Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of gsp Mutations on the Development of Adrenocortical Tumors and Adrenal Hyperplasia

Somatic GNAS point mutations, commonly known as gsp mutations, are involved in the pathogenesis of McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) and have also been described in autonomous hormone-producing tumors, such as somatotropinoma, corticotrophoma, thyroid cancer, ovarian and testicular Leydig cell tumors, and primary macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PMAH) (1–3). The involvement of gsp mutations in adrenal tumors was first described by Lyons et al. Since then, several studies have detected the presence of gsp mutations in adrenal tumors, but none of them could explain its presence along or the mechanism that leads to tumor formation and hormone hypersecretion. As a result, the molecular pathogenesis of the majority of sporadic adrenocortical tumors remains unclear (3). PMAH has also been reported with gsp somatic mutations in a few cases. Fragoso et al. identified two distinct gsp somatic mutations affecting arginine residues on codon 201 of GNAS in a few patients with PMAH who lacked any features or manifestations of MAS. Followed by this discovery, other studies have continued looking for gsp mutations based on strong prior evidence demonstrating that increased cAMP signaling is sufficient for cell proliferation and cortisol production (2, 4). With consideration for the previously reported findings, we conjecture that although somatic activating mutations in GNAS are a rare molecular event, these mutations could probably be sufficient to induce the development of macronodule hyperplasia and variable cortisol secretion. In this manuscript, we revised the presence of gsp mutations associated with adrenal cortical tumors and hyperplasia.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF CONTACT/IMPACT DYNAMICS BETWEEN A SPACE ROBOT WITH A COMPLIANT WRIST AND A FREE-FLYING OBJECT

This paper presents the experimental evaluation of contact/impact dynamics between a space robot with a compliant wrist and a free-flying object. In capturing a target satellite by a free-flying space robot, a robot must prevent bounce-off of a target satellite from the operational space of the robot due to hard collision. In order to avoid hard collision, the authors propose the use of a stiff manipulator equipped with a compliant wrist because this combination is capable of elongating the contact duration with less contact force peak, and hence, makes the contact control possible. In order to understand contact with a compliant wrist, this paper presents the contact dynamics of a uniaxial compliant wrist, which is modeled by a mass-spring-damper system. Then, simplification is presented so that the dominant contact dynamics parameters can be approximated by the stiffness and damping of the compliant wrist. The collision experiment between a manipulator with a compliant wrist and a free-flying target object is conducted using a two-dimensional microgravity emulator, called the air-floating test bed. The contact duration and the coefficient of restitution were chosen as evaluating parameters, and it was verified that both can be expressed by the stiffness and damping of the compliant wrist.
A survey of techniques to prevent sybil attacks

Any decentralized, distributed network isvulnerable to the Sybil attack wherein a malicious node masquerade as several different nodes, called Sybil nodes disrupting the proper functioning of the network. A Sybil attacker can create more than one identity on a single physical device in order to launch a coordinated attack on the network or can switch identities in order to weaken the detection process, thus promoting lack of accountability in the network. In this paper, different types of Sybil attacks, including those occurring in peer-to-peer reputation systems, self-organizing networks and social network systems are discussed. Also, various methods that have been suggested over time to decrease or eliminate their risk completely are also analysed.
NUMERICAL SMEARED FRACTURE ANALYSIS: NONLOCAL MICROCRACK INTERACTION APPROACH

SUMMARY A recently proposed new nonlocal concept based on microcrack interactions is discussed, its implementation in a smeared cracking finite element code for concrete is presented, numerical studies are reported, and comparisons with experimental results are made. The nonlocality is not merely a mathematical device to prevent excessive spurious localization into a zone of zero volume but is a necessary physical consequence of microcrack interactions. Since the constitutive law itself is strictly local, the new nonlocal concept can be combined with any type of constitutive law for strain-softening nonlocal damage, which is here chosen to be the micro plane model. A simple method is formulated to approximately identify the material parameters in the model from the basic characteristics of concrete such as the tensile strength, fracture energy and maximum aggregate size. The results of finite element analysis are shown to be mesh insensitive, and good convergence is obtained. Cracking damage is found to localize into a volume whose size and shape depend on the macroscopic concrete properties as well as the current stress-strain state. Although the damage is considered to be tensile on the microlevel, due solely to mode I microcracks, the new non local model can describe well not only mode I fracture tests but also complex shear-dominated and mixed-mode types of failure such a diagonal shear, and can do so for the same values of material parameters (which was not the case for previous nonlocal models). Most importantly, the new nonlocal model can correctly capture the size effect of quasibrittle fracture, in approximate agreement with Bazanfs size effect law.
Scholarlycommons Departmental Papers (city and Regional Planning) Department of City and Regional Planning Predicting Housing Abandonment with the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System Predicting Housing Abandonment with the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System Predicting Housing Aban

Several large US cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, have developed information systems to distribute property-level housing data to community organizations and municipal agencies. These early warning systems are also intended to predict which properties are at greatest risk of abandonment, but they have rarely used statistical modeling to support such forecasts. This study used logistic regression to analyze data from the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System in order to determine which properties were most likely to become imminently dangerous. Several different characteristics of the property, including whether it was vacant, had outstanding housing code violations, and tax arrearages as well as characteristics of nearby properties were identified as significant predictors. Challenges common to the development of early warning systems-including integrating administrative data, defining abandonment, and modeling temporal and spatial data-are discussed along with policy implications for cities like Philadelphia that have thousands of vacant and abandoned properties. ABSTRACT: Several large US cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, have developed information systems to distribute property-level housing data to community organizations and municipal agencies. These early warning systems are also intended to predict which properties are at greatest risk of abandonment, but they have rarely used statistical modeling to support such forecasts. This study used logistic regression to analyze data from the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System in order to determine which properties were most likely to become imminently dangerous. Several different characteristics of the property, including whether it was vacant, had outstanding housing code violations, and tax arrearages as well as characteristics of nearby properties were identified as significant predictors. Challenges common to the development of early warning systemsÐincluding integrating administrative data, defining abandonment, and modeling temporal and spatial dataÐare discussed along with policy implications for cities like Philadelphia that have thousands of vacant and abandoned properties.
Salmonella‐induced macrophage death: multiple mechanisms, different outcomes

The facultative intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica triggers programmed cell death in macrophages. The close examination of this phenomenon has revealed an unusually complex picture involving diverse mechanisms that lead to different types of programmed cell death. It appears that the outcome of the interaction of salmonella with macrophages depends on the relative contribution of two type III protein secretion systems, in conjunction with the stimulation of innate immunity outputs through conserved determinants collectively known as ‘pathogen‐associated molecular patterns’ (PAMPs). These interactions result in a breakdown of the balance between survival and pro‐apoptotic cellular pathways, which eventually leads to macrophage cell death. The relative significance for the infection process of the different types of macrophage cell death triggered by salmonella remains to be established
Quiescent Cores and the Efficiency of Turbulence-accelerated, Magnetically Regulated Star Formation

The efficiency of star formation, defined as the ratio of the stellar to total (gas and stellar) mass, is observed to vary from a few percent in regions of dispersed star formation to about a third in cluster-forming cores. This difference may reflect the relative importance of magnetic fields and turbulence in controlling star formation. We investigate the interplay between (decaying) turbulence and magnetic fields using numerical simulations, in a sheetlike geometry. The geometry allows for an accurate and expedient treatment of ambipolar diffusion, a key ingredient for star formation. We demonstrate that star formation with an efficiency of a few percent can occur over several gravitational collapse times in moderately magnetically subcritical clouds that are supersonically turbulent. In turbulent clouds that are marginally magnetically supercritical, the star formation efficiency is higher but can still be consistent with the values inferred for nearby embedded clusters. A phenomenological prescription for protostellar outflow is included in our model to stop mass accretion after a star has obtained a given mass and to disperse away the remaining core material. Within a reasonable range of strength, the outflow does not affect the efficiency of star formation much and contributes little to turbulence replenishment in subcritical and marginally supercritical clouds. If not regulated by magnetic fields at all, star formation in a multi-Jeans mass cloud endowed with a strong initial turbulence proceeds rapidly, with the majority of cloud mass converted into stars in a gravitational collapse time in the absence of constant turbulence driving. The efficiency is formally higher than the values inferred for nearby cluster-forming cores, indicating that magnetic fields are dynamically important even for cluster formation. In turbulent, magnetically subcritical clouds, the turbulence accelerates star formation by reducing the time for dense core formation. The dense cores produced in such clouds are predominantly quiescent. For example, 8 out of the 10 cores produced at the middle point of our standard simulation have subsonic internal motions. The cores tend to be moderately supercritical and thus remain magnetically supported to a large extent. They contain a small fraction of the cloud mass and have lifetimes ranging from ~1.5 to 10 times their local gravitational collapse time. Some of the cores collapse to form stars, while others disperse away without star formation, in agreement with previous work. All these factors, as well as core-outflow interaction, contribute to the low efficiency of the star formation in these clouds of dispersed star formation.
Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation Changes during Sub-Maximal Handgrip Maneuver

Purpose We investigated the effect of handgrip (HG) maneuver on time-varying estimates of dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA) using the autoregressive moving average technique. Methods Twelve healthy subjects were recruited to perform HG maneuver during 3 minutes with 30% of maximum contraction force. Cerebral blood flow velocity, end-tidal CO2 pressure (PETCO2), and noninvasive arterial blood pressure (ABP) were continuously recorded during baseline, HG and recovery. Critical closing pressure (CrCP), resistance area-product (RAP), and time-varying autoregulation index (ARI) were obtained. Results PETCO2 did not show significant changes during HG maneuver. Whilst ABP increased continuously during the maneuver, to 27% above its baseline value, CBFV raised to a plateau approximately 15% above baseline. This was sustained by a parallel increase in RAP, suggestive of myogenic vasoconstriction, and a reduction in CrCP that could be associated with metabolic vasodilation. The time-varying ARI index dropped at the beginning and end of the maneuver (p<0.005), which could be related to corresponding alert reactions or to different time constants of the myogenic, metabolic and/or neurogenic mechanisms. Conclusion Changes in dynamic CA during HG suggest a complex interplay of regulatory mechanisms during static exercise that should be considered when assessing the determinants of cerebral blood flow and metabolism.
Sodium Ferulate Protects against Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice by Regulating the MAPK/ERK and JNK Pathways

Background and Objective. It has been reported that sodium ferulate (SF) has hematopoietic function against anemia and immune regulation, inflammatory reaction inhibition, inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection, and other functions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of SF on angiotensin II- (AngII-) induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice through the MAPK/ERK and JNK signaling pathways. Methods. Seventy-two male C57BL/6J mice were selected and divided into 6 groups: control group, PBS group, model group (AngII), model + low-dose SF group (AngII + 10 mg/kg SF), model + high-dose SF group (AngII + 40 mg/kg SF), and model + high-dose SF + agonist group (AngII + 40 mg/kg SCU + 10 mg/kg TBHQ). After 7 d/14 d/28 days of treatments, the changes of blood pressure and heart rates of mice were compared. The morphology of myocardial tissue and the apoptosis rate of myocardial cells were observed. The mRNA and protein expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), collagen III (Col III), and MAPK/ERK and JNK pathway-related proteins were detected after 28 days of treatments. Results. SF improved the mice's cardiac abnormality and decreased the apoptosis rate of myocardial cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner (all P < 0.05). MAPK/ERK pathway activator inhibited the protective effect of SF in myocardial tissue of mice (P < 0.05). SF could inhibit the expression of p-ERK, p-p38MAPK, and p-JNK and regulate the expressions of ANP, TGF-β, and Col III (all P < 0.05). Conclusion. Our findings provide evidence that SF could protect against AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice by downregulating the MAPK/ERK and JNK pathways.
SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMS IN GHANA: AN ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY BASED ON DIFFERENT FARMING SYSTEMS AND GENDER

This study examines the farm-specific technical efficiency of smallholder rice farmers in the Upper East region of Ghana, during the cropping year 2002-03. Farm-specific technical efficiency is estimated by stochastic production frontier function, using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The results show that smallholder rice farmers are technically inefficient as they produce about 34% on an average, which is far below the maximum output. The most striking result is the significant difference between the mean technical efficiency for irrigators and non-irrigators, as well as the male and female farmers. The availability of credit, family size and non-farm employment significantly determine the technical efficiency of smallholders. In conclusion, the authors suggest that the provision of education and credit, particularly towards women farmers should be accelerated, in order to improve technical efficiency of rice farmers.
Training, Tenure, and Productivity

There is substantial evidence from the literature on individual wage determination that length of service to the firm is an important determinant of earnings and thus of labor productivity, holding constant employee at-tributes such as age, sex, and education. Earnings growth associated with increased tenure is usually interpreted as a reflection of firm-specific on-the-job training (OJT). In this paper a model of producer technology consistent with the hypothesis of firm-specific OJT is formulated and estimated. Empirical implementation of the model on data for U.S. manufacturing provides the basis for estimation of the marginal productivity of workers classified by length of service to the firm, i.e., of the tenure-productivity profile. The parameter estimates also enable us to determine the effect of recent changes in the tenure distribution (due to changes in labor turnover behavior) on manufacturing productivity performance.
Why Teach? Ethnic Minority College Students' Views on Teaching.

after other initial work experience wished to conduct their student teaching in their home communities, while traditional students, those with no previous work experience, were more concerned with ethnic stereotyping by the schools and community they may be placed in for their student teaching. Those traditional students in the Carrington and Tomlin study did not wish to be placed in unfamiliar communities that did not reflect their own cultural or ethnic identities for fear that these unfamiliar placements would contribute to issues of stereotyping and racism. As we will see later on, the college students who participated in this study also had a concern regarding student placement and teaching positions. In addition to the findings of the Carrington and Tomlin study, other studies on minorities in teaching have found complex reasons for why ethnic minorities are not choosing teaching as a profession. One such study analyzed four ethnic minority groups (African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American) in seeking to determine what hinders students of color from entering the teaching profession (Gordon, 2000). Gordon’s study involved 116 interviews of teachers of color from three different states plus a group of 50 Asian American community members, all asked to answer the question of why minority students are not choosing teaching. Gordon’s study found that while there were differences between the reasons given by each minority group, some of the main reasons why the participants felt minority students were not choosing teaching were because of low pay, lack of encouragement, insufficient K-12 instruction, negative school experiences, and low status of and lack of respect for teachers. Many of these finding have been reinforced through a number of other studies (Miller & Endo, 2005; Gordon, 2005; Gordon, 1997), and many of them are again reflected in the study reported here. I desired to become a teacher and receive a credential in special education. When I started to examine the number of years it would take to clear my credential, how the nation was demanding standardized testing for students who did not test well, and the low pay, I realized by the time I graduated with my Bachelors in biology then a Masters, I still would not be done with a cleared teaching credential.
Clinical characteristics and long-term response to mood stabilizers in patients with bipolar disorder and different age at onset

Introduction Bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent, comorbid, and impairing condition. Potential predictors of response to pharmacological treatment are object of continuous investigation in patients with BD. The present naturalistic study was aimed to assess clinical features and long-term response to mood stabilizers in a sample of bipolar subjects with different ages at onset. Methods The study sample included 108 euthymic patients, diagnosed as affected by BD, either type I or II, according to the DSM-IV-TR, who were started on mood stabilizer treatment. Patients were followed-up for 24 months and the occurrence of any mood episode collected. At the end of the follow-up, patients were divided in 3 subgroups according to the age at onset (early-onset ≤30 years, middle-onset >30–≤45 years, and late-onset >45 years, respectively) and the long-term response to mood stabilizers was compared between them along with other clinical features. Results The three subgroups showed significant differences in terms of clinical and demographic features and, with respect to long-term response to mood stabilizers, the early-onset subgroup showed a better outcome in terms of reduction of major depressive episodes during the 24-month follow-up compared to the other subgroups (one way ANOVA, F = 3.57, p = 0.032). Conclusions Even though further controlled studies are needed to clarify the relationship between age at onset and outcome in BD, the present follow-up study suggests clinical peculiarities and different patterns of response to mood stabilizers across distinct subgroups of patients with BD and different ages at onset.
NgBR is essential for endothelial cell glycosylation and vascular development

NgBR is a transmembrane protein identified as a Nogo‐B‐interacting protein and recently has been shown to be a subunit required for cis‐prenyltransferase (cisPTase) activity. To investigate the integrated role of NgBR in vascular development, we have characterized endothelial‐specific NgBR knockout embryos. Here, we show that endothelial‐specific NgBR knockout results in embryonic lethality due to vascular development defects in yolk sac and embryo proper. Loss of NgBR in endothelial cells reduces proliferation and promotes apoptosis of the cells largely through defects in the glycosylation of key endothelial proteins including VEGFR2, VE‐cadherin, and CD31, and defective glycosylation can be rescued by treatment with the end product of cisPTase activity, dolichol phosphate. Moreover, NgBR functions in endothelial cells during embryogenesis are Nogo‐B independent. These data uniquely show the importance of NgBR and protein glycosylation during vascular development.
The Effects of Environment Dynamism and Heterogeneity on Salespeople's Role Perceptions, Performance and Job Satisfaction

Introduction With increasing competition and advances in technology, organizations are facing environments that are extremely complex and dynamic. This is especially true in the international arena, where global products and markets have created a challenge for the firms to manage their marketing and selling operations. A significant part of this managing process is understanding how diversity and changes in the external environment affect the company's salespeople. This is critical, since salespeople occupy a boundary position within the organization. They represent the organization to the customers, transact with them, and scan and monitor the external environment. Unlike the organization which can choose its environment by specifying the domain of its business (Zeithaml and Zeithaml, 1984), salespeople have to operate in an existing environment and learn to adapt to it. Given their constant interaction with external constituents, it is important to understand how diversity and changes in the external environment influence the role perceptions and job outcomes of sales people. Environmental uncertainty, and its dimensions of dynamism and heterogeneity, have received extensive coverage in the organizational theory literature (for a recent review see Bluedorn, 1993). They have also been gaining importance in the channels and marketing management literature (see, for example, the salesforce literature, empirical investigations of dynamism and heterogeneity in the external environment are very limited. For example, in their meta-analysis of a salesperson's performance, Churchill