Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
River Water Quality: Who Cares, How Much and Why?

An important motivation for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive is the creation of non-market environmental benefits, such as improved ecological quality, or greater opportunities for open-access river recreation via microbial pollution remediation. Pollution sources impacting on ecological or recreational water quality may be uncorrelated, but non-market benefits arising from riverine improvements are typically conflated within benefit valuation studies. Using stated preference choice experiments embedded within a survey that also collected respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, we aimed to disaggregate these sources of value for different river users, thereby allowing decision makers to understand the consequences of adopting alternative investment strategies. Our results suggested that anglers derived greater value from improvements to the ecological quality of river water, in contrast to swimmers and rowers, for whom greater value is gained from improvements to recreational quality. More generally, we found three distinct groups of respondents: a majority preferring ecological over recreational improvements, a substantial minority holding opposing preference orderings, and a yet smaller proportion expressing relatively low values for either form of river quality enhancement. As such, this research demonstrates that the non-market benefits that may accrue from different types of water quality improvements are nuanced in terms of their potential beneficiaries and, by inference, their overall value and policy implications.
miR-17∼92 miRNA cluster promotes kidney cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD), the most common genetic cause of chronic kidney failure, is characterized by the presence of numerous, progressively enlarging fluid-filled cysts in the renal parenchyma. The cysts arise from renal tubules and are lined by abnormally functioning and hyperproliferative epithelial cells. Despite recent progress, no Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy is available to retard cyst growth. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that inhibit posttranscriptional gene expression. Dysregulated miRNA expression is observed in PKD, but whether miRNAs are directly involved in kidney cyst formation and growth is not known. Here, we show that miR-17∼92, an oncogenic miRNA cluster, is up-regulated in mouse models of PKD. Kidney-specific transgenic overexpression of miR-17∼92 produces kidney cysts in mice. Conversely, kidney-specific inactivation of miR-17∼92 in a mouse model of PKD retards kidney cyst growth, improves renal function, and prolongs survival. miR-17∼92 may mediate these effects by promoting proliferation and through posttranscriptional repression of PKD genes Pkd1, Pkd2, and hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β. These studies demonstrate a pathogenic role of miRNAs in mouse models of PKD and identify miR-17∼92 as a therapeutic target in PKD. Our results also provide a unique hypothesis for disease progression in PKD involving miRNAs and regulation of PKD gene dosage.
Root hypoxia reduces leaf growth : role of factors in the transpiration stream.

This study examined the potential role of restricted phloem export, or import of substances from the roots in the leaf growth response to root hypoxia. In addition, the effects of root hypoxia on abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) levels were measured and their effects on in vitro growth determined. Imposition of root hypoxia in the dark when transpirational water flux was minimal delayed the reduction in leaf growth until the following light period. Restriction of phloem transport by stem girdling did not eliminate the hypoxia-induced reduction in leaf growth. In vitro growth of leaf discs was inhibited in the presence of xylem sap collected from hypoxic roots, and also by millimolar ABA. Disc growth was promoted by sap from aerated roots and by 0.1 micromolar ZR. The flux of both ABA and ZR was reduced in xylem sap from hypoxic roots. Leaf ABA transiently increased twofold after 24 hours of hypoxia exposure but there were no changes in leaf cytokinin levels.
Television viewing associated with adverse dietary outcomes in children ages 2–6

The aim of this paper was to systematically review the evidence for the association between television viewing and diet in children ages 2–6. Data sources included PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC, SportDISCUS, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science and hand searches of reference lists of relevant articles. Twelve studies were reviewed in which the relationship between television viewing and diet was assessed in children between the ages of 2 and 6. All but one study reported significant relationship between television viewing time and adverse dietary outcomes. Parent‐reported television viewing time was used to assay child television viewing in all included studies. Food frequency survey was the most frequent method of dietary assessment, and parent served as proxies for children in all studies. Lower fruit and/or vegetable intake was the most frequently reported dietary outcome, followed by increased energy intake with increased television viewing. The majority of studies reported adverse dietary outcomes with as little as 1 h of daily television exposure. While these results are consistent with recommendations from child health advocates to limit television viewing in young children, they also suggest that further efforts to limit television viewing in young children may be needed to aid in obesity prevention.
A Randomized Control Trial: Supplementing Hearing Aid Use with Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE) Auditory Training

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of the Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE) program as a supplement to standard-of-care hearing aid intervention in a Veteran population. Design: A multisite randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare outcomes following standard-of-care hearing aid intervention supplemented with (1) LACE training using the 10-session DVD format, (2) LACE training using the 20-session computer-based format, (3) placebo auditory training (AT) consisting of actively listening to 10 hr of digitized books on a computer, and (4) educational counseling—the control group. The study involved 3 VA sites and enrolled 279 veterans. Both new and experienced hearing aid users participated to determine if outcomes differed as a function of hearing aid user status. Data for five behavioral and two self-report measures were collected during three research visits: baseline, immediately following the intervention period, and at 6 months postintervention. The five behavioral measures were selected to determine whether the perceptual and cognitive skills targeted in LACE training generalized to untrained tasks that required similar underlying skills. The two self-report measures were completed to determine whether the training resulted in a lessening of activity limitations and participation restrictions. Outcomes were obtained from 263 participants immediately following the intervention period and from 243 participants 6 months postintervention. Analyses of covariance comparing performance on each outcome measure separately were conducted using intervention and hearing aid user status as between-subject factors, visit as a within-subject factor, and baseline performance as a covariate. Results: No statistically significant main effects or interactions were found for the use of LACE on any outcome measure. Conclusions: Findings from this randomized controlled trial show that LACE training does not result in improved outcomes over standard-of-care hearing aid intervention alone. Potential benefits of AT may be different than those assessed by the performance and self-report measures utilized here. Individual differences not assessed in this study should be examined to evaluate whether AT with LACE has any benefits for particular individuals. Clinically, these findings suggest that audiologists may want to temper the expectations of their patients who embark on LACE training.
Estimation of Insulin Secretion Rates from C-Peptide Levels: Comparison of Individual and Standard Kinetic Parameters for C-Peptide Clearance

Insulin secretion rates can be accurately estimated from plasma C-peptide levels with a two-compartment model for C-peptide distribution and degradation. In previous studies, the kinetic parameters of C-peptide clearance were derived in each subject from the decay curve observed after bolus intravenous injection of biosynthetic human C-peptide. To determine whether standard parameters for C-peptide clearance could be defined and used to calculate insulin secretion without obtaining a decay curve in each subject, we analyzed 200 decay curves of biosynthetic human C-peptide obtained in normal, obese, and non-insulindependent diabetes mellitus subjects studied in ourlaboratory. This analysis showed that the volume of distribution and kinetic parameters of C-peptide distribution and metabolism vary by <30% in a population highly heterogenous in terms of age, sex, degree of obesity, and degree of glucose tolerance. The volume of distribution correlated with the degree of obesity as quantified by body surface area (BSA). This dependence of C-peptide distribution volume on BSA was more marked in men than in women. The long half-life was slightly longer in elderly subjects than in younger adults. When effects of BSA, sex, and age were taken into account, the parameters of C-peptide kinetics were very similar in normal, obese, and diabetic subjects. Based on these findings, a simple procedure to derive standard parameters for C-peptide clearance taking into account degree of obesity, sex, and age was defined. These standard parameters resulted in estimations of mean insulin secretion rates, which differed in each subject by only 10-12% from those obtained with individual parameters. The approach of using standard ratherthan individual parameters did not systematically underestimate or overestimate insulin secretion so that group values for the fasting secretion rate, the mean 24-h secretion rate, and the number and the amplitude of secretory pulses obtained with standard parameters differed by only 1–2% from the values obtained with individual parameters. Furthermore, the accuracy of measurements based on standard parameters was not different from that associated with replicate determinations of the parameters of C-peptide clearance in the same subject. We conclude that it is possible to estimate insulin secretion rates from plasma C-peptide levels with standard parameters for C-peptide clearance rather than individually derived parameters without significant loss of accuracy.
Microvascular proliferation in luminal A and basal-like breast cancer subtypes

Aims The aims of this study were to examine microvessel density (MVD), proliferating MVD (pMVD) and Vascular Proliferation Index (VPI) in basal-like phenotype (BP) and luminal A subtypes of breast cancer and to study their prognostic value. Methods Dual-colour immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor and Ki67 was done on sections from 62 luminal A and 62 BP tumours matched for grade and selected from 909 breast cancers previously reclassified into molecular subtypes. Associations between MVD, pMVD and VPI, molecular subtypes and breast cancer prognosis were estimated using linear regression and survival analyses. Results Both pMVD (difference 1.9 microvessels/mm2 (p=0.002)) and VPI (difference 1.7 percentage points (p=0.014)) were higher in BP tumours compared with luminal A. No clear difference between subtypes was found for MVD. However, only MVD was associated with prognosis. HR for breast cancer death for all cases was 1.10 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.18) per 10 vessels increase. Among luminal A tumours, HR was 1.22 per 10 vessels increase (p<0.001) and in BP it was 1.04 (p=0.37). Conclusions High MVD was associated with poor prognosis in luminal A, but not in BP cancers. Vascular proliferation was higher in BP, indicating a more active angiogenesis than in luminal A tumours. The luminal A subgroup comprised mostly histopathological grade 3 cancers in this selected series, and further studies are needed to clarify whether MVD provides additional prognostic information for luminal A tumours irrespective of grade. This may contribute to stratification of this large group of patients and may aid in identifying tumours with a particularly good prognosis.
Initial clinical results of the bioartificial kidney containing human cells in ICU patients with acute renal failure.

BACKGROUND Acute renal failure (ARF) in intensive care unit patients continues to have mortality rates exceeding 70%, despite hemodialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The delivery of cellular metabolic function to CRRT may provide more complete renal replacement therapy, thereby changing the natural history of this disease process. An FDA-approved Phase I/II clinical trial on 10 patients has been completed, and demonstrated that this experimental treatment can be delivered safely for up to 24 hours. METHODS The bioartificial kidney is a synthetic hemofilter connected in series with a bioreactor cartridge containing approximately 10(9) human proximal tubule cells, as a renal tubule assist device (RAD), within an extracorporeal perfusion circuit utilizing standard hemofiltration pump systems. All 10 patients had ARF and multiorgan failure (MOF), with predicted hospital mortality rates averaging above 85%. RESULTS Data indicate that the RAD maintains viability, durability, and functionality in this ex vivo clinical setting. The device also demonstrated differentiated metabolic and endocrinologic activity, with glutathione degradation and endocrinologic conversion of 25-OH-D(3) to 1,25-(OH)(2)-D(3). All but one treated patient with more than a 3-day follow-up in the intensive care unit showed improvement as assessed by acute physiologic scores 1 to 7 days following therapy. Six of the 10 treated patients survived past 30 days. One patient expired within 12 hours after RAD treatment due to his family's request to withdraw ventilatory life support. Three other patients died due to complications from acute or chronic comorbidities unrelated to ARF or RAD therapy. Plasma cytokine levels suggest that RAD therapy produced dynamic and individualized responses in patients. For the subset of patients who had excessive proinflammatory levels, RAD treatment resulted in significant declines in granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-6/IL-10 ratios. CONCLUSION The addition of human renal tubule cell therapy to CRRT has been accomplished and demonstrates metabolic activity with systemic effects in patients with ARF and MOF. These initial clinical results are encouraging, so that a randomized, controlled Phase II clinical trial is underway to further assess the clinical safety and efficacy of this new therapeutic approach.
The Effectiveness of the Snug Vest on Stereotypic Behaviors in Children Diagnosed With an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Various reviews of the effects of sensory integration therapy (SIT) have concluded that such interventions fail to reduce stereotypy. However, a new, and as yet untested, SIT iteration, an inflatable wearable vest known as the Snug Vest purports to decrease such repetitive behavior. In the current study, three children who emitted different forms of stereotypy participated in an alternating treatments design in which each participant wore a fully inflated vest and either a fully deflated vest or no vest. The results of the study show that the Snug Vest failed to reduce any participants’ stereotypy. We highlight our findings in the context of professional practice and discuss several potential limitations.
Luminal Microbes Promote Monocyte–Stem Cell Interactions Across a Healthy Colonic Epithelium

The intestinal epithelium forms a vital barrier between luminal microbes and the underlying mucosal immune system. Epithelial barrier function is maintained by continuous renewal of the epithelium and is pivotal for gut homeostasis. Breaching of the barrier causes mobilization of immune cells to promote epithelial restitution. However, it is not known whether microbes at the luminal surface of a healthy epithelial barrier influence immune cell mobilization to modulate tissue homeostasis. Using a mouse colonic mucosal explant model, we demonstrate that close proximity of luminal microbes to a healthy, intact epithelium results in rapid mucus secretion and movement of Ly6C+7/4+ monocytes closer to epithelial stem cells. These early events are driven by the epithelial MyD88-signaling pathway and result in increased crypt cell proliferation and intestinal stem cell number. Over time, stem cell number and monocyte–crypt stem cell juxtapositioning return to homeostatic levels observed in vivo. We also demonstrate that reduced numbers of tissue Ly6C+ monocytes can suppress Lgr5EGFP+ stem cell expression in vivo and abrogate the response to luminal microbes ex vivo. The functional link between monocyte recruitment and increased crypt cell proliferation was further confirmed using a crypt–monocyte coculture model. This work demonstrates that the healthy gut epithelium mediates communication between luminal bacteria and monocytes, and monocytes can modulate crypt stem cell number and promote crypt cell proliferation to help maintain gut homeostasis.
Performance of MIMO-OFDM-BICM on Measured Indoor Channels

In this paper, the bit error rate (BER) and packet error rate (PER) performance of multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with bit interleaved coded modulation (MIMO-OFDM-BICM) systems using convolutional, turbo, or low density parity check (LDPC) coding schemes are evaluated on MIMO-OFDM channels measured in various indoor environments. For a given average signal to noise ratio (SNR) per receiver, the performance of MIMO-OFDM-BICM in a line-of-sight (LoS) environment can vary significantly depending on the existence of scattering, while it is more uniformly distributed in a non-line-of-sight (NLoS) environment. We show that, due to bursty coded bit error characteristics of turbo and LDPC coding, only marginal coding gain over convolutional coding is observed in terms of BER. However, when PER is compared, a 3 dB coding gain is achieved by the turbo or LDPC code over the convolutional code
Establishing eye contact for home video communication using stereo analysis and free viewpoint synthesis

Eye contact has been proven to be an important visual cue in video communication applications. We present a method to re-establish eye contact in a home video communication scenario caused by misalignment between the camera and the communication window the participant looks at. Our method covers the complete algorithm chain from acquisition to rendering and uses a pixel-based 3D analysis and rendering approach to create a virtual view of a camera placed at the position of the communication window. The outcomes of a large scale subjective study identified the crucial problems of such an approach. Based on the significant observations during the study in this paper we address the most important problems. We propose a method that produces spatially consistent depth maps using cross-check based filling. We address aliasing artifacts during point rendering and present a method to enhance the virtual view by image inpainting based on robust contour warping.
The vibrissal motor output following severing and repair of the facial nerve in the newborn rat reorganises less than in the adult

This study examined the ability of facial motoneurons and motor cortex to reorganise their relationship with the somatic musculature following the severing and repair of the facial nerve in rats at birth. In each adult rat, the organisation of the facial nucleus and the cortical motor output corresponding to the normal side were compared with those corresponding to the reinnervated side. Labelling was used to reveal reinnervation‐induced long‐term changes in the motoneuron pool supplying vibrissal muscles. Cortical motor output was assessed by mapping the vibrissal movement area extension and thresholds evoked by intracortical microstimulation. After facial nerve reinnervation: (i) the proportion of labelled cell profiles decreased by 85.2% of that in the control side and cortical representation of vibrissal movement decreased by 66.3% of that in control hemispheres; (ii) the reorganised vibrissal representation was shrunken to the medialmost portion of the normal vibrissal representation and there was a medial extension of the forelimb representation, and a more modest lateral extension of eye representation, into the vibrissal territory; (iii) the normal pattern of contralateral vibrissal movement was observed in only 10% of the vibrissal sites, whereas ipsilateral vibrissal movement was found in 53% of the vibrissal sites; (iv) there was an increase in the mean threshold required to evoke contralateral vibrissal movement (32.5 ± 11.1 vs. 20.5 ± 6.9 µA). Thresholds to evoke other types of movement were similar to normal. These changes indicate that an incomplete motor axon regeneration at birth does not restore normal innervation and normal cortical control over the vibrissal muscles.
Immunohistochemistry of Tissue Prepared by a Molecular-Friendly Fixation and Processing System

Abstract:A recently introduced histologic fixative (Universal Molecular Fixative [UMFIX]) has been shown to preserve macromolecules in tissue at ambient temperature. When UMFIX-exposed tissues are processed by a formalin-free, microwave-assisted rapid processing system, the resulting paraffin blocks retain good histomorphology and intact nucleic acids suitable for expression microarray analysis. Because UMFIX may be used as an alternative to formalin, the authors set out to study the effect of this new fixation and processing system on immunohistochemistry (IHC) by analyzing a range of human neoplastic and non-neoplastic specimens. Parallel slices from surgically removed specimens were fixed in formalin and UMFIX and processed in a rapid microwave-assisted tissue processor. IHC was performed following routine procedures. The staining for those antibodies that normally required antigen retrieval was carried out with and without that step. The intensity and pattern of reactions were compared in 144 tissue samples fixed by the two methods using 70 monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The intensity of IHC reactions for most cytoplasmic antigens was generally equal or stronger in UMFIX tissues. This was particularly true with intermediate filaments and HercepTest, where the antigen retrieval step became unnecessary. Conversely, there was a decrease in the intensity of reactions for HepPar1, bcl-2, and three nuclear antigens (Ki-67, TTF-1, and estrogen receptor). Increasing their exposure times optimized the sensitivity of the latter four antibodies. The study shows that IHC staining results of tissues fixed in UMFIX and processed by the microwave-assisted system are comparable to those obtained on formalin-fixed, similarly processed specimens. There is an enhancement of the sensitivity of few antibodies in UMFIX-exposed tissue, rendering antigen retrieval unnecessary. This increased sensitivity may be due to the effect of eliminating formalin from fixation and processing or the microwave energy.