Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of reproductive experiences on age-related neural and behavioral changes in female rats

The experiences of motherhood, pregnancy, birth and postnatal care, are associated with neural and behavioral changes. Female rats undergoing multiple bouts of motherhood (multiparous) have been shown in some, but not all studies, to have a dampened HPA axis stress response resulting in reduced anxiety, better performance on spatial memory tasks and changes in some hormone levels and stress responsivity compared to age matched females who have not given birth (nulliparous). Moreover, some of these changes extend into old age, approximately 24 months old . Thus, parous rats provide a unique, physiological model in which to investigate neural and hormonal factors that may contribute to cognitive decline and other changes with aging. Fisher 344 (F344) female rats were used for both studies. In the first study, we found that multiparous females, aged 10-12 months, performed better than middle-aged nulliparous females, aged 10-12 months, and similarly to the young nulliparous females, aged 2 months, in the spatial memory task of object placement. No differences in anxiety between any groups were noted on the elevated plus maze (EPM). Thus, multi-parity may have long lasting effects on spatial memory, but not on anxiety. Possible mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects were investigated by measuring dendritic spine density in the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. In addition, serum oxytocin levels were assessed since oxytocin is known to contribute to maternal behavior and to mood, and levels are increased during pregnancy and lactation. Apical and basal spine density in CA1 pyramidal cells of young virgins and multiparous females was higher density than the middle-aged nulliparous females. In the prefrontal cortex, apical spine density showed a similar pattern as the hippocampus, but no significant differences were present in basal spines. There were no significant differences in spine density in the medial amygdala and oxytocin levels did not differ between groups. Thus, reproductive experience attenuates some aspects of cognitive aging that are long lasting, but it did not alter anxiety.
The Power and Type I Error Rate of Holm's Procedure When the Assumptions of Normality and Variance Homogeneity are Violated

When multiple hypothesis tests are conducted on a single data set, it is necessary to control for the inflation of the Type I error rate. This is done through the use of multiple comparison procedures. Holm's procedure is a potentially attractive multiple comparison procedure because it makes no assumptions about the data and it is simple to implement. Holm's procedure is conducted by adjusting the p-values obtained from a prior statistical test. As a result, the power and Type I error rate of Holm's procedure may be tied to the assumptions of the statistical test from which the p-values are obtained. In the case of making all pairwise comparisons across means, the independent samples t-test is typically used, which assumes normally distributed data and homogeneous variances across the groups being compared. The present study sought to examine how violating the assumptions of normality and variance homogeneity affected the power and Type I error rate of Holm's procedure across several effect sizes, mean configurations and sample sizes. The results indicated that Holm's procedure maintains the Type I error rate below α for all combinations of variance heterogeneity, nonnormality, sample size, effect size, and pattern of mean difference. As expected, the power of Holm's procedure decreases as the sample size becomes smaller and the effect size increases. Nonnormality had a negligible effect on the power of Holm's procedure. However, the presence of even moderate variance heterogeneity severely decreased the power of Holm's procedure. Future research will investigate whether these results hold for situations other than testing pairwise mean differences, such as when multiple correlations are being tested. In addition, the power and Type I error rate of Holm's procedure will be compared to alternative multiple comparison procedures.
Pulmonary function tests in normal Indian children and changes in respiratory disorders.

To document the normal values of pulmonary function tests in children and changes occurring in their values with various respiratory disorders, a study was carried over a period of one year in 95 healthy controls (39 females and 56 males) of 8-13 years of age and 51 cases with respiratory disorders (bronchial asthma-31, pneumonia-10, empyema-10) of matched age, sex and height distribution. The lung functions studied were FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR and FEF25-75%. In children with bronchial asthma, the FEV1/FVC%, PEFR and FEF25-75% were reduced in accordance with the severity of the disease. A typical restrictive pattern of equivalent decrease in FVC and FEV1 along with insignificant lowering of flow rates, i.e., PEFR and FEF25-75% was observed in pneumonia whereas in patients of empyema a combined pattern of significantly decreased FVC and FEV1 along with mildly reduced FEV1/FVC%, PEFR and FEF 25 75% was observed.
Profile of students’ mathematical representation ability in solving geometry problems

Mathematical representation is students’ ability in expressing mathematical ideas in the form of drawings, mathematical equations, and words/written text. Mathematical representation is needed in solving mathematical problems. This research aims to find out the profile of students’ mathematical representation in solving geometry problems. The research method uses descriptive with subjects of 33 students of class VIII Junior High School Muhammadiyah 1 Surakarta. Data is collected by a mathematical representation test. Data analysis show that there are 21.21% of students with high representation ability, 33.33% students with moderate representation ability, and 45.46% of students with low representation ability. Based on the results, it is known that most of the students still have low mathematical representation ability. Students find it difficult to understand problems and write equations correctly. This is because students are not used to solving problems in the form of visual, verbal, and symbolic representations. Therefore, the teacher must train the students’ mathematical representation skills by applying multiple representation learning models.
Supervised Graph Inference

We formulate the problem of graph inference where part of the graph is known as a supervised learning problem, and propose an algorithm to solve it. The method involves the learning of a mapping of the vertices to a Euclidean space where the graph is easy to infer, and can be formulated as an optimization problem in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. We report encouraging results on the problem of metabolic network reconstruction from genomic data.
Validation of PROMIS Global-10 compared with legacy instruments in patients with shoulder instability

Background Outcomes instruments are used to measure patients’ subjective assessment of health status. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global-10 was developed to be a concise yet comprehensive instrument that provides physical and mental health scores and an estimated EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) score. Methods A total of 175 prospectively enrolled patients with shoulder instability completed the PROMIS Global-10, EQ-5D, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index. Spearman correlations between PROMIS scores and the legacy instruments were calculated. Bland–Altman analysis assessed agreement between estimated and actual EQ-5D scores. Floor and ceiling effects were recorded. Results Correlation between actual and estimated EQ-5D was excellent-good (0.64/p < 0.0005), but Bland–Altman agreement revealed high variability for estimated EQ-5D scores (95% CI: −0.30 to +0.34). Correlation of PROMIS physical scores was excellent-good with ASES (0.69/p < 0.0005), good with SANE (0.43/p<0.0005), and poor with WOSI (0.17/p = 0.13). Correlation between PROMIS mental scores and all legacy instruments was poor. Conclusions PROMIS Global-10 physical function scores show high correlation with ASES but poor correlation with other legacy instruments, suggesting it is an unreliable outcomes instrument in populations with shoulder instability. The PROMIS Global-10 cannot replace actual EQ-5D scores for cost-effectiveness assessment in this population. Level of evidence Level II, study of diagnostic test.
On Optimal Parameters for Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a metaheuristic introduced by Dorigo et al. [9] which uses ideas from nature to find solutions to instances of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) and other combinatorial optimisation problems. In this paper we analyse the parameter settings of the ACO algorithm. These determine the behaviour of each ant and are critical for fast convergence to near optimal solutions of a given problem instance. We classify TSP instances using three measures of complexity and uniformity. We describe experimental work that attempts to correlate ‘types’ of TSP problems with parameter settings for fast convergence. We found these optimal parameter settings to be highly problemspecific and dependent on the required accuracy of the solution. This inspired us to explore techniques for automatically learning the optimal parameters for a given TSP instance. We devised and implemented a hybrid ACO algorithm, similar to the one independently developed in [16], which uses a genetic algorithm in the early stages to ‘breed’ a population of ants possessing near optimal behavioural parameter settings for a given problem. This hybrid algorithm converges rapidly for a wide range of problems when given a population of ants with diverse behavioural parameter settings.
Cognitive Reflection and Decision Making

This paper introduces a three-item "Cognitive Reflection Test" (CRT) as a simple measure of one type of cognitive ability—the ability or disposition to reflect on a question and resist reporting the first response that comes to mind. The author will show that CRT scores are predictive of the types of choices that feature prominently in tests of decision-making theories, like expected utility theory and prospect theory. Indeed, the relation is sometimes so strong that the preferences themselves effectively function as expressions of cognitive ability—an empirical fact begging for a theoretical explanation. The author examines the relation between CRT scores and two important decision-making characteristics: time preference and risk preference. The CRT scores are then compared with other measures of cognitive ability or cognitive "style. " The CRT scores exhibit considerable difference between men and women and the article explores how this relates to sex differences in time and risk preferences. The final section addresses the interpretation of correlations between cognitive abilities and decision-making characteristics.
Identification of Four Distinct Pools of Catenins in Mammalian Cells and Transformation-dependent Changes in Catenin Distributions among These Pools*

Catenins are cytoplasmic proteins that were initially identified in a complex with cadherins, a superfamily of transmembrane glycoproteins important for cell adhesion in normal and disease states. We have used gel filtration to identify four complexes of catenins in extracts from normal and transformed epithelial cells. In normal Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells, a significant fraction of α- and β-catenin and plakoglobin co-elute with cadherin in a high molecular weight complex (complex I). A portion of α-catenin and the remainder of β-catenin and plakoglobin co-elute in a high molecular weight complex that does not contain cadherin (complex II). The remainder of α-catenin elutes in a low molecular weight fraction (complex III). In extracts from two colon carcinoma cell lines, HCT116 and SW480, β-catenin elutes in an additional low molecular weight pool (complex IV) not present in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell extracts. In two subclones derived from SW480 cells, SW-E8 and SW-R2, β-catenin is distributed evenly between high and low molecular weight pools in SW-E8 cells, whereas it elutes primarily in the low molecular weight pool (complex IV) in SW-R2 cells. These changes in β-catenin elution profiles correlate with an increase in transformed phenotype and decreased cell-cell adhesion in the SW-R2 cells.
Ultrastructure as a Control for Protistan Molecular Phylogeny

A variety of molecular sequences and treeing methods have been used in attempts to unravel early protistan evolution and the origins of “higher” eukaryotic taxa. How does one know which approach is closest to the real phylogenetic tree? Obviously it is the robustness of its resulting trees, the coherence with other data sets, both structural and molecular, that is the test. Simply put: it should make biological sense. It seems evident, comparing morphology, especially ultrastructure, with ribosomal DNA trees, that the major lineages have now been confirmed. In particular, the remarkably conservative mitochondrial crista type in protists is coherent with mitochondrial DNA sequences. Several amitochondrial groups, presumed to be primitive on the basis of SSU ribosomal DNA, show alarming positional volatility when other genes are used. In addition, the presence of mitochondrial genes in the nucleus of several amitochondrial flagellates raises doubts about them being primordially amitochondrial. Consequently, the root of the eukaryote tree is still in question. A disturbing question arises: can loss of features in parasitism mimic primitiveness not only in a morphological but also in a molecular way, evolving more rapidly and creating long branches that methodologically place them basal in the trees? Conflicting molecular phylogenies cannot be resolved by molecular data alone. Morpholological, especially ultrastructural, data are an essential component of phylogenetic reconstruction.
Automatic model based dataset generation for fast and accurate crop and weeds detection

Selective weeding is one of the key challenges in the field of agriculture robotics. To accomplish this task, a farm robot should be able to accurately detect plants and to distinguish them between crop and weeds. Most of the promising state-of-the-art approaches make use of appearance-based models trained on large annotated datasets. Unfortunately, creating large agricultural datasets with pixel-level annotations is an extremely time consuming task, actually penalizing the usage of data-driven techniques. In this paper, we face this problem by proposing a novel and effective approach that aims to dramatically minimize the human intervention needed to train the detection and classification algorithms. The idea is to procedurally generate large synthetic training datasets randomizing the key features of the target environment (i.e., crop and weed species, type of soil, light conditions). More specifically, by tuning these model parameters, and exploiting a few real-world textures, it is possible to render a large amount of realistic views of an artificial agricultural scenario with no effort. The generated data can be directly used to train the model or to supplement real-world images. We validate the proposed methodology by using as testbed a modern deep learning based image segmentation architecture. We compare the classification results obtained using both real and synthetic images as training data. The reported results confirm the effectiveness and the potentiality of our approach.
Epidemiology of polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVE To review the data on the epidemiology of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), in particular geographical and temporal differences in incidence and its risk factors including the actinic hypothesis. METHODS Evaluation of the literature. RESULTS Epidemiological data show that the incidence of PMR varies between 12.7/100,000 in Italy and 112.6/100,000 in Norway with a geographical gradient of increased frequency in the northern hemisphere. The incidence of PMR and giant cell arteritis (GCA) have increased in recent years. This observation may be related to a greater awareness of the disease but also to real epidemiological changes. Risk factors for PMR/GCA include infections, smoking, sun exposure, and nulliparity. CONCLUSION Epidemiological studies have helped to unravel the etiopathogenic factors at work in PMR/GCA. More data are needed on the correlation between the incidence of PMR/GCA and epidemics of infectious diseases and on environmental and biological risk factors.
A low-cost monitor for measurement of fine particulate matter and aerosol optical depth – Part 2: Citizen science pilot campaign in northern Colorado

Abstract. A pilot field campaign was conducted in the fall and winter of 2017 in northern Colorado to test the deployment of the Aerosol Mass and Optical Depth (AMOD) instrument as part of the Citizen-Enabled Aerosol Measurements for Satellites (CEAMS) network. Citizen scientists were recruited to set up the device to take filter and optical measurements of aerosols in their backyards. The goal of the network is to provide more surface particulate matter and aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements to increase the spatial and temporal resolution of PM2.5 to AOD ratios and to improve satellite-based estimates of air quality. Participants collected 65 filters and 160 multi-wavelength AOD measurements from which 109 successful PM2.5 to AOD ratios were calculated. We show that PM2.5, AOD, and their ratio (PM2.5:AOD) often vary substantially over relatively short spatial scales; this spatial variation is not typically resolved by satellite- and model-based PM2.5 exposure estimates. The success of the pilot campaign suggests that citizen-science networks are a viable means for providing new insight into surface air quality. We also discuss lessons learned and AMOD design modifications, which will be used in future, wider deployments of the CEAMS network.
Influenza Virus-induced AP-1-dependent Gene Expression Requires Activation of the JNK Signaling Pathway*

Influenza A virus infection of cells results in the induction of a variety of antiviral cytokines, including those that are regulated by transcription factors of the activating protein-1 (AP-1) family. Here we show that influenza virus infection induces AP-1-dependent gene expression in productively infected cells but not in cells that do not support viral replication. Among the AP-1 factors identified to bind to their cognate DNA element during viral infections of Madin-Darby canine kidney and U937 cells are those that are regulated via phosphorylation by JNKs. Accordingly, we observed that induction of AP-1-dependent gene expression correlates with a strong activation of JNK in permissive cells, which appears to be caused by viral RNA accumulation during replication. Blockade of JNK signaling at several levels of the cascade by transient expression of dominant negative kinase mutants and inhibitory proteins resulted in inhibition of virus-induced JNK activation, reduced AP-1 activity, and impaired transactivation of the IFN-β promoter. Virus yields from transfected and infected cells in which JNK signaling was inhibited were higher compared with the levels from control cells. Therefore, we conclude that virus-induced activation of JNK and AP-1 is part of the innate antiviral response of the cell.
Characterization of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Dephosphorylation: Comparison with the Rate of Resensitization

Dephosphorylation of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) site phosphoserine 262 and the G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) site phosphoserines 355 and 356 of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) were characterized in both intact human embryonic kidney 293 cells and subcellular fractions and were correlated with the rate of resensitization of isoproterenol stimulation of adenylyl cyclase after treatment with isoproterenol and blockade by antagonist. Dephosphorylation of the PKA site after stimulation with 300 pM isoproterenol occurred with a t½ of 9 min (k = 0.08 ± 0.016/min) in intact cells in the absence of internalization. Dephosphorylation of the GRK sites in intact cells after treatment with 1.0 μM isoproterenol for 5 min exhibited a lag phase of ≈ 5 min, after which dephosphorylation proceeded slowly with a t½ of 18 min (k = 0.039 ± 0.006/min). Consistent with the slow rate of GRK site dephosphorylation, the phosphatase inhibitors calyculin A and okadaic acid failed to augment phosphorylation in intact cells during continuous agonist stimulation indicating that GRK site dephosphorylation was minimal. However, both inhibited dephosphorylation of the GRK sites after the addition of antagonist. Slow GRK site dephosphorylation after antagonist treatment was also demonstrated by the relative stability of internalized phosphorylated β2AR in cells as observed both by immunofluorescence microscopy using a phospho-site-specific antibody and by studies of the subcellular localization of the GRK-phosphorylated β2AR on sucrose gradients that revealed nearly equivalent levels of GRK site phosphorylation in the plasma membrane and vesicular fractions. In addition, dephosphorylation of the GRK sites by intrinsic phosphatase activity occurred only in the heavy vesicle fractions. In contrast to the slow rates of dephosphorylation, the rate of resensitization of isoproterenol stimulation of adenylyl cyclase was 5- and 10-fold faster (k = 0.43 ± 0.009/min; t½ = 1.6 min), than PKA and GRK site dephosphorylation, respectively, clearly dissociating the rapid phase of resensitization (0-5 min) from dephosphorylation.
A Forwarding Strategy for DWSIGF Routing Protocol

Routing protocols in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) are responsible for propagating and coordinating of information transfer from one end of the network to the other. Dynamic Window Secured Implicit Geographic Forwarding (DWSIGF) is a robust, cross layer, security bound routing protocol that propagates information in a multi-hop network using the greedy and random forwarding strategies. These strategies are known for their poor resistivity to interference and erratic behavior in path selection. In this paper, we propose a forwarding strategy that uses an optimal distance to mitigate these problems. The optimal distance is computed based on the path loss coefficient and energy dissipated in the hardware (sensor). Extensive simulations have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The results illustrate that the proposed approach performs better than the compared strategies in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption.
State Medical Marijuana Laws and the Prevalence of Opioids Detected Among Fatally Injured Drivers.

OBJECTIVES To assess the association between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and the odds of a positive opioid test, an indicator for prior use. METHODS We analyzed 1999-2013 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from 18 states that tested for alcohol and other drugs in at least 80% of drivers who died within 1 hour of crashing (n = 68 394). Within-state and between-state comparisons assessed opioid positivity among drivers crashing in states with an operational MML (i.e., allowances for home cultivation or active dispensaries) versus drivers crashing in states before a future MML was operational. RESULTS State-specific estimates indicated a reduction in opioid positivity for most states after implementation of an operational MML, although none of these estimates were significant. When we combined states, we observed no significant overall association (odds ratio [OR] = 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61, 1.03). However, age-stratified analyses indicated a significant reduction in opioid positivity for drivers aged 21 to 40 years (OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.37, 0.67; interaction P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Operational MMLs are associated with reductions in opioid positivity among 21- to 40-year-old fatally injured drivers and may reduce opioid use and overdose.