Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tail regeneration in the Xenopus tadpole

The tail of the Xenopus tadpole contains major axial structures, including a spinal cord, notochord and myotomes, and regenerates within 2 weeks following amputation. The tail regeneration in Xenopus can provide insights into the molecular basis of the regeneration mechanism. The regenerated tail has some differences from the normal tail, including an immature spinal cord and incomplete segmentation of the muscle masses. Lineage analyses have suggested that the tail tissues are reconstructed with lineage‐restricted stem cells derived from their own tissues in clear contrast to urodele regeneration, in which multipotent blastema cells derived from differentiated cells play a major role. Comprehensive gene expression analyses resulted in the identification of a panel of genes involved in sequential steps of the regeneration. Manipulation of genes’ activities suggested that the tail regeneration is regulated through several major signaling pathways.
Short-Latency Influence of Medial Frontal Cortex on Primary Motor Cortex during Action Selection under Conflict

Medial frontal cortex (MFC) is crucial when actions have to be inhibited, reprogrammed, or selected under conflict, but the precise mechanism by which it operates is unclear. Importantly, how and when the MFC influences the primary motor cortex (M1) during action selection is unknown. Using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, we investigated functional connectivity between the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) part of MFC and M1. We found that functional connectivity increased in a manner dependent on cognitive context: pre-SMA facilitated the motor evoked-potential elicited by M1 stimulation only during action reprogramming, but not when otherwise identical actions were made in the absence of conflict. The effect was anatomically specific to pre-SMA; it was not seen when adjacent brain regions were stimulated. We discuss implications for the anatomical pathways mediating the observed effects.
A high-voltage-enabled recycling folded cascode OpAmp for nanoscale CMOS technologies

This paper describes a high-voltage-enabling circuit technique for enhancing the gain precision and linearity of OpAmp-based analog circuits. Without resorting from specialized devices, a 2xVDD-enabled recycling folded cascode (RFC) OpAmp optimized in 1V GP 65-nm CMOS achieves, when compared with its 1xVDD counterpart, 25-dB higher open-loop DC gain and 30-dB higher IM3 (in closed loop), under a similar power budget. These joint improvements save the need of a 2nd stage in the OpAmp when high precision and high linearity are the priorities. A voltage-conscious bias scheme and gate-drain-source engineering ensure that all devices are consistently operated within the reliability limits.
Dietary anthocyanin intake and age-related decline in lung function: longitudinal findings from the VA Normative Aging Study123

Background: It is unknown whether habitual intake of dietary flavonoids, known for their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, affects longitudinal change in lung function. Objective: We investigated whether different flavonoid subclasses present in the habitual diet were associated with beneficial changes in lung function over time in the elderly. Design: This longitudinal analysis included 839 participants from the VA (Veterans Affairs) Normative Aging Study whose lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)] was measured at 2 and up to 5 visits between 1992 and 2008 (n = 2623 measurements). Yearly average intake of major flavonoid subclasses (anthocyanins, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, flavones, and polymers) was calculated from food-frequency questionnaires at each visit. We estimated adjusted differences in annual change in lung function associated with each flavonoid subclass, categorized into quartiles, in linear mixed-effects regression models after adjustment for lifestyle and dietary confounders. Results: Strong inverse associations were found between anthocyanin intake and age-related decline in lung function. Independent of dietary and nondietary risk factors, slower rates of FEV1 and FVC decline by 23.6 (95% CI: 16.6, 30.7) and 37.3 (95% CI: 27.8, 46.8) mL/y, respectively, were observed in participants in the fourth quartile of intake compared with participants in the first quartile (P-trend < 0.0001). The protective associations observed for anthocyanin intake were present in both current/former and never smokers. Compared with no or very low intakes, an intake of ≥2 servings of anthocyanin-rich blueberries/wk was associated with slower decline in FEV1 and FVC by 22.5 (95% CI: 10.8, 34.2) and 37.9 (95% CI: 22.1, 53.7) mL/y, respectively. To a lesser extent, higher flavan-3-ol intake was also associated with slower lung function decline. Conclusions: An attenuation of age-related lung function decline was associated with higher dietary anthocyanin intake in this longitudinal sample of predominantly elderly men. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these novel associations.
English is ( still ) a West Germanic language

In their recent book, English: The Language of the Vikings, Joseph Embley Emonds and Jan Terje Faarlund attempt to make the case that from its Middle period onwards, English is a North Germanic language, descended from the Norse varieties spoken in Medieval England, rather than a West Germanic language, as traditionally assumed. In this review article we critique Emonds & Faarlund’s proposal, focusing particularly on the syntactic evidence that forms the basis of their argumentation. A closer look at a number of constructions for which the authors suggest a Norse origin reveals that the situation is not as they present it: in many cases, the syntactic properties of Old and Middle English are not given careful enough consideration, and/or the chronology of the developments is not compatible with a Norse origin. Moreover, the authors do not engage with the large body of sound changes that constitute the strongest evidence for a West Germanic origin. We conclude that Emonds & Faarlund fail to make a convincing case either for a North Germanic origin or against a West Germanic origin.
Resource discovery in modern computing environments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to characterise a number of current and future computing environments and summarises their resource discovery requirements. It then seeks to analyse, with respect to the requirements of each environment, several established service discovery protocols and some newer protocols that are still in the research domain. In addition, the key features of a new resource discovery protocol that has been developed to operate with heterogeneous computing environments are described.Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature survey was undertaken, highlighting the shortcomings of existing resource discovery protocols with respect to large pervasive computing environments. Given the identified gaps in existing protocols, an alternative protocol is suggested.Findings – The main findings of this paper relate to the identified shortcomings of existing resource discovery protocols. It was also found that a hybrid resource discovery protocol capable of spanning dynamic, mo.
The ambiguities of development: implications for ‘development through sport’

This essay brings the perspective of the academic sceptic to bear on Development Through Sport (DTS) – an area of rapid growth and burgeoning enthusiasm in the theory and practice of international development and organized sport respectively. It highlights some of the challenges and dangers of engaging in the development ‘enterprise’ for this comparatively new and hopeful field. While acknowledging the valuable contributions that may be made to development through sport, it identifies some core ambiguities in the idea and experience of development, and therefore some cautionary implications for those who come to development through this prism. Indeed, one of the key advantages of DTS advocates and actors is that they are latecomers to the development enterprise, with the opportunity to learn from the dangers and missteps that have befallen more ‘mainstream’ development practitioners through its post-Second World War history. Three key themes are explored: the ambiguous meanings and experiences of development; some of the core challenges they give rise to, particularly in the post-Structural Adjustment era of the late 1990s and beyond; and some key issues and possibilities for the DTS community in this context.
Workplace learning evaluation: a conceptual model and framework

Purpose – This paper seeks to address current limitations in approaches to training evaluation by presenting a conceptual model of work-based learning and an associated evaluation framework. Design/methodology/approach – The model and framework presented in this paper are based on a critical review of current approaches to learning evaluation and insights from learning transfer research and programme theory. Findings – This paper sets out a conceptual model of workplace learning based on five elements: a pre-learning stage, the trigger (need) for learning, the learning event, application of learning and the impact of learning. A linked criterion evaluation framework is also described. It is proposed that this provides a scientifically robust but practitioner friendly framework for workplace learning evaluation. Practical implications – While most organisations wish to evaluate the effectiveness of their investment in employee training and development, few do. One of the barriers to effective learning evaluation is the failure to ground approaches in a contemporary and comprehensive model of workplace learning. The model and framework set out in this paper aim to assist evaluation by addressing this gap in a practitioner friendly way. Originality/value – This paper sets out a novel, flexible and comprehensive conceptual model of workplace learning along with an innovative approach to training evaluation that addresses limitations in existing approaches. It is hoped that this will contribute to the debate on appropriate evaluation methods and assist practitioners to undertake evaluation in a more credible manner.
SERPINE1 intron polymorphisms affecting gene expression are associated with diffuse‐type gastric cancer susceptibility

A primary inhibitor of plasminogen activators, SERPINE1 (serpin peptidase inhibitor 1, clade E, member 1, also known as plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1), is an important regulator in tumorigenesis and is highly expressed in many cancers.
Energy Recovery from High-Frequency Clocks Using DC-DC Converters

Large digital chips use a significant amount of energy to distribute a multi-GHz clock. By discharging the clock network to ground every cycle, the energy stored in this large capacitor is wasted. Instead, the energy can be recovered using an on-chip DC-DC converter. This paper investigates the integration of two DC-DC converter topologies, boost and buck-boost, with a high-speed clock driver. The high operating frequency significantly shrinks the required size of the L and C components so they can be placed on-chip; typical converters place them off-chip. The clock driver and DC-DC converter are able to share the entire tapered buffer chain, including the widest drive transistors in the final stage. To achieve voltage regulation, the must be modulated; implying only single-edge-triggered flops should be used. However, this minor drawback is eclipsed by the benefits: by recovering energy from the clock, the output power can actually exceed the additional power needed to operate the converter circuitry, resulting in an effective efficiency greater than 100%. Furthermore, the converter output can be used to operate additional power-saving features like low-voltage islands or body bias voltages.
An Improved Adaptive Genetic Algorithm for Job-Shop Scheduling Problem

An adaptive genetic algorithm with some improvement is proposed to solve the job-shop scheduling problem (JSSP) better. The improved adaptive genetic algorithm (IAGA) obtained by applying the improved sigmoid function to adaptive genetic algorithm. And in IAGA for JSSP, the fitness of algorithm is represented by completion time of jobs. Therefore, this algorithm making the crossover and mutation probability adjusted adaptively and nonlinearly with the completion time, can avoid such disadvantages as premature convergence, low convergence speed and low stability. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed genetic algorithm does not get stuck at a local optimum easily, and it is fast in convergence, simple to be implemented. Several examples testify the effectiveness of the proposed genetic algorithm for JSSP.
“Te conozco, bacalao”: Investigating the Influence of Social Stereotypes on Linguistic Attitudes

Dialectal differences are frequently cited by members of a majority group as their main means of identifying members of a minority ethnic group. However, existing stereotypes of minority language varieties and their speakers often suggest that social prejudices influence attitudes towards minority groups and their linguistic varieties. The present study examines the possible consequences of social prejudice on the attitudes towards Dominican Spanish in Puerto Rico. Dominican immigrants constitute the largest minority in Puerto Rico (Duany 2005). In spite of the linguistic similarities between Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish (Lipski 1994) Dominican Spanish and its speakers have been found to be widely discriminated in Puerto Rico (Duany 2005; Mejía Pardo 1993). Relative to the Puerto Rican majority Dominican immigrants often have dark complexion, and less opportunities to access the educational system and a competitive work force (Duany 2005). These facts beg the question of whether and to what extent Puerto Ricans’ attitudes towards Dominican Spanish truly are based on linguistic differences. The results of the verbal guise study imply that linguistic differences play an important part in the identification of national origin. Moreover, ratings on social and educational attributes of the guise speakers are indicative of the existence of prejudicial notions of socioeconomic and educational background.
The Coup d'Etat in Theory and Practice: Independent Black Africa in the 1960s

Attempts have been made to explain coups d'etat by reference to macro social and economic variables, structural features of the military in general, and, more commonly, of military elites, or by reference to the individual psychological qualities of the coup participants. Such theories are often held to be mutually exclusive and competing. This paper examines these theories and then tests them against data for 35 independent countries in sub-Sahara Africa, a region for which it has been widely argued that only "micro" explanations of coup activity scale which provides an interval measure of the dependent variable. Colonial background, contagion, and temporal hypotheses do not explain differences in coup activity. The data are then subjected to multiple-regression analysis using sets of socioeconomic and military variables. Although no single independent variable is conspicuously related to coups, multivariate analysis does explain some variance in coup activity. An explanation of coup activity that integrates the three levels usually employed by social scientists is suggested. This takes into account societal conditions conducive to coups, the relative dominance of military institutions, and, for residual variance, the personal characteristic of military officers and external influence on them.
The Economics of Shortage

Today we continue the familiarization of our readers with the works of the renowned Hungarian economist Janos Kornai. A chapter from his book Contradictions and Dilemmas, which he called "The Health of Nations, " was published in EKO, 1987, no. 9. R, G. Karagedov 's article is of particular interest because the monograph The Economics of Shortage (1980) has not been translated into Russian.
The Quality of Standard, Routine and Nonroutine Processes

Efforts to increase organizational effectiveness using standardization and quality techniques have been successful in repetitive production and administrative processes but less so when dealing with nonroutine processes typical of professional organizations. Routines are defined very broadly in organization theory as either mind-numbing repetition, repositories of knowledge, or effortful accomplishments. In this article, processes are analysed as systems with distinct input assessment, algorithms and output-generating action phases. These are structured differently depending on how they are set up to deal with variation (deviations from explicit targets) and variety (distinct but functionally equivalent targets). Thus processes can be classified into three types. Standard processes are set up to deal with a single variety using binary logic. Routine processes can distinguish a limited amount of variety using fuzzy logic. Nonroutine processes are open systems in which unrestricted variety is interpreted and assigned meaning. The implications of these process types are discussed in terms of the identification of quality errors and defects, change and learning.
Antibiotic resistance and the environment—there and back again

Today, it is difficult to imagine a time when bacterial infections caused a terrible toll of disability and death. The discovery and use of antibiotics in medicine in the 20th century, together with better hygiene and vaccination programs, has drastically increased human life expectancy. In a way, however, these antibiotic ‘silver bullets’ have become victims of their own success, and most people are no longer aware of the deadly threat of bacterial infections. As a result, we have become lax and even irresponsible: We use antibiotics at every opportunity to treat mild or even viral infections, and we have used them in massive amounts in agriculture as a preventive measure against bacterial diseases, and to promote the growth of poultry, beef and pigs in animal farms. > Since the beginning of the antibiotic era in the first half of the 20th century, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes have been introduced to or have spread to almost every ecosystem on earth. This complacent attitude is about to change. The past few decades have seen the rise of antibiotic‐resistant bacterial strains that cause increasingly severe, difficult to treat, and sometimes even fatal infections. Multi‐drug‐resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus and various Enterococci species are now nearly untreatable with standard antibiotics and pose a growing threat to patients in hospitals and the community at large. In addition, contact with farm animals has been identified as another source for bacterial pathogens. However, the problem does not end at the hospital entrance or the farmyard gate; the environment is a huge source of antibiotic resistance. In fact, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance determinants are a natural phenomenon and have been present in the environment long before humans discovered and begun to use antibiotics. Microorganisms produce antibiotics to gain a growth advantage and to defend …
Taiwanese Female Vegetarians Have Lower Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Compared with Omnivores

Purpose Many studies supported that vegetarians have a lower risk of cardiac diseases and mortality, partly due to better blood pressure and serum cholesterol profiles. However, the inflammatory markers, especially lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), have not been well-studied. This study aimed to compare inflammatory markers and conventional risk factors between vegetarians and omnivores. Materials and Methods One hundred and seventy-three vegetarians and 190 omnivores were studied. Fasting blood samples were obtained to compare levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, homocysteine, Lp-PLA2 activity, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Results Vegetarians had higher serum levels of the following markers: hs-CRP (1.8 ± 3.4 vs. 1.2 1.8 mg/L, respectively; p = 0.05), homocysteine (9.39 ± 3.22 vs. 7.62 ± 2.41 µmol/L, respectively; p < 0.01), and triacylglycerol (96.91 ± 59.56 vs. 84.66 ± 43.24 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.05). Vegetarians also had lower levels of Lp-PLA2 (18.32 ± 7.19 10-3 µmol/min/mL vs. 20.22 8.13 10-3 µmol/min/mL; p < 0.05), total cholesterol (180.62 ± 36.55 mg/dL vs. 192.73 ± 36.57 mg/dL; p < 0.01), LDL cholesterol (118.15 ± 32.8 vs. 126.41 ± 34.28 mg/dL; p < 0.05), and HDL cholesterol (55.59 ± 13.30 vs. 62.09 ± 14.52 mg/dL, p < 0.01). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that a vegetarian diet increases the chances for high serum hs-CRP and low Lp-PLA2 activity. Conclusion In addition to lower total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol, Taiwanese female vegetarians have lower serum Lp-PLA2 activity but higher levels of hs-CRP, homocysteine, and triacylglyerol. It might be due to geographic differences of vegetarian diets, and further studies are needed.
Social attitudes and education: Self-selection or socialization?†

The aim of this study was to replicate earlier findings (Ekehammar et al., 1987) concerning the relationship between social attitudes and educational direction and field of study, by addressing further the causality issue. The sample comprised 256 Swedish adolescents from metropolitan Stockholm attending the two lowest grades in secondary school (modal age was 17 years). The main findings of the previous study were replicated, although the statistical power was weaker. Two higher-order attitude dimensions (labeled Political-economic conservatism and Social conservatism) discriminated between six groups, based on combinations of the two aspects of education. The main picture evidenced a socialization effect regarding Political-economic conservatism and a self-selection explanation for Social conservatism. Introducing intellectual ability as an independent variable in the causal model, affecting both educational direction and social attitudes, weakened the relationship, as compared to the previous study.
Methods for standardizing CPUE and how to select among them

A number of methods for estimating trends in relative abundance based on standardized catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) are discussed, including general linear and additive models, habitat-based standardization, neural networks, and regression trees. Methods and criteria for testing among various standardization techniques are presented and recommendations for future research are presented. Authors’ Keywords: catch, effort, methods, cross validation, habitat-based standardization, HBS, CPUE, statistical test, stock assessment, fisheries management, review
Monochromatic Path and Cycle Partitions in Hypergraphs

Here we address the problem to partition edge colored hypergraphs by monochromatic paths and cycles generalizing a well-known similar problem for graphs. We show that $r$-colored $r$-uniform complete hypergraphs can be partitioned into monochromatic Berge-paths of distinct colors. Also, apart from $2k-5$ vertices, $2$-colored $k$-uniform hypergraphs can be partitioned into two monochromatic loose paths. In general, we prove that in any $r$-coloring of a $k$-uniform hypergraph there is a partition of the vertex set into monochromatic loose cycles such that their number depends only on $r$ and $k$.