Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Downregulation of miR-374b-5p promotes chemotherapeutic resistance in pancreatic cancer by upregulating multiple anti-apoptotic proteins

Resistance to first-line chemotherapeutic drugs such as gemcitabine contributes to the poor prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNA) regulate chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. By analyzing the miRNA sequencing dataset of pancreatic cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas, it was demonstrated that miR-374b-5p expression was dramatically reduced in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, as well as decreased in chemoresistant compared with chemosensitive pancreatic carcinoma tissues. The decreased expression of miR-374-5p was associated with poor overall and progression-free survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, increased expression of miR-374b-5p abrogated, while the silencing miR-374b-5p increased the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine in vitro. Importantly, the upregulation of miR-374b-5p ameliorated the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine in vivo. It was also demonstrated that miR-374b-5p targeted several anti-apoptotic proteins, including B-cell lymphoma 2, Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 3 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells, which further attenuated chemo-resistance in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, the results of the current study indicate that miR-374b-5p serves as a potential diagnostic marker. It also suggests that miR-374b-5p sensitizes cells to chemotherapy and may be used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine to treat patients with pancreatic cancer.
Squid: type-safe, hygienic, and reusable quasiquotes

Quasiquotes have been shown to greatly simplify the task of metaprogramming. This is in part because they hide the data structures of the intermediate representation (IR), instead allowing metaprogrammers to use the concrete syntax of the language they manipulate. Scala has had "syntactic" quasiquotes for a long time, but still misses a statically-typed version like in MetaOCaml, Haskell and F#. This safer flavor of quasiquotes has been particularly useful for staging and domain-specific languages. In this paper we present Squid, a metaprogramming system for Scala that fills this gap. Squid quasiquotes are novel in three ways: they are the first statically-typed quasiquotes we know that allow code inspection (via pattern matching); they are implemented purely as a macro library, without modifications to the compiler; and they are reusable in the sense that they can manipulate different IRs. Adapting (or binding) a new IR to Squid is done simply by implementing a well-defined interface in the style of object algebras (i.e., tagless-final). We detail how Squid is implemented, leveraging the metaprogramming tools already offered by Scala, and show three application examples: the definition of a binding for a DSL in the style of LMS; a safe ANF conversion; and the introduction of type-safe, hygienic macros as an alternative to the current macro system.
A new sample-processing unit for the fluorescent microsphere method.

The use of fluorescent-labeled microspheres (FM) for measurement of regional blood flow is an attractive alternative to the use of radioactive-labeled microspheres. In the FM method the FM have to be completely recovered from the tissue samples in a time- and labor-intensive process. For this reason, a considerable loss of FM is possible. The aim of this study was to develop a filtration device that allows the tissue sample to remain in a single container throughout the procedure to make the process easier and to avoid the loss of FM. The core of the sample-processing unit (SPU) is a single-tube filtration device with a polyamide wire mesh. The protocol for processing tissue from different organs (heart, kidney, liver, spleen, intestine, muscle, bone, lung, brain) was modified and thus shortened significantly. Furthermore, the SPU allows direct filtration of the blood reference sample without previous digestion. Different experiments showed that the SPU in combination with the new protocol excludes the loss of 15-μm FM. The modifications of the whole procedure render it faster and highly standardized.
High-resistance training and muscle metabolism during prolonged exercise.

To investigate the hypothesis that changes in muscle submaximal exercise metabolism would occur as a result of fiber hypertrophy, induced by high-resistance training (HRT), active but untrained males (age 20 ± 0.7 yr; mean ± SE) performed lower-limb weight training 3 days/wk for 12 wk using three sets of 6-8 repetitions maximal (RM)/day. Muscle metabolism was examined at different stages of training (4, 7, and 12 wk) using a two-stage continuous cycle test performed at the same absolute power output and duration (56.4 ± 2.9 min) and representing 57 and 72% of pretraining peak aerobic power (V˙o 2 peak). Compared with pretraining, at the end of exercise, HRT resulted in a higher ( P < 0.05) phosphocreatine (PCr; 27.4 ± 6.7 vs. 38.0 ± 1.9 mmol/kg dry wt), a lower lactate (38.9 ± 8.5 vs. 24.4 ± 6.1 mmol/kg dry wt), and a higher ( P < 0.05) glycogen content (132 ± 11 vs. 181 ± 7.5 mmol glucosyl units/kg dry wt). The percent change from rest before and after training was 63 and 50% for PCr, 676 and 410% for lactate, and 60 and 43% for glycogen, respectively. These adaptations, which were observed only at 72%V˙o 2 peak, occurred by 4 wk of training in the case of PCr and glycogen and before any changes in fiber cross-sectional area, capillarization, or oxidative potential. Fiber hypertrophy, observed at 7 and 12 wk of training, failed to potentiate the metabolic response. No effect of HRT was found onV˙o 2 peak with training (41.2 ± 2.9 vs. 41.0 ± 2.1 ml ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1) or on the steady-state, submaximal exercise rate of oxygen consumption. It is concluded that the HRT results in muscle metabolic adaptations that occur independently of fiber hypertrophy.
‘Obesogenic’ School Food Environments? An Urban Case Study in The Netherlands

(1) Background: This study aimed to explore and define socio-economic (SES) differences in urban school food environments in The Netherlands. (2) Methods: Retail food outlets, ready-to-eat products, in-store food promotions and food advertisements in public space were determined within 400 m walking distance of all secondary schools in the 4th largest city of The Netherlands. Fisher’s exact tests were conducted. (3) Results: In total, 115 retail outlets sold ready-to-eat food and drink products during school hours. Fast food outlets were more often in the vicinity of schools in lower SES (28.6%) than in higher SES areas (11.5%). In general, unhealthy options (e.g., fried snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)) were more often for sale, in-store promoted or advertised in comparison with healthy options (e.g., fruit, vegetables, bottled water). Sport/energy drinks were more often for sale, and fried snacks/fries, hamburgers/kebab and SSB were more often promoted or advertised in lower SES areas than in higher SES-areas. (4) Conclusion: In general, unhealthy food options were more often presented than the healthy options, but only a few SES differences were observed. The results, however, imply that efforts in all school areas are needed to make the healthy option the default option during school time.
Collaborative stereo

In this paper, we propose a method to recover the relative pose of two robots in absolute scale and in real-time using one monocular camera on each robot. We achieve this by fusing measurements from the onboard inertial sensors on each platform with information obtained from feature correspondences between the two cameras using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). This forms a flexible stereo rig, providing the ability to treat the two robots as one single dynamic sensor, which can adapt to the environment and thus improve environmental mapping, obstacle avoidance and navigation. We demonstrate the power of this approach on both simulation and real datasets, employing two micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) to illustrate successful operation over general 3D motion.
Childhood Incident Asthma and Traffic-Related Air Pollution at Home and School

Background Traffic-related air pollution has been associated with adverse cardiorespiratory effects, including increased asthma prevalence. However, there has been little study of effects of traffic exposure at school on new-onset asthma. Objectives We evaluated the relationship of new-onset asthma with traffic-related pollution near homes and schools. Methods Parent-reported physician diagnosis of new-onset asthma (n = 120) was identified during 3 years of follow-up of a cohort of 2,497 kindergarten and first-grade children who were asthma- and wheezing-free at study entry into the Southern California Children’s Health Study. We assessed traffic-related pollution exposure based on a line source dispersion model of traffic volume, distance from home and school, and local meteorology. Regional ambient ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter were measured continuously at one central site monitor in each of 13 study communities. Hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset asthma were scaled to the range of ambient central site pollutants and to the residential interquartile range for each traffic exposure metric. Results Asthma risk increased with modeled traffic-related pollution exposure from roadways near homes [HR 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–1.82] and near schools (HR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.06–1.98). Ambient NO2 measured at a central site in each community was also associated with increased risk (HR 2.18; 95% CI, 1.18–4.01). In models with both NO2 and modeled traffic exposures, there were independent associations of asthma with traffic-related pollution at school and home, whereas the estimate for NO2 was attenuated (HR 1.37; 95% CI, 0.69–2.71). Conclusions Traffic-related pollution exposure at school and homes may both contribute to the development of asthma.
Parents’ Experience and Views of Vaccinating Their Child against Influenza at Primary School and at the General Practice

The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of parents’ experience and views of vaccinating their four to six-year-old child against influenza at school and at the general practice (GP). A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted between March–June 2016 with parents of children in Reception and Year 1 in four randomly selected schools in Bury, Leicestershire, and Surrey, England. Twenty-five outreach forms were completed and returned, and seven interviews were conducted. Interview transcripts were coded by theme in NVivo (version 11, QSR International Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Australia). The primary reason parents gave for vaccinating their child was to prevent their child from contracting influenza. Parents’ perceived benefits of vaccinating in schools were to avoid the inconvenience of having to take their child to the GP, and that their child would behave better at school. Parents viewed that accompanying their child for the vaccination at school would undermine the convenience and peer-pressure advantages of the school as a venue. No parents expressed concern about their child being too young to be vaccinated in school. This research suggests that the school is a desirable venue for childhood influenza vaccination, both from the parents’ view and given that influenza vaccination coverage is higher when delivered through schools than GPs.
Fos expression following isotonic volume expansion of the unanesthetized male rat.

Cardiopulmonary afferents, baroreceptor afferents, or atrial natriuretic peptide binding to circumventricular organs may mediate the central response to volume expansion, a condition common to pregnancy, exercise training, and congestive heart failure. This study used Fos immunocytochemistry to examine brain regions activated by volume expansion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with isotonic saline equal to 10% of their body weight in 10 min followed by a maintenance infusion of 0.5 ml/min for 110 min. Control animals received 2-h infusions at 0.01 ml/min. Five minutes after the start of volume expansion, central venous pressure of expanded animals was significantly greater than control animals. The volume-expanded group exhibited significantly greater Fos activation ( P < 0.05) in the area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal ventrolateral medulla, paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, and perinuclear zone of the supraoptic nucleus. Double labeling indicates that oxytocinergic neurons in the supraoptic nucleus are activated. Neurons in brain regions known to inhibit both sympathetic activity and vasopressin release show increased Fos expression following isotonic volume expansion.
Influence of Feeding Practices on Malnutrition in Haitian Infants and Young Children

Infant malnutrition remains an important cause of death and disability, and Haiti has the highest prevalence in the Americas. Therefore, preventive strategies are needed. Our aims were (1) To assess the prevalence of malnutrition among young children seen at a health center in Haiti; (2) Examine adherence to infant feeding practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the association to nutritional status. This cross-sectional study recruited children from the Saint Espri Health Center in Port Au Prince in 2014. We recorded feeding practices, socio-demographic data, and anthropometric measurements (WHO-2006). We evaluated 278 infants and children younger than two years old, aged 8.08 ± 6.5 months, 53.2% female. 18.35% were underweight (weight/age <−2 SD); 13.31% stunted (length/age <−2 SD), and 13.67% had moderate or severe wasting (weight/length <−2 SD). Malnutrition was associated with male gender, older age, lower maternal education level, and greater numbers of siblings (Chi2, p < 0.05). Adherence to recommended breastfeeding practices was 11.8–97.9%, and to complementary feeding practices was 9.7–90.3%. Adherence was associated with a lower prevalence of malnutrition. Conclusion: Prevalence of infant and young child malnutrition in this population is high. Adherence to WHO-recommended feeding practices was associated with a better nutritional status.
Sertoli cells for cell transplantation: pre‐clinical studies and future perspectives

Sertoli cells are located in the testes where they control several key functions in spermatogenesis. Over the past 30 years, Sertoli cells have been upgraded from a simple scaffold‐like structural system to a dynamic functional system of intercellular support that delivers potent immunomodulatory and trophic factors. Since the discovery of new Sertoli cell secretory products, these cells have been utilized in experimental cell transplantation and co‐transplantation protocols aimed at treating both chronic inflammatory and degenerative disorders. For these reasons, this work reviews the application of both naked and microencapsulated Sertoli cells used in cell transplantation studies of several chronic or autoimmune diseases such as diabetes mellitus, Laron dwarfism, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy and in studies aimed at the prevention of skin allograft rejection.
Cholinergic and GABAergic regulation of nitric oxide synthesis in the guinea pig ileum.

Nitric oxide (NO) synthesis was examined in intact longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations of the guinea pig ileum by determining the formation of [3H]citrulline during incubation with [3H]arginine. Spontaneous [3H]citrulline production after 30 min was 80-90 dpm/mg, which constituted ∼1% of the tissue radioactivity. Electrical stimulation (10 Hz) led to a threefold increase in [3H]citrulline formation. Removal of calcium from the medium or addition of N G-nitro-l-arginine strongly inhibited both spontaneous and electrically induced production of [3H]citrulline. TTX reduced the electrically induced but not spontaneous [3H]citrulline formation. The electrically induced formation of [3H]citrulline was diminished by (+)-tubocurarine and mecamylamine and enhanced by scopolamine, which suggests that endogenous ACh inhibits, via muscarinic receptors, and stimulates, via nicotinic receptors, the NO synthesis in the myenteric plexus. The GABAA receptor agonist muscimol and GABA also reduced the electrically evoked formation of [3H]citrulline, whereas baclofen was without effect. Bicuculline antagonized the inhibitory effect of GABA. It is concluded that nitrergic myenteric neurons are equipped with GABAAreceptors, which mediate inhibition of NO synthesis.
Cardiac electrical restitution properties and stability of reentrant spiral waves: a simulation study.

Spiral wave breakup is a proposed mechanism underlying the transition from ventricular tachycardia to fibrillation. We examined the importance of the restitution of action potential duration (APD) and of conduction velocity (CV) to the stability of spiral wave reentry in a two-dimensional sheet of simulated cardiac tissue. The Luo-Rudy ventricular action potential model was modified to eliminate its restitution properties, which are caused by deactivation or recovery from inactivation of K+, Ca2+, and Na+ currents ( I K, I Ca, and I Na, respectively). In this model, we find that 1) restitution of I Ca and I Na are the main determinants of the steepness of APD restitution; 2) for promoting spiral breakup, the range of diastolic intervals over which the APD restitution slope is steep is more important than the maximum steepness; 3) CV restitution promotes spiral wave breakup independently of APD restitution; and 4) "defibrillation" of multiple spiral wave reentry is most effectively achieved by combining an antifibrillatory intervention based on altering restitution with an antitachycardia intervention. These findings suggest a novel paradigm for developing effective antiarrhythmic drugs.
The Human Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1 (hTdp1) Inhibitor NSC120686 as an Exploratory Tool to Investigate Plant Tdp1 Genes

The hTdp1 (human tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1) inhibitor NSC120686 has been used, along with topoisomerase inhibitors, as a pharmacophoric model to restrain the Tdp1 activity as part of a synergistic treatment for cancer. While this compound has an end-point application in medical research, in plants, its application has not been considered so far. The originality of our study consists in the use of hTdp1 inhibitor in Medicago truncatula cells, which, unlike human cells, contain two Tdp1 genes. Hence, the purpose of this study was to test the hTdp1 inhibitor NSC120686 as an exploratory tool to investigate the plant Tdp1 genes, since their characterization is still in incipient phases. To do so, M. truncatula calli were exposed to increasing (75, 150, 300 μM) concentrations of NSC120686. The levels of cell mortality and DNA damage, measured via diffusion assay and comet assay, respectively, were significantly increased when the highest doses were used, indicative of a cytotoxic and genotoxic threshold. In addition, the NSC120686-treated calli and untreated MtTdp1α-depleted calli shared a similar response in terms of programmed cell death (PCD)/necrosis and DNA damage. Interestingly, the expression profiles of MtTdp1α and MtTdp1β genes were differently affected by the NSC120686 treatment, as MtTdp1α was upregulated while MtTdp1β was downregulated. The NSC120686 treatment affected not only the MtTdp1 genes but also other genes with roles in alternative DNA repair pathways. Since the expression patterns of these genes were different than what was observed in the MtTdp1α-depleted plants, it could be hypothesized that the NSC120686 treatment exerts a different influence compared to that resulting from the lack of the MtTdp1α gene function.
An Empirical Study on the Impact of C++ Lambdas and Programmer Experience

Lambdas have seen increasing use in mainstream programming languages, notably in Java 8 and C++ 11. While the technical aspects of lambdas are known, we conducted the first randomized controlled trial on the human factors impact of C++ 11 lambdas compared to iterators. Because there has been recent debate on having students or professionals in experiments, we recruited undergraduates across the academic pipeline and professional programmers to evaluate these findings in a broader context. Results afford some doubt that lambdas benefit developers and show evidence that students are negatively impacted in regard to how quickly they can write correct programs to a test specification and whether they can complete a task. Analysis from log data shows that participants spent more time with compiler errors, and have more errors, when using lambdas as compared to iterators, suggesting difficulty with the syntax chosen for C++. Finally, experienced users were more likely to complete tasks, with or without lambdas, and could do so more quickly, with experience as a factor explaining 45.7% of the variance in our sample in regard to completion time.
Transient Rotor Activity During Prolonged Three-Dimensional Phase Mapping in Human Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

OBJECTIVES This study sought to validate a 3-dimensional (3D) phase mapping system and determine the distribution of dominant propagation patterns in persistent atrial ﬁ brillation (AF). BACKGROUND Currently available systems display phase as simpli ﬁ ed 2-dimensional maps. We developed a novel 3D phase mapping system that uses the 3D location of basket catheter electrodes and the patient ’ s 3D left atrial surface geometry to interpolate phase and create a 3D representation of phase progression. METHODS Six-minute AF recordings from the left atrium were obtained in 14 patients using the Constellation basket catheter and analyzed of ﬂ ine. Exported signals underwent both phase and traditional activation analysis and were then visualized using a novel 3D mapping system. Analysis involved: 1) validation of phase analysis by comparing beat-to-beat AF cycle length calculated using phase inversion with that determined from activation timing in the same 20-s segment; 2) validation of 3D phase by comparing propagation patterns observed using 3D phase with 3D activation in the same 1-min segment; and 3) determining the distribution of dominant propagation patterns in 6-min recordings using 3D phase. RESULTS There was strong agreement of beat-to-beat AF cycle length between activation analysis and phase inversion ( R 2 ¼ 0.91). There was no signi ﬁ cant difference between 3D activation and 3D phase in mean percentage of propagation patternsclassi ﬁ edassinglewavefronts(p ¼ 0.99),focalactivations(p ¼ 0.26),disorganizedactivity(p ¼ 0.76),ormultiple wavefronts (p ¼ 0.70).