Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of fairness in the one-shot anonymous Ultimatum Game

Classical economic models assume that people are fully rational and selfish, while experiments often point to different conclusions. A canonical example is the Ultimatum Game: one player proposes a division of a sum of money between herself and a second player, who either accepts or rejects. Based on rational self-interest, responders should accept any nonzero offer and proposers should offer the smallest possible amount. Traditional, deterministic models of evolutionary game theory agree: in the one-shot anonymous Ultimatum Game, natural selection favors low offers and demands. Experiments instead show a preference for fairness: often responders reject low offers and proposers make higher offers than needed to avoid rejection. Here we show that using stochastic evolutionary game theory, where agents make mistakes when judging the payoffs and strategies of others, natural selection favors fairness. Across a range of parameters, the average strategy matches the observed behavior: proposers offer between 30% and 50%, and responders demand between 25% and 40%. Rejecting low offers increases relative payoff in pairwise competition between two strategies and is favored when selection is sufficiently weak. Offering more than you demand increases payoff when many strategies are present simultaneously and is favored when mutation is sufficiently high. We also perform a behavioral experiment and find empirical support for these theoretical findings: uncertainty about the success of others is associated with higher demands and offers; and inconsistency in the behavior of others is associated with higher offers but not predictive of demands. In an uncertain world, fairness finishes first.
Mechanical-Physical Characteristics Affecting the Durability of Fibre Reinforced Concrete with Recycled Aggregate

The article presents findings from the study and analysis of the results of an experimental programm e focused on the production of concrete and fibre reinforced concret e in which natural aggregate has been substituted with brick or concre te recyclate. The research results are analyzed to monitor the effect of mechanicalphysical characteristics on the durability properti es of tested cementitious composites. The key parts of the fibre reinforced concrete mix are the basic components: aggregates – recyclate, cement, fly ash, water and fibres. Their specific r atios and the properties of individual components principally aff ect the resulting behaviour of fresh fibre reinforced concrete and th e c aracteristics of the final product. The article builds on the sourc es dealing with the use of recycled aggregates from construction and de molition waste in the production of fibre reinforced concrete. The im plemented procedure of testing the composite contributes to t he building sustainability in environmental engineering. Keywords—Recycled aggregate, Polypropylene fibres, Fibre Reinforced Concrete, Fly ash.
Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Risk of Osteoporosis in Elderly Taiwanese Women with Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases: A Retrospective Patient Record Review

Introduction. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection could lead to chronic local and systemic immune response. The resulting increase in proinflammatory cytokines could affect bone resorption and might increase the risk of osteoporosis. This study aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis in elderly female patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. Methods. A retrospective patient record review study was conducted in a regional teaching hospital in south Taiwan. Relevant information on female patients aged 65 and over who were diagnosed with diseases of esophagus, gastric ulcer, or duodenal ulcer during January 2008 to December 2010 were abstracted. Association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. Of the 365 patients with a mean age of 77.3 years, 77 (21.1%) had H. pylori infection and 101 (27.7%) had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that osteoporosis was significantly associated with H. pylori infection (adjusted odds ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.14–3.62) after adjusting for age group, body mass index group, and use of proton pump inhibitor. Conclusion. Osteoporosis was found to be associated with H. pylori infection in Taiwanese female patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. Further studies with information on potential confounders are needed to confirm the association.
Effects of multidisciplinary Internet-based program on management of heart failure

Objectives: To develop and test the effectiveness of an Internet-based self management program by multidisciplinary health care professionals for patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: The comprehensive educational material for HF was created and posted on a website. A computer with Internet connection and computer training were provided first. A secure and simple web-based recording system of vital signs and health behaviors and a mechanism for feedback regarding each participant’s record were developed. A randomized controlled trial with a one-year intervention was conducted using a total of 40 patients who were assessed three times in their homes. An intention-to-treat analysis used multivariate statistics. Results: The treatment group had a high (85%) adherence to the intervention. Only the treatment group showed a significant improvement in the knowledge level (p < 0.001), amount of exercise (p = 0.001), and quality of life (p = 0.001), and reduction in HF related symptoms (dyspnea, p = 0.001; fatigue, p = 0.003; functional emotion, p < 0.001), blood pressure (systolic, p = 0.002; diastolic, p < 0.001), frequency of emergency room visit, and length of hospital stay (both p = 0.001). Conclusions: An effective program to change one’s behaviors in managing HF takes a multidisciplinary approach to create and provide feedback regarding a patient’s daily record, which can be accomplished through Internet use.
Sora

This paper presents Sora, a fully programmable software radio platform on commodity PC architectures. Sora combines the performance and fidelity of hardware software-defined radio (SDR) platforms with the programmability and flexibility of general-purpose processor (GPP) SDR platforms. Sora uses both hardware and software techniques to address the challenges of using PC architectures for high-speed SDR. The Sora hardware components consist of a radio front-end for reception and transmission, and a radio control board for high-throughput, low-latency data transfer between radio and host memories. Sora makes extensive use of features of contemporary processor architectures to accelerate wireless protocol processing and satisfy protocol timing requirements, including using dedicated CPU cores, large low-latency caches to store lookup tables, and SIMD processor extensions for highly efficient physical layer processing on GPPs. Using the Sora platform, we have developed a few demonstration wireless systems, including SoftWiFi, an 802.11a/b/g implementation that seamlessly interoperates with commercial 802.11 NICs at all modulation rates, and SoftLTE, a 3GPP LTE uplink PHY implementation that supports up to 43.8Mbps data rate.
RADseq provides unprecedented insights into molecular ecology and evolutionary genetics: comment on Breaking RAD by Lowry et al. (2016)

In their recently corrected manuscript, “Breaking RAD: An evaluation of the utility of restriction site associated DNA sequencing for genome scans of adaptation”, Lowry et al. argue that genome scans using RADseq will miss many loci under selection due to a combination of sparse marker density and low levels of linkage disequilibrium in most species. We agree that marker density and levels of LD are important considerations when designing a RADseq study; however, we dispute that RAD‐based genome scans are as prone to failure as Lowry et al. suggest. Their arguments ignore the flexible nature of RADseq; the availability of different restriction enzymes and capacity for combining restriction enzymes ensures that a well‐designed study should be able to generate enough markers for efficient genome coverage. We further believe that simplifying assumptions about linkage disequilibrium in their simulations are invalid in many species. Finally, it is important to note that the alternative methods proposed by Lowry et al. have limitations equal to or greater than RADseq. The wealth of studies with positive impactful findings that have used RAD genome scans instead supports the argument that properly conducted RAD genome scans are an effective method for gaining insight into ecology and evolution, particularly for non‐model organisms and those with large or complex genomes.
Influence of trivalent influenza vaccine on serum theophylline levels.

The half-life of theophylline is partially dependent on the rate at which it is oxidized by the enzyme cytochrome P-450. Thus, substances that decrease levels of this enzyme could affect theophylline clearance. Several studies in animals have demonstrated that the level of cytochrome P-450 and the rate of related drug metabolism are de- creased following activation of host de-fence mechanisms by various agents. '5 studied only patients selected after
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Is High-Frequency Ultrasound a Useful Diagnostic Tool?

This study assessed the clinical use of three ultrasound measurements; median nerve cross-sectional area, median nerve flattening ratio and palmar displacement of the flexor retinaculum, for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The measurements were made in 20 carpal tunnel sufferers and 20 controls. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of each were calculated in various clinical settings. Values for each of the three variables were significantly different in the patient and control populations. The differences we recorded were smaller than those found in previous studies. The tests had a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 90%. Alterations in the morphology of the carpal tunnel in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome can be measured in the district general hospital setting. The measurements described maybe a useful non-invasive confirmatory test in patients in whom there is a strong clinical suspicion of carpal tunnel syndrome. However, they would be of no benefit in epidemiological surveys of populations with a low incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Elevated levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen in patients with a benign disease of the skin

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), formerly referred to as TA‐4, is a tumor marker for SCC of the uterine cervix. Based on the findings in a patient with complete remission after treatment for cervical carcinoma, the authors decided to analyze the sera from patients with benign dermatoses. It was found that 83% (25/30) of the patients with psoriasis and 80% (12/15) of the patients with eczema had SCC levels in excess of the cut‐off value of 2.5 ng/ml. In psoriasis the serum SCC level correlated positively with the body surface area affected by the disease (r = 0.64). Seven patients with miscellaneous skin disorders, all with an inflammatory component, showed high serum SCC levels as well. Thus the existence of an inflammatory skin disease or a hyperkeratotic skin disease with an inflammatory component interferes with the usefulness of the SCC antigen as a tumor marker in SCC of the uterine cervix.
Bim Regulation of Lumen Formation in Cultured Mammary Epithelial Acini Is Targeted by Oncogenes

ABSTRACT Epithelial cells organize into cyst-like structures that contain a spherical monolayer of cells that enclose a central lumen. Using a three-dimensional basement membrane culture model in which mammary epithelial cells form hollow, acinus-like structures, we previously demonstrated that lumen formation is achieved, in part, through apoptosis of centrally localized cells. We demonstrate that the proapoptotic protein Bim may selectively trigger apoptosis of the centrally localized acinar cells, leading to temporally controlled lumen formation. Bim is not detectable during early stages of three-dimensional mammary acinar morphogenesis and is then highly upregulated in all cells of acini, coincident with detection of apoptosis in the centrally localized acinar cells. Inhibition of Bim expression by RNA interference transiently blocks luminal apoptosis and delays lumen formation. Oncogenes that induce acinar luminal filling, such as ErbB2 and v-Src, suppress expression of Bim through a pathway dependent on Erk-mitogen-activated protein kinase; however, HPV 16 E7, an oncogene that stimulates cell proliferation but not luminal filling, is unable to reduce Bim expression. Thus, Bim is a critical regulator of luminal apoptosis during mammary acinar morphogenesis in vitro and may be an important target of oncogenes that disrupt glandular epithelial architecture.
Fungal Lipase Production by Solid-State Fermentation

Lipases are one of the most promising enzymes in the chemical and biopharmaceutical industries. Numerous applications have been reported including fine chemistry, detergents formulation and biodiesel synthesis. Lipases are commonly produced by a wide variety of yeasts and filamentous fungi in submerged fermentation or solid-state fermentation. Filamentous fungi and yeasts usually behave more efficiently in solid-state fermentation and show greater productivities when compared to submerged fermentation. Although filamentous fungi adequately growth in solid-state fermentation, there are some limitations for cultivating them by this process. Here, a review is made about lipase production in solid-state fermentation. This includes the analysis of solid-state fermentation as a promising technology, characterization of growth media and ambient factors such as moisture, pH and temperature.
A Case Study in Serendipity: Environmental Researchers Use of Traditional and Social Media for Dissemination

In the face of demands for researchers to engage more actively with a wider range of publics and to capture different kinds of research impacts and engagements, we explored the ways a small number of environmental researchers use traditional and social media to disseminate research. A questionnaire was developed to investigate the impact of different media as a tool to broker contact between researchers and a variety of different stakeholders (for example, publics, other researchers, policymakers, journalists) as well as how researchers perceive that their use of these media has changed over the past five years. The questionnaire was sent to 504 researchers whose work had featured in a policy-oriented e-news service. 149 valid responses were received (29%). Coverage in traditional media (newspapers, broadcast) not only brokers contact with other journalists, but is a good source of contact from other researchers (n=47, 62%) and members of the public (n=36, 26%). Although the use of social media was limited amongst our sample, it did broker contact with other researchers (n=17, 47%) and the public (n=10, 28%). Nevertheless, few environmental researchers were actively using social media to disseminate their research findings, with many continuing to rely on academic journals and face-to-face communication to reach both academic and public audiences.
Cell‐to‐cell communication: microRNAs as hormones

Mammalian cells can release different types of extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. Accumulating evidence suggests that EVs play a role in cell‐to‐cell communication within the tumor microenvironment. EVs’ components, such as proteins, noncoding RNAs [microRNAs (miRNAs), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs)], messenger RNAs (mRNAs), DNA, and lipids, can mediate paracrine signaling in the tumor microenvironment. Recently, miRNAs encapsulated in secreted EVs have been identified in the extracellular space. Mature miRNAs that participate in intercellular communication are released from most cells, often within EVs, and disseminate through the extracellular fluid to reach remote target cells, including tumor cells, whose phenotypes they can influence by regulating mRNA and protein expression either as tumor suppressors or as oncogenes, depending on their targets. In this review, we discuss the roles of miRNAs in intercellular communication, the biological function of extracellular miRNAs, and their potential applications for diagnosis and therapeutics. We will give examples of miRNAs that behave as hormones.
RNABindR: a server for analyzing and predicting RNA-binding sites in proteins

Understanding interactions between proteins and RNA is key to deciphering the mechanisms of many important biological processes. Here we describe RNABindR, a web-based server that identifies and displays RNA-binding residues in known protein–RNA complexes and predicts RNA-binding residues in proteins of unknown structure. RNABindR uses a distance cutoff to identify which amino acids contact RNA in solved complex structures (from the Protein Data Bank) and provides a labeled amino acid sequence and a Jmol graphical viewer in which RNA-binding residues are displayed in the context of the three-dimensional structure. Alternatively, RNABindR can use a Naive Bayes classifier trained on a non-redundant set of protein–RNA complexes from the PDB to predict which amino acids in a protein sequence of unknown structure are most likely to bind RNA. RNABindR automatically displays ‘high specificity’ and ‘high sensitivity’ predictions of RNA-binding residues. RNABindR is freely available at http://bindr.gdcb. iastate.edu/RNABindR.
Conformation-Specific Antibodies Targeting the Trimer-of-Hairpins Motif of the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Transmembrane Glycoprotein Recognize the Viral Envelope but Fail To Neutralize Viral Entry

ABSTRACT Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) entry into cells is dependent upon the viral envelope glycoprotein-catalyzed fusion of the viral and cellular membranes. Following receptor activation of the envelope, the transmembrane glycoprotein (TM) is thought to undergo a series of fusogenic conformational transitions through a rod-like prehairpin intermediate to a compact trimer-of-hairpins structure. Importantly, synthetic peptides that interfere with the conformational changes of TM are potent inhibitors of membrane fusion and HTLV-1 entry, suggesting that TM is a valid target for antiviral therapy. To assess the utility of TM as a vaccine target and to explore further the function of TM in HTLV-1 pathogenesis, we have begun to examine the immunological properties of TM. Here we demonstrate that a recombinant trimer-of-hairpins form of the TM ectodomain is strongly immunogenic. Monoclonal antibodies raised against the TM immunogen specifically bind to trimeric forms of TM, including structures thought to be important for membrane fusion. Importantly, these antibodies recognize the envelope on virally infected cells but, surprisingly, fail to neutralize envelope-mediated membrane fusion or infection by pseudotyped viral particles. Our data imply that, even in the absence of overt membrane fusion, there are multiple forms of TM on virally infected cells and that some of these display fusion-associated structures. Finally, we demonstrate that many of the antibodies possess the ability to recruit complement to TM, suggesting that envelope-derived immunogens capable of eliciting a combination of neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies would be of value as subunit vaccines for intervention in HTLV infections.
Selective Interference of β-Arrestin 1 with κ and δ but Not μ Opioid Receptor/G Protein Coupling*

The role of β-arrestin 1 (β-arr1) in regulation of responsiveness of κ, δ, and μ opioid receptors has been investigated in human embryonic kidney 293 cells cotransfected with opioid receptor and β-arr1. Expression of human β-arr1 attenuated κ and δ opioid receptor subtype-mediated inhibition of cAMP production and resulted in a 100-fold increase of EC50 values for κ-agonist U69593 and δ-agonist [d-Pen2,d-Pen5]enkephalin and 30–40% reduction of their maximal responses. In contrast, coexpression of β-arr1 with μ opioid receptor did not affect the concentration-effect relationship of μ-agonist [d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin. In parallel, κ and δ receptor-mediated G protein activation was also remarkably attenuated by overexpression of β-arr1, while the μ-agonist-stimulated response remained intact. These results indicate that β-arr1 interferes receptor/G protein coupling and differentially regulates the responsiveness of opioid receptors. Truncation of κ and δ opioid receptors at carboxyl termini abolished inhibition of β-arr1 on the responsiveness of both receptors. Furthermore, μ opioid receptor became sensitive to β-arr1 regulation following replacement of its carboxyl terminus with the corresponding portion of the δ receptor. Removal of potential phosphorylation sites on the carboxyl terminus of κ opioid receptor led to reduced effect of β-arr1 on the receptor-mediated response. These results suggest that receptor carboxyl terminus and its phosphorylation play an important role in the interaction of β-arr1 and opioid receptors.
Psychosocial Correlates and Outcomes of Yoga or Walking Among Older Adults

Few researchers have compared psychological correlates and outcomes of yoga with more traditional forms of exercise. The authors' primary aim was to compare changes in the psychosocial outcomes of mood and state anxiety produced by an acute bout of yoga or walking among older adults. The secondary aim was to compare selected psychosocial correlates of activity. Participants were 51 adults who were 50 years of age or older who walked for exercise or participated in a yoga class. Results revealed that yoga participants had significantly greater levels of depression and perceived barriers to exercise, and lower quality of life than did walkers. With control for these differences, yoga practitioners had improved levels of fatigue pre- to postsession, compared with walkers. With control for differences in demographic variables, these changes were no longer significant. It is possible that yoga practitioners seek out mindful-based exercise to cope with greater levels of depression and lower levels of quality of life.
Replacing a "Disobedient" Central Bank Governor with a "Docile" One: A Novel Measure of Central Bank Independence and Its Effect on Inflation

This paper identifies two mechanisms that empirical papers on central bank independence assume to be embedded in the yardstick measure of turnover rate of central bank governor: (i) the removal of a governor who is perceived as a challenger by the government and (ii) whether his/her replacement is an ally of the government. We identify the first mechanism with premature exits of central bankers and the second by examining whether or not the incoming governor is drawn from the ranks of the executive branch of the government. We find that only premature exits and replacements with government allies increase inflation.