Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ranking benchmarks of top 100 players in men's professional tennis

Abstract In men's professional tennis, players aspire to hold the top ranking position. On the way to the top spot, reaching the top 100 can be seen as a significant career milestone. National Federations undertake extensive efforts to assist their players to reach the top 100. However, objective data considering reasonable ranking yardsticks for top 100 success in men's professional tennis are lacking. Therefore, it is difficult for National Federations and those involved in player development to give empirical programming advice to young players. By taking a closer look at the ranking history of professional male tennis players, this article tries to provide those involved in player development a more objective basis for decision-making. The 100 names, countries, birthdates and ranking histories of the top 100 players listed in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) at 31 December 2009 were recorded from websites in the public domain. Descriptive statistics were reported for the ranking milestones of interest. Results confirmed the merits of the International Tennis Federation's junior tour with 91% of the top 100 professionals earning a junior ranking, the mean peak of which was 94.1, s=148.9. On average, top 100 professionals achieved their best junior rankings and earned their first ATP point at similar ages, suggesting that players compete on both the junior and professional tours during their transition. Once professionally ranked, players took an average 4.5, s=2.1 years to reach the ATP top 100 at the mean age of 21.5, s=2.6 years, which contrasts with the mean current age of the top 100 of 26.8, s=3.2. The best professional rankings of players born in 1982 or earlier were positively related to the ages at which players earned their first ATP point and then entered the top 100, suggesting that the ages associated with these ranking milestones may have some forecasting potential. Future work should focus on the change in top 100 demographics over time as well as the evaluation of the interaction between rankings and tournament play.
Association Between Serum Uric Acid, Metabolic Syndrome, and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Japanese Individuals

Objective—There are few data available on possible independent association between uric acid and carotid atherosclerosis. Here we first sought to investigate association between uric acid levels and metabolic syndrome in Japanese; second, we assessed whether there is an independent association of uric acid with prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in individuals subdivided according to gender and metabolic syndrome status. Methods and Results—Cross-sectional data from 8144 individuals who underwent general health screening were analyzed. After adjusting for age, total cholesterol, and smoking status, the odds ratios (95% CI) of sex-specific quartiles of serum uric acid for metabolic syndrome were 1.0, 1.06 (0.60 to 1.87), 2.18 (1.30 to 3.64), and 4.17 (2.56 to 6.79) in women, and 1.0, 0.92 (0.74 to 1.14), 1.52 (1.25 to 1.65), and 1.97 (1.61 to 2.40) in men. After adjusting for age, serum levels, total cholesterol, and smoking status, prevalence of carotid plaque was higher in subjects in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of uric acid level with odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.24 (1.01 to 1.52), 1.37 (1.11 to 1.68), and 1.31 (1.05 to 1.63), respectively, in men without metabolic syndrome but not in men with metabolic syndrome or in women with or without metabolic syndrome. Conclusion—The prevalence of metabolic syndrome showed a graded increase according to serum uric acid values in both genders. In men who did not have metabolic syndrome, uric acid was found to be an independent risk factor for incidence of carotid plaque.
Effect of molybdenum addition on fracture toughness and hardness of Fe2B in Fe–B–C cast alloy

Abstract The effect of molybdenum addition on the fracture toughness and micro-hardness of Fe2B in Fe-B-C alloy was investigated. The results indicate that, with the increase in molybdenum addition, the micro-hardness of Fe2B increases and its fracture toughness first increases and then decreases. Compared with the fracture toughness (3.8 MPa · m1/2) of Fe2B without molybdenum addition, its toughness at 2.14 wt. % molybdenum addition can be nearly doubled, achieving 7.4 MPa · m1/2. The wear result indicates that increasing the toughness of Fe2B may distinctly improve the wear resistance of Fe-B-C alloy and the wear resistance is improved by around 35% in this experimental condition.
Are There Permanent Valuation Gains to Overseas Listings?

This paper tests whether foreign equity listings are associated with permanent valuation gains and examines how market and firm characteristics influence any valuation effects. Using a global sample of 1,676 listings placed in 25 countries, we find that much of the valuation gains to overseas listings are not permanent. The transitory nature of valuation gains holds for both average US listings and average first-time firm listings. We find little evidence of a permanent effect on returns for firms that list abroad, even for firms' listings in markets that are more liquid, provide better legal protection, or have a larger shareholder base. The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Unbalanced translocations arise from diverse mutational mechanisms including chromothripsis

Unbalanced translocations are a relatively common type of copy number variation and a major contributor to neurodevelopmental disorders. We analyzed the breakpoints of 57 unique unbalanced translocations to investigate the mechanisms of how they form. Fifty-one are simple unbalanced translocations between two different chromosome ends, and six rearrangements have more than three breakpoints involving two to five chromosomes. Sequencing 37 breakpoint junctions revealed that simple translocations have between 0 and 4 base pairs (bp) of microhomology (n = 26), short inserted sequences (n = 8), or paralogous repeats (n = 3) at the junctions, indicating that translocations do not arise primarily from nonallelic homologous recombination but instead form most often via nonhomologous end joining or microhomology-mediated break-induced replication. Three simple translocations fuse genes that are predicted to produce in-frame transcripts of SIRPG-WWOX, SMOC2-PROX1, and PIEZO2-MTA1, which may lead to gain of function. Three complex translocations have inversions, insertions, and multiple breakpoint junctions between only two chromosomes. Whole-genome sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of two de novo translocations revealed at least 18 and 33 breakpoints involving five different chromosomes. Breakpoint sequencing of one maternally inherited translocation involving four chromosomes uncovered multiple breakpoints with inversions and insertions. All of these breakpoint junctions had 0–4 bp of microhomology consistent with chromothripsis, and both de novo events occurred on paternal alleles. Together with other studies, these data suggest that germline chromothripsis arises in the paternal genome and may be transmitted maternally. Breakpoint sequencing of our large collection of chromosome rearrangements provides a comprehensive analysis of the molecular mechanisms behind translocation formation.
Discrete Optimization with Decision Diagrams

We propose a general branch-and-bound algorithm for discrete optimization in which binary decision diagrams (BDDs) play the role of the traditional linear programming relaxation. In particular, relaxed BDD representations of the problem provide bounds and guidance for branching, and restricted BDDs supply a primal heuristic. Each problem is given a dynamic programming model that allows one to exploit recursive structure, even though the problem is not solved by dynamic programming. A novel search scheme branches within relaxed BDDs rather than on values of variables. Preliminary testing shows that a rudimentary BDD-based solver is competitive with or superior to a leading commercial integer programming solver for the maximum stable set problem, the maximum cut problem on a graph, and the maximum 2-satisfiability problem. Specific to the maximum cut problem, we tested the BDD-based solver on a classical benchmark set and identified tighter relaxation bounds than have ever been found by any technique, nearly closing the entire optimality gap on four large-scale instances.
The role of the CNR1 gene in schizophrenia: a systematic review including unpublished data

Objective: Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disorder. It is known that a combination of extensive multiple common alleles may be involved in its etiology, each contributing with a small to moderate effect, and, possibly, some rare alleles with a much larger effect size. We aimed to perform a systematic review of association studies between schizophrenia (and its subphenotypes) and polymorphisms in the CNR1 gene, which encodes cannabinoid receptors classically implicated in schizophrenia pathophysiology, as well as to present unpublished results of an association study in a Brazilian population. Methods: Two reviewers independently searched for eligible studies and extracted outcome data using a structured form. Papers were retrieved from PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge using the search term schizophrenia in combination with CNR1 or CB1 or cannabinoid receptor. Twenty-four articles met our inclusion criteria. We additionally present data from a study of our own comparing 182 patients with schizophrenia and 244 healthy controls. Results: No consistent evidence is demonstrated. Conclusion: Some seemingly positive association studies stress the need for further investigations of the possible role of endocannabinoid genetics in schizophrenia.
THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY ON MULTIVARIATE SELECTION ON REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS IN FEMALE GREAT TITS

Abstract Describing natural selection on phenotypic traits under varying environmental conditions is essential for a quantitative assessment of the scale at which adaptation might occur and of the impact of environmental variability on evolution. Here we analyzed patterns of multivariate selection via fecundity and viability on three reproductive traits (laying date, clutch size, and egg weight) in a population of great tits (Parus major). We quantified selection under different environmental conditions using (1) local variation in breeding density and (2) distinct areas of the population's habitat. We found that selection gradients were generally stronger for fecundity than for viability selection. We also found correlational selection acting on the combination of laying date and clutch size; this is the first documented evidence of such selection acting on these two traits in a passerine bird. Our analyses showed that both local breeding density and habitat significantly influenced selection patterns, hence favoring different patterns of reproductive investment at a small-scale relative to typical dispersal distances in this species. Canonical rotation of the nonlinear selection matrices yielded similar conclusions as traditional nonlinear selection analyses, and also showed that the main axes of selection and fitness surfaces varied over space within the population. Our results emphasize the importance of quantifying different forms of selection, and of including variation in environmental conditions at small scales to gain a better understanding of potential evolutionary dynamics in wild populations. This study suggests that the fitness landscape for this species is relatively rugged at scales relevant to the life histories of individual birds and their close relatives.
Automatic grapheme processing in the left occipitotemporal cortex

In a previous event-related fMRI study, we showed that the left occipitotemporal cortex was specifically involved in the abstract categorization of visually presented alphabetic symbols. Here, we duplicate the fMRI study by measuring visual event-related potentials to verify whether the left posterior cortex supports the processing of graphemic representations at a perceptual, prelexical level. N170 amplitudes elicited by the categorically ambiguous stimulus ‘O’ were about twice as small in the left as in the right occipitotemporal region, and comparable to that of other letters on the left, and to that of other geometric figures on the right. The side asymmetry suggests that a graphemic module is unilaterally implemented in the left hemisphere, where it automatically processes heteromorphic representations that do not depend on the physical characteristics of the signal, whereas the difference in amplitude suggests that this left graphemic module is in series with, precedes and does not transmit information to, or inhibits a general shape-analysis module.
Evaluation of High-quality LCDs Displaying Moving Pictures by Use of the Form Obtained from Statokinesigrams and the Dynamics

Optically compensated bend (OCB) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) panels are newly developed displays that have an excellent moving picture quality that is almost equivalent to that of a cathode-ray tube display. By measuring the centre of gravity of the human body, we compared statokinesigrams (SKGs) obtained from subjects viewing moving maps on the OCBs and on conventional model displays. Indices for the form of SKGs are useful for evaluating the LCD displaying the movie. We conclude that our method, where a subject views an LCD displaying a scrolling movie, is effective in evaluating the characteristics of movies being displayed on LCDs.
Infection in Mouse Peritoneal Cavity with a Pyrimidine-requiring Mutant and Naturally Occurring Staphylococcus aureus Strains

The lethal activity of a thymineless mutant of Staphylococcus aureus Wood 46 strain has been compared with that of three naturally occurring strains: parent Wood 46, Smith, and coagulase-negative SA-13. The thymineless mutant and the parent Wood 46 strain showed a sharp decline in culturable units from the peritoneal cavity in the first 4 hr after their injection. After 6 hr, that is, 2 hr before the mice began to die, the number of culturable units of the thymineless mutant was still declining, whereas that of the parent strain increased; for both strains, the number of units was still lower than that of the inoculum. Although the thymineless mutant, unlike the parent strain, was apparently unable to multiply in mouse peritoneal cavity, it killed mice at a similar rate. The highly virulent Smith strain known to multiply rapidly and the avirulent coagulase-negative SA-13 strain were used as additional controls. Under our experimental conditions, death of mice after the injection of the thymineless mutant in the peritoneal cavity did not seem to be due to bacterial multiplication but to toxicity, death being delayed by antitoxin. The pyrimidine-requiring auxotroph we used could be better material than killed bacteria to study some aspects of the lethal activity of S. aureus.
TCR‐pMHC encounter differentially regulates transcriptomes of tissue‐resident CD8 T cells

To investigate the role of TCR‐pMHC interaction in regulating lung CD8 tissue‐resident T cell (TR) differentiation, polyclonal responses were compared against NP366‐374/Db and PA224‐233/Db, two immunodominant epitopes that arise during influenza A infection in mice. Memory niches distinct from iBALTs develop within the lamina propria, supporting CD103+ and CD103− CD8 TR generation and intraepithelial translocation. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) identify dominant TCR, adherens junction, RIG‐I‐like and NOD‐like pattern recognition receptor as well as TGF‐β signaling pathways and memory signatures among PA224‐233/Db T cells consistent with T resident memory (TRM) status. In contrast, NP366‐374/Db T cells exhibit enrichment of effector signatures, upregulating pro‐inflammatory mediators even among TRM. While NP366‐374/Db T cells manifest transcripts linked to canonical exhaustion pathways, PA224‐233/Db T cells exploit P2rx7 purinoreceptor attenuation. The NP366‐374/Db CD103+ subset expresses the antimicrobial lactotransferrin whereas PA224‐233/Db CD103+ utilizes pore‐forming mpeg‐1, with <22% of genes correspondingly upregulated in CD103+ (or CD103−) subsets of both specificities. Thus, TCR‐pMHC interactions among TR and antigen presenting cells in a tissue milieu strongly impact CD8 T cell biology.
Caenorhabditis elegans num-1 Negatively Regulates Endocytic Recycling

Much of the material taken into cells by endocytosis is rapidly returned to the plasma membrane by the endocytic recycling pathway. Although recycling is vital for the correct localization of cell membrane receptors and lipids, the molecular mechanisms that regulate recycling are only partially understood. Here we show that in Caenorhabditis elegans endocytic recycling is inhibited by NUM-1A, the nematode Numb homolog. NUM-1A∷GFP fusion protein is localized to the baso-lateral surfaces of many polarized epithelial cells, including the hypodermis and the intestine. We show that increased NUM-1A levels cause morphological defects in these cells similar to those caused by loss-of-function mutations in rme-1, a positive regulator of recycling in both C. elegans and mammals. We describe the isolation of worms lacking num-1A activity and show that, consistent with a model in which NUM-1A negatively regulates recycling in the intestine, loss of num-1A function bypasses the requirement for RME-1. Genetic epistasis analysis with rab-10, which is required at an early part of the recycling pathway, suggests that loss of num-1A function does not affect the uptake of material by endocytosis but rather inhibits baso-lateral recycling downstream of rab-10.
Deep convolutional architecture for natural image denoising

Natural image is an important source of human access to information, however observed image signals are often corrupted in the process of acquisition or transmission. As an important link of image preprocessing, image denoising has significant influence on the follow-up procedures. Unlike traditional methods that use related features of spatial or transform domain in a single image, we propose a deep learning method for natural image denoising. Our method directly learns an end-to-end mapping from a noisy image to a corresponding de-noised image. It's based on a deep convolutional architecture with rectified linear units and local response normalization. The experiment results show that the proposed deep convolutional architecture learns various features from noisy images, and achieves denoising results of high quality within short time for practical usage.
Early-life exposures predicting onset and resolution of childhood overweight or obesity

Objectives To determine which of multiple early-life exposures predict onset or resolution of overweight/obesity during a 9-year period. Methods Design: longitudinal cohort from three harmonised community-based cohorts enriched for overweight and obesity. Early-life exposures: child—gestational age; delivery; birth weight; breast feeding; solids introduction; baseline body mass index (BMI); waist circumference; diet; activity; global, physical and psychosocial health. Mother—baseline BMI; education; age; neighbourhood disadvantage; concern for child's weight. Outcome: change in BMI category. Analyses: adjusted logistic regression. Results On average, the 363 children (57% retention) were 6 and 15 years old at baseline and follow-up. Children were classified as ‘never’ overweight/obese (38%), ‘resolving’ overweight/obese (15%), ‘becoming’ overweight/obese (8%) or ‘always’ overweight/obese (39%). Compared with ‘never overweight/obese’ children, odds of ‘becoming overweight/obese’ were greater with higher child (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.02 to 5.29) and maternal BMI (OR 1.18, CI 1.07 to 1.31), and lower with higher maternal education (OR 0.09, CI 0.02 to 0.34). Compared with ‘always overweight/obese’ children, odds of ‘resolving overweight/obese’ were lower with higher maternal BMI (OR 0.87, CI 0.78 to 0.97), and higher with better child physical health (OR 1.06, CI 1.02 to 1.10) and higher maternal age (OR 1.11, CI 1.01 to 1.22) and education (OR 4.07, CI 1.02 to 16.19). Conclusions Readily available baseline information (child/maternal BMI, maternal age, education and child health) were the strongest predictors of both onset and resolution of overweight/obesity between the primary school and adolescent years. Perinatal, breastfeeding and lifestyle exposures were not strongly predictive. Results could stimulate development of algorithms identifying children most in need of targeted prevention or treatment.
Of Lice and Math: Using Models to Understand and Control Populations of Head Lice

In this paper we use detailed data about the biology of the head louse (pediculus humanus capitis) to build a model of the evolution of head lice colonies. Using theory and computer simulations, we show that the model can be used to assess the impact of the various strategies usually applied to eradicate head lice, both conscious (treatments) and unconscious (grooming). In the case of treatments, we study the difference in performance that arises when they are applied in systematic and non-systematic ways. Using some reasonable simplifying assumptions (as random mixing of human groups and the same mobility for all life stages of head lice other than eggs) we model the contagion of pediculosis using only one additional parameter. It is shown that this parameter can be tuned to obtain collective infestations whose characteristics are compatible with what is given in the literature on real infestations. We analyze two scenarios: One where group members begin treatment when a similar number of lice are present in each head, and another where there is one individual who starts treatment with a much larger threshold (“superspreader”). For both cases we assess the impact of several collective strategies of treatment.
Curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1, 6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) Blocks the Chemotaxis of Neutrophils by Inhibiting Signal Transduction through IL-8 Receptors

We investigated the impact of curcumin on neutrophils. Chemotactic activity via human recombinant IL-8 (hrIL-8) was significantly inhibited by curcumin. Curcumin reduced calcium ion flow induced by internalization of the IL-8 receptor. We analyzed flow cytometry to evaluate the status of the IL-8 receptor after curcumin treatment. The change in the distribution of receptors intracellularly and on the cell surface suggested that curcumin may affect the receptor trafficking pathway intracellulary. Rab11 is a low molecular weight G protein associated with the CXCR recycling pathway. Following curcumin treatment, immunoprecipitation studies showed that the IL-8 receptor was associated with larger amounts of active Rab11 than that in control cells. These data suggest that curcumin induces the stacking of the Rab11 vesicle complex with CXCR1 and CXCR2 in the endocytic pathway. The mechanism for antiinflammatory response by curcumin may involve unique regulation of the Rab11 trafficking molecule in recycling of IL-8 receptors.