Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Architectural protein Pita cooperates with dCTCF in organization of functional boundaries in Bithorax complex

Boundaries in the Bithorax complex (BX-C) of Drosophila delimit autonomous regulatory domains that drive parasegment-specific expression of homeotic genes. BX-C boundaries have two crucial functions: they must block crosstalk between adjacent regulatory domains and at the same time facilitate boundary bypass. The C2H2 zinc-finger protein Pita binds to several BX-C boundaries, including Fab-7 and Mcp. To study Pita functions, we have used a boundary replacement strategy by substituting modified DNAs for the Fab-7 boundary, which is located between the iab-6 and iab-7 regulatory domains. Multimerized Pita sites block iab-6↔iab-7 crosstalk but fail to support iab-6 regulation of Abd-B (bypass). In the case of Fab-7, we used a novel sensitized background to show that the two Pita-binding sites contribute to its boundary function. Although Mcp is from BX-C, it does not function appropriately when substituted for Fab-7: it blocks crosstalk but does not support bypass. Mutation of the Mcp Pita site disrupts blocking activity and also eliminates dCTCF binding. In contrast, mutation of the Mcp dCTCF site does not affect Pita binding, and this mutant boundary retains partial function. Summary: The chromatin architectural protein Pita functions much like dCTCF in the organization of Drosophila BX-C, providing insight into how boundaries impact BX-C gene regulation and segment specification.
The Effects of Customers' Mobile Experience and Technical Support on the Intention to Use Mobile Banking

While mobile banking has become an integral part of banking activities, it has also caused systems-related stress and consequent distrust among mobile banking users. This study looks into the phenomenon of technology adoption for mobile banking users and identifies potential factors that nurture positive intentions toward mobile banking usage. It examines the effects of a customer's mobile experience and technical support on mobile banking acceptance and explains how some variables affect this intention. After a literature review, the method of empirical analysis using a structured questionnaire is developed. Hierarchical Moderated Regression Analyses (HMRA) is used to examine the model. We find that mobile experience and technical support tend to strengthen the relationship between technological characteristics and a customer's intention to use the mobile technology.
Dissecting Query Performance in Logical Data Models: Parsimony vs. Greater Ontological Clarity

Even when data repositories exhibit near perfect data quality, users may formulate queries that do not correspond to the information requested. Users’ poor information retrieval performance may arise from either problems understanding of the data models that represent the real world systems, or their query skills. This research focuses on users’ understanding of the data structures, i.e., their ability to map the information request and the data model. The Bunge-Wand-Weber ontology was used to formulate three sets of hypotheses. Two laboratory experiments (one using a small data model and one using a larger data model) tested the effect of ontological clarity on users’ performance when undertaking component, record, and aggregate level tasks. The results indicate for the hypotheses associated with different representations but equivalent semantics that parsimonious data model participants performed better for component level tasks but that ontologically clearer data model participants performed better for record and aggregate level tasks.
Adjective based inference

In this paper, we propose a fine grained classification of english adjectives geared at modeling the distinct inference patterns licensed by each adjective class. We show how it can be implemented in description logic and illustrate the predictions made by a series of examples. The proposal has been implemented using Description logic as a semantic representation language and the prediction verified using the DL theorem prover Racer.
Hyperparameter Optimization and Boosting for Classifying Facial Expressions: How good can a "Null" Model be?

One of the goals of the ICML workshop on representation and learning is to establish benchmark scores for a new data set of labeled facial expressions. This paper presents the performance of a "Null" model consisting of convolutions with random weights, PCA, pooling, normalization, and a linear readout. Our approach focused on hyperparameter optimization rather than novel model components. On the Facial Expression Recognition Challenge held by the Kaggle website, our hyperparameter optimization approach achieved a score of 60% accuracy on the test data. This paper also introduces a new ensemble construction variant that combines hyperparameter optimization with the construction of ensembles. This algorithm constructed an ensemble of four models that scored 65.5% accuracy. These scores rank 12th and 5th respectively among the 56 challenge participants. It is worth noting that our approach was developed prior to the release of the data set, and applied without modification; our strong competition performance suggests that the TPE hyperparameter optimization algorithm and domain expertise encoded in our Null model can generalize to new image classification data sets.
Safety and feasibility of intravenous thrombolytic therapy in Iranian patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background Thrombolytic therapy is the only approved treatment for acute cerebral ischemia. The hemorrhagictransformation is the greatest complication of this treatment, which may occur after recanalization of occludedartery. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with clinical improvement and worseningin patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Methods Thirty seven patients who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis between August 2010 andAugust 2012 who had the inclusion criteria were studied. In this prospective study, all of the admitted patients instroke unit, monitored for at least 48 hours. We registered all patients’ information in a stroke data registry andfollowed them for at least 6 months. Results Thirty seven patients with acute ischemic stroke who treated with recombinant tissue plasminogenactivator (r-TPA) were studied. There were hemorrhagic transformations in 9 (24%) patients. Seven of them(18%) revealed intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH) within the control brain CT after 24 hours without any deteriorationof neurologic symptoms (asymptomatic ICH). Although outcomes of patients with symptomatic post r-TPA hemorrhages were worse than non-hemorrhagic post r-TPA patients, there were no significant differencesbetween asymptomatic post r-TPA hemorrhages and non-hemorrhagic post r-TPA patients, according to theNational Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission (p = 0.2), after 24 hours (p= 0.07) and after 7days (p= 0.06) post treatment. Conclusion If the r-TPA protocol is followed carefully, the risk of symptomatic hemorrhage is low (about7%). Taking r-TPA was feasible and safe in our study population; thus, it can be applied for other Iranian patients.
Wholesalers and Retailers in U.S. Trade (Long Version)

We combine data on individual trade transactions from U.S. customs records with comprehensive information on firms' employment from the Census Bureau's business register to examine wholesalers and retailers in U.S. exports and imports. Exporters and importers with 100 percent employment in wholesale and retail differ from pure "producer and consumer" trading firms along a number of dimensions: they are smaller in terms of employment, trade value and domestic sales, operate fewer U.S. establishments and are present in fewer U.S. states. "Mixed" firms, i.e., those with both production/consumption and wholesale retail within the boundaries of the firm, on the other hand, are substantially larger. They trade more products, trade with more countries, and are more likely to engage in related-party trade.
The Submicroscopic Structure of Articular Cartilage in Swine in the Early Postnatal Period

Horky D. : The Submicroscopic Structure of Articular Cartilage in Swine in the Early Postnatal Period. Acta vet. Brno 60, 1991: 323-334. The study was concerned with articular cartilage of the femoral heads in 4 pigs of both sexes at 2 days after birth. The tissue specimens were observed by light microscopy and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The surface layer of the cartilage was made up of spindle-shaped chondrocytes arranged in two rows. The chondrocytes sent out long projections into the surround­ ing intercellular matter in which pericellular and intercellular matrix were distin­ guished. The Golgi apparatus was well developed and cytoplasmic inclusions were distinct and numerous. Chondrocytes of the middle layer were oval in shape and measured 9 by 6 pm. They contained large amounts of cytoplasm with the Golgi apparatus distributed into several fields; they were rich in mitochondria, granular endoplasmic reticulum, glycogen and lipid droplets. This layer showed the presence of regular cilia and occasional passage of collagen protofibrils through the cell membrane. A clear distinction between pericellular and intercellular matrix was apparent. The zone between the middle and the deep layers showed transitional type chond­ rocytes. Cells of the deep layer were made into columns situated perpendicular to the surface; they did not differ from the chondrocytes of the corresponding layer in adult animals. "The cartilage surface at 2 days of age was coated with a chondrosynovial mem­ brane. Below this, about 1 pm deep, collagen fibrils running perpendicular to each other produced a solid surface layer capable of resisting to pressure and facilitating movement of the joint.
BER analysis of optical space shift keying with gamma-gamma fading and pointing error

Space shift keying (SSK) is a technique where the antenna indices are used to transfer the information. In this paper, we investigate optical SSK (OSSK) system under the combined effects of atmospheric turbulence (AT) and pointing error (PE). We introduce an analytical framework to obtain average pair-wise error probability and average bit error rate of OSSK scheme. It is observed that for small PE jitter, degradation in error performance is very small, while for high PE jitter, the degradation is significantly high. Furthermore, the effect of PE with moderate and strong AT conditions is more dominant than the weak AT condition. Also, the performance of the OSSK system under strong and moderate AT regimes remains same, which makes the considered system nearly independent of turbulence between moderate to strong turbulence conditions.
Fathers make a difference: positive relationships with mother and baby in relation to infant colic.

BACKGROUND Maternal psychological factors like depression, anxiety and stress have been associated with infant fussiness or colic. However, little research exists on whether positive factors such as social support and the happiness of the mother-partner relationship are associated with lower rates of infant fussiness or colic. OBJECTIVES We investigated the association between infant colic and three types of maternal support: general maternal social support (during pregnancy and post partum), the happiness of the mother-partner relationship (during pregnancy and post partum) and partner involvement in caring for the newborn. METHODS Participants were 3006 women in the First Baby Study, a prospective study of the effect of mode of first delivery on subsequent childbearing. Women were interviewed by telephone during pregnancy and 1 month after first childbirth and asked about social support and if their baby had a variety of problems since birth, including 'Colic - crying or fussiness three or more hours a day'. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to model the association between maternal support and infant colic, controlling for confounders, including maternal race or ethnicity, insurance, marital status, smoking, mode of delivery, maternal post-partum depression, breastfeeding, other neonatal illnesses and newborn gestational age. RESULTS Infant colic was reported by 11.6% of new mothers. High general maternal social support (in comparison with low), measured during pregnancy, was associated with lower reported infant colic (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40-0.75) and measured post partum (AOR, 0.51, 95% CI, 0.39-0.67); high relationship happiness (in comparison with low), measured during pregnancy (AOR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.54-0.93), and measured post partum (AOR, 0.22, 95% CI, 0.12-0.40); and high partner involvement with newborn care (in comparison with low) (AOR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.44-0.81). CONCLUSION Higher levels of maternal social support during pregnancy and post partum are associated with lower rates of maternal reported infant colic.
Jumping strategies and performance in shore bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Saldidae)

SUMMARY The jumping movements of the hemipteran shore bug (Saldula saltatoria, sub-order Heteroptera, family Saldidae) were analysed from sequences of images captured at 5000 frames s–1. Adult Saldula weigh ∼2.1 mg and are ∼3.5 mm long. The hind legs that propel jumping are 180% longer than the front legs and 90% of body length, but non-jumping species in the same family have longer hind legs relative to the lengths of their bodies. Jumps were powered by large trochanteral depressor muscles in the thorax in two different strategies. In the first (used in 24% of jumps analysed), a jump was propelled by simultaneous extension of the two hind legs powered by rapid depression movements about the coxo-trochanteral joints, while both pairs of wings remained closed. In the second strategy (74% of jumps), the wings were opened before the hind legs began to move. At take-off, the position of the wings was variable and could be 8–21 ms into either elevation or depression. When the hind legs alone propelled a jump, the body was accelerated in 3.97±0.111 ms at a take-off angle of 52±6.5° to a take-off velocity of 1.27±0.119 m s–1; when the wings also moved, the body was accelerated in 3.86±0.055 ms at a take-off angle of 58±1.7° to a take-off velocity of 1.29±0.032 m s–1. These values are not different in the two jumping strategies. In its best jumps the take-off velocity reached 1.8 m s–1 so that Saldula experienced an average acceleration of 529 m s–2, equivalent to almost 54g, expended 3.4 μJ of energy, while exerting a force of 1.1 m N. The power requirements for jumping indicate that a catapult mechanism must be used in which the trochanteral depressor muscles contract and store energy in advance of a jump. These jumps should propel it to a height of 105 mm or 30 times its body length and distances of 320 mm. The two jumping strategies achieve the same jumping performance.
Increased Saliva Cortisol Awakening Response in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: It is unknown whether HPA-axis dysfunction is present in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cortisol levels are elevated among patients with MCI and/or whether the individuals have adequate feedback control of their HPA axis. Material and Methods: 27 patients with MCI and 15 healthy controls were included in the study. Saliva samplings were performed 5 times a day before intake of 0.5 mg dexamethasone, and 5 times a day after intake of dexamethasone, respectively. Results: Significantly higher cortisol levels were found 15 min after awakening among patients with MCI in comparison with the controls, both before and after dexamethasone administration (p < 0.05). Also, the ratio between cortisol at awakening time and 15 min after awakening was lower in the patient group after dexamethasone administration (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in basal cortisol levels before or after dexamethasone between groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is an HPA-axis disturbance, with normal basal cortisol levels and increased awakening response among patients with MCI. The dissociation between basal values and the awakening response may be of pathophysiological importance for the cognitive impairment.
Does Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Negatively Impact Long-Term Survival and Freedom from Reintervention?

Recently published evidence has raised concerns about worse late mortality and increasing need for reintervention after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. We undertook this study to assess the impact of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting on survival and freedom from reintervention at 10 years. From January 2002 to December 2002, 307 consecutive patients who had isolated multivessel off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting at our institution were compared to a control group of 397 patients that underwent multivessel on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting during the same period. In addition, univariate and risk-adjusted comparisons between the two groups were performed at 10 years. Kaplan-Meier survival was similar for the two cohorts. After adjusting for clinical covariates, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting did not emerge as a significant independent predictor of long-term mortality (Hazard Ratio 0.91; 95% Confidence Interval 0.70–1.12), readmission to hospital for cardiac cause (Hazard Ratio 0.96; 95% Confidence Interval 0.78–1.10), or the need for reintervention (Hazard Ratio 0.93; 95% Confidence Interval 0.87–1.05). Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting compared with on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting does not adversely impact survival or freedom from reintervention at a 10-year follow-up.
A comparison of optimal MIMO linear and nonlinear models for brain–machine interfaces

The field of brain–machine interfaces requires the estimation of a mapping from spike trains collected in motor cortex areas to the hand kinematics of the behaving animal. This paper presents a systematic investigation of several linear (Wiener filter, LMS adaptive filters, gamma filter, subspace Wiener filters) and nonlinear models (time-delay neural network and local linear switching models) applied to datasets from two experiments in monkeys performing motor tasks (reaching for food and target hitting). Ensembles of 100–200 cortical neurons were simultaneously recorded in these experiments, and even larger neuronal samples are anticipated in the future. Due to the large size of the models (thousands of parameters), the major issue studied was the generalization performance. Every parameter of the models (not only the weights) was selected optimally using signal processing and machine learning techniques. The models were also compared statistically with respect to the Wiener filter as the baseline. Each of the optimization procedures produced improvements over that baseline for either one of the two datasets or both.
Childhood Lead Poisoning: Conservative Estimates of the Social and Economic Benefits of Lead Hazard Control

Background This study is a cost–benefit analysis that quantifies the social and economic benefits to household lead paint hazard control compared with the investments needed to minimize exposure to these hazards. Objectives This research updates estimates of elevated blood lead levels among a cohort of children ≤ 6 years of age and compiles recent research to determine a range of the costs of lead paint hazard control ($1–$11 billion) and the benefits of reduction attributed to each cohort for health care ($11–$53 billion), lifetime earnings ($165–$233 billion), tax revenue ($25–$35 billion), special education ($30–$146 million), attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder ($267 million), and the direct costs of crime ($1.7 billion). Results Each dollar invested in lead paint hazard control results in a return of $17–$221 or a net savings of $181–269 billion. Conclusions There are substantial returns to investing in lead hazard control, particularly targeted at early intervention in communities most likely at risk. Given the high societal costs of inaction, lead hazard control appears to be well worth the price.
High Prevalence of Iron Deficiency among Educated Hospital Employees in Switzerland

Iron deficiency is known to cause symptoms such as fatigue, depression and restless legs syndrome resulting in impaired quality of life and working capacity. We sought to examine the iron status of reportedly healthy individuals by a framed study design in 58 highly educated Swiss hospital employees and to compare the use of non invasive tests for assessing iron deficiency (ID). A structured interview was used to assess health status, nutritional intake and potential blood loss, blood counts as well as parameters proposed to diagnose iron deficiency were determined. All subjects felt well and were working at their maximum capacity. The male subjects were neither anaemic nor had decreased iron parameters however 50% (23/46) of the women had a serum ferritin of below 22 μg/L, still 33% (15/46) of the women had a ferritin value below the more stringent cut off value of 15 μg/L. In 15% (7/46) of the women we diagnosed iron deficient anaemia. Red meat consumption correlated with ferritin values as did the menstrual blood loss which was estimated by asking the amount of tampons used. Of the additionally analysed iron parameters only the percentage of hypochromic erythrocytes, soluble transferrin receptor and transferrin values were significantly correlated with ferritin and reached an AUCROC of ≥0.7 indicating good predictive tests. Nevertheless neither soluble transferrin receptor nor transferrin showed diagnostic advantages for the diagnosis of ID compared to ferritin alone or together with erythrocyte parameters. Working in a hospital environment and having access to health education does not seem to correlate with prevention of ID or ID anaemia in female hospital employees.
Low Anaerobic Threshold and Increased Skeletal Muscle Lactate Production in Subjects with Huntington's Disease

Mitochondrial defects that affect cellular energy metabolism have long been implicated in the etiology of Huntington's disease (HD). Indeed, several studies have found defects in the mitochondrial functions of the central nervous system and peripheral tissues of HD patients. In this study, we investigated the in vivo oxidative metabolism of exercising muscle in HD patients. Ventilatory and cardiometabolic parameters and plasma lactate concentrations were monitored during incremental cardiopulmonary exercise in twenty‐five HD subjects and twenty‐five healthy subjects. The total exercise capacity was normal in HD subjects but notably the HD patients and presymptomatic mutation carriers had a lower anaerobic threshold than the control subjects. The low anaerobic threshold of HD patients was associated with an increase in the concentration of plasma lactate. We also analyzed in vitro muscular cell cultures and found that HD cells produce more lactate than the cells of healthy subjects. Finally, we analyzed skeletal muscle samples by electron microscopy and we observed striking mitochondrial structural abnormalities in two out of seven HD subjects. Our findings confirm mitochondrial abnormalities in HD patients' skeletal muscle and suggest that the mitochondrial dysfunction is reflected functionally in a low anaerobic threshold and an increased lactate synthesis during intense physical exercise. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society