Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of cultural worldview and networks of relationships on implementation of conservation practices in Whitman County, Washington

This dissertation integrates cultural cognition with Social Network Theory to describe cultural worldviews of agricultural producers and information sources within Whitman County, Washington; influence of cultural worldview on producer selection of information sources; and influence of cultural worldview on producer likelihood to implement conservation practices. A mixed methods approach consisting of three phases was employed: I) survey of producers, II) survey of information sources, and III) interviews with producers. Our findings indicate that the majority of producers within Whitman County fall within the “hierarchical individualists” worldview type and they have a high likelihood of selecting information sources who hold the same cultural worldview as themselves. This is exhibited in network graphs as a high level of homophily between “hierarchical individualist” producers and information sources. Producer interviews provide context for influence of cultural worldview on information source selection. Our findings reinforce that cultural cognition operates when an individual is evaluating an expert for credibility, resulting in the individual selecting information sources whom they perceive to share their values. This has practical implications for Whitman County information sources as they are significantly more likely than producers to fall within the worldview type classified as “egalitarian communitarians. ” This is even further compounded within the information sources classified as “conservation information sources” and “university affiliated information sources. ” Our findings suggest that while cultural cognition may be an indicator for attitudes toward conservation, there was no difference in actual behavior of producers of different worldview types as measured by the number or types of conservation practices implemented. The themes and sub-themes that emerged from producer interviews to explain both implementation and non-implementation of conservation practices were both rich in content and broad in scope. Producers’ reasons for implementing conservation practices fell under the main themes of “voluntary” and “regulatory compliance. ” Additional recommendations related to successful delivery of outreach programs and important characteristics of information sources are presented. The theoretical approach advanced through this research provides a theoretical contribution regarding how cultural cognition may influence the network characteristic of homophily and the formation and structure of agricultural producers’ social networks within Whitman County, Washington.
CTLA4+49G allele associates with early onset of type 1 diabetes in North Indians

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex autoimmune disease with strong genetic influence. In this study, we investigated +49A/G SNP (rs 231775) in exon 1 of cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) by PCR‐RFLP and its influence as a risk factor for the disease in the North Indian population. This polymorphism at codon 17 results in an amino acid substitution (Thr/Ala) in the leader peptide of the molecule. The study included 232 patients with T1D (age at onset of disease (AOD): 0.5–37 years) and 305 ethnically matched healthy controls. The DNA obtained from these 537 individuals was amplified using a set of specific primers followed by restriction enzyme digestion with Fnu4HI. The +49G allele as well as its homozygous genotype G/G was observed to be significantly higher in patients as compared to the healthy controls {(37.3% vs. 25.6%, P = 4.96E−05, OR = 1.73; 95%CI = 1.33–2.25) (15.52% vs. 6.6%, P = 0.001, OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.48–4.63) respectively}. The frequency of G/G genotype was significantly higher in patients with early age at onset of disease (AOD:<12 years) as compared to that in the late‐onset patients with AOD: ≥12 years (21.1% vs. 10.6%, P = 0.042, OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.09–4.67) as well as to that in the healthy controls (21.1% vs. 6.6%, P = 0.00004, OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.01–7.2). Further analysis revealed that the median AOD significantly reduced (P = 0.049) from 14 years in patients with A/A genotype to 11 and 10 years in those with A/G and G/G genotypes, respectively. These results suggest that CTLA4+49G allele, particularly in homozygous G/G condition, associates with early onset of T1D.
New Players for Advanced Prostate Cancer and the Rationalisation of Insulin-Sensitising Medication

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are recognised risk factors for the development of some cancers and, increasingly, predict more aggressive disease, treatment failure, and cancer-specific mortality. Many factors may contribute to this clinical observation. Hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia, hypoxia, ER stress, and inflammation associated with expanded adipose tissue are thought to be among the main culprits driving malignant growth and cancer advancement. This observation has led to the proposal of the potential utility of “old players” for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome as new cancer adjuvant therapeutics. Androgen-regulated pathways drive proliferation, differentiation, and survival of benign and malignant prostate tissue. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) exploits this dependence to systemically treat advanced prostate cancer resulting in anticancer response and improvement of cancer symptoms. However, the initial therapeutic response from ADT eventually progresses to castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) which is currently incurable. ADT rapidly induces hyperinsulinaemia which is associated with more rapid treatment failure. We discuss current observations of cancer in the context of obesity, diabetes, and insulin-lowering medication. We provide an update on current treatments for advanced prostate cancer and discuss whether metabolic dysfunction, developed during ADT, provides a unique therapeutic window for rapid translation of insulin-sensitising medication as combination therapy with antiandrogen targeting agents for the management of advanced prostate cancer.
Mediating effects of self-stigma on the relationship between perceived stigma and psychosocial outcomes among psychiatric outpatients: findings from a cross-sectional survey in Singapore

Objectives To examine whether self-stigma mediates the relationship between perceived stigma and quality of life, self-esteem and general functioning among outpatients with depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Outpatient clinics at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore. Participants 280 outpatients with a primary clinical diagnosis of either schizophrenia, depression, anxiety or OCD. Methods Data were collected in relation to self-stigma, perceived stigma, self-esteem, functioning and quality of life. In order to examine the mediating role of self-stigma on the relationship between perceived stigma and psychosocial outcomes, bootstrapping mediation analyses were used. Results Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between perceived stigma and psychosocial outcomes was subject to the effects of self-stigma among the overall sample. Separate mediation analyses were conducted by diagnoses and showed differences in the mediating effects of self-stigma. Among the whole sample and the subsample with OCD, self-stigma mediated the relationship between perceived stigma and all psychosocial outcomes. For those with anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, the mediating effects of self-stigma were present in all relationships except (1) perceived stigma with physical health in the anxiety sample, (2) perceived stigma with social relationships in the depression sample and (3) perceived stigma with physical health in the schizophrenia sample. Conclusions The mediating effects of self-stigma on the relationship between perceived stigma and various psychosocial outcomes are evident and differ across diagnoses. Interventions to address and reduce the effects of self-stigma along with targeted treatments and psychoeducation to assist people with mental illness overcome or better manage self-stigma while providing them the skills to counteract public stigma are needed.
BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES DURING THE GROWTH OF FUNGI I

Gottlieb, David (University of Illinois, Urbana), and James L. Van Etten. Biochemical changes during the growth of fungi. I. Nitrogen compounds and carbohydrate changes in Penicillium atrovenetum. J. Bacteriol. 88:114–121. 1964. —Changes in the biochemical constituents of cells were studied during the growth and development of Penicillium atrovenetum. Growth of the fungus, as measured by the dry weight, could be divided into four phases: lag, log, stationary, and death. The percentages of total nitrogen, cold trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen, ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein increased to a maximum during the lag phase, and subsequently decreased as the fungus aged. The percentage of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was always slightly higher in the spores than in the mycelium. The DNA in the mycelium decreased in the lag phase, and then increased slightly to a plateau for the duration of the log phase, followed by a decrease to a constant percentage during the stationary and death phases. Carbohydrates were present in higher concentration in the mycelium than in the spores. The percentage of carbohydrates in the mycelium increased continually until it reached a maximum late in the log phase, and then decreased as the fungus entered the death phase. The results reported for this fungus are, in general, in agreement with those reported for other microorganisms. Namely, the percentages of enzyme-forming compounds, such as amino acids, nucleotides, RNA, and protein, were highest in the lag phase, whereas storage compounds such as carbohydrates increased to a maximum near the end of the log phase. The definition of log phase in fungi depends on the criteria that are used. If, instead of using the linear increase in dry weight to delimit this growth period, one uses the end of net protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis, a more realistic concept of growth emerges.
Laplacian deep kernel learning for image annotation

Semi-supervised learning seeks to build accurate classification machines by taking advantage of both labeled and unlabeled data. This learning scheme is useful especially when labeled data are scarce while unlabeled ones are abundant. Among the existing semi-supervised learning algorithms, Laplacian support vector machines (SVMs) are known to be particularly powerful but their success is highly dependent on the choice of kernels. , In this paper, we propose an algorithm that designs kernels as a part of Laplacian SVM learning. The proposed kernels correspond to deep multi-layered combinations of elementary kernels which capture simple - linear - as well as intricate - nonlinear - relationships between data. Our optimization process finds both the parameters of the deep kernels and the Laplacian SVMs in a unified framework resulting into highly discriminative and accurate classifiers. When applied to the challenging ImageCLEF2013 Photo Annotation benchmark, the proposed deep kernels show significant and consistent gain compared to existing elementary kernels as well as standard multiple kernels.
Role of competition between polarity sites in establishing a unique front

Polarity establishment in many cells is thought to occur via positive feedback that reinforces even tiny asymmetries in polarity protein distribution. Cdc42 and related GTPases are activated and accumulate in a patch of the cortex that defines the front of the cell. Positive feedback enables spontaneous polarization triggered by stochastic fluctuations, but as such fluctuations can occur at multiple locations, how do cells ensure that they make only one front? In polarizing cells of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, positive feedback can trigger growth of several Cdc42 clusters at the same time, but this multi-cluster stage rapidly evolves to a single-cluster state, which then promotes bud emergence. By manipulating polarity protein dynamics, we show that resolution of multi-cluster intermediates occurs through a greedy competition between clusters to recruit and retain polarity proteins from a shared intracellular pool. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.11611. 001
Staurosporine inhibits agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor phosphorylation and aggregation

Agrin, a protein that mediates nerve-induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregation at developing neuromuscular junctions, has been shown to cause an increase in phosphorylation of the beta, gamma, and delta subunits of AChRs in cultured myotubes. As a step toward understanding the mechanism of agrin-induced AChR aggregation, we examined the effects of inhibitors of protein kinases on AChR aggregation and phosphorylation in chick myotubes in culture. Staurosporine, an antagonist of both protein serine and tyrosine kinases, blocked agrin-induced AChR aggregation in a dose-dependent manner; 50% inhibition occurred at approximately 2 nM. The extent of inhibition was independent of agrin concentration, suggesting an effect downstream of the interaction of agrin with its receptor. Staurosporine blocked agrin-induced phosphorylation of the AChR beta subunit, which occurs at least in part on tyrosine residues, but did not reduce phosphorylation of the gamma and delta subunits, which occurs on serine/threonine residues. Staurosporine also prevented the agrin- induced decrease in the rate at which AChRs are extracted from intact myotubes by mild detergents. H-7, an antagonist of protein serine kinases, inhibited agrin-induced phosphorylation of the gamma and delta subunits but did not block agrin-induced phosphorylation of the AChR beta subunit, AChR aggregation, or the decrease in AChR extractability. The results provide support for the hypothesis that tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta subunit plays a role in agrin-induced AChR aggregation.
Psychometric Properties of the Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale in Korean Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objectives. The aims of this study were to perform a cultural translation of the DMSES and evaluate the psychometric properties of the translated scale in a Korean population with type 2 diabetics. Methods. This study was conducted in patients with diabetes recruited from university hospitals. The first stage of this study involved translating the DMSES into Korean using a forward- and backward-translation technique. The content validity was assessed by an expert group. In the second stage, the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the DMSES (K-DMSES) were evaluated. Results. The content validity of the K-DMSES was satisfactory. Sixteen-items clustered into four-subscales were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, and supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The construct validity of the K-DMSES with the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities scale was satisfactory (r = 0.50, P<0.001). The Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient were 0.92 and 0.85 (P<0.001; 95% CI = 0.75–0.91), respectively, which indicate excellent internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability. Conclusions. The K-DMSES is a brief instrument that has demonstrated good psychometric properties. It is therefore feasible to use in practice, and is ready for use in clinical research involving Korean patients with type 2 diabetes.
The Shell Money of the Slave Trade

Maps Tables and chart Preface Introduction 1. The cowrie 2. The Maldive Islands 3. The Portuguese domination 4. The Dutch and English enter the trade (seventeenth century) 5. Prosperity for the cowrie commerce (eighteenth century) 6. Boom and slump for the cowrie trade (nineteenth century) 7. Collection, transport and distribution 8. Cowries in Africa 9. The cowrie as money: transport costs, values and inflation 10. The last of the cowrie Notes Bibliography Index.
Severity of Anemia among Children under 36 Months Old in Rural Western China

Objective To describe severity of anemia and explore its determinants among children under 36 months old in rural western China. Study Design The family information of 6711 children was collected and their hemoglobin was measured in 2005. A generalized estimated equation (GEE) linear model was used to identify the determinants of severity of childhood anemia. Results The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe anemia among these children was 27.4%, 21.9% and 3.2% respectively. GEE model analysis showed that province-level region and severity of maternal anemia affected the severity of childhood anemia not only in 0–5 months but also beyond 5 months. In addition, children aged 0–5 months in families using iron pot (coefficient = −0.26 95%CI −0.41,−0.12) had seldom more severe anemia, and children aged 6–36 months in families more than 4 members (coefficient = −0.03 95%CI −0.06,−0.01) or of Han ethnicity (coefficient = −0.08 95%CI −0.13,−0.04) seldom had more severe anemia but boys (coefficient = 0.03 95%CI 0.01,0.06) or younger children (6–11 month vs 30–36 month: coefficient = 0.23 95%CI 0.17, 0.28; 12–17 month vs 30–36 month: coefficient = 0.19 95%CI 0.15,0.24; 18–23 vs 30–36 month: coefficient = 0.09 95%CI 0.04,0.13) had more severe anemia. Conclusion The prevalence of moderate-to-severe anemia in these children was about 25%. Province-level region, iron pot use, family size, ethnicity, age and gender of children and severity of maternal anemia were important determinants of the severity of childhood anemia. These findings have some important implications for health policy decision for childhood anemia in rural western China.
Petrology and paleomagnetism of the Long Mountain Granite , Wichita Mountains , Oklahoma

The Long Mountain Granite, a member of the Cambrian Wichita Granite Group, is exposed in the western Wichita Mountains. The rock is red at the surface and grades into a dark gray to green that has been exposed by quarrying operations. The Long Mountain Granite is a granophyric, fluorite-bearing alkali-feldspar granite with hedenbergite as the dominant mafic phase. The red and gray-green granites have similar geochemical signatures. Hematite in the red granite occurs as fracture fill, grain boundary coatings and as elongated crystals along cleavage and exsolution planes in alkali feldspars. The iron in the hematite appears to be sourced from the oxidation of magnetite and ilmenite and the breakdown of mafic minerals. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility analysis shows that the gray-green granite contains a primary magnetic fabric that is consistent with the sill-like emplacement of Wichita Group granites. Paleomagnetic analysis of the gray-green granite yields a magnetization with easterly declinations and steep down inclinations that is interpreted as a primary or early Cambrian thermal remanent magnetization residing in magnetite. The pole (8.8°S, 134.7°E) is consistent with several other paleomagnetic poles of similar age. The red granite has lower magnetic susceptibility and magnetic intensities than the gray-green granite. The magnetization has southeasterly declinations and shallow inclinations with a Permian paleopole and is interpreted as a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) residing in hematite. The CRM was caused by low-temperature weathering fluids while the granite was exposed near the surface in the late Paleozoic. INTRODUCTION
DNA Polymerase Conformational Dynamics and the Role of Fidelity-Conferring Residues: Insights from Computational Simulations

Herein we investigate the molecular bases of DNA polymerase I conformational dynamics that underlie the replication fidelity of the enzyme. Such fidelity is determined by conformational changes that promote the rejection of incorrect nucleotides before the chemical ligation step. We report a comprehensive atomic resolution study of wild type and mutant enzymes in different bound states and starting from different crystal structures, using extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that cover a total timespan of ~5 ms. The resulting trajectories are examined via a combination of novel methods of internal dynamics and energetics analysis, aimed to reveal the principal molecular determinants for the (de)stabilization of a certain conformational state. Our results show that the presence of fidelity-decreasing mutations or the binding of incorrect nucleotides in ternary complexes tend to favor transitions from closed toward open structures, passing through an ensemble of semi-closed intermediates. The latter ensemble includes the experimentally observed ajar conformation which, consistent with previous experimental observations, emerges as a molecular checkpoint for the selection of the correct nucleotide to incorporate. We discuss the implications of our results for the understanding of the relationships between the structure, dynamics, and function of DNA polymerase I at the atomistic level.
From Unemployment to Self-Employment–Public Promotion and Selectivity

Abstract: To fight unemployment in Gennany, since 1994 public promotion of start-ups by the unemployed (called “bridging allowances”) were accelerated. Empirical analyses based on individual data show that unemployed entrepreneurs are not a random sample of the group of persons who leave unemployment. Simultaneous econometric models based on finn data for the period from 1994 to 1997 indicate that bridging allowances had no positive impact on finn survival and employment growth in the group of promoted finns. Selectivity, heterogeneity, and general equilibrium effects of bridging allowances are among the reasons for the empirical findings.
Genome-wide analysis of PPARα activation in murine small intestine

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is a fatty acid-activated transcription factor that governs a variety of biological processes. Little is known about the role of PPARalpha in the small intestine. Since this organ is frequently exposed to high levels of PPARalpha ligands via the diet, we set out to characterize the function of PPARalpha in small intestine using functional genomics experiments and bioinformatics tools. PPARalpha was expressed at high levels in both human and murine small intestine. Detailed analyses showed that PPARalpha was expressed most highly in villus cells of proximal jejunum. Microarray analyses of total tissue samples revealed, that in addition to genes involved in fatty acid and triacylglycerol metabolism, transcription factors and enzymes connected to sterol and bile acid metabolism, including FXR and SREBP1, were specifically induced. In contrast, genes involved in cell cycle and differentiation, apoptosis, and host defense were repressed by PPARalpha activation. Additional analyses showed that intestinal PPARalpha-dependent gene regulation occurred in villus cells. Functional implications of array results were corroborated by morphometric data. The repression of genes involved in proliferation and apoptosis was accompanied by a 22% increase in villus height and a 34% increase in villus area of wild-type animals treated with WY14643. This is the first report providing a comprehensive overview of processes under control of PPARalpha in the small intestine. We show that PPARalpha is an important transcriptional regulator in small intestine, which may be of importance for the development of novel foods and therapies for obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases.