Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered Behavioral Performance and Live Imaging of Circuit-Specific Neural Deficiencies in a Zebrafish Model for Psychomotor Retardation

The mechanisms and treatment of psychomotor retardation, which includes motor and cognitive impairment, are indefinite. The Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) is an X-linked psychomotor retardation characterized by delayed development, severe intellectual disability, muscle hypotonia, and spastic paraplegia, in combination with disturbed thyroid hormone (TH) parameters. AHDS has been associated with mutations in the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (mct8/slc16a2) gene, which is a TH transporter. In order to determine the pathophysiological mechanisms of AHDS, MCT8 knockout mice were intensively studied. Although these mice faithfully replicated the abnormal serum TH levels, they failed to exhibit the neurological and behavioral symptoms of AHDS patients. Here, we generated an mct8 mutant (mct8−/−) zebrafish using zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN)-mediated targeted gene editing system. The elimination of MCT8 decreased the expression levels of TH receptors; however, it did not affect the expression of other TH-related genes. Similar to human patients, mct8−/− larvae exhibited neurological and behavioral deficiencies. High-throughput behavioral assays demonstrated that mct8−/− larvae exhibited reduced locomotor activity, altered response to external light and dark transitions and an increase in sleep time. These deficiencies in behavioral performance were associated with altered expression of myelin-related genes and neuron-specific deficiencies in circuit formation. Time-lapse imaging of single-axon arbors and synapses in live mct8−/− larvae revealed a reduction in filopodia dynamics and axon branching in sensory neurons and decreased synaptic density in motor neurons. These phenotypes enable assessment of the therapeutic potential of three TH analogs that can enter the cells in the absence of MCT8. The TH analogs restored the myelin and axon outgrowth deficiencies in mct8−/− larvae. These findings suggest a mechanism by which MCT8 regulates neural circuit assembly, ultimately mediating sensory and motor control of behavioral performance. We also propose that the administration of TH analogs early during embryo development can specifically reduce neurological damage in AHDS patients.
Local population subdivision in the lichen Cladonia subcervicornis as revealed by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 intron sequences

A 753–771 bp long intronic sequence from the mitochondrial cox 1 gene of Cladonia subcervicornis (Cladoniaceae, Lecanorales, Ascomycota) was amplified with newly designed PCR primers. The cox 1 intron sequence, which apparently has not been used for phylogenetic or population genetic research in fungi, displays high infraspecific variation. Sequences were obtained from 124 specimens from four neighboring localities in coastal Hordaland, western Norway. An exact test of population differentiation and population pairwise fixation indices FST show significantly reduced gene flow between the northernmost locality and the other three populations. Although Cladonia subcervicornis frequently produces apothecia, we conclude that dispersal by ascospores over long distances is rather ineffective in this species.
Microarousals During Sleep Are Associated With Increased Levels of Lipids, Cortisol, and Blood Pressure

Objective: Previous work has demonstrated a link between restricted sleep and risk indicators for cardiovascular and metabolic disease, such as levels of cortisol, lipids, and glucose. The present study sought to identify relations between polysomnographic measures of disturbed sleep (frequency of arousals from sleep, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency) and a number of such indicators. A second purpose was to relate the number of arousals to mood, stress, work characteristics, and other possible predictors in daily life. Methods: Twenty-four people (10 men, 14 women; mean age 30 years), high vs. low on burnout, were recruited from a Swedish IT company. Polysomnographically recorded sleep was measured at home before a workday. Blood pressure, heart rate, morning blood sample, and saliva samples of cortisol were measured the subsequent working day. They were also recorded for diary ratings of sleep and stress, and a questionnaire with ratings of sleep, stress, work conditions, and mood was completed. Results: A stepwise regression analysis using sleep parameters as predictors brought out number of arousals as the best predictor of morning cortisol (serum and saliva), heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and LDL/HDL-ratio. Work stress/unclear boundaries between work and leisure time was the best predictor of arousals among the stress variables. Conclusion: Consistent with sleep restriction experiments, sleep fragmentation was associated with elevated levels of metabolic and cardiovascular risk indicators of stress-related disorders. Number of arousals also seems to be related to workload/stress. ABP = ambulatory blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; EEG = electroencephalogram; EMG = electromyographic; EOG = electro-oculogram; HAD = hospital anxiety and depression scale; PSG = polysomnography; SBP = systolic blood pressure; SMBQ = Shirom Melamed burnout questionnaire; TST = total sleep time; WHR = waist to hip ratio.
Helminth fauna of the yellow-legged gull Larus cachinnans in Galicia, north-west Spain

Abstract Thirty-six helminth species were found in 324 gulls examined during June 1994 to February 1996 from different localities of Galicia: 25 trematodes (Brachylaima sp., Brachylecithum microtesticulatum, Cardiocephaloides longicollis, Cryptocotyle lingua, Cryptocotyle concavum, Diplostomum spathaceum, Echinostephilla virgula, Galactosomum phalacrocoracis, Gigantobilharzia acotylea, Gymnophallus deliciosus, Gynaecotyla longiintestinata, Himasthla elongata, Himasthla quissetensis, Knipowitschiatrema nicolai, Levinseniella (Levinseniella) propinqua, Maritrema gratiosum, Maritrema linguilla, Microphallus primas, Microphallus similis, Ornithobilharzia canaliculata, Parorchis acanthus, Phagicola minuta, Psilostomum brevicolle, Renicola sp. and Stephanoprora denticulata), four cestodes (Alcataenia micracantha, Microsomacanthus ductilis, Tetrabothrius (Oriana) erostris and Wardium cirrosa), six nematodes (Anisakis simplex, Contracaecum rudolphii, Cosmocephalus obvelatus), Eucoleus contortus, Paracuaria adunca and Tetrameres (Tetrameres) skrjabini) and one acanthocephalan (Arhythmorhynchus longicollis). Tetrabothrius erostris was the most prevalent species (79.6%), followed by C. obvelatus (47.8%), C. lingua (37.4%), G deliciosus (30.9%), G. longiintestinata (22.8%), P. adunca (21.9%), B. microtesticulatum (17.6%), E. contortus (14.5%) and M. similis (9.3%). Microphallus similis was the dominant species, with a Berger-Parker index (BP) of 0.32, followed by T. erostris (BP=0.10). All species presented an aggregated dispersion except G. acotylea and G. phalacrocoracis, which showed a random dispersion. Species that seem to have the greatest predilection for specific sites along the intestine are: C. longicollis and A. micracantha (first third), Brachylaima sp. , M. similis and G. longiintestinata (last third) and A. longicollis (second half). Eight species are known to be pathogenic to commercially important fish or molluscan species and several are pathogenic to humans.
of Birmingham The Effect of Weather-Induced Internal Migration on Local Labor Markets. Evidence from Uganda

Relying on census data collected in 2002 and historical weather data for Uganda, we estimate the impact of weather-induced internal migration on the probability for non-migrants living in the destination regions to be employed. Consistent with the prediction of a simple theoretical model, our results reveal a larger negative impact than the one documented for developed countries. They further show that this negative impact is signiﬁcantly stronger in Ugandan regions with lower road density and therefore less conducive to capital mobility: a 10 percentage points increase in the net in-migration rate in these areas decreases the probability of being employed of non-migrants by more than 10 percentage points. JEL codes: E24, J21, J61, Q54, R23 on the Consistent with the a Our
Iterative Demodulation and Decoding of DPSK Modulated Turbo Codes over Rayleigh Fading Channels

In this paper we propose a new method to implement turbo codes over fading channels by extending the idea of turbo DPSK [3] to include turbo outer codes. An analytical tool has been developed to estimate the performance of extended turbo DPSK. A simulation study shows that extended turbo DPSK performs worse than BPSK modulated turbo codes with coherent detection. The energy inefficiency of extended turbo DPSK results from a big energy gap between BPSK and DPSK modulation at low Es/No where turbo codes operate. Increasing the rate of the turbo code will actually reduce the loss in energy efficiency because higher rate turbo codes work at a relatively higher Es/No region where the energy gap between DPSK and BPSK shrinks.
Ocular morphology and function in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3) in the first decade of life

ABSTRACT Purpose: CLN3 is a rare lysosomal storage disorder. The majority of the patients suffer from neurological degeneration in the first decade of life leading to death in the second or third decade. One of the first symptoms is a rapid visual decline from retinal degeneration. The aim of this study was to correlate the retinal changes in CLN3 as seen with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with functional data in patients in the first years after the subjective onset of ocular symptoms. Methods: Three unrelated children aged from 5.6 to 8.8 years, and with molecularly confirmed CLN3, underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination including visual acuity, fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), electrophysiology (multifocal ERG), Goldmann visual fields, and SD-OCT. Results: A predominant loss of the first and second neuron retinal layers progressing from the macula to the periphery was identifed. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) displayed gliosis and an irregular lining of the inner limiting membrane. Compared to the preferential reduction of photoreceptor layer thickness in other maculopathies with pan-retinal involvement, the thickness of the first and second neuron layers was reduced simultaneously in CLN3. Functional testing by multifocal ERG reflected the degenerative progress. Semiquantitative evaluation revealed a generally reduced FAF. Conclusion: This is the first detailed morphological evaluation of CLN3 patients in the first years after the subjective onset of ocular symptoms. CLN3 is characterized by an early degeneration predominant of the first and second neuron compared to other macular and generalized retinal dystrophies. Imaging is instrumental for early diagnosis and gene-directed molecular analysis of this fatal disorder.
Mobilization of Stem Cells Using G-CSF for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled, Pilot Study

Background. There is emerging evidence to support the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Aims. To explore feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of G-CSF therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Patients and Method. In randomized study, 10 patients with acute ischemic stroke were recruited in 1 : 1 ratio to receive 10 μg/kg G-CSF treatment subcutaneously daily for five days with conventional care or conventional treatment alone. Efficacy outcome measures were assessed at baseline, one month, and after six months of treatment included Barthel Index (BI), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, and modified Rankin Scale. Results. One patient in G-CSF therapy arm died due to raised intracranial pressure. No severe adverse effects were seen in rest of patients receiving G-CSF therapy arm or control arm. No statistically significant difference between intervention and control was observed in any of the scores though a trend of higher improvement of BI score is seen in the intervention group. Conclusion. Although this study did not have power to examine efficacy, it provides preliminary evidence of potential safety, feasibility, and tolerability of G-CSF therapy. Further studies need to be done on a large sample to confirm the results.
Evaluation of the Steelex M600H coagulometer prothrombin time-international normalized ratio assay with Steelex test reagents

Introduction The aim of the present study was to validate prothrombin time (PT) international normalized ratio (INR) results obtained using Steelex test reagents and a Steelex coagulometer (Steelex Scientific Instrument Company, Beijing, China), in comparison with use of a well-established standard test employing Pacific Hemostasis reagents (Fisher Diagnostics, Middletown, VA, USA) and Teco Coatron A4 coagulometer (Teco Medical Instruments GmbH, Neufahrn, Germany). Materials and methods: Between- and within-day coefficients of variation (CVs) of both assays were calculated using control samples provided by the test manufacturers. Samples from 90 subjects were collected and INR values were determined in a double-blind parallel manner employing both systems. Results: The within-day coefficients of variation (CVs) in INR estimates ranged from 2.6% (INR = 1.12) to 3.1% (INR = 2.51) for the Steelex system and from 2.1% (INR = 1.09) to 1.8% (INR = 2.8) for the Pacific test; the between-day values ran from 3.4% (INR = 1.16) to 7.9% (INR = 2.64) and from 3.3% (INR = 1.1) to 2.3% (INR = 2.7), respectively. Passing-Bablok fit of the of the Steelex and Pacific methods yielded the equation: Steelex INR = 0.85 (0.79–0.91) × Pacific INR + 0.12 (−0.02–0.21), whereas the CUSUM linearity P value was < 0.01. The mean bias as determined by the Bland-Altman test was −0.156 (−0.912–0.600). Conclusion: The results obtained using Steelex reagents and the M600H coagulometer are not equivalent to those obtained using Pacific Hemostasis reagents and a Teco Coatron A4 coagulometer, at least in the therapeutic range.
Strong Signature of Natural Selection within an FHIT Intron Implicated in Prostate Cancer Risk

Previously, a candidate gene linkage approach on brother pairs affected with prostate cancer identified a locus of prostate cancer susceptibility at D3S1234 within the fragile histidine triad gene (FHIT), a tumor suppressor that induces apoptosis. Subsequent association tests on 16 SNPs spanning approximately 381 kb surrounding D3S1234 in Americans of European descent revealed significant evidence of association for a single SNP within intron 5 of FHIT. In the current study, re-sequencing and genotyping within a 28.5 kb region surrounding this SNP further delineated the association with prostate cancer risk to a 15 kb region. Multiple SNPs in sequences under evolutionary constraint within intron 5 of FHIT defined several related haplotypes with an increased risk of prostate cancer in European-Americans. Strong associations were detected for a risk haplotype defined by SNPs 138543, 142413, and 152494 in all cases (Pearson's χ2 = 12.34, df 1, P = 0.00045) and for the homozygous risk haplotype defined by SNPs 144716, 142413, and 148444 in cases that shared 2 alleles identical by descent with their affected brothers (Pearson's χ2 = 11.50, df 1, P = 0.00070). In addition to highly conserved sequences encompassing SNPs 148444 and 152413, population studies revealed strong signatures of natural selection for a 1 kb window covering the SNP 144716 in two human populations, the European American (π = 0.0072, Tajima's D = 3.31, 14 SNPs) and the Japanese (π = 0.0049, Fay & Wu's H = 8.05, 14 SNPs), as well as in chimpanzees (Fay & Wu's H = 8.62, 12 SNPs). These results strongly support the involvement of the FHIT intronic region in an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Case Frames as Contextual Mappings to Case Law in BestPortal

This paper introduces case frames as a way to provide a more meaningful structure to vocabulary mappings used to bridge the gap between laymen and legal descriptions of court proceedings. Case frames both reduce the ambiguity of queries, and improve the ability of users to formulate good quality queries. We extend the BestMap ontology with a formalisation of case frame based mappings in OWL 2, present a new version of BestPortal, and show how case frames impact retrieval results compared to simple contextual mappings and a direct fulltext search.
Guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period

New guidelines for exercise in pregnancy and postpartum have been published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists In January 2002 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published new recommendations and guidelines for exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period.1 Regular exercise is promoted for its overall health benefits. Pregnancy is recognised as a unique time for behaviour modification and is no longer considered a condition for confinement. It is currently recognised that habits adopted during pregnancy could affect a woman's health for the rest of her life. For the first time the recommendation suggests a possible role for exercise in the prevention and management of gestational diabetes. The recommendations also promote exercise for sedentary women and those with medical or obstetric complications, but only after medical evaluation and clearance. Box 1 lists the absolute contraindications to aerobic exercise during pregnancy, and box 2 the relative contraindications. As with any form of exercise prescription, these recommendations also include the warning signs to terminate exercise while pregnant (box 3). The recommendations also offer guidelines for sports and recreational activities. It cautions against participation in contact sports and recommends avoidance of scuba diving. As for postpartum resumption of activities, the recommendations note that rapid resumption has no adverse effects, but gradual return to former activities is advised. This review includes background and comments to the above recommendations. The health benefits of physical activity are well recognised, and conversely sedentary habits and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are leading risk factors for subsequent development of cardiovascular disease.2,3 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine (CDC-ACSM) have recommended the accumulation of 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.4 Moderate …
The Error Tolerance Bound for Secure Multi-Qubit QKD Against Incoherent Attack

The tolerance bound for quantum symbol error rate in a multi-qubit quantum key distribution system is derived in consideration of an incoherent attack on a single-photon quantum channel, where multi-qubit encoding and measurement can be applied to a single photon in combination of polarization, phase, and frequency modulations. This paper presents a solid theoretical evidence of a multiqubit gain in secrecy performance.
A new model for software defect prediction using Particle Swarm Optimization and support vector machine

Software defect prediction could improve the reliability of software and reduce development costs. Traditional prediction models usually have a lower prediction accuracy. In order to solve this problem, a new model for software defect prediction using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) named P-SVM model is proposed in this paper, which takes advantage of non-linear computing capability of SVM and parameters optimization capability of PSO. Firstly, P-SVM model uses PSO algorithm to calculate the best parameters of SVM, and then it adopts the optimized SVM model to predict software defect. P-SVM model and other three different prediction models are used to predict the software defects in JM1 data set as an experiment, the results show that P-SVM model has a higher prediction accuracy than BP Neural Network model, SVM model, GA-SVM model.
Acetazolamide Therapy for Hypochloremic Metabolic Alkalosis in Pediatric Patients With Heart Disease

Background:Pediatric patients with heart disease are often treated with high doses of diuretics, which can lead to hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis. There are no data in children regarding the efficacy and safety of acetazolamide to treat hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis. Methods:Patients from January 2004 to June 2005 who received acetazolamide were identified. Inclusion criteria were: age less than 18 years, being a cardiology patient, diuretics use, and had received a 3-day course of acetazolamide. Demographic information was collected along with serum electrolytes, serum creatinine/blood urea nitrogen, urine output, pH, acid-base excess, concurrent medications, cardiac lesion/surgery, and incidence of adverse effects. Efficacy of acetazolamide was determined by comparing variables before and after the 3-day course. Statistical comparisons were made using Student's t-test. Results:A total of 28 patients were identified, 7 of whom received oral acetazolamide, 21 intravenous acetazolamide. Patients were a median of 2.5 (range, 0.3-20) months of age, and 57% (17/28) were female. Seventy-one percent of the cohort received acetazolamide after cardiac surgery. There was no significant difference in any electrolyte, blood urea nitrogen, or serum creatinine from baseline, except for serum bicarbonate, which decreased (36.2 ± 4.6 vs. 30.9 ± 4.5 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and chloride, which increased (91.1 ± 6.8 vs. 95.4 ± 6.2, P < 0.03). Acid-base excess values and pH decreased during therapy in patients who had the laboratory values drawn (n = 22). No change in urine output at 8 hours (5.2 ± 2.3 vs. 4.9 ± 2.3 mL/kg/hr, P = 0.6) or 24 hours (4.7 ± 1.5 vs. 4.3 ± 1.4 mL/kg/hr, P = 0.18) occurred after administration of acetazolamide. Conclusion:Acetazolamide was safely used in pediatric patients with heart disease to lower serum bicarbonate and acid-base excess values and raise chloride values in hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis.
Interacting with the big screen: pointers to ponder

In large screen projection environments, inexpensive wireless input devices can not match the performance of standard desktop interactive devices. We added buttons and a radio transmitter to a standard laser pointer to match the functionality of a standard mouse. User testing revealed that the device performed as well as a standard mouse and significantly better than standard presentation input devices. Devices that used visible laser light performed significantly better than those with invisible near-infrared lasers.