Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Manipulation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells for Knockout Mouse Production

The establishment of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell lines has allowed for the gene? ration of the knockout mouse. ES cells that are genetically altered in culture can then be manipulated to derive a whole mouse containing the desired mutation. To successfully generate a knockout mouse, however, the ES cells must be carefully cultivated in a pluripotent state throughout the gene‐targeting experiment. This unit describes detailed step‐by‐step protocols, reagents, equipment, and strategies needed for the successful generation of gene knockout embryonic stem cells using homologous recombination technologies. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 44:19.13. 1‐19.13. 24. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Factors that Enhance Treatment Outcome of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

ABSTRACT Effective cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) programs have been developed for aU of the anxiety disorders. Common elements of CBT for these disorders include exposure to feared objects, situations, activities, thoughts, memories, and sensations; cognitive restructuring of dysfunctional beliefs; and training in anxiety management skills, such as controlled breathing and relaxation. This article describes CBT procedures for anxiety disorders and summarizes the research documenting its efficacy. Next, the article discusses the factors that influence the efficacy of these treatment program. Finally, emotional-processing theory is discussed to explain the efficacy of CBT for anxiety and how this theory can assist in selecting optimal treatment brocedures.
Towards More Productive Online Discussions: Social Presence and the Development of Interpersonal Relations

This chapter deals with a case study into social presence in text-based online learning at the postgraduate level. The case seeks to address questions related to the social dynamics of online learning environments through a study of learner experiences with social presence. The case highlights the role and function of social presence in the development of interpersonal relations and the effects of those relations on social processes in online learning environments. The findings identify a set of social-relational mechanisms and a progression of relational states which promote understanding of social processes in textbased online environments.
The Protective Role of Melanin Against UV Damage in Human Skin †

Human skin is repeatedly exposed to UVR that influences the function and survival of many cell types and is regarded as the main causative factor in the induction of skin cancer. It has been traditionally believed that skin pigmentation is the most important photoprotective factor, as melanin, besides functioning as a broadband UV absorbent, has antioxidant and radical scavenging properties. Besides, many epidemiological studies have shown a lower incidence for skin cancer in individuals with darker skin compared to those with fair skin. Skin pigmentation is of great cultural and cosmetic importance, yet the role of melanin in photoprotection is still controversial. This article outlines the major acute and chronic effects of UVR on human skin, the properties of melanin, the regulation of pigmentation and its effect on skin cancer prevention.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis for children with vesicoureteral reflux.

This is a multi-centric randomized controlled trial [1] comparing cotrimoxazole prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis in children (<6 years old) with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) detected after a first or second episode of urinary tract infection (UTI). The trial was designed to determine efficacy in preventing recurrence of UTI and renal scarring, as well as antibiotic resistance patterns. It was conducted across 19 sites in the United States, recruiting subjects over nearly five years, with follow-up for at least two years. Among 86% children who completed the study, the investigators observed lower recurrence of UTI in the intervention group (14.8%) in comparison to controls (27.4%). Intention-totreat analysis showed similar results but lesser magnitude of difference (25.5% vs 37.4%). However, there was no difference in the incidence of renal scarring (new scarring or worsening of pre-existing scarring); 11.9% and 10.2% in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance increased significantly with prophylaxis. The investigators concluded that antibiotic prophylaxis is useful to prevent repeat episodes of UTI in children with VUR.
Screening, prevention, and treatment for hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated infections caused by Strongyloides stercoralis

Purpose of review This review discusses the latest approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with strongyloidiasis, with an emphasis on infection in the immunocompromised host and the risk for disseminated strongyloidiasis. Recent findings The differences in acute, chronic, accelerated autoinfection, and disseminated disease in Strongyloides stercoralis infection are explored with particular emphasis on early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The goals of treatment are investigated for the different infection states. Predisposing risks for dissemination are delineated, and the roles played for newer diagnostics in the identification of at-risk individuals are detailed. Summary The use of newer diagnostic tests and broader screening of immunocompromised patients from Strongyloides-endemic areas is of paramount importance, particularly if prevention of life-threatening dissemination is the goal.
Lower urinary connective tissue growth factor levels and incident CKD stage 3 in the general population.

BACKGROUND Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is involved in the development and progression of kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy and kidney fibrosis, but also may have a role in mesangial repair after injury. It is unknown whether, in the general population, urinary CTGF levels are associated with a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (ie, development of chronic kidney disease [CKD] stage 3). STUDY DESIGN Nested case-control. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 100 cases of incident CKD stage 3 and 100 age-and sex-matched controls in the Framingham Heart Study; 141 cases and 135 age-, sex-, and race-matched controls in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Controls had eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at follow-up in both studies. PREDICTORS Urinary CTGF concentrations. OUTCOMES Incident CKD stage 3, defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). MEASUREMENTS Stored urine samples from Framingham Heart Study and ARIC were measured for CTGF. Covariates were obtained from Framingham Heart Study and ARIC participant examinations. RESULTS In the Framingham Heart Study, the median baseline urinary CTGF concentration was lower in cases (1.35 ng/mL) than controls (2.35 ng/mL; paired t test, P < 0.0001). The multivariable-adjusted OR for incident CKD stage 3 was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.17-0.64; P < 0.001) per 1-standard deviation in log urinary CTGF level after adjustment for CKD risk factors, baseline eGFR, and baseline log urinary albumin-creatinine ratio, with similar results in participants without diabetes (n = 184). Results were not materially different when urinary CTGF level was indexed to urinary creatinine level (multivariable-adjusted OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.21-0.56; P < 0.001). A similar, but nonsignificant, trend of risk of incident CKD stage 3 with lower baseline urinary CTGF concentration was observed in an independent case-control study conducted in the ARIC Study, with the strongest results observed in participants free of diabetes. This inverse relationship was robust in meta-analysis of both the overall and diabetes-free groups. LIMITATIONS Observational study; causality cannot be inferred. CONCLUSIONS Lower urinary CTGF concentrations precede the onset of CKD stage 3 in the general population. Further work is required to fully characterize how CTGF level influences risk of CKD.
Non‐ignorable missingness in logistic regression

Nonresponses and missing data are common in observational studies. Ignoring or inadequately handling missing data may lead to biased parameter estimation, incorrect standard errors and, as a consequence, incorrect statistical inference and conclusions. We present a strategy for modelling non‐ignorable missingness where the probability of nonresponse depends on the outcome. Using a simple case of logistic regression, we quantify the bias in regression estimates and show the observed likelihood is non‐identifiable under non‐ignorable missing data mechanism. We then adopt a selection model factorisation of the joint distribution as the basis for a sensitivity analysis to study changes in estimated parameters and the robustness of study conclusions against different assumptions. A Bayesian framework for model estimation is used as it provides a flexible approach for incorporating different missing data assumptions and conducting sensitivity analysis.
O PROCESSO DE SOCIALIZAÇÃO ORGANIZACIONAL COMO ESTRATÉGIA DE INTEGRAÇÃO INDIVÍDUO E ORGANIZAÇÃO THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION AND INDIVIDUAL INTEGRATION STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION

This study includes the issue of socialization strategies of newly admitted employees in organizations. Therefore, we tried to meet the organization's program object of study, basing on the opinions of people involved in. As a key objective, this paper proposes to examine the effectiveness of the process of acculturation of new employees to the reality of the organization. The method of research undertaken with respect to a single case study, conducted in an industrial organization of family origin. The main sources of data collection were semi-structured interviews, participant observation of the researchers, as well as institutional access to documents, manuals and materials distributed during the program of organizational socialization. For data analysis, undertook the technique of content analysis proposed by Bardin (1977). Among the main results, we identified that there is concern on the part of the company, with the new employee acculturation, in other words , the company is interested in providing the most information from the initial contact with the company of newbies, as it believes that the more welcomed and instructed, this guy better carry out its functions and will work in meeting the goals that will be proposed by the organization. Key-words: organizational socialization; socialization strategies; case study.
Interactions between phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables: Effects on bioactivities and bioavailability

ABSTRACT The combinations of two or more phytochemicals bring about changes in the ultimate biological effects and/or the bioavailability of each component. A number of mixtures of pure bioactive compounds or phytochemical-containing plant extracts provide synergy with regard to antioxidant status, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer and chemoprevention of several oxidative stress and metabolic disorders in vitro. The biological activities of food phytochemicals depend upon their bioaccessibility and bioavailability which can be affected by the presence of other food components including other bioactive constituents. The interactions between phytochemicals during intestinal absorption could result in changes in the bioavailability of the compounds, which in turn affects the intensity of their bioactivities. This paper provides an overview of combined biological effects of phytochemical mixtures derived from fruits and vegetables with a focus on anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. The bioavailability impairment or enhancement caused by the co-consumption of dietary phytochemicals is also discussed. Finally, research gaps for future studies on phytochemical interactions are identified.
The Social Origins of Inventors

In this paper, we merge three datasets - individual income data, patenting data, and IQ data - to analyze the deterninants of an individual’s probability of inventing. We find that: (i) parental income matters even after controlling for other background variables and for IQ, yet the estimated impact of parental income is greatly diminished once parental education and the individual’s IQ are controlled for; (ii) IQ has both a direct effect on the probability of inventing an indirect impact through education. The effect of IQ is larger for inventors than for medical doctors or lawyers. The impact of IQ is robust to controlling for unobserved family characteristics by focusing on potential inventors with brothers close in age. We also provide evidence on the importance of social family interactions, by looking at biological versus non-biological parents. Finally, we find a positive and significant interaction effect between IQ and father income, which suggests a misallocation of talents to innovation
Heterogeneity of Intramural Function in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Mechanistic Insights From MRI Late Gadolinium Enhancement and High-Resolution Displacement Encoding With Stimulated Echoes Strain Maps

Background—In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), myocardial abnormalities are commonly heterogeneous. Two patterns of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) have been reported: a bright “confluent” and an intermediate intensity abnormality termed “diffuse,” each representing different degrees of myocardial scarring. We used MRI to study the relation between intramural cardiac function and the extent of fibrosis in HCM. The aim of this study was to determine whether excess collagen or myocardial scarring, as determined by LGE MRI, are the primary mechanisms leading to heterogeneous regional contractile function in patients with HCM. Methods and Results—Intramural left ventricular strain, transmural left ventricular function, and regions of myocardial fibrosis/scarring were imaged in 22 patients with HCM, using displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE), cine MRI, and LGE. DENSE systolic strain maps were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with LGE images. Intramural systolic strain by DENSE was significantly depressed within areas of confluent and diffuse LGE but also in the core of the most hypertrophic nonenhanced segment (all P<0.001 versus nonhypertrophied segments). DENSE demonstrated an unexpected inner rim of largely preserved contractile function and a noncontracting outer wall within hypertrophic segments in 91% of patients. Conclusions—LGE predicted some but not all of the heterogeneity of intramural contractile abnormalities. This indicates that myocardial scarring or excess interstitial collagen deposition does not fully explain the observed contractile heterogeneity in HCM. Thus, myofibril disarray or other nonfibrotic processes affect systolic function in a large number of patients with HCM.
Topical Use of NaCl Solution with Different Concentration Affects Lens Transparency in Anesthetized Mice

ABSTRACT Purpose: To study the influence of NaCl solution with different concentration on lens transparency in anesthetized mice. Methods: Four kinds of NaCl solution with different concentration were prepared as eye drops to imply graded osmolarity (100, 300, 500 and 1000 mOsmol/kg). Five groups of anesthetized mice were set-up to induce lens opacity, in which four groups were treated with NaCl solution and another group naturally exposed to air. The lens opacity was graded as no opacity, mild, medium and severe opacity at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 min after the start of the experiment. A numerical value from 0 to 3 was assigned to each grade for the cataract index (CI) calculation and data analysis. The same procedure was repeated in all groups 48 h later. The reversion process of lens opacity was explored using a hypotonic NaCl solution (100 mOsmol/kg) in another pair of groups, a 500 mOsmol/kg NaCl solution group and natural exposure group. The gross appearance and time course of development and reversion of lens opacity were assessed. Results: Lens opacity primarily developed in a hypertonic NaCl solution-treated and naturally exposed eyes, and the gross anatomical appearance were similar. The speed of lens opacity development and CI changes were osmolarity-dependent, and the higher NaCl concentration solution used, the faster and more severe the formation of opacification. Both hypertonic NaCl-solution-induced lens opacity and natural exposure induced lens opacity could be resolved by hypotonic NaCl solution prior to anesthesia recovery. Conclusions: This study indicates a crucial effect of NaCl concentration on the development and reversion of lens opacity in the anesthetized mice, and support the osmolarity theory in the reversible lens opacification phenomenon. It is also of practical significance to mouse eye studies that require lens transparency.
Implementing Recommendations From Web Accessibility Guidelines: A Comparative Study of Nondisabled Users and Users With Visual Impairments

Objective: The present study examined whether implementing recommendations of Web accessibility guidelines would have different effects on nondisabled users than on users with visual impairments. Background: The predominant approach for making Web sites accessible for users with disabilities is to apply accessibility guidelines. However, it has been hardly examined whether this approach has side effects for nondisabled users. A comparison of the effects on both user groups would contribute to a better understanding of possible advantages and drawbacks of applying accessibility guidelines. Method: Participants from two matched samples, comprising 55 participants with visual impairments and 55 without impairments, took part in a synchronous remote testing of a Web site. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three Web sites, which differed in the level of accessibility (very low, low, and high) according to recommendations of the well-established Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). Performance (i.e., task completion rate and task completion time) and a range of subjective variables (i.e., perceived usability, positive affect, negative affect, perceived aesthetics, perceived workload, and user experience) were measured. Results: Higher conformance to Web accessibility guidelines resulted in increased performance and more positive user ratings (e.g., perceived usability or aesthetics) for both user groups. There was no interaction between user group and accessibility level. Conclusion: Higher conformance to WCAG 2.0 may result in benefits for nondisabled users and users with visual impairments alike. Application: Practitioners may use the present findings as a basis for deciding on whether and how to implement accessibility best.
Analysis of free modeling predictions by RBO aleph in CASP11

The CASP experiment is a biannual benchmark for assessing protein structure prediction methods. In CASP11, RBO Aleph ranked as one of the top‐performing automated servers in the free modeling category. This category consists of targets for which structural templates are not easily retrievable. We analyze the performance of RBO Aleph and show that its success in CASP was a result of its ab initio structure prediction protocol. A detailed analysis of this protocol demonstrates that two components unique to our method greatly contributed to prediction quality: residue–residue contact prediction by EPC‐map and contact‐guided conformational space search by model‐based search (MBS). Interestingly, our analysis also points to a possible fundamental problem in evaluating the performance of protein structure prediction methods: Improvements in components of the method do not necessarily lead to improvements of the entire method. This points to the fact that these components interact in ways that are poorly understood. This problem, if indeed true, represents a significant obstacle to community‐wide progress. Proteins 2016; 84(Suppl 1):87–104. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Helminth Infections and Host Immune Regulation

SUMMARY Helminth parasites infect almost one-third of the world's population, primarily in tropical regions. However, regions where helminth parasites are endemic record much lower prevalences of allergies and autoimmune diseases, suggesting that parasites may protect against immunopathological syndromes. Most helminth diseases are spectral in nature, with a large proportion of relatively asymptomatic cases and a subset of patients who develop severe pathologies. The maintenance of the asymptomatic state is now recognized as reflecting an immunoregulatory environment, which may be promoted by parasites, and involves multiple levels of host regulatory cells and cytokines; a breakdown of this regulation is observed in pathological disease. Currently, there is much interest in whether helminth-associated immune regulation may ameliorate allergy and autoimmunity, with investigations in both laboratory models and human trials. Understanding and exploiting the interactions between these parasites and the host regulatory network are therefore likely to highlight new strategies to control both infectious and immunological diseases.
Fip1 regulates mRNA alternative polyadenylation to promote stem cell self‐renewal

mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA) plays a critical role in post‐transcriptional gene control and is highly regulated during development and disease. However, the regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences of APA remain poorly understood. Here, we show that an mRNA 3′ processing factor, Fip1, is essential for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self‐renewal and somatic cell reprogramming. Fip1 promotes stem cell maintenance, in part, by activating the ESC‐specific APA profiles to ensure the optimal expression of a specific set of genes, including critical self‐renewal factors. Fip1 expression and the Fip1‐dependent APA program change during ESC differentiation and are restored to an ESC‐like state during somatic reprogramming. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that the specificity of Fip1‐mediated APA regulation depends on multiple factors, including Fip1‐RNA interactions and the distance between APA sites. Together, our data highlight the role for post‐transcriptional control in stem cell self‐renewal, provide mechanistic insight on APA regulation in development, and establish an important function for APA in cell fate specification.
Comparação de métodos para o tratamento das medidas antropométricas da POF 2008-2009

The 2008-2009 Pesquisa de Orcamentos Familiares (Household Budget Survey) is a nationwide sample survey that collected anthropometric data on height and weight of individuals in Brazil. Due to the size of the research, the collection process allows contamination in the collected data by non-sampling errors and non-response. Such errors can affect the indicators of malnutrition, prevalence of overweight persons and obesity, and produce differing effects in different population segments. In this study, the Cidaq approach – the methodology employed in POF2008-2009 to tackle these problems and preserve the quality of the data – was compared with two other approaches – namely, the TRC algorithm and the Bacon algorithm, both coupled with the Poem algorithm. Such comparisons are essential to ensure the choice of the best method future research efforts in order to ensure reliability of the data used in population studies that support the planning of public policies in health, nutrition, social assistance and others. The approaches were compared by simulation through impact in mean, standard deviation and correlation estimates of the weight and height. The Cidaq approach proved to be more efficient than the others under the parametric simulation, while the Bacon approach showed to be better under the non parametric simulation.DOI http://dx.doi. org/10.20947/S0102-309820160008