Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
miR-548 c-5 p inhibits proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis in CD 90 + HepG 2 cells

Background. Since the introduction of the theory of tumour stem cells (TSCs), the liver cancer stem cell (LCSC)-like cells have become one of the focuses in the research on liver cancer. Materials and methods. In this study, CD90+ cells were applied as the possible LCSC-like cells, and the miRNA and gene expression were analyzed in the CD90+ HepG2 cells. The pilot study showed miR-548c-5p exerted potential effect on the CD90+ HepG2 cells and was thereafter applied for the further study. CD90+ HepG2 cells were assigned to miR-548c-5p mimic transfection group and control group. MTT assay was performed to detect the proliferation of CD90+ HepG2 cells. The migration and invasion abilities were examined by wound healing assay and transwell migration assay, respectively. A detection of apoptosis was performed by fluorescence microscopy. Results. Our results showed that caspase-3 and bcl-2 were down-regulated while caspase-8 was up-regulated in the CD90+ HepG2 cells. Moreover, the miR-548c-5p transfection could down-regulate the expression of β-catenin, Tg737, bcl-2, bcl-XL, and caspase-3, inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion and promote the apoptosis of the CD90+ HepG2 cells. Conclusions. Our findings indicate the imbalance between apoptosis and anti-apoptosis in the LCSC-like cells, which influence the biological features of LCSC-like cells. miRNA plays a regulatory role in the LCSC-like cells among which miR-548c-5p might be a suppressor.
The effect of representations on communication and product during collaborative modeling

In this paper we investigate the effect of different external representations on the process and product of collaborative computer modeling tasks. Shared representations can significantly influence the processes of modeling and communication. In order to find the specific benefits of two different representations, we compare pairs working on a collaborative modeling task using a text based model representation with others using a graphical representation. The learners, secondary school students, used the modeling representation for two hours working on a task in the domain of physics. Results indicate that the two representations support different phases of the modeling process.
Testing pseudo-linear models of responses to natural scenes in primate retina

A central goal of systems neuroscience is to develop accurate quantitative models of how neural circuits process information. Prevalent models of light response in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) usually begin with linear filtering over space and time, which reduces the high-dimensional visual stimulus to a simpler and more tractable scalar function of time that in turn determines the model output. Although these pseudo-linear models can accurately replicate RGC responses to stochastic stimuli, it is unclear whether the strong linearity assumption captures the function of the retina in the natural environment. This paper tests how accurately one pseudo-linear model, the generalized linear model (GLM), explains the responses of primate RGCs to naturalistic visual stimuli. Light responses from macaque RGCs were obtained using large-scale multi-electrode recordings, and two major cell types, ON and OFF parasol, were examined. Visual stimuli consisted of images of natural environments with simulated saccadic and fixational eye movements. The GLM accurately reproduced RGC responses to white noise stimuli, as observed previously, but did not generalize to predict RGC responses to naturalistic stimuli. It also failed to capture RGC responses when fitted and tested with naturalistic stimuli alone. Fitted scalar nonlinearities before and after the linear filtering stage were insufficient to correct the failures. These findings suggest that retinal signaling under natural conditions cannot be captured by models that begin with linear filtering, and emphasize the importance of additional spatial nonlinearities, gain control, and/or peripheral effects in the first stage of visual processing.
Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity: epidemiological study

Background A significant association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity has been reported. This study addresses unexplored aspects of this relationship. Aims To evaluate the association between adult obesity and: (a) persistent, remitted or lifetime ADHD; (b) number of childhood ADHD symptoms, controlling for socioeconomic status and mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. Method Face-to-face psychiatric interviews in 34653 US adults from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ⩾30. Results Persistent, lifetime or remitted ADHD were not associated with obesity after controlling for confounders. The number of childhood ADHD symptoms was significantly associated with adult obesity, even after adjustment, in women. Conclusions Childhood ADHD symptoms are associated with obesity in women even after comorbid psychiatric disorders are accounted for. This provides a rationale for longitudinal studies assessing the impact of the treatment of childhood ADHD symptoms on obesity in women.
Does strategic alignment really matter in firm sustainability ? : A survey of manufacturing firms

Sustainable development has drawn an enormous worldwide interest in the past decades from a wide range of academic disciplines and practice. Although sustainability is studied from different angles such as corporate responsibility, corporate social responsibility, corporate environmental responsibility, there are no comprehensive studies that take a holistic view of corporate sustainability and investigate the impact of corporate sustainability strategy on the firm’s sustainability performance and its relation with other functional level strategies. Specifically, relatively less attention has been given to the role of operations strategy on the sustainability drives of a firm and its interface with corporate sustainability strategies. Integrating these disparate streams of research, this study attempts to investigate the question “How a firm can be successful at integrating sustainability concerns into strategic decisionmaking processes on various levels while still meeting its traditional business goals”. The key objectives of this study are to explore conditions that influence the choice of corporate sustainability strategies and operations strategies of a firm and to analyze the impact of an alignment between corporate sustainability strategy and operations strategy of a firm on its sustainability performance. The findings of this study can potentially provide significant implications for operations management researchers and practitioners.
Prospective Observational Evaluation of Sedation and Pain Management Guideline Adherence Across New Jersey Intensive Care Units

Background: The practice guidelines for the management of pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) from the Society of Critical Care Medicine shifted from primarily focusing on the treatment of anxiety in 2002 to the treatment of pain in 2013. Objective: This prospective, observational, multicenter study aimed to assess the degree of practice adherence to the PAD guidelines for ventilated patients in New Jersey intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: Pharmacist investigators at 8 centers designated 4 days at least 10 days apart to evaluate all patients on mechanical ventilation. The primary outcomes included adherence to 4 guideline recommendations: treatment of pain before sedation, use of nonnarcotic analgesic medications, use of nonbenzodiazepine sedative medications, and use of goal-directed sedation. Results: Of 138 patients evaluated, 50% had a primary medical diagnosis (as opposed to surgical, cardiac, or neurological diagnosis), and the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 7. Pain was treated prior to administration of sedatives in 55.4% of subjects, with fentanyl being the primary analgesic used. In addition, 19% received no analgesia, and 11.5% received nonopioid analgesia. Sedative agents were administered to 87 subjects (48 nonbenzodiazepine and 39 benzodiazepine). Of those receiving benzodiazepines, 22 received intermittent bolus regimens and 16 received continuous infusions, of which 5 were for another indication besides sedation. Validated scales measuring the degree of sedation were completed at least once in 56 (81.6%) patients receiving sedatives. Conclusions: Current sedation practices suggest that integration of evidence-based PAD guidelines across New Jersey adult ICUs is inconsistent despite pharmacist involvement.
High accuracy stereo vision system for far distance obstacle detection

This paper presents a high accuracy stereo vision system for obstacle detection and vehicle environment perception in a large variety of traffic scenarios, from highway to urban. The system detects obstacles of all types, even at high distance, outputting them as a list of cuboids having a position in 3D coordinates, size and speed.
Association of clinical and inflammatory markers with small bowel capsule endoscopy findings in Crohn’s disease

Background Mucosal healing is an established treatment endpoint in Crohn’s disease (CD). Still, clinical indices and inflammatory markers are used widely in CD surveillance. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance as well as the relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) with small bowel capsule endoscopy’s (SBCE) inflammation scoring index, the Lewis Score (LS). Patients and methods CDAI, CRP, and SBCE findings of 30 CD patients with isolated small bowel disease were retrieved from our academic institution patient records and were analyzed statistically. Results SBCE showed significant mucosal inflammation [mean (SD) LS: 1599 (1380)], in nine (60.0%) of 15 patients who were in both clinical and biochemical remission. CDAI and CRP showed a weak and moderate correlation with LS (r=0.317, P=0.088 and r=0.516, P=0.004, respectively). The diagnostic performance of CDAI and CRP in predicting mucosal inflammation was as follows: sensitivity 23.8 and 52.4%; specificity 100 and 66.7%; positive predictive value 100 and 78.6%; and negative predictive value 36.0 and 37.5%. The area under the curve toward endoscopic activity prediction was 0.70 and 0.69, respectively. Conclusion Both CDAI and CRP underestimated endoscopic activity as expressed by the LS in a significant proportion of patients with quiescent disease.
Is Prehospital Treatment of Acute Stroke too Expensive An Economic Evaluation Based on the First Trial

Background: Recently, a strategy for treating stroke directly at the emergency site was developed. It was based on the use of an ambulance equipped with a scanner, a point-of-care laboratory, and telemedicine capabilities (Mobile Stroke Unit). Despite demonstrating a marked reduction in the delay to thrombolysis, this strategy is criticized because of potentially unacceptable costs. Methods: We related the incremental direct costs of prehospital stroke treatment based on data of the first trial on this concept to one year direct cost savings taken from published research results. Key parameters were configuration of emergency medical service personnel, operating distance, and population density. Model parameters were varied to cover 5 different relevant emergency medical service scenarios. Additionally, the effects of operating distance and population density on benefit-cost ratios were analyzed. Results: Benefits of the concept of prehospital stroke treatment outweighed its costs with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.96 in the baseline experimental setting. The benefit-cost ratio markedly increased with the reduction of the staff and with higher population density. Maximum benefit-cost ratios between 2.16 and 6.85 were identified at optimum operating distances in a range between 43.01 and 64.88 km (26.88 and 40.55 miles). Our model implies that in different scenarios the Mobile Stroke Unit strategy is cost-efficient starting from an operating distance of 15.98 km (9.99 miles) or from a population density of 79 inhabitants per km2 (202 inhabitants per square mile). Conclusion: This study indicates that based on a one-year benefit-cost analysis that prehospital treatment of acute stroke is highly cost-effective across a wide range of possible scenarios. It is the highest when the staff size of the Mobile Stroke Unit can be reduced, for example, by the use of telemedical support from hospital experts. Although efficiency is positively related to population density, benefit-cost ratios can be greater than 1 even in rural settings.
Strategies to Reverse Endothelial Progenitor Cell Dysfunction in Diabetes

Bone-marrow-derived cells-mediated postnatal vasculogenesis has been reported as the main responsible for the regulation of vascular homeostasis in adults. Since their discovery, endothelial progenitor cells have been depicted as mediators of postnatal vasculogenesis for their peculiar phenotype (partially staminal and partially endothelial), their ability to differentiate in endothelial cell line and to be incorporated into the vessels wall during ischemia/damage. Diabetes mellitus, a condition characterized by cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, and micro- and macroangiopathy, showed a dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells. Herein, we review the mechanisms involved in diabetes-related dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells, highlighting how hyperglycemia affects the different steps of endothelial progenitor cells lifetime (i.e., bone marrow mobilization, trafficking into the bloodstream, differentiation in endothelial cells, and homing in damaged tissues/organs). Finally, we review preclinical and clinical strategies that aim to revert diabetes-induced dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells as a means of finding new strategies to prevent diabetic complications.
Women and Welfare: The Politics of Coping with New Social Risks in Chile and Uruguay

<p>Women make up a disproportionate share of the world's poor, and Latin America is no exception to this trend. Nevertheless, very few studies of social policy in the region have investigated why the gendered character of welfare provision varies across countries. This article addresses that question through a comparative historical analysis of Chile and Uruguay and concludes that variation in the gendered nature of each state's social policy regime resulted from a two-step process. In the first stage, female labor force participation, the mobilizing capacity of women, and policy legacies differentiated the two countries, placing Chile on a less equitable trajectory than Uruguay. These differences were then magnified during each state's experience under authoritarian rule. </p> <p> Las mujeres constituyen en cantidad desproporcionada la mayor parte de las personas pobres en el mundo y América Latina no es la excepción a este desafío. A pesar de esto, muy pocos estudios de política social en la región han investigado por qué la provisión de ayuda basada en el género varía entre los distintos países. Este artículo analiza esta pregunta a través de una mirada histórica, comparando Chile y Uruguay y concluye que la variación en la política social de género de los dos Estados es el resultado de un proceso de dos etapas. Inicialmente, la diferencia de género entre Chile y Uruguay está radicada en factores históricos que incluyen la participación de la fuerza laboral femenina, la capacidad de movilización de las mujeres, las características del sistema de partidos políticos, y la retroalimentación de políticas. Estas diferencias se ampliaron entre ambos países cuando se encontraron cada uno bajo regímenes autoritarios. Mientras el régimen militar de Pinochet decretó reformas económicas regresivas desde el punto de vista de género e institucionalizó el poder de la derecha y de la iglesia, el régimen uruguayo fue más neutral desde el punto de vista de género en la aplicación de sus políticas. </p>
Text-independent distributed speaker identification and verification using GMM-UBM speaker models for mobile communications

This paper presents the simulation results of a speaker identification and verification (SIDV) system that would be efficient for resource limited mobile devices. The proposed system works as a text-independent system within the distributed speech recognition (DSR) framework and is designed to identify a target speaker or imposter using short digit utterances rather than long utterances. In this distributed SIDV (DSIDV), the target speaker model is developed by using the most popular generative system called a GMM-UBM system. A Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) for each true speaker is derived from the Universal Background Model (UBM) by using Bayesian maximum a posteriori (MAP) adaptation. The objective of this paper is to show how speaker recognition and verification over telephone channels can be done using short speeches and DSR technology robust to channel distortions. The ETSI Aurora2 speech corpus was tested in these experiments. The experimental results show that the proposed DSIDV system yields excellent identification and detection performances in a ETSI DSR evaluation task and would be suitable for small hand held mobile devices.
Hippocampal neurogenesis: Opposing effects of stress and antidepressant treatment

The hippocampus is one of several limbic brain structures implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of mood disorders. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that stress and depression lead to reductions of the total volume of this structure and atrophy and loss of neurons in the adult hippocampus. One of the cellular mechanisms that could account for alterations of hippocampal structure as well as function is the regulation of adult neurogenesis. Stress exerts a profound effect on neurogenesis, leading to a rapid and prolonged decrease in the rate of cell proliferation in the adult hippocampus. In contrast, chronic antidepressant treatment up‐regulates hippocampal neurogenesis, and could thereby block or reverse the atrophy and damage caused by stress. Recent studies also demonstrate that neurogenesis is required for the actions of antidepressants in behavioral models of depression. This review discusses the literature that has lead to a neurogenic hypothesis of depression and antidepressant action, as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the regulation of adult neurogenesis by stress and antidepressant treatment. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pulser gating: A clock gating of pulsed-latch circuits

A pulsed-latch is an ideal sequencing element for low-power ASIC designs due to its smaller capacitance and simple timing model. Clock gating of pulsed-latch circuits can be realized by gating a pulse generator (or pulser), which we call pulser gating. The problem of pulser gating synthesis is formulated for the first time. Given a gate-level netlist with location of latches, we first extract the gating function of each latch; the gating functions are merged to reduce the amount of extra logic while gating probability is not sacrificed too much. We also have to take account of proximity of latches, because a pulser, which is gated by merged gating function, and its latches have to be physically close for safe delivery of pulse. The heuristic algorithm that considers all three factors (similarity of gating functions, literal count to implement gating functions, and proximity of latches) is proposed and assessed in terms of power saving and area using 45-nm technology.
Universal Log-Periodic Correction to Renormalization Group Scaling for Rupture Stress Prediction From Acoustic Emissions

Based on the idea that the rupture of heterogenous systems is similar to a critical point, we show how to predict the failure stress with good reliability and precision (≈5%) from acoustic emission measurements at constant stress rate up to a maximum load 15-20% below the failure stress. The basis of our approach is to fit the experimental signals to a mathematical expression deduced from a new scaling theory for rupture in terms of complex fractal exponents. The method is tested successfully on an industrial application, namely high pressure spherical tanks made of various fiber-matrix composites. As a by-product, our results constitute the first observation in a natural context of the universal periodic corrections to scaling in the renormalization-group framework. Our method could be applied usefully to other similar predicting problems in the natural sciences (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.).
Tagging YouTube - A classification of tagging practice on YouTube

A problem exists of how to categorise the abundance of user generated content being uploaded to social sites. One method of categorisation being applied is tagging, user generated keywords that are assigned to the content. This research presents a study into the tagging practice of YouTube users. A classification scheme was applied to a dataset of 768 tags, assigning the tags to different categories of tag type. Analysis reveals how useful the tagging method on YouTube is at improving the categorisation of user generated video content in contrast to collaborative tagging systems.
A Dynamic Connectome Supports the Emergence of Stable Computational Function of Neural Circuits through Reward-Based Learning

Visual Abstract Synaptic connections between neurons in the brain are dynamic because of continuously ongoing spine dynamics, axonal sprouting, and other processes. In fact, it was recently shown that the spontaneous synapse-autonomous component of spine dynamics is at least as large as the component that depends on the history of pre- and postsynaptic neural activity. These data are inconsistent with common models for network plasticity and raise the following questions: how can neural circuits maintain a stable computational function in spite of these continuously ongoing processes, and what could be functional uses of these ongoing processes? Here, we present a rigorous theoretical framework for these seemingly stochastic spine dynamics and rewiring processes in the context of reward-based learning tasks. We show that spontaneous synapse-autonomous processes, in combination with reward signals such as dopamine, can explain the capability of networks of neurons in the brain to configure themselves for specific computational tasks, and to compensate automatically for later changes in the network or task. Furthermore, we show theoretically and through computer simulations that stable computational performance is compatible with continuously ongoing synapse-autonomous changes. After reaching good computational performance it causes primarily a slow drift of network architecture and dynamics in task-irrelevant dimensions, as observed for neural activity in motor cortex and other areas. On the more abstract level of reinforcement learning the resulting model gives rise to an understanding of reward-driven network plasticity as continuous sampling of network configurations.
Ideas and perspectives: climate-relevant marine biologically driven mechanisms in Earth system models

Abstract. The current generation of marine biogeochemical modules in Earth system models (ESMs) considers mainly the effect of marine biota on the carbon cycle. We propose to also implement other biologically driven mechanisms in ESMs so that more climate-relevant feedbacks are captured. We classify these mechanisms in three categories according to their functional role in the Earth system: (1) biogeochemical pumps , which affect the carbon cycling; (2) biological gas and particle shuttles , which affect the atmospheric composition; and (3) biogeophysical mechanisms , which affect the thermal, optical, and mechanical properties of the ocean. To resolve mechanisms from all three classes, we find it sufficient to include five functional groups: bulk phyto- and zooplankton, calcifiers, and coastal gas and surface mat producers. We strongly suggest to account for a larger mechanism diversity in ESMs in the future to improve the quality of climate projections.