Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
'We are inclusive but are we being equal?' Challenges to Community National schools regarding religious diversity

The aim of this research is to explore the challenges being faced by Community National schools due to religious diversity. These schools were established by Minister Mary Hanafin in 2007 in response to the emerging reality of pluralism in Ireland. They are publicallymanaged state schools and the Education and Training Boards (ETB) are their patron. To date these schools largely cater for minority ethnic communities in Ireland with 58% of parents being of nationalities other than Irish (Department of Education 2016). The schools are multi-denominational and the ethos is inclusive, striving to ensure that the beliefs of all children are respected and celebrated. There are currently twelve schools in the sector. As these schools are a new model of governance, very little research on the schools has been conducted to date. This research was considered timely in order to assist with the development of these schools and to contribute to the educational debate regarding the place of religious education in education in Ireland. This qualitative case study explores the practical and ideological challenges facing Community National schools regarding religious diversity from the perspective of principals, teachers and parents. The methods chosen for the research were semi-structured interviews with seven principals and five teachers and questionnaires for parents. This study reveals significant challenges for the stake-holders regarding the multi-belief junior programme being taught in the schools. Findings highlight an uneasy tension between the schools and local parishes regarding the sacramental preparation of Roman Catholic children. Findings also indicate challenges for schools regarding the celebration of festivals and the display of religious symbols in the school. A tension between the public values of the school and the private values of parents is also revealed. The thesis concludes by considering the implications emerging from this research and offers recommendations for reflection by the various stakeholders of these schools.
Construction of a river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) whole-genome radiation hybrid panel and preliminary RH mapping of chromosomes 3 and 10

Abstract The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) not only is a useful source of milk, it also provides meat and works as a natural source of labor and biogas. To establish a project for buffalo genome mapping a 5,000-rad whole genome radiation hybrid panel was constructed for river buffalo and used to build preliminary RH maps from two chromosomes (BBU 3 and BBU10). The preliminary maps contain 66 markers, including coding genes, cattle ESTs and microsatellite loci. The RH maps presented here are the starting point for mapping additional loci, in particular, genes and expressed sequence tags that will allow detailed comparative maps between buffalo, cattle and other species to be constructed. A large quantity of DNA has been prepared from the cell lines forming the RH panel reported here and will be made publicly available to the international community both for the study of chromosome evolution and for the improvement of traits important to the role of buffalo in animal agriculture.
ACROSS‐ENVIRONMENT GENETIC CORRELATIONS AND THE FREQUENCY OF SELECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS SHAPE THE EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS OF GROWTH RATE IN IMPATIENS CAPENSIS

Trade‐offs can exist within and across environments, and constrain evolutionary trajectories. To examine the effects of competition and resource availability on trade‐offs, we grew individuals of recombinant inbred lines of Impatiens capensis in a factorial combination of five densities with two light environments (full light and neutral shade) and used a Bayesian logistic growth analysis to estimate intrinsic growth rates. To estimate across‐environment constraints, we developed a variance decomposition approach to principal components analysis, which accounted for sample size, model‐fitting, and within‐RIL variation prior to eigenanalysis. We detected negative across‐environment genetic covariances in intrinsic growth rates, although only under full‐light. To evaluate the potential importance of these covariances, we surveyed natural populations of I. capensis to measure the frequency of different density environments across space and time. We combined our empirical estimates of across‐environment genetic variance–covariance matrices and frequency of selective environments with hypothetical (yet realistic) selection gradients to project evolutionary responses in multiple density environments. Selection in common environments can lead to correlated responses to selection in rare environments that oppose and counteract direct selection in those rare environments. Our results highlight the importance of considering both the frequency of selective environments and the across‐environment genetic covariances in traits simultaneously.
PAX6 and SOX2‐dependent regulation of the Sox2 enhancer N‐3 involved in embryonic visual system development

Sox2 is universally expressed in the neural and placodal primordia in early stage embryos, and this expression depends on various phylogenetically conserved enhancers having different regional and temporal specificities. The enhancer N‐3 was identified as a regulator of the Sox2 gene active in the diencephalon, optic vesicle, and after the contact of the vesicle with the ectoderm, in the lens placodal surface area, suggesting its involvement in embryonic visual system development. A 36‐bp minimal essential core sequence was defined in the 568‐bp‐long enhancer N‐3, which in a tetrameric form emulates the original enhancer activity. The core sequence comprises a SOX‐binding sequence and a non‐canonical PAX6 (Paired domain) binding sequence, and is activated by the synergistic action of SOX2 and PAX6 in transfected cells. The SOX and PAX6 binding sequences of the N‐3 core are arranged with the same orientation and spacing as the DC5 sequence of the δ‐crystallin enhancer previously demonstrated to be cooperatively bound by SOX2 and PAX6. The N‐3 core sequence was also bound by these factors in a cooperative fashion, but with a higher threshold of these factors’ levels than DC5, and the enhancer effect of the tetrameric sequence activated by exogenous SOX2 and PAX6 was less pronounced than that of DC5. The observations suggest that gene activation mechanisms that depend on the cooperative interaction of SOX2 and PAX6 but with different thresholds of the factor levels are crucial for the regulation of visual system development.
Sequences near the 3' secretion-specific polyadenylation site influence levels of secretion-specific and membrane-specific IgG2b mRNA in myeloma cells

The expressed immunoglobulin gamma 2b (IgG2b) heavy-chain gene of 4T001 was cloned into the shuttle vector pSV2-gpt and transfected into myeloma J558L and lymphoma A20.2J. Northern blots indicated that the transfected gamma 2b gene was processed in a manner similar to the endogenous heavy chain in both lymphoma and myeloma cells. To identify sequences important for immunoglobulin mRNA processing, we constructed deletions around the secretion-specific polyadenylation site and introduced the deleted genes into J558L cells. The BAL deletion lacked 670 base pairs of intervening sequence between secreted and membrane regions; the Kpn deletion lacked 830 base pairs in this region. J558L cells transfected with either the entire gamma 2b gene or the delta BAL vector produced predominantly secretion-specific gamma 2b mRNA and protein. J558L cells transfected with the delta Kpn vector produced approximately equimolar amounts of secretion-specific and membrane-specific gamma 2b mRNA. Both 55,000-dalton secreted and 62,000-dalton putative surface IgG2b proteins were detected in the delta Kpn transfectants. We conclude that sequences absent in the Kpn deletion but present in the BAL deletion exert an important role in the production of secretion-specific mRNA. The Kpn deletion removes the normal site of cleavage and poly(A) addition, and it is possible that it is the absence of this site which changes the processing pattern. Alternatively, it is possible that sequences absent in the Kpn deletion but present in the BAL deletion function in regulating the production of predominantly secretion-specific mRNA in myeloma cells. The possible role of a highly conserved sequence found in this region is discussed.
Inward FDI Influences Posed on Chinese Exports

Simply viewing FDI and trade as either alternatives or complementary modes of internationalisation can be biased. Therefore, this paper aims at answering the question of how inward FDI influences a country’s trade. The case of Singapore shows inward FDI facilitate trade and economic development subject to specific contexts. During the miracle economic development process of China, what kind of roles that the inward FDI has played has to be answered. This work statistically examined the data between China and OECD countries from 1988 to 2012, and proved that there is a complementary relationship between inward FDI and exports of China.
Direct Stimulation of tlr5+/+ CD11c+ Cells Is Necessary for the Adjuvant Activity of Flagellin1

Flagellin is a highly effective adjuvant, but the cellular mechanism underlying this activity remains uncertain. More specifically, no consensus exists as to whether flagellin activates dendritic cells (DC) directly or indirectly. Intramuscular immunization with flagellin-OVA fusion protein resulted in enhanced in vivo T cell clustering in draining lymph nodes and IL-2 production by OVA-specific CD4+ T cells. Immunization with flagellin-OVA also triggered greater levels of Ag-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation than immunization with flagellin and OVA as separate proteins. To determine whether flagellin, in the context of a fusion protein with OVA, was acting directly on DC, we used a combination of CD4+ T cell adoptive transfers and bone marrow chimera mice in which the presence or absence of potential tlr5+/+ CD11c+ cells was controlled by injection of diphtheria toxin. The Ag-specific CD4+ T cell response in mice with CD11c+ cells from a tlr5−/− background and mixed populations of all other hematopoietic cells was dramatically reduced in comparison to mice that had DC from tlr5−/− and wild-type backgrounds. Immunization of MyD88−/−tlr5+/+ mice revealed that the enhanced response following immunization with flagellin-OVA is dependent on signaling via the TLR5-MyD88 pathway as well as enhanced Ag uptake and processing resulting from Ag targeting via TLR5. In summary, our data are consistent with the conclusion that direct stimulation of tlr5+/+ CD11c+ cells is necessary for the adjuvant activity of a flagellin fusion protein and that this adjuvant effect requires signaling through TLR5.
CD14 directly binds to triacylated lipopeptides and facilitates recognition of the lipopeptides by the receptor complex of Toll‐like receptors 2 and 1 without binding to the complex

It has demonstrated that the recognition of triacylated lipopeptides by Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 2 requires TLR1 as a coreceptor. In the NF‐κB reporter assay system in which human embryonic kidney 293 cells were transfected with TLR2 and TLR1 together with an NF‐κB luciferase reporter gene, S‐(2,3‐bispalmitoyloxypropyl)‐N‐palmitoyl‐Cys‐Lys‐Lys‐Lys‐Lys (Pam3CSK4) and Pam3CSSNA were recognized by TLR2/TLR1, but the recognition level was unexpectedly very low. However, cotransfection of CD14 drastically enhanced the recognition of triacylated lipopeptides by TLR2/TLR1. The CD14‐induced enhancement did not occur without cotransfection of TLR1. Both CD14dS39‐A48, a mutant with deletion of the part of possible N‐terminal ligand‐binding pocket, and anti‐CD14 monoclonal antibody reduced the CD14‐induced enhancement. Transfection of a TIR domain‐deficient mutant of TLR2 (TLR2dE772‐S784) or TLR1 (TLR1dQ636‐K779) completely abrogated the CD14‐induced enhancement. Soluble recombinant CD14 added extracellularly enhanced the recognition of Pam3CSSNA by TLR2/TLR1. Immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that CD14 was not associated with TLR2 but that TLR1 was associated with TLR2. In addition, surface plasmon resonance‐based assay demonstrated that CD14 binds to Pam3CSK4 at a dissociation constant of 5.7 µM. This study suggests that CD14 directly binds to triacylated lipopeptides and facilitates recognition of the lipopeptides by the TLR2/TLR1 complex without binding to the receptor complex.
Breast cancer with brain metastases: clinicopathologic features, survival, and paired biomarker analysis.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to describe clinicopathologic features of patients with breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM); to evaluate survival after diagnosis of BCBM; and to compare estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 expression in the paired primary and brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified 140 consecutive patients who underwent craniotomy for BCBM (either for diagnostic purpose or with therapeutic intent) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2002 and 2009. RESULTS Most patients had invasive ductal histology (91%), grade 3 tumors (67%), and positive axillary lymph node (64%). Of the tumors, 56% were ER-negative, 62% were PR-negative, 44% were HER2-positive, and 28% were triple negative (TN). Brain metastasis (BM) was solitary in 51% of patients. Median interval from breast cancer diagnosis to BM was 46 months; median survival after BM was 14.1 months. In the univariate analysis, younger age, solitary brain metastasis, and ER or PR positivity in the breast tumors were associated with longer survival. There was a statistical trend toward increased survival in HER2-positive patients compared with HER2-negative patients (18 vs. 11 months). In the multivariate analysis, predictors for longer survival included younger age, solitary brain lesion, and HER2 positivity in the breast cancer. Biomarkers were evaluated in paired primary and brain tumors in 35 patients for ER status, 34 for PR status, and 36 for HER2 status. Discordant rates were 28% for ER, 20% for PR, and 3% for HER2. CONCLUSION Compared with unselected breast cancer patients at the same institution, patients with breast cancer who had brain metastases had a higher proportion of hormone receptor-negative, HER2-positive, and TN tumors. Younger age, solitary brain lesion, and HER2 expression were independent predictors of better survival in patients with BCBM. HER2 status was highly concordant between the paired primary and brain tumors, whereas changes of ER and PR status occurred in a substantial proportion of the patients. These findings are important for making effective treatment decisions for patients with BCBM.
Downregulation of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 by RNAi enhances 5-fluorouracil response in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporters 1 (hENT1) gene is involving in mediating nucleosides and nucleoside analog drugs across the plasma membrane, and may affect the chemotherapeutical efficacy. We explored the relationship between hENT1 expression and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) response in pancreatic cancer cell line. METHODOLOGY A siRNA expression vector (pSilencer4.1-hENT1-shRNA) was constructed and stably transfected into human pancreatic cancer cell line (Panc-1). The downregulation of hENT1 expression was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot. MTT, flow cytometry and 5-FU anti-tumor activity in nude mice were used to evaluate the cells phenotype changes in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We established a stably transfected cell line (pSilence-hENT1-Panc-1) in which the expression of hENT1 gene was downregulated. The shRNA transfection itself did not affect the cells proliferation, cell cycle and tumorigenicity in vivo. However, when the cells were treated with 5-FU, cells viability and IC50 value of 5-FU was significantly reduced in the transfected cells, and cell cycle of pSilence-hENT1-Panc-1 was arrest in G0/G1. Furthermore, the volume of xenograft diminished significantly after 5-FU daily chemotherapy in mice inoculated with transfected cells. CONCLUSION The hENT1 gene specific downregulation by RNAi enhanced 5-FU chemosensitivity in pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1.
Performance scrutiny and optimization of LDPC coded MIMO OFDM systems

The implementable decoders and large collection of data transmission and storage channels can be admitted at the same time using low density parity check (LDPC) group of Linear block codes. We will review some of the LDPC construction techniques and encoding problem for LDPC codes. Also certain special classes of LDPC codes which will resolve encoding problems will be introduced. Performance analysis and design optimization of LDPC coded multiple input multiple output(MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) has been considered. The tools of density evolution with mixture Gaussian approximations are used to optimize LDPC codes which are not regular and to compute minimum operational signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for ergodic MIMO-OFDM channels. In particular, the optimization is done for various MIMO-OFDM system configurations, which include a different channel models and different demodulation schemes; the performance which is optimized is checked with the corresponding channel capacity. The iterative message passing decoding algorithm which gives optimal performance will be presented. The performance of turbo-iterative receiver that consists of a soft maximum a posteriori (MAP) demodulator will be presented. From the LDPC profiles that already are optimized for ergodic channels, we construct small block-size irregular codes for outage MIMO-OFDM channels.
Cigarette Smokers have Decreased Lymphocyte and Platelet α-tocopherol Levels and Increased Excretion of the γ-tocopherol Metabolite γ-carboxyethyl-hydroxychroman (γ-CEHC)

Cigarette smoking is associated with increased oxidative stress and increased risk of degenerative disease. As the major lipophilic antioxidant, requirements for vitamin E may be higher in smokers due to increased utilisation. In this observational study we have compared vitamin E status in smokers and non-smokers using a holistic approach by measuring plasma, erythrocyte, lymphocyte and platelet α- and γ-tocopherol, as well as the specific urinary vitamin E metabolites α- and γ-carboxyethyl-hydroxychroman (CEHC). Fifteen smokers (average age 27 years, smoking time 7.5 years) and non-smokers of comparable age, gender and body mass index (BMI) were recruited. Subjects completed a 7-day food diary and on the final day they provided a 24 h urine collection and a 20 ml blood sample for measurement of urinary vitamin E metabolites and total vitamin E in blood components, respectively. No significant differences were found between plasma and erythrocyte α- and γ-tocopherol in smokers and non-smokers. However, smokers had significantly lower α-tocopherol (mean±SD, 1.34±0.31 μmol/g protein compared with 1.94±0.54, P=0.001) and γ-tocopherol (0.19±0.04 μmol/g protein compared with 0.26±0.08, P=0.026) levels in their lymphocytes, as well as significantly lower α-tocopherol levels in platelets (1.09±0.49 μmol/g protein compared with 1.60±0.55, P=0.014; γ-tocopherol levels were similar). Interestingly smokers also had significantly higher excretion of the urinary γ-tocopherol metabolite, γ-CEHC (0.49±0.25 mg/g creatinine compared with 0.32±0.16, P=0.036) compared to non-smokers, while their α-CEHC (metabolite of α-tocopherol) levels were similar. There was no significant difference between plasma ascorbate, urate and F2-isoprostane levels. Therefore in this population of cigarette smokers (mean age 27 years, mean smoking duration 7.5 years), alterations to vitamin E status can be observed even without the more characteristic changes to ascorbate and F2-isoprostanes. We suggest that the measurement of lymphocyte and platelet vitamin E may represent a valuable biomarker of vitamin E status in relation to oxidative stress conditions.
[Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses].

BACKGROUND Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) is a group of degenerative neurological diseases. The diseases are autosomally recessively inherited and are characterized by the accumulation of fluorescent ceroid and lipofuscin in neuronal cells in the brain and in extraneuronal cells. The aim of this review was to assess and to summarize research related to diagnostics and treatment of NCL. MATERIAL AND METHODS The article is built on own experience and systematic searches on PubMed, Medline, PsychInfo and the Internet. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION Three main types of NCL with childhood onset are recognised; an infantile, a late infantile, and a juvenile type. One NCL type starts in adulthood. In Norway the juvenile type is diagnosed most frequently. The diseases are rare. The incidence rates in different countries range from 0.5 to 8.0 per 100,000 live births. The main features include impaired vision, failure of psychomotor development, seizures and premature death. Prior to availability of genetic testing, the clinical status, ophthalmologic examination, examination of blood cells for deposited material (vacuolised lymphocytes) and neurophysiological examinations were the most important methods of confirming the diagnosis. Recent genetic findings have established that defects in at least six different genes underlie the various forms of NCL. There is no curative treatment. Scientists are trying to develop treatment using enzyme replacement, gene therapy, stem cell transplantation and pharmacotherapy. Symptomatic and palliative treatment is therefore essential.
Letter to the Editor: Bias in the measurement of bias. Letter regarding ‘Citation bias and selective focus on positive findings in the literature on the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), life stress and depression’

de Vries et al. (2016) argue that discussion of the 5-HTTLPR-stress gene–environment interaction (G × E) (Caspi et al. 2003) is more positive than merited because authors often cast negative results as positive in abstracts, and negative papers with positive focus are differentially cited. These bold claims deserve careful scrutiny. Four methodological choices we highlight bias their primary results; the vast majority of papers disclose mixed and negative results in their abstracts (Table 1). Further, even if positive focus was prevalent, it could not bias meta-analytic results. The field can best move forward by ameliorating environmental measurement.
Causality deficit-inflation: Wavelet Transform

Few researchers have addressed the problem of the causality inflation-deficits, and even Previous worktreated this causality they have only focused on the Granger causality technique in which the results of thisapproach raises many doubts. This investigation aim to study the relationship between inflation and the pri-mary deficit using the wavelet transform for different euro area member countries from 1980 until 2014 withquarterly data. We have characterized the inflation-primary deficit relationship in a time-frequency scale.First we found that the deficit causes inflation in log term. We detected also, that inflation-primary deficitrelationship is highly consistent during the post-financial crisis in the euro area in the long run. Finally wecan judge through the wavelet transform that this relationship is non linear.