will be left undiagnosed. Furthermore, this group is the group of diabetic patients that have the highest mortality from cardiovascular disease and stroke, and the group with the worst cardiovascular risk profile compared to individuals with elevated fasting glucose values alone. This observation raises the need for a continued use of the oral glucose tolerance test in selected groups.
Changes in Host Blood Factors and Brain Glia Accompanying the Functional Recovery after Systemic Administration of Bone Marrow Stem Cells in Ischemic Stroke Rats

In this study, we examined the effects of systemic administration of rat or human bone marrow stromal stem cells (MSC) at early and later times following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) on blood cytokines/growth factors, brain glia, and motor behavior in rats. Rats were tail vein injected with rat (r) and human (h) MSCs at 1 or 7 days post-MCAO. In some rats (N = 4) MSCs isolated from transgenic GFP rats were used to track the migration of cells peripherally and centrally at 2.5 and 28 days. Motor behavior was assessed using the modified Neurological Severity Score/climbing test at various time points before and after MCAO and transplantation. Prior to sacrifice at 1, 7, or 28 days post-MCAO, blood serum was collected for cytokine array analysis. Brains were analyzed for markers of activated microglia (CD11) and reactive astrocytes (GFAP). Administration of either allogeneic (rMSCs) or xenogeneic (hMSCs) stem cells produced a significant recovery of motor behavior after MCAO, with cells delivered at 1 day having greater effect than those at 7 days. Correlated with recovery was an amplification in activated microglia, reactive astrocytes, and new blood vessels in the infarct region, resulting in greater preservation in brain integrity. Concomitantly, expression of blood cytokines/chemokines (IL-13, MMP2, MIP) and growth factors/receptors (VEGF, neuropilin, EPOR, TROY, NGFR, RAGE) were modified following MSC administration. Because only rare GFP-labeled MSCs were observed in the brain, these effects did not depend on the central incorporation of stem cells. The early systemic administration of allogeneic or xenogeneic MSCs soon after experimental stroke produces a structural/functional recovery in the brain which is correlated with an increase in activated brain glia and changes in circulating cytokines and growth factors. Stem cells therefore induce an important neuroprotective and/or regenerative response in the host organism.
Optical imaging of Ca2+‐evoked fluid secretion by murine nasal submucosal gland serous acinar cells

Airway submucosal glands are sites of high expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl− channel and contribute to fluid homeostasis in the lung. However, the molecular mechanisms of gland ion and fluid transport are poorly defined. Here, submucosal gland serous acinar cells were isolated from murine airway, identified by immunofluorescence and gene expression profiling, and used in physiological studies. Stimulation of isolated acinar cells with carbachol (CCh), histamine or ATP was associated with marked decreases in cell volume (20 ± 2% within 62 ± 5 s) that were tightly correlated with increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) as revealed by simultaneous DIC and fluorescent indicator dye microscopy. Simultaneous imaging of cell volume and the Cl−‐sensitive fluorophore SPQ indicated that the 20% shrinkage was associated with a fall of [Cl−]i from 65 mm to 28 mm, reflecting loss of 67% of cell Cl− content, accompanied by parallel efflux of K+. Upon agonist removal, [Ca2+]i relaxed and the cells swelled back to resting volume via a bumetanide‐sensitive Cl− influx pathway, likely to be NKCC1. Accordingly, agonist‐induced serous acinar cell shrinkage and swelling are caused by activation of solute efflux and influx pathways, respectively, and cell volume reflects the secretory state of these cells. In contrast, elevation of cAMP failed to elicit detectible volume responses, or enhance those induced by submaximal [CCh], because the magnitude of the changes were likely to be below the threshold of detection using optical imaging. Finally, when stimulated with cholinergic or cAMP agonists, cells from mice that lacked CFTR, as well as wild‐type cells treated with a CFTR inhibitor, exhibited identical rates and magnitudes of shrinkage and Cl− efflux compared with control cells. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of salt and water secretion by lung submucosal glands, and they suggest that while murine submucosal gland fluid secretion in response to cholinergic stimulation can originate from CFTR‐expressing serous acinar cells, it is not dependent upon CFTR function.