Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of biomarkers to elucidate genetic susceptibility to cancer

Genetic variations have generally been accepted to be the major mechanism for the differences observed in susceptibility to cancer. However, extensive investigations on genotype‐disease associations have not produced consistent results. The inconsistency may be caused by many factors, such as improper study design, insufficient sample size, complexity of the traits under investigation, heterogeneity of the study subjects, incorrect assumptions about the underlying genetic architecture, misclassification of the disease, improper selection of potential alleles, and overinterpretation of the data. Besides these “traditional” factors, a recent problem is that the function of many variant genotypes is unknown, especially with regard to polymorphic DNA repair genes. Therefore, in addition to the genotype‐disease relationship, it may be prudent to step back and investigate the fundamental role of genetic variation in the development of cancer. The latter studies may focus on understanding the genotype‐exposure interactions and evaluating genotype‐health risk associations. This review will emphasize the use of relevant biomarkers and polymorphic DNA repair genes for investigations. These data will be useful for a better understanding of the complexity of disease causation and development, developing new models for human disease, and identifying pathways for prevention of cancer. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimization of MAC Frame Structure for Opportunistic Spectrum Access

Sensing-throughput tradeoff is involved in opportunistic spectrum access (OSA). At the physical layer it's expressed as the tradeoff between false alarm and misdetection, while at the MAC layer it's between maximizing the throughput of secondary users and reducing collisions with primary users. To balance both tradeoffs together drives the optimization of MAC frame structure for OSA. Since channel handoff results in a time overhead for MAC frame, it's first researched by modeling OSA dynamics in the paper. Three handoff cases and their probabilities are deduced, which lead to three application scenarios of MAC frame. Thus the throughput model of secondary network involving channel handoff is proposed. By balancing the misdetection and false alarm probabilities and maximizing the throughput of secondary network subject to the sensing quality and collision avoidance constraints, the optimal sensing time and frame duration are deduced as closed forms. The characteristics of the optimal MAC frame structure are researched as well. Theoretical and simulated results disclose the impacts of channel handoff and spectrum sensing on MAC frame structure and the achievable throughput of secondary network, which provide an insight for OSA design and improvement.
Contents Prefatory The Evolution of a Cognitive Psychologist : A Journey from Simple Behaviors to Complex Mental Acts

Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be experienced by the organism. Motivational analyses should restrict themselves, therefore, to the altruistic impulse and its knowable consequences. Empathy is an ideal candidate mechanism to underlie so-called directed altruism, i.e., altruism in response to another’s pain, need, or distress. Evidence is accumulating that this mechanism is phylogenetically ancient, probably as old as mammals and birds. Perception of the emotional state of another automatically activates shared representations causing a matching emotional state in the observer. With increasing cognition, state-matching evolved into more complex forms, including concern for the other and perspective-taking. Empathy-induced altruism derives its strength from the emotional stake it offers the self in the other’s welfare. The dynamics of the empathy mechanism agree with predictions from kin selection and reciprocal altruism theory.
Resisting Compliance: Learning to Teach for Social Justice in a Neoliberal Context

Background/Context This study examines education in the context of neoliberalism and how current educational policies such as high-stakes testing and mandated curriculum create schooling environments hostile to social justice education. Relying on education for liberation literature, teacher education for social justice scholarship, and work on critical pedagogy, this study explores how new teachers who teach from a social justice perspective navigate the challenges of their first year in teaching. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study asks, What strategies do new teachers use to stay true to their vision of teaching for social justice despite the challenges they face in their school environments? Population/Participants/Subjects During the course of the study, 4 of the 6 participants were full-time classroom teachers. The 2 other participants were still taking education classes while student- and assistant teaching. All worked in a variety of urban elementary schools. Intervention/Program/Practice The participants were all members of a social justice critical inquiry project (CIP) group that met at the university from which they graduated. Research Design This was a qualitative study that used design-based research. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected from three sources: transcripts from audio and videotaped CIP sessions, ethnographic interviews with participants, and participants’ written reflections. Data were analyzed using grounded theory method. Findings/Results The teachers developed four strategies for teaching for social justice. First, by participating in a critical inquiry project, the teachers supported each other by building a safe haven that protected their vision. Second, the participants camouflaged their critical pedagogy by integrating it with the mandated curriculum, which allowed them to teach from a social justice perspective without rousing the concerns of their administration. The third strategy was to develop their students as agents of change. Finally, in a few instances, the teachers went public with their work by rejecting or speaking against policies that they felt were not in the best interests of their students. Conclusions/Recommendations Although these four strategies allowed participants to successfully create critical classrooms, they did not impact the larger neoliberal forces that maintain unjust schooling experiences. This has implications for teacher education, and the author suggests recommendations for schools of education.
African American Women: Surviving Breast Cancer Mortality against the Highest Odds

Among the country’s 25 largest cities, the breast cancer mortality disparity is highest in Memphis, Tennessee, where African American women are twice as likely to die from breast cancer as White women. This qualitative study of African-American breast cancer survivors explores experiences during and post treatment that contributed to their beating the high odds of mortality. Using a semi-structured interview guide, a focus group session was held in 2012 with 10 breast cancer survivors. Thematic analysis and a deductive a priori template of codes were used to analyze the data. Five main themes were identified: family history, breast/body awareness and preparedness to manage a breast cancer event, diagnosis experience and reaction to the diagnosis, family reactions, and impact on life. Prayer and family support were central to coping, and survivors voiced a cultural acceptance of racial disparities in health outcomes. They reported lack of provider sensitivity regarding pain, financial difficulties, negative responses from family/friends, and resiliency strategies for coping with physical and mental limitations. Our research suggested that a patient-centered approach of demystifying breast cancer (both in patient-provider communication and in community settings) would impact how women cope with breast cancer and respond to information about its diagnosis.
Can Reduced‐Step Polishers Be as Effective as Multiple‐Step Polishers in Enhancing Surface Smoothness?

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various finishing and polishing systems on the final surface roughness of a resin composite. Hypotheses tested were: (1) reduced-step polishing systems are as effective as multiple-step systems on reducing the surface roughness of a resin composite and (2) the number of application steps in an F/P system has no effect on reducing surface roughness. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety discs of a nano-hybrid resin composite were fabricated and divided into nine groups (n = 10). Except the control, all of the specimens were roughened prior to be polished by: Enamel Plus Shiny, Venus Supra, One-gloss, Sof-Lex Wheels, Super-Snap, Enhance/PoGo, Clearfil Twist Dia, and rubber cups. The surface roughness was measured and the surfaces were examined under scanning electron microscope. Results were analyzed with analysis of variance and Holm-Sidak's multiple comparisons test (p < 0.05). RESULTS Significant differences were found among the surface roughness of all groups (p < 0.05). The smoothest surfaces were obtained under Mylar strips and the results were not different than Super-Snap, Enhance/PoGo, and Sof-Lex Spiral Wheels. The group that showed the roughest surface was the rubber cup group and these results were similar to those of the One-gloss, Enamel Plus Shiny, and Venus Supra groups. CONCLUSIONS (1) The number of application steps has no effect on the performance of F/P systems. (2) Reduced-step polishers used after a finisher can be preferable to multiple-step systems when used on nanohybrid resin composites. (3) The effect of F/P systems on surface roughness seems to be material-dependent rather than instrument- or system-dependent. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Reduced-step systems used after a prepolisher can be an acceptable alternative to multiple-step systems on enhancing the surface smoothness of a nanohybrid composite; however, their effectiveness depends on the materials' properties. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29:31-40, 2017).
How parents of young children manage digital devices at home: the role of income, education and parental style

(2015) How parents of young children manage digital devices at home: The role of income, education and parental style. (2014) Experiences with sexual content: What we know from the research so far. (2014) Children's use of online technologies in Europe: A review of the European evidence base. (2014) The meaning of online problematic situations for children: Cross-cultural qualitative investigation in nine European countries. (2013) Innovative approaches for investigating how young children understand risk in new media. (2013) Zero to eight. Young children and their internet use. EU Kids Online (see www.eukidsonline.net) was funded by the EC Better Internet for Kids Programme from 2006–14 to enhance knowledge of children's and parents' experiences and practices regarding risky and safer use of the internet and new online technologies. Fieldwork for this report was funded by the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC). (2015) Young children (0–8) and digital technology: A qualitative exploratory study across seven countries. From when children are very young, their parents start to develop strategies to manage (or mediate) their present and future digital media use. A key challenge they face is that digital media – by which we refer to the array of domestic and personal digital and networked devices for information, communication and entertainment now present in many European homes – are associated with both opportunities and risks. Qualitative research (based on interviews and observations) with 70 families with children younger than the age of eight conducted in seven European countries has already reported that parents are guided by their already-established styles of parenting and family values, extending these to digital media uses at home as soon as their young children first pick up a tablet or smartphone (Chaudron et al., 2015). Some parents already have experience with their older children and they adjust their approach to include younger children now going online. They are also led to intervene when they see their young children respond to digital devices in ways that worry them (spending too long on one activity, staring at the screen, behaving badly when the device is taken away, etc.). However, their good intentions are often hindered by a host of everyday practicalities including limitations of time, space, energy and finance. It is also likely that parents are influenced by the values, traditions and experiences that are grounded in their culture, religion or social position. Understanding commonalities among and differences between parental approaches is not yet …
Effect of Molecules Secreted by Lactobacillus acidophilus Strain La-5 on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Colonization

ABSTRACT The probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus strain La-5 is a gut-colonizing microorganism that, when established, becomes an important part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiota. It has been shown to be effective against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 infection. We have previously shown that molecules released by probiotic strain La-5 influence the transcription of EHEC genes involved in colonization and quorum sensing. In this work, we report on the ability of these molecules to prevent the adherence of EHEC to epithelial cells and on its capacity to concentrate F-actin at adhesion sites. With a fluorescein-labeled phallotoxin, it was shown that La-5 cell-free spent medium (CFSM) fractions remarkably reduced attaching and effacing lesions in HeLa cells. We also observed a significant inhibition of bacterial adhesion to Hep-2 cells when they were treated with the same La-5 CFSM fractions. In order to observe if La-5 CFSM fractions exhibited the same effect in vivo, we studied the ability of luminescent EHEC constructs (LEE1::luxCDABE) to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells of specific-pathogen-free ICR mice following intragastric inoculation. Colonization of the GI tract by luminescent EHEC O157:H7 was monitored in real time with a slow-scan charge-coupled device camera. At the same time, fecal shedding of EHEC was studied. Following oral gavage of the La-5 active fraction, we observed a reduced amount of bioluminescence signal along with a decrease in fecal shedding by mice, indicating an effect on the ability of the organism to colonize the GI tract. Our results confirm past evidence of the possibility of blocking or interfering with EHEC's virulence by active molecules contained in the probiotic CFSM and identify novel therapeutic alternatives to antibiotic treatments in the fight against food-borne pathogens.
Description and execution of manipulation and locomotion by a humanoid robot using cascaded contact states graph

For a humanoid robot, both locomotion and object manipulation include contact state changes between the robot, an object, and an environment. It is important for the humanoid's controller system to know the actual contact states. In this paper, we propose a method to describe and execute humanoid's behavior including both object manipulation and locomotion by focusing on contact states. We represent contact states transition as a graph. We utilize Robot-Environment (RE) contact states for locomotion graph and Robot-Object (RO) and Object-Environment (OE) contact states for object manipulation graph. We construct humanoid's behavior by cascading a locomotion graph and a manipulation graph. By using cascaded graph description, we can use the same methods to observe contact states, execute motions autonomously, and recover from errors regardless of whether the current behavior is locomotion or object manipulation. Finally, we evaluate our proposed system through the experiments in which a life-sized humanoid performs 3D climbing and manipulation of an object with an unknown mass.
Downregulation of microRNAs‐143 and ‐145 in B‐cell malignancies

Recently, it has been found that inappropriate expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is strongly associated with carcinogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of miRNAs (miRs) ‐143 and ‐145, the levels of which were previously shown to be reduced in colon cancers and various kinds of established cancer cell lines, was also decreased in most of the B‐cell malignancies examined, including chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL), B‐cell lymphomas, Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐transformed B‐cell lines, and Burkitt lymphoma cell lines. All samples from 13 CLL patients and eight of nine B‐cell lymphoma ones tested exhibited an extremely low expression of miRs‐143 and ‐145. The expression levels of miRs‐143 and ‐145 were consistently low in human Burkitt lymphoma cell lines and were inversely associated with the cell proliferation observed in the EBV‐transformed B‐cell lines. Moreover, the introduction of either precursor or mature miR‐143 and ‐145 into Raji cells resulted in a significant growth inhibition that occurred in a dose‐dependent manner and the target gene of miRNA‐143 was determined to be ERK5, as previously reported in human colon cancer DLD‐1 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that miRs‐143 and ‐145 may be useful as biomarkers that differentiate B‐cell malignant cells from normal cells and contribute to carcinogenesis in B‐cell malignancies by a newly defined mechanism. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 1914–1920)
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors: Potential Drug Targets for Psychiatric Disorders

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu receptors) have emerged as new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety with their regulatory roles in glutamatergic transmissions. To date, several ligands selective for each mGlu receptor have been synthesized, and pharmacological significances of these ligands have been demonstrated in animal models. Among them, mGlu2/3 receptor agonists have been proven to be effective for treating schizophrenia and anxiety disorders in clinical studies, which may prove utilities of mGlu receptor ligands for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This article reviews recent advances in development of each mGlu receptor ligands and their therapeutic potential.
Acrylic acid and methacrylic acid based hydrogels-A review

Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymeric networks those swell quickly by imbibing a large amount of water or deswell in response to even miniscule changes in their external environment. The water uptake or swelling may be thousands of times of their initial volume in water. The volume phase transitions as a response to different stimuli make these materials interesting objects of scientific observations and useful materials for use in advanced technologies. These materials have earned the sobriquet of stimuli responsive or smart gels. The stimulus response of the gels makes these potential materials for uses in variety of applications. Due to their stimuli responsiveness these gels are used in diverse fields such as environment management technologies, controlled drug release, chemomechanical acuator, bioreactor, solute recovery reagent, environment sensitive membrane, mass separation devices, chemical valves, biosensors and in separation and enrichment technologies. In the present review, an attempt has been made to highlight the recent advances in the hydrogels of acrylic acid (AAc) and methacrylic acid (MAAc).
Geographical psychology : exploring the interaction of environment and behavior

The places where people live vary considerably in terms of their social, economic, political, climatic, and physical characteristics. These conditions affect how people from different regions behave and interact with their environments and each other. Geographical psychology makes the case that understanding of psychological phenomena can be greatly informed by a cross-disciplinary perspective that investigates the spatial organisation and geographical representation of such phenomena and the mechanisms that are responsible. The research described in this volume indicates that personality, political ideology, well-being, happiness, human virtues, and personal concerns are related to several important geographic social indicators. Additionally, the contributors show how aspects of the social and physical environment influence and interact with such indices as health and morbidity, well-being, crime rates, identity, creativity, and community orientation. Collectively, the chapters in this volume provide a foundation for developing theory and research in this intriguing new field of study.
Mortality Associated With Congenital Heart Defects in the United States: Trends and Racial Disparities, 1979–1997

Background—Surgical series and some population-based studies have documented a decrease in mortality from heart defects. Recent population-based data for the United States are lacking, however. We examined population-based data for patterns, time trends, and racial differences of mortality from heart defects for the United States from 1979 through 1997. Methods and Results—We examined the multiple-cause mortality files compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC from all death certificates filed in the United States. From these data, we derived death rates (deaths per 100 000 population) by the decedent’s age, race, year of death, and heart defect type. We also analyzed age at death as an indirect indicator of survival. From 1979 through 1997, mortality from heart defects (all ages) declined 39%, from 2.5 to 1.5 per 100 000 population; among infants, the decline was 39%, or 2.7% per year. In 1995 to 1997, heart defects contributed to 5822 deaths per year. Of these deaths, 51% were among infants and 7% among children 1 to 4 years old. Mortality was on average 19% higher among blacks than among whites; this gap does not appear to be closing. Age at death increased for most heart defects, although less among blacks than among whites. Conclusions—Mortality from heart defects is declining in the United States, although it remains a major cause of death in infancy and childhood. Age at death is increasing, suggesting that more affected persons are living to adolescence and adulthood. The racial discrepancies should be investigated to identify opportunities for prevention.
CARCINOFETAL ALTERATIONS IN GLUCOSAMINE‐6‐PHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE *

The levels of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthetase in various rat tissues including those undergoing differentiation or regeneration revealed that the enzyme is related to tissue proliferation and differentiation. In the liver upon neoplastic transformation, the level of glucosamine 6-phosphate synthetase rises and the liver form of the enzyme having a pI at 5.0 is replaced by a form with a pI of 4.1. Since the latter form has also been found present in whole embryos (12- and 14-day) and brain, the molecular alterations of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthetase in liver neoplasia can be considered to be carcinofetal.
Combining Multiple Heuristics Online

We present black-box techniques for learning how to interleave the execution of multiple heuristics in order to improve average-case performance. In our model, a user is given a set of heuristics whose only observable behavior is their running time. Each heuristic can compute a solution to any problem instance, but its running time varies across instances. The user solves each instance by interleaving runs of the heuristics according to a task-switching schedule. We present (i) exact and approximation algorithms for computing an optimal task-switching schedule offline, (ii) sample complexity bounds for learning a task-switching schedule from training data, and (iii) a no-regret strategy for selecting task-switching schedules online. We demonstrate the power of our results using data from recent solver competitions. We outline how to extend our results to the case in which the heuristics are randomized, and the user may periodically restart each heuristic with a fresh random seed.