Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investments in Sons and Daughters: Evidence from the Consumer Expenditure Survey

We test for differences in parental investment in sons and daughters by estimating the effect of child gender on household expenditures. Using Consumer Expenditure Survey data from 1990 to 1998, we find that the expenditures of married-couple families with one son do not differ significantly from those of couples with one daughter in most spending categories, including education and ‘adult goods’ such as alcohol and tobacco. However, families with a son spend significantly more on housing and personal care services than do families with one daughter, and families with one daughter spend more on clothing. Housing expenditures are examined in detail for one-child and two-child households, and the results interpreted in terms of an economic model of the family in which marital surplus, and therefore incentives to invest in the family, depends on child gender. * Prepared for the Joint Center for Poverty Research 2002 September Research Institute, “Family Investments in Children’s Potential: Resources and Behaviors that Promote Children’s Success,” Chicago, IL, September 19-20, 2002. We are grateful to Ekaterina Stepanova and Anoshua Chaudhuri for excellent research assistance, and NIH/NICHD for research support (R01 HD42785-01).
Impeding Xist Expression from the Active X Chromosome Improves Mouse Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Cloning Futures Cloning mammals by somatic cell nuclear transfer is a technique with many potential applications in regenerative medicine, agriculture, and pharmaceutics; however, it is inefficient because of the incidence of aberrant genomic reprogramming. Inoue et al. (p. 496, published online 16 September) found that the gene product of Xist, which normally inactivates one of the two X chromosomes in females, was unexpectedly expressed ectopically from active X chromosomes in cloned mice. When Xist was deleted from the mice, gene expression returned to normal and the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer increased about ninefold, offering promise for future nuclear transfer technology. Efficiency of mouse nuclear transfer was improved by correcting aberrant gene expression on the active X chromosome. Cloning mammals by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is highly inefficient because of erroneous reprogramming of the donor genome. Reprogramming errors appear to arise randomly, but the nature of nonrandom, SCNT-specific errors remains elusive. We found that Xist, a noncoding RNA that inactivates one of the two X chromosomes in females, was ectopically expressed from the active X (Xa) chromosome in cloned mouse embryos of both sexes. Deletion of Xist on Xa showed normal global gene expression and resulted in about an eight- to ninefold increase in cloning efficiency. We also identified an Xist-independent mechanism that specifically down-regulated a subset of X-linked genes through somatic-type repressive histone blocks. Thus, we have identified nonrandom reprogramming errors in mouse cloning that can be altered to improve the efficiency of SCNT methods.
Structural Defects Lead to Dynamic Entrapment in Cardiac Electrophysiology

Biological networks are typically comprised of many parts whose interactions are governed by nonlinear dynamics. This potentially imbues them with the ability to support multiple attractors, and therefore to exhibit correspondingly distinct patterns of behavior. In particular, multiple attractors have been demonstrated for the electrical activity of the diseased heart in situations where cardioversion is able to convert a reentrant arrhythmia to a stable normal rhythm. Healthy hearts, however, are typically resilient to abnormal rhythms. This raises the question as to how a healthy cardiac cell network must be altered so that it can support multiple distinct behaviors. Here we demonstrate how anatomic defects can give rise to multi-stability in the heart as a function of the electrophysiological properties of the cardiac tissue and the timing of activation of ectopic foci. This leads to a form of hysteretic behavior, which we call dynamic entrapment, whereby the heart can become trapped in aberrant attractor as a result of a transient change in tissue properties. We show that this can lead to a highly inconsistent relationship between clinical symptoms and underlying pathophysiology, which raises the possibility that dynamic entrapment may underlie other forms of chronic idiopathic illness.
Several Genes Contribute to the Production of Autoreactive B and T Cells in the Murine Lupus Susceptibility Locus Sle1c1

The systemic lupus erythematosus 1 (Sle1) locus mediates the loss of tolerance to nuclear Ags in the NZM2410 mouse model of lupus through intrinsic defects in both B and T cells. Congenic analysis has shown that Sle1 corresponds to at least three genetic loci, Sle1a, Sle1b, and Sle1c. Telomeric Sle1c is associated with abnormal B cell responses to subthreshold stimulation with anti-IgM and C3d and with decreased T-dependent humoral immune responses. We have proposed that these phenotypes resulted from polymorphisms in the C3 complement receptor Cr2 gene. We have also found that Sle1c was associated with the production of histone-specific autoreactive CD4+ T cells, which correlated with higher activation and proliferative responses, and a reduction in the CD4+CD25+CD62L+forkhead/winged helix transcription factor gene (Foxp3+) compartment. In this study we showed, using congenic recombinants, that the decreased humoral immune response and impaired GC formation map to the NZM2410 Cr2 allele. A chronic graft-vs-host disease model also showed that Sle1c produces significantly more autoreactive B cells than B6 controls, and that this phenotype maps to two regions excluding the Cr2 gene. Mixed bone marrow chimera demonstrated that the increased activation, proliferative response, and reduced regulatory T cell compartment were intrinsic to Sle1c-expressing CD4+ T cells. These phenotypes mapped to the same two loci identified with the chronic graft-vs-host disease model, excluding the Cr2 region. Overall, these results show that Sle1c results in the production of autoreactive B and T cells through the expression of three different genes, one of which is consistent with Cr2, based on the phenotypes of the Cr2-deficient mice, and the other two corresponding to as yet unidentified genes.
Local Shear Stress and Brachial Artery Flow–Mediated Dilation: The Framingham Heart Study

Endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation is a homeostatic response to short-term increases in local shear stress. Flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery in response to postischemic reactive hyperemia is impaired in patients with cardiovascular disease risk factors and may reflect local endothelial dysfunction in the brachial artery. However, previous studies have largely neglected the effect of risk factors on evoked shear stress, which is the stimulus for dilation. We evaluated brachial artery percent dilation and evoked diastolic shear stress during reactive hyperemia using high-resolution ultrasound and Doppler in 2045 participants (1107 women, mean age 61 years) in the Framingham Offspring Study. In age- and sex-adjusted models, baseline and hyperemic shear stress were related to brachial artery percent dilation. In stepwise multivariable analyses examining clinical correlates of percent dilation (without shear stress in the model), age, sex, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, heart rate, body mass index, lipid medication use, and hormone replacement therapy were related to percent dilation (R2 =0.189; P <0.001). When hyperemic shear stress was incorporated, the overall R2 improved (R2 =0.335; P <0.001), but relationships between risk factors and percent dilation were attenuated (age and mean arterial pressure) or no longer significant (all others). In contrast, risk factors were related to baseline and hyperemic shear stress in multivariable analyses. Evoked hyperemic shear stress is a major correlate of brachial artery flow–mediated dilation. The associations between many risk factors and brachial artery flow–mediated dilation may be attributable to reduced stimulus for dilation rather than impaired local conduit artery response during hyperemia.
Warrants in Initial Public Offerings: Empirical Evidence

We investigate why firms include warrants in their initial public offerings (IPOs). We use a data set of Australian IPOs to examine two hypotheses about the inclusion of warrants in an IPO. The agency-cost hypothesis emphasizes the need for sequential financing for relatively young firms, because sequential financing reduces the opportunities for managers to squander money on unprofitable projects. The signaling hypothesis focuses on the choice of securities as a signaling mechanism in a market characterized by information asymmetry. The evidence favors the signaling hypothesis, thus contributing to our understanding of the types of securities issued by firms. Copyright 2001 by University of Chicago Press.
Automation Technology and Sense of Control: A Window on Human Agency

Previous studies have shown that the perceived times of voluntary actions and their effects are perceived as shifted towards each other, so that the interval between action and outcome seems shortened. This has been referred to as ‘intentional binding’ (IB). However, the generality of this effect remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that Intentional Binding also occurs in complex control situations. Using an aircraft supervision task with different autopilot settings, our results first indicated a strong relation between measures of IB and different levels of system automation. Second, measures of IB were related to explicit agency judgement in this applied setting. We discuss the implications for the underlying mechanisms, and for sense of agency in automated environments.
Predicting In-Hospital Maternal Mortality in Senegal and Mali

Objective We sought to identify predictors of in-hospital maternal mortality among women attending referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological survey using data from a cluster randomized controlled trial (QUARITE trial) in 46 referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal, during the pre-intervention period of the trial (from October 1st 2007 to October 1st 2008). We included 89,518 women who delivered in the 46 hospitals during this period. Data were collected on women's characteristics, obstetric complications, and vital status until the hospital discharge. We developed a tree-like classification rule (classification rule) to identify patient subgroups at high risk of maternal in-hospital mortality. Results Our analyses confirm that patients with uterine rupture, hemorrhage or prolonged/obstructed labor, and those who have an emergency ante-partum cesarean delivery have an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, especially if they are referred from another health facility. Twenty relevant patterns, based on fourteen predictors variables, are used to predict in-hospital maternal mortality with 81.41% sensitivity (95% CI = [77.12%–87.70%]) and 81.6% specificity (95% CI = [81.16%–82.02%]). Conclusion The proposed class association rule method will help health care professionals in referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal to identify mothers at high risk of in-hospital death, and can provide scientific evidence on which to base their decisions to manage patients delivering in their health facilities.
Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis Depends on Functional RsbU, an Activator of thesigB Operon: Differential Activation Mechanisms Due to Ethanol and Salt Stress

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common pathogen in medical device-associated infections. Its major pathogenetic factor is the ability to form adherent biofilms. The polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), which is synthesized by the products of theicaADBC gene cluster, is essential for biofilm accumulation. In the present study, we characterized the gene locus inactivated by Tn917 insertions of two isogenic,icaADBC-independent, biofilm-negative mutants, M15 and M19, of the biofilm-producing bacterium S. epidermidis 1457. The insertion site was the same in both of the mutants and was located in the first gene, rsbU, of an operon highly homologous to thesigB operons of Staphylococcus aureus andBacillus subtilis. Supplementation of Trypticase soy broth with NaCl (TSBNaCl) or ethanol (TSBEtOH), both of which are known activators of sigB, led to increased biofilm formation and PIA synthesis by S. epidermidis 1457. Insertion of Tn917 into rsbU, a positive regulator of alternative sigma factor ςB, led to a biofilm-negative phenotype and almost undetectable PIA production. Interestingly, in TSBEtOH, the mutants were enabled to form a biofilm again with phenotypes similar to those of the wild type. In TSBNaCl, the mutants still displayed a biofilm-negative phenotype. No difference in primary attachment between the mutants and the wild type was observed. Similar phenotypic changes were observed after transfer of the Tn917 insertion of mutant M15 to the independent and biofilm-producing strain S. epidermidis8400. In 11 clinical S. epidermidis strains, a restriction fragment length polymorphism of the sigB operon was detected which was independent of the presence of theicaADBC locus and a biofilm-positive phenotype. Obviously, different mechanisms are operative in the regulation of PIA expression in stationary phase and under stress induced by salt or ethanol.
The understanding of Others Intentions Can Predict the Improvement of Symptomatology in Children with Autism. An Exploratory study.

The Understanding of Others’ Intentions (UOI) is a precursor of the theory of mind. The purpose of this study is to verify whether the absence of UOI is related to the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or constitutes a typical characteristic of the autistic disorder, and if its presence could be a predictor of a positive symptomatologic evolution. To this aim, the UOI was evaluated in a sample of 100 non-verbal autistic children and in a sample of 50 non-autistic children with intellectual disability. The control group, in contrast to the children with Autistic Disorder, positively respondend to the test, thereby demonstrating the independence of the presence of the UOI from the IQ score. Assessing children with autistic disorder after 2 years of therapy, it was possible to verify that the presence of the UOI is a valid predictor of positive developments then highlighted by better ADOS scores.
Different Contributions of Physical Activity on Arterial Stiffness between Diabetics and Non-Diabetics

Background We compared the contribution of physical activity to the change in arterial stiffness between patients with and without diabetes in ischemic heart disease. Methods We studied 96 (diabetes) and 109 (without diabetes) patients with ischemic heart disease treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Arterial stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) at the first diagnosis of significant coronary ischemia and 6 months after PCI and optimal medical therapy. Physical activity was evaluated using the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results CAVI values increased more for diabetic patients than for non-diabetic. The IPAQ scores did not differ between the two groups. During follow-up, CAVI values did not significantly change in either group. In diabetic patients, the CAVI score for 48 patients did not change (NC-group) and 48 patients improved (Improved-group). Physical activity scores were 937.9 ± 923.2 and 1524.6 ± 1166.2 in the NC- and Improved-groups, respectively. IPAQ scores and uric acid levels significantly affect CAVI improvement after adjusting for age, sex, baseline CAVI, total cholesterol, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Conclusion Determining factors influencing CAVI improvement during follow-up were significantly different between patients with and without diabetes. IPAQ scores and uric acid levels were significantly correlated with CAVI changes.
Understanding Social Contagion in Adoption Processes Using Dynamic Social Networks

There are many studies in the marketing and diffusion literature of the conditions in which social contagion affects adoption processes. Yet most of these studies assume that social interactions do not change over time, even though actors in social networks exhibit different likelihoods of being influenced across the diffusion period. Rooted in physics and epidemiology theories, this study proposes a Susceptible Infectious Susceptible (SIS) model to assess the role of social contagion in adoption processes, which takes changes in social dynamics over time into account. To study the adoption over a span of ten years, the authors used detailed data sets from a community of consumers and determined the importance of social contagion, as well as how the interplay of social and non-social influences from outside the community drives adoption processes. Although social contagion matters for diffusion, it is less relevant in shaping adoption when the study also includes social dynamics among members of the community. This finding is relevant for managers and entrepreneurs who trust in word-of-mouth marketing campaigns whose effect may be overestimated if marketers fail to acknowledge variations in social interactions.
Integrative Genomics in Combination with RNA Interference Identifies Prognostic and Functionally Relevant Gene Targets for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

In oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), metastasis to lymph nodes is associated with a 50% reduction in 5-year survival. To identify a metastatic gene set based on DNA copy number abnormalities (CNAs) of differentially expressed genes, we compared DNA and RNA of OSCC cells laser-microdissected from non-metastatic primary tumors (n = 17) with those from lymph node metastases (n = 20), using Affymetrix 250K Nsp single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and U133 Plus 2.0 arrays, respectively. With a false discovery rate (FDR)<5%, 1988 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed between primary and metastatic OSCC. Of these, 114 were found to have a significant correlation between DNA copy number and gene expression (FDR<0.01). Among these 114 correlated transcripts, the corresponding genomic regions of each of 95 transcripts had CNAs differences between primary and metastatic OSCC (FDR<0.01). Using an independent dataset of 133 patients, multivariable analysis showed that the OSCC–specific and overall mortality hazards ratio (HR) for patients carrying the 95-transcript signature were 4.75 (95% CI: 2.03–11.11) and 3.45 (95% CI: 1.84–6.50), respectively. To determine the degree by which these genes impact cell survival, we compared the growth of five OSCC cell lines before and after knockdown of over-amplified transcripts via a high-throughput siRNA–mediated screen. The expression-knockdown of 18 of the 26 genes tested showed a growth suppression ≥30% in at least one cell line (P<0.01). In particular, cell lines derived from late-stage OSCC were more sensitive to the knockdown of G3BP1 than cell lines derived from early-stage OSCC, and the growth suppression was likely caused by increase in apoptosis. Further investigation is warranted to examine the biological role of these genes in OSCC progression and their therapeutic potentials.
Life at acidic pH imposes an increased energetic cost for a eukaryotic acidophile

SUMMARY Organisms growing in acidic environments, pH <3, would be expected to possess fundamentally different molecular structures and physiological controls in comparison with similar species restricted to neutral pH. We begin to investigate this premise by determining the magnitude of the transmembrane electrochemical H+ gradient in an acidophilic Chlamydomonas sp. (ATCC® PRA-125) isolated from the Rio Tinto, a heavy metal laden, acidic river (pH 1.7-2.5). This acidophile grows most rapidly at pH 2 but is capable of growth over a wide pH range (1.5-7.0), while Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is restricted to growth at pH ≥3 with optimal growth between pH 5.5 and 8.5. With the fluorescent H+ indicator, 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), we show that the acidophilic Chlamydomonas maintains an average cytosolic pH of 6.6 in culture medium at both pH 2 and pH 7 while Chlamydomonas reinhardtii maintains an average cytosolic pH of 7.1 in pH 7 culture medium. The transmembrane electric potential difference of Chlamydomonas sp. , measured using intracellular electrodes at both pH 2 and 7, is close to 0 mV, a rare value for plants, animals and protists. The 40 000-fold difference in [H+] could be the result of either active or passive mechanisms. Evidence for active maintenance was detected by monitoring the rate of ATP consumption. At the peak, cells consume about 7% more ATP per second in medium at pH 2 than at pH 7. This increased rate of consumption is sufficient to account for removal of H+ entering the cytosol across a membrane with relatively high permeability to H+ (7×10-8 cm s-1). Our results indicate that the small increase in the rate of ATP consumption can account for maintenance of the transmembrane H+ gradient without the imposition of cell surface H+ barriers.
Unified Data Model for Representing Multimedia, Timeline, and Simulation Data

This paper describes a unified data model that represents multimedia, timeline, and simulation data utilizing a single set of related data modeling constructs. A uniform model for multimedia types structures image, sound, video, and long text data in a consistent way, giving multimedia schemas and queries a degree of data independence even for these complex data types. Information that possesses an intrinsic temporal element can all be represented using a construct called a stream. Streams can be aggregated into parallel multistreams, thus providing a structure for viewing multiple sets of time-based information. The unified stream construct permits real-time measurements, numerical simulation data, and visualizations of that data to be aggregated and manipulated using the same set of operators. Prototypes based on the model have been implemented for two medical application domains: thoracic oncology and thermal ablation therapy of brain tumors. Sample schemas, queries, and screenshots from these domains are provided. Finally, a set of examples is included for an accompanying visual query language discussed in detail in another document.
Semantic Role Labeling for multi-VP clauses in Chinese

We have built a semantic role labeling (SRL) system for Chinese clauses, with some desired information of the main-predicate in each clause and the relevant functional slots. The ability of our SRL system dealing with simple clauses is considered as the basic performance of the system. When processing more complex clauses (namely clauses with more than one verb phrase in our definition of complex clauses), it is difficult to identify the main-predicate and the larger functional chunks. The final accuracy of semantic role labeling decreases badly due to the difficulty. We propose in this paper a novel way to replace the auto chunker for clauses with more than one verb phrase (multi-VP). The multi-VP clauses will be transformed to I-VP forms which could be handled easily by our SRL system. It will be proven that the multi-VP clauses can be labeled in an almost same accuracy as the basic accuracy for I-VP clauses after being transformed. Besides being applied in semantic role labeling, the pattern-transformation method has a further perspective on the fields where the syntactic clause-pattern description will help and resources with full syntactic parsing are not available.