Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic Variation May Compensate for Decreased Genetic Variation with Introductions: A Case Study Using House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) on Two Continents

Epigenetic mechanisms impact several phenotypic traits and may be important for ecology and evolution. The introduced house sparrow (Passer domesticus) exhibits extensive phenotypic variation among and within populations. We screened methylation in populations from Kenya and Florida to determine if methylation varied among populations, varied with introduction history (Kenyan invasion <50 years old, Florida invasion ~150 years old), and could potentially compensate for decrease genetic variation with introductions. While recent literature has speculated on the importance of epigenetic effects for biological invasions, this is the first such study among wild vertebrates. Methylation was more frequent in Nairobi, and outlier loci suggest that populations may be differentiated. Methylation diversity was similar between populations, in spite of known lower genetic diversity in Nairobi, which suggests that epigenetic variation may compensate for decreased genetic diversity as a source of phenotypic variation during introduction. Our results suggest that methylation differences may be common among house sparrows, but research is needed to discern whether methylation impacts phenotypic variation.
Kinetics of bicarbonate and chloride transport in human red cell membranes

Unidirectional [14C]HCO3- and 36Cl- efflux from human red cells and ghosts was studied under self-exchange conditions at pH 7.8 and 0 degrees C by means of the Millipore-Swinnex filtering technique. Control bicarbonate experiments showed that 14CO2 loss from the cells to the efflux medium was insignificant. The anion flux was determined under (a) symmetric variations of the anion concentration (C(i) = C(o) = 5-700 mM), and (b) asymmetric conditions with CAn constant on one side and varied on the other side of the membrane. Simple Michaelis- Menten-like kinetics (MM fit: J(eff) = J(eff)max.C/(K1/2 + C)) was used to describe anion flux dependence on C for (a) C(i) = C(o) = 5-100 mM, (b) C(i) = 6-100 mM, C(o) = constant, and (c) C(i) = constant, C(o) = 1- 25 mM. At higher cellular concentrations noncompetitive self-inhibition by anion binding (inhibition constant Ki mM) to an intracellular site was included in the model (MS fit): J(eff) = J(eff)max.C(i)/[(K1/2 + C(i)). (1 + C(i)/Ki)]. The MM fits show that the external half- saturation constant, Ko1/2 ( = C(o)An for J(eff,o) = 1/2.j(eff,o)max) at C(o) = 1-25 mM is 1.5-2.4 mM (HCO3-) and 1.8-2.6 mM (Cl-). At C(o) = 1-260 mM Ko1/2 is 1.2-1.5 mM (HCO3-) and 1.4-1.8 mM (Cl-). The respective maximum flux, J(eff,o)max (nmol/[cm2.s]), for C(o) = 1-25 mM is 0.41-0.51 (HCO3-) and 0.28-0.38 (Cl-), and for C(o) = 1-260 mM 0.39- 0.44 (HCO3-) and 0.27-0.31 (Cl-). The internal half-saturation constant, Ki1/2 mM is: MM fit (C(i) = 6-100 mM, C(o) = 50 mM), 18.0 mM (HCO3-) and 23.8 mM (Cl-); MS fit (C(i) = 6-920 mM, C(o) = 50 mM), 32.0 mM (HCO3-) and 45.1 mM (Cl-). The maximum flux, J(eff,i)max (nmol/[cm2.s]) is: MM fit; 0.50 (HCO3-) and 0.34 (Cl-); MS fit, 0.70 (HCO-3) and 0.50 (Cl-). The half-inhibition constants of the MS fit, Ki, are 393 mM (HCO3-) and 544 mM (Cl-). The MM fit shows that the symmetric half-saturation constant, Ks1/2, is 20.2 (HCO-3) and 23.9 (Cl- ) mM, and J(eff,s)max is 0.51 (HCO3-) and 0.32 (Cl-) nmol/(cm2.s). The MS fit shows that for C = 5-700 mM Ks1/2 is 30.4 nM (HCO3-) and 50.1 mM (Cl-), and Ki is 541 mM (HCO3-) and 392 mM (Cl-). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Non-Native Perception and Interpretation of English Intonation

This paper investigated the perception and interpretation of a sub-class of sentence intonation by some Nigerian users of English. In a test administered to one hundred and twenty third-year university students of English, they obtained 85.7% correct perception of changes in intonation but obtained only 25.7% correct interpretation of the meanings normally associated with the intonation contours on the ten sentences played back to them. It was concluded from the analysis that the concept of intonation was well known to the subjects, though the attempt to teach them English intonation through its structural analysis appeared not to have been very successful. The study recommends that emphasis should be placed on the teaching of the social meaning of English intonation to non-native learners instead of the analysis of its phonological structure.
High-Throughput Mutation Profiling Changes before and 3 Weeks after Chemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients

Background Changes in tumor DNA mutation status during chemotherapy can provide insights into tumor biology and drug resistance. The purpose of this study is to analyse the presence or absence of mutations in cancer-related genes using baseline breast tumor samples and those obtained after exposure to one cycle of chemotherapy to determine if any differences exist, and to correlate these differences with clinical and pathological features. Methods Paired breast tumor core biopsies obtained pre- and post-first cycle doxorubicin (n = 18) or docetaxel (n = 22) in treatment-naïve breast cancer patients were analysed for 238 mutations in 19 cancer-related genes by the Sequenom Oncocarta assay. Results Median age of patients was 48 years (range 32–64); 55% had estrogen receptor-positive tumors, and 60% had tumor reduction ≥25% after cycle 1. Mutations were detected in 10/40 (25%) pre-treatment and 11/40 (28%) post-treatment samples. Four mutation pattern categories were identified based on tumor mutation status pre- → post-treatment: wildtype (WT)→WT, n = 24; mutant (MT)→MT, n = 5; MT→WT, n = 5; WT→MT, n = 6. Overall, the majority of tumors were WT at baseline (30/40, 75%), of which 6/30 (20%) acquired new mutations after chemotherapy. Pre-treatment mutations were predominantly in PIK3CA (8/10, 80%), while post-treatment mutations were distributed in PIK3CA, EGFR, PDGFRA, ABL1 and MET. All 6 WT→MT cases were treated with docetaxel. Higher mutant allele frequency in baseline MT tumors (n = 10; PIK3CA mutations n = 8) correlated with less tumor reduction after cycle 1 chemotherapy (R = -0.667, p = 0.035). No other associations were observed between mutation pattern category with treatment, clinicopathological features, and tumor response or survival. Conclusion Tumor mutational profiles can change as quickly as after one cycle of chemotherapy in breast cancer. Understanding of these changes can provide insights on potential therapeutic options in residual resistant tumors. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00212082
Hydrolysis of Sequenced β-Casein Peptides Provides New Insight into Peptidase Activity from Thermophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Highlights Intrinsic Resistance of Phosphopeptides

ABSTRACT The peptidases of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria have a key role in the proteolysis of Swiss cheeses during warm room ripening. To compare their peptidase activities toward a dairy substrate, a tryptic/chymotryptic hydrolysate of purified β-casein was used. Thirty-four peptides from 3 to 35 amino acids, including three phosphorylated peptides, constitute the β-casein hydrolysate, as shown by tandem mass spectrometry. Cell extracts prepared fromLactobacillus helveticus ITG LH1, ITG LH77, and CNRZ 32,Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis ITG LL14 and ITG LL51, L. delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus CNRZ 397 and NCDO 1489, and Streptococcus thermophilus CNRZ 385, CIP 102303, and TA 060 were standardized in protein. The peptidase activities were assessed with the β-casein hydrolysate as the substrate at pH 5.5 and 24°C (conditions of warm room ripening) by (i) free amino acid release, (ii) reverse-phase chromatography, and (iii) identification of undigested peptides by mass spectrometry. Regardless of strain, L. helveticus was the most efficient in hydrolyzing β-casein peptides. Interestingly, cell extracts of S. thermophilus were not able to release a significant level of free proline from the β-casein hydrolysate, which was consistent with the identification of numerous dipeptides containing proline. With the three lactic acid bacteria tested, the phosphorylated peptides remained undigested or weakly hydrolyzed indicating their high intrinsic resistance to peptidase activities. Finally, several sets of peptides differing by a single amino acid in a C-terminal position revealed the presence of at least one carboxypeptidase in the cell extracts of these species.
Big Gods in small places: the Random Allocation Game in Mauritius

ABSTRACT The relationship between religion and social behavior has been the subject of longstanding debates. Recent evolutionary models of religious morality propose that particular types of supernatural beliefs related to moralizing and punitive high gods will have observable effects on prosociality. We tested this hypothesis, comparing the effects of diverse religious beliefs, practices, and contexts among Hindus in Mauritius. We found that specific aspects of religious belief (related to moralizing gods) as well as religious practice (participation in high-intensity rituals) were significant predictors of prosocial behavior. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of religious prosociality and have significant implications for the evolution of morality.
Validation of the Spanish Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scales: A Comparative Validation Study

Background Depressive disorders are leading contributors to burden of disease in developing countries. Research aiming to improve their diagnosis and treatment is fundamental in these settings, and psychometric tools are widely used instruments to support mental health research. Our aim is to validate and compare the psychometric properties of the Spanish versions of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS). Methodology/Principal Findings A Spanish version of the CES-D was revised by 5 native Spanish speaking psychiatrists using as reference the English version. A locally standardized Spanish version of the ZSDS was used. These Spanish versions were administered to 70 patients with a clinical diagnosis of DSM-IV Major Depressive Episode (MDE), 63 without major depression but with clinical diagnosis of other psychiatric disorders (OPD), and 61 with no evidence of psychiatric disorders (NEP). For both scales, Cronbach's alpha (C-α) and Hierarchical McDonald Omega for polychoric variables (MD-Ω) were estimated; and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis performed. For the CES-D and ZSDS scales, C-α was 0.93 and 0.89 respectively, while MD-Ω was 0.90 and 0.75 respectively. The area under the ROC curve in MDE+OPD was 0.83 for CES-D and 0.84 for ZSDS; and in MDE+NEP was 0.98 for CES-D and 0.96 for ZSDS. Cut-off scores (co) for the highest proportions of correctly classified (cc) individuals among MDE+OPD were ≥29 for CES-D (sensitivity (ss) = 77.1/specificity (sp) = 79.4%/(cc) = 78.2%) and ≥47 for ZSDS (ss = 85.7%/sp = 71.4%/cc = 78.9%). In the MDE+NEP, co were ≥24 for the CES-D (ss = 91.4%/sp = 96.7%/cc = 93.9%) and ≥45 for the ZSDS (ss = 91.4%/sp = 91.8%/cc = 91.6%). Conclusion Spanish versions of the CES-D and ZSDS are valid instruments to detect depression in clinical settings and could be useful for both epidemiological research and primary clinical settings in settings similar as those of public hospitals in Lima, Peru.
Youth Sport Coaches’ Perspective on Positive Youth Development and its Worth in Mainstream Coach Education Courses

Positive youth development (PYD) is a framework that has been widely used within sport research to outline sport’s potential as a developmental context. Past research has indicated how coaches play important roles in facilitating PYD through sport and yet, PYD-related material remains largely absent from mainstream coach education courses (CEC). The purpose of the current study was to examine youth sport coaches’ perspective on PYD and its worth in mainstream coach education courses. The participants were twelve Portuguese youth field hockey coaches (one female and eleven males) who coached athletes between four and eighteen years of age. Findings indicated that coaches valued PYD within their coaching philosophy, but were also highly motivated by performance and improving their players’ motor skills. The participants deemed that CEC generally lack PYD-related material, adding that practical strategies informed by the PYD approach should be inherently part of CEC delivery. The findings have practical impl.
Usability and Quality in Use Measurement : A Roadmap for a Consolidated Model

Usability and Quality in Use Measurement: A Roadmap for a Consolidated Model Ahmed Seffah seffah@cs.concordia. ca Mohammad Donyaee donyaee@cs.concordia. ca Rex B. Kline rbkline@vax2.concordia. ca Harkirat K. Padda padda@cs.concordia. ca Abstract. Usability is increasingly recognized as an important quality factor for interactive software systems, including traditional desktop applications, Web-based systems, and mobile services. The design of this diversity of applications so that they actually achieve their intended purposes is not an easy task. Although there are many individual methods for evaluating usability, they are not well integrated into a single conceptual framework. This is true in part because there are now several different standards (e.g., ISO 9241, ISO/IEC 9126, IEEE Std.610.12) or conceptual models (e.g., Metrics for Usability Standards in Computing [MUSiC]) for usability, and not all of these standards or models describe the same operational definitions. This paper (1) reviews existing usability standards and models and (2) explains how these various approaches can be combined into a single consolidated, hierarchical model of usability measurement. This model is called Quality in Use Integrated Measurement (QUIM). Included in the QUIM model are 10 factors each of which corresponds to a specific facet of usability that is identified in an existing standard or model. These 10 factors are decomposed into a total of 26 sub-factors or measurable criteria, and these criteria are further decomposed into 127 specific metrics. The rest of this paper explains how a consolidated model, such as QUIM, can help in developing a more consistent approach to usability measurement.
Challenging state modernity: Governmental adaptation and informal water politics in Mexico City:

This article analyzes political practices shaping water usage in the Mexico City region. Based on four different case studies, it reflects on the role of intermediaries in the state restructuring process. The cases explore political negotiation over the use of water in contexts of shortage or abundance, clean potable water, or waste water. The article illustrates how the use of natural resources affects the state’s role and how it reconfigures citizen participation. It compares traditional political mechanisms such as clientelism or electoral promotion, with emergent informal practices such as the multiplication of intermediaries who distribute water privately, but are ambiguously subsidized and organized by public institutions. It concludes that unequal water provision and intermediaries are key elements for the renewal of state legitimacy.
Invasive group B Streptococcus isolates showing reduced susceptibility to penicillin in Hong Kong.

and Enterobacter spp. isolates were inhibited at MIC values of 1, 2 and 2 mg/L, respectively. For K. pneumoniae, MIC50 and MIC90 values of tigecycline were 0.25 and 2 mg/L, respectively. The Etest results were confirmed by the broth microdilution method. According to US Food and Drug Administration recommendation for tigecycline (susceptible 2 mg/L and resistant 8 mg/L), all isolates were susceptible and only one (1%) K. pneumoniae strain displayed an intermediate MIC of 4 mg/L. When the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing breakpoint criteria (susceptible 1 mg/L and resistant .2 mg/L) were used, the percentage of tigecycline susceptibility decreased. Only 4 (31%) Enterobacter spp. and 78 (89%) K. pneumoniae isolates tested were susceptible. Furthermore, all S. marcescens were characterized as intermediate. The isolates collected in this study were broadly resistant to b-lactams, fluoroquinolones and variably to aminoglycosides. Currently, multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria remain the most problematic pathogens worldwide, especially in intensive care units. Carbapenem antibiotics were important agents for the management of those infections. Over the past few years, the progressive increase in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative non-fermentative bacilli as well as the spread of genes encoding carbapenem-hydrolysing enzymes in enterobacterial species is of great concern, leaving limited choices for therapeutic regimens. Tigecycline was active against MBL-producing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, inhibiting 99% of them at a concentration of 2 mg/L. A recent study demonstrated that tigecycline was effective against multiresistant K. pneumoniae strains producing Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), an ESBL belonging to molecular class A enzymes with activity against carbapenems. In addition, it was active against clinical isolates possessing blaVIM, but the number of MBL producers tested was small. Our results confirm the in vitro activity of tigecycline against Enterobacteriaceae possessing carbapenemases. Its broad-spectrum activity combined with its stability against common resistance mechanisms and the lack of crossresistance with other classes of antibiotics make tigecycline a therapeutic agent for the treatment of infection caused by multiresistant microorganisms. However, the in vitro results require support from clinical studies.
GALAXY CLUSTERS AROUND RADIO-LOUD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AT 1.3 < z < 3.2 AS SEEN BY SPITZER

We report the first results from the Clusters Around Radio-Loud AGN program, a Cycle 7 and 8 Spitzer Space Telescope snapshot program to investigate the environments of a large sample of obscured and unobscured luminous radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.2 < z < 3.2. These data, obtained for 387 fields, reach 3.6 and 4.5 μm depths of [3.6]AB = 22.6 and [4.5]AB = 22.9 at the 95% completeness level, which is two to three times fainter than L* in this redshift range. By using the color cut [3.6] − [4.5] > −0.1 (AB), which efficiently selects high-redshift (z > 1.3) galaxies of all types, we identify galaxy cluster member candidates in the fields of the radio-loud AGN. The local density of these Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)-selected sources is compared to the density of similarly selected sources in blank fields. We find that 92% of the radio-loud AGN reside in environments richer than average. The majority (55%) of the radio-loud AGN fields are found to be overdense at a ⩾2σ level; 10% are overdense at a ⩾5σ level. A clear rise in surface density of IRAC-selected sources toward the position of the radio-loud AGN strongly supports an association of the majority of the IRAC-selected sources with the radio-loud AGN. Our results provide solid statistical evidence that radio-loud AGN are likely beacons for finding high-redshift galaxy (proto-)clusters. We investigate how environment depends on AGN type (unobscured radio-loud quasars versus obscured radio galaxies), radio luminosity and redshift, finding no correlation with either AGN type or radio luminosity. We find a decrease in density with redshift, consistent with galaxy evolution for this uniform, flux-limited survey. These results are consistent with expectations from the orientation-driven AGN unification model, at least for the high radio luminosity regimes considered in this sample.
Adolescent Male Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Objective. To determine male vaccination rates with quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4) before and after the October 2011 national recommendation to routinely immunize adolescent males. Methods. We reviewed HPV4 dose 1 (HPV4-1) uptake in 292 adolescent males in our urban clinic prior to national recommendations and followed-up for HPV4 series completion rates. After national recommendation, 248 urban clinic and 247 suburban clinic males were reviewed for HPV4-1 uptake. Factors associated with HPV4-1 refusal were determined with multiple logistic regression. Results. Of the initial 292 males, 78% received HPV4-1 and 38% received the 3-dose series. After recommendation, HPV4-1 uptake was 59% and 7% in urban and suburban clinics, respectively. Variables associated with HPV4-1 uptake/refusal included time period, race, type of insurance, and receipt of concurrent vaccines. Conclusions. HPV4-1 vaccination rates in our urban clinic were high before and after routine HPV vaccine recommendations for adolescent males. Our vaccination rates were much higher than in a suburban practice.
Simulating wide-field quasar surveys from the optical to near-infrared

A number of deep, wide-field, near-infrared (NIR) surveys employing new infrared cameras on 4-m class telescopes are about to commence. These surveys have the potential to determine the fraction of luminous dust-obscured quasars that may have eluded surveys undertaken at optical wavelengths. In order to understand the new observations it is essential to make accurate predictions of surface densities and number‐redshift relations for unobscured quasars in the NIR based on information from surveys at shorter wavelengths. The accuracy of the predictions depends critically on a number of key components. The commonly used single power-law representation for quasar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is inadequate and the use of an SED incorporating the upturn in continuum flux at λ ∼ 12 000 A is essential. The presence of quasar host galaxies is particularly important over the rest-frame wavelength interval 8000 <λ< 16 000 A and we provide an empirical determination of the magnitude distribution of host galaxies using a low-redshift sample of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 3 quasar catalogue. A range of models for the dependence of host galaxy luminosity on quasar luminosity is investigated, along with the implications for the NIR surveys. Even adopting a conservative model for the behaviour of host galaxy luminosity the number counts for shallow surveys in the K band increase by a factor of 2. The degree of morphological selection applied to define candidate quasar samples in the NIR is found to be an important factor in determining the fraction of the quasar population included in such samples.
L(2,1)-Labeling of the Strong Product of Paths and Cycles

An L(2,1)-labeling of a graph G = (V, E) is a function f from the vertex set V(G) to the set of nonnegative integers such that the labels on adjacent vertices differ by at least two and the labels on vertices at distance two differ by at least one. The span of f is the difference between the largest and the smallest numbers in f(V). The λ-number of G, denoted by λ(G), is the minimum span over all L(2,1)-labelings of G. We consider the λ-number of P n⊠C m and for n ≤ 11 the λ-number of C n⊠C m. We determine λ-numbers of graphs of interest with the exception of a finite number of graphs and we improve the bounds on the λ-number of C n⊠C m, m ≥ 24 and n ≥ 26.
Extended radio emission in BL Lac objects - I. The images

We have observed 28 sources selected from the 1Jy sample of BL Lac objects [(Stickel et al. 1991)] with the Very Large Array (VLA) in A, B and D configurations at 1.36, 1.66 and 4.85 GHz, and/or with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) at 1.40 GHz. In this paper we present high sensitivity images at arcsecond resolution of the 18 objects showing extended structure in our images, and of another source from the FIRST (Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm) survey [(Becker et al. 1995). ] In general our high sensitivity images reveal an amount of extended emission larger than previously reported. In some objects the luminosity of the extended structure is comparable with that of FR II radio sources. A future paper will be devoted to the interpretation of these results.