Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro and in vivo study of pluripotency in intraspecific hybrid cells obtained by fusion of murine embryonic stem cells with splenocytes

Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase–deficient (HPRT‐) mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, HM‐1 cells (genotype XY), were fused with adult female DD/c mouse spleen cells. As a result, a set of HAT‐resistant clones was isolated. Four hybrid clones most similar in morphology and growth characteristics to the HM‐1 cells were studied in detail with respect to their pluripotency. Of these, three clones contained 41–43 chromosomes, and one clone was nearly tetraploid. All the clones had the XXY set of sex chromosomes and expressed the HPRT of the somatic partner only. The hybrid clones shared features with the HM‐1 cells, indicating that they retained their pluripotent properties: (1) embryonic ECMA‐7 antigen, not TROMA‐1 antigen, was present in most cells; (2) the hybrid cells showed high activity of endogenous alkaline phosphatase (AP); (3) all the hybrid clones were able to form complex embryoid bodies containing derivatives of all the embryonic germinal layers; (4) the hybrid cells contained synchronously replicating X chromosomes, indicating that they were in an active state; and (5) a set of chimeric animals was generated by injecting hybrid cells into BALB/c and C57BL/6J mouse blastocysts. Evidence for chimerism was provided by the spotted coat derived from 129/Ola mice and identification of 129/Ola glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) in many organs. Thus the results obtained demonstrated that the hybrid cells retain their high pluripotency level despite the close contact of the “pluripotent” HM‐1 genome with the “somatic” spleen cell genome during hybrid cell formation and the presence of the “somatic” X chromosome during many cell generations. The presence of HPRT of the somatic partner in many organs and tissues, including the testes in chimeric animals, shows that the “somatic” X chromosome segregates weakly, if at all, during development of the chimeras. There were no individuals with the 129/Ola genotype among the more than 50 offspring from chimeric mice. The lack of the 129/Ola genotype is explained by the imbalance of the sex chromosomes in the hybrid cells rendering the passage of hybrid cell descendants through meiosis in chimeras impossible. As a result, chimeras become unable to produce gametes of the hybrid cell genotype. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 50:128–138, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Attention to Painful Stimulation Enhances γ-Band Activity and Synchronization in Human Sensorimotor Cortex

A number of cortical regions are involved in processing pain-related information. The SI and SII somatosensory cortices process mainly sensory discriminative attributes but also play an important role in recognition and memory of painful events. Regions such as SII and the posterior insula appear to be the first stations that house processes by which attention profoundly shapes both behavioral responses and subjective pain experience. We investigated the influence of directed attention on pain-induced oscillations and synchronization processes using magnetoencephalogram in combination with an oddball paradigm in 20 healthy subjects. The subject's task was to count rare painful electrical stimuli applied to one finger, while ignoring frequent stimuli at a different finger. A high detection ratio was observed for all blocks and subjects. Early evoked oscillations in the δ-band increased with higher stimulus intensity and directed attention, most prominently at contralateral sensorimotor sites. Furthermore, suppression and rebound of β activity were observed after painful stimulation. Moreover, induced oscillatory activity in the high γ-band increased with directed attention, an effect being significantly stronger for high compared with low stimulus intensity. Coupling analysis performed for this high γ response revealed stronger functional interactions between ipsilateral and contralateral sites during attention. We conclude that pain-induced high-frequency activity in sensorimotor areas may reflect an attentional augmentation of processing, leading to enhanced saliency of pain-related signals and thus to more efficient processing of this information by downstream cortical centers.
Preparing Planners

Little is known about the factors influencing the skills that planners utilize in practice. This study draws upon national survey data to identify the factors influencing skill acquisition and use, paying particular attention to the role of graduate planning education. The results of the analysis suggest that those holding a Planning Accreditation Board–accredited planning degree utilize a larger number of skills in practice, particularly skills pertaining to the core domains of planning knowledge. These findings suggest that PAB accreditation plays an important role in shaping the types of planners sought by employers.
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF BIDIMENSIONAL MODE, M-MODE, AND DOPPLER OF CLINICALLY NORMAL BLACK-RUMPED AGOUTI (DASYPROCTA PRYMNOLOPHA, WAGLER 1831)

Abstract The black-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Wagler 1831) is currently under intense ecologic pressure, which has resulted in its disappearance from some regions of Brazil. Echocardiography is widely used in veterinary medicine but it is not yet part of the clinical routine for wild animals. The objective of the present study was to assess the applicability of the echocardiographic exam in nonanesthetized agouti and to establish normal reference values for echocardiographic measurements in bidimensional mode (2D), M-mode, and Doppler for this species, and a lead II electrocardiogram was simultaneously recorded. Twenty agouti were used in this study. All the echocardiographic measurements were positively correlated with weight (P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences between sexes (P > 0.05). Blood flow velocities in the pulmonary and aortic artery ranged from 67.32–71.28 cm/sec and 79.22–101.84 cm/sec, respectively. The isovolumic relaxation time was assessed in all the animals and ranged from 38.5 to 56.6 ms. The maximum value for the nonfused E and A waves and the Et and At waves was 158 beats/min for both. The results obtained for the morphologic and heart hemodynamic measurements can guide future studies and help in the clinical management of these animals in captivity.
Chaotic and periodic analysis of fetal magnetocardiogram recordings in growth restriction

We studied how chaotic and periodic heart rate dynamics differ between normal fetuses (n = 19) and intrauterine growth restricted fetuses (n = 11) at 34 to 37 weeks of gestation. We quantified the chaotic dynamics of each heart rate time series obtained by fetal magnetocardiography (FMCG) using correlation dimension.
The interaction between speech perception and speech production: implications for speakers with dysarthria

The purpose of the research presented here was to systematically investigate the role of speech perception on speech production in speakers of different ages and those with PD and hypokinetic dysarthria. For this, the experimental designs of auditory perturbation and mimicry were chosen. The initial research phase established that the magnitude of compensation to auditory vowel perturbation was reduced in 54 speakers of New Zealand English (NZE) when compared to previous studies conducted with speakers of American (AE) and Canadian English (CE). A number of factors were studied to determine possible predictors of compensation and distinguish between potential changes associated with ageing. However, no predictors of compensation were found for the overall group. Post-hoc analyses established an increased variability in response patterns in NZE when compared to previous studies of AE and CE. Subsequent follow-up analyses focused on the response-dependent categories of (1) big compensators, (2) compensators, (3) big followers, and (4) followers. Linear mixed-effect modelling revealed that in big compensators, the magnitude of compensation was greater in speakers who exhibited larger F1 baseline standard deviation and greater F1 vowel distances of HEAD relative to HEED and HAD. F1 baseline standard deviation was found to have a similar predictive value for the group of compensators. No predictors of compensation were found for the other two subgroups. Phase two was set up as a continuation of phase one and examined whether a subset of 16 speakers classified as big compensators adapted to auditory vowel perturbation. Linear mixed-effect modelling revealed that in the absence of auditory feedback alterations, big compensators maintained their revised speech motor commands for a short period of time until a process of deadaptation was initiated. No predictors of adaptation were found for the group. Due to the unexpected results from the first two research phases indicating a dominant weighting of somatosensory feedback in NZE compared to auditory-perceptual influences, a different experimental paradigm was selected for phase three—mimicry. The purpose of this study was to determine whether eight speakers with PD and dysarthria and eight age-matched healthy controls (HC) are able to effectively integrate speech perception and speech production when attempting to match an acoustic target. Results revealed that all speakers were able to modify their speech production to approximate the model speaker but the acoustic dimensions of their speech did not move significantly closer to the target over the three mimicry attempts.
Shrinkage Algorithms for MMSE Covariance Estimation

We address covariance estimation in the sense of minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) when the samples are Gaussian distributed. Specifically, we consider shrinkage methods which are suitable for high dimensional problems with a small number of samples (large p small n). First, we improve on the Ledoit-Wolf (LW) method by conditioning on a sufficient statistic. By the Rao-Blackwell theorem, this yields a new estimator called RBLW, whose mean-squared error dominates that of LW for Gaussian variables. Second, to further reduce the estimation error, we propose an iterative approach which approximates the clairvoyant shrinkage estimator. Convergence of this iterative method is established and a closed form expression for the limit is determined, which is referred to as the oracle approximating shrinkage (OAS) estimator. Both RBLW and OAS estimators have simple expressions and are easily implemented. Although the two methods are developed from different perspectives, their structure is identical up to specified constants. The RBLW estimator provably dominates the LW method for Gaussian samples. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the OAS approach can perform even better than RBLW, especially when n is much less than p . We also demonstrate the performance of these techniques in the context of adaptive beamforming.
Interpersonal trauma, posttraumatic stress and depression

Dating aggression is common among emerging adults, and women who experience aggression from a dating partner are at risk for elevated depress ion and posttraumatic stress (Dutton et al., 2006). Although some women end their relationshi ps as a result of aggression, other women remain committed to their partner, and aggression tends to escalate over time. The current study explored the role that depress ion and posttraumatic stress play in ending aggressive dating relationships as well changes in these symptoms after ending such a relationship. The current study also sought t o identify factors predictive of individual differences in emerging adults’ commitme n to their aggressive dating relationships. A sample of 148 emerging adult women currently in an aggressive dating relationship completed questionnaires about themselves and thei r relationship; measures of rejection sensitivity, self-worth, and romantic rel ational style were included as predictors of the Investment Model variables (e.g., investme nt, satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and commitment; Rusbult, 1980). Two asse ssments were completed six months apart. Neither depression nor posttraumatic stress pr edicted ending an aggressive relationship. However, ending an aggressive relationship wa s associated with experiencing less physical aggression, which mediated re ductions in posttraumatic stress. A more avoidant romantic style indirectly predicted commitment through relationship satisfaction and investment. Both commitment and rejection sensitivity significantly predicted continuing an aggressive relations h p six months later. iii Acknowledgements Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Ruth Kirschstein F31 Predoctoral Fellowship 5F31MH085395 through the National Institute of Mental Health. In addition, support was provided by Grant HD049080 from the National Institute of Child Healt h and Human Development (W. Furman, P.I.). For their collaboration and assistance in data collection, appreciation is expressed to the staff of the Gender Violence Edu ation and Support Center at the University of Denver, the Rape and Gender Education Program at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the Assault Survivors Advocacy Program a t the University of Northern Colorado. Appreciation also is expressed to Project ST AR staff at the University of Denver for assisting in data collection.
Mapping of IP3-Mediated Ca2+ Signals in Single Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells: Cell Volume Shaping the Ca2+ Signal

Fast confocal laser-scanning microscopy was used to study spatiotemporal properties of IP3-mediated Ca2+ release signals in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. [Ca2+]iincreases were not affected by ryanodine (30 μM) or caffeine (10 mM) and largely insensitive to removal of external Ca2+, indicating predominance of IP3-induced Ca2+release. Ca2+ signals evoked by high concentration (10 μM) of the muscarinic agonist carbachol appeared as self-propagating waves initiating in cell processes. At low carbachol concentrations (500 nM) Ca2+ changes in most cells displayed striking spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The Ca2+ response in the cell body was delayed and had a smaller amplitude and a slower rise time than that in processes. Ca2+ changes in processes either occurred in a homogeneous manner throughout the whole process or were sometimes confined to hot spots. Regional differences in surface-to-volume ratio appear to be critical clues that determine the spatiotemporal pattern of intracellular Ca2+ release signals.
Psychological Distress and Job Stressors Among Lebanese Workers: Experience From a Private Sector

ABSTRACT No published data exists on the prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among the Lebanese working population, and its association with job stressors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2003 among Lebanese employees in a private administrative company. All employees (n = 200) received an anonymous questionnaire by mail. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used to estimate the prevalence of PD. Multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between GHQ-28 Likert score (0–84) and job stressors and other covariates. The participation rate was 79.3%. PD was identified in 30.0% of the studied population. A significant association was found between PD and lack of moral support, a recent disturbing event, feeling of job insecurity, and inability to be proactive. The results showed a high prevalence of PD in the studied population with significant association with job stressors.
Effect of Partial Proteolysis on the Activation Energy of β-N-Acetylhexosaminidase Precursor and Mature Forms

Abstract Using 3,3′-diclorophenolsulfoftaleinil N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide as a substrate, the apparent activation energy of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex) was determined in samples of plasma and urine, as well as in leukocyte and platelet lysates. Incubation with papain produced an increase in this thermodynamic variable for plasma Hex (precursor forms with high molecular mass) that would be caused by the proteolytic action of papain on the Hex A isoenzyme. However, digestion with papain did not significantly modify the activation energy of Hex in leukocyte and platelet lysates (mature enzymatic forms). In 11 healthy subjects and 28 patients with different renal diseases, no statistically significant differences were found with regard to the values obtained in cellular lysates for variations in the activation energy of urinary Hex, regardless of whether they presented normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria. These results support the hypothesis that even in patients with proteinuria, no significant amounts of plasma Hex precursor forms are found in urine samples, and the source of the enzyme activity is the kidney itself.
Determinants of word-of-mouth influence in sport viewership

The purpose of this study was to identify key characteristics of word-of-mouth (WOM) communication and examine their impact on sport consumers’ perceived influence in sport viewership. Through an extensive literature review, we identified the characteristics of the message sender (i.e., expertise and trustworthiness) and the message (i.e., richness of message content and strength of message delivery) as determinants of perceived influence of WOM. We also examined the moderating effects of homophily (interpersonal factors) and involvement (the message receiver characteristics). Data were collected from sport consumers who had received a recommendation to watch a sporting event in the preceding 3 months and actually watched the event. The results indicate the positive effects of trustworthiness, richness of message content, and strength of message delivery on WOM influence. Homophily and involvement were found to have moderating effects. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Enhanced Photodegradation Activity of Hydrogen-Terminated Si Nanowires Arrays with Different-Oriented Crystal Phases

Although Si nanowires (NWs) arrays are superior candidates for visible light photocatalysis, reports about the photodegradation activity of various crystal-orientated Si NWs are still insufficient. Here, light-doped hydrogen-terminated Si NWs arrays with different crystal orientations were prepared via a metal-assisted chemical etching method (MACE), which simply modulated the concentration of the oxidizer, H2O2. Their dye photodegradation activities were systematically and comprehensively investigated. When compared with Si NWs arrays with crystal orientations of (110) and (111), Si NWs arrays with (100) crystal orientation exhibit a superior photodegradation activity and stability due to the anisotropy of optical and physical properties. The n-type Si NWs arrays exhibit better photodegradation activity than the p-type Si NWs arrays of the same crystal orientation and similar length. The results provide a further understanding of the synthesis of Si NWs arrays with various orientations, and the relationships between photodegradation activity/stability and crystal orientations.
Prevalence of Parasomnia in Autistic Children with Sleep Disorders

The prevalence of sleep related complaints is reported by questionnaire studies to be as high as 83.3% in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Questionnaire studies report the presence of various parasomnia in ASD. However, no polysomnographic study reports non-REM parasomnias and only a single study reports REM related parasomnias in ASD. We investigated the prevalence and characteristics of sleep disorders by polysomnographic study and questionnaires in a cohort of 23 children with ASD and 23 age-matched children of a non-autistic comparison group. The results showed significantly more non-REM parasomnias in 14 children with ASD on polysomnograms (PSG) and 16 ASD children by questionnaire, a finding that was not associated with medication use, other comorbid medical or psychiatric disorders, or sleep disordered breathing. Of the 14 children with ASD who had PSG evidence of parasomnia, 11 of them had a history suggestive of parasomnia by questionnaire. There was a high sensitivity but a low specificity of parasomnia in ASD by questionnaire in predicting the presence of parasomnia in the PSG. Of the parasomnias recorded in the laboratory, 13 ASD children had Disorders of Partial Arousal, consistent with sleep terrors or confusional arousals. Furthermore, multiple episodes of partial arousal occurred in 11 of the 13 ASD children who had PSG evidence of Disorders of Partial Arousal. Of the 11 ASD children with multiple episodes of partial arousal, 6 ASD children had multiple partial arousals during both nights’ PSG study. Sleep architecture was abnormal in children with ASD, characterized by increased spontaneous arousals, prolonged REM latency and reduced REM percentage. These results suggest a high prevalence of parasomnia in this cohort of children with ASD and a careful history intake of symptoms compatible with parasomnia could be prudent to diagnose parasomnia in ASD children when performing a PSG is not possible.
A Comparison of the Results of Three Auction Experiments

Experiments were run at Cornell University to test three different auctions: A uniform price (last accepted offer) auction, a discriminatory (pay-as-you-bid) auction and a hybrid uniform price/discriminatory auction that has been proposed by FERC as a possible interim fix to the California market. The purpose of these experiments was to try and duplicate actual behavior observed in operating markets and then design mechanisms to explain the behavior and mitigate it when appropriate.
Conversation detection and speaker segmentation in privacy-sensitive situated speech data

We present privacy-sensitive methods for (1) automatically finding multi-person conversations in spontaneous, situated speech data and (2) segmenting those conversations into speaker turns. The methods protect privacy through a feature set that is rich enough to capture conversational styles and dynamics, but not sufficient for reconstructing intelligible speech. Experimental results show that the conversation finding method outperforms earlier approaches and that the speaker segmentation method is a significant improvement to the only other known privacy-sensitive method for speaker segmentation.
Opioidergic and dopaminergic manipulation of gambling tendencies: a preliminary study in male recreational gamblers

Gambling is characterized by cognitive distortions in the processing of chance and skill that are exacerbated in pathological gambling. Opioid and dopamine dysregulation is implicated in pathological gambling, but it is unclear whether these neurotransmitters modulate gambling distortions. The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone and the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol on gambling behavior. Male recreational gamblers (n = 62) were assigned to receive single oral doses of naltrexone 50 mg, haloperidol 2 mg or placebo, in a parallel-groups design. At 2.5 h post-dosing, participants completed a slot machine task to elicit monetary wins, “near-misses,” and a manipulation of personal choice, and a roulette game to elicit two biases in sequential processing, the gambler's fallacy and the hot hand belief. Psychophysiological responses (electrodermal activity and heart rate) were taken during the slot machine task, and plasma prolactin increase was assessed. The tasks successfully induced the gambling effects of interest. Some of these effects differed across treatment groups, although the direction of effect was not in line with our predictions. Differences were driven by the naltrexone group, which displayed a greater physiological response to wins, and marginally higher confidence ratings on winning streaks. Prolactin levels increased in the naltrexone group, but did not differ between haloperidol and placebo, implying that naltrexone but not haloperidol may have been functionally active at these doses. Our results support opioid modulation of cognition during gambling-like tasks, but did not support the more specific hypothesis that naltrexone may act to ameliorate cognitive distortions.