Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tuberin Regulates Prostaglandin Receptor–Mediated Viability, via Rheb, in mTORC1-Hyperactive Cells

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a tumor-suppressor syndrome affecting multiple organs, including the brain, skin, kidneys, heart, and lungs. TSC is associated with mutations in TSC1 or TSC2, resulting in hyperactivation of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). Clinical trials demonstrate that mTORC1 inhibitors decrease tumor volume and stabilize lung function in TSC patients; however, mTOR inhibitors are cytostatic not cytocidal, and long-term benefits and toxicities are uncertain. Previously, we identified rapamycin-insensitive upregulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (PTGS2/COX2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in TSC2-deficient cells and postulated that the action of excess PGE2 and its cognate receptors (EP) contributes to cell survival. In this study, we identify upregulation of EP3 (PTGER3) expression in TSC2-deficient cells, TSC renal angiomyolipomas, lymphangioleiomyomatosis lung nodules, and epileptic brain tubers. TSC2 negatively regulated EP3 expression via Rheb in a rapamycin-insensitive manner. The EP3 antagonist, L-798106, selectively suppressed the viability of TSC2-deficient cells in vitro and decreased the lung colonization of TSC2-deficient cells. Collectively, these data reveal a novel function of TSC2 and Rheb in the regulation of EP3 expression and cell viability. Implications: Therapeutic targeting of an aberrant PGE2-EP3 signaling axis may have therapeutic benefit for TSC patients and for other mTOR-hyperactive neoplasms. Mol Cancer Res; 15(10); 1318–30. ©2017 AACR.
Reducing the risk of overdiagnosis in lung cancer: A support from molecular biology

Early detection and swift treatment, when achievable, may significantly affect prognosis in lung cancer patients. Therefore, individuals with a high risk for lung cancer are invited to participate into international screening programs, such as the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I‐ELCAP). An undesirable consequence of such massive enterprises is the detection of pulmonary nodules also in subjects who are unlikely to ultimately die from lung cancer. Nevertheless, the individuals with pulmonary nodule undergo stringent diagnostic procedures to assess the nature of the lesion. This implies a noticeable (physical and emotional) stress for our patients and the likelihood of overdiagnosis and, potentially, consequent overtreatment. Molecular markers, more specifically, microRNAs, might significantly add value to the workup process aiming at the distinction between benign and malignant lesions and, among the malignant ones, those concretely threatening for the patients' survival. We are confident that such a multidisciplinary approach would better suit our patients' diagnostic and/or therapeutic, actual needs. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 2213–2214, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
LAS PREFERENCIAS DEL CONSUMIDOR USANDO EL MÉTODO DE MÁXIMAS DIFERENCIAS

Este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar los atributos mas importantes que el consumidor limeno utiliza en el proceso de eleccion del vino. Adicionalmente, se busca identificar diferencias entre segmentos en estas preferencias. La metodologia consiste en una encuesta a consumidores de vino usando el metodo de maximas diferencias. El estudio es unico en America Latina, donde existe una brecha importante en el mercado del vino y donde el metodo de maximas diferencias es inexplorado por administradores e investigadores. Los resultados muestran que los atributos mas importantes se relacionan con la experiencia previa del consumidor con el vino, el maridaje y las recomendaciones. Este articulo presenta las implicancias para los administradores sobre sus estrategias de marketing a nivel de Lima, generaciones etarias, estratos socioeconomicos y genero.
Efficacy of thymosin alpha-1 and interferon alpha in treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B: a randomized controlled study.

AIM To observe the efficiency and safety of thymosin-alpha1 treatment in patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis. METHODS Sixty-two patients were randomly divided into groups A and B. The patients in group A received subcutaneous injection of 1.6 mg thymosin-alpha1, twice a week (T-alpha1 group) for six months, and the patients in group B received 5 MU interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) each day for fifteen days, then three times weekly (IFN-alpha group) for six months. The results between two groups treated with and the group untreated with IFN-alpha which was followed up for 12 mo (historical control group consisting of 30 patients) were compared, and three groups were comparable between each other (P>0.05) at baseline (age, sex, clinical history, biochemical, and serological parameters). RESULTS At the end of treatment, complete response, which was defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization and HBV DNA and HBeAg loss, occurred in 9 of 29 (31.0%) patients in the T-alpha1 group and in 15 of 33 (45.5%) patients in the IFN-alpha group (chi2=1.36, P>0.05). After a follow-up period of six months, a complete response was observed in 14 of 29 (48.3%) patients in the T-alpha1 group and in 9 of 33 (27.3%) patients in the IFN-alpha group (chi2=2.93, P>0.05). Compared with the results observed in the historical control (HC) group untreated with IFN-alpha which was followed up for 12 mo, the rate of complete response was significantly higher in IFN-alpha group at the end of therapy (1 of 30 vs 15 of 33, chi2=14.72, P<0.001) and in the T-alpha1 group at the end of follow-up (1 of 30 vs 14 of 29, chi2=15.71, P<0.001). In T-alpha1 and IFN-alpha treatment groups, the area under (the plasma concentration time) curve (AUC) of negative HBV DNA and HBeAg was 34%, 17%, 31% and 19% smaller than that in the HC group. By the end of the follow-up period, the proportions of ALT normalization and negative HBV DNA in the T-alpha1 group were significantly higher than those in the IFN-alpha and HC groups. The odds of ALT normalization and negative HBV DNA at the end of the follow-up was three-fold higher in the T-alpha1 group than in the IFN-alpha group. Unlike IFN-alpha, T-alpha1 was well tolerated by all patients, and no side effects appeared in T-alpha1 group. CONCLUSION The results suggest that a 6-mo course of T-alpha1 therapy is effective and safe in patients with chronic hepatitis B. T-alpha1 is able to reduce HBV replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Furthermore, T-alpha1 is better tolerated than IFN-alpha and can gradually induce more sustained ALT normalization and HBV DNA and HBeAg loss. However, a response rate of 48.3% is still less ideal. A more effective therapeutic approach warrants further study.
Facilitating Learning Resource Retrieval for Students with Disabilities through an Ontology-Driven and Disability-Aware Virtual Learning Environment

Existing virtual learning environments VLEs in educational institutions are not designed with the expectation that students with disabilities will use them. Consequently, retrieving relevant information by some students with disabilities is a challenging task. The focus of this study was to propose the design of VLEs to incorporate ontologies that facilitate information retrieval by students with disabilities in their learning, thus serving as a semantic web-based assistive technology in education. An Ontology-Driven Disability-Aware Personalised E-Learning System ONTODAPS was designed and then used to recommend specific learning materials to learners based on their learning goal and disability type. Preliminary results of the evaluation of ONTODAPS, by 30 students with disabilities, indicate that 70% of the participants found ONTODAPS to offer a better personalisation, better access to learning materials 68% and is easier to use 63% in retrieving learning materials than Sakai. Thus ONTODAPS serves as an assistive tool in their education through retrieval of relevant learning materials in a suitable format which is compatible with their disability.
The association between maternal serious psychological distress and child obesity at 3 years: a cross-sectional analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Data.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of child obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide. Early childhood has been identified as a critical time period for the development of obesity. Maternal mental health and early life environment are crucial factors and have been linked to adverse child outcomes. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between maternal serious psychological distress and obesity in early childhood. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Millennium Cohort Study was conducted. Subjects consisted of all natural mothers (n= 10 465) who had complete and plausible data for Kessler-6 scores, socio-demographic and anthropometric variables, and their children for whom anthropometric measurements were completed at age 3. Maternal serious psychological distress was defined as a score of 13 or more on the Kessler-6 scale. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥95th centile of the 1990 reference chart for age and sex in children. The data were analysed using spss 16. Maternal socio-demographic factors that are known to influence maternal mental health and child obesity were identified and adjusted using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 10 465 mother-child dyads, 3.5% of mothers had serious psychological distress and 5.5% of children were obese at 3 years of age. Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal serious psychological distress was associated with early childhood obesity (P= 0.01; OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.11, 2.37). After adjusting for potential confounding factors using multivariate logistic regression, maternal serious psychological distress remained significantly associated with early childhood obesity (P= 0.01; OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.08, 2.34). CONCLUSIONS The results show that maternal serious psychological distress is independently associated with early childhood obesity.
Mitochondrial Modification Techniques and Ethical Issues

Current strategies for preventing the transmission of mitochondrial disease to offspring include techniques known as mitochondrial replacement and mitochondrial gene editing. This technology has already been applied in humans on several occasions, and the first baby with donor mitochondria has already been born. However, these techniques raise several ethical concerns, among which is the fact that they entail genetic modification of the germline, as well as presenting safety problems in relation to a possible mismatch between the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, maternal mitochondrial DNA carryover, and the “reversion” phenomenon. In this essay, we discuss these questions, highlighting the advantages of some techniques over others from an ethical point of view, and we conclude that none of these are ready to be safely applied in humans.
Selective Muscle Activation With Visual Electromyographic Biofeedback During Scapular Posterior Tilt Exercise in Subjects With Round-Shoulder Posture

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of visual electromyography (EMG) biofeedback on the EMG activity of the lower trapezius (LT), serratus anterior (SA), and upper trapezius (UT) muscles, the LT/UT and SA/UT EMG activity ratios, and the scapular upward rotation angle during scapular posterior tilting exercise (SPTE). Twenty-four subjects with round-shoulder posture participated in this study. The EMG activities of the LT, SA, and UT were collected during SPTE both without and with visual EMG biofeedback. The scapular upward rotation angle was measured at the baseline, after SPTE without visual EMG biofeedback, and after SPTE with visual EMG biofeedback. The LT, SA, and UT EMG activities, and the LT/UT and SA/UT EMG activity ratios were analyzed by paired t-test. The scapular upward rotation angle was statistically analyzed using one-way repeated analysis of variance. If a significant difference was found, a Bonferroni correction was performed (p=.05/3=.017). The EMG activities of LT and SA significantly increased, and the EMG activity of UT significantly decreased during SPTE with visual EMG biofeedback compared to SPTE without visual EMG biofeedback (p<.05). In addition, the LT/UT and SA/UT EMG activity ratios significantly increased during SPTE with visual EMG biofeedback compared to SPTE without visual EMG biofeedback (p<.05). Significant increases were found in the scapular upward rotation angle after SPTE without and with visual EMG biofeedback compared to baseline (p<.017), and no significant differences were observed in the scapular upward rotation angle between SPTE without and with visual EMG biofeedback. In conclusion, SPTE using visual EMG biofeedback may be an effective method for increasing LT and SA activities while reducing UT activity.
Imaging applications of synchrotron X‐ray phase‐contrast microtomography in biological morphology and biomaterials science. I. General aspects of the technique and its advantages in the analysis of millimetre‐sized arthropod structure

Synchrotron‐generated X‐rays provide scientists with a multitude of investigative techniques well suited for the analysis of the composition and structure of all types of materials and specimens. Here, we describe the properties of synchrotron‐generated X‐rays and the advantages that they provide for qualitative morphological research of millimetre‐sized biological organisms and biomaterials. Case studies of the anatomy of insect heads, of whole microarthropods and of the three‐dimensional reconstruction of the cuticular tendons of jumping beetles, all performed at the beamline ID19 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), are presented to illustrate the techniques of phase‐contrast tomography available for anatomical and structural investigations. Various sample preparation techniques are described and compared and experimental settings that we have found to be particularly successful are given. On comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the technique with traditional histological thin sectioning, we conclude that synchrotron radiation microtomography has a great potential in biological microanatomy.
Topology Influence on Loss Reduction as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming Problem

This paper attempts to show the influence of network topological changes on the resistive losses for a significant period. As the problem for a long period is not tractable in a mixed integer non-linear programming approach, a piece-wise linear formulation is presented in order to find a convenient relation between active losses and real flows for each branch. Subsequently, a mixed integer linear formulation is developed to find an optimal topology that tends to minimize the active losses. Considered topological configurations concern the splits or mergers of electric nodes and the taps of phase shifting transformers. A practical example based on several hundreds of observations (snapshots) of the French national grid is presented. Obtained result confirms the interest of the method.
Intrusion Detection Effectiveness Improvement by a Multiagent System

Recent studies about Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) performance reveal that the value of an IDS and its optimal operation point depend not only on the Hit and False alarm rates but also on costs (such as those associated with making incorrect decisions about detection) and the hostility of the operating environment. An adaptive multiagent IDS is proposed in this paper and it is evaluated according to a promising metric that take into account all these parameters. This paper shows results of a prototype that clearly point out how multiagent technology can improve IDS effectiveness.
Exposure of Oocytes to the Fusarium Toxins Zearalenone and Deoxynivalenol Causes Aneuploidy and Abnormal Embryo Development in Pigs1

Abstract Fungi of the Fusarium species can infect food and feed commodities and produce the mycotoxins zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON). Since both toxins have been reported to reduce fertility, the mechanisms of ZEA and DON on inhibition of oocyte maturation were examined. Pig oocytes were matured in the presence of ZEA (a mycotoxin with estrogenlike activity), 17beta-estradiol, and DON (all 3.12 μmol/L). Zearalenone, 17beta-estradiol, and DON inhibited oocyte maturation and caused approximately 34% of the oocytes to form an aberrant spindle. Different ratios of ZEA:DON did not lead to a more severe inhibition of oocyte maturation. Both mycotoxins caused abnormal formation of the meiotic spindle. The developmental competence of oocytes matured in the presence of mycotoxins was further investigated after in vitro fertilization. Presence of ZEA (3.12 μmol/L) during maturation reduced the percentages of oocytes that cleaved and formed a blastocyst to about 12%, compared with 25% of control oocytes. Maturation in the presence of equimolar concentrations of DON was not compatible with development. The ploidy of blastomeres from blastocysts derived from mycotoxin-exposed oocytes was analyzed with fluorescent in situ hybridization. All blastocysts, even those from the control group, contained at least one blastomere with abnormal ploidy, but the variation in the percentages of aneuploid blastomeres was significantly larger in embryos from oocytes exposed to mycotoxins. It is concluded that ZEA and DON can lead to abnormal spindle formation, leading to less fertile oocytes and embryos with abnormal ploidy, and that the effects of ZEA and DON are not synergistic.
DÉFICITS DE MEMORIA EN LA AMNESIA GLOBAL TRANSITORIA Un estudio longitudinal

Los resultados han puesto de manifiesto que durante la AGT las pruebas con un componente mas semantico (fluidez categorial, definicion de palabras, reconocimiento de eventos y, probablemente, la Familiaridad) se realizan de forma deficitaria, al igual que las pruebas episodicas. En el estudio longitudinal, se ha comprobado que esta alteracion semantica esta recuperada una semana despues. Sin embargo, las tareas con un componente mas episodico (recuerdo libre, reconocimiento, localizacion temporal de eventos y la Recoleccion) continuan alteradas tres meses despues del episodio amnesico. Respecto a los rasgos clinicos de la AGT, este tipo de amnesia cumple todas las caracteristicas definitorias del sindrome amnesico excepto que la memoria semantica esta afectada durante la AGT. En funcion de los resultados obtenidos y partiendo de la perspectiva de los sistemas de memoria, durante la AGT se produce una disociacion entre los sistemas episodico y semantico, que estan alterados, y los sistemas procedimental y de representacion perceptiva, que se muestran preservados. Este hecho encaja con las predicciones del modelo de Schacter y Tulving (1994) en el que los sistemas a largo plazo evolutivamente mas antiguos son los mas resistentes a la alteracion, y los mas nuevos los mas fragiles. El patron de alteracion durante la AGT tambien encaja con las predicciones del modelo de Squire (1994), en el que, por una parte, la memoria declarativa aparece alterada en la amnesia y, por otra, la no declarativa, preservada. Sin embargo, una semana despues, los pacientes con AGT muestran la memoria semantica recuperada, y la episodica continua alterada. Esta disociacion se explica mejor con el modelo de Schacter y Tulving (1994) que con el de Squire (1994) en el que se considera a los conocimientos semanticos y episodicos como dependientes de un unico sistema, el declarativo. De esta manera, el patron de recuperacion de la AGT es otro ejemplo en el que se evidencia la necesidad de separar la memoria semantica y la episodica.
Humanistic Pedagogy:— Athlete Centred Learning? —

Lombardo (2001) espouses humanistic coaching as a tool to create within the athletes the motivation to learn and achieve. Traditional models of coaching/ teaching cater to the socializing agencies of young people forty years ago. Today coaching/ teaching approaches need to be modified to suit the socialization trends in the 21st century. For many years, psychological (see self-determination theory; Deci & Ryan, 2000) and pedagogical (Vaughan, 2014) research has espoused autonomous supportive leader behaviours to enhance intrinsic motivation for learning. This autonomy and freedom come through learner ownership, awareness and responsibility for his/her learning and performance. Learners develop understandings and learn more effectively when they are involved in solving problems for themselves. If experts merely present knowledge to those who are ‘nonexpert’ and make decisions for them, the learners become disengaged from the learning process which could mean a difference between performance success and failure. Current skill acquisition theory espouses the inclusion of dynamic, non-linear activities (Davids, Button & Bennett, 2008) rather than rote, linear drill type movements in sport and Physical Education classes. These dynamic practices are humanizing and enhance learning in realistic environments, which positively influence self-esteem, self-direction, independence and opportunities that can ‘express intense moments of joy and supreme well-being’ (Workman, 1999). This presentation will address learner centred and dynamical systems approaches that can enhance student/athlete motivation to learn.
Improved 60GHz loaded-line phase shifter using tunable inductor

In this paper we propose a modified varactor loaded π-cell phase shifter to increase the phase shift range per cell and to minimize the input/output return losses over a large frequency band. A tunable transformer-based inductor is employed instead of the fixed inductor in conventional π-cell to keep the characteristic impedance of the line independent of the phase shift. In the proposed transformer based tunable inductor secondary terminals of the transformer are connected to a varactor to produce a variable inductor at the input of the transformer. To verify the operation principle, a 60GHz transformer in 65nm CMOS technology is EM simulated in HFSS and results have been imported into the circuit simulator for the overall characterization of the system with a varactor. A large phase shift of 480, average insertion loss of 3.5dB and input/output return loss of 10dB is achieved in the 60 GHz band.
Building frame-based corpus on the basis of ontological domain knowledge

Semantic Role Labeling (SRL) plays a key role in many NLP applications. The development of SRL systems for the biomedical domain is frustrated by the lack of large domain-specific corpora that are labeled with semantic roles. Corpus development has been very expensive and time-consuming. In this paper we propose a method for building frame-based corpus on the basis of domain knowledge provided by ontologies. We believe that ontologies, as a structured and semantic representation of domain knowledge, can instruct and ease the tasks in building the corpora. In the paper we present a corpus built by using the method. We compared it to BioFrameNet, and examined the gaps between the semantic classification of the target words in the domain-specific corpus and in FrameNet and Prop-Bank/VerbNet.