Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of the environment on reproduction from conception to parturition.

Consideration of environmental influences on human reproduction must include an investigation of the socioeconomic factors that play an important role in embryo-fetal development. Nutritional factors are of prime importance, and modern methods of food production and supply have led to new hazards for pregnant women. For example, pregnant women have been advised in a number of European countries not to eat liver due to the very high concentration (frequently exceeding 100,000 IU per 100 g) of vitamin A. The clear demonstration that periconceptional vitamin supplementation can dramatically reduce the recurrence rate of neural tube defects suggests that folic acid deficiency may be common even in otherwise well-nourished women. Modern methods of food production manufacture and sale have increased the risks of Salmonella and Listeria infections in pregnancy. The dangers of social drug use, especially alcohol and tobacco, are discussed. The types of adverse effect that can result from chemical exposure during the different stages of pregnancy is reviewed with a discussion of some of the problems of epidemiological studies in attempting to identify toxic chemicals. The extent of the ignorance concerning the reproductive toxicity of industrial and environmental chemicals is emphasized by the fact that data are available on only a small percentage of even the high-production volume (1000 tons/year) chemicals. The evidence of reproductive toxicity from exposure to lead, methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and hexachlorobenzene are briefly reviewed. Some areas of research needs are discussed with emphasis on nutrition, food production, preparation, and storage and the new problems that may be introduced by genetic manipulation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
10-year results of a new low-monomer cement

Background and purpose The properties and performance of a new low-monomer cement were examined in this prospective randomized, controlled RSA study. 5-year data have already been published, showing no statistically significant differences compared to controls. In the present paper we present the 10-year results. Methods 44 patients were originally randomized to receive total hip replacement with a Lubinus SPII titanium-aluminum-vanadium stem cemented either with the new Cemex Rx bone cement or with control bone cement, Palacos R. Patients were examined using RSA, Harris hip score, and conventional radiographs. Results At 10 years, 33 hips could be evaluated clinically and 30 hips could be evaluated with RSA (16 Cemex and 14 Palacos). 9 patients had died and 4 patients were too old or infirm to be investigated. Except for 1 hip that was revised for infection after less than 5 years, no further hips were revised before the 10-year follow-up. There were no statistically significant clinical differences between the groups. The Cemex cement had magnitudes of migration similar to or sometimes lower than those of Palacos cement. In both groups, most hips showed extensive radiolucent lines, probably due to the use of titanium alloy stems. Interpretation At 10 years, the Cemex bone cement tested performed just as well as the control (Palacos bone cement).
Dorfin Ubiquitylates Mutant SOD1 and Prevents Mutant SOD1-mediated Neurotoxicity*

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive paralytic disorder resulting from the degeneration of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. The cytopathological hallmark in the remaining motor neurons of ALS is the presence of ubiquitylated inclusions consisting of insoluble protein aggregates. In this paper we report that Dorfin, a RING finger-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, is predominantly localized in the inclusion bodies of familial ALS with a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutation as well as sporadic ALS. Dorfin physically bound and ubiquitylated various SOD1 mutants derived from familial ALS patients and enhanced their degradation, but it had no effect on the stability of the wild-type SOD1. The overexpression of Dorfin protected against the toxic effects of mutant SOD1 on neural cells and reduced SOD1 inclusions. Our results indicate that Dorfin protects neurons by recognizing and then ubiquitylating mutant SOD1 proteins followed by targeting them for proteasomal degradation.
Nested linear/Lattice codes for structured multiterminal binning

Network information theory promises high gains over simple point-to-point communication techniques, at the cost of higher complexity. However, lack of structured coding schemes limited the practical application of these concepts so far. One of the basic elements of a network code is the binning scheme. Wyner (1974, 1978) and other researchers proposed various forms of coset codes for efficient binning, yet these schemes were applicable only for lossless source (or noiseless channel) network coding. To extend the algebraic binning approach to lossy source (or noisy channel) network coding, previous work proposed the idea of nested codes, or more specifically, nested parity-check codes for the binary case and nested lattices in the continuous case. These ideas connect network information theory with the rich areas of linear codes and lattice codes, and have strong potential for practical applications. We review these developments and explore their tight relation to concepts such as combined shaping and precoding, coding for memories with defects, and digital watermarking. We also propose a few novel applications adhering to a unified approach.
A multi-exchange neighborhood for minimum makespan machine

We propose new local search algorithms for minimum makespan machine scheduling problems, which perform multiple exchanges of jobs among machines. Inspired by the work of Thompson and Orlin (1989) on cyclic transfer neighborhood structures, we model multiple exchanges of jobs as special disjoint cycles and paths in a suitably defined improvement graph, by extending definitions and properties introduced in the context of VRP (Thompson and Psaraftis, 1993) and of CMST (Ahuja, Orlin and Sharma, 1998). Several algorithms for searching the neighborhood are suggested. We report the results of a wide computational experimentation, on different families of benchmark instances, performed for the case of identical machines. The minimum makespan machine scheduling problem with identical machines has been selected as a case study to perform a comparison among the alternative algorithms, and to discover families of instances for which the proposed neighborhood may be promising in practice. The obtained results are very interesting. On some families of instances, which are very hard to solve exactly, the most promising multi-exchange algorithms proved to dominate, in gap and in time, competitive benchmark heuristics.
Interaction of Carbon Dioxide and Sympathetic Nervous System Activity in the Regulation of Cerebral Perfusion in Humans

Recent studies suggest that activation of the sympathetic nervous system either directly or indirectly influences cerebrovascular tone in humans even within the autoregulatory range. In 6 healthy subjects (aged 29±4 years), we used transcranial Doppler sonography to determine cerebral blood flow velocity during sympathetic activation elicited through head-up tilt (HUT) and sympathetic deactivation through ganglionic blockade. Paco2 was manipulated through hyperventilation and CO2 breathing (5%). With subjects in the supine position and during HUT, mean arterial pressure was not influenced by Paco2. During ganglionic blockade, mean arterial pressure decreased markedly with hyperventilation (−13±1.9 mm Hg). Manipulation of sympathetic tone elicited only mild changes in cerebral blood flow (64±5.8 cm/s supine, 58±4.9 cm/s upright, and 66±6.2 cm/s during ganglionic blockade;P =0.07 by ANOVA). The slope of the regression between Paco2 and mean velocity was 1.6±0.18 cm/(s · mm Hg) supine, 1.3±0.14 cm/(s · mm Hg) during HUT, and 2.3±0.36 cm/(s · mm Hg) during ganglionic blockade (P <0.05). Spontaneous Paco2 and ventilatory response to hypercapnia were also modulated by the level of sympathetic activity. Changes in sympathetic tone have a limited effect on cerebral blood flow at normal Paco2 levels. However, the sympathetic nervous system seems to attenuate the CO2-induced increase in cerebral blood flow. This phenomenon may indicate a moderate direct effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the cerebral vasculature. Furthermore, sympathetic activation tends to increase ventilation and thus can indirectly increase cerebrovascular tone.
On contamination and completeness in z ≥ 5 Lyman-break galaxy surveys

A large population of z > 5 Lyman-break galaxies has been identified in recent years. However, the high-redshift galaxies selected by different surveys are subject to a variety of selection effects – some overt, others more subtle. We present an analysis of sample completeness and contamination issues in high-redshift surveys, focusing on surveys at z≈ 5 and using a spectroscopically confirmed low-redshift sample from the DEEP2 survey in order to characterize contaminant galaxies. We find that most surveys underestimate their contamination from highly clustered galaxies at z≈ 1 and stars. We consider the consequences of this for both the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function and the clustering signal from z≈ 5 galaxies. We also find that sources with moderate strength Lyman α emission lines can be omitted from dropout surveys due to their blue colours, again effecting the derived luminosity functions. We discuss the points of comparison between different samples, and the applicability of survey-specific results to the population at z > 5 in general.
Evolution of genomic structural variation and genomic architecture in the adaptive radiations of African cichlid fishes

African cichlid fishes are an ideal system for studying explosive rates of speciation and the origin of diversity in adaptive radiation. Within the last few million years, more than 2000 species have evolved in the Great Lakes of East Africa, the largest adaptive radiation in vertebrates. These young species show spectacular diversity in their coloration, morphology and behavior. However, little is known about the genomic basis of this astonishing diversity. Recently, five African cichlid genomes were sequenced, including that of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), a basal and only relatively moderately diversified lineage, and the genomes of four representative endemic species of the adaptive radiations, Neolamprologus brichardi, Astatotilapia burtoni, Metriaclima zebra, and Pundamila nyererei. Using the Tilapia genome as a reference genome, we generated a high-resolution genomic variation map, consisting of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), short insertions and deletions (indels), inversions and deletions. In total, around 18.8, 17.7, 17.0, and 17.0 million SNPs, 2.3, 2.2, 1.4, and 1.9 million indels, 262, 306, 162, and 154 inversions, and 3509, 2705, 2710, and 2634 deletions were inferred to have evolved in N. brichardi, A. burtoni, P. nyererei, and M. zebra, respectively. Many of these variations affected the annotated gene regions in the genome. Different patterns of genetic variation were detected during the adaptive radiation of African cichlid fishes. For SNPs, the highest rate of evolution was detected in the common ancestor of N. brichardi, A. burtoni, P. nyererei, and M. zebra. However, for the evolution of inversions and deletions, we found that the rates at the terminal taxa are substantially higher than the rates at the ancestral lineages. The high-resolution map provides an ideal opportunity to understand the genomic bases of the adaptive radiation of African cichlid fishes.
Prevalence of overweight and obesity and some associated factors among adult residents of northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives This study aims to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and determine potential influencing factors among adults in northeast China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jilin Province, northeast China, in 2012. A total of 9873 men and 10 966 women aged 18–79 years from the general population were included using a multistage stratified random cluster sampling design. Data were obtained from face-to-face interview and physical examination. After being weighted according to a complex sampling scheme, the sample was used to estimate the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) 24–27.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI >28 kg/m2) in Jilin Province, and analyse influencing factors through corresponding statistical methods based on complex sampling design behaviours. Results The overall prevalence of overweight was 32.3% (male 34.3%; female 30.2%), and the prevalence of obesity was 14.6% (male 16.3%; female 12.8%) in Jilin Province. The prevalence of both overweight and obesity were higher in men than women (p<0.001). Influencing factors included sex, age, marriage status, occupation, smoking, drinking, diet and hours of sleep (p<0.05). Conclusions This study estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult residents of Jilin Province, northeast China, were high. The results of this study will be submitted to the Health Department of Jilin Province and other relevant departments as a reference, which should inform policy makers in developing education and publicity to prevent and control the occurrence of overweight and obesity.
Type D personality and vulnerability to adverse outcomes in heart disease

General distress, shared across depression, anxiety and anger, partly accounts for the link between mind and heart. The type D (distressed) personality profile identifies individuals who are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effect of general distress. Type D individuals frequently experience negative emotions and are socially inhibited. This profile is more stable than that associated with episodes of clinical depression and describes the chronic nature of distress in some patients. Type D may also partly account for the effect of emotional distress on cardiac prognosis. Type D is associated with a threefold increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, even after adjustment for depression. This relationship is less obvious in patients with heart failure. Plausible pathways linking type D to cardiovascular complications include hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal–axis hyperreactivity, autonomic and inflammatory dysregulation, and increased oxidative stress. Research needs to further clarify these pathways and investigate whether type D patients may benefit from closer monitoring of risk factors and a personalized approach to behavioral intervention. The DS14 is a brief, well-validated measure of type D that could be incorporated into clinical research and practice to identify high-risk patients.
Which standard biomarkers are useful for the evaluation of myocardial injury after pulmonary vein isolation with cryoballoon?

BACKGROUND Many studies have used creatinine kinase (CK), myocardial bound for CK (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and T (cTnT) to evaluate myocardial cells injury after ablation. We applied measurements of the blood concentration of cardio-specific biomarkers as surrogates for the injured cell mass. AIM To clarify which of the standard biomarkers are useful in the evaluation and quantification of lesions produced by cryoballoon ablation (CBA) during pulmonary vein isolation. METHODS The CBA was performed in 33 patients with atrial fibrillation. Blood samples were obtained before CBA and one, six, and 24 h after CBA. We analysed CK, CK-MB and cTnI. RESULTS A significant increase of all biomarkers was observed at each hour of collection as compared to the baseline measurement. Maximum median peak levels occurred at 6 h. Pathological values of CK, CK-MB and cTnI were observed in 94%, 100% and 100% of patients, respectively. Both maximum CK and CK-MB values correlated with median temperature (p < 0.05) reached during CBA. Additionally, CK-MB correlated with total cryo-time (p < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The CK-MB is the best biochemical marker for the evaluation of myocardial injury after CBA. The cTnI can be useful as an additional parameter of myocardial injury after CBA.
Developmental Changes in Time and Space Promote Evolutionary Diversification of Flowers: A Case Study in Dipsacoideae

Diversification in flower shape and function is triggered by the high plasticity of flower meristems. Minute changes in space and time can profoundly affect the formation of adult structures. Dipsacoideae provides an excellent model system to investigate the evolutionary aspects of temporal and spatial changes in flower development due to its small size, the resolved phylogenetic framework, and significant diversity of perianth form and merosity. In the present study, we investigated the sequence of floral organ initiation and quantified the interactions between flower meristem expansion and petal primordium size in eight species representing two major clades of Dipsacoideae. Our quantitative study indicates the plasticity of the flower meristem for the regulation of pentamery either due to a decrease in petal primordium size (Scabiosa) or an increase in flower meristem size (Pterocephalus and Lomelosia) compared to tetramerous flowers. According to our results, temporal shifts of organ initiation during flower evolution contribute to the morphological diversity of perianth. Sepal reduction in members of the Dipknautids is paralleled by a delay in sepal initiation. The multiplication of sepals in Lomelosia and Pterocephalus is correlated with an extension of initiation time. Some heterochronies in early development do not affect adult morphology. The effects of a temporal change in early development can be enhanced, reduced, or eliminated by later changes of the growth rate during development. Our results confirm the hypothesis that the interaction between timing and space plays an important role for evolutionary diversification of flowers.
CD4+ Natural Killer T Cells Potently Augment Aortic Root Atherosclerosis by Perforin- and Granzyme B-Dependent Cytotoxicity

Rationale: CD4+ natural killer T (NKT) cells augment atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient (ApoE)−/− mice but their mechanisms of action are unknown. Objectives: We investigated the roles of bystander T, B, and NK cells; NKT cell–derived interferon-&ggr;, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-21 cytokines; and NKT cell–derived perforin and granzyme B cytotoxins in promoting CD4+ NKT cell atherogenicity. Methods and Results: Transfer of CD4+ NKT cells into T- and B-cell–deficient ApoE−/−Rag2−/− mice augmented aortic root atherosclerosis by ≈75% that was ≈30% of lesions in ApoE−/− mice; macrophage accumulation similarly increased. Transferred NKT cells were identified in the liver and atherosclerotic lesions of recipient mice. Transfer of CD4+ NKT cells into T-, B-cell–deficient, and NK cell–deficient ApoE−/−Rag2−/−&ggr;C−/− mice also augmented atherosclerosis. These data indicate that CD4+ NKT cells can exert proatherogenic effects independent of other lymphocytes. To investigate the role of NKT cell–derived interferon-&ggr;, IL-4, and IL-21 cytokines and perforin and granzyme B cytotoxins, CD4+ NKT cells from mice deficient in these molecules were transferred into NKT cell–deficient ApoE−/−J&agr;18−/− mice. CD4+ NKT cells deficient in IL-4, interferon-&ggr;, or IL-21 augmented atherosclerosis in ApoE−/−J&agr;18−/− mice by ≈95%, ≈80%, and ≈70%, respectively. Transfer of CD4+ NKT cells deficient in perforin or granzyme B failed to augment atherosclerosis. Apoptotic cells, necrotic cores, and proinflammatory VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule) and MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein) were reduced in mice receiving perforin-deficient NKT cells. CD4+ NKT cells are twice as potent as CD4+ T cells in promoting atherosclerosis. Conclusions: CD4+ NKT cells potently promote atherosclerosis by perforin and granzyme B–dependent apoptosis that increases postapoptotic necrosis and inflammation.
Attacking an SRAM-Based PUF through Wearout

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) provide a fast and cheap solution to secret key generation. Natural variations in silicon create unique “fingerprints” that are useful for identification. In a 6T SRAM array, these variations cause individual cells to skew their power-on tendency toward storing a 0 or a 1. Wearout effects interfere with those variations, changing the power-on behavior of an SRAM cell in the opposite direction of a stored bit and affecting its reliability as a PUF. In this work, we take advantage of this effect by exposing an SRAM array to high voltage and temperature to activate and accelerate wearout and show that it can cause significant changes to the SRAM's fingerprint. Then we propose an attack on an SRAM PUF that makes use of these conditions with several stored data patterns to modify its fingerprint and then compare the effectiveness of each pattern at producing false negatives for identification challenges. In doing so, we show that false negatives can be increased to 100% in less than 24 hours, effectively erasing the fingerprint and rendering the PUF unusable.
Brain responses to facial expressions by adults with different attachment–orientations

Behavior studies demonstrate that the attachment–orientation difference is a powerful predictor for emotional processing in children and adults, with anxious individuals being hyperactive and avoidant individuals being deactive to emotional stimuli. This study used the event-related potential technique to explore brain responses to facial expressions by adults with anxious, avoidant, or secure attachment–orientation. Differences were found in N1, N2, P2, and N400 components between the groups of participants, suggesting that adults with different attachment–orientations have differences in both earlier, automatic encoding of the structural properties of faces and later, more elaborative retrieval of emotional contents.
A Comprehensive Survey of Trends in Oracles for Software Testing

Testing involves examining the behaviour of a system in order to discover potential faults. Determining the desired correct behaviour for a given input is called the “oracle problem”. Oracle automation is important to remove a current bottleneck which inhibits greater overall test automation; without oracle automation, the human has to determine whether observed behaviour is correct. The literature on oracles has introduced techniques for oracle automation, including modelling, specifications, contract-driven development and metamorphic testing. When none of these is completely adequate, the final source of oracle information remains the human, who may be aware of informal specifications, expectations, norms and domain specific information that provide informal oracle guidance. All forms of oracle, even the humble human, involve challenges of reducing cost and increasing benefit. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of current approaches to the oracle problem and an analysis of trends in this important area of software testing research and practice.