Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Characterization of proSAAS, a Granin-Like Neuroendocrine Peptide Precursor that Inhibits Prohormone Processing

Five novel peptides were identified in the brains of mice lacking active carboxypeptidase E, a neuropeptide-processing enzyme. These peptides are produced from a single precursor, termed proSAAS, which is present in human, mouse, and rat. ProSAAS mRNA is expressed primarily in brain and other neuroendocrine tissues (pituitary, adrenal, pancreas); within brain, the mRNA is broadly distributed among neurons. When expressed in AtT-20 cells, proSAAS is secreted via the regulated pathway and is also processed at paired-basic cleavage sites into smaller peptides. Overexpression of proSAAS in the AtT-20 cells substantially reduces the rate of processing of the endogenous prohormone proopiomelanocortin. Purified proSAAS inhibits prohormone convertase 1 activity with an IC50 of 590 nmbut does not inhibit prohormone convertase 2. Taken together, proSAAS may represent an endogenous inhibitor of prohormone convertase 1.
Statistical interparticle potential between two anyons.

The density matrix of a two-anyon system is evaluated and used to investigate the ``statistical interparticle potential`` following the theory of Uhlenbeck. The main purpose is to see how the statistical potential will depend on the fractional statistical parameter {alpha}. The result shows that the statistical potential for a two-anyon system with {alpha}{ge}1/2 is always repulsive. For the system with 0{lt}{alpha}{lt}1/2, the potential is repulsive at short distances and becomes attractive at long distances. It remains only in the boson system ({alpha}=0) that the repulsive potential arising from the exclusion principle can disappear and lead to an attractive potential at all distances.
Verifying security protocols as planning in logic programming

We illustrate ALSP (Action Language for Security Protocol), a declarative executable specification language for planning attacks to security protocols. ALSP is based on logic programming with negation as failure, and with stable model semantics. In ALSP we can give a declarative specification of a protocol with the natural semantics of send and receive actions which can be performed in parallel. By viewing a protocol trace as a plan to achieve a goal, attacks are (possibly parallel) plans achieving goals that correspond to security violations. Building on results from logic programming and planning, we map the existence of an attack into the existence of a model for the protocol that satisfies the specification of an attack. We show that our liberal model of parallel actions can adequately represent the traditional Dolev-Yao trace-based model used in the formal analysis of security protocols. Specifications in ALSP are executable, as we can automatically search for attacks via an efficient model generator (smodels), implementing the stable model semantics of normal logic programs.
Speech enhancement using modified magnitude and phase spectra

Degrading the quality and intelligibility of the speech signals, background noise is a severe problem in communication and other speech related systems. In order to get rid of this problem, it is important to enhance the noisy speech signal mainly through noise reduction. All most all the speech enhancement methods modify the frequency domain spectrum of the noise-corrupted speech to suppress the noise. Although both magnitude and phase spectra together contain the frequency domain information, the traditional speech enhancement procedures either work with magnitude or phase spectrum. This paper presents a speech enhancement method that exploits both magnitude and phase spectra. Experimental studies of the proposed method exhibits better PESQ (Perceptual Estimation of Speech Quality) score than that of other existing methods. We also found better speech quality with our proposed method in several subjective experiments.
Homework: Voices from EFL Teachers and Learners.

Previous studies have mainly focused on homework in courses such as math and physics with little attention to homework in EFL (English as a foreign language) classes. The main purpose of the study reported in this paper was to give a voice to both EFL teachers and learners with regard to English homework. To this end, 8 EFL teachers and 19 EFL learners took part in a semi-structured interview first. Then, based on their responses to the interview questions and a comprehensive review of the literature, a questionnaire was developed and validated to investigate EFL learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on different aspects of English homework. The questionnaire was finally completed by 283 EFL learners and 46 English teachers from two famous English institutions in Iran. Results revealed that English homework can help EFL learners with their language learning apart from enabling them to improve their reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar. However, the homework assignments that are currently being used are not very interesting and do not help EFL learners improve all their English skills. The majority of EFL learners usually finish their homework in a hurry just before class begins; others do not spend the time that their teachers require them to spend on doing homework. English teachers should, therefore, design homework based on their students’ needs and interests as well as resort to employing modern opportunities such as online resources and self-access centers.
KARAKTERISTIK PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER; MENJAWAB TANTANGAN MULTIDIMENSIONAL MELALUI IMPLEMENTASI KURIKULUM 2013

Pelaksanaan pendidikan karakter di lingkungan pendidikan formal memiliki Pengaruh yang efektif dalam mengatasi fenomena anarkisme, pengenaan kehendak, perkelahian Pelajar, proliferasi pengedar narkoba dan pengguna, krisis lingkungan, krisis moral, dan Berbagai kecenderungan sosial lainnya. Pendidikan formal adalah sistem pendidikan yang terorganisir, terarah, dan terukur. Kurikulum 2013 mengorientasikan dan menekankan pada Penguatan nilai moral, afektif, dan nilai konsep KI-1 (sikap spiritual), KI-2 (Sikap sosial), KI-3 (pengetahuan), dan KI-4 (penerapan pengetahuan). Implementasi dari Pendidikan karakter dalam Kurikulum tahun 2013 dapat dikembangkan dengan mengintegrasikan kognitif, Afektif, dan aspek psikomotor. Selain itu, untuk mendorong dan memfasilitasi realisasi Sinergi antara pendidikan formal, nonformal dan informal, dan mendorong untuk Terus meningkatkan kompetensi dan model peran para pendidik untuk mengimplementasikan Kurikulum 2013
Myoendothelial Coupling Is Not Prominent in Arterioles Within the Mouse Cremaster Microcirculation In Vivo

A smooth muscle hyperpolarization is essential for endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor–mediated dilations. It is debated whether the hyperpolarization is induced by a factor (endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor) and/or is attributable to direct current transfer from the endothelium via myoendothelial gap junctions. Here, we measured membrane potential in endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) in vivo at rest and during acetylcholine (ACh) application in the cremaster microcirculation of mice using sharp microelectrodes before and after application of specific blockers of Ca2+dependent K+ channels (KCa). Moreover, diameter changes in response to ACh were studied. Membrane potential at rest was lower in EC than SMC (−46.6±1.0 versus −36.5±1.0mV, P<0.05). Bolus application of ACh induced robust hyperpolarizations in EC and SMC, but the amplitude (11.1±0.9 versus 5.1±0.9mV, P<0.05) and duration of the response (10.7±0.8 versus 7.5±1.0s, P<0.05) were larger in EC. Blockers of large conductance KCa (charybdotoxin or iberiotoxin) abrogated ACh-induced hyperpolarizations in SMC but did not alter endothelial hyperpolarizations. In contrast, apamin, a blocker of small conductance KCa abolished ACh-induced hyperpolarizations in EC and had only small effects on SMC. ACh-induced dilations were strongly attenuated by iberiotoxin but only slightly by apamin. We conclude that myoendothelial coupling in arterioles in vivo in the murine cremaster is weak, as EC and SMC behaved electrically different. Small conductance KCa mediate endothelial hyperpolarization in response to ACh, whereas large conductance KCa are important in SMC. Because tight myoendothelial coupling was found in vitro in previous studies, we suggest that it is differentially regulated between vascular beds and/or by mechanisms acting in vivo.
2 Anticipation , Acquisitions and the Bidder Return Puzzle

This paper documents a dramatic difference in the abnormal announcement period returns of the first bidder to announce an acquisition attempt in a particular industry. Typical of the literature, the set of all bidders in our sample earn abnormal returns indistinguishable from zero. However, bidders announcing an acquisition after a ‘dormant period’ of at least a year without such activity in their industry earn significantly positive abnormal returns of 0.8%. This contrasts with the insignificantly negative returns earned by bidders with shorter industry dormant periods. We also document that the prices of subsequent bidders adjust proportionately to returns of the initial bidder at the time of that initial announcement. In addition, bidder abnormal returns are significantly positively related to the length of the dormant period. These results provide strong evidence in support of an anticipation hypothesis. Our results hold after controlling for variables typically associated with bidding firm returns.
Predicting Content Preference: Applying Lessons Learned from the Commercial Web to Therapeutic Software

Objective: An automated web-based program was developed to deliver a form of motivational enhancement therapy to individuals with drinking problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate its ability to predict user preferences for specific psychoeducational modules based on responses to questionnaire items from the evaluation portion of the program. Methods: Nine items from three standardized alcohol assessment questionnaires were used to predict viewing of one or more educational modules related to alcohol cessation. The instruments included the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Decisional Balance Questionnaire. Results: Statistically significant associations were found between some of the item scores and module viewing. In general, subjects who viewed a specific educational module more strongly endorsed the putatively related questionnaire items. Conclusion: Due to a lack of a traditional therapeutic alliance, it can be difficult to engage users in a therapy which is delivered by an automated program. Accurately predicting content preference in real time based on individual user characteristics is a promising strategy for increasing user commitment to the treatment.
Analysis of buffering effects on hard real-time priority-preemptive wormhole networks

There are several approaches to analyse the worst-case response times of sporadic packets transmitted over priority-preemptive wormhole networks. In this paper, we provide an overview of the different approaches, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and propose an approach that captures all effects considered by previous approaches while providing tight yet safe upper bounds for packet response times. We specifically address the problems created by buffering and backpressure in wormhole networks, which amplifies the problem of indirect interference in a way that has not been considered by the early analysis approaches. Didactic examples and large-scale experiments with synthetically generated packet flow sets provide evidence of the strength of the proposed approach.
Adaptation to diverse nitrogen-limited environments by deletion or extrachromosomal element formation of the GAP1 locus

To study adaptive evolution in defined environments, we performed evolution experiments with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) in nitrogen-limited chemostat cultures. We used DNA microarrays to identify copy-number variation associated with adaptation and observed frequent amplifications and deletions at the GAP1 locus. GAP1 encodes the general amino acid permease, which transports amino acids across the plasma membrane. We identified a self-propagating extrachromosomal circular DNA molecule that results from intrachromosomal recombination between long terminal repeats (LTRs) flanking GAP1. Extrachromosomal DNA circles (GAP1circle) contain GAP1, the replication origin ARS1116, and a single hybrid LTR derived from recombination between the two flanking LTRs. Formation of the GAP1circle is associated with deletion of chromosomal GAP1 (gap1Δ) and production of a single hybrid LTR at the GAP1 chromosomal locus. The GAP1circle is selected following prolonged culturing in l-glutamine–limited chemostats in a manner analogous to the selection of oncogenes present on double minutes in human cancers. Clones carrying only the gap1Δ allele were selected under various non-amino acid nitrogen limitations including ammonium, urea, and allantoin limitation. Previous studies have shown that the rate of intrachromosomal recombination between tandem repeats is stimulated by transcription of the intervening sequence. The high level of GAP1 expression in nitrogen-limited chemostats suggests that the frequency of GAP1circle and gap1Δ generation may be increased under nitrogen-limiting conditions. We propose that this genomic architecture facilitates evolvability of S. cerevisiae populations exposed to variation in levels and sources of environmental nitrogen.
Evaluation of segregated early weaning investigating performance, immunologic indicators (CD4, CD8), and herd health status

TJF: SF Services, PO Box 5489, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72119; RCT: University of Missouri-Columbia, Commercial Agriculture Program, W234 College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia, Missouri 65211; BAB: USDA-ARS, Animal Physiology Unit, Columbia, Missouri; MLM, Dept. Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia; GLA: 5-133D Animal Science Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211. Evaluation of segregated early weaning investigating performance, immunologic indicators (CD4, CD8), and herd health status
Gendered racialization: Muslim American men and women’s encounters with racialized surveillance

ABSTRACT Muslim American men and women are increasingly encountering surveillance by the state and by their fellow private citizen. Interviews with 48 South Asian and Arab Muslim American men and women in the Chicago and Dallas–Ft. Worth areas reveal that Muslims are racialized in unique ways guided by their gender. This article shows the importance gender plays in organizing how Muslim men’s and women’s bodies are racially surveilled in the War on Terror. Muslim American bodies are subjected to gendered racialization via their hyper surveillance by the state and their fellow private citizen. While South Asian and Arabs have already been racialized as a result of their ethnicity, there are newer racial meanings imparted to their bodies because of their religious identity that is guided by gender. This article highlights the importance of gender in the process of racialization.
A New Method For Urban Traffic State Estimation Based On Vehicle Tracking Algorithm

In this paper, a new method for urban traffic state estimation is proposed. Real-time GPS locational data are collected to implement the vehicle tracking algorithm throughout the urban GIS network. Average velocities along these tracks are calculated and distributed proportionally. By integrating the velocity contributions on each road link, traffic states are finally estimated along rolling time periods. Compared with conventional methods, the proposed method keeps the continuity of vehicle travels and runs quickly without additional data sources. Experiments on real taxi scheduling signals indicate that the new method is both reasonable and practical.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy for patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a systematic review.

CONTEXT Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction causes substantial morbidity and mortality, even with optimal pharmacotherapy. Atrial-synchronized biventricular pacemakers (cardiac resynchronization therapy [CRT]) received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in selected patients with LV systolic dysfunction in 2001. OBJECTIVE To summarize the current evidence base for the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of CRT in patients with LV systolic dysfunction. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A search of multiple electronic databases until November 2006 was supplemented by hand searches of reference lists of included studies and review articles, proceedings booklets from meetings, FDA reports, and contact with primary study authors and device manufacturers. A total of 14 randomized trials (4420 patients) were included for the CRT efficacy review, 106 studies (9209 patients) for the CRT effectiveness review, and 89 studies (9677 patients) reported safety outcomes with implantation of a CRT device. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS All patients in the CRT studies had LV systolic dysfunction (mean LV ejection fraction [LVEF] range, 21%-30%), prolonged QRS duration (mean range, 155-209 milliseconds), and 91% had New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 3 or 4 heart failure symptoms despite optimal pharmacotherapy. CRT improved LVEF (weighted mean difference, 3.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9%-5.1%), quality of life (weighted mean reduction in Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire, 8.0 points; 95% CI, 5.6-10.4 points), and functional status (improvements of >/=1 NYHA class were observed in 59% of CRT recipients in the randomized trials). CRT decreased hospitalizations by 37% (95% CI, 7%-57%), and all-cause mortality decreased by 22% (95% CI, 9%-33%). Implant success rate was 93.0% (95% CI, 92.2%-93.7%) and 0.3% of patients died during implantation (95% CI, 0.1%-0.6%). During a median 11-month follow-up, 6.6% (95% CI, 5.6%-7.4%) of CRT devices exhibited lead problems and 5% (95% CI, 4%-7%) malfunctioned. CONCLUSIONS CRT reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with LV systolic dysfunction, prolonged QRS duration, and NYHA class 3 or 4 symptoms when combined with optimal pharmacotherapy. The incremental benefits of combined CRT plus implantable cardioverter-defibrillator devices vs CRT-alone devices in patients with LV systolic dysfunction remain uncertain.
Major loss of junctional coupling during mitosis in early mouse embryos

Junctional coupling was assessed during the transition from the fourth to the fifth cell cycle of mouse embryogenesis by injection of the dye carboxyfluorescein and by measurement of electrical continuity between cells. Junctional coupling, which arises de novo in early 8-cell mouse embryos, subsequently becomes reduced towards the end of the cell cycle as the blastomeres enter into mitosis. Arrest of the cell cycle in metaphase by nocodazole, an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, reveals that cell coupling becomes undetectable at mitosis. Junctional coupling then is resumed during interphase of the 16-cell stage. Nocodazole itself has no effect on junctional coupling in interphase cells, regardless of the extent of intercellular flattening, whereas taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing agent, does reduce the extent of coupling in interphase cells.
The mass density field in simulated non-Gaussian scenarios

In this work we study the properties of the mass density field i n the non-Gaussian world models simulated by Grossi et al. (2007). In particular we focus on the one-point density probability distribution function of the mass density field in no n-Gausian models with quadratic non-linearities quantified by the usual parameter fNL. We find that the imprints of primordial non-Gaussianity are well preserved in the negative tail of t he probability function during the evolution of the density perturbation. The effect is alread y noticeable at redshifts as large as 4 and can be detected out to the present epoch. At z = 0 we find that the fraction of the volume occupied by regions with underdensity � < 0.9, typical of voids, is about 1.3 per cent in the Gaussian case and increases to � 2.2 per cent if fNL = 1000 while decreases to � 0.5 per cent if fNL = +1000. This result suggests that void-based statistics may provi de a powerful method to detect non-Gaussianity even at low redshifts which is complementary to the measurements of the higher-order moments of the probability distribution function like the skewness or the kurtosis for which deviations from the Gaussian case are detected at the 25-50 per cent level.
Emergency department visit volume variability

Objective One of the most important and basic variables in emergency department (ED) operations is patient visit volumes. This variable is usually predicted on the basis of the average ED patient visit volume over a certain period. However, ED patient visit variability is poorly understood. Therefore, we evaluated ED patient visit variability in order to determine if the average can be used to operate EDs. Methods Nationwide ED patient visit data were from the standard emergency patient data of the National Emergency Department Information System. The data are transferred automatically by 141 EDs nationwide. The hourly ED visit volumes over 365 days were determined, and the variability was analyzed to evaluate the representativeness of the average. Results A total of 4,672,275 patient visits were collected in 2013. The numbers of daily ED patient visits were widely dispersed and positively skewed rather than symmetric and narrow with a normal distribution. Conclusion The daily variability of ED visit is too large and it did not show normal distribution. The average visit volume does not adequately represent ED operation.
The aetiology of emotional eating in childhood

Emotional overeating (EOE) and under-eating (EUE) in response to stress are common behaviours which emerge in childhood. However, their aetiology is largely unknown. This thesis analysed data from a UK cohort of 2402 families with twins to investigate the aetiology of EOE and EUE in childhood. Study 1 demonstrated low heritability of EOE at 16 months (9%) and five years (3%). The majority of individual differences were explained by shared environmental factors (16 months: 89%, 5 years: 95%). However, only 8% of these environmental factors were found to influence EOE at both time points. EOE was found to track (r = 0.25) and this association was explained by shared environmental factors. Study 2 established low heritability (7%) for EUE and dominance of shared environmental factors (91%) at five years. EOE and EUE correlated (r = 0.43) and shared environmental factors accounted for this association. However, their aetiologies were partly distinct, with 25% of shared environmental factors affecting both behaviours. Study 3 characterised the child, parent and environmental factors associated with child EOE and EUE. Emotional feeding was found to influence both EOE and EUE, whereas parental pressure to eat was only associated with EUE. Maternal emotional overeating was specifically linked to EOE. Study 4 provided evidence for the causal effect of emotional feeding on child EOE using prospective data. Study 5 found significant gene-environment interactions underlying EOE and EUE whereby a stressful home environment increased their heritability. Study 6 replicated Study 2 in an independent sample. Study 7 showed that parental belief of twins’ zygosity did not impact their ratings of child eating behaviours. The thesis showed that EOE and EUE are learned and not inherited in childhood. Their aetiology is complex and due to specific parental behaviours which deem to be promising intervention targets.