Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of human beta defensins and cathelicidins in atopic dermatitis

Purpose of reviewAtopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with significant barrier disruption, T-helper type 2 mediated skin inflammation, and an impaired innate immune response. These characteristics increase the susceptibility of atopic dermatitis patients to recurrent skin infections, some of which may have potentially fatal implications. The mechanisms resulting in this increased propensity for skin infections have been an area of active investigation. Recent findingsAntimicrobial peptides are an integral component of the innate immune response due to their broad spectrum activity against invading pathogens. Recent studies have shown that these peptides are effective at killing Staphylococcus aureus, herpes simplex virus, vaccinia virus, and the Malassezia species, pathogens associated with significant morbidity in patients with atopic dermatitis. Additionally, these peptides are deficient in the skin of atopic dermatitis patients, suggesting that the increased propensity of patients towards skin infection is due to the lack of antimicrobial peptide expression. SummaryThe current review will examine recent literature on the role of antimicrobial peptides in atopic dermatitis in an effort to improve our understanding of why patients with the condition suffer from recurrent infections.
Falls in Parkinson's disease: Kinematic evidence for impaired head and trunk control

Changes in stride characteristics and gait rhythmicity characterize gait in Parkinson's disease and are widely believed to contribute to falls in this population. However, few studies have examined gait in PD patients who fall. This study reports on the complexities of walking in PD patients who reported falling during a 12‐month follow‐up. Forty‐nine patients clinically diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 34 controls had their gait assessed using three‐dimensional motion analysis. Of the PD patients, 32 (65%) reported at least one fall during the follow‐up compared with 17 (50%) controls. The results showed that PD patients had increased stride timing variability, reduced arm swing and walked with a more stooped posture than controls. Additionally, PD fallers took shorter strides, walked slower, spent more time in double‐support, had poorer gait stability ratios and did not project their center of mass as far forward of their base of support when compared with controls. These stride changes were accompanied by a reduced range of angular motion for the hip and knee joints. Relative to walking velocity, PD fallers had increased mediolateral head motion compared with PD nonfallers and controls. Therefore, head motion could exceed “normal” limits, if patients increased their walking speed to match healthy individuals. This could be a limiting factor for improving gait in PD and emphasizes the importance of clinically assessing gait to facilitate the early identification of PD patients with a higher risk of falling. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Modulation of EGFR gene transcription by secondary structures , a polymorphic repetitive sequence and mutations-a link between genetics and epigenetics

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a crucial role in growth, differentiation and motility of normal as well as tumor cells. The transduction of extracellular signals to the cytoplasm via the receptor not only depends on ligand binding, but is also determined by the receptor density on the cell surface. Therefore, in terms of cancer diagnosis and therapeutic approaches targeting EGFR it is decisive to know how the expression level of EGFR is controlled. We found that transcription activity declines with increasing numbers of CA dinucleotides of a highly polymorphic CA repeat in the first intron epidermal growth factor receptor gene. In vivo data from cultured cell l ines support these findings, although other regulation mechanisms can compensate this effect. In addition, we showed that RNA elongation terminates at a site closely downstream of the simple sequence repeat (SSR) and that there are two separate major transcription start sites. Model calculations for the helical DNA conformation revealed a high bendability in the EGFR polymorphic region, especially if the CA stretch is extended. These data suggest that the CA-SSR can act like a joint bringing the promoter in proximity to a putative repressor protein bound downstream of the CASSR. The data suggest that this polymorphism is a marker for cancer linking genetic and epigenetic risk. Furthermore in breast cancer, heterozygous tumours with short CA-SSR showed an elevated EGFR-expression in contrast to tumours with longer CA-SSR. Tumours with loss of heterozygosity in intron 1 of egfr revealed an increased EGFR expression if the longer allele was lost. Moreover, deceased egfr gene dosages were significantly correlated to poor prognosis in breast cancer.
Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Acoustic Habitat of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) within a Highly Urbanized Estuary

There is growing awareness of underwater noise in a variety of marine habitats, and how such noise may adversely aﬀect marine species. This is of particular concern for acoustically-specialised species, such as dolphins. In order to ascertain the potential impacts of anthropogenic noise on these animals, baseline information is required for deﬁning the soundscape of dolphin habitats. The Swan-Canning River system in Western Australia ﬂows through the city of Perth, and experiences numerous anthropogenic activities. Despite this, the river system is home to a community of Indo-Paciﬁc bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). To provide a baseline soundscape description of dolphin habitat, over 11,600 h of acoustic data were analysed from ﬁve sites within the Swan River (from Fremantle Inner Harbour to 20 km upstream) across an eight-year period. Multiple sound sources were recorded at these sites, including: snapping shrimp; ﬁshes; dolphins; pile-driving; bridge and road traffic; and vessel traffic. The two most prevalent sound sources, vessel traffic and snapping shrimp, likely have very diﬀerent eﬀects on dolphin communication with the former expected to be more disruptive. Sites were characteristic in their prominent sound sources, showing clear among-site variations, with some sites being ‘noisier’ than others based on broadband noise levels, octave-band noise levels, and power spectrum density percentiles. Perth Waters had the highest broadband noise (10 Hz – 11 kHz; mean 113 dB re 1 µPa rms), whilst Heirisson Island was quietest (mean 105 dB re 1 µPa rms). Generalised estimating equations identiﬁed variation in broadband noise levels within sites at a ﬁne temporal scale, although sites diﬀered in the signiﬁcance of temporal variables. At Mosman Bay, a long-term dataset spanning eight years highlighted inter-annual variation in broadband noise levels, but no overall upwards or downwards trend over time. Acoustic habitats of the Swan River displayed signiﬁcant variations at a variety of temporal and spatial scales, throughout areas frequented by the local dolphin community. Such variations should be quantiﬁed when assessing dolphin acoustic habitat as they may provide signiﬁcant clues to dolphin behaviour.
Utilization by growing and finishing pigs of raw soybeans of low Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content.

Three trials were conducted to compare acceptance and utilization by growing and finishing pigs of diets containing supplemental protein from either heated, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), raw low-Kunitz trypsin inhibitor soybean (LT) or raw commercially grown Williams cultivar soybean with high Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content (HT). In Trial 1, 36 crossbred pigs, averaging 7 kg in weight, were fed 1) corn-SBM, 2)corn-LT or 3) corn-HT diets for 28 d. Diets were formulated to be isolysinic and to have similar calorie:lysine ratios. Average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for pigs fed the corn-SBM diet than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet; average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for the corn-LT diet than for the corn-HT. Average daily feed intake did not differ (P greater than .05) among diets. In Trial 2, 48 crossbred pigs averaging 67 kg were fed diets similar to those in Trial 1 but with lower lysine values. The daily gain (.95 kg) of pigs fed the corn-SBM diet was greater (P less than .05) than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet (.87 kg), which in turn was greater (P less than .05) than for the pigs fed the corn-HT diet (.83 kg). Daily feed intake (kg) and gain/feed were 3.27 and . 291, 2.97 and . 293, and 3.07 and . 270, respectively, for pigs fed the corn-SBM, corn-LT and corn-HT diets. In Trial 3, 18 castrate male pigs averaging 12.4 kg were fed cornstarch-based diets with either SBM, LT or HT as the source of protein. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Impact of Overconfidence on Entrepreneurial Process: Entrepreneurs versus Students

Empirical research documents that overconfidence has a strong impact on investment decision. In this experimental study using a within-subject design and entrepreneurial process, we detail this relationship by introducing a stage of identification (initial knowledge about the entrepreneurial opportunities to invest in) and evaluation (forecasts to be made) before the investment decision. We also examine the role of expertise by comparing a group of entrepreneurs (320 Tunisian entrepreneurs) and a group of students (70), control in the role of risk aversion, and implement different measures of overconfidence (miscalibration in two formats – the BTA effect and the illusion of control). Our results show that no differences were observed between entrepreneurs and students in the degree of overconfidence. However, overconfidence seems to determine decisionmaking in a different way across the two groups. Concerning students, we observed that overconfidence influenced general tasks such as identification of the entrepreneurial opportunities but when it came to investing, risk aversion had a major effect. In contrast, entrepreneurs were strongly influenced by their overconfidence. For them, it mainly affected specific tasks (evaluation and investment choices) but, surprisingly, risk aversion had no effect on investment decision. Our results suggest that introducing an entrepreneurial opportunities in the decision process is an aid to understanding the differences between experts and novices. Original Research Article British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade, 4(12): 1889-1904, 2014 1890
The Relationship between Convenience of Destinations and Walking Levels in Older Women

Purpose. To examine the relationship between physical activity and (1) convenience of destinations, measured by whether destinations (such as a park, trail, businesses, and services) are within walking distance of the home, and (2) participants' perception of the quality of their neighborhood surroundings for walking, captured with a global neighborhood “walkability” rating. Design. Cross-sectional analysis of data obtained in 1999. Setting. Community in southwest Pennsylvania. Subjects. Older Caucasian women (n = 149, mean age = 74.2 years). Response rate = 79%. Measures. Walking levels, leisure-time physical activity, and features of the neighborhood environment were measured with interviewer-administered questionnaires. Physical activity was also measured objectively with a pedometer. Results. Living within walking distance (defined as within a 20-minute walk of home) of a park; biking or walking trail; or department, discount, or hardware store was related to higher pedometer readings (p < .01). In addition, there was a positive trend between the sum of destinations within walking distance of home and activity levels measured by pedometer and questionnaire (p < .01). There was also a positive trend between participants' neighborhood “walkability” rating and activity levels measured by pedometer and questionnaire (p < .01). Conclusion. These findings suggest that the ability to make utilitarian walking trips from home and the perception of having favorable neighborhood surroundings for walking are associated with increased physical activity levels in older women.
Differences in health-related behaviors between middle school, high school, and college students in Jiangsu province, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Increasing rates of obesity among Chinese adolescents has become a major public health concern in recent years. Studies have shown that factors such as food choices, physical activity, and screen time play important roles in fostering obesity. We examined a number of biological and social determinants that influence these factors. To determine whether dietary behavior, physical activity, and screen time varied among students in different stages of their education. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN Students in 13 cities across Jiangsu Province completed an anonymous survey assessing demographics and various health-related behaviors in a controlled setting. The survey population ranged from middle school students to undergraduates. 55,361 surveys were returned, and 46,611 (84.2%) were usable for the analysis. Multiple linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between four behavioral factors (dietary behavior, screen time, physical activity, and moderate exercise) and seven predictors (gender, age, BMI, mother's education, nearsightedness, allowance, and geographic region). RESULTS Baseline characteristics of the survey population analyzed by education level (middle school, high school, college and beyond) showed moderate differences in demographics among the three groups. Physical activity, moderate exercise, and dietary behavior decreased with educational level, while screen time increased. All predictors in the four considered regression models were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS This unique, large-scale survey of Chinese students in a region of contrasting economic development revealed numerous relationships between health-related diet and physical-activity, region, and education level. These findings can inform the development of measures to counteract the rise of obesity in China.
PRIVATE INVESTMENT ADJUSTMENT WITHIN THE ECCB MONETARY UNION

Factors influencing private investment behavior in countries compris-ing the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Unified Currency Area are explored using pooled data. OLS, fixed and random effects estimation methods are employed to a core model that was a modification of the Jorgenson Neoclassical model of investment behavior. Dynamic adjustment is explored while the role of other variables such as terms of trade, inflation, the real exchange rate, and the real interest rate are examined in testing the robustness of the core model parameters. Bank credit, public investment, the lagged accelerator and a stock adjustment factor were found to be positively related with private investment. While contemporaneous public investment was negatively related, lagged values were found to be positive and significant. This suggests initial crowding by public investment for resources but compii mentati ty in subsequent periods.
Energy sprinklers for passive UWB RFID

In passive RFID networks the reading range is often limited by the intrinsic two-hop propagation mechanism. To counteract such effect, in this paper we introduce the idea of energy sprinklers for the recently proposed UWB-UHF RFID networks based on backscatter modulation. In particular, we show how low-complexity sprinklers acting as transmitters significantly improve the capability of reading and localizing tags thanks to the multistatic configuration. Moreover, by exploiting the UHF signaling, sprinklers behave like sources of energy that can be exploited by energy harvesters to activate the UWB backscatter modulators in the tag.
Asian foreign direct investment and the 'China effect'

Since the 1990s and especially after China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), China has become one of the most-favoured destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI). In 2008, FDI inflows into China reached US$92.4 billion. In 2009, despite the global economic recession, which severely affected world FDI flows, China still attracted US$90 billion of FDI inflows. By the end of 2009, China had attracted a total of US$760 billion in FDI inflows,1 making it by far the largest FDI recipient among the developing countries in the world.
BK Virus‐Specific Antibodies and BKV DNA in Renal Transplant Recipients with BKV Nephritis

We evaluated twenty renal transplant subjects at various stages of BKV nephritis (BKVN) for BKV‐specific IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA technique and BKV‐DNA using PCR. They were divided as early onset (n = 7), stabilizing (n = 3), resolved (n = 8) and late onset (n = 2) BKVN. BKV‐specific antibodies and BKV‐DNA were simultaneously determined. The mean BKV‐specific IgG level in early onset and stabilizing BKVN were 64 and 39 EIA units, and were significantly lower than 138 EIA units seen in resolved BKVN, P = 0.007, P = 0.008. The mean BKV‐specific IgM levels in stabilizing BKVN was higher than resolved BKVN (130 vs 51 EIA units), P = 0.006. Mean plasma BKV loads for each group were 955 925, 5642 and 42 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. Prospective study in six BKVN cases revealed mean IgG, IgM levels and BKV‐DNA at the time of diagnosis of BKVN as 39, 110 EIA units and 586 758 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. After a mean period of 5.2 months, IgG level increased to 120 EIA units (p = 0.0058) and had no detectable viral copies in circulation.
Parent of origin effect and differential allelic expression of BDNF Val66Met in suicidal behaviour

Abstract Objectives Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and may also be involved in suicidal behaviour since BDNF levels are decreased in brain and plasma of suicide victims. Because the differential allelic expression of Val66Met BDNF gene on suicidal behaviour has not been investigated, we analyzed the parent-of-origin effect (POE) in suicide attempters and the differential expression of BDNF Val66Met alleles in suicide victims. Methods We performed a family-based association study and ETDT analyses of the Val66Met polymorphism in nuclear families with at least one subject affected by major psychosis with suicidal behaviour, and compared allele-specific mRNA levels in post-mortem brain samples from suicide and non-suicide victims. The subjects included in this study have diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I and type II. Results Allele 3 in the GT repeat polymorphism was transmitted significantly more often to patients who attempted suicide (maternal transmissions: 46/22, P = 0.003; paternal transmissions: 55/30, P = 0.006). There was no significant difference between maternal and paternal transmission ratios. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the ratio of Val/Met-specific mRNA expression between suicide victims and controls. Conclusions These data do not support a role for allelic imbalance or POE of BDNF for suicidal behaviour in major psychoses.
Community Preferences for the Allocation of Solid Organs for Transplantation: A Systematic Review

Background. Organs for transplantation are a scarce community resource but community preferences and how they are incorporated into allocation policies are unclear. This systematic review aimed to ascertain community preferences for organ allocation and the principles underpinning these preferences. Methods. Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, EconLit, and gray literature databases were searched. Quantitative data were extracted, and a qualitative textual synthesis of the results and conclusions reported in each included study was performed. Results. Fifteen studies involving more than 5563 respondents were included. Seven themes describing community preferences for organ allocation were identified: (1) maximum benefit, to achieve maximum health gain in recipient survival and quality of life; (2) social valuation, to base preferences on societal gain; (3) moral deservingness, to consider the “worthiness” of recipients based on their social standing and lifestyle decisions; (4) prejudice, to make a judgement based on personal ideologic viewpoints; (5) “fair innings,” to provide an organ preferentially to the younger recipient giving opportunity for a “normal” life span and to those waiting for a first organ rather than a retransplant; (6) “first come, first served,” to allocate the organ to recipients wait-listed the longest; and (7) medical urgency, to allocate based on illness severity and saving life. Conclusions. Community preferences for organ allocation hinge on a complex balance of efficiency, social valuation, morality, fairness, and equity principles. Being a community-held resource, effective ways to identify and incorporate community preferences into allocation algorithms for solid organ transplantation are warranted.
Central projections of the saccular and utricular nerves in macaques

The central projections of the utricular and saccular nerve in macaques were examined using transganglionic labeling of vestibular afferent neurons. In these experiments, biotinylated dextran amine was injected directly into the saccular or utricular neuroepithelium of fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis) or rhesus (Macaca mulatta) monkeys. Two to 5 weeks later, the animals were killed and the peripheral vestibular sensory organs, brainstem, and cerebellum were collected for analysis. The principal brainstem areas of saccular nerve termination were lateral, particularly the spinal vestibular nucleus, the lateral portion of the superior vestibular nucleus, ventral nucleus y, the external cuneate nucleus, and cell group l. The principal cerebellar projection was to the uvula with a less dense projection to the nodulus. Principle brainstem areas of termination of the utricular nerve were the lateral/dorsal medial vestibular nucleus, ventral and lateral portions of the superior vestibular nucleus, and rostral portion of the spinal vestibular nucleus. In the cerebellum, a strong projection was observed to the nodulus and weak projections were present in the flocculus, ventral paraflocculus, bilateral fastigial nuclei, and uvula. Although there is extensive overlap of saccular and utricular projections, saccular inputs to the lateral portions of the vestibular nuclear complex suggest that saccular afferents contribute to the vestibulospinal system. In contrast, the utricular nerve projects more rostrally into areas of known concentration of vestibulo‐ocular related cells. Although sparse, the projections of the utricle to the flocculus/ventral paraflocculus suggest a potential convergence with floccular projection inputs from the vestibular brainstem that have been implicated in vestibulo‐ocular motor learning. J. Comp. Neurol. 466:31–47, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Switchable dual-wavelength fiber laser based on PCF Sagnac loop and broadband FBG

Switchable dual-wavelength fiber laser with photonic crystal fiber (PCF) Sagnac loop and broadband fiber Bragg grating (BFBG) at room temperature is demonstrated. By adjusting the polarization controller (PC) appropriately, the laser can be switched between the stable single- and dual-wavelength lasing operations by exploiting polarization hole burning (PHB) and spectral hole burning effects (SHB).