Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pan‐myocardial expression of Cre recombinase throughout mouse development

Mouse‐lines expressing Cre recombinase in a tissue‐specific manner are a powerful tool in developmental biology. Here, we report that a 3 kb fragment of the Xenopus laevis myosin light‐chain 2 (XMLC2) promoter drives Cre recombinase expression in a cardiac‐restricted fashion in the mouse embryo. We have isolated two XMLC2‐Cre lines that express recombinase exclusively within cardiomyocytes, from the onset of their differentiation in the cardiac crescent of the early embryo. Expression is maintained throughout the myocardium of the embryonic heart tube and subsequently the mature myocardium of the chambered heart. Recombinase activity is detected in all myocardial tissue, including the pulmonary veins. One XMLC2‐Cre line shows uniform expression while the other only expresses recombinase in a mosaic fashion encompassing less than 50% of the myocardial cells. Both lines cause severe cardiac malformations when crossed to a conditional Tbx5 line, resulting in embryonic death at midgestation. Optical projection tomography reveals that the spectrum of developmental abnormalities includes a shortening of the outflow tract and its abnormal alignment, along with a dramatic reduction in trabeculation of the ventricular segment of the looping heart tube. genesis 45:135‐144, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Mediterranean diet revisited: evidence of its effectiveness grows

Purpose of review The optimal dietary strategy for the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases remains a challenging and a highly relevant preventive health issue. In recent years, there have been ongoing investigations of the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the development of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Initial research suggested that the consumption of diets high in vegetable oil, fish, and complex grains and carbohydrates conferred a benefit in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence in support of the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic disease and their associated risk factors. Recent findings Recent studies intended to evaluate the Mediterranean diet in the primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic degenerative diseases have been focused on examining the impact of a whole dietary approach rather than on isolating single nutrients; it is recognized that analyses of single nutrients ignore the important and complex interactions between components of a diet and, more importantly, because people do not eat isolated nutrients. Therefore, dietary scores estimating the adherence to a Mediterranean diet within a population have been developed. Consumption of a Mediterranean diet has been found to be associated with a reduction of overall mortality and a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease. Summary The Mediterranean diet has been consistently shown to be associated with favourable health outcomes and a better quality of life. The findings suggest that significant health gains can be expected in a general population whose diet reflects the nutritional principles reflected in a Mediterranean diet.
Analog current-mode CMOS implementation of central pattern generator for robot locomotion

We propose an analog current-mode central pattern generator (CPG). Our circuit is based on the neural oscillator proposed by Matsuoka, well known as a building block for constructing a robot locomotion controller. We modified the Matsuoka's oscillator to be suitable for analog current-mode implementation, and implemented it as an analog integrated circuit with current-mode low-pass filters. The oscillator circuit operates in the subthreshold region under the low-supply voltages, and thus low power consumption can be expected. We constructed a CPG circuit with four oscillator circuits. Through SPICE simulations, we confirmed that the CPG circuit generates stable phase-locked oscillation corresponding to typical locomotion of patterns of animals, and that the amplitude and frequency of the oscillation can be controlled by tuning bias currents over a wide range.
Blame avoidance in comparative perspective: reactivity, staged retreat and efficacy

Building on blame-avoidance analysis, this paper develops a method to assess the reactivity, sequencing and efficacy of defensive responses by officeholders facing a crisis of personal blame, analysing cases drawn from four advanced democracies. It tests the hypotheses that officeholders: react by positive action rather than non-engagement when blame levels are high; respond in a ‘staged retreat’ sequence; and can reduce the level of blame they face from one day to another through choice of presentational strategies. The paper applies event history analysis to test the sequencing hypothesis and time series cross-sectional models to test the reactivity and efficacy hypotheses. The analysis shows that officeholders tend to respond actively when blame levels are high, that to some extent their responses tend to follow a staged retreat pattern, and their interventions have a systematic effect on the next day’s media blame level only if they take the form of personal statements
Simulated Annealing With An Optimal Fixed Temperature

Contrary to conventional belief, it turns out that in some problem instances of moderate size, fixed temperature simulated annealing algorithms based on a heuristic formula for determining the optimal temperature can be superior to algorithms based on cooling. Such a heuristic formula, however, often seems elusive. In practical cases considered we include instances of traveling salesman, quadratic assignment, and graph partitioning problems, where we obtain results that compare favorably to the ones known in the literature.
Photosynthetic gas exchange and accumulation of phytotoxins in mangrove seedlings in response to soil physico-chemical characteristics associated with waterlogging.

We evaluated photosynthetic gas exchange and the accumulation of iron, manganese and sulfur in seedlings of five mangrove species (Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. , Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk. , Hibiscus tiliaceus L. and Rhizophora stylosa Griff. ) growing under anoxic soil conditions at low irradiance. Seedlings of the viviparous mangroves showed no significant responses to root anoxia. The presence of ferrous sulfate or manganous sulfate had a smaller effect on CO(2) assimilation, transpiration rate and stomatal behavior than the presence of sodium sulfide. Sodium sulfide inhibited photosynthetic gas exchange and caused complete stomatal closure in all species. Stomatal closure was probably the result of the damaging effect of sulfide ions on root cell membranes. Some leaf epinasty and wilting were also observed in response to the Na(2)S treatment in all species. A combination of FeSO(4), MnSO(4) and Na(2)S had a smaller effect on photosynthesis than Na(2)S alone, especially for Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa seedlings, which maintained appreciable rates of CO(2) assimilation (2.49 and 3.84 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1), respectively) in the presence of all three phytotoxins. Roots of phytotoxin-treated seedlings of all species accumulated significant amounts of the corresponding toxin compared with roots of the control plants. The FeSO(4) or MnSO(4) treatments had no effect on foliar concentrations of iron or manganese, whereas the Na(2)S treatment resulted in an accumulation of S in the leaves of all species. Interactions between Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) and sulfide in the culture medium appeared to reduce their uptake by the seedlings. We conclude that high concentrations of sulfides in mangrove sediments may adversely affect both growth and survival of mangrove seedlings at low irradiances.
Parent-Adolescent Relationships, Sexuality-Related Communication and Sexual Identity Development

PARENT-ADOLESCENT RELATIONSHIPS, SEXUALITY-RELATED COMMUNICATION AND SEXUAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT Sandra Ana Pericak Advisor: University of Guelph, 2012 Dr. Susan Lollis The purpose of this study was to investigate sexuality-related topics discussed and not discussed with mothers, the perceived importance placed on sexuality-related communication within families, and the influences of parent-adolescent attachment quality and sexuality-related communication on sexual identity development using a sample of female university students. One hundred and eighty six participants completed an online survey consisting of questionnaires assessing their attachment relationship with their mothers, sexuality-related topic communication, perceptions of family sex communication, and sexual identity development. Sexuality-related topics falling within the development and societal concerns and sexual safety domains were more likely to be discussed than topics within the experience of sex or solitary sex domains. Family sexuality-related communication was perceived as important and valuable. Overall, results of this study indicated that attachment quality was negatively associated with sexual identity exploration, frequency of sexuality-related discussion was related to greater identity commitment scores, and orientation toward family sex communication was associated with greater identity synthesis/integration.
Developmental changes in childrens’ use of computer input devices

Input devices represent the first interface that the child must master in learning to use computers yet there is little empirical or theoretical work on the child's ability to use them. This paper describes the performance of 5 to 10 year old children using a touchscreen, mouse, joystick and key‐push to control a screen display. Deliberately simple tasks were employed to focus on how the child coped with the properties of the devices. Data are presented in the context of specific questions about ways that the devices can be regarded as requiring skills on the part of the child that would be differentially available at different points in development
Unsupervised Feature Selection Using Geometrical Measures in Prototype Space for Hyperspectral Imagery

Feature/band selection is a common technique to overcome the “curse of dimensionality” posed by the high dimensionality of hyperspectral imagery. When the image is characterized by unknown phenomena, an unsupervised approach can be utilized to select the most distinctive and informative bands. The efficiency of an unsupervised feature selection (FS) depends on the criteria to be optimized and the space (e.g., feature space, pixel space, spectral space, etc.) in which the data are represented. Moreover, the determination of the initial feature and the determination of the optimal feature size (the optimal number of distinct bands to be selected) are other challenges faced in unsupervised approaches. In this paper, we propose two unsupervised FS methods by representing bands in the prototype space (PS). The first method proposes a way for selecting the initial feature based on the orthogonal distance from the PS diagonal and determines the optimal feature size by employing the HySime algorithm in the PS. The second method uses two criteria defined by the tangent of the angles between the band vectors in the PS in order to select the initial feature and to describe the band correlations. Meanwhile, the determination of the optimal feature size is embedded in this method. The experimental results on real and synthetic data sets show that our methods are more reliable and can yield a better result in terms of class separability and Friedman test than other widely used techniques.
Presence of abdominal aortic calcification is significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Although abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is reported as a predictor for cardiovascular mortality in the general population, it is unknown whether this is also true in hemodialysis patients in whom vascular calcification and cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent. STUDY DESIGN Cohort study. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS 515 patients on maintenance hemodialysis therapy at a single center. PREDICTOR AAC evaluated in a plain roentgenograph of the lateral abdomen at baseline. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS All-cause and cardiovascular death. RESULTS Mean age was 60 +/- 12 (SD) years. AAC was present in 291 patients (56.5%). During a mean follow-up period of 51 +/- 17 months, there were 103 all-cause deaths, of which 41 were from cardiovascular diseases. Of patients with and without AAC, 27.8% and 9.8% died, respectively (11.6% and 3.1% of cardiovascular diseases, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that all-cause mortality was significantly greater in patients with AAC compared to those without (P < 0.0001, log-rank test). Similarly, cardiovascular mortality was significantly greater in the former than in the latter group (P = 0.0001, log-rank test). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis found that the presence of AAC was significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 3.56; P < 0.01) and increased cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 5.66; P < 0.05) after adjustment for age, hemodialysis duration, presence of diabetes, serum albumin level, and C-reactive protein level. LIMITATIONS Nonquantitative assessment of AAC and the lack of information for medication and history of cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSION The presence of AAC is significantly associated with both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients, suggesting that careful attention should be given to the presence of AAC in a simple radiograph of the lateral abdomen as a prognostic indicator.
Exploring the Origins of Organizational Paths: Empirical Evidence From Newly Founded Firms

The notion of path dependence in organizational processes has intrigued scholars for several decades. Yet, while extant studies provide rich insights on the factors that cause persistence in organizational paths, research that explores the origins of organizational paths remains scant. Analyzing data collected from 446 firm founders, the author investigates the creation of product—market paths in new firms. The analysis reveals systematic relationships between key pre-entry human capital endowments of founders and the consideration of alternative solutions in path creation, thereby helping us to better explain, and predict, organizational path creation. Implications for the organizational and entrepreneurship literatures are discussed.
Mitochondrial enzymes are protected from stress-induced aggregation by mitochondrial chaperones and the Pim1/LON protease

Protein aggregation negatively affects key enzymes of major metabolic pathways in mitochondria. The main mitochondrial chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp60 have a limited protective effect against aggregation. In contrast, the ATP-dependent matrix protease Pim1/LON significantly reduces aggregate levels by preventing the accumulation of damaged polypeptides.
Vaccination and the dynamics of immune evasion

Vaccines exert strong selective pressures on pathogens, favouring the spread of antigenic variants. We propose a simple mathematical model to investigate the dynamics of a novel pathogenic strain that emerges in a population where a previous strain is maintained at low endemic level by a vaccine. We compare three methods to assess the ability of the novel strain to invade and persist: algebraic rate of invasion; deterministic dynamics; and stochastic dynamics. These three techniques provide complementary predictions on the fate of the system. In particular, we emphasize the importance of stochastic simulations, which account for the possibility of extinctions of either strain. More specifically, our model suggests that the probability of persistence of an invasive strain (i) can be minimized for intermediate levels of vaccine cross-protection (i.e. immune protection against the novel strain) and (ii) is lower if cross-immunity acts through a reduced infectious period rather than through reduced susceptibility.
Direction-of-arrival estimation in partly calibrated subarray-based sensor arrays

The problem of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in partly calibrated arrays is addressed. We assume that an array is composed of multiple well-calibrated subarrays of arbitrary known geometry, but there are imperfections between subarrays. We address the cases of unknown (or known with a certain error) intersubarray displacements, imperfect synchronization of subarrays in time, unknown propagation channel mismatches between subarrays, as well as combinations of these effects. A new subspace-based approach to DOA estimation is proposed, which is applicable to this general class of partly calibrated arrays. DOA identifiability issues for such arrays are discussed, and a relevant Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) is derived. Numerical examples illustrate the performance of the proposed estimators.
Characterization of the Interaction between Interleukin-13 and Interleukin-13 Receptors*

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) possesses two types of receptor: the heterodimer, composed of the IL-13Rα1 chain (IL-13Rα1) and the IL-4Rα chain (IL-4Rα), transducing the IL-13 signals; and the IL-13Rα2 chain (IL-13Rα2), acting as a nonsignaling “decoy” receptor. Extracellular portions of both IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2 are composed of three fibronectin type III domains, D1, D2, and D3, of which the last two comprise the cytokine receptor homology modules (CRHs), a common structure of the class I cytokine receptor superfamily. Thus far, there has been no information about the critical amino acids of the CRHs or the role of the D1 domains of IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2 in binding to IL-13. In this study, we first built the homology modeling of the IL-13·hIL-13 receptor complexes and then predicted the amino acids involved in binding to IL-13. By incorporating mutations into these amino acids, we identified Tyr-207, Asp-271, Tyr-315, and Asp-318 in the CRH of human IL-13Rα2, and Leu-319 and Tyr-321 in the CRH of human IL-13Rα1, as critical residues for binding to IL-13. Tyr-315 in IL-13Rα2 and Leu-319 in IL-13Rα1 are positionally conserved hydrophobic amino acid residues. Furthermore, by using D1 domain-deleted mutants, we found that the D1 domain is needed for the expression of IL-13Rα2, but not IL-13Rα1, and that the D1 domain of IL-13Rα1 is important for binding to IL-13, but not to IL-4. These results provide the basis for a precise understanding of the interaction between IL-13 and its receptors.
Training Deep AutoEncoders for Collaborative Filtering

This paper proposes a novel model for the rating prediction task in recommender systems which significantly outperforms previous state-of-the art models on a time-split Netflix data set. Our model is based on deep autoencoder with 6 layers and is trained end-to-end without any layer-wise pre-training. We empirically demonstrate that: a) deep autoencoder models generalize much better than the shallow ones, b) non-linear activation functions with negative parts are crucial for training deep models, and c) heavy use of regularization techniques such as dropout is necessary to prevent over-fiting. We also propose a new training algorithm based on iterative output re-feeding to overcome natural sparseness of collaborate filtering. The new algorithm significantly speeds up training and improves model performance. Our code is available at this https URL
Auditory processing in children with dyslexia: electrophysiological and behavior evaluation.

PURPOSE To compare the performances of children with dyslexia and a control group in behavioral tests of (Central) Auditory Processing and Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (P300). METHODS Participants were 22 individuals with dyslexia (study group) and 16 individuals with typical development (control group). All individuals underwent behavioral and electrophysiological assessment of (Central) Auditory Processing (Frequency Pattern Test, Dichotic Digit Test, Speech-in-Noise Test, and P300). RESULTS Concerning the behavioral tests, there was difference between groups for the Frequency Pattern Test and for the left ear in the Dichotic Digit Test, with worse performance observed in the study group. Considering the P300, there was difference between groups regarding amplitude and latency absolute values, but this finding was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that individuals with dyslexia present temporal auditory processing and figure-ground alterations, which was evidenced by behavioral auditory processing tests. There was no difference between the performance of both groups for the P300 test.
Hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic peripheral cholangiocarcinoma: enhancement patterns with quadruple phase helical CT--a comparative study.

PURPOSE To define the hemodynamic features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by using quadruple phase helical computed tomography (CT) and determine the value of this information in characterizing tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Helical CT of the liver was performed in 45 patients with newly diagnosed HCC or peripheral cholangiocarcinoma. Scans were obtained before and 25 seconds, 70 seconds, and 2-6 minutes after the start of the contrast material injection. The intensity and spatial distribution of contrast material uptake were evaluated during all phases. Time-attenuation curves were established for each lesion. Relative attenuation and lesion conspicuity were assessed. A diagnostic confidence level was assigned to each lesion. RESULTS In the majority of HCC lesions, a single, early peak of enhancement followed by a continuous decrease in tumor attenuation over time was seen. The greatest tumor conspicuity occurred during the delayed phase. In cholangiocarcinoma, tumor attenuation increased during the delayed phase. In the majority of lesions, the greatest tumor conspicuity was seen during the portal venous phase. In both tumor types, the diagnostic confidence level improved when the delayed phase was used. CONCLUSION The variation over time in the intensity of contrast enhancement in HCC and cholangiocarcinoma differs sufficiently to make this a useful diagnostic criterion. The delayed phase is particularly important because it amplifies this difference.
Regression Analysis for Stature Determination from Hand Anthropometry of Malaysian Malays for Forensic Investigation

During the investigation of mass disasters cases, the primary aim of any forensic investigator is to identify the individuals by analyzing the disintegrated human body organs. Stature determination has been shown as possible using the measurements of different body parts. Hand anthropometry is found to yield important predictive information about an individual’s stature and may further help in narrowing down the possible matching identities. Literature review shows that a limited number of studies have been conducted on stature estimation from hand measurements. The present investigation is aimed to derive population specific regression equations to estimate stature from hand anthropometry of Malaysian Malays, since it is improper to utilize a single equation derived from a particular population for various populations. Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science & Law-December 2014-Vol.5 No.2; 8-15