Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PSCz catalogue

We present the catalogue, mask, redshift data and selection function for the PSCz survey of 15 411 IRAS galaxies across 84 per cent of the sky. Most of the IRAS data are taken from the Point Source Catalog, but this has been supplemented and corrected in various ways to improve the completeness and uniformity. We quantify the known imperfections in the catalogue, and we assess the overall uniformity, completeness and data quality. We find that overall the catalogue is complete and uniform to within a few per cent at high latitudes and 10 per cent at low latitudes. Ancillary information, access details, guidelines and caveats for using the catalogue are given.
Growth and Grazing Mortality Rates of Phylogenetic Groups of Bacterioplankton in Coastal Marine Environments

ABSTRACT Dilution culture experiments were conducted in western North Pacific coastal regions to determine growth and grazing mortality rates of bacterial phylogenetic groups (α-, β-, and γ-proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacter cluster) detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Growth rates varied greatly (1.2- to 4.0-fold) among different groups, and they were related to environmental variables (chlorophyll a concentrations and temperature) in a group-specific fashion. Growth rates of α-proteobacteria, the most abundant group in all the samples examined, were generally lower than those of less abundant groups, including the Cytophaga-Flavobacter cluster and γ-proteobacteria. Grazing mortality rates and mean cell volumes varied little among different groups. These results provide insights into factors that affect distributions of different groups, but growth and grazing mortality alone did not fully explain bacterial community compositions at a broad phylogenetic level.
Metronidazole Resistance in Prevotella spp. and Description of a New nim Gene in Prevotella baroniae

ABSTRACT Nonduplicate clinical isolates of Prevotella spp. recovered from patients hospitalized between 2003 and 2006 in two French tertiary-care teaching hospitals were investigated for their susceptibility to metronidazole and the presence of nim genes. Of the 188 strains tested, 3 isolates displayed reduced susceptibility to metronidazole after 48 h of incubation, while 27 additional isolates exhibited heterogeneous resistance after prolonged incubation; all 30 of the isolates were nim negative. Among the remaining 158 isolates, 7 nim-positive isolates were detected. All of these strains were identified as Prevotella baroniae by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and contained a new nim gene, named nimI, as determined by DNA sequence analysis. Chromosomal localization of this single-copy gene was demonstrated in all clinical isolates as well as in type strain P. baroniae DSM 16972 by using Southern hybridization. No known associated insertion sequence elements were detected upstream of the nimI gene in any of the nim-positive strains by PCR mapping. After prolonged exposure to metronidazole, stable resistant subpopulations could be selected in nimI-positive Prevotella isolates (n = 6) as well as in nim-negative Prevotella isolates (n = 6), irrespective of their initial susceptibility to this antibiotic. This study is the first description of a new nitroimidazole resistance gene in P. baroniae which seems to be silent and which might be intrinsic in this species. Moreover, our findings highlight the fact that high-level resistance to metronidazole may be easily induced in both nim-positive and nim-negative Prevotella sp. strains.
Does B-type natriuretic peptide or its gene polymorphism predict patient outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

To the Editor:—We read with great interest the research article by Fox et al. on genetic variation within defined regions of the NPPA/NPPB and NPR3 natriuretic peptide system genes as predictors for ventricular dysfunction after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. What concerns us as clinicians is the relation between those biomarkers and postoperative outcome, which can facilitate the preoperative risk evaluation. This article raised a good question: whether B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or its gene polymorphism predicts the prognosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. It is well known that a gene’s function is mediated by expression of a specific protein. BNP has been established as a prognostic indicator in adults with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease, whereas single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NPPB gene significantly impact BNP levels. In the article by Dr. Fox et al., there was mention that genetic variation within NPPA/ NPPB and NPR3 genes was associated with risk of ventricular dysfunction after adjustment for preoperative BNP level and clinical factors. However, the authors did not directly analyze the relation between SNPs of these BNP genes with BNP level, especially postoperative BNP, whose level was not provided. Previous study has shown that early postoperative BNP levels correlate significantly with the ensuing duration of inotropic support and duration of hospitalization. Therefore, we considered that SNPs of BNP genes could affect postoperative BNP rather than preoperative BNP and then predicted the prognosis, because expression of those genetic loci could be upor down-regulated by mechanical stretch, ischemic injury, hypoxia, or even inflammatory mediators during surgery. And the analysis should include both preoperative and postoperative BNP levels in this study. We think that the predictive pathway should be: SNPs of BNP–BNP level–clinical prognosis. If this hypothesis is established, it is postoperative BNP rather than SNPs of BNP that directly predicts ventricular dysfunction. Further investigations are still required to elucidate how BNP and its SNPs relate to development of postoperative ventricular dysfunction.
Paradoxes of Butchness: Lesbian Masculinities and Sexual Violence in Contemporary South Africa

AbstractIn the past decade, violence targeting South African lesbians has increased exponentially. This article explores the multifaceted causes of this violence and its theoretical implications. Unstable parameters of masculinities and men’s exclusive claims to them are revealed in the ways that lesbian butchness threatens what it means to be a man, a question heightened in contemporary South Africa. The paradoxes of butchness and the possibilities offered by South African activists combating corrective or curative rape and murder suggest new models for reconceptualizing gender and sexuality more broadly.
On the evaluation of curriculum reforms

The paper considers the current international trend towards standards-based evaluation in a historical and comparative perspective. Based on a systematization of evaluation perspectives and tools, two basic patterns of curriculum control are discussed: process evaluation, and product evaluation. Whereas the first type has dominated the Continental European context for two centuries or more, and the latter type the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, the last two decades have brought about a situation in which both types are more and more intertwined. The paper discusses thehistorical preconditions, empirical findings, and possible prospects around this development.
Brain mechanisms of hallucinogens and entactogens

This review focuses on recent brain imaging and behavioral studies of sensory gating functions, which assess similarities between the effects of classic hallucinogens (eg, psilocybin), dissociative anesthetics (eg, ketamine), and entactogens (eg, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) in humans. Serotonergic hallucinogens and psychotomimetic anesthetics produce overlapping psychotic syndromes associated with a marked activation of the prefrontal cortex (hyperfrontality) and other overlapping changes in temporoparietal, striatal, and thalamic regions, suggesting that both classes of drugs act upon a common final pathway. Together with the observation that both hallucinogens and N-methyl-oaspartate (NMDA) antagonists disrupt sensory gating in rats by acting on 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HT2 receptors located in cortico-striato-thalamic circuitry these findings suggest that disruption of cortico-subcortical processing leading to sensory overload of the cortex is a communality of these psychoses. In contrast to hallucinogens, the entactogen MDMA produces an emotional state of positive mood, concomitant with an activation of prefrontolimbiclparalimbic structures and a deactivation of amygdala and thalamus.
Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Ground Beef Collected in Different Socioeconomic Strata Markets in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Consumption of raw/undercooked ground beef is the most common route of transmission of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The aim of the study was to determine the STEC contamination level of the ground beef samples collected in 36 markets of different socioeconomic strata in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the characterization of the isolated strains. Ninety-one out of 252 (36.1%) samples were stx+. Fifty-seven STEC strains were recovered. Eleven STEC strains belonged to O157 serogroup, and 46 to non-O157 serogroups. Virulence markers of the 57 STEC were stx1, 5.3% (3/57); stx2, 86.0% (49/57); stx1/stx2, 8.8% (5/57); ehxA, 61.4% (35/57); eae, 26.3% (15/57); saa, 24.6% (14/57). Shiga toxin subtypes were stx2, 31.5% (17/54); stx2c-vhb, 24.1% (13/54); stx2c-vha, 20.4% (11/54); stx2/stx2c-vha, 14.8% (8/54); stx2/stx2c-vhb, 5.6% (3/54); stx2c-vha/vhb, 3.7% (2/54). Serotypes O178:H19 and O157:H7 were prevalent. Contamination rate of STEC in all strata was high, and the highest O157 contamination was observed at low strata at several sampling rounds. Persistence of STEC was not detected. Sixteen strains (28.1%) were resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, amikacin, or tetracycline. The STEC contamination level of ground beef could vary according to the sociocultural characteristics of the population.
New Technology in Schools: Is There a Payoff?

Despite its high relevance to current policy debates, estimating the causal effect of Information Communication Technology (ICT) investment on educational standards remains fraught with difficulties. In this paper, we exploit a change in the rules governing ICT funding across different school districts of England to devise an instrumental variable strategy to identify the causal impact of ICT expenditure on pupil outcomes. The approach identifies the effect of being a ‘winner’ or a ‘loser’ in the new system of ICT funding allocation to schools. Our findings suggest a positive impact on primary school performance in English and Science, though not for Mathematics. We reconcile our positive results with others in the literature by arguing that it is the joint effect of large increases in ICT funding coupled with a fertile background for making an efficient use of it that led to positive effects of ICT expenditure on educational performance in English primary schools.
Development of a basal area growth system for maritime pine in northwestern Spain using the generalized algebraic difference approach

A basal area growth system for single-species, even-aged maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands in Galicia (northwestern Spain) was developed from data of 212 plots measured between one and four times. Six dynamic equations were considered for analysis, and both numerical and graphical methods were used to compare alternative models. The double cross-validation approach was used to assess the predictive ability of the models. The data were best described by a dynamic equation derived from the Korf growth function using the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) by considering two parameters to be site specific. The equation was fitted in one stage using the base-age-invariant dummy variables method. In addition, the system incorporates a function for predicting initial stand basal area, in which the site-related variable was expressed as a power function of site index. This function can be used to establish the starting point for the projection equation when no inventory data are available.
How Does Arrestin Assemble MAPKs into a Signaling Complex?*

Arrestins bind active phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptors, precluding G protein activation and channeling signaling to alternative pathways. Arrestins also function as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) scaffolds, bringing together three components of MAPK signaling modules. Here we have demonstrated that all four vertebrate arrestins interact with JNK3, MKK4, and ASK1, but only arrestin3 facilitates JNK3 activation. Thus, the functional specificity of arrestins is not determined by differential binding of the kinases. Using receptor binding-impaired mutant, we have shown that free arrestin3 readily promotes JNK3 phosphorylation. We identified key arrestin-binding elements in JNK3 and ASK1 and investigated the molecular interactions of arrestin2 and arrestin3 and their individual domains with the components of the two MAPK cascades, ASK1-MKK4-JNK3 and c-Raf-1-MEK1-ERK2. We found that both arrestin domains interact with all six kinases. These findings shed new light on the mechanism of arrestin-mediated MAPK activation and the spatial arrangement of the three kinases on arrestin molecule.
Morphological Induction Through Linguistic Productivity

The induction program we have crafted relies primarily on the linguistic notion of productivity to find affixes in unmarked text and without the aid of prior grammatical knowledge. In doing so, the algorithm unfolds in two stages. It first finds seed affixes, to include infixes and circumfixes, by assaying the character of all possible internal partitions of all words in a small corpus no larger than 3,000 tokens. It then selects a small subset of these seed affixes by examining the distribution patterns of roots they fashion to, as demonstrated in a possibly larger second training file. Specifically, it hypothesizes that valid roots take a partially overlapping affix-set, and develops this conjecture into agendas for both feature-set generation and binary clustering. It collects feature sets for each candidate by what we term affix-chaining, delineating (and storing) a path of affixes joined, with thresholding caveats, via the roots they share. After clustering these resultant sets, the program yields two affix groups, an ostensibly valid collection and a putatively spurious one. It refines the membership of the former by again examining the quality of shared root distributions across affixes. This second half of the program, furthermore, is iterative. This fact is again based in productivity, as we ration that, should a root take one affix, it most likely takes more. The code therefore seeds a subsequent iteration of training with affixes that associate with roots learned during the current pass. If, for example, it recognizes view on the first pass, and viewership occurs in the second training file, the program will evaluate -ership, along with its mate -er, via clustering and root connectivity on the second pass. The results of this method are thus far mixed according to training file size. Time constraints imposed by shortcomings in the algorithm’s code have thus far prevented us from fully training on a large file. For Morpho Challenge 2008, not only did we only train on just 1-30% of the offered text, thereby saddling the stemmer with a number of Out Of Voculary items, but, we also divided that text into smaller parts, thereby, as the results show, omitting valuable information about the true range of affix distributions.
Drug-Associated Resistance Mutations in Plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients for Whom Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Is Failing

ABSTRACT In 32 patients for whom highly active antiretroviral therapy was failing, a good agreement between drug resistance-associated mutations in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was found (k = 0.85). The mutations with the lowest agreement were 20R, 63P, and 84V in the protease gene and 184V in the reverse transcriptase gene. In eight patients, primary drug resistance mutations were detected only in PBMCs.
Temporal Tracking of Coronaries in Multi-slice Computed Tomography

A method is proposed that performs a temporal tracking of the coronaries in multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) dynamic sequences. The process exploits geometric moments and a local cylindrical approximation of the vessel to estimate the local characteristics of the structure in each volume and estimate its displacement along the sequence. The research strategy is based on a region matching process to find the location of the point in the successive volumes. A spatial tracking is then applied to refine its location inside the vessel. Tests have been achieved on simulated and real displacements of coronary segments.
Plastic Changes Following Imitation-Based Speech and Language Therapy for Aphasia

Background. Objective measurement of plastic brain changes induced by a novel rehabilitative approach is a key requirement for validating its biological rationale linking the potential therapeutic gains to the changes in brain physiology. Objective. Based on an emerging notion linking cortical plastic changes to EEG sleep slow-wave activity (SWA) regulation, we aimed to assess the acute plastic changes induced by an imitation-based speech therapy in individuals with aphasia by comparing sleep SWA changes before and after therapy. Methods. A total of 13 left-hemispheric stroke patients underwent language assessment with the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) before and after 2 consecutive high-density (hd) EEG sleep recordings interleaved by a daytime session of imitation-based speech therapy (Intensive Mouth Imitation and Talking for Aphasia Therapeutic Effects [IMITATE]). This protocol is thought to stimulate bilateral connections between the inferior parietal lobule and the ventral premotor areas. Results. A single exposure to IMITATE resulted in increases in local EEG SWA during subsequent sleep over the same regions predicted by the therapeutic rationale, particularly over the right hemisphere (unaffected by the lesion). Furthermore, changes in SWA over the left-precentral areas predicted changes in WAB repetition scores in our group, supporting the role of perilesional areas in predicting positive functional responses. Conclusions. Our results suggest that SWA changes occurring in brain areas activated during imitation-based aphasia therapy may reflect the acute plastic changes induced by this intervention. Further testing will be needed to evaluate SWA as a non-invasive assessment of changes induced by the therapy and as a predictor of positive long-term clinical outcome.
Reliability of Bolton analysis evaluation in tridimensional virtual models

Objective: The present study aimed at evaluating the reliability of Bolton analysis in tridimensional virtual models, comparing it with the manual method carried out with dental casts. Methods: The present investigation was performed using 56 pairs of dental casts produced from the dental arches of patients in perfect conditions and randomly selected from Universidade Federal da Bahia, School of Dentistry, Orthodontics Postgraduate Program. Manual measurements were obtained with the aid of a digital Cen-Tech 4"(r) caliper (Harpor Freight Tools, Calabasas, CA, USA). Subsequently, samples were digitized on 3Shape(r) R-700T scanner (Copenhagen, Denmark) and digital measures were obtained by Ortho Analyzer software. Results: Data were subject to statistical analysis and results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences between measurements with p-values equal to p = 0.173 and p= 0.239 for total and anterior proportions, respectively. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is possible to deduce that Bolton analysis performed on tridimensional virtual models is as reliable as measurements obtained from dental casts with satisfactory agreement.
Morphometry of the iliolumbar artery and the iliolumbar veins and their correlations with the lumbosacral trunk and the obturator nerve.

OBJECTIVES To reveal the variations of the iliolumbar artery and the iliolumabar veins and their correlation with the surrounding important structures. METHODS We dissected the iliolumbar region bilaterally in 20 formalin-fixed adult cadavers. The diameter of the iliolumbar artery at its origin, its length up to the branching point, the distance between the iliolumbar artery and the inferior margin of the fifth lumbar vertebra and the distance between the iliolumbar artery and the bifurcation point of the common iliac artery, were measured. The pattern of drainage, the dimensions, the points of confluence with the common iliac vein and the obliquity of the iliolumbar vein were noted. The correlation between the iliolumbar artery and the veins to the obturator nerve and the lumbosacral trunk was recorded. RESULTS The iliolumbar artery originated from the posterior trunk of the internal iliac artery or from the internal iliac artery. The mean diameter of the iliolumbar artery, at its origin, was 3.5±0.5 mm. The mean distance between the origin of the iliolumbar artery and the bifurcation point to the iliac and the lumbar branches was 12.2±5.5 mm. The distance between the origin of the iliolumbar artery and the lower edge of the fifth lumbar vertebra was 43.2±11.6 mm. The distance between the origin of the iliolumbar artery and the bifurcation point of the common iliac artery was 38.7±10.6 mm. The mean distance of the iliolumbar veins from the inferior vena cava, overall, was 35± 9.9 mm. The mean width of the mouth of the iliolumbar vein was10.7 ± 5.1 mm and the mean angle of obliquity of the vein with respect to the long axis of the common iliac vein was 75.50. The tributaries which drained into the main iliolumbar vein were variable. The iliolumbar artery passed anterior in 70% and it passed posterior to the obturator nerve in 30%. The veins were lying anterior to the obturator nerve in 45% and they were lying posterior in 55%. The multiple tributaries which drained into the iliolumbar vein relation of the tributaries were variable, few passed anterior and few passed posterior. The iliolumbar artery was seen anterior to the lumbosacral trunk in 30%, it was posterior in 54%, it was cleaved in 8% and the branches of the artery were passing on either side of the lumbosacral trunk to enclose it like a clasp in 8%. The veins were anterior to the lumbosacral trunk in 40% and they were posterior in 60%. CONCLUSION The anatomical features of the iliolumbar artery, the iliolumbar veins and their correlation with the anatomical landmarks, which were presented here, would be helpful in decreasing the iatrogenic trauma to the neurovascular structures in the iliolumbar region.
Unpacking the Practice of Intellectual Assessment

In this book, Gopaul-McNicol and Armour-Thomas attempt to articulate both a theory and method of psychological assessment consistent with a socio-cultural view of development. They deem this perspective a pertinent approach given the current wave of ‘multiculturalism’ in U.S. culture and education. Their stated aim is to propose a model that might enable practitioners to ‘more accurately assess individuals from various ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds’ (p. ix). While culture, race and ethnicity have never been absent from assessment theory and practice in the United States, the socio-political nature and context of psychological assessment have only recently been problematized. After outlining some of the ethical and legal challenges presented by the emphasis on non-discriminatory practice in assessment within the past thirty years, the authors explain their bio-cultural model of development and assessment and delineate its application to assessing the cognitive, linguistic and personality functioning of children. They end with suggestions for training practitioners in their approach.