Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DLG5 in Cell Polarity Maintenance and Cancer Development

Failure in establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell polarity contributes to tumorigenesis. Loss of expression and function of cell polarity proteins is directly related to epithelial cell polarity maintenance. The polarity protein discs large homolog 5 (DLG5) belongs to a family of molecular scaffolding proteins called Membrane Associated Guanylate Kinases (MAGUKs). As the other family members, DLG5 contains the multi-PDZ, SH3 and GUK domains. DLG5 has evolved in the same manner as DLG1 and ZO1, two well-studied MAGUKs proteins. Just like DLG1 and ZO1, DLG5 plays a role in cell migration, cell adhesion, precursor cell division, cell proliferation, epithelial cell polarity maintenance, and transmission of extracellular signals to the membrane and cytoskeleton. Since the roles of DLG5 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease (CD) have been reviewed, here, our review focuses on the roles of DLG5 in epithelial cell polarity maintenance and cancer development.
Scheimpflug Imaging Parameters Associated with Tear Mediators and Bronchial Asthma in Keratoconus

Purpose. To determine associations between mediators in tears in the whole spectrum of keratoconus (KC); to explore connections between mediators and Scheimpflug parameters; to examine correlations between Scheimpflug parameters and bronchial asthma. Methods. Tear samples were collected from 69 patients and 19 controls. Concentrations of mediators—IL-6, -10; CXCL8, CCL5; MMP-9, -13; TIMP-1; t-PA, PAI-1—were measured by Cytometric Bead Array. Measured Pentacam parameters include keratometry values (K 1, K 2, K max), corneal thickness (Pachy Pupil, Apex, Min), and elevations and indices (including Belin-Ambrósio deviation (BAD-D)). Results. A number of significant positive associations were observed between pairs of mediator concentrations. Significant positive correlations were found between BAD-D and CXCL8/MMP-9 and K 2 and MMP-9. Significant negative associations were explored between Pachy Min and CXCL8/t-PA. Significant associations were found between pairs of mediators (IL-6 and CXCL8; CCL5 and CXCL8/MMP-9; TIMP-1 and MMP-9/-13/t-PA; t-PA and CXCL8/CCL5/PAI-1) and the severity of KC. Significant positive correlation between asthma and the severity of KC was explored. Conclusion. Cooperation of different mediators in tears all taking part in the complex pathomechanism of keratoconus was revealed. Our research verifies that inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of KC. Additionally this study confirms the effect of bronchial asthma on keratoconus.
Systematic review of risk prediction scores for surgical site infection or periprosthetic joint infection following joint arthroplasty

SUMMARY Accurate identification of individuals at high risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) or periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) influences clinical decisions and development of preventive strategies. We aimed to determine progress in the development and validation of risk prediction models for SSI or PJI using a systematic review. We searched for studies that have developed or validated a risk prediction tool for SSI or PJI following joint replacement in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane databases; trial registers and reference lists of studies up to September 2016. Nine studies describing 16 risk scores for SSI or PJI were identified. The number of component variables in a risk score ranged from 4 to 45. The C-index ranged from 0·56 to 0·74, with only three risk scores reporting a discriminative ability of >0·70. Five risk scores were validated internally. The National Healthcare Safety Network SSIs risk models for hip and knee arthroplasties (HPRO and KPRO) were the only scores to be externally validated. Except for HPRO which shows some promise for use in a clinical setting (based on predictive performance and external validation), none of the identified risk scores can be considered ready for use. Further research is urgently warranted within the field.
NGF rescues substance P expression but not neurofilament or tubulin gene expression in axotomized sensory neurons

A reduction in the supply of retrogradely transported NGF has been proposed as a possible signal for the axotomy response in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Components of the axotomy response that have previously been well characterized in axotomized DRG cells include changes in cytoskeletal gene expression and changes in the expression of neurotransmitters/neuromodulators such as substance P. In this study, we examined the role of NGF in the axotomy response by examining protein synthesis and mRNA levels of the low-MW neurofilament protein (NF-L) and beta-tubulin in DRG cells at 1, 7, and 12 d after axotomy with and without continuous administration of exogenous NGF. We also examined substance P levels in the DRG by immunocytochemistry under the same experimental conditions. Sciatic nerves of adult male rats were unilaterally transected at the midthigh level, and the proximal nerve stumps were placed into Silastic tubes connected to osmotic minipumps that were filled with biologically active NGF. NGF (0.5 mg/ml in saline) was continuously infused (0.5 microliter/hr) onto the proximal stumps of transected sciatic nerves for 1–12 d. Control animals were prepared in an identical fashion except that the nerves were treated with saline alone. At death, DRGs were removed from the animals; the L4 experimental DRGs (axotomized) and contralateral L4 DRGs (uninjured) were used immediately for protein synthesis experiments, while the experimental and contralateral L5 DRGs were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and subsequently used for in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. From another set of experimental animals, the L4 and L5 DRGs were harvested and used for total RNA isolation and RNA blotting experiments. Immunocytochemical studies using a polyclonal antibody to substance P showed that the immunodetectable levels of this peptide decreased to undetectable levels in DRG neurons after axotomy and saline administration. However, in axotomized neurons treated with NGF, the level of immunodetectable substance P did not decrease, but instead, increased over even that present in normal DRG neurons. Pulse labeling of DRGs with 35S-methionine:cysteine followed by 2-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and fluorography revealed that the synthesis of neurofilament (NF) proteins was decreased, while that of tubulin was increased, 12 d after sciatic nerve transection. NGF administration to axotomized neurons did not alter this pattern. Quantitative analysis of in situ hybridizations of DRG neurons and RNA blot analysis with cDNA probes specific for NF-L and beta-tubulin mRNAs showed that NGF treatment of axotomized DRGs did not significantly affect cytoskeletal gene expression at the mRNA level. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Exploring the use of tangible user interfaces for human-robot interaction: a comparative study

In this paper we suggest the use of tangible user interfaces (TUIs) for human-robot interaction (HRI) applications. We discuss the potential benefits of this approach while focusing on low-level of autonomy tasks. We present an experimental robotic interaction test bed to support our investigation. We use the test bed to explore two HRI-related task-sets: robotic navigation control and robotic posture control. We discuss the implementation of these two task-sets using an AIBO" robot dog. Both tasks were mapped to two different robotic control interfaces: keypad interface which resembles the interaction approach currently common in HRI, and a gesture input mechanism based on Nintendo Wii" game controllers. We discuss the interfaces implementation and conclude with a detailed user study for evaluating these different HRI techniques in the two robotic tasks-sets.
Multicommunicating: Juggling Multiple Conversations in the Workplace

As a result of newer communication technologies and an increase in virtual communication, employees often find themselves multicommunicating, or participating in multiple conversations at the same time. This research seeks to explore multicommunicating from the perspective of the person juggling multiple conversations at the same time—the focal individual. To better understand this phenomenon, we extend previous theorizing by including the concepts of the episode initiator (whether the second conversation was focal or partner initiated), the fit of the set of media used in the episode, one process gain (conversation leveraging), and process losses. Employing a series of pilot studies and a main study, the resulting model was analyzed using structural equation modeling, finding overall support for the model. Findings suggest that experienced intensity is an important factor influencing process losses experienced during multicommunicating, whereas episode initiator influences process losses and the process .
How can we learn efficiently to act optimally and flexibly?

When we walk to a shop in a town, we want to get there in the shortest time. However, finding the shortest route in a big city is quite tricky, because there are countless possible routes and the time taken for each segment of a route is uncertain. This is a typical problem of discrete optimal control, which aims to find the optimal sequence of actions to minimize the total cost from any given state to the goal state. The problems of optimal control are ubiquitous, from animal foraging to national economic policy, and there have been lots of theoretical studies on the topic. However, solving an optimal control problem requires a huge amount of computations except for limited cases. In this issue of PNAS, Emanuel Todorov (1) presents a refreshingly new approach in optimal control based on a novel insight as to the duality of optimal control and statistical inference.
Measuring the spreadability of users in microblogs

Message forwarding (e.g., retweeting on Twitter.com) is one of the most popular functions in many existing microblogs, and a large number of users participate in the propagation of information, for any given messages. While this large number can generate notable diversity and not all users have the same ability to diffuse the messages, this also makes it challenging to find the true users with higher spreadability, those generally rated as interesting and authoritative to diffuse the messages. In this paper, a novel method called SpreadRank is proposed to measure the spreadability of users in microblogs, considering both the time interval of retweets and the location of users in information cascades. Experiments were conducted on a real dataset from Twitter containing about 0.26 million users and 10 million tweets, and the results showed that our method is consistently better than the PageRank method with the network of retweets and the method of retweetNum which measures the spreadability according to the number of retweets. Moreover, we find that a user with more tweets or followers does not always have stronger spreadability in microblogs.
Spinal manipulative therapy for low back pain.

BACKGROUND Low-back pain is a costly illness for which spinal manipulative therapy is commonly recommended. Previous systematic reviews and practice guidelines have reached discordant results on the effectiveness of this therapy for low-back pain. OBJECTIVES To resolve the discrepancies related to the use of spinal manipulative therapy and to update previous estimates of effectiveness, by comparing spinal manipulative therapy with other therapies and then incorporating data from recent high-quality randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) into the analysis. SEARCH STRATEGY The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were electronically searched from their respective beginning to January 2000, using the Back Group search strategy; references from previous systematic reviews were also screened. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized, controlled trials (RCT) that evaluated spinal manipulative therapy for patients with low-back pain, with at least one day of follow-up, and at least one clinically-relevant outcome measure. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors, who served as the reviewers for all stages of the meta-analysis, independently extracted data from unmasked articles. Comparison treatments were classified into the following seven categories: sham, conventional general practitioner care, analgesics, physical therapy, exercises, back school, or a collection of therapies judged to be ineffective or even harmful (traction, corset, bed rest, home care, topical gel, no treatment, diathermy, and minimal massage). MAIN RESULTS Thirty-nine RCTs were identified. Meta-regression models were developed for acute or chronic pain and short-term and long-term pain and function. For patients with acute low-back pain, spinal manipulative therapy was superior only to sham therapy (10-mm difference [95% CI, 2 to 17 mm] on a 100-mm visual analogue scale) or therapies judged to be ineffective or even harmful. Spinal manipulative therapy had no statistically or clinically significant advantage over general practitioner care, analgesics, physical therapy, exercises, or back school. Results for patients with chronic low-back pain were similar. Radiation of pain, study quality, profession of manipulator, and use of manipulation alone or in combination with other therapies did not affect these results. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence that spinal manipulative therapy is superior to other standard treatments for patients with acute or chronic low-back pain.
Design of M-channel pseudo near perfect reconstruction QMF bank for image compression

This paper proposes particle swarm optimization method to design M channel near perfect reconstruction pseudo QMF banks used in transforming stage of image coder. The filter bank is designed to have highest entropy based coder. To achieve high energy compaction and least distortion, design problem is formulated as a combination of the coding gain, low dc leakage conditions and stopband attenuation. For distortion free signal representation perfect reconstruction and good visual quality measures are imposed as constraints. The design problem is solved using (particle swarm optimization) PSO technique for minimizing filter tap weights. The technique find out solution by searching feasible solutions that achieve the best solution for the objectives criteria mentioned above. The performance of this optimization technique in filter bank design for image compression is evaluated in terms of both objective quality via coding gain, PSNR measures and subjective visual quality measure using both JPEG baseline image coder and an Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) coder. For comparison same test images for approximately same conditions and characteristics are used to measure compression ratio and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) for lower bit rates.
Monitoring Fetal Electrocortical Activity during Labour for Predicting Worsening Acidemia: A Prospective Study in the Ovine Fetus Near Term

Background Severe fetal acidemia during labour with arterial pH below 7.00 is associated with increased risk of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring, the mainstay of intrapartum surveillance, has poor specificity for detecting fetal acidemia. We studied brain electrical activity measured with electrocorticogram (ECOG) in the near term ovine fetus subjected to repetitive umbilical cord occlusions (UCO) inducing FHR decelerations, as might be seen in human labour, to delineate the time-course for ECOG changes with worsening acidemia and thereby assess the potential clinical utility of fetal ECOG. Methodology/Principal Findings Ten chronically catheterized fetal sheep were studied through a series of mild, moderate and severe UCO until the arterial pH was below 7.00. At a pH of 7.24±0.04, 52±13 min prior to the pH dropping <7.00, spectral edge frequency (SEF) increased to 23±2 Hz from 3±1 Hz during each FHR deceleration (p<0.001) and was correlated to decreases in FHR and in fetal arterial blood pressure during each FHR deceleration (p<0.001). Conclusions/Significance The UCO-related changes in ECOG occurred in advance of the pH decreasing below 7.00. These ECOG changes may be a protective mechanism suppressing non-essential energy needs when oxygen supply to the fetal brain is decreased acutely. By detecting such “adaptive brain shutdown,” the need for delivery in high risk pregnant patients may be more accurately predicted than with FHR monitoring alone. Therefore, monitoring fetal electroencephalogram (EEG, the human equivalent of ECOG) during human labour may be a useful adjunct to FHR monitoring.
The TORCH (TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health) survival study protocol

Only long-term home oxygen therapy has been shown in randomised controlled trials to increase survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There have been no trials assessing the effect of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators, alone or in combination, on mortality in patients with COPD, despite their known benefit in reducing symptoms and exacerbations. The “TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health” (TORCH) survival study is aiming to determine the impact of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SFC) combination and the individual components on the survival of COPD patients. TORCH is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. Approximately 6,200 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD were randomly assigned to b.i. d. treatment with either SFC (50/500 µg), fluticasone propionate (500 µg), salmeterol (50 µg) or placebo for 3 yrs. The primary end-point is all-cause mortality; secondary end-points are COPD morbidity relating to rate of exacerbations and health status, using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Other end-points include other mortality and exacerbation end-points, requirement for long-term oxygen therapy, and clinic lung function. Safety end-points include adverse events, with additional information on bone fractures. The first patient was recruited in September 2000 and results should be available in 2006. This paper describes the “TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health” study and explains the rationale behind it.
What Junior High Students Like in Books.

who want to know not only which books youngsters like but also the basis of their appeal. This article examines reasons junior high students from the U.S. Southwest gave for favoring specific titles chosen in the 1981 survey. Following the guidelines of the project, 125 of the approximately 600 books included in the 1981 poll were targeted for junior high students. These books were introduced individ-
Binary Repetition Codes and SPC Product Codes for Coded and Cooperative Diversity Systems

A three stage network protocol that can achieve coded and cooperative diversity to improve network coverage is investigated. In Stage 1, a cyclic redundancy check code is used to detect erroneous packets. Binary repetition codes and single parity check product codes are used in Stage 2 to achieve forward diversity. The transmitter powers for binary repetition codes are optimized to improve the packet error rate. "N" Node cooperation in Stage 3 is implemented using random single parity check codes distributed across the nodes. The network coverage is shown to be improved in all three stages. The cooperation gains are found to be strongly dependent on the particular network realization and less on the number of cooperating nodes.
Discovery of the Elusive Leptin in Birds: Identification of Several ‘Missing Links’ in the Evolution of Leptin and Its Receptor

Leptin is a pleiotropic protein best known for regulation of appetite and fat storage in mammals. While many leptin orthologs have been identified among vertebrates, an authentic leptin in birds has remained elusive and controversial. Here we identify leptin sequence from the Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus (pfleptin), and identify sequences from two other birds (mallard and zebra finch), and ‘missing’ vertebrates (elephant shark, alligator, Indian python, Chinese soft-shelled turtle, and coelacanth). The pattern of genes surrounding leptin (snd1, rbm28) is syntenic between the falcon and mammalian genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of all known leptin protein sequences improves our understanding of leptin’s evolution. Structural modeling of leptin orthologs highlights a highly conserved hydrophobic core in the four-helix cytokine packing domain. A docked model of leptin with the leptin receptor for Peregrine falcon reveals several conserved amino acids important for the interaction and possible coevolution of leptin with its receptor. We also show for the first time, an authentic avian leptin sequence that activates the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. These newly identified sequences, structures, and tools for avian leptin and its receptor will allow elucidation of the function of these proteins in feral and domestic birds.
2 2 0 Se p 20 01 On the Quantum Black-Box Complexity of Majority

We describe a quantum black-box network computing the majority of N bits with zero-sided error eps using only 2N/3 + O(sqrt{N (log log N + log 1/eps)}) queries: the algorithm returns the correct answer with probability at least 1 - eps, and "I don't know" otherwise. Our algorithm is given as a randomized "XOR decision tree" for which the number of queries on any input is strongly concentrated around a value of at most 2N/3. We provide a nearly matching lower bound of 2N/3 - O(sqrt(N)) on the expected number of queries on a worst-case input in the randomized XOR decision tree model with zero-sided error o(1). Any classical randomized decision tree computing the majority on N bits with zero-sided error 1/2 has cost N.
CD1d- and MR1-Restricted T Cells in Sepsis

Dysregulated immune responses to infection, such as those encountered in sepsis, can be catastrophic. Sepsis is typically triggered by an overwhelming systemic response to an infectious agent(s) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality even under optimal critical care. Recent studies have implicated unconventional, innate-like T lymphocytes, including CD1d- and MR1-restricted T cells as effectors and/or regulators of inflammatory responses during sepsis. These cell types are typified by invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, variant NKT (vNKT) cells, and mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. iNKT and vNKT cells are CD1d-restricted, lipid-reactive cells with remarkable immunoregulatory properties. MAIT cells participate in antimicrobial defense, and are restricted by major histocompatibility complex-related protein 1 (MR1), which displays microbe-derived vitamin B metabolites. Importantly, NKT and MAIT cells are rapid and potent producers of immunomodulatory cytokines. Therefore, they may be considered attractive targets during the early hyperinflammatory phase of sepsis when immediate interventions are urgently needed, and also in later phases when adjuvant immunotherapies could potentially reverse the dangerous state of immunosuppression. We will highlight recent findings that point to the significance or the therapeutic potentials of NKT and MAIT cells in sepsis and will also discuss what lies ahead in research in this area.