Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Localization of Monoamine Oxidase mRNA in Human Placenta

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) oxidatively deaminates vasoactive and biogenic amines and exists in two distinct forms (A and B), coded for by separate genes, which exhibit distinct substrate specificities and inhibitor sensitivities. Using specific primers for MAO-A and MAO-B mRNA in a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on RNA from human liver, the predicted products for both enzymes were detected. Furthermore, RT-PCR on RNA from human placenta, believed to contain predominantly (or only) MAO-A protein, also indicated the presence of both A and B gene transcripts. The cellular distribution of MAO mRNA in placental tissue was analyzed by in situ hybridization of MAO-A and MAO-B mRNA-specific cRNA probes on paraffin sections. MAO-A mRNA was mainly evident in the syncytiotrophoblastic layer. None was detected in the vascular endothelium/smooth muscles. Significantly, MAO-B mRNA signal was also evident in the placental villi, notably in the syncytiotrophoblasts, intermediate trophoblasts, cytotrophoblasts, and the vascular endothelium. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the cellular distribution of MAO mRNA in human placenta via in situ hybridization. The expression of MAO-B in placental tissue rather than in blood elements within placenta is also unequivocally demonstrated. These highly specific cRNA probes can now be used to study the distribution of MAO-A and MAO-B expression in other tissues.
A Statistical Analysis of Intergalactic Medium Transmission Approaching Reionization

We use a ΛCDM hydrodynamic cosmological simulation in a 9.6 comoving Mpc box to examine the evolution of the intergalactic medium transmissivity from z = 2.5 up to the epoch of reionization (z ≳ 6.5). Ionization is due to a uniform ultraviolet background from an evolving mix of stellar and QSO populations. We synthesize noiseless H I Lyα absorption spectra by casting lines of sight through our continuously evolving box and analyze the statistical properties of the transmitted flux. We find a smooth evolution of the effective optical depth of the form τeff ∝ 4.16±0.02 up to reionization. During reionization, the mean transmission and variance sharply deviate from an extrapolated smooth evolution. This introduces large margins of error that would require an unobtainable number of lines of sight to minimize. Subsampling in "high" and "low" transmission lines of sight results in either inferring the continuation of a smooth profile or underestimating the global transmissivity during reionization, respectively. Nonetheless, the end of an opacity phase transition of the intergalactic medium correlates well with the redshift when both the mean and variance sharply deviate from a smooth profile. The lower bound estimates of the flux variance in this work also suggest that it is a more sensitive tool than the mean transmission in mapping reionization. In addition to optical transmission, we derive the "dark gap" length distribution, which is in agreement with observations. We also find a positive correlation between the mean gap optical depth and the gap length.
From Time to Time: The Representation of Timing and Tempo

Timing plays an important role in the performance and appreciation of almost all types of music. It has been studied extensively in music perception and music performance research (see Palmer 1997 for a review). The most important outcome of this research is that a large part of the timing patterns found in music performance—commonly referred to as expressive timing—can be explained in terms of musical structure, such as the recurrent patterns associated with the metrical structure that are used in jazz swing, or the typical slowing down at the end of phrases in classical music from the Romantic period. These timing patterns help in communicating temporal structure (such as rhythm, meter, or phrase structure) to the listener. Furthermore, timing is adapted with regard to the global tempo: at different tempi, other structural levels of the music are emphasized, and the expressive timing is adapted accordingly. In short, in music performance there is a close relationship between expressive timing, global tempo, and temporal structure. One cannot be modeled without the other (see Figure 1). Existing computational models of expressive timing (e.g., Clarke 1999; Gabrielsson 1999) are primarily concerned with explaining tempo variations , using tempo curves (specifying tempo or the reciprocal of duration as a function of the position in the score) as the underlying representation. Although a useful means of measuring tempo patterns in a performance, tempo curves have been shown to fall short as an underlying representation of timing from a musical perspective (Desain and Honing 1991, 1993) and a psychological perspective (Desain and Honing 1994). For instance, some types of timing, like chord spread (the asynchrony in performing a chord), ornaments (like grace notes), or the timing between parallel voices simply cannot be measured or represented as tempo deviations. Furthermore, in some musical situations or styles of music, where the global tempo is mostly constant, event-shift (Bilmes 1993)—mea-sured as the deviation with respect to a fixed beat or pulse in a constant tempo—offers a more natural way of representing timing. First, this article will review existing representations of timing and tempo common in computational models of music cognition and in programming languages for music. Their differences are discussed, and some refinements will be proposed (referred to as time maps, or TMs). The second part presents an alternative representation and model for time transformation: so-called timing functions (TIFs, an acronym chosen to distinguish them from TFs, or time functions, …
Long-Run Determinants of Inflation Differentials in a Monetary Union

This paper analyses the long-run determinants of inflation differentials in a monetary union. First, we aim at establishing some stylized facts relating the regional dispersion in headline inflation rates in the euro area as well as in the main components of the consumer price index. We find that a relatively large proportion of it occurs in the Service category of the EU’s harmonized consumer price index (HICP). We then lay out a model of a monetary union with fully flexible prices, the long-run properties of which are analysed. Our model departs in several respects from the Balassa-Samuelson hypotheses. Our results are in contrast with the result that movements in the real exchange rate are mainly driven by regionally asymmetric productivity shocks in the traded sectors. Our results point instead to relative variations in productivity in the non-traded sector as the primary cause of price and inflation differentials, with shocks to productivity in the traded sector being largely absorbed by movements in the terms of trade in the regional economies. These shocks are also found to largely drive the variability of real wages at the country level.
Dynamics of Trade and Heterogeneity in General Equilibrium (very preliminary and incomplete)

This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model which tries to reconcile the observation that aggregate movements of exports and imports are "disconnected" from real exchange rate movements, while rm-level exports co-move signi cantly with the real exchange rate. Firms are heterogenous, facing recurrent aggregate and product-speci c productivity shocks, choose which goods to export, and decide to innovate and drop their products endogenously. We calibrate and estimate the model with both aggregate and rm level data from Japan.
A Methodology and a Tool to Prepare Agro-Meteorological Maps as a Source of Big Data

The volumetric aspect of big data is increasing because of introduction of new methods to generate-capture data and the diverse needs of that data. Agro-meteorological maps (e.g. Digital maps, printed maps, scanned maps etc.) and satellite imagery are also sources of big data in terms of volume, variety in format, scale, representation, then presence of noise resulting in veracity and the velocity in terms of rate of availability of satellite imagery. One main problem with these domain specific agro-meteorological maps is presence of veracity in terms of noise (i.e. Irrelevant data in maps) such as, city names, symbols, administrative boundaries etc. If we can successfully remove noise from these maps and replace with right data, we can convert these maps into rich sources of digital data resulting in new opportunities in traditional agricultural sector, in policy making and decision support. In this paper we present an approach and its implementation that can be used to minimize the veracity in maps by cleaning the noise from maps and replacing the noise with right data. Once maps are cleaned, right data can be extracted from them. This data can be used by different big data applications and knowledge based systems in decision and policy making in different sectors.
Evolving Path Generation Compliant Mechanisms ( PGCM ) using Local-search based Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm

Path generation compliant mechanisms (PGCM) are flexible structures which generate some desired path and/or transmit force by undergoing elastic deformation (under some applied load) instead of through rigid linkages/joints as in rigid body mechanism. In the present work, multi-objective problem is posed for evolving of PGCM using local-search based genetic algorithm. Minimization of weight of structure and minimization of input energy to the structure have been considered as two conflicting objective functions subjected to maximum of 10% of deviation between five precision points of prescribed path and corresponding five points obtained on the actual path of a specified point on structure after FEM analysis and a constraint on stress. Geometrical non-linear finite element model is used for the synthesis of PGCM. On the basis of the calculated function and constraint values, an evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to find the optimal solution. A local search based multi-objective GA is used to reduce the computational time and improve the quality of GA solutions. The Pareto-optimal front obtained shows different trade-off solutions from minimum weight to the maximum weight of structure. The minimum weight solution is corresponding to the maximum input energy to the structure and vice-versa.
Improving Spectral Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Content through Semi-Supervised Regression

Visible and near infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy has been applied to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) content with many modeling strategies and techniques, in which a crucial and challenging problem is to obtain accurate estimations using a limited number of samples with reference values (labeled samples). To solve such a challenging problem, this study, with Honghu City (Hubei Province, China) as a study area, aimed to apply semi-supervised regression (SSR) to estimate SOC contents from VIS-NIR spectroscopy. A total of 252 soil samples were collected in four field campaigns for laboratory-based SOC content determinations and spectral measurements. Semi-supervised regression with co-training based on least squares support vector machine regression (Co-LSSVMR) was applied for spectral estimations of SOC contents, and it was further compared with LSSVMR. Results showed that Co-LSSVMR could improve the estimations of SOC contents by exploiting samples without reference values (unlabeled samples) when the number of labeled samples was not excessively small and produce better estimations than LSSVMR. Therefore, SSR could reduce the number of labeled samples required in calibration given an accuracy threshold, and it holds advantages in SOC estimations from VIS-NIR spectroscopy with a limited number of labeled samples. Considering the increasing popularity of airborne platforms and sensors, SSR might be a promising modeling technique for SOC estimations from remotely sensed hyperspectral images.
Cross-modal metaphorical mapping of spoken emotion words onto vertical space

From the field of embodied cognition, previous studies have reported evidence of metaphorical mapping of emotion concepts onto a vertical spatial axis. Most of the work on this topic has used visual words as the typical experimental stimuli. However, to our knowledge, no previous study has examined the association between affect and vertical space using a cross-modal procedure. The current research is a first step toward the study of the metaphorical mapping of emotions onto vertical space by means of an auditory to visual cross-modal paradigm. In the present study, we examined whether auditory words with an emotional valence can interact with the vertical visual space according to a ‘positive-up/negative-down’ embodied metaphor. The general method consisted in the presentation of a spoken word denoting a positive/negative emotion prior to the spatial localization of a visual target in an upper or lower position. In Experiment 1, the spoken words were passively heard by the participants and no reliable interaction between emotion concepts and bodily simulated space was found. In contrast, Experiment 2 required more active listening of the auditory stimuli. A metaphorical mapping of affect and space was evident but limited to the participants engaged in an emotion-focused task. Our results suggest that the association of affective valence and vertical space is not activated automatically during speech processing since an explicit semantic and/or emotional evaluation of the emotionally valenced stimuli was necessary to obtain an embodied effect. The results are discussed within the framework of the embodiment hypothesis.
Nucleocytoplasmic transport: A thermodynamic mechanism

The nuclear pore supports molecular communication between cytoplasm and nucleus in eukaryotic cells. Selective transport of proteins is mediated by soluble receptors, whose regulation by the small GTPase Ran leads to cargo accumulation in, or depletion from, the nucleus, i.e., nuclear import or nuclear export. We consider the operation of this transport system by a combined analytical and experimental approach. Provocative predictions of a simple model were tested using cell‐free nuclei reconstituted in Xenopus egg extract, a system well suited to quantitative studies. We found that accumulation capacity is limited, so that introduction of one import cargo leads to egress of another. Clearly, the pore per se does not determine transport directionality. Moreover, different cargo reach a similar ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic concentration in steady‐state. The model shows that this ratio should in fact be independent of the receptor‐cargo affinity, though kinetics may be strongly influenced. Numerical conservation of the system components highlights a conflict between the observations and the popular concept of transport cycles. We suggest that chemical partitioning provides a framework to understand the capacity to generate concentration gradients by equilibration of the receptor‐cargo intermediary.
The Effects of Specialization in Audit Workpaper Review on Review Efficiency and Reviewers' Confidence

Accounting firms are currently re‐engineering their audit processes with the aim of delivering a quality audit more efficiently. One area of potential efficiency gains is the sequential and hierarchical workpaper review process. This study examines the potential for specialization to improve review efficiency and reviewer confidence. Auditing literature advises focusing each review level on specific kinds of errors (i.e., seniors on mechanical errors and managers on conceptual errors), rather than having seniors and managers perform successive all‐encompassing reviews. We find that seniors but not managers performing specialized reviews were more confident in their reviews. However, both seniors and managers performing specialized reviews required on average more time than those performing all‐encompassing reviews. Additional analysis suggests that specialized reviewers were also less calibrated. We attribute these results to specialization interfering with auditors' mental model of review. The results su.
Logic-based approach to semantic query optimization

The purpose of semantic query optimization is to use semantic knowledge (e.g., integrity constraints) for transforming a query into a form that may be answered more efficiently than the original version. In several previous papers we described and proved the correctness of a method for semantic query optimization in deductive databases couched in first-order logic. This paper consolidates the major results of these papers emphasizing the techniques and their applicability for optimizing relational queries. Additionally, we show how this method subsumes and generalizes earlier work on semantic query optimization. We also indicate how semantic query optimization techniques can be extended to databases that support recursion and integrity constraints that contain disjunction, negation, and recursion.
Impact of Helicobacter pylori Immunoglobulin G Levels and Atrophic Gastritis Status on Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Background Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is implicated in gastric and extra-gastric diseases. While gastritis-related chronic inflammation represents a known trigger of metabolic disturbances, whether metabolic syndrome (MetS) is affected by gastritis status remains unclear. We aimed to clarify the effect of HP-related gastritis on the risk of MetS. Materials and Methods We retrospectively enrolled patients undergoing screening for MetS between 2014 and 2015. Investigations included HP-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody assays to detect HP infection, and serum pepsinogen assays to evaluate atrophic gastritis status. The risk of MetS was evaluated via multiple logistic regression analyses with two covariates: serum HP infection status (IgG levels) and atrophic gastritis status (two criteria were applied; pepsinogen I/II ratio < 3 or both pepsinogen I levels ≤ 70 μg/L and pepsinogen I/II ratio < 3). Results Of 1,044 participants, 247 (23.7%) were HP seropositive, and 62 (6.0%) had MetS. HP seronegative and seropositive patients had similar risks of MetS. On the other hand, AG (defined in terms of serum PG I/II <3) was significant risk of MetS (OR of 2.52 [95% CI 1.05–7.52]). After stratification according to HP IgG concentration, patients with low HP infection status had the lowest MetS risk (defined as an odds ratio [OR] adjusted for age, sex, smoking, drinking and physical activity status). Taking this result as a reference, patients with negative, moderate, and high HP infection status had ORs (with 95% confidence intervals [CI]) of 2.15 (1.06–4.16), 3.69 (1.12–16.7), and 4.05 (1.05–26.8). Conclusions HP-associated gastritis represents a risk factor for MetS. Research should determine why low and not negative HP infection status is associated with the lowest MetS risk.
Mucosal bacteria in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an acute and chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown aetiology, although bacterial species belonging to the normal colonic microbiota are known to be involved in its initiation and maintenance. Several organisms have been linked to the disease; however, mucosa-associated bacteria are more likely to be involved than their luminal counterparts, due to their close proximity to the host epithelium. Comparative bacteriological analyses were done on rectal biopsies to investigate differences in mucosal bacteria in patients with UC and healthy controls. Complex bacterial communities were found in both groups, with significant reductions in bifidobacterial numbers in UC, which suggested that they might have a protective role in the disease. Accordingly, a therapy for treating UC was designed, with the aim of modifying the mucosal microbiota to increase bifidobacterial colonisation and reduce inflammation. Ranges of mucosal and faecal bifidobacteria were tested for their substrate preferences and their abilities to survive under a variety of environmental conditions. A synbiotic comprising a probiotic (Bifidobacterium longum) isolated from healthy rectal mucosa combined with a prebiotic (oligofructose-enriched inulin – Synergy 1TM) was developed. The treatment was used in a randomised controlled trial involving eighteen patients with active UC, for a period of 1 month. Rectal biopsies were collected at the beginning and end of the study. Bacteriological analysis and transcription levels of epithelium-related immune markers were assessed. Results demonstrated that short-term synbiotic treatment resulted in increased bifidobacterial colonisation of the rectal mucosa and induced significant reductions in the expression of molecules that control inflammation in active UC.
Identification of a novel CRYBB2 missense mutation causing congenital autosomal dominant cataract

Purpose To identify the genetic defect in a four-generation Croatian family presenting with autosomal dominant cataract. Methods Genome-wide linkage analysis with 250K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays was performed using DNA from one unaffected and seven affected individuals. Mutation screening of candidate genes was performed by bidirectional Sanger sequencing. Results Evidence for linkage was observed for eight genomic regions. Among these was a locus on chromosome 22 which encompasses the β-crystallin gene cluster. This cluster includes four genes, namely beta-crystallin B1 (CRYBB1), beta-crystallin B2 (CRYBB2), beta-crystallin B3 (CRYBB3), and beta-crystallin A4 (CRYBA4). A novel sequence variant was found in the CRYBB2 gene (p.Arg188His). This variant cosegregated with the disease phenotype in all affected individuals but was not present in the unaffected family members and 100 healthy control subjects. Conclusions We report a novel missense mutation, p.Arg188His, in CRYBB2 associated with congenital cataract in a family of Croatian origin. This variant is the most COOH-terminal missense mutation in CRYBB2 that has been identified so far.
Nature and well-being : building social and emotional capital through environmental volunteering

This thesis explores the interaction between well-being and environmental volunteering. Focusing on five case study groups across Scotland, the emotional, social and physical well-being impacts of active environmental volunteer work are examined. Through an extensive ethnographic approach incorporating in-depth interviewing, participant observation and focus group work the thesis highlights the importance of studying the initial and continuing motivations for individuals to participate in environmental volunteering. This retains a particular focus on emotional and embodied volunteer experiences, exploring the importance of tasks and landscapes on the volunteering encounters. In considering the meaning of volunteering, the thesis also explores linkages of community and citizenship and how individuals frame and understand their volunteering, especially in relation to the environmental aspects of the work. This speaks directly to academic themes of embodiment, human-nature interactions, emotional geographies and social capital. The studentship was an ESRC-CASE funded project, with the CASE partner being Forestry Commission Scotland. The research takes place within a dynamic political context that encompasses current research and work on volunteering and natural environment encounters within Scotland and the UK as a whole. The thesis looks to inform ongoing policy relevant debates on environmental volunteering within both the Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Government.