Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complex interactions between hypoxia‐ischemia and inflammation in preterm brain injury

Children surviving preterm birth have a high risk of disability, particularly cognitive and learning problems. There is extensive clinical and experimental evidence that disability is now primarily related to dysmaturation of white and gray matter, defined by failure of oligodendrocyte maturation and neuronal dendritic arborization, rather than cell death alone. The etiology of this dysmaturation is multifactorial, with contributions from hypoxia‐ischemia, infection/inflammation and barotrauma. Intriguingly, these factors can interact to both increase and decrease damage. In this review we summarize preclinical and clinical evidence that all of these factors trigger secondary or chronic inflammation and gliosis. Thus, we hypothesize that these shared pathological features play a key role in a final common pathway that leads to the impaired neural maturation and connectivity and cognitive/motor impairments that are commonly observed in infants born preterm. This raises the possibility that secondary or chronic inflammation may be a viable therapeutic target for delayed interventions to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes after preterm birth.
PSR J1740-3052: a pulsar with a massive companion

We report on the discovery of a binary pulsar, PSR J1740−3052, during the Parkes multibeam survey. Timing observations of the 570-ms pulsar at Jodrell Bank and Parkes show that it is young, with a characteristic age of 350 kyr, and is in a 231-d, highly eccentric orbit with a companion whose mass exceeds 11 M⊙. An accurate position for the pulsar was obtained using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Near-infrared 2.2-μm observations made with the telescopes at the Siding Spring observatory reveal a late-type star coincident with the pulsar position. However, we do not believe that this star is the companion of the pulsar, because a typical star of this spectral type and required mass would extend beyond the orbit of the pulsar. Furthermore, the measured advance of periastron of the pulsar suggests a more compact companion, for example, a main-sequence star with radius only a few times that of the Sun. Such a companion is also more consistent with the small dispersion measure variations seen near periastron. Although we cannot conclusively rule out a black hole companion, we believe that the companion is probably an early B star, making the system similar to the binary PSR J0045−7319.
Volvox carteri as a model for studying the genetic and cytological control of morphogenesis

The green alga Volvox carteri has a very simple and regular adult form that arises through a short sequence of well‐defined morphogenetic steps. A mature gonidium (asexual reproductive cell) initiates a stereotyped sequence of rapid cleavage divisions that will produce all of the cells found later in an adult. A predictable subset of these divisions are asymmetric and result in production of a small set of germ cells in a precise spatial pattern. Throughout cleavage, all intracellular components are held in predictable spatial relationships by a cytoskeleton of unusually regular structure, while neighboring cells are also held in fixed spatial relationships by an extensive network of cytoplasmic bridges that form as a result of incomplete cytokinesis. As a result of these two orienting mechanisms combined, dividing cells are arranged around the anterior–posterior axis of the embryo with precise rotational symmetry. These relationships are maintained by the cytoplasmic bridge system when the embryo that was inside out at the end of cleavage turns right‐side out in the gastrulation‐like process of inversion. Inversion is driven by a cytoskeleton‐mediated sequence of cell shape changes, cellular movements and coordinated contraction. Then, by the time the cytoplasmic bridges begin to break down shortly after inversion, a preliminary framework of extracellular matrix (ECM) has been formed. The ECM traps the cells and holds them in the rotational relationships that were established during cleavage, and that must be maintained in order for the adult to be able to swim. Transposon tagging is now being used to clone and characterize the genes regulating these morphogenetic processes.
Unexpected news in renal fibrosis.

A striking characteristic of many diseases of the kidney is their ability to induce decreases in function that may initially be modest but that inexorably progress until all function is lost. The anatomical correlate of this evolution is a relentless substitution of renal parenchymal cells by fibrotic tissue. Fibrosis had long been recognized as a prominent feature of diseased kidneys, but nephrology’s intellectual landscape had long focused on the widely variable and aesthetically alluring glomerular changes caused by disease. A seismic change was initiated by two important discoveries that initially concerned glomerular diseases but have proven to have much wider implications in our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the inexorable evolution of many renal diseases. First, the hypothesis by Brenner and collaborators that increases in glomerular pressures and flows initiate progressive loss of renal function led to the discovery that inhibitors of the renin-angio-tensin system retard renal-function loss and ameliorate renal fibrosis (1, 2). Second, Border and colleagues discovered that TGF-β1 is a key mediator of renal fibrogenesis (3, 4). This work not only resulted in substantial advances in patient care (2) but also initiated a veritable explosion of research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms regulating renal fibrogenesis. Elegant experimental design has attracted many research-ers to a model of fibrosis resulting from unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), but many other types of renal diseases have also been studied. As it is likely that different pathogenetic mechanisms are activated in different types of renal fibrotic diseases, generalizations must be made cautiously. However, several observations appear to be well established and to apply to most models: (a) the critical role of TGF-β1; (b) the profibrotic action of angiotensin (at least in part mediated by TGF-β1); (c) the antifibrotic effect of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system; and (d) the recent demonstration that many renal fibroblasts derive from conversion of renal epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells (5), a reversal of the process that normally occurs during renal development (6). It must be noted, however, that a small number of renal fibroblasts migrate to the kidney from the bone marrow.
Large‐scale phenotypic analysis reveals identical contributions to cell functions of known and unknown yeast genes

Sequencing of the yeast genome has shown that about one‐third of the yeast ORFs code for unknown proteins. Many other have similarity to known genes, but still the cellular functions of the gene products are unknown. The aim of the B1 Consortium of the EUROFAN project was to perform a qualitative phenotypic analysis on yeast strains deleted for functionally orphan genes. To this end we set up a simple approach to detect growth defects of a relatively large number of strains in the presence of osmolytes, ethanol, high temperature, inhibitory compounds or drugs affecting protein biosynthesis, phosphorylation level or nucleic acids biosynthesis. We have now developed this procedure to a semi‐quantitative level, we have included new inhibitors, such as hygromycin B, benomyl, metals and additional drugs interfering with synthesis of nucleic acids, and we have performed phenotypic analysis on the deleted strains of 564 genes poorly characterized in respect to their cellular functions. About 30% of the deleted strains showed at least one phenotype: many of them were pleiotropic. For many gene deletions, the linkage between the deletion marker and the observed phenotype(s) was studied by tetrad analysis and their co‐segregation was demonstrated. Co‐segregation was found in about two‐thirds of the analysed strains showing phenotype(s). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Real-Time and Simultaneous Control of Artificial Limbs Based on Pattern Recognition Algorithms

The prediction of simultaneous limb motions is a highly desirable feature for the control of artificial limbs. In this work, we investigate different classification strategies for individual and simultaneous movements based on pattern recognition of myoelectric signals. Our results suggest that any classifier can be potentially employed in the prediction of simultaneous movements if arranged in a distributed topology. On the other hand, classifiers inherently capable of simultaneous predictions, such as the multi-layer perceptron (MLP), were found to be more cost effective, as they can be successfully employed in their simplest form. In the prediction of individual movements, the one-vs-one (OVO) topology was found to improve classification accuracy across different classifiers and it was therefore used to benchmark the benefits of simultaneous control. As opposed to previous work reporting only offline accuracy, the classification performance and the resulting controllability are evaluated in real time using the motion test and target achievement control (TAC) test, respectively. We propose a simultaneous classification strategy based on MLP that outperformed a top classifier for individual movements (LDA-OVO), thus improving the state-of-the-art classification approach. Furthermore, all the presented classification strategies and data collected in this study are freely available in BioPatRec, an open source platform for the development of advanced prosthetic control strategies.
Ethnic, Racial and Cultural Identity and Perceived Benefits and Barriers Related to Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer among At-Risk Women of African Descent in New York City

Background: Due to disparities in the use of genetic services, there has been growing interest in examining beliefs and attitudes related to genetic testing for breast and/or ovarian cancer risk among women of African descent. However, to date, few studies have addressed critical cultural variations among this minority group and their influence on such beliefs and attitudes. Methods: We assessed ethnic, racial and cultural identity and examined their relationships with perceived benefits and barriers related to genetic testing for cancer risk in a sample of 160 women of African descent (49% self-identified African American, 39% Black-West Indian/Caribbean, 12% Black-Other) who met genetic risk criteria and were participating in a larger longitudinal study including the opportunity for free genetic counseling and testing in New York City. All participants completed the following previously validated measures: (a) the multi-group ethnic identity measure (including ethnic search and affirmation subscales) and other-group orientation for ethnic identity, (b) centrality to assess racial identity, and (c) Africentrism to measure cultural identity. Perceived benefits and barriers related to genetic testing included: (1) pros/advantages (including family-related pros), (2) cons/disadvantages (including family-related cons, stigma and confidentiality concerns), and (3) concerns about abuses of genetic testing. Results: In multivariate analyses, several ethnic identity elements showed significant, largely positive relationships to perceived benefits about genetic testing for breast and/or ovarian cancer risk, the exception being ethnic search, which was positively associated with cons/disadvantages, in general, and family-related cons/disadvantages. Racial identity (centrality) showed a significant association with confidentiality concerns. Cultural identity (Africentrism) was not related to perceived benefits and/or barriers. Conclusions: Ethnic and racial identity may influence perceived benefits and barriers related to genetic testing for breast and/or ovarian cancer risk among at-risk women of African descent. Genetic counseling services may want to take into account these factors in the creation of culturally-appropriate services which best meet the needs of this heterogenous population.
Impact of HIV genotyping and drug levels on the response to salvage therapy with saquinavir/ritonavir.

A total of 139 HIV-infected adults failing a protease inhibitor (PI) regimen were recruited in a multicentre, prospective, open trial. All began saquinavir soft gel 1000 mg and ritonavir 100 mg twice a day plus two nucleoside analogues. Ten discontinued treatment because of adverse events. Plasma HIV-RNA levels fell > 1 log at 24 weeks in 44.5% of patients in an intent-to-treat analysis. The number of PI resistance mutations and saquinavir plasma levels independently predicted the virological response.
Significance of Flavonoids in Plant Resistance and Enhancement of Their Biosynthesis

The roles of flavonoids in plant defence against pathogens, herbivores, and environmental stress are reviewed and their significant contribution to plant resistance is discussed. The induction of flavonoids is of particular interest for gathering evidence of their roles. Tools are mentioned which may enhance flavonoid biosynthesis and accumulation. These include metabolic engineering and UV light. The induction of defence-related flavonoids is modified by other determining factors and competition between growth and secondary metabolism may exist. In an evolutionary context, stress-related oxidative pressure may have been a major trigger for the distribution and abundance of flavonoids. UV protection is one of their most significant, or even the most significant, functional role for flavonoids. The multi-functionality of these compounds, however, often complicates the interpretation of experimental results but, overall, it supports the importance of flavonoids.
Una nota sobre la evolución de la estructura arancelaria de Colombia 2002-2014

El presente documento tiene como objetivo presentar un panorama general sobre el desarrollo de la politica arancelaria entre 2002 y 2014. Para ello, se reviso la evolucion del Arancel Externo Comun (AEC) de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN) y de las modificaciones normativas recomendadas por el Comite de Asuntos Aduaneros, Arancelarios y de Comercio Exterior. Se concluye que desde el momento en el que Colombia no tuvo la obligacion de cumplir con el AEC, el Gobierno nacional pudo realizar una politica arancelaria mas activa. Ademas, mediante el calculo del Arancel Nominal Ponderado por Tiempo, que capta las modificaciones normativas realizadas durante cada ano, se muestra que el arancel nominal promedio anual ha tenido tendencia decreciente desde 2008 y que se ubico en un nivel promedio de 6% en 2014. Finalmente, el inventario de modificaciones normativas elaborado muestra que el arancel nominal es un instrumento de politica comercial de vital importancia, ya que permite al Gobierno nacional enfrentar cambios en la dinamica de crecimiento del pais.
Tied down by shear force: role for Tie1 in postnatal vascular remodeling?

Shear forces play an important role in the regulation of vascular function and structure. Since the initial demonstration of flow-dependent dilation, the critical role of the endothelium in sensing changes in intimal shear stress, and transducing these into changes in vascular tone, has been well recognized.1–3 The moment-to-moment adjustments in arterial diameter involve the release of endothelial-derived vasoactive factors, in particular NO, and play a central role in optimizing the conductance of the large arterial tree and maintaining peak efficiency of the circulation even when subjected to profound changes in blood flow.4 However, the mechanisms governing the longer-term adaptations of vascular diameter and branching are equally or even more important for ensuring the appropriate development, patterning, and structure of the arterial tree, but they have not been well characterized. Here, too, the endothelium plays a pivotal role in adapting the diameter of an artery to persistent changes in flow,5 in this case by structural changes in the medial layers, rather than just vasomotion.6 Although it is likely that endothelial-derived vasoactive factors such as NO7 also play an important role in this …
Association of uplink power control and base station assignment in cellular CDMA systems

In a wireless CDMA network a mobile is classically connected to the base station with the best received power level (R/spl times/L). The association (or the integration) of base station assignment with power control allows a given network to have better achievable performance. We investigate the association of base station assignment and power control in order to study the best achievable signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) behaviour. The existence of a feasible solution to the quality constraints problem, along with the choice of the base station assignment in order to have the minimal sum of transmitted powers, are discussed. This is done for a unique SIR target and for a multi-target environment. We also address two problems: the base station assignment as a function of network quality targets and best achievable performance which is represented by the highest achievable SIR for every possible BS assignment vector. This last value is computed with less computations than when it is directly calculated. Simulations show that appropriate base station assignment may give interesting capacity gains, especially for non-uniform distributions.
Is there a benefit in follicular flushing in assisted reproductive technology?

Purpose of review Follicular flushing utilizing double-lumen retrieval needles attempts to increase oocyte yield during transvaginal retrieval. The original work on this topic, now more than 2 decades old, examined its utility in normal-responding assisted reproductive technologies (ART) patients. Newer studies examining its utility have focused on special populations expected to demonstrate benefit: poor responders, natural cycle and minimal stimulation ART, and in-vitro maturation cycles. This review assesses the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of ovarian follicular flushing in improving oocyte yield. Recent findings Follicular flushing offers no substantive benefit in oocyte yield, fertilization rates, or pregnancy outcomes for normal and poor-responding ART patients. Patients undergoing natural cycle or minimal stimulation ART may benefit from follicular flushing resulting in more mature embryos but unclear effects on cycle outcome. Summary Randomized controlled trials consistently demonstrate no benefit and increased procedural time with follicular flushing in both normal and poor-responding ART patients. Nonrandomized data suggest a possible role for follicular flushing in natural cycle or minimal stimulation ART and in those undergoing in-vitro maturation IVF cycles; however, randomized controlled trials are needed to verify this finding. Presently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of follicular flushing.
Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Issues in Klinefelter Syndrome

Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) is a relatively common (1/500 to 1/1,000) genetic syndrome caused by an extra X chromosome in males, leading to an XXY karyotype. In most cases, the physical and neurobehavioral characteristics of KS are relatively mild, and KS is not usually associated with moderate or severe mental retardation. However, KS is often associated with significant language–based learning disabilities and executive dysfunction, making it a plausible genetic model for understanding the neurobiology of these areas of cognition that are so fundamental to learning in a classroom. Additionally, the psychosocial aspects of KS, which can have a significant impact on school performance and learning, have been explored only on an anecdotal level. We have conducted pilot studies in a small group of KS adolescents and adults to begin to identify the social, emotional, and adaptive behavior issues facing KS subjects and have identified several areas for further research. This includes characterization of mild maladaptive behaviors, as well as significant strengths in other areas. Further work is needed to determine how the social–emotional and cognitive features of the disorder interact or change over the lifetime of subjects and how the learning disabilities respond to hormonal or cognitive–based therapy.
The ambiguous embrace: twenty years of IT (ICT) in UK primary schools

School inspection reports, at the end of the 20th Century, in both Scottish and English primary schools, clearly identify the use of ICT as the weakest aspect of professional practice. On this evidence, despite initial certainty of political purpose and considerable optimism regarding its effects on teaching and learning, ICT remains, after twenty years, a marginal force in the education of 5‐12 year-olds. Though numerous research studies in the 1980’s and 1990’s seemed to have identified the conditions for the effective transfer of ICT into primary schools and repeated governmental initiatives invested heavily in both infrastructure and training, teachers have not embraced ICT within their core practice. This paper suggests that the adoption of exclusively rational, perhaps hyper-rational, methodologies, by researchers working in the mainstream of schools and teacher education institutions has resulted in a failure to understand the complex cultural, psychological and political characteristics of schools. Alternative avenues for research are proposed.
Technical strategies and technical change at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Analysis of knapped obsidian and flint artefacts from the early ceramic Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük has shown that there were several strategies used for the production of knapped-stone tools, and that there was a profound change in the character of lithic production occurring approximately during the middle of the occupation sequence. This paper outlines the details of this technical change and, with reference to possible changes in subsistence strategies and the organization of production, offers some explanations for its occurrence.
Secure multi-owner-based cloud computing scheme for big data

The emergence of cloud computing brings big data owners a great opportunity to utilise the power of the cloud to store their data. However, managing the access to outsourced data owned by multi-owners in cloud computing scenarios is becoming a security management challenge of how to control and prevent unauthorised access to the big data in cloud. To solve security problems of big data in these scenarios, we propose a new scheme to take advantage of cloud servers to manage user's access to big data stored in it, with serving the security of big data as well as the access control polices for each big data owner. Our scheme employs two non-colluding but un-trusted servers, and it is based on additively homomorphic encryption. Considering the results that we have obtained, it makes the implementation in practice efficient. Besides that, we show our scheme to be secure in the semi-honest model.