Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of IGF1, TGFβ1, bFGF and G-CSF/M-CSF on the mRNA levels of selected matrix proteins, cytokines, metalloproteinase 3 and TIMP1 in rat synovial membrane cells.

INTRODUCTION We have previously observed that rat synovial membranes incubated in medium containing cartilage interstitial fluid (CIF) responded by changes in the expression of hyaluronan synthases (HAS1 and HAS2), collagen type I, versican, aggrecan, lubricin, matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 3 (MMP2 and MMP3), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP1, 2 and 3), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL) 1β and IL-6. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of particular cytokines found in CIF on the gene expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in synovial membrane cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS Synovial membranes (SMs) were removed from the knee joints of inbred, male Lewis rats and incubated with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), TGFβ1, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF and M-CSF), either individually or in the combinations TGFβ1/IGF1, TGFβ1/IGF1/bFGF or G-CSF/M-CSF. Next, total RNA was isolated and the studied genes' expression was evaluated by real-time PCR. RESULTS TGFβ1/IGF1 stimulated expression of HAS1, lubricin, collagen type I, aggrecan and TGFβ1, inhibited expression of MMP3 and TNF and had no effect on TIMP1 and IL-6 mRNA levels. TGFβ1/IGF1/bFGF stimulated the expression of HAS1, lubricin and TGFβ1 genes, inhibited the expression of TNF and had no effect of the expression of collagen 1, aggrecan, MMP3, TIMP1 and IL-6 genes. G-CSF/M-CSF stimulated the expression of aggrecan. TGFβ1, bFGF, and IGF1 applied individually exerted inhibitory effect on the expression of lubricin. TGFβ1 and bFGF inhibited expression of MMP3 and bFGF inhibited also the expression of aggrecan and TNF. CONCLUSIONS The response of the studied genes represents a resultant activity of all major cell types building the synovial membrane, i.e. highly specialized synovial fibroblasts, macrophages, epithelial cells and adipocytes. The results of our study can improve understanding of synovial membrane responses to the intraarticular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) used for the treatment of joint ailments, since PRP contains factors which are also present in CIF.
Development of a novel classification and calculation algorithm for physical activity monitoring and its application

Exercise is a good alternative approach to be healthy. However, it can cause a body in negative outcome for people who over workout without proper manner. Therefore, the objective of this project is to develop an activity tracker called "Feelfit" that has a high accuracy to measure levels of activity (with 5 intensities of exercises). Besides, challenging and motivating the exercise via feedback of detailed information such as burned calorie, activity percentage, and so on are proposed. An accelerometer, high accuracy tri-axial accelerometer (MMA8452Q), sends a value of acceleration in 3 axes acquired from body movement and then be processed and calculated physical activity behavior on a low-power microcontroller. This project has proposed a novel algorithm of physical activity classification and calories burned calculation. The algorithms were examined the accurateness by 10 healthy subjects (5 males and 5 females) aged 15-25 years old. The proposed algorithms were also compared with a commercial activity monitoring device; the accuracy of calories burned calculation is more than 80% and more than 90% for activity classification.
Trends in cervical cancer in the Netherlands until 2007: Has the bottom been reached?

We explored trends in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer by age, stage and morphology, and linked the observed trends to screening activities. Data was retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry during 1989–2007 (incidence) and Statistics Netherlands during 1970–2007 (mortality). Trends were evaluated by calculating the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Joinpoint regression analysis was used to detect changes in trends. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) detection rates were calculated by data from “the nationwide network and registry of histo‐ and cytopathology” during 1990–2006. Total age‐adjusted incidence rate (European standardized rate (ESR)) was 7.9 per 100,000 woman years in 2007. During 1989–1998, incidence rates decreased with an EAPC of −1.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.2 to −0.3), during 1998–2001 with −6.7% (95% CI: −16.4 to 4.1), and increased during 2001–2007 with 2.3% (95% CI: 0.4 to 4.2). Total mortality ESR was 1.9 per 100,000 woman years in 2007. Mortality rates decreased during 1970–1994 annually with −4.1% (95% CI: −4.6% to −3.7%), and with −2.6% (95% CI: −3.8% to −1.5%) during 1994–2007. The observed trend in total incidence is similar to the trend in squamous cell carcinomas in age group 35–54 years, suggesting that the observed trends are likely to be associated to changes in the screening program. This is supported by the trend in CINIII detection rates. In conclusion, incidence and mortality overall decreased and leveled off. On top of that there was an extra decrease that was compensated by a following recent increase in incidence, probably resulting from reorganization of the Dutch screening program.
It Starts With Me: Privacy concerns and stigma in the evaluation of a Facebook health promotion intervention.

UNLABELLED Background As efforts continue to increase rates of HIV testing and condom use among at-risk communities in England, organisations have sought use social media for health promotion interventions. As part of a wider evaluation of It Starts With Me (ISWM), a sexual health promotion intervention in England targeting gay and bisexual men and African people through Facebook, this study sought to explore how the online environment shapes end user engagement with sexual health interventions. A primary objective was to explore how privacy concerns can act as a barrier to engagement for the audience of ISWM. METHODS A purposive sample of 40 individuals were recruited, who were targeted by the intervention for in-depth interviews. Data collection was in two phases. In the first phase, individuals were sampled based on engagement with online health interventions in general, while in the second phase, all individuals were sampled on the basis of engagement with the intervention. RESULTS Privacy concerns related to the ecology of social networking sites, issues with implied disclosure and discrimination, as well as uncertainty over control of data. These concerns limited the organic reach of the intervention by confining the intervention to those who already held the norms diffused through it, and by discouraging participants from sharing and commenting on content. CONCLUSIONS Care should be taken to address concerns when designing interventions delivered through social media. Gated interventions may be more beneficial for marginalised communities, while large-scale interventions such as ISWM may provide a useful backdrop for face-to-face interventions.
Sequence of Deposition of Heterogeneous Amyloid β-Peptides and APO E in Down Syndrome: Implications for Initial Events in Amyloid Plaque Formation

Patients with trisomy 21 [Down syndrome (DS)] progressively develop amyloid beta-protein (A beta) deposits and then other features of Alzheimer's disease (AD), apparently due to increased gene dosage and thus expression of the beta-amyloid precursor protein. Because the neuropathological phenotype in older DS subjects closely resembles that of AD, the examination of DS brains of increasing age provides a unique model of the progression of AD. Here, we characterized the deposition of several A beta peptides and apolipoprotein E in formalin-fixed brain sections from 29 DS subjects between 3 and 73 years old. Amyloid plaque number and the percentage of cortical area they occupied were quantified by computerized image analysis. A beta ending at amino acid 42 (A beta 42) was the earliest form of A beta deposited in DS cortex. It was observed in 7 of 16 young (3-30 years) subjects, with the earliest deposition occurring at age 12. A beta ending at residue 40 (A beta 40) was not detected until approximately age 30, a time when degenerating neurites around A beta immunoreactive (IR) plaques were first observed, and the frequency of A beta 40 IR plaques then rose with age. Even in old (51-73 years) DS subjects, A beta 42 IR plaques were always more abundant than A beta 40 IR plaques. A beta peptides starting at aspartate 1 or pyroglutamate 3 were detected in small subsets of compacted, neuritic plaques beginning around age 30 and rose with age, the latter species always exceeding the former. Thus, the N-termini of the A beta 42 peptides abundantly deposited in very young DS subjects remain unknown. Apo E was detectable in a small subset of A beta 42 IR plaques beginning at age 12 and rose steadily with age; it clearly followed the deposition of A beta. Our analysis of very young DS brains suggests that amyloid plaque formation begins with A beta 42-ending peptides, and the number and percentage of cortical area of A beta 42 plaques increase very little with advancing age, while other heterogeneous A beta species and Apo E progressively accrue onto plaques containing A beta 42.
Prophylactic dressing to minimize sacral pressure injuries in high-risk hospitalized patients: a pilot study.

AIM In this paper, we describe a trial protocol used to assess feasibility related to: study administration (recruitment, randomization, retention, compliance, eligibility criteria, suitability of protocol instructions and data collection questionnaires); resource and data management (suitability of site, time and budget allocation, management of personnel and data); intervention fidelity (treatment dose, violations); and effect size. BACKGROUND Pressure injury can lead to increases in hospital length of stay and cost. The sacrum is identified as one of the most common anatomical pressure injury sites for hospitalized patients. Silicone foam border dressings have been proposed as one strategy to reduce pressure injury incidence; however, rigorous testing of benefit in a general medical-surgical population is required. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. METHODS Eighty patients will be recruited after assessment of high risk of pressure injury in a large tertiary hospital in south-east Queensland, Australia. Eligible, consenting participants will be randomly allocated to either a control group (routine care) or an intervention group (routine care and a sacral prophylactic dressing). The primary outcomes comprise feasibility criteria as identified above. The secondary measure is the presence and severity of sacral pressure injury via blind assessment of digital photographs. Research ethics approval was received in October 2013. DISCUSSION Prophylactic dressings applied to the sacrum may be an effective method for reducing pressure injury in high-risk general medical-surgical patients. However, more rigorous studies to confirm benefit are required. This pilot study will determine the feasibility and effect size to inform a larger randomized controlled trial.
Repeated Confidence Intervals in Self‐Designing Clinical Trials and Switching between Noninferiority and Superiority

In self‐designing clinical trials, repeated confidence intervals are derived for the parameter of interest where the results of the independent study stages are combined using the generalized inverse chi‐square‐method. The confidence intervals can be calculated at each interim analysis and always hold the predefined overall nominal confidence level. Moreover, the confidence intervals calculated during the course of the trial are nested in the sense that a calculated interval is completely contained in all the previously calculated intervals. During the course of the self‐designing trial the sample sizes as well as the number of study stages can be determined simultaneously in a completely adaptive way. The adaptive procedure allows an early stop for significance.
The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of two Tetragnatha Spiders (Araneae: Tetragnathidae): Severe Truncation of tRNAs and Novel Gene Rearrangements in Araneae

Mitogenomes can provide information for phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary biology. The Araneae is one of the largest orders of Arachnida with great economic importance. In order to develop mitogenome data for this significant group, we determined the complete mitogenomes of two long jawed spiders Tetragnatha maxillosa and T. nitens and performed the comparative analysis with previously published spider mitogenomes. The circular mitogenomes are 14578 bp long with A+T content of 74.5% in T. maxillosa and 14639 bp long with A+T content of 74.3% in T. nitens, respectively. Both the mitogenomes contain a standard set of 37 genes and an A+T-rich region with the same gene orientation as the other spider mitogenomes, with the exception of the different gene order by the rearrangement of two tRNAs (trnW and trnG). Most of the tRNAs lose TΨC arm stems and have unpaired amino acid acceptor arms. As interesting features, both trnSAGN and trnSUCN lack the dihydrouracil (DHU) arm and long tandem repeat units are presented in the A+T-rich region of both the spider mitogenomes. The phylogenetic relationships of 23 spider mitogenomes based on the concatenated nucleotides sequences of 13 protein-coding genes indicated that the mitogenome sequences could be useful in resolving higher-level relationship of Araneae. The molecular information acquired from the results of this study should be very useful for future researches on mitogenomic evolution and genetic diversities in spiders.
Glutamine contributes to maintenance of mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal through PKC-dependent downregulation of HDAC1 and DNMT1/3a

Although glutamine (Gln) is not an essential amino acid, it is considered a critical substrate in many key metabolic processes that control a variety of physiological functions and are involved in regulating early embryonic development. Thus, we investigated the effect of Gln on regulation of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal and related signaling pathways. Gln deprivation decreased Oct4 expression as well as expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins. However, Gln treatment retained the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins and the Oct4 in mESCs, which were blocked by compound 968 (a glutaminase inhibitor). In addition, Gln stimulated PI3K/Akt pathway, which subsequently elicited PKCϵ translocation to membrane without an influx of intracellular Ca2+. Inhibition of Akt and PKC blocked Gln-induced Oct4 expression and proliferation. Gln also stimulated mTOR phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner, which abolished by PKC inhibition. Furthermore, Gln increased the cellular population of both Oct4 and bromodeoxyuridine positive cells, suggesting that Gln regulates self-renewal ability of mESCs. Gln induced a decrease in HDAC1, but not in HDAC2, which were blocked by PKC inhibitors. Gln treatment resulted in an increase in global histone acetylation and methylation. In addition, Gln significantly reduced methylation of the Oct4 promoter region through decrease in DNMT1 and DNMT3a expression, which were blocked by PKC and HDAC inhibitors. In conclusion, Gln stimulates mESC proliferation and maintains mESC undifferentiation status through transcription regulation via the Akt, PKCϵ, and mTOR signaling pathways.
The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World

Contents: Director's Foreword - Harry Philbrick, PAFA Museum Director Personal Note - David R. Brigham, PAFA President Introduction and Acknowledgements - Robert Cozzolino, Senior Curator and Curator of Modern Art, PAFA A Vision of Visibility - Linda Lee Alter in Conversation with Robert Cozzolino Expanded Horizon: Female Artists at the Pennsylvania Academy During the Course of the Nineteenth-Century - Anna Havemann, University of Potsdam Evenings: Entertaining Women in the Circles of American Modernism - Janine Mileaf, Director, The Arts Club of Chicago Imagining History, Memory and the Raced and Gendered Body: the Legacy of Elizabeth Catlett - Melanie Anne Herzog, Edgewood College, Madison, WI A State of Independance in Chicago - Robert Cozzolino Feminism, Identity, and Self-Portraiture Re-imagined - Anna C. Chave, Professor of Art History at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York Sisters Doin' It for Themselves: Collaborative Practice in the Linda Lee Alter Collection - Joanna Gardner-Huggett, Associate Professor of Art History, DePaul University Philadelphia Ficus and Feminism in 1974 - Robert Cozzolino Feminism in the Bay Area: Joan Brown and Viola Frey - Jodi Throckmorton Associate Curator at the San Jose Museum of Art "Women's Work" Revisited: Craft Traditions in Contemporary Art - Glenn Adamson, Deputy Head of Research and Head of Graduate Studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum We Came to America - Michele Wallace, Professor of English, Women's Studies and Film Studies, CUNY Graduate Center, New York Biographies of the Artists - Mey-Yen Moriuchi, doctoral candidate, Bryn Mawr College The Linda Lee Alter Collection of Art by Women.
Roles of Protein Kinase C δ in the Accumulation of P53 and the Induction of Apoptosis in H 2 O 2 -treated Bovine Endothelial Cells

To clarify the signaling pathways of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), we treated cells with 1 mM H 2 O 2 and investigated the roles of protein kinase C i (PKC i ) and Ca 2+ in the accumulation of p53 associated with apoptosis. The treatment of cells with H 2 O 2 caused the accumulation of p53, which was inhibited by rottlerin (a PKC i inhibitor) but not by BAPTA-AM (an intracellular Ca 2+ chelator). PKC i itself was activated through the phosphorylation at tyrosine residues. H 2 O 2 induced the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspases 3 and 9, and these apoptotic signals were inhibited by rottlerin and BAPTA-AM. These results suggest that PKC i contributes to the accumulation of p53 and that Ca 2+ plays a role in downstream signals of p53 leading to apoptosis in H 2 O 2 -treated BAEC.
Introduction to Positive Computing: Technology that Fosters Wellbeing

A growing number of HCI professionals are interested in how we might design technology to foster psychological wellbeing. Meeting such an aim will involve a crossing of disciplines, of methods, and a new way of thinking about what technology should be doing for us. By turning to the well-established research and methods available in psychology, education, neuroscience, and HCI, we can begin to cultivate a field dedicated to the design and development of technology that supports wellbeing and human potential, a field we refer to as positive computing [1]. In this course we will explore multidisciplinary approaches to evaluating and designing for digital experience that supports wellbeing determinants like self-awareness, autonomy, resilience, mindfulness, and altruism. The objective of this course is to provide participants with: a theoretical foundation, a practical framework, a look at the state of the art, and group-generated design strategies to better support wellbeing in their current and future projects.
Functional plasticity of the LACK‐reactive Vβ4‐Vα8 CD4+ T cells normally producing the early IL‐4 instructing Th2 cell development and susceptibility to Leishmania major in BALB / c mice

Early production of IL‐4 by LACK‐reactive Vβ4‐Vα8 CD4+ T cells instructs aberrant Th2 cell development and susceptibility to Leishmania major in BALB / c mice. This was demonstrated using Vβ4+‐deficient BALB / c mice as a result of chronic infection with MMTV (SIM), a mouse mammary tumor virus expressing a Vβ4‐specific superantigen. The early IL‐4 response was absent in these mice which develop a Th1 response to L. major. Here, we studied the functional plasticity of LACK‐reactive Vβ4‐Vα8 CD4+ T cells using BALB/ c mice inoculated with L. major shortly after infection with MMTV (SIM), i. e. before deletion of Vβ4+ cells. These mice fail to produce the early IL‐4 responseto L. major and instead exhibit an IFN‐γ response that occurs within LACK‐reactive Vβ4‐Vα8 CD4+ T cells. Neutralization of IFN‐γ restores the production of IL‐4 by these cells. These data suggest that the functional properties of LACK‐reactive Vβ4‐Vα8 CD4+ T cells are not irreversibly fixed.
The Effects of Upper-Limb Training Assisted with an Electromyography-Driven Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Robotic Hand on Chronic Stroke

Background Impaired hand dexterity is a major disability of the upper limb after stroke. An electromyography (EMG)-driven neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) robotic hand was designed previously, whereas its rehabilitation effects were not investigated. Objectives This study aims to investigate the rehabilitation effectiveness of the EMG-driven NMES-robotic hand-assisted upper-limb training on persons with chronic stroke. Method A clinical trial with single-group design was conducted on chronic stroke participants (n = 15) who received 20 sessions of EMG-driven NMES-robotic hand-assisted upper-limb training. The training effects were evaluated by pretraining, posttraining, and 3-month follow-up assessments with the clinical scores of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), the Wolf Motor Function Test, the Motor Functional Independence Measure, and the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Improvements in the muscle coordination across the sessions were investigated by EMG parameters, including EMG activation level and Co-contraction Indexes (CIs) of the target muscles in the upper limb. Results Significant improvements in the FMA shoulder/elbow and wrist/hand scores (P < 0.05), the ARAT (P < 0.05), and in the MAS (P < 0.05) were observed after the training and sustained 3 months later. The EMG parameters indicated a significant decrease of the muscle activation level in flexor digitorum (FD) and biceps brachii (P < 0.05), as well as a significant reduction of CIs in the muscle pairs of FD and triceps brachii and biceps brachii and triceps brachii (P < 0.05). Conclusion The upper-limb training integrated with the assistance from the EMG-driven NMES-robotic hand is effective for the improvements of the voluntary motor functions and the muscle coordination in the proximal and distal joints. Furthermore, the motor improvement after the training could be maintained till 3 months later. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT02117089; date of registration: April 10, 2014.