Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MDM4 rs4245739 A > C polymorphism correlates with reduced overall cancer risk in a meta-analysis of 69477 subjects

Mouse double minute 4 (MDM4) is a p53-interacting oncoprotein that plays an important role in the p53 tumor suppressor pathway. The common rs4245739 A > C polymorphism creates a miR-191 binding site in the MDM4 gene transcript. Numerous studies have investigated the association between this MDM4 polymorphism and cancer risk, but have failed to reach a definitive conclusion. To address this issue, we conducted a meta-analysis by selecting eligible studies from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical databases. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. We also performed genotype-based mRNA expression analysis using data from 270 individuals retrieved from public datasets. A total of 15 studies with 19796 cases and 49681 controls were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled results revealed that the MDM4 rs4245739C allele is associated with a decreased cancer risk in the heterozygous (AC vs. AA: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.73−0.93), dominant (AC/CC vs. AA: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72−0.93), and allele contrast models (C vs. A: OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.76−0.94). The association was more prominent in Asians and population-based studies. We also found that the rs4245739C allele was associated with decreased MDM4 mRNA expression, especially for Caucasians. Thus the MDM4 rs4245739 A > C polymorphism appears to be associated with decreased cancer risk. These findings would be strengthened by new studies with larger sample sizes and encompassing additional ethnicities.
The Influence of High-/Low-Context Culture on Perceived Ad Complexity and Liking

ABSTRACT According to Hall's context theory, people from different cultures may react differently to complex messages. The current study is the first empirical examination of context theory's role on message comprehension and appreciation. In a comparative survey-based study (N = 289), Belgian and Dutch participants judged 12 complex product advertisements with visual metaphors. As expected by context theory, perceived complexity was lower for Belgian (a higher-context culture) than for Dutch participants (a lower-context culture), and participants' personal context culture score fully accounted for this difference. Similarly, ad liking was higher for Belgian than for Dutch participants, and again, this difference was explained by context score.
Soft Material Characterization for Robotic Applications

Abstract In this article we present mechanical measurements of three representative elastomers used in soft robotic systems: Sylgard 184, Smooth-Sil 950, and EcoFlex 00-30. Our aim is to demonstrate the effects of the nonlinear, time-dependent properties of these materials to facilitate improved dynamic modeling of soft robotic components. We employ uniaxial pull-to-failure tests, cyclic loading tests, and stress relaxation tests to provide a qualitative assessment of nonlinear behavior, batch-to-batch repeatability, and effects of prestraining, cyclic loading, and viscoelastic stress relaxation. Strain gauges composed of the elastomers embedded with a microchannel of conductive liquid (eutectic gallium–indium) are also tested to quantify the interaction between material behaviors and measured strain output. It is found that all of the materials tested exhibit the Mullins effect, where the material properties in the first loading cycle differ from the properties in all subsequent cycles, as well as respon.
Health technology assessment of magnet therapy for relieving pain

Background: Magnet therapy has been used increasingly as a new method to alleviate pain. Magnetic products are marketed with claims of effectiveness for reducing pain of various origins. However, there are inconsistent results from a limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the analgesic efficacy of magnet therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of magnet therapy on reliving various types of pain. Methods: A systematic search of two main medical databases (Cochrane Library and Ovid Medline) was conducted from 1946 to May 2014. Only English systematic reviews that compared magnet therapy with other conventional treatments in patients with local pain in terms of pain relieving measures were included. The results of the included studies were thematically synthesized. Results: Eight studies were included. Magnet therapy could be used to alleviate pain of various origins including pain in various organs, arthritis, myofascial muscle pain, lower limb muscle cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome and pelvic pain. Results showed that the effectiveness of magnetic therapy was only approved in muscle pains, but its effectiveness in other indications and its application as a complementary treatment have not been established. Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that magnet therapy could not be an effective treatment for relieving different types of pain. Our results highlighted the need for further investigations to be done in order to support any recommendations about this technology.
Experiment-based modeling, simulation and validation of interactions between virtual walkers

An interaction occurs between two humans when they walk with converging trajectories. They need to adapt their motion in order to avoid and cross one another at respectful distance. This paper presents a model for solving interactions between virtual humans. The proposed model is elaborated from experimental interactions data. We first focus our study on the pair-interaction case. In a second stage, we extend our approach to the multiple interactions case. Our experimental data allow us to state the conditions for interactions to occur between walkers, as well as each one's role during interaction and the strategies walkers set to adapt their motion. The low number of parameters of the proposed model enables its automatic calibration from available experimental data. We validate our approach by comparing simulated trajectories with real ones. We also provide comparison with previous solutions. We finally discuss the ability of our model to be extended to complex situations.
Breathing Inhibited When Seizures Spread to the Amygdala and upon Amygdala Stimulation

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is increasingly recognized as a common and devastating problem. Because impaired breathing is thought to play a critical role in these deaths, we sought to identify forebrain sites underlying seizure-evoked hypoventilation in humans. We took advantage of an extraordinary clinical opportunity to study a research participant with medically intractable epilepsy who had extensive bilateral frontotemporal electrode coverage while breathing was monitored during seizures recorded by intracranial electrodes and mapped by high-resolution brain imaging. We found that central apnea and O2 desaturation occurred when seizures spread to the amygdala. In the same patient, localized electrical stimulation of the amygdala reproduced the apnea and O2 desaturation. Similar effects of amygdala stimulation were observed in two additional subjects, including one without a seizure disorder. The participants were completely unaware of the apnea evoked by stimulation and expressed no dyspnea, despite being awake and vigilant. In contrast, voluntary breath holding of similar duration caused severe dyspnea. These findings suggest a functional connection between the amygdala and medullary respiratory network in humans. Moreover, they suggest that seizure spread to the amygdala may cause loss of spontaneous breathing of which patients are unaware, and thus has potential to contribute to SUDEP. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common cause of death in patients with chronic refractory epilepsy. Impaired breathing during and after seizures is common and suspected to play a role in SUDEP. Understanding the cause of this peri-ictal hypoventilation may lead to preventative strategies. In epilepsy patients, we found that seizure invasion of the amygdala co-occurred with apnea and oxygen desaturation, and electrical stimulation of the amygdala reproduced these respiratory findings. Strikingly, the subjects were unaware of the apnea. These findings indicate a functional connection between the amygdala and brainstem respiratory network in humans and suggest that amygdala seizures may cause loss of spontaneous breathing of which patients are unaware—a combination that could be deadly.
Propofol Protects Hepatic L02 Cells from Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Apoptosis via Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases Pathway

BACKGROUND: Propofol protects cells against ischemia/reperfusion injury in several organs, but there are few reports of its effect on liver epithelial cells. We investigated the effect of propofol preconditioning on human hepatic L02 cells under hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress and attempted to determine whether the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway is involved in this process. METHODS: Preconditioned or nonpreconditioned human hepatic L02 cells were exposed to H2O2 and the changes of apoptosis were evaluated by TUNEL assay, Caspase-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Activation of ERK1/2 and mitogen-activated protein kinase//ERK Kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) was measured by Western blot analysis. The mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bad, and Bax was quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Propofol preconditioning reduced the population of apoptotic cells and Caspase-3 and PARP cleavage induced by H2O2 inhepatic L02 cells. L02 cells treated with propofol (0.01–0.3 mM) alone, led to a dose-dependent activation of ERK and MEK, and such activation was detected within 0.5 h and eventually declined to <50% at 4 h. The addition of the specific inhibitor PD98059 completely abolished the activation of ERK and aggravated the extent of apoptosis. Moreover, propofol treatment repressed the mRNA expression of proapoptotic genes Bad and Bax, and this repression could be partly reversed by PD98059. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that propofol protects hepatic L02 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis, partly through activating the MEK-ERK pathway and further suppressing Bad and Bax expression.
The use of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of resistant depression in adolescents

Major depressive disorder often begins in adolescence, is chronic and recurrent, and heightens an individual’s risk for major depressive disorder in adulthood. Treatment-resistant depression is a problem for a significant minority of adolescents. Few studies have examined treatments for treatment-resistant depression among adolescents, and even fewer have examined the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy as a monotherapy or in combination with pharmacological treatments. Mental health professionals have a strong interest in understanding what treatments are appropriate for adolescents who are treatment resistant. Preliminary evidence from current published trials indicates that the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in combination with antidepressant medication yields the best outcome for treatment-resistant depression in adolescents. Secondary analyses also suggest that the utility of cognitive behavioral therapy can be increased by ensuring adolescents receive a therapeutic dose of treatment sessions (more than nine sessions) and the inclusion of two treatment components: social skills and problem solving training. Guidelines for clinicians as well as areas for future research are discussed.
Development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease scoring system among adult medical check-up patients: a large cross-sectional and prospective validation study

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in the community. However, NAFLD remains undiagnosed in most people with limited access to imaging facilities in most developing countries. Objective To examine the prevalence of NAFLD and to develop the risk scoring model for predicting the presence of NAFLD among adult medical check-up patients. Method A large prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among medical check-up patients who underwent transabdominal ultrasound examination between January and December 2013 in Medistra Hospital, Jakarta. Data were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Logistic regression analyses were undertaken to identify the best combination of risk factors for predicting fatty liver using the backward (likelihood ratio) approach. The adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were estimated using the logistic regression coefficient. The prediction model was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and was validated on a new, prospective cohort. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 17. Results A total of 1,054 cases was included in this study. Fatty liver was present in 538 (51.0%) patients. Bivariate analyses found associations among fatty liver and several risk factors. Six risk factors were incorporated to build the final prediction model. All scores were summed up to obtain the total score. A probability equation was developed by applying linear regression analysis on the total score. The prediction model had good diagnostic performance with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve =0.833 (95% confidence interval =0.809–0.857). The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit P-value was 0.232, which indicated the appropriateness of the logistic regression model to predict fatty liver. On the validation set, the scoring system proved to be moderately accurate and can potentially be applied to larger population setting. Conclusion The presence of fatty liver in NAFLD patients can be predicted using our proposed fatty liver scoring system.
Novel Insights in the Rehabilitation of Neglect

Visuospatial neglect due to right hemisphere damage, usually a stroke, is a major cause of disability, impairing the ability to perform a whole range of everyday life activities. Conventional and long-established methods for the rehabilitation of neglect like visual scanning training, optokinetic stimulation, or limb activation training have produced positive results, with varying degrees of generalization to (un)trained tasks, lasting from several minutes up to various months after training. Nevertheless, some promising novel approaches to the remediation of left visuospatial neglect have emerged in the last decade. These new therapy methods can be broadly classified into four categories. First, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques by means of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), after a period of mainly diagnostic utilization, are increasingly applied as neurorehabilitative tools. Second, two classes of drugs, dopaminergic and noradrenergic, have been investigated for their potential effectiveness in rehabilitating neglect. Third, prism adaptation treatment has been shown to improve several neglect symptoms consistently, sometimes during longer periods of time. Finally, virtual reality technologies hold new opportunities for the development of effective training techniques for neglect. They provide realistic, rich, and highly controllable training environments. In this paper the degree of effectiveness and the evidence gathered to support the therapeutic claims of these new approaches is reviewed and discussed. The conclusion is that for all these approaches there still is insufficient unbiased evidence to support their effectiveness. Further neglect rehabilitation research should focus on the maintenance of therapy results over time, on a more functional evaluation of treatment effects, on the design and execution of true replication studies and on the exploration of optimal combinations of treatments.
Cardiac Involvement Classification and Therapeutic Management in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited myogenic disorder due to mutations in the dystrophin gene on chromosome Xp21.1. The clinical picture included peripheral muscle weakness, cardiomyopathy and chronic respiratory insufficiency. In this paper, the authors review cardiac involvement in patients with DMD, propose a cardiac impairment classification and discuss therapeutic management options.
APP Phosphorylation at S655 Correlates with F-actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics—Relevance in Neuronal Differentiation

The Alzheimer’s Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is a type 1 transmembranar protein that has been implicated in roles such as cell adherence, survival, migration and differentiation. Although a role in neuritogenesis has been attributed to APP, some contradictory results have been reported regarding the benefits of knocking-down or overexpressing APP. Our preliminary work indicated that pAPP (APP phosphorylated at the S655 residue) may potentially modulate APP-mediated neuronal differentiation, through mechanisms that may involve increased APP trafficking and cleavage, and altered APP-mediated cytoskeleton rearrangements. In order to address the ability of APP and pAPP to mediate neuronal differentiation, we used APP cDNA constructs fused to the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP): wild-type APP and APP S655 mutants (S655A dephosphomimicking and S655E phosphomimicking mutants). SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, a well documented neuronal-like cell model, were used, and the conditions for their retinoic-acid mediated differentiation and concomitant APP-GFP transfection were first optimized.
THE SECOND REALIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CELESTIAL REFERENCE FRAME BY VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY

We present the second realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF2) at radio wavelengths using nearly 30 years of Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations. ICRF2 contains precise positions of 3414 compact radio astronomical objects and has a positional noise floor of ∼40 μas and a directional stability of the frame axes of ∼10 μas. A set of 295 new “defining” sources was selected on the basis of positional stability and the lack of extensive intrinsic source structure. The positional stability of these 295 defining sources and their more uniform sky distribution eliminates the two greatest weaknesses of the first realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF1). Alignment of ICRF2 with the International Celestial Reference System was made using 138 positionally stable sources common to both ICRF2 and ICRF1. The resulting ICRF2 was adopted by the International Astronomical Union as the new fundamental celestial reference frame, replacing ICRF1 as of 2010 January 1.
A social-ecological impact assessment for public lands management: application of a conceptual and methodological framework

According to the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), federal action to manipulate habitat for species conservation requires an environmental impact statement, which should integrate natural, physical, economic, and social sciences in planning and decision making. Nonetheless, most impact assessments focus disproportionately on physical or ecological impacts rather than integrating ecological and socioeconomic components. We developed a participatory social-ecological impact assessment (SEIA) that addresses the requirements of NEPA and integrates social and ecological concepts for impact assessments. We cooperated with the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho, USA on a project designed to restore habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). We employed questionnaires, workshop dialogue, and participatory mapping exercises with stakeholders to identify potential environmental changes and subsequent impacts expected to result from the removal of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). Via questionnaires and workshop dialogue, stakeholders identified 46 environmental changes and associated positive or negative impacts to people and communities in Owyhee County, Idaho. Results of the participatory mapping exercises showed that the spatial distribution of social, economic, and ecological values throughout Owyhee County are highly associated with the two main watersheds, wilderness areas, and the historic town of Silver City. Altogether, the SEIA process revealed that perceptions of project scale varied among participants, highlighting the need for specificity about spatial and temporal scales. Overall, the SEIA generated substantial information concerning potential impacts associated with habitat treatments for Greater Sage-Grouse. The SEIA is transferable to other land management and conservation contexts because it supports holistic understanding and framing of connections between humans and ecosystems. By applying this SEIA framework, land managers and affected people have an opportunity to fulfill NEPA requirements and develop more comprehensive management plans that better reflect the linkages of social-ecological systems.
Microarray analysis of changes in mRNA levels in the rat retina after experimental elevation of intraocular pressure.

PURPOSE The goal of this study was to identify altered patterns of retinal mRNA expression after experimental elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in a rat glaucoma model. METHODS Brown Norway rats (N = 16) received unilateral episcleral vein injection of hypertonic saline to elevate IOP. IOP was monitored daily by handheld tonometer, and retinas were collected 8 days and 5 weeks after surgery. Comparison of mRNA levels between experimental and fellow retinas was made using gene microarrays (rat U34A rat arrays; Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Semiquantitative RT-PCR was used to confirm selected results from array analysis and to compare with alterations after optic nerve transection. RESULTS IOP elevation for 5 weeks resulted in reproducible changes in levels of 81 mRNAs. Of these, 74 increased, whereas only 7 decreased. The expression levels of 27 of these same messages were changed after 8 days of IOP elevation. In addition, four other genes demonstrated altered expression after the shorter period of elevated IOP exposure. Approximately half of the mRNAs with altered expression were associated with either neuroinflammatory responses or apoptosis. For 25 of the selected functionally relevant messages altered by array analysis, the alterations were confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The levels of 24 of 25 selected messages were also changed after optic nerve transection. CONCLUSIONS The activation of glia and the complement system after IOP elevation, which is similar to that described in several neurodegenerative diseases and after optic nerve transection, suggests that this rat glaucoma model could be used to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of therapeutic agents that target these processes.