Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IHF-binding sites inhibit DNA loop formation and transcription initiation

Transcriptional activation of enhancer and σ54-dependent promoters requires efficient interactions between enhancer-binding proteins (EBP) and promoter bound σ54-RNA polymerase (Eσ54) achieved by DNA looping, which is usually facilitated by the integration host factor (IHF). Since the lengths of the intervening region supporting DNA-loop formation are similar among IHF-dependent and IHF-independent promoters, the precise reason(s) why IHF is selectively important for the frequency of transcription initiation remain unclear. Here, using kinetic cyclization and in vitro transcription assays we show that, in the absence of IHF protein, the DNA fragments containing an IHF-binding site have much less looping-formation ability than those that lack an IHF-binding site. Furthermore, when an IHF consensus-binding site was introduced into the intervening region between promoter and enhancer of the target DNA fragments, loop formation and DNA-loop-dependent transcriptional activation are significantly reduced in a position-independent manner. DNA-looping-independent transcriptional activation was unaffected. The binding of IHF to its consensus site in the target promoters clearly restored efficient DNA looping formation and looping-dependent transcriptional activation. Our data provide evidence that one function for the IHF protein is to release a communication block set by intrinsic properties of the IHF DNA-binding site.
Aspects of Swedish ophthalmic nurses’ attitudes towards research

The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards research among a subgroup of Swedish nurses specializing in ophthalmic care and to compare the results with the findings of a similar study from 2001. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 250 Swedish nurses. A factor analysis was performed on the responses to a web-based questionnaire to discern the factors underlying the ophthalmic nurses’ attitudes. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. A five-factor solution accounted for 47% of the cumulative variance, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.56 to 0.8. The responses to the open-ended questions indicated that among the nurses interested in conducting research, lack of time was the most prominent cause for not doing so, whereas older age and time constraints were the most important factors for those who were not interested in research, largely consistent with previous studies. Furthermore, the nurses mentioned frustration and bad experiences related to conducting research during their education programmes. Overall, however, the participating ophthalmic nurses were more reluctant to engage in research, perhaps because of their significantly older age compared to a previous study cohort. The results reveal new information implying that further qualitative studies would be beneficial to the planning of nursing education and to the integration of nurses in clinical scientific work.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation during Positron Emission Tomography: A New Method for Studying Connectivity of the Human Cerebral Cortex

We describe a new technique permitting the mapping of neural connections in the living human brain. The method combines two well established tools of brain research: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and positron emission tomography (PET). We use TMS to stimulate directly a selected cortical area while simultaneously measuring changes in brain activity, indexed by cerebral blood flow (CBF), with PET. The exact location of the stimulation site is achieved by means of frameless stereotaxy. In the first study using this technique, we found significant positive correlations between CBF and the number of TMS pulse trains at the stimulation site, namely the left frontal eye field (FEF) and, most importantly, in the visual cortex of the superior parietal and medial parieto-occipital regions. The pattern of these distal effects was consistent with the known anatomic connectivity of the monkey FEF. We suggest that the combined TMS/PET technique offers an objective tool for assessing the state of functional connectivity without requiring the subject to engage in any specific behavior.
ARABLE ACREAGE IN ENGLAND , 1270-1871

As part of a project to reconstruct agricultural output between 1270 and 1871, this paper provides estimates of the total arable acreage in England before the start of official data. Contrary to the recent claims of Clark (2011), it is shown that the arable acreage in the medieval period must have been lower than the peak nineteenth century acreage of 13.9 million acres. By quantifying the main changes in land use between 1290 and 1871 on a regional basis and by taking account of the distribution of the population by county in 1290, a new estimate of 12.75 million acres is obtained for the arable acreage in 1290. Estimates are also provided for other benchmark years, and the arable acreage is apportioned between fallow and the major crops. Acknowledgements: This note forms part of the project “Reconstructing the National Income of Britain and Holland, c.1270/1500 to 1850”, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, Reference Number F/00215AR.
Group cognitive behaviour therapy combining early intervention with an exclusive focus on single medication-resistant delusional beliefs: a service evaluation

Abstract Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is now the psychological treatment of choice for psychosis but meta-analyses indicate a low effect size on delusions, so further innovations are clearly needed, and group CBT for psychosis (GCBTp) is an under-researched area. This study aimed to service-evaluate the feasibility, satisfaction, safety, and effectiveness of a CBT group specifically targeting medication-resistant single delusions in early psychosis patients (EI-GCBTp). Three separate EI-GCBTp groups were run resulting in a total of 11 medication-resistant early psychosis patients. A within-subjects design tested for group change across two time points: pre-baseline (4 weeks before treatment) to baseline (session 1 of treatment) and sessions 1–8 (the treatment period). Thirteen delusion dimensions were measured from three psychosis-specific questionnaires: The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS), Characteristics of Delusion Rating Scale, and the Belief Rating Scale. At least three patients attended each group, satisfaction scores were high, and no harm to patients was identified. With reference to effectiveness, the pre-baseline period showed virtually no change. In contrast, across the EI-GCBTp treatment period, the PSYRATS total demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in delusional severity (p < 0.01), a 31% symptom reduction, and a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.2, 95% confidence interval = −2.53 to 0.05), statistically significant across four delusion dimensions. EI-GCBTp appears feasible, acceptable, safe, and preliminary uncontrolled effectiveness results suggest merit for larger-scale more rigorous testing of this treatment format for possible dimensional improvements of persistent delusions.
One-dimensional parabolic diffraction equations: pointwise estimates and discretization of related stochastic differential equations with weighted local times

In this paper we consider one-dimensional partial differential equations of parabolic type involving a divergence form operator with a discontinuous coefficient and a compatibility transmission condition. We prove existence and uniqueness result by stochastic methods which also allow us to develop a low complexity Monte Carlo numerical resolution method. We get accurate pointwise estimates for the derivatives of the solutionfrom which we get sharp convergence rate estimates for our stochastic numerical method.
THE POWER OF PERSONALIZATION: CUSTOMER COLLABORATION AND VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Using electronic media for interaction with customers enables enterprises to integrate customer activity and knowledge about customers resulting in a high-quality relationship thus turning buying processes more efficient. In this paper we review the basics of personalization – how it works, where it can be used (the applications) and what makes it work (the enablers). Our discussion is structured around the four steps of the customer profile life cycle: modelling customer profiles, data input, data processing, and information output.
Clinical efficacy and safety of focused-image ultrasonography: a 2-year experience.

BACKGROUND Focused-image ultrasonography produces controlled waves that image dermal and subdermal structures in real time, with precise thermal coagulation points in a linear pattern, for eventual nonsurgical lifting. OBJECTIVES The authors evaluate the effectiveness of single and dual planes of ultrasound treatment by varying the directions of treatment lines, depths, and cumulative joule energies and compare the safety and efficacy of treatment with these variations. METHODS In this prospective, 2-part study, patients were treated by single- or dual-treatment depth with differing directions of treatment lines while the number of treatment lines and amount of energy delivered to brows or marionette lines remained constant (Study 1) or with lower or higher joule energy to opposing areas while the dual depths and number of vectored lines remained constant (Study 2). Lifting was measured using the matched-orientation function of specific mirroring software. Clinical outcomes were assessed with global aesthetic improvement scales. RESULTS Vertical vectoring of 15 treatment lines in both tissue depths produced significant lifting over the 15 horizontally-placed treatment lines in the opposing brows and marionette lines. Sites with more treatment lines and higher joule energy at dual depths resulted in significantly greater lifting (Study 2). Side effects were minimal. CONCLUSIONS Focused-imaged ultrasound therapy to facial tissues is safe and effective when performed as described.
Robust speaker clustering in eigenspace

We propose a speaker clustering scheme working in 'eigenspace'. Speaker models are transformed to a low-dimensional subspace using 'eigenvoices'. For the speaker clustering procedure, simple distance measures, e.g. Euclidean distance, can be applied. Moreover, clustering can be accomplished with base models (for eigenvoice projection) like Gaussian mixture models as well as conventional HMMs. In case of HMMs, re-projection to the original space readily yields acoustic models. Clustering in subspace produces a well-balanced cluster and is easy to control. In the field of speaker adaptation, several principal techniques can be distinguished. The most prominent among them are Bayesian adaptation (e.g. MAP), transformation based approaches (MLLR - maximum likelihood linear regression), as well as so-called eigenspace techniques. Especially the latter have become increasingly popular, as they make use of a-priori information about the distribution of speaker models. The basic approach is commonly called the eigenvoice (EV) approach. Besides these techniques, speaker clustering is a further attractive adaptation scheme, especially since it can be - and has been - easily combined with the above methods.
Chernobyl-Related Cancer and Precancerous Lesions: Incidence Increase Vs. Late Diagnostics

The reported incidence of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents in Soviet Union before the Chernobyl accident was lower than in other developed countries. This is not clearly recognizable from the literature because comparisons of the high incidence figures 4 years after the accident and later have been made with those from the first years after the accident, when the registered incidence had already started to increase. Considering the low pre-accident registered incidence, there was an accumulated pool of undiagnosed thyroid tumors before the accident. The percentage of more advanced cancers, larger in size and less differentiated, was higher after the accident, when the pool of neglected cancers was diagnosed due to the screening and improved diagnostics. Some of these advanced tumors found by screening were interpreted as aggressive radiogenic cancers. The same tendency might be true also for other cancers, e.g. renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, the screening-effect, false-positivity and registration of non-exposed patients as Chernobyl victims has obviously contributed to the registered incidence increase of malignancy.
Inter-Subject Variability in Human Atrial Action Potential in Sinus Rhythm versus Chronic Atrial Fibrillation

Aims Human atrial electrophysiology exhibits high inter-subject variability in both sinus rhythm (SR) and chronic atrial fibrillation (cAF) patients. Variability is however rarely investigated in experimental and theoretical electrophysiological studies, thus hampering the understanding of its underlying causes but also its implications in explaining differences in the response to disease and treatment. In our study, we aim at investigating the ability of populations of human atrial cell models to capture the inter-subject variability in action potential (AP) recorded in 363 patients both under SR and cAF conditions. Methods and Results Human AP recordings in atrial trabeculae (n = 469) from SR and cAF patients were used to calibrate populations of computational SR and cAF atrial AP models. Three populations of over 2000 sampled models were generated, based on three different human atrial AP models. Experimental calibration selected populations of AP models yielding AP with morphology and duration in range with experimental recordings. Populations using the three original models can mimic variability in experimental AP in both SR and cAF, with median conductance values in SR for most ionic currents deviating less than 30% from their original peak values. All cAF populations show similar variations in GK1, GKur and Gto, consistent with AF-related remodeling as reported in experiments. In all SR and cAF model populations, inter-subject variability in IK1 and INaK underlies variability in APD90, variability in IKur, ICaL and INaK modulates variability in APD50 and combined variability in Ito and IKur determines variability in APD20. The large variability in human atrial AP triangulation is mostly determined by IK1 and either INaK or INaCa depending on the model. Conclusion Experimentally-calibrated human atrial AP models populations mimic AP variability in SR and cAF patient recordings, and identify potential ionic determinants of inter-subject variability in human atrial AP duration and morphology in SR versus cAF.
The contribution of the IGM and minihaloes to the 21-cm signal of reionization

We study the statistical properties of the cosmological 21-cm signal from both the intergalactic medium (IGM) and minihaloes, using a reionization simulation that includes a self-consistent treatment of minihalo photoevaporation. We consider two models for minihalo formation and three typical thermal states of the IGM – heating purely by ionization, heating from both ionizing and Lyα photons and a maximal ‘strong heating’ model. We find that the signal from the IGM is almost always dominant over that from minihaloes. In our calculation, the differential brightness temperature, δTb, of minihaloes is never larger than 2 mK. Although there are indeed some differences in the signals from the minihaloes and from the IGM, even with the planned generation of radio telescopes it will be unfeasible to detect them. However, minihaloes significantly affect the ionization state of the IGM and the corresponding 21-cm flux.
Genotype V Japanese Encephalitis Virus Is Emerging

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a global public health issue that has spread widely to more than 20 countries in Asia and has extended its geographic range to the south Pacific region including Australia. JE has become the most important cause of viral encephalitis in the world. Japanese encephalitis viruses (JEV) are divided into five genotypes, based on the nucleotide sequence of the envelope (E) gene. The Muar strain, isolated from patient in Malaya in 1952, is the sole example of genotype V JEV. Here, the XZ0934 strain of JEV was isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus, collected in China. The complete nucleotide and amino acid sequence of XZ0934 strain have been determined. The nucleotide divergence ranged from 20.3% to 21.4% and amino acid divergence ranged from 8.4% to 10.0% when compared with the 62 known JEV isolates that belong to genotype I–IV. It reveals low similarity between XZ0934 and genotype I–IV JEVs. Phylogenetic analysis using both complete genome and structural gene nucleotide sequences demonstrates that XZ0934 belongs to genotype V. This, in turn, suggests that genotype V JEV is emerging in JEV endemic areas. Thus, increased surveillance and diagnosis of viral encephalitis caused by genotype V JEV is an issue of great concern to nations in which JEV is endemic.
Oligomerization and Cooperative RNA Synthesis Activity of Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase

ABSTRACT The NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase encoded by hepatitis C virus (HCV) plays a key role in viral replication. Reported here is evidence that HCV NS5B polymerase acts as a functional oligomer. Oligomerization of HCV NS5B protein was demonstrated by gel filtration, chemical cross-linking, temperature sensitivity, and yeast cell two-hybrid analysis. Mutagenesis studies showed that the C-terminal hydrophobic region of the protein was not essential for its oligomerization. Importantly, HCV NS5B polymerase exhibited cooperative RNA synthesis activity with a dissociation constant, Kd , of ≈22 nM, suggesting a role for the polymerase-polymerase interaction in the regulation of HCV replicase activity. Further functional evidence includes the inhibition of the wild-type NS5B polymerase activity by a catalytically inactive form of NS5B. Finally, the X-ray crystal structure of HCV NS5B polymerase was solved at 2.9 Å. Two extensive interfaces have been identified from the packing of the NS5B molecules in the crystal lattice, suggesting a higher-order structure that is consistent with the biochemical data.
Stochastic Reachability and Measurement Feedback under Control-Dependent Noise

Abstract This paper deals with reachability under unknown disturbances and incomplete information on the state space variables. The unknown disturbances are described by a special type of vector-valued stochastic Brownian input noise which depends on the values of vector-valued control. The control may be either unbounded or bounded by hard bounds. The reachabilty sets introduced here are deterministic. They consist of all points whose mean-square deviations from a tube of given controlled trajectories are small. The “reach” sets are presented in terms of level sets to solutions of appropriate types of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, which depend on the presence or absence of additional hard bounds on the controls. These allow explicit representation of the reach sets when the controls are unbounded and are presented in terms of solutions to some dual optimization problems when the controls are bounded. Accordingly, the reach sets are either ellipsoids or convex compact sets of more complicated structure. The last fact introduces significant changes with transition from scalar to vector-valued control-dependent noise. Finally the notions of reachability and control under incomplete feedback are introduced.
Comparison of Standing Posture Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis with DXA for Body Composition in a Large, Healthy Chinese Population

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a common method for assessing body composition in research and clinical trials. BIA is convenient but when compared with other reference methods, the results have been inconclusive. The level of obesity degree in subjects is considered to be an important factor affecting the accuracy of the measurements. A total of 711 participants were recruited in Taiwan and were sub-grouped by gender and levels of adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the agreement of the measured body fat percentage (BF%) between BIA and DXA. The BF% measured by the DXA and BIA methods (Tanita BC-418) were expressed as BF%DXA and BF%BIA8, respectively. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in BF% measurements by gender and levels of adiposity. The estimated BF%BIA8 and BF%DXA in the all subjects, male and female groups were all highly correlated (r = 0.934, 0.901, 0.916, all P< 0.001). The average estimated BF%BIA8 (22.54 ± 9.48%) was significantly lower than the average BF%DXA (26.26 ± 11.18%). The BF%BIA8 was overestimated in the male subgroup (BF%DXA< 15%), compared to BF%DXA by 0.45%, respectively. In the other subgroups, the BF%BIA8 values were all underestimated. Standing BIA estimating body fat percentage in Chinese participants have a high correlation, but underestimated on normal and high obesity degree in both male and female subjects.
2 Dividend Cuts , Firm Profitability & Financial Characteristics

3 ABSTRACT This paper investigates the dividend decisions of firms in the UK reporting losses after sustained periods of profitability. It is found that loss-making firms are more likely to reduce dividends compared to firms that remain profitable, although a loss is far from a guarantee that the dividend payment will be reduced. A lower propensity to reduce dividends is found in the UK relative to the US, consistent with the stronger culture of dividend payments. The size of the loss is an important factor in a firm's dividend policy. However, this is mitigated to some extent if it is the result of unusual accounting items because managers view these as a temporary fluctuation in profitability. Leverage is found to have some role in the dividend decision, with higher levels of debt consistent with a greater likelihood of a reduction in the distribution whilst also suppressing profitability in future years. Profit margins prior to the loss year are also a significant factor in dividend policy whereby low margin firms are more likely to cut dividends. 4 Despite being the two most heavily researched stock markets in the world, the US and UK have notable differences in dividend cultures, with the former having lower average dividend yields 1 and a higher proportion of non-dividend paying stocks. Recent studies by Fama and French (2001) and Benito and Young (2001) have documented a decline in dividend payers in both the US and the UK respectively. Furthermore, they describe the characteristics of dividend payers and non-payers, both former payers and firms that have never paid a dividend. Benito and Young (2001) take the additional step of considering the differences between firms that cut dividends and firms that omit dividend payments. We further extend this comparison by examining the dividend decisions of companies that have a considerable history of both profitability and dividend payments, but that then incur a downturn in earnings or a loss. Of particular interest is the dividend decision made by firms in the initial loss period. Are managers reluctant to cut dividends, viewing the loss as a temporary phenomenon, or do they act decisively by reducing the dividend to preserve the firm's cash resources? DeAngelo et al (1992) used US data for 1980-85 to investigate the dividend policy of firms that reported a poor earnings performance after sustained dividend distributions and profitability. They cite work by Miller and Modigliani (1961), arguing …