Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA expression changes after lung cancer resection

MiRNAs are powerful biomarkers for detecting various diseases from tissue and body fluids. The potential of these molecules to monitor patients over time has, however, been less explored. We followed the fate of the plasma miRNome of lung cancer patients starting prior to surgery and ending 18 mo after surgery, with blood taken at three-month intervals. Principal component and clustering analysis showed that the differences of the overall miRNA patterns between the different time points were significantly smaller than between patients. For each patient we found a rather specific fluctuating miRNA pattern. We identified miRNAs that showed a significant correlation between expression level and time distance from surgery. A network analysis revealed 12 correlated miRNAs regulating 48 genes that were deregulated in lung cancer tissue. Our data underline the importance of studies that follow the fate of miRNAs over time, both to further our understanding of the biology of miRNA signatures and to establish these signatures as biomarkers.
Molecular analysis of PRKAG2, LAMP2, and NKX2‐5 genes in a cohort of 125 patients with accessory atrioventricular connection

Molecular Analysis of PRKAG2, LAMP2, and NKX2-5 Genes in a Cohort of 125 Patients With Accessory Atrioventricular Connection Giorgia Esposito, Giorgia Grutter, Fabrizio Drago, Mauro W. Costa, Antonella De Santis, Giovanna Bosco, Bruno Marino, Emanuele Bellacchio, Francesca Lepri, Richard P. Harvey, Anna Sarkozy,* and Bruno Dallapiccola IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Rome, Italy Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza-Mendel Institute, Rome, Italy Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ‘‘La Sapienza’’, Rome, Italy Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Bambino Gesu? Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University ‘‘La Sapienza’’, Rome, Italy
Comparison of selective media for isolation of Campylobacter jejuni/coli

A comparison of Skirrow's, Butzler's, Blaser's, Campy-BAP and Preston media for Campylobacter spp was made using human, animal and environmental specimens. Butzler's medium gave the lowest isolation rate and Preston medium, which was the most selective, the highest isolation rate. Enrichment culture using Preston enrichment broth gave a higher isolation rate than direct plating onto Preston medium.
Antimycobacterial Assessment of Salicylanilide Benzoates including Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Strains

The increasing emergence especially of drug-resistant tuberculosis has led to a strong demand for new anti-tuberculosis drugs. Eighteen salicylanilide benzoates were evaluated for their inhibition potential against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium and two strains of Mycobacterium kansasii; minimum inhibitory concentration values ranged from 0.5 to 16 μmol/L. The most active esters underwent additional biological assays. Four benzoates inhibited effectively the growth of five multidrug-resistant strains and one extensively drug-resistant strain of M. tuberculosis at low concentrations (0.25–2 μmol/L) regardless of the resistance patterns. The highest rate of multidrug-resistant mycobacteria inhibition expressed 4-chloro-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)-phenylcarbamoyl]phenyl benzoate (0.25–1 μmol/L). Unfortunately, the most potent esters were still considerably cytotoxic, although mostly less than their parent salicylanilides.
Observer-Based Adaptive Fuzzy Control for Switched Stochastic Nonlinear Systems With Partial Tracking Errors Constrained

This paper discusses the adaptive fuzzy partial tracking errors constrained control problem for a class of uncertain stochastic nonlinear systems. The concerned systems contain the unknown nonlinear functions, unmeasured state variables, and the switching signal with average dwell time. The fuzzy logic systems are first used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions, and a switched fuzzy state observer is developed for estimating the unmeasured states. By introducing the performance function and error transformation into the backstepping dynamic surface control design, a new observer-based adaptive fuzzy control design approach is developed. By employing the multiple Lyapunov function and the average dwell time methods, it is proved that all the signals of the resulting closed-loop system are bounded, and the partial tracking errors are confined all times within the prescribed bounds. A simulation example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
The Effect of Registration Laws on Voter Turnout

After the drastic relaxation of voter registration requirements in the 1960s, do present state laws keep people away from the polls? More specifically, which provisions have how much effect on what kinds of people? We have answered these questions with data from the Current Population Survey conducted by the Census Bureau in November 1972. State registration laws reduced turnout in the 1972 presidential election by about nine percentage points. The impact of the laws was heaviest in the South and on less educated people of both races. Early deadlines for registration and limited registration office hours were the biggest impediments to turnout. Contrary to expectations, changing these requirements would not substantially alter the character of the electorate. The voting population would be faintly less affluent and educated; the biggest difference would be a matter of one or two percentage points. In strictly political terms, the change would be even fainter–a gain for the Democrats of less than half a percent.
Evidence of abortive plasma cell differentiation in Hodgkin and Reed‐Sternberg cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin and Reed‐Sternberg (HRS) cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) show genotypic features of germinal centre‐derived B‐cells in most cases. Nevertheless, these cells typically lack expression of B‐cell antigens. Previous studies have suggested that plasma cell differentiation may occur in HRS cells and that this may account for the down‐regulation of B‐cell antigens. However, these results are controversial. We have addressed this question using immunohistochemistry and a panel of antibodies directed against antigens which are differentially expressed during terminal B‐cell differentiation. Pax‐5, a transcription factor required for B‐lineage commitment, and IRF4/Mum1, which is physiologically expressed in germinal centre cells and plasma cells, were consistently detectable in HRS cells. Bcl‐6, a transcription factor expressed in germinal centre B‐cells, was present in HRS cells of approximately 25% of cHL cases. Expression of the B‐lymphocyte‐induced maturation protein‐1 (Blimp‐1), a key regulator of plasma cell differentiation, was observed in HRS cells of 23% of cHL cases. In these cases, Blimp‐1 expression was restricted to a small proportion of HRS cells. HRS cells were consistently negative for the plasma cell marker CD138. These results suggest that plasma cell differentiation may be initiated in a small subset of HRS cells but remains abortive. Thus, terminal differentiation is unlikely to explain the lack of B‐cell antigen expression in HRS cells. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transmission of analog signals using multicarrier modulation: a combined source-channel coding approach

We have proposed and analyzed a combined source-channel coding scheme using multicarrier modulation. By changing the power and modulation of subchannels carrying different bits of the quantized signal, the channel-induced distortion can be minimized. We derive an algorithm for the allocation of power among subchannels. Analog sources quantized by scalar and vector quantizers are considered. For a Gaussian source scalar-quantized to 8 bit, multicarrier transmission yields a 13 dB improvement of signal-to-distortion ratio over a single-carrier system. Quantizers having a smaller number of bits yield smaller improvements. We consider both full-search and binary tree-search vector quantizers using a natural binary coding scheme. For a vector quantizer using 2 b/sample, multicarrier transmission yields an improvement in signal-to-distortion ratio that lies between 0.3 and 0.8 dB, depending on the quantizer design.
A Local 3-D Motion Descriptor for Multi-View Human Action Recognition from 4-D Spatio-Temporal Interest Points

In this paper, we address the problem of human action recognition in reconstructed 3-D data acquired by multi-camera systems. We contribute to this field by introducing a novel 3-D action recognition approach based on detection of 4-D (3-D space $+$ time) spatio-temporal interest points (STIPs) and local description of 3-D motion features. STIPs are detected in multi-view images and extended to 4-D using 3-D reconstructions of the actors and pixel-to-vertex correspondences of the multi-camera setup. Local 3-D motion descriptors, histogram of optical 3-D flow (HOF3D), are extracted from estimated 3-D optical flow in the neighborhood of each 4-D STIP and made view-invariant. The local HOF3D descriptors are divided using 3-D spatial pyramids to capture and improve the discrimination between arm- and leg-based actions. Based on these pyramids of HOF3D descriptors we build a bag-of-words (BoW) vocabulary of human actions, which is compressed and classified using agglomerative information bottleneck (AIB) and support vector machines (SVMs), respectively. Experiments on the publicly available i3DPost and IXMAS datasets show promising state-of-the-art results and validate the performance and view-invariance of the approach.
Social Capital, Educational Aspirations and Young Pakistani Muslim Men and Women in Bradford, West Yorkshire

Drawing on research with the Pakistani Muslim ‘community’ in inner-city Bradford, West Yorkshire, this paper critically engages with relevant debates on social capital and educational aspirations. It examines the processes and mechanisms in the accumulation of social capital within the family and the immediate community, to demonstrate how three sets of interpersonal relationships (parent-child, child–child and between co-ethnic peers) facilitate educational aspirations among a group that has traditionally been portrayed as under-achieving.
Sentence Completion

We discuss a retrieval model in which the task is to complete a sentence, given an initial fragment, and given an application specific document collection. This model is motivated by administrative and call center environments, in which users have to write documents with a certain repetitiveness. We formulate the problem setting and discuss appropriate performance metrics. We present an index-based retrieval algorithm and a cluster-based approach, and evaluate our algorithms using collections of emails that have been written by two distinct service centers.
INTEGRATION OF LASER SCANNING AND CLOSE-RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRY – THE LAST DECADE AND BEYOND

In last decade, we have witnessed an increased number of publications related to systems that combine laser scanning and closerange photogrammetry technologies in order to address the challenges posed by application fields as diverse as industrial, automotive, space exploration and cultural heritage to name a few. The need to integrate those technologies is driven by resolution, accuracy, speed and operational requirements, which can be optimized using general techniques developed in the area of multisensor and information fusion theory. This paper addresses an aspect critical to multi-sensor and information fusion, i.e., the estimation of systems uncertainties. The understanding of the basic theory and best practices associated to laser range scanners, digital photogrammetry, processing, modelling are in fact fundamental to fulfilling the requirements listed above in an optimal way. In particular, two categories of applications are covered, i.e., information augmentation and uncertainty management. Results from both space exploration and cultural heritage applications are shown.
Learning Potential Assessment and Adaptation to the Educational Context: The Usefulness of the ACFS for Assessing Immigrant Preschool Children.

The objective of this study was to test the usefulness of dynamic assessment for determining cognitive abilities such as classification, auditory and visual memory, pattern sequences, perspective taking, verbal planning, learning potential, and metacognition in immigrant preschool children with and without competence in the dominant language (Spanish). One hundred seventy-six preschool-children were distributed in three groups according to the cultural background of their parents (native Spanish/Spanish-speaking immigrants/non-Spanish speaking immigrants). The children were assessed by means of the K-BIT, the Application of Cognitive Functions Scale (ACFS), and metacognition, language competence and academic performance estimates. The results show that although there are initial differences in execution between the two groups (Spanish/immigrants), there are no differences with regard to learning potential. The study also demonstrates the importance of behavioral, attitudinal, and metacognitive variables in children's test execution and academic performance.
Associations of endogenous sex hormones with the vasculature in menopausal women: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

Objective: As associations between endogenous sex hormones and the vasculature are not well characterized, the objective was to examine the cross-sectional associations of menopausal status and endogenous sex hormones with vascular characteristics. Design: Common carotid artery adventitial diameter and intima-media thickness were determined using B-mode ultrasonography among 483 middle-aged women enrolled in the Pittsburgh and Chicago sites of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Results: Sixty-two percent of women were pre- or early perimenopausal (<3 mo amenorrhea), 12% were late perimenopausal (3-12 mo amenhorrhea), and 27% were postmenopausal (≥12 mo amenorrhea). After adjustment for age, compared with pre-/early perimenopause, late perimenopause was associated with a 0.28-mm larger adventitial diameter (P = 0.001), whereas postmenopause was associated with a 0.15-mm larger adventitial diameter (P = 0.040). Adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors slightly attenuated these associations, but the association with late perimenopause remained statistically significant (P = 0.001). Each SD lower log estradiol value was associated with a 0.07-mm larger adventitial diameter after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors (P = 0.023), whereas other endogenous hormones showed no associations. Intima-media thickness values were not significantly associated with menopausal status or endogenous sex hormones after adjustment for age. Conclusions: The menopausal transition and declining estrogen levels are associated with alterations of the peripheral vasculature, which may help to explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease with postmenopause.
Role of the major homology region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in virion morphogenesis

Retroviral capsid (CA) proteins contain a uniquely conserved stretch of 20 amino acids which has been named the major homology region (MHR). To examine the role of this region in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 morphogenesis and replication, four highly conserved positions in the MHR were individually altered by site-directed mutagenesis. Conservative substitution of two invariant residues (glutamine 155 and glutamic acid 159) abolished viral replication and significantly reduced the particle-forming ability of the mutant gag gene products. Conservative substitution of the third invariant residue in the MHR (arginine 167) or of an invariably aromatic residue (tyrosine 164) had only a moderate effect. However, removal of the extended side chains of these amino acids by substitution with alanine prevented viral replication and affected virion morphogenesis. The replacement of tyrosine 164 with alanine substantially impaired viral particle production. By contrast, the substitution of arginine 167 with alanine had only a two- to threefold effect on particle yield but led to the formation of aberrant core structures. The MHR mutant which were severely defective for particle production had a dominant negative effect on particle formation by the wild-type Gag product. The role of the MHR in the incorporation of the Gag-Pol precursor was examined by expressing the Gag and Gag-Pol polyproteins individually from separate plasmids. Only when the two precursor polyproteins were coexpressed did processed Gag and Pol products appear in the external medium. The appearance of these products was unaffected or only moderately affected by substitutions in the MHR of the Gag-Pol precursor, suggesting that the mutant Gag-Pol precursors were efficiently incorporated into viral particles. The results of this study indicate that specific residues within the MHR are required both for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particle assembly and for the correct assembly of the viral core. However, mutant Gag and Gag-Pol polyproteins with substitutions in the MHR retained the ability to interact with wild-type Gag protein.
Contextualizing Father Involvement and Paternal Influence

SUMMARY We clarify the basic features of a sociological perspective as it relates to the study of fathers' involvement with, and influence on, their children. Our analysis emphasizes the dynamic interplay between social structures and processes at the macro, meso, and micro levels while focusing on social psychological issues. We examine (a) the social, organizational, and cultural contexts for fathering, (b) fathers' social capital contributions, (c) the construction and maintenance of father identities, and (d) fathering as a co-constructed accomplishment. These foci draw attention to how father involvement is affected by race, gender, economic considerations and a father's relationships with his child's mother and others in the community. We also examine how reflected appraisals of others may affect how a man perceives himself as a father. Relying heavily on qualitative approaches such as in-depth interviews, discourse analysis, interpretive practice, narrative practice, and dramaturgy, we suggest a number of ways a sociological lens can inform our understanding of father involvement.
Increase in ovulation rate after treatment of ewes with bovine follicular fluid in the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle.

Administration of charcoal-treated bovine follicular fluid to Damline ewes twice daily (i.v.) from Days 1 to 11 of the luteal phase (Day 0 = oestrus) resulted in a delay in the onset of oestrous behaviour and a significant increase in ovulation rate following cloprostenol-induced luteolysis on Day 12. During follicular fluid treatment plasma levels of FSH in samples withdrawn just before injection of follicular fluid at 09:00 h (i.e. 16 h after previous injection of follicular fluid) were initially suppressed, but by Day 8 of treatment had returned to those of controls. However, the injection of follicular fluid at 09:00 h on Day 8 still caused a significant suppression of FSH as measured during a 6-h sampling period. Basal LH levels were higher throughout treatment due to a significant increase in amplitude and frequency of pulsatile secretion. After cloprostenol-induced luteal regression at the end of treatment on Day 12, plasma levels of FSH increased 4-fold over those of controls and remained higher until the preovulatory LH surge. While LH concentrations were initially higher relative to those of controls, there was no significant difference in the amount of LH released immediately before or during the preovulatory surge. These results suggest that the increase in ovulation rate observed during treatment with bovine follicular fluid is associated with the change in the pattern of gonadotrophin secretion in the luteal and follicular phases of the cycle.
Attentional Focusing Instructions and Force Production

Research progress assessing the role of attentional focusing instructions on skill acquisition and performance has lead researchers to apply this approach to force production tasks. Initial converging evidence indicates that force production tasks are sensitive to verbal instruction; externally focused instructions (onto movement outcomes, or onto the object force is being exerted against) are shown to be more beneficial than internally focused instructions (focusing attention onto the movements being executed). These benefits are observed for maximal and accurate force production, as well as the maintenance of force production in prolonged tasks. A range of mechanisms are identified supporting the proposal that an external focus promotes movement efficiency in line with energy and effort conservation. Future research is required to assess how this developing body of work interacts with the broader understanding of psychological and physiological factors implicated in the effective production, maintenance, and limitation of maximal or sub-maximal forces.
New Semiclassical Non-Abelian Vertex Operators for Chiral and Nonchiral WZW Theory

We supplement the discussion of Moore and Reshetikhin and others by finding new semiclassical non-Abelian vertex operators for the chiral, antichiral and nonchiral primary fields of WZW theory. These new non-Abelian vertex operators are the natural generalization of the familiar Abelian vertex operators: they involve only the representation matrices of Lie g, the currents of affine (g × g) and certain chiral and antichiral zero modes, and they reduce to the Abelian vertex operators in the limit of Abelian algebras. Using the new constructions, we also discuss semiclassical operator product expansions, braid relations and relations to the known form of the semiclassical affine-Sugawara conformal blocks.
Oklahoma’s recent earthquakes and saltwater disposal

Increasingly frequent earthquakes in Oklahoma are linked to saltwater disposal. Over the past 5 years, parts of Oklahoma have experienced marked increases in the number of small- to moderate-sized earthquakes. In three study areas that encompass the vast majority of the recent seismicity, we show that the increases in seismicity follow 5- to 10-fold increases in the rates of saltwater disposal. Adjacent areas where there has been relatively little saltwater disposal have had comparatively few recent earthquakes. In the areas of seismic activity, the saltwater disposal principally comes from “produced” water, saline pore water that is coproduced with oil and then injected into deeper sedimentary formations. These formations appear to be in hydraulic communication with potentially active faults in crystalline basement, where nearly all the earthquakes are occurring. Although most of the recent earthquakes have posed little danger to the public, the possibility of triggering damaging earthquakes on potentially active basement faults cannot be discounted.