Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pollination and reproductive biology of twelve species of neotropical Malpighiaceae: stigma morphology and its implications for the breeding system.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS This study on reproductive biology examines the stigmatic morphology of 12 Brazilian Malpighiaceae species with regard to their pollination and breeding system. METHODS The species were studied in natural populations of a semi-deciduous forest fragment. Style tips were processed for observation by SEM and pollen-tube growth was analyzed under fluorescence microscopy. The breeding system was investigated by isolating flowers within waterproof bags. Floral visitors were recorded through notes and photographs. KEY RESULTS Flowers are yellow, pink or white, protogynous, herkogamous and sometimes lack oil glands. While Banisteriopsis pubipetala has functional female flowers (with indehiscent anthers), 11 species present hermaphrodite flowers. Stigmas of these species may be terminal, with a slightly concave surface, or internal, consisting of a circular cavity with a large orifice, and are covered with a thin, impermeable cuticle that prevents pollen from adhering, hydrating, or germinating. Malpighiaceae have a special type of 'wet' stigma, where a secretion accumulates under the cuticle and is released by mechanical means-mainly rupture by pollinators. Even though six species show a certain degree of self-compatibility, four of them present a form of late-acting self-incompatibility, and the individual of B. pubipetala is agamospermous. Species of Centris, Epicharis and Monoeca bees pollinate these flowers, mainly collecting oil. Some Epicharis and Monoeca species collected pollen by vibration. Paratetrapedia and Tetrapedia bees are pollen and oil thieves. CONCLUSIONS The Malpiguiaceae species studied are pollinator-dependent, as spontaneous self-pollination is limited by herkogamy, protogyny and the stigmatic cuticle. Both the oil- and pollen-collecting behaviours of the pollinators favour the rupture of the stigmatic cuticle and the deposition of pollen on or inside the stigmas. As fruit-set rates in natural conditions are low, population fragmentation may have limited the sexual reproduction of these species.
Turnip Mosaic Potyvirus Probably First Spread to Eurasian Brassica Crops from Wild Orchids about 1000 Years Ago

Turnip mosaic potyvirus (TuMV) is probably the most widespread and damaging virus that infects cultivated brassicas worldwide. Previous work has indicated that the virus originated in western Eurasia, with all of its closest relatives being viruses of monocotyledonous plants. Here we report that we have identified a sister lineage of TuMV-like potyviruses (TuMV-OM) from European orchids. The isolates of TuMV-OM form a monophyletic sister lineage to the brassica-infecting TuMVs (TuMV-BIs), and are nested within a clade of monocotyledon-infecting viruses. Extensive host-range tests showed that all of the TuMV-OMs are biologically similar to, but distinct from, TuMV-BIs and do not readily infect brassicas. We conclude that it is more likely that TuMV evolved from a TuMV-OM-like ancestor than the reverse. We did Bayesian coalescent analyses using a combination of novel and published sequence data from four TuMV genes [helper component-proteinase protein (HC-Pro), protein 3(P3), nuclear inclusion b protein (NIb), and coat protein (CP)]. Three genes (HC-Pro, P3, and NIb), but not the CP gene, gave results indicating that the TuMV-BI viruses diverged from TuMV-OMs around 1000 years ago. Only 150 years later, the four lineages of the present global population of TuMV-BIs diverged from one another. These dates are congruent with historical records of the spread of agriculture in Western Europe. From about 1200 years ago, there was a warming of the climate, and agriculture and the human population of the region greatly increased. Farming replaced woodlands, fostering viruses and aphid vectors that could invade the crops, which included several brassica cultivars and weeds. Later, starting 500 years ago, inter-continental maritime trade probably spread the TuMV-BIs to the remainder of the world.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic associations of ofatumumab, a human monoclonal CD20 antibody, in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a phase 1–2 study

The purpose of this phase 1–2 study was to investigate the association between the pharmacokinetic properties of ofatumumab, a human monoclonal CD20 antibody, and outcomes in 33 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia receiving 4 weekly infusions of ofatumumab. The ofatumumab concentration profiles were fitted well by a two‐compartment model with different elimination rate constant at first infusion compared to the remaining infusions in line with the observed rapid and sustained B‐cell depletion. Exposure to ofatumumab was linked to clinical outcomes: high exposure was associated with higher probability of overall clinical response and longer progression‐free survival. This association still remained statistically significant even when adjusting for relevant baseline covariates including tumour burden. The trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT00093314).
Conceptualizing defendants as minorities leads mock jurors to make biased evaluations in retracted confession cases.

Criminal suspects who confess during interrogations sometimes retract their confessions and go to trial. Jurors must then evaluate the voluntariness and authenticity of the confession and determine guilt. Previous research indicates that focusing the camera on the detective and defendant equally (rather than on the defendant alone) while recording the interrogation protects defendants from a salience bias produced by the camera perspective. We demonstrated that, even with an equal-focus video, a salience bias can occur if jurors conceptualize a defendant as a member of a minority group and therefore see the defendant as distinctive. In two experiments, mock jurors viewed an equal-focus confession video embedded within a murder trial. The defendant’s physical appearance remained constant; however, when jurors believed he was a minority rather than a majority group member, they directed more visual attention toward him, rated his confession as more voluntary, authentic, and incriminating, and considered him more likely guilty. Contrary to our prediction, the defendant’s minority status did not interact with his apparent motive (Experiment 1). However, the detective’s use of a false evidence ploy during interrogation led jurors to evaluate the defendant less negatively on most measures (Experiment 2), although verdicts were unaffected.
Children's search roles at home: Implications for designers, researchers, educators, and parents

This paper presents the results of a large-scale, qualitative study conducted in the homes of children aged 7, 9, and 11 investigating internet searching processes on Google. Seven search roles, representing distinct behavior patterns displayed by children when interacting with the Google search engine, are described, including Developing Searchers, Domain-specific Searchers, Power Searchers, Nonmotivated Searchers, Distracted Searchers, Rule-bound Searchers, and Visual Searchers. Other trends are described and selected to present a view of the whole child searcher. These roles and trends are used to make recommendations to designers, researchers, educators, and parents about the directions to take when considering how to best aid children to become search literate. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cadmium Toxicity in Glutathione Mutants of Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT The higher affinity of Cd2+ for sulfur compounds than for nitrogen and oxygen led to the theoretical consideration that cadmium toxicity should result mainly from the binding of Cd2+ to sulfide, thiol groups, and sulfur-rich complex compounds rather than from Cd2+ replacement of transition-metal cations from nitrogen- or oxygen-rich biological compounds. This hypothesis was tested by using Escherichia coli for a global transcriptome analysis of cells synthesizing glutathione (GSH; wild type), γ-glutamylcysteine (ΔgshB mutant), or neither of the two cellular thiols (ΔgshA mutant). The resulting data, some of which were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, were sorted using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) orthology system, which groups genes hierarchically with respect to the cellular functions of their respective products. The main difference among the three strains concerned tryptophan biosynthesis, which was up-regulated in wild-type cells upon cadmium shock and strongly up-regulated in ΔgshA cells but repressed in ΔgshB cells containing γ-glutamylcysteine instead of GSH. Overall, however, all three E. coli strains responded to cadmium shock similarly, with the up-regulation of genes involved in protein, disulfide bond, and oxidative damage repair; cysteine and iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis; the production of proteins containing sensitive iron-sulfur clusters; the storage of iron; and the detoxification of Cd2+ by efflux. General energy conservation pathways and iron uptake were down-regulated. These findings indicated that the toxic action of Cd2+ indeed results from the binding of the metal cation to sulfur, lending support to the hypothesis tested.
Transcriptional activation of the gp91phox NADPH oxidase subunit by TPA in HL‐60 cells

The exposure to epigenetic effectors capable of inducing copious production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been associated with chronic inflammation, tumor initiation, and promotion. The objective of this study was to examine the regulation of gp91phox, the catalytic subunit of the NADPH oxidase, and the kinetics of ROS production in promyelocytic leukemia HL‐60 cells induced with 12‐O‐tetradeconylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA). The treatment of HL‐60 cells with TPA (0.1 μM) induced cellular differentiation, which was followed after 48 h by a tenfold increase in chemiluminescence from lucigenin and a 2.5‐fold increase in the intracellular oxidation of 2′,7′‐dicholorofluorescin (DCFH). Whereas higher concentrations (1.0 μM) of TPA did not stimulate further ROS production, repeated stimulation with 0.1 μM TPA of differentiated cells induced a modest (1.2‐fold) but rapid (15 min) increase in chemiluminescence. In cells treated with TPA, the burst in ROS at 48 h was preceded by accumulation at 12 h of gp91phox (8.8‐fold) and p47phox mRNA (threefold), whereas untreated cells contained steady‐state levels of both transcripts. Time‐course experiments with actinomycin D to inhibit transcription revealed that TPA did not improve the stability of gp91phox. In transient transfections, luciferase reporter activity directed from a 1.5‐kb gp91phox promoter fragment was enhanced threefold upon treatment with TPA for 24 h. We conclude that TPA can commit HL‐60 cells to differentiation and elicit transcription from the proximal gp91phox promoter.
Robust Shape Tracking With Multiple Models in Ultrasound Images

This paper addresses object tracking in ultrasound images using a robust multiple model tracker. The proposed tracker has the following features: 1) it uses multiple dynamic models to track the evolution of the object boundary, and 2) it models invalid observations (outliers), reducing their influence on the shape estimates. The problem considered in this paper is the tracking of the left ventricle which is known to be a challenging problem. The heart motion presents two phases (diastole and systole) with different dynamics, the multiple models used in this tracker try to solve this difficulty. In addition, ultrasound images are corrupted by strong multiplicative noise which prevents the use of standard deformable models. Robust estimation techniques are used to address this difficulty. The multiple model data association (MMDA) tracker proposed in this paper is based on a bank of nonlinear filters, organized in a tree structure. The algorithm determines which model is active at each instant of time and updates its state by propagating the probability distribution, using robust estimation techniques.
EXPLORING ETHICAL CODES AND MORAL BEHAVIOR IN TODAY'S CLASSROOM

G.M. Marakas states [20] “Suggesting that ethics are an important element in any business endeavor seems intuitive. In systems analysis (IS) 1 , however, personal integrity and ethics are often at the center of the conduct of a development effort. ” At Edinboro University of PA the Computer Science (CS) program specifies that CS courses contain a section on ethical issues related to the course topic. At Robert Morris University (RMU), an entire course in the IS program is devoted to a study of global, social, economic and ethical issues in computing. As ethical and behavioral issues are of growing concern in business, so too are they in today’s classroom. The access and exchange of electronic documents among students and their ability to be opaque as to the use of these materials on assignments increasingly raises concerns regarding plagiarism and authorship across educational institutions. A key question addressed in this essay is “What are the drivers (factors) that account for the decisions today’s university students make to either engage in, or refrain from, actions that are considered immoral? ” Can we determine and depict where students stand on ethical drivers as well as on the behavioral choices each makes? This paper introduces concepts for representing ethical drivers as dimensions in social-cultural and ethical frameworks; further, techniques for placing a student within these multidimensional frames are introduced. An initial survey instrument has been piloted that demonstrates one of the dimensions related to ethical framing. The design of a target study to demonstrate both ethical and moral frames, along with associated survey instruments, is presented.
Narratives of Childhood Adversity and Adolescent Misconduct as Precursors to Violent Extremism

Objective: We examined how nonideological factors such as childhood risk factors and adolescent conduct problems precede participation in violent extremism (VE). Methods: We conducted in-depth life-history interviews with former members of violent White supremacist groups (N = 44) to examine their childhood and adolescent experiences, and how they explain the factors that led to the onset of VE. Results: Based on self-reports, we found substantial presence of childhood risk factors and adolescent conduct problems as precursors to participation in violent extremist groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that pathways to VE are more complex than previously identified in the literature and that violent extremists are a heterogeneous population of offenders whose life histories resemble members of conventional street gangs and generic criminal offenders. We conclude our article with implications related to criminological theory, directions for future research, and limitations.
An Adult Version of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory: Test-Retest Reliability and Social Desirability

A version of the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, modified for use with adults, was found to have a test-retest reliability of about . 80 for 32 adult women over periods of 6 to 58 wk. Correlation of the scores with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale for a group of 51 college students was . 47. Use of the lie scale on the self-esteem scale to identify subjects whose self-reports are markedly influenced by a social desirability factor can reduce this correlation to . 32.
Linguistic Effects on the Neural Basis of Theory of Mind

“Theory of mind” (ToM) has been described as the ability to attribute and understand other people’s desires and intentions as distinct from one’s own. There has been a debate about the extent to which language influences ToM development. Although very few studies directly examined linguistic influence on the neural basis of ToM, results from these studies indicate at least moderate influence of language on ToM. In this review both behavioral and neurological studies that examined the relationship between language and ToM are selectively discussed. This review focuses on cross-linguistic / cultural studies (especially Japanese vs. American / English) since my colleagues and I found evidence of significant linguistic influence on the neural basis of ToM through a series of functional brain imaging experiments. Evidence from both behavioral and neurological studies of ToM (including ours) suggests that the pragmatic (not the constitutive) aspects of language influence ToM understanding more significantly.
Towards a Framework for Quantifying Systemic Stability

This paper describes a prototype quantitative framework for gauging systemic risk which explicitly characterizes banks’ balance sheets and allows for macro credit risk, interest income risk, market risk, network interactions, and asset-side feedback effects. In presenting our results, we focus on projections for systemwide banking assets in the United Kingdom, considering both unconditional distributions and stress scenarios.We show how a combination of extreme credit and trading losses can precipitate fundamental defaults and trigger contagious default associated with network effects and fire sales of distressed assets. Despite the joint normality of all risk factors, the model generates a bimodal asset distribution.
Identification and Quantitation of the N-Acetyl-L-cysteine S-Conjugates of Bendamustine and Its Sulfoxides in Human Bile after Administration of Bendamustine Hydrochloride

We recently reported the detection of mercapturic acid pathway metabolites of bendamustine, namely, cysteine S-conjugates in human bile, which are supposed to subsequently undergo further metabolism. In this study, we describe the identification and quantitation of consecutive bendamustine metabolites occurring in human bile using authentic reference standards and the synthesis and structural confirmation of these compounds. Mass spectrometry data along with high-performance liquid chromatography retention data (fluorescence detection) of the synthetic reference standards were consistent with those of the metabolites found in human bile after administration of bendamustine hydrochloride to cancer patients. Analysis of the purified synthetic reference compounds showed a purity of at least 95%. Structural confirmation was achieved by one- and two-dimensional proton as well as carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. A total of 16 bendamustine-related compounds were detected in the bile of patients, 11 of them were recovered as conjugates. Eight conjugates have been structurally confirmed as novel mercapturic acids and sulfoxides. Biliary excretion of the sulfoxides was twice that of the mercapturate precursors. Glutathione S-conjugates of bendamustine have not been detected in bile samples, indicating rapid enzymatic cleavage in humans. Both the lack of glutathione (GSH) conjugates and occurrence of diastereomeric sulfoxides emphasize species-related differences in the GSH conjugation of bendamustine between humans and rats. The total amount recovered in the bile as the sum of all conjugates over the period of 24 h after dosing averaged 5.2% of the administered dose. The question of whether the novel metabolites contribute to urinary excretion should be a target of future investigations.
Estimating the number of release sites and probability of firing within the nerve terminal by statistical analysis of synaptic charge

Investigating the function of individual synapses is essential to understanding the mechanisms that influence the efficacy of chemical synaptic transmission. The known simplicity of the synaptic structure at the crayfish neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and its quantal nature of release allows an assessment of discrete synapses within the motor nerve terminals. Our goal in this article is to investigate the effect of the stimulation frequency on the number of active release sites (n) and the probability of release (p) at those active sites. Because methods based on direct counts often provide unstable joint estimates of (n) and (p), we base our analysis on mixture modeling. In particular, the mixture modeling approach is used to estimate (n) and (p) for stimulation frequencies of 1 Hz, 2 Hz, and 3 Hz. Our results indicate that as the stimulation frequency increases, new sites are recruited (thus increasing n) and the probability of release (p) increases. Synapse 47:15–25, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developing a behavior rating scale for comparing teachers' ratings of children with and without craniofacial anomalies.

OBJECTIVE Published psychometric tools are often insensitive to the experience of children with craniofacial anomalies (CFAs). The purposes of this study were to develop a valid and reliable assessment of behavior among children with and without CFAs and to compare teacher ratings of these two groups of children. METHODS Teachers were asked prospectively to assess social competence and peer acceptance among 99 consecutively evaluated school-aged patients with CFAs and 99 "controls" (classmates without CFA matched by race, gender, intellectual status, general socioeconomic status, and grade). Sixth grade was the median grade of the subjects. OUTCOME MEASURE Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). RESULTS Using oblique promax rotation, four factors emerged from the CBRS with the CFA patient group and controls. The factors explained 67% of the total variance and 69% of the variance of the two groups, respectively. The four factors were: (1) self-maintenance, (2) social adjustment, (3) independence, and (4) teasing. Cronbach alpha results averaged 0.77 for the CFA group and 0.83 for the controls; test-retest reliability estimates were . 93. Results demonstrate the consistency of the factors and high level of interrelationship among the items across subject groups. Expected differences (p <.05) were found among subject groups on the total score and factor 4. CONCLUSIONS The CBRS demonstrates psychometric worthiness. The findings indicated that patients with CFA had lower total scores on the CBRS, and they were rated as experiencing more teasing than their matched peers.
Comparative Analysis of DNA Repair in Stem and Nonstem Glioma Cell Cultures

It has been reported that cancer stem cells may contribute to glioma radioresistance through preferential activation of the DNA damage checkpoint response and an increase in DNA repair capacity. We have examined DNA repair in five stem and nonstem glioma cell lines. The population doubling time was significantly increased in stem compared with nonstem cells, and enhanced activation of Chk1 and Chk2 kinases was observed in untreated CD133+ compared with CD133− cells. Neither DNA base excision or single-strand break repair nor resolution of pH2AX nuclear foci were increased in CD133+ compared with CD133− cells. We conclude that glioma stem cells display elongated cell cycle and enhanced basal activation of checkpoint proteins that might contribute to their radioresistance, whereas enhanced DNA repair is not a common feature of these cells. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(3):383–92)
Model Reduction of Interconnected Linear Systems Using Structured Gramians

The problem of structure-preserving model reduction of interconnected linear systems is considered in this paper. The problem is interesting because networked models often have high order, and standard model-reduction methods usually do not preserve interconnection structure. As a tool, balanced truncation and block-diagonal generalized controllability and observability Gramians are used. Block-diagonal generalized Gramians do not exist for all interconnected systems, but a class of systems that always has such Gramians is identified. Furthermore, it is shown how general interconnected systems can be associated with interconnected systems in this class. The block-diagonal Gramians are then used to compute the reduced models and also yield asymptotic a priori approximation error bounds and stability guarantees for the reduced models.