Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A model balancing cooperation and competition can explain our right-handed world and the dominance of left-handed athletes

An overwhelming majority of humans are right-handed. Numerous explanations for individual handedness have been proposed, but this population-level handedness remains puzzling. Here, we present a novel mathematical model and use it to test the idea that population-level hand preference represents a balance between selective costs and benefits arising from cooperation and competition in human evolutionary history. We use the selection of elite athletes as a test-bed for our evolutionary model and find evidence for the validity of this idea. Our model gives the first quantitative explanation for the distribution of handedness both across and within many professional sports. It also predicts strong lateralization of hand use in social species with limited combative interaction, and elucidates the absence of consistent population-level ‘pawedness’ in some animal species.
xylA cloning and sequencing and biochemical characterization of xylose isomerase from Thermotoga neapolitana

The xylA gene coding for xylose isomerase from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga neapolitana 5068 was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene encoded a polypeptide of 444 residues with a calculated molecular weight of 50,892. The native enzyme was a homotetramer with a molecular weight of 200,000. This xylose isomerase was a member of the family II enzymes (these differ from family I isomerases by the presence of approximately 50 additional residues at the amino terminus). The enzyme was extremely thermostable, with optimal activity above 95 degrees C. The xylose isomerase showed maximum activity at pH 7.1, but it had high relative activity over a broad pH range. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of the enzyme was essentially constant between 60 and 90 degrees C, and the catalytic efficiency decreased between 90 and 98 degrees C primarily because of a large increase in Km. The T. neapolitana xylose isomerase had a higher turnover number and a lower Km for glucose than other family II xylose isomerases. Comparisons with other xylose isomerases showed that the catalytic and cation binding regions were well conserved. Comparison of different xylose isomerase sequences showed that numbers of asparagine and glutamine residues decreased with increasing enzyme thermostability, presumably as a thermophilic strategy for diminishing the potential for chemical denaturation through deamidation at elevated temperatures.
Protein encapsulation within polyethylene glycol-coated nanospheres. I. Physicochemical characterization.

The development of injectable nanoparticulate "stealth" carriers for protein delivery is a major challenge. We have shown the possibility of entrapping human serum albumin (HSA) in polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated monodisperse biodegradable nanospheres with a mean diameter of about 200 nm, prepared from amphiphilic diblock PEG-polylactic acid (PLA) copolymers, with loadings up to 9% (w/w). Microscopic techniques and surface analysis studies enabled us to prove that the protein was well entrapped and not adsorbed onto the particle surface. Zeta potential and water uptake studies corroborated that part of the PEG chains are located in the nanosphere matrix. Water uptake in the nanospheres was related to their chemical composition, i.e., the respective wt% of PEG and PLA in the matrix, and not on their fabrication procedure. The hydrophilic PEG blocks absorbed up to 130% (w/w) water, whereas PLA absorbed only about 10% (w/w). However, the rate of swelling at the beginning of the process was related to the structure of the matrix, more particularly to the manner in which PEG was disposed at the surface. Furthermore, it was shown that the PEG "brush" at the nanosphere surface drastically reduces HSA adsorption on the PEG-PLA nanospheres compared to the PLA ones.
Evaluation of antiandrogen therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: results of a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer multicentric double-blind trial.

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of antiandrogen therapy on overall survival and response in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 244 patients with unresectable HCC were included in this multicentric double-blind trial. According to a two-by-two factorial design, patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the following treatments: pure antiandrogen plus placebo (A+P group, 60 patients); luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist plus placebo (LHRH+P group, 62 patients); pure antiandrogen plus LHRH agonist (A+LHRH group, 62 patients); or placebo plus placebo (P+P group, 60 patients). Pure antiandrogen consisted of Anandron (Roussel-Uclaf Laboratory, Romainville, France) administered orally (300 mg daily for 1 month, then 150 mg daily). LHRH consisted of goseriline acetate (3.6 mg) or triptoreline (3.75 mg) administered monthly by subcutaneous injection. Treatment was given until death. Response was evaluated every 8 weeks according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. RESULTS Six patients were considered ineligible. One patient had a complete response (A+P arm) and three had a partial response (two in the LHRH+P arm and one in the A+LHRH arm). An overall log-rank test did not demonstrate any significant difference in survival among the four arms. Taking the factorial design into account, comparison of survival showed no significant difference between Anandron-containing regimens and others, or between LHRH-containing regimens and others. No serious side effects occurred for any regimen. CONCLUSION This controlled study shows clearly the lack of efficacy of androgen treatment in unresectable HCC.
Physical activity, personality, social contexts, and health: Interactions within a lifespan perspective

Author(s): Kern, Margaret Louise | Advisor(s): Friedman, Howard S | Abstract: Through two studies, this project tested the idea that it is the convergence of individual differences and social environmental factors across extended periods of time that are pivotal in influencing how active a person is at any given time and the long-term health-related outcomes associated with different activity patterns. The first study developed archival data refined from the Terman Life Cycle study, which followed 1,528 individuals from childhood in 1922 through death. Growth curve analyses, hierarchical linear regression, and survival analyses were used to investigate patterns of physical activity across adulthood, from average age 25 to age 61, to examine individual psychosocial differences, and to determine how different trajectories relate to health, well-being, and longevity across the lifespan. There was a general pattern of decelerating decline in activity with age, but substantial individual variation that could partly be explained by child and adult psychosocial variables. Childhood energy and sociability, adult extraversion and neuroticism for males, and adult self-rated health and mental adjustment for females were strong predictors of levels and changes in physical activity. Active individuals were more likely to be healthy at midlife and old age, even after controlling for baseline health. Importantly, maintaining or increasing activity related to better health in older age, and lower mortality risk. The second study used a cross-sectional assessment to determine personality characteristics that theoretically and empirically distinguish different activity patterns (active, sedentary, or variable), and to examine links among personality, physical activity, and health. A more active personality strongly correlated with better self-rated health and well-being, fewer perceived barriers and more perceived benefits to being active, and better social relationships. In both studies, personality impacted both physical activity levels and health, and physical activity consistently related to better health outcomes, including higher self-rated health, subjective well-being, and increased levels of energy. All together, the studies suggest that health outcomes relate to physical activity trajectories, but this may depend on the fit between the person and subsequent experiences.
Green IT practice disclosure: An examination of corporate sustainability reporting in IT sector

Purpose As an enabler of environmental sustainability, Green information technology (IT) has become an emerging topic of interest in both academic and business communities. Despite its importance, confusions exist in the content and scope of Green IT practice. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of Green IT practice. Design/methodology/approach First 14 widely accepted Green IT practice topics were identified from prior research and a taxonomy was developed to categorize them. Using the content analysis method, these topics were examined in the sustainability reports of 30 IT companies in 2014 Fortune 500. A quantity–quality portfolio framework was developed and applied to measure and assess the Green IT practices of the selected samples. Findings Currently, the Green IT practice is still in its infancy. Both research and practice attention are now focusing on IT’s direct impacts and enabling impacts, while overlooking the systemic impacts, on natural environment. The possible reasons for the current state and the recommendations for future research and practice are provided. Originality/value Theoretically, this paper identified 14 widely accepted Green IT practice topics and developed a taxonomy for categorizing them. The taxonomy and topics provide a theoretical basis for future examination on Green IT practice-related issues. Practically, the findings of this paper provide guidelines for Green IT practice and directions for both Green IT developers and adopters in their decision-making.
Circuit Techniques for CMOS Divide-By-Four Frequency Divider

This letter describes circuit techniques for obtaining divide-by-four (divide4) frequency dividers (FDs) from CMOS ring-oscillator based injection locked frequency dividers (ILFDs). The circuit is made of a two-stage differential CMOS ring oscillator and is based on MOS switches directly coupled to the differential outputs of the ring oscillator. At the supply voltage of 1.8V and at the incident power of 0dBm, for a dual-band ILFD, the divide4 ILFD can provide a locking range of 6.3% from 5.39 to 6.12GHz at low band and 5.9% from 8.84 to 9.38GHz at high band when the dc bias of MOS switches Vinj changes from 0.7 to 1.1V
Visual Boundary Prediction: A Deep Neural Prediction Network and Quality Dissection

This paper investigates visual boundary detection, i.e. prediction of the presence of a boundary at a given image location. We develop a novel neurally-inspired deep architecture for the task. Notable aspects of our work are (i) the use of \covariance features" [Ranzato and Hinton, 2010] which depend on the squared response of a lter to the input image, and (ii) the integration of image information from multiple scales and semantic levels via multiple streams of interlinked, layered, and non-linear \deep" processing. Our results on the Berkeley Segmentation Data Set 500 (BSDS500) show comparable or better performance to the topperforming methods [Arbelaez et al., 2011, Ren and Bo, 2012, Lim et al., 2013, Doll ar and Zitnick, 2013] with eective inference times. We also propose novel quantitative assessment techniques for improved method understanding and comparison. We carefully dissect the performance of our architecture, feature-types used and training methods, providing clear signals for model understanding and development.
T Cell–Extrinsic CD18 Attenuates Antigen-Dependent CD4+ T Cell Activation In Vivo

The β2 integrins (CD11/CD18) are heterodimeric leukocyte adhesion molecules expressed on hematopoietic cells. The role of T cell–intrinsic CD18 in trafficking of naive T cells to secondary lymphoid organs and in Ag-dependent T cell activation in vitro and in vivo has been well defined. However, the T cell–extrinsic role for CD18, including on APC, in contributing to T cell activation in vivo is less well understood. We examined the role for T cell–extrinsic CD18 in the activation of wild-type CD4+ T cells in vivo through the adoptive transfer of DO11.10 Ag-specific CD4+ T cells into CD18−/− mice. We found that T cell–extrinsic CD18 was required for attenuating OVA-induced T cell proliferation in peripheral lymph nodes (PLN). The increased proliferation of wild-type DO11.10 CD4+ T cells in CD18−/− PLN was associated with a higher percentage of APC, and these APC demonstrated an increased activation profile and increased Ag uptake, in particular in F4/80+ APC. Depletion of F4/80+ cells both reduced and equalized Ag-dependent T cell proliferation in CD18−/− relative to littermate control PLN, demonstrating that these cells play a critical role in the enhanced T cell proliferation in CD18−/− mice. Consistently, CD11b blockade, which is expressed on F4/80+ macrophages, enhanced the proliferation of DO11.10 CD4+ T cells in CD18+/− PLN. Thus, in contrast to the T cell–intrinsic essential role for CD18 in T cell activation, T cell–extrinsic expression of CD18 attenuates Ag-dependent CD4+ T cell activation in PLN in vivo.
Narratives of human agency among low income incarcerated fathers: A qualitative study

Title of thesis: NARRATIVES OF HUMAN AGENCY AMONG LOW INCOME INCARCERATED FATHERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY Jennifer Jing Fang, M.S., 2012 Thesis directed by: Associate Professor Kevin Roy Department of Family Science Prior literature has focused on studying low income or incarcerated fathers from a deficit perspective. For example, there is ample evidence showing that high risk behaviors are associated with children who have non-custodial fathers and about mothers’ perspectives on father absence. However, there is still a lack of literature about how these fathers experience agency to take control and make change in their lives in spite of the barriers they face. I conduct a secondary analysis of life history interviews of 40 fathers in a work release program. The theoretical framework that guides this study is narrative inquiry, using sensitizing concepts from McAdams’ (McAdams, 2001) four themes of agency: self mastery, status/victory, achievement/responsibility, and empowerment. Out of McAdams’ four themes, self mastery and achievement/responsibility were the most prominent themes of agency. Additional emergent themes of agency are found in fathers’ life history narratives. NARRATIVES OF HUMAN AGENCY AMONG LOW INCOME INCARCERATED FATHERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Rein: Taming Tail Latency in Key-Value Stores via Multiget Scheduling

We tackle the problem of reducing tail latencies in distributed key-value stores, such as the popular Cassandra database. We focus on workloads of multiget requests, which batch together access to several data elements and parallelize read operations across the data store machines. We first analyze a production trace of a real system and quantify the skew due to multiget sizes, key popularity, and other factors. We then proceed to identify opportunities for reduction of tail latencies by recognizing the composition of aggregate requests and by carefully scheduling bottleneck operations that can otherwise create excessive queues. We design and implement a system called Rein, which reduces latency via inter-multiget scheduling using low overhead techniques. We extensively evaluate Rein via experiments in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and simulations. Our scheduling algorithms reduce the median, 95th, and 99th percentile latencies by factors of 1.5, 1.5, and 1.9, respectively.
Assessment of the Geographic Origins of Pinewood Nematode Isolates via Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Effector Genes

The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is native to North America but it only causes damaging pine wilt disease in those regions of the world where it has been introduced. The accurate detection of the species and its dispersal routes are thus essential to define effective control measures. The main goals of this study were to analyse the genetic diversity among B. xylophilus isolates from different geographic locations and identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) markers for geographic origin, through a comparative transcriptomic approach. The transcriptomes of seven B. xylophilus isolates, from Continental Portugal (4), China (1), Japan (1) and USA (1), were sequenced in the next generation platform Roche 454. Analysis of effector gene transcripts revealed inter-isolate nucleotide diversity that was validated by Sanger sequencing in the genomic DNA of the seven isolates and eight additional isolates from different geographic locations: Madeira Island (2), China (1), USA (1), Japan (2) and South Korea (2). The analysis identified 136 polymorphic positions in 10 effector transcripts. Pairwise comparison of the 136 SNPs through Neighbor-Joining and the Maximum Likelihood methods and 5-mer frequency analysis with the alignment-independent bilinear multivariate modelling approach correlated the SNPs with the isolates geographic origin. Furthermore, the SNP analysis indicated a closer proximity of the Portuguese isolates to the Korean and Chinese isolates than to the Japanese or American isolates. Each geographic cluster carried exclusive alleles that can be used as SNP markers for B. xylophilus isolate identification.
Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Olea europaea L. Fruits and Leaves

Extracts of leaves, fruits and seeds of olive tree cultivars of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal) were analysed by reverse phase HPLC with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (MS). This methodology allowed the identification of some common phenolic compounds, namely, verbascoside, rutin, luteolin-7-glucoside, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Moreover the hyphenation of HPLC with MS enabled the identification of nüzhenide in olive seeds. An oleuropein glucoside was also detected in olive tree leaves. The total phenolic content was determined with the Folin Denis reagent and the total antioxidant activity with the ABTS method. There is a correlation between total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content with the exception of the seed extracts analysed. The apparent high antioxidant activity of seed extracts may be due to nüzhenide, a secoiridoid that is the major phenolic component of olive seeds. These results suggest a possible application of olive seeds as sources of natural antioxidants.
MMP-9/RECK Imbalance: A Mechanism Associated with High-Grade Cervical Lesions and Genital Infection by Human Papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are important enzymes in the tumor microenvironment associated with progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) toward squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix. However, the role of MMPs in the inflammatory process associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection concomitant with the carcinogenic process driven by HPV has not yet been addressed. In the present study, we analyzed the state of the MMP-9–RECK axis in cervical carcinogenesis. Methods: The levels of MMP-9 and RECK expression were analyzed by immunocytochemistry in liquid-based cytology samples from 136 women with high-grade cervical lesions (CIN2/CIN3) and cervical SCC diagnosed by LLETZ, and in 196 women without cervical neoplasia or CIN1. Real-time qPCR was performed to analyze expression of MMP-9 and RECK in 15 cervical samples. The presence of HPV-DNA and other genital pathogens was evaluated by PCR. Results: We found a higher expression of MMP-9 [OR, 4.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.2–7.8] and lower expression of RECK (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–0.7) in women with CIN2/CIN3/SCC when compared with women from the control group (no neoplasia/CIN1). A statistically significant association was also found between MMP-9/RECK imbalance and infection by alpha-9 HPV and C. trachomatis. The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was significantly higher in women with high-grade cervical disease (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.3–11.3). Conclusions: MMP-9/RECK imbalance in cervical smears is significantly associated with high-grade cervical diseases and infection by alpha-9 HPV and C. trachomatis. Impact: MMP-9/RECK imbalance during cervical inflammation induced by C. trachomatis might play a role in HPV-mediated cervical carcinogenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(10); 1539–47. ©2015 AACR.
Generator and Setup for Emulating Exposures of Biological Samples to Lightning Strokes

Goal: We aimed to develop a system for controlled exposure of biological samples to conditions they experience when lightning strikes their habitats. Methods: We based the generator on a capacitor charged via a bridge rectifier and a dc-dc converter, and discharged via a relay, delivering arcs similar to natural lightning strokes in electric current waveform and similarly accompanied by acoustic shock waves. We coupled the generator to our exposure chamber described previously, measured electrical and acoustic properties of arc discharges delivered, and assessed their ability to inactivate bacterial spores. Results: Submicrosecond discharges descended vertically from the conical emitting electrode across the air gap, entering the sample centrally and dissipating radially toward the ring-shaped receiving electrode. In contrast, longer discharges tended to short-circuit the electrodes. Recording at 341 000 FPS with Vision Research Phantom v2010 camera revealed that initial arc descent was still vertical, but became accompanied by arcs leaning increasingly sideways; after 8-12 μs, as the first of these arcs formed direct contact with the receiving electrode, it evolved into a channel of plasmified air and short-circuited the electrodes. We eliminated this artefact by incorporating an insulating cylinder concentrically between the electrodes, precluding short-circuiting between them. While bacterial spores are highly resistant to electric pulses delivered through direct contact, we showed that with arc discharges accompanied by an acoustic shock wave, spore inactivation is readily obtained. Conclusion: The presented system allows scientific investigation of effects of arc discharges on biological samples. Significance: This system will allow realistic experimental studies of lightning-triggered horizontal gene transfer and assessment of its role in evolution.
Populations with elevated mutation load do not benefit from the operation of sexual selection

Theory predicts that if most mutations are deleterious to both overall fitness and condition‐dependent traits affecting mating success, sexual selection will purge mutation load and increase nonsexual fitness. We explored this possibility with populations of mutagenized Drosophila melanogaster exhibiting elevated levels of deleterious variation and evolving in the presence or absence of male–male competition and female choice. After 60 generations of experimental evolution, monogamous populations exhibited higher total reproductive output than polygamous populations. Parental environment also affected fitness measures – flies that evolved in the presence of sexual conflict showed reduced nonsexual fitness when their parents experienced a polygamous environment, indicating trans‐generational effects of male harassment and highlighting the importance of a common garden design. This cost of parental promiscuity was nearly absent in monogamous lines, providing evidence for the evolution of reduced sexual antagonism. There was no overall difference in egg‐to‐adult viability between selection regimes. If mutation load was reduced by the action of sexual selection in this experiment, the resultant gain in fitness was not sufficient to overcome the costs of sexual antagonism.