Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Meaning of Being a Living Kidney, Liver, or Stem Cell Donor—A Meta-Ethnography

Background Studies on living donors from the donors’ perspective show that the donation process involves both positive and negative feelings involving vulnerability. Qualitative studies of living kidney, liver, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell donors have not previously been merged in the same analysis. Therefore, our aim was to synthesize current knowledge of these donors’ experiences to deepen understanding of the meaning of being a living donor for the purpose of saving or extending someone's life. Methods The meta-ethnography steps presented by Noblit and Hare in 1988 were used. Results Forty-one qualitative studies from 1968 to 2016 that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The studies comprised experiences of over 670 donors. The time since donation varied from 2 days to 29 years. A majority of the studies, 25 of 41, were on living kidney donors. The synthesis revealed that the essential meaning of being a donor is doing what one feels one has to do, involving 6 themes; A sense of responsibility, loneliness and abandonment, suffering, pride and gratitude, a sense of togetherness, and a life changing event. Conclusions The main issue is that one donates irrespective of what one donates. The relationship to the recipient determines the motives for donation. The deeper insight into the donors’ experiences provides implications for their psychological care.
Burglary Expertise: Comparing Burglars to Other Offenders

ABSTRACT Researchers have studied offense-specific expertise among burglars with a variety of methods, including by comparing their simulated target choices to those of students, residents, and police officers. However, prior work has almost never compared the choices of burglars and non-burglar offenders, and so it is unclear whether burglars’ expertise exceeds that possessed by others with similar backgrounds and lifestyles. The present study adds to this literature by using a series of home photographs to compare the choices of burglars and non-burglar offenders. In the analysis, although similar factors influenced the choices of both groups, hints of expertise did emerge.
Drawing the city: differing perceptions of the urban environment

In building location-based services, it is important to present information in ways that fit with how individuals view and navigate the city. We conducted an adaptation of the 1970s Mental Maps study by Stanley Milgram in order to better understand differences in people's views of the city based on their backgrounds and technology use. We correlated data from a demographic questionnaire with the map data from our participants to perform a first-of-its-kind statistical analysis on differences in hand-drawn city maps. We describe our study, findings, and design implications for location-based services.
Draw-a-person for the evaluation of antisocial personality trait

Introduction: the analysis of criminal personality is the field of common interest both for criminology and forensic psychiatry. It takes in great consideration an assessment of psychological, constitutive and environmental factors predisposing to anti social behavior. The goal is to estimate the power of the DAP in evaluating the presence and intensity of the Antisocial Personality trait. Materials and Methods: the sample consists of 20 subjects with antisocial personality disorder with a history of crime, drug abuse and alcohol addiction, instability in emotional relationships, who are admitted to nursing homes for mental disorders; a control group of 52 normal subjects randomly recruited among university students and government employees. In the control group, subjects had no previous psychiatric or psychological signs. Their age is between 25 and 45 years old equally distributed by sex. They were recruited for the study of DAP scales and the MCMI-III test. Results: the scales and the DAP (acting out, good adaption, aggression, narcissism, negativityoppo sitionality, psychosis, paranoia, pulsionality and Interpersonal relationships) have produced significantly different results between the two study groups. Within the pathological sample, the acting out and negativityoppositionality scales proved to be associated with the MCMI-III scale of antisocial disorder. Discussion: the antisocial subjects turn out to have a significant tendency towards acting out, poor ability to manage and sublimate their aggression, and a negativistic-oppositional behaviour. Within the sample of pathological subjects, the DAP differentiates only in relation to the area of impulsivity; the tests used have discriminating ability within the group, while losing efficacy in relation to the aggression
PSY3, a New Member of the Phytoene Synthase Gene Family Conserved in the Poaceae and Regulator of Abiotic Stress-Induced Root Carotenogenesis1[W][OA]

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a vital role in mediating abiotic stress responses in plants. De novo ABA biosynthesis involves cleavage of carotenoid precursors by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), which is rate controlling in leaves and roots; however, additional bottlenecks in roots must be overcome, such as biosynthesis of upstream carotenoid precursors. Phytoene synthase (PSY) mediates the first committed step in carotenoid biosynthesis; with PSY3 described here, maize (Zea mays) and other members of the Poaceae have three paralogous genes, in contrast to only one in Arabidopsis thaliana. PSY gene duplication has led to subfunctionalization, with each paralog exhibiting differential gene expression. We showed that PSY3 encodes a functional enzyme for which maize transcript levels are regulated in response to abiotic stresses, drought, salt, and ABA. Drought-stressed roots showed elevated PSY3 transcripts and ABA, responses reversed by rehydration. By blocking root carotenoid biosynthesis with the maize y9 mutation, we demonstrated that PSY3 mRNA elevation correlates with carotenoid accumulation and that blocking carotenoid biosynthesis interferes with stress-induced ABA accumulation. In parallel, we observed elevated NCED transcripts and showed that, in contrast to dicots, root zeaxanthin epoxidase transcripts were unchanged. PSY3 was the only paralog for which transcripts were induced in roots and abiotic stress also affected leaf PSY2 transcript levels; PSY1 mRNA was not elevated in any tissues tested. Our results suggest that PSY3 expression influences root carotenogenesis and defines a potential bottleneck upstream of NCED; further examination of PSY3 in the grasses is of value for better understanding root-specific stress responses that impact plant yield.
Programmed death-1 pathway blockade produces a synergistic antitumor effect: combined application in ovarian cancer

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand are part of the immune checkpoint pathway that down-regulates effector T cells in immune response, thereby causing immune suppression. The PD-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway can be blocked by antibodies to reverse tumor-mediated immunosuppression. However, advanced cancers such as stage III–IV ovarian cancer (OC) and certain types such as ID8 OC (a clone of C57BL/6 mouse OC) may hijack the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway to escape immune attack. When combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or other agents, these PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blockages can produce a synergistic antitumor response in OC. Combined immunotherapy significantly prolongs overall survival by changing the tumor microenvironment through processes such as increasing the number of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells or cytokines in mice with OC and decreasing the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). OC patients treated with combined immunotherapy received better prognoses than those treated with monotherapy. This review reflects the move toward novel therapy combinations for OC and discusses these promising immunotherapeutic approaches, which are more cost-effective and effective than other approaches.
Multiple roles of afadin in the ultrastructural morphogenesis of mouse hippocampal mossy fiber synapses

A hippocampal mossy fiber synapse, which is implicated in learning and memory, has a complex structure in which mossy fiber boutons attach to the dendritic shaft by puncta adherentia junctions (PAJs) and wrap around a multiply‐branched spine, forming synaptic junctions. Here, we electron microscopically analyzed the ultrastructure of this synapse in afadin‐deficient mice. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that typical PAJs with prominent symmetrical plasma membrane darkening undercoated with the thick filamentous cytoskeleton were observed in the control synapse, whereas in the afadin‐deficient synapse, atypical PAJs with the symmetrical plasma membrane darkening, which was much less in thickness and darkness than those of the control typical PAJs, were observed. Immunoelectron microscopy analysis revealed that nectin‐1, nectin‐3, and N‐cadherin were localized at the control typical PAJs, whereas nectin‐1 and nectin‐3 were localized at the afadin‐deficient atypical PAJs to extents lower than those in the control synapse and N‐cadherin was localized at their nonjunctional flanking regions. These results indicate that the atypical PAJs are formed by nectin‐1 and nectin‐3 independently of afadin and N‐cadherin and that the typical PAJs are formed by afadin and N‐cadherin cooperatively with nectin‐1 and nectin‐3. Serial block face‐scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the complexity of postsynaptic spines and mossy fiber boutons, the number of spine heads, the area of postsynaptic densities, and the density of synaptic vesicles docked to active zones were decreased in the afadin‐deficient synapse. These results indicate that afadin plays multiple roles in the complex ultrastructural morphogenesis of hippocampal mossy fiber synapses.
Distributed data networks: a blueprint for Big Data sharing and healthcare analytics

This paper defines the attributes of distributed data networks and outlines the data and analytic infrastructure needed to build and maintain a successful network. We use examples from one successful implementation of a large‐scale, multisite, healthcare‐related distributed data network, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration–sponsored Sentinel Initiative. Analytic infrastructure–development concepts are discussed from the perspective of promoting six pillars of analytic infrastructure: consistency, reusability, flexibility, scalability, transparency, and reproducibility. This paper also introduces one use case for machine learning algorithm development to fully utilize and advance the portfolio of population health analytics, particularly those using multisite administrative data sources.
MicroCT for high‐resolution imaging of ectopic pheochromocytoma tumors in the liver of nude mice

Successful outcomes for patients with cancer often depend on the early detection of tumor and the prompt initiation of active therapy. Despite major advances in the treatment of many cancers, early‐stage lesions often go undetected due to the suboptimal resolution of current anatomical and functional imaging modalities. This limitation also applies to preclinical animal tumor models that are crucial for the evaluation and development of new therapeutic approaches to cancer. We report a new mouse model of metastatic pheochromocytoma, generated using tail vein injection of the mouse pheochromocytoma cell (MPC) line that reproducibly generated multiple liver tumors in the animals. Furthermore, we show that in vivo microCT imaging enhanced using a hepatobiliary‐specific contrast agent, glyceryl‐2‐oleyl‐1,3‐di‐7‐(3‐amino‐2,4,6‐triiodophenyl)‐heptanoate (DHOG), detected tumors as small as 0.35 mm as early as 4 weeks after the injection of the tumor cells. This model may be useful for in vivo studies of tumor biology and for development of new strategies to treat metastatic pheochromocytoma. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combining bleach and mild predigestion improves ancient DNA recovery from bones

The feasibility of genome‐scale studies from archaeological material remains critically dependent on the ability to access endogenous, authentic DNA. In the majority of cases, this represents a few per cent of the DNA extract, at most. A number of specific pre‐extraction protocols for bone powder aimed to improve ancient DNA recovery before library amplification have recently been developed. Here, we test the effects of combining two of such protocols, a bleach wash and a predigestion step, on 12 bone samples of Atlantic cod and domestic horse aged 750–1350 cal. years before present. Using high‐throughput sequencing, we show that combined together, bleach wash and predigestion consistently yield DNA libraries with higher endogenous content than either of these methods alone. Additionally, the molecular complexity of these libraries is improved and endogenous DNA templates show larger size distributions. Other library characteristics, such as DNA damage profiles or the composition of microbial communities, are little affected by the pre‐extraction protocols. Application of the combined protocol presented in this study will facilitate the genetic analysis of an increasing number of ancient remains and will reduce the cost of whole‐genome sequencing.
Absence of the Inhibitory G-Protein G&agr;i2 Predisposes to Ventricular Cardiac Arrhythmia

Background—We explored the role that inhibitory heterotrimeric G-proteins play in ventricular arrhythmia. Methods and Results—Mice with global genetic deletion of G&agr;i2 [G&agr;i2 (−/−)] were studied and found, based on telemetry, to have a prolonged QT interval on surface ECG when awake. In vivo electrophysiology studies revealed that the G&agr;i2 (−/−) mice have a reduced ventricular effective refractory period and a predisposition to ventricular tachycardia when challenged with programmed electrical stimulation. Neither control nor combined global deletion of G&agr;i1 and G&agr;i3 mice showed these abnormalities. There was no evidence for structural heart disease at this time point in the G&agr;i2 (−/−) mice as assessed by cardiac histology and echocardiography. The absence of G&agr;i2 thus leads to a primary electrical abnormality, and we explored the basis for this finding. With patch clamping, single isolated ventricular cells showed that G&agr;i2 (−/−) mice had a prolonged ventricular action potential duration (APD) but steeper action potential shortening as the diastolic interval was reduced in restitution studies. Gene expression studies showed increased expression of L-type Ca2+ channel subunits, and patch clamping revealed an increase in these currents in G&agr;i2 (−/−) mice. There were no changes in K+ currents. Conclusions—The absence of inhibitory G-protein signaling mediated through G&agr;i2 is a substrate for ventricular arrhythmias.
Social media: A path to health literacy

Social media - websites and other online tools called social networks - serve as a tool to connect people and organizations around topics of common interest. Social media platforms offer tremendous opportunity to engage quickly and sometimes in depth with many and diverse stakeholders as people have the ability to communicate back-and-forth from anywhere in the world. As increasing numbers of people receive their news and health information online, it is important to ensure content delivered through online resources is accessible to diverse target audiences. This chapter discusses a mid-sized health literacy nonprofit organizations' social media philosophy and tactics during the past 10 years, as both social media and health literacy strategies evolved continuously. The integration of social media in health literacy program content depends on the use with best evidence health literacy strategies, such as the use of plain language techniques. Strategy and technical considerations for the implementation and integration of social media within a health literate health communications model are discussed.
Representation of the Cattell–Horn–Carroll Theory of Cognitive Abilities in the Factor Structure of the Dutch-Language Version of the WAIS-IV

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities has been guiding in the revision of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth edition (WAIS-IV). Especially the measurement of fluid reasoning (Gf) is improved. A total of five CHC abilities are included in the WAIS-IV subtests. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a five-factor model based on these CHC abilities is evaluated and compared with the four index scores in the Dutch-language version of the WAIS-IV. Both models demonstrate moderate fit, preference is given to the five-factor CHC model both on statistical and theoretical grounds. Evaluation of the WAIS-IV according to CHC terminology enhances uniformity, and can be important when interpreting possible sources of index discrepancies. To optimally assemblage CHC and WAIS-IV, more knowledge of the interaction of abilities is needed. This can be done by incorporating intelligence testing in neuropsychological assessment. Using this functional approach contributes to a better understanding of an individual’s cognitive profile.
Quantifying Morphology and Physiology of the Human Body Using MRI

Brain Quantifying Brain Morphology Using Structural Imaging, Frithjof Kruggel Quantifying Brain Morphology Using Diffusion Imaging, Murat Aksoy, Samantha Holdsworth, Anh Tu Van, and Roland Bammer CMRO2 Mapping by Calibrated fMRI, Fahmeed Hyder, Christina Y. Shu, Peter Herman, Basavaraju G. Sanganahalli, Daniel Coman, and Douglas L. Rothman Quantifying Functional Connectivity in the Brain, Gang Chen and Shi-Jiang Li Brain MR Spectroscopy In Vivo: Basics and Quantitation of Metabolites, Manoj K. Sarma, Rajakumar Nagarajan, and M. Albert Thomas Body Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Articular Cartilage and Its Clinical Applications, Xiaojuan Li and Sharmila Majumdar Quantitative Structural and Functional MRI of Skeletal Muscle, Bruce M. Damon, Theodore Towse, Amanda K.W. Buck, Ke Li, Nathan Bryant, Zhaohua Ding, and Jane H. Park Quantitative Techniques in Cardiovascular MRI, John Biglands, Ananth Kidambi, Peter Swoboda, Manish Motwani, and Sven Plein Quantitative MRI of Tumors, James P.B. O'Connor and Richard A.D. Carano Quantitative Measurements of Tracer Transport Parameters Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI as Vascular Perfusion and Permeability Indices in Cancer Imaging, Min-Ying Su and Jeon-Hor Chen Evaluation of Body MR Spectroscopy In Vivo, Rajakumar Nagarajan, Manoj K. Sarma, and M. Albert Thomas Imaging Tissue Elasticity Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography, Yogesh K. Mariappan, Kiaran P. McGee, and Richard L. Ehman Imaging Conductivity and Permittivity of Tissues Using Electric Properties Tomography, Ulrich Katscher and Tobias Voigt Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping to Image Tissue Magnetic Properties, Yi Wang and Tian Liu Index
Characterizing novel anti-oncogenic triterpenoids from ganoderma

Xiangmin Li , Yizhen Xie, and Burton B. Yang State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China; Yuewei Edible Fungi Technology Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, China; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
High Capacity Mobile Multi-Hop Relay Network for Temporary Traffic Surge

SUMMARY Mobile Multi-hop Relay (MMR) technology is usually used to increase the transmission rate or to extend communication coverage. In this work, we show that MMR technology can also be used to raise the network capacity. Because Relay Stations (RS) are connected to the Base Station (BS) wirelessly and controlled by the BS, an MMR network can easily be deployed when necessary. High capacity MMR networks thus provide a good candidate solution for coping with temporary tra ﬃ c surges. For the capacity enhancement of the MMR network, we suggest a novel scheme to parallelize cell transmissions while controlling the interference between transmissions. Using a numerical example for a typical network that is conformant to the IEEE 802.16j, we ﬁnd that the network capacity increases by 88 percent.
Hox11 Function Is Required for Region‐Specific Fracture Repair

The processes that govern fracture repair rely on many mechanisms that recapitulate embryonic skeletal development. Hox genes are transcription factors that perform critical patterning functions in regional domains along the axial and limb skeleton during development. Much less is known about roles for these genes in the adult skeleton. We recently reported that Hox11 genes, which function in zeugopod development (radius/ulna and tibia/fibula), are also expressed in the adult zeugopod skeleton exclusively in PDGFRα+/CD51+/LepR+ mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). In this study, we use a Hoxa11eGFP reporter allele and loss‐of‐function Hox11 alleles, and we show that Hox11 expression expands after zeugopod fracture injury, and that loss of Hox11 function results in defects in endochondral ossification and in the bone remodeling phase of repair. In Hox11 compound mutant fractures, early chondrocytes are specified but show defects in differentiation, leading to an overall deficit in the cartilage production. In the later stages of the repair process, the hard callus remains incompletely remodeled in mutants due, at least in part, to abnormal bone matrix organization. Overall, our data supports multiple roles for Hox11 genes following fracture injury in the adult skeleton. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Two tropical conifers show strong growth and water-use efficiency responses to altered CO2 concentration.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Conifers dominated wet lowland tropical forests 100 million years ago (MYA). With a few exceptions in the Podocarpaceae and Araucariaceae, conifers are now absent from this biome. This shift to angiosperm dominance also coincided with a large decline in atmospheric CO2 concentration (ca). We compared growth and physiological performance of two lowland tropical angiosperms and conifers at ca levels representing pre-industrial (280 ppm), ambient (400 ppm) and Eocene (800 ppm) conditions to explore how differences in ca affect the growth and water-use efficiency (WUE) of seedlings from these groups. METHODS Two conifers (Araucaria heterophylla and Podocarpus guatemalensis) and two angiosperm trees (Tabebuia rosea and Chrysophyllum cainito) were grown in climate-controlled glasshouses in Panama. Growth, photosynthetic rates, nutrient uptake, and nutrient use and water-use efficiencies were measured. KEY RESULTS Podocarpus seedlings showed a stronger (66 %) increase in relative growth rate with increasing ca relative to Araucaria (19 %) and the angiosperms (no growth enhancement). The response of Podocarpus is consistent with expectations for species with conservative growth traits and low mesophyll diffusion conductance. While previous work has shown limited stomatal response of conifers to ca, we found that the two conifers had significantly greater increases in leaf and whole-plant WUE than the angiosperms, reflecting increased photosynthetic rate and reduced stomatal conductance. Foliar nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) and soil nitrate concentrations indicated a preference in Podocarpus for ammonium over nitrate, which may impact nitrogen uptake relative to nitrate assimilators under high ca SIGNIFICANCE: Podocarps colonized tropical forests after angiosperms achieved dominance and are now restricted to infertile soils. Although limited to a single species, our data suggest that higher ca may have been favourable for podocarp colonization of tropical South America 60 MYA, while plasticity in photosynthetic capacity and WUE may help account for their continued persistence under large changes in ca since the Eocene.