Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure urinary iodine in NHANES 2000: comparison with previous method.

Urinary iodine (UI) concentrations directly reflect dietary iodine intake and consequently test biochemical assessment of the iodine status worldwide (1). The Iodine Laboratory of the Division of Laboratory Sciences at the National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, measured the UI content of specimens as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2000 and will measure UI in the US population through future NHANES analyses, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this report, we describe the ICP-MS laboratory method and compare that method with the established Sandell–Kolthoff (S-K) spectrophotometric method used in NHANES III. The ICP-MS method described previously (2) was modified for use in NHANES 2000 by adding alkaline diluents and rinses to measure UI as follows: urine samples and the urine iodide calibrator solutions were prepared just before analysis by dilution (1:49; 50 μL of sample/calibrator plus 2450 μL of diluent) with an aqueous solution of 10 mL/L tetramethylammonium hydroxide containing 10 μg/L tellurium as an internal standard. A peristaltic pump introduced the diluted samples into the spray chamber with an argon stream. The I+ and Te+ ions were measured at m/z 127 and 130, respectively (3). The diluent used to make the intermediate working calibrators was 1.0 g of analytical-reagent-grade sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) dissolved in 1000 mL of 18 MΩ · cm ultrapure water. (The water used for all dilutions and rinses in the ICP-MS method is ultrapure 18 MΩ · cm water; Millipore Corporation.) The wash solution was an aqueous solution of 1 mL/L Triton X-100 and 10 mL/L tetramethylammonium hydroxide. This solution was …
Vanishing of configurational entropy may not imply an ideal glass transition in randomly pinned liquids

The paper by Ozawa et al. (1) presents numerical results for the configurational entropy density, s c sc, of a model glass-forming liquid in the presence of random pinning. The location of a “phase boundary” in the pin density (c) − temperature (T) plane, which separates an “ideal glass” phase from the supercooled liquid phase, is obtained by finding the points at which s c ( T , c ) → 0 sc(T,c)→0. According to the theoretical arguments in ref. 2, an ideal glass transition at which the α-relaxation time τ α τα diverges takes place when s c sc goes to zero.
Modeling Correlated Arrival Events with Latent Semi-Markov Processes

The analysis of correlated point process data has wide applications, ranging from biomedical research to network analysis. In this work, we model such data as generated by a latent collection of continuous-time binary semi-Markov processes, corresponding to external events appearing and disappearing. A continuous-time modeling framework is more appropriate for multichannel point process data than a binning approach requiring time discretization, and we show connections between our model and recent ideas from the discrete-time literature. We describe an efficient MCMC algorithm for posterior inference, and apply our ideas to both synthetic data and a real-world biometrics application.
An Efficient Detector for Spatially Multiplexed MC-CDM Communications

We propose a sub-optimum detection method for spatially multiplexed multicarrier code division multiplexing (SM-MC-CDM) communications. Spreading the data in frequency domain results in additional diversity gain while using multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver may result in capacity gain due to spatial multiplexing and/or further diversity gain. To take advantage of the diversity and the multiplexing offered by SM-MC-CDM, low complexity and efficient detectors have to be designed. In this paper, the performance of our proposed detector is compared with a number of sub-optimum detectors using simulations over uncorrelated and correlated frequency selective MIMO channels. The results demonstrate that the new algorithm outperforms existing methods of comparable complexity.
Response to Comments on "Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services"

We show that globally declining fisheries catch trends cannot be explained by random processes and are consistent with declining stock abundance trends. Future projections are inherently uncertain but may provide a benchmark against which to assess the effectiveness of conservation measures. Marine reserves and fisheries closures are among those measures and can be equally effective in tropical and temperate areas—but must be combined with catch-, effort-, and gear restrictions to meet global conservation objectives.
Reconstitution of Diphtheria Toxin from Two Nontoxic Cross-Reacting Mutant Proteins

The isolation of a new type of mutant Corynephage β, which carries a missense mutation in the structural gene for diphtheria toxin synthesis is described. The lysogenic C78(β197)tox-crm+ strain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae produces a nontoxic, extracellular protein of molecular weight 62,000. This protein is immunologically indistinguishable from toxin itself but inhibits the action of toxin on HeLa cells, probably by competing for attachment sites on the cell membrane. In contrast to fragment A derived from diphtheria toxin, fragment A197 is unable to catalyze the inactivation of eucaryotic polypeptidyl-transfer RNA-transferase II. When mixtures of the two nontoxic mutant proteins, enzymically active crm45 protein and enzymically inactive crm197 protein, are subjected to mild treatment with trypsin in the presence of a thiol and then allowed to reoxidize after dialysis to remove excess thiol, "diphtheria toxin" is reconstituted in high yield.
The Promise of Whole Genome Pathogen Sequencing for the Molecular Epidemiology of Emerging Aquaculture Pathogens

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector, and the sustainability of this industry is critical both for global food security and economic welfare. The management of infectious disease represents a key challenge. Here, we discuss the opportunities afforded by whole genome sequencing of bacterial and viral pathogens of aquaculture to mitigate disease emergence and spread. We outline, by way of comparison, how sequencing technology is transforming the molecular epidemiology of pathogens of public health importance, emphasizing the importance of community-oriented databases and analysis tools.
Diversity and Distribution of Prokaryotes within a Shallow-Water Pockmark Field

Pockmarks are crater-like depression on the seafloor associated with hydrocarbon ascent through muddy sediments in continental shelves around the world. In this study, we examine the diversity and distribution of benthic microbial communities at shallow-water pockmarks adjacent to the Middle Adriatic Ridge. We integrate microbial diversity data with characterization of local hydrocarbons concentrations and sediment geochemistry. Our results suggest these pockmarks are enriched in sedimentary hydrocarbons, and host a microbial community dominated by Bacteria, even in deeper sediment layers. Pockmark sediments showed higher prokaryotic abundance and biomass than surrounding sediments, potentially due to the increased availability of organic matter and higher concentrations of hydrocarbons linked to pockmark activity. Prokaryotic diversity analyses showed that the microbial communities of these shallow-water pockmarks are unique, and comprised phylotypes associated with the cycling of sulfur and nitrate compounds, as well as numerous know hydrocarbon degraders. Altogether, this study suggests that shallow-water pockmark habitats enhance the diversity of the benthic prokaryotic biosphere by providing specialized environmental niches.
Act-based versus harm-based sanctions for environmental offenders

We investigate the design of harm-based and act-based sanctions for environmental offences. Empirical evidence concerning both criminal and administrative sanctions for Belgium clearly shows that the determination of harm-based and act-based sanctions for environmental offences is less straightforward than theory predicts. In criminal cases, harm-based sanctions are influenced by offence-related factors and specifically by the environmental harm caused, while the level of act-based sanctions is found to be independent of offence characteristics. Further, offender characteristics have a similar impact on both types of sanction, with the exception of the treatment of corporate offenders. In administrative cases, both types of sanction positively depend on the seriousness of (potential) harm caused. We find that sanctions increase for repeat offenders and decrease for offenders who took actions to minimize (potential) damages. Moreover, the analysis provides evidence of multiple objectives pursued by enforcing authorities. While our results confirm the general insights from previous studies, they are innovative in the distinction made between harm-based and act-based sanctions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
The response to sulpiride in major depression before and after cognitive behavioural therapy: D2 receptor function

Background: Previous studies have suggested that antidepressant treatment of depression may potentiate dopamine transmission through increased sensitivity of postsynaptic D2 receptors. Method: D2 receptor function was assessed in 24 patients with major depression before and 16 patients after 16 weeks of treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) using a challenge with a selective D2 antagonist, sulpiride. Four hundred milligrams of sulpiride was administered orally on two test days and response was measured by the change in prolactin levels and changes in self-rating scale measures of mood, anxiety and pleasure. Results: The prolactin response to sulpiride (as measured by the maximum prolactin level) was significantly increased after CBT (z = −2.792, p = 0.005). Sulpiride resulted in an improvement on mood ratings on both test days, but after CBT, this effect was significantly diminished as measured by the Profile of Mood States score (t = −2.27, p = 0.038). Conclusions: After 16 weeks of CBT, we detected an enhanced prolactin response to sulpiride, suggesting an increased sensitivity of D2 receptor functioning.
Levels of Processing in Human Memory

Preface. Part 1: Theoretical and Empirical Developments 1. Larry L. Jacoby and Fergus I. M. Craik Effects of Elaboration of Processing at Encoding and Retrieval: Trace Distinctiveness and Recovery of Initial Context 2. William F. Battig The Flexibility of Human Memory 3. Douglas L. Nelson Remembering Pictures and Words: Appearance, Significance, and Name 4. Robert S. Lockhart Remembering Events: Discussion of Papers by Jacoby and Craik, Battig, and Nelson Part 2: Extensions and Applications 5. Michael W. Eysenck Depth, Elaboration, and Distinctiveness 6. Laird S. Cermak Amnesic Patients' Level of Processing 7. Harry P. Bahrick Broader Methods and Narrower Theories for Memory Research: Comments on the Papers by Eysenck and Cermak Part 3: Language Processes 8. Charles A. Perfetti Levels of Langauge and Levels of Process 9. Janet L. Lachman and Roy Lachman Comprehension and Cognition: A State of the Art Inquiry 10 . Walter Kintsch Levels of Processing Language Material: Discussion of the Papers by Lachman and Lachman and Perfetti Part 4: Developmental Issues 11. Ann L. Brown Theories of Memory and the Problems of Development: Activity, Growth, and Knowledge 12. Mary J. Naus and Frank G. Halasz Developmental Perspectives on Cognitive Processing and Semantic Memory Structure 13. John William Hagen Development and Models of Memory: Comments of the Papers by Brown and Naus and Halasz Part 5: Perceiving, Acting and Knowing 14. Anne Treisman The Psychological Reality of Levels of Processing 15. J.D. Bransford, J.J. Franks, C.D. Morris, and B.S. Stein Some General Constraints on Learning and Memory Research 16. Alan Baddeley Levels of Processing and Levels of Explanation: Discussion of the Papers by Treisman and Bransford, Franks, Morris and Stein Part 6: Theoretical Alternatives 17. Paul A. Kolers A Pattern-Analyzing Basis of Recognition 18. John R. Anderson and Lynne M. Reder An Elaborative Processing Explanation of Depth Processing 19. Endel Tulving Relation Between Encoding Specificity and Levels of Processing 20. James J. Jenkins Four Points to Remember: A Tetrahedral Model of Memory Experiments 21. Fergus I.M. Craik Levels of Processing: Overview and Closing Comments. Author Index. Subject Index.
Usos comunes de Facebook en adolescentes de distintos sectores sociales en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

En este articulo se abordan los usos comunes que realizan los adolescentes de la ciudad de Buenos Aires en la plataforma Facebook. A partir de la revision del estado de la cuestion y de la evidencia empirica recogida en 30 entrevistas en profundidad, 24 meses de observaciones virtuales diarias y el analisis de contenido de 200 perfiles de Facebook, se muestra que para ambos grupos de adolescentes la red social es su entorno central de entretenimiento y comunicabilidad. A su vez, que sus principales usos dentro de este sitio son la autopresentacion, el intercambio de contenidos personales entre amistades, la busqueda de relaciones sexo-afectivas y la exploracion de distintos aspectos de su sociabilidad e identidad. Se indaga en los tipos de publicaciones mas «populares» entre los adolescentes (fotos y textos personales). Ademas, se describen los usos ludico-comunicacionales mas habituales: chat, actualizar estados, prosumo fotografico y streaming. En este sentido, se observa que un recurso de uso cotidiano entre esta poblacion es el intercambio de performances de intimidad con el objetivo de aumentar la sociabilidad entre pares y lograr una mayor visibilidad dentro y fuera del sitio. Asimismo, por medio del analisis de imagenes de los muros de los adolescentes, se aporta evidencia acerca de que las representaciones de genero se encuentran en conflicto entre los modelos tradicionales y las nuevas formas de masculinidad y feminidad.
PPARγ Ligands Regulate Noncontractile and Contractile Functions of Airway Smooth Muscle: Implications for Asthma Therapy

In asthma, the increase in airway smooth muscle (ASM) can contribute to inflammation, airway wall remodeling and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Targetting peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a receptor upregulated in ASM in asthmatic airways, may provide a novel approach to regulate these contributions. This review summarises experimental evidence that PPARγ ligands, such as rosiglitazone (RGZ) and pioglitazone (PGZ), inhibit proliferation and inflammatory cytokine production from ASM in vitro. In addition, inhaled administration of these ligands reduces inflammatory cell infiltration and airway remodelling in mouse models of allergen-induced airways disease. PPARγ ligands can also regulate ASM contractility, with acute treatment eliciting relaxation of mouse trachea in vitro through a PPARγ-independent mechanism. Chronic treatment can protect against the loss of bronchodilator sensitivity to β 2-adrenoceptor agonists and inhibit the development of AHR associated with exposure to nicotine in utero or following allergen challenge. Of particular interest, a small clinical trial has shown that oral RGZ treatment improves lung function in smokers with asthma, a group that is generally unresponsive to conventional steroid treatment. These combined findings support further investigation of the potential for PPARγ agonists to target the noncontractile and contractile functions of ASM to improve outcomes for patients with poorly controlled asthma.
Characteristics of resilient youths living in poverty: The role of self-regulatory processes

As part of a larger investigation of very low income families, this study examined the characteristics that differentiated resilient from nonresilient school-age youths, with a focus on self-regulation (e.g., executive function, emotion regulation) skills. Resilience was operationally defined in a robust and comprehensive manner using well-established instruments that measured children's emotional well-being and mental health. Controlling for other explanatory variables, including differences in the experience of negative life events and chronic strains, resilient youths were notably different from nonresilient youths in terms of having greater self-regulatory skills and self-esteem, as well as in receiving more active parental monitoring. Study findings are discussed with regard to the theoretical framework of self-regulation and their implications for preventive intervention.
The Zinc Finger Protein A20 Inhibits TNF-induced NF-κB–dependent Gene Expression by Interfering with an RIP- or TRAF2-mediated Transactivation Signal and Directly Binds to a Novel NF-κB–inhibiting Protein ABIN

The zinc finger protein A20 is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)– and interleukin 1 (IL-1)-inducible protein that negatively regulates nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)–dependent gene expression. However, the molecular mechanism by which A20 exerts this effect is still unclear. We show that A20 does not inhibit TNF- induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB, although it completely prevents the TNF- induced activation of an NF-κB–dependent reporter gene, as well as TNF-induced IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage–colony stimulating factor gene expression. Moreover, NF-κB activation induced by overexpression of the TNF receptor–associated proteins TNF receptor–associated death domain protein (TRADD), receptor interacting protein (RIP), and TNF recep- tor–associated factor 2 (TRAF2) was also inhibited by expression of A20, whereas NF-κB activation induced by overexpression of NF-κB–inducing kinase (NIK) or the human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax was unaffected. These results demonstrate that A20 inhibits NF-κB–dependent gene expression by interfering with a novel TNF-induced and RIP- or TRAF2-mediated pathway that is different from the NIK–IκB kinase pathway and that is specifically involved in the transactivation of NF-κB. Via yeast two-hybrid screening, we found that A20 binds to a novel protein, ABIN, which mimics the NF-κB inhibiting effects of A20 upon overexpression, suggesting that the effect of A20 is mediated by its interaction with this NF-κB inhibiting protein, ABIN.
High-Rate, Distributed Training-Embedded Complex Orthogonal Designs for Relay Networks

Distributed Space-Time Block Codes (DSTBCs) from Complex Orthogonal Designs (CODs) (both square and non-square CODs other than the Alamouti design) are known to lose their single-symbol ML decodable (SSD) property when used in two-hop wireless relay networks using amplify and forward protocol. For such a network, in this paper, a new class of high rate, training-embedded (TE) SSD DSTBCs are constructed from TE-CODs. The proposed codes include the training symbols in the structure of the code which is shown to be the key point to obtain high rate as well as the SSD property. TE-CODs are shown to offer full-diversity for arbitrary complex constellations. Non-square TE-CODs are shown to provide higher rates (in symbols per channel use) compared to the known SSD DSTBCs for relay networks with number of relays less than $10. $
WATSON: design space boundary exploration and model generation for analog and RFIC design

A new method is described which gives the designer access to the design space boundaries of a circuit topology, all with transistor-level accuracy. Using multiobjective genetic optimization, the hypersurface of Pareto-optimal design points is calculated. Tradeoff analysis of competing performances at the design space boundaries is made possible by the application of multivariate regression techniques. This new methodology is illustrated with the presentation of the design space for two different types of circuits: a Miller-compensated operational transconductance amplifier and an LC-tank voltage-controlled oscillator.
"There's just something about the place" : an exploration of students' relationships with their university

This research has been undertaken in response to the recent changes to the Higher Education environment driven by the UK government. In particular the increased competitiveness caused by the removal of the Student Number Control and the demand for universities to provide more, and specific, factual information for students (ie the Key Information Set) which can be compared across different institutions. The focus on quantitative measurement appears to leave a gap in the information that is provided for potential students. Currently information does not address the intangible elements of the student experience, what the "something about the place" is that leads them to develop a sense of attachment or belonging. The research is therefore undertaken from a qualitative perspective in order to try to explore this. The research assumes that some feeling of attachment or belonging is important to students' university experience. If current students are able to describe this it is possible that this new information could be used to inform marketing communications with potential students. This will allow those responsible for higher education marketing and student recruitment to demonstrate to potential students how they will be able to fit in to a university environment and develop a feeling of attachment/belonging. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) has been employed to draw themes from individual conversations with students, and a follow up focus group. The literature review has developed as the research has progressed. It began with consideration of studies on student engagement, then brand communities, from a marketing perspective. This direction was led by the researcher‘s prior knowledge and experience. However, the brand community literature did not appear to address the missing insight which had been established from the review of current information and the pilot conversation. This gap, and aspects of the brand community literature then led to a review of the literature around place attachment. It is here that links have been found to the experiences the students have described. The research concludes that there are themes around which future marketing communications can be based to address the current gap in information available to potential students – and that these can usefully be guided by theories of place attachment.
A Multi-Modal Mixed-State Dynamic Bayesian Network for Robust Meeting Event Recognition from Disturbed Data

In this work we present a novel multi-modal mixed-state dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) for robust meeting event classification. The model uses information from lapel microphones, a microphone array and visual information to structure meetings into segments. Within the DBN a multi-stream hidden Markov model (HMM) is coupled with a linear dynamical system (LDS) to compensate disturbances in the data. Thereby the HMM is used as driving input for the LDS. The model can handle noise and occlusions in all channels. Experimental results on real meeting data show that the new model is highly preferable to all single-stream approaches. Compared to a baseline multi-modal early fusion HMM, the new DBN is more than 2.5%, respectively 1.5% better for clear and disturbed data, this corresponds to a relative error reduction of 17%, respectively 9%