Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of nasal airflow on respiratory and olfactory epithelial distribution in felids

ABSTRACT The surface area of the maxilloturbinals and fronto-ethmoturbinals is commonly used as an osteological proxy for the respiratory and the olfactory epithelium, respectively. However, this assumption does not fully account for animals with short snouts in which these two turbinal structures significantly overlap, potentially placing fronto-ethmoturbinals in the path of respiratory airflow. In these species, it is possible that anterior fronto-ethmoturbinals are covered with non-sensory (respiratory) epithelium instead of olfactory epithelium. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of olfactory and non-sensory, respiratory epithelia on the turbinals of two domestic cats (Felis catus) and a bobcat (Lynx rufus). We also conducted a computational fluid dynamics simulation of nasal airflow in the bobcat to explore the relationship between epithelial distribution and airflow patterns. The results showed that a substantial amount of respiratory airflow passes over the anterior fronto-ethmoturbinals, and that contrary to what has been observed in caniform carnivorans, much of the anterior ethmoturbinals are covered by non-sensory epithelium. This confirms that in short-snouted felids, portions of the fronto-ethmoturbinals have been recruited for respiration, and that estimates of olfactory epithelial coverage based purely on fronto-ethmoturbinal surface area will be exaggerated. The correlation between the shape of the anterior fronto-ethmoturbinals and the direction of respiratory airflow suggests that in short-snouted species, CT data alone are useful in assessing airflow patterns and epithelium distribution on the turbinals. Summary: Olfactory and non-sensory epithelia in the nose tend to be located in the path of olfactory and respiratory airflow, respectively. Some ethmoturbinals are shown to function in respiration in short-snouted felids.
Diffuse Myogenin Expression by Immunohistochemistry is an Independent Marker of Poor Survival in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Tissue Microarray Study of 71 Primary Tumors Including Correlation With Molecular Phenotype

The pathologic classification of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) into embryonal or alveolar subtype is an important prognostic factor guiding the therapeutic protocol chosen for an individual patient. Unfortunately, this classification is not always straightforward, and the diagnostic criteria are controversial in a subset of cases. Ancillary studies are used to aid in the classification, but their potential use as independent prognostic factors is rarely studied. The aim of this study is to identify immunohistochemical markers of potential prognostic significance in pediatric RMS and to correlate their expression with PAX-3/FKHR and PAX-7/FKHR fusion status. A single tissue microarray containing 71 paraffin-embedded pediatric RMSs was immunostained with antibodies against p53, bcl-2, Ki-67, CD44, myogenin, and MyoD1. The tissue microarray and whole paraffin blocks were studied for PAX-3/FKHR and PAX-7/FKHR gene fusions by fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Clinical follow-up data were available for each patient. Immunohistochemical staining results and translocation status were correlated with recurrence-free interval (RFI) and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard regression. The minimum clinical follow-up interval was 24 months (median follow-up=57 mo). On univariable analysis, immunohistochemical expression of myogenin, bcl-2, and identification of a gene fusion were associated with decreased 5-year RFI and 10-year OS (myogenin RFI P=0.0028, OS P=0.0021; bcl-2 RFI P=0.037, OS P=0.032; gene fusion RFI P=0.0001, OS P=0.0058). After adjustment for Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study-TNM stage, tumor site, age, tumor histology, and translocation status by multivariable analysis, only myogenin retained an independent association with RFI (P=0.034) and OS (P=0.0069). In this retrospective analysis, diffuse immunohistochemical reactivity for myogenin in RMS correlates with decreased RFI and OS, independent of histologic subtype, translocation status, tumor site, or stage.
Call to needle times after acute myocardial infarction in urban and rural areas in northeast Scotland: prospective observational study

Abstract Objective : To determine call to needle times and consider how best to provide timely thrombolytic treatment for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Design : Prospective observational study. Setting : City, suburban, and country practices referring patients to a single district general hospital in northeast Scotland. Subjects : 1046 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction given thrombolytic treatment. Main outcome measures : Time from patients' calls for medical help until receipt of opiate or thrombolytic treatment, measured against a call to needle time of 90 minutes or less, as proposed by the British Heart Foundation. Results : General practitioners were the first medical contact in 97% (528/544) of calls by country patients and 68% (340/502) of city and suburban patients. When opiate was given by general practitioners, median call to opiate time was about 30 minutes (95% within 90 minutes) in city, suburbs, and country; call to opiate delay was about 60 minutes in city and suburban patients calling “999” for an ambulance. One third of country patients received thrombolytic treatment from their general practitioners with a median call to thrombolysis time of 45 minutes (93% within 90 minutes); this compares with 150 minutes (5% within 90 minutes) when this treatment was deferred until after hospital admission. In the city and suburbs, no thrombolytic treatment was given outside hospital, and only a minority of patients received it within 90 minutes of calling; median call to thrombolysis time was 95 (46% within 90 minutes) minutes. Conclusions : The first medical contact after acute myocardial infarction is most commonly with a general practitioner. This contact provides the optimum opportunity to give thrombolytic treatment within the British Heart Foundation's guideline.
Client Versus Consultant Influence on Client Involvement in Computer System Selection Projects: A Two-Actor Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior

The engagement of external IS professionals to supplement in-house resources is a widespread and growing practice. Limited prior research on consultant engagement suggests client involvement is a key factor of success. With the objective of better understanding the antecedents of client involvement in computer system selection consultancies, several variations on Ajzen and Madden’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) are tested. Appreciating the potential power of the consultant to facilitate or block client involvement, a major variation on perceived behavioral control is the inclusion of the consultant’s attitude toward involving the client. The resultant “two-actor” model is tested using partial least squares and survey data from firms that engaged external consultants to assist with computer system selection. Client attitude alone has relatively low explanatory power. The findings highlight the non-volitional nature of client involvement and the power of the consultant to block or facilitate that involvement.
Directional selection is the primary cause of phenotypic diversification

Selection is widely accepted as the principal force shaping phenotypic variation within populations. Its importance in speciation and macroevolution has been questioned, however, because phenotypic differences between species or higher taxa sometimes appear to be nonadaptive. Here, we use the quantitative trait locus (QTL) sign test to evaluate the importance of directional selection in phenotypic divergence. If a trait has a history of directional selection, QTL effects should be mostly in the same direction; otherwise QTLs with antagonistic effects should be common. Analysis of QTL effects for 572 traits from 86 studies revealed significantly fewer antagonistic QTLs than expected under neutrality, a result that validates Darwin's claim that phenotypic diversification is caused mainly by selection. Moreover, interspecific trait differences were more strongly or consistently selected than intraspecific differences, strengthening a growing consensus among students of speciation that directional selection is the primary cause of speciation. Contrary to studies of selection in contemporary populations, life history traits appear to be selected more strongly than morphological traits, but traits related to the timing of development are weakly selected relative to most other traits.
Genetic and economic analyses of sow replacement rates in the commercial tier of a hierarchical swine breeding structure.

Commercial-level sow replacement rates were investigated for a 10-yr planning horizon using a stochastic life-cycle swine production model. A three-tiered breeding structure was modeled for the production of market hogs in a three-breed static crossing scheme. Growth and reproductive traits of individual pigs were simulated using genetic, environmental, and economic parameters. Culling was after a maximum of 1, 5, or 10 parities in commercial levels within 1- and 5-parity nucleus and 1-, 5-, and 10-parity multiplier combinations. Yearly changes and average phenotypic levels were computed for pig and sow performance and economic measures. For growth traits, greater commercial level response was for systems with higher sow replacement rates, 110 to 115% of lowest response. Phenotypic changes in net returns ranged from $. 85 to 1.01 x pig-1 x yr-1. Average growth performances were highest for systems with greatest genetic trend. Highest kilograms.sow-1 x year-1 finished was for 10-parity commercial alternatives. System differences in total costs and returns per pig resulted primarily from differences in replacement costs. Removal of the gilt system from analyses often reduced ranges among systems for economic measures by more than 70%. Systems with the lowest commercial replacement rates were most profitable. Within these systems, those with higher genetic change had highest net returns. For high replacement rates, no more than 175% of market value could be paid for gilts, but with lower sow replacement rates commercial units could justify as much as 450%.
Urinary PGE-M in Colorectal Cancer: Predicting More than Risk?

Progress in cancer chemoprevention has been hindered by a lack of validated biomarkers of risk and interventive response. The identification of accurate, reliable, and easily measurable risk and response biomarkers within the field of cancer prevention could dramatically alter our approach to the disease. Colorectal cancer is associated with substantial morbidity and a limited 5-year survival rate for late-stage disease. The identification of biomarkers to predict (i) those most at risk of clinically significant colorectal neoplasia in conjunction with or building upon current risk models and/or (ii) those most likely to respond to potential colorectal chemopreventive agents, such as aspirin and NSAIDs, would significantly advance colorectal cancer risk management. Urinary PGE-M is an established indicator of systemic prostaglandin E2 production and has previously been demonstrated to predict risk of advanced colorectal neoplasia in a handful of studies. In the July 2014 issue, Bezawada and colleagues confirmed those earlier risk associations and demonstrated that PGE-M can also predict responsiveness to aspirin/NSAIDs in a small subset of women undergoing lower endoscopy in the Nurse's Health Study. PGE-M has the potential to define subsets of the population that may derive greater chemopreventive benefit from NSAIDs, as well as the potential to optimize the use of expensive and/or invasive screening tests. Additional larger and more diverse prospective studies meeting the criteria for phase IV biomarker studies are needed to advance the development of PGE-M as a noninvasive biomarker of both risk and chemopreventive response in populations at risk for colorectal cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 7(10); 969–72. ©2014 AACR.
Impact of coronary bifurcation morphology on wave propagation

Validation of the proposed theory in multiple species reveals the equivalence between scaling laws and well-matchedness in the vasculature. Moreover, it captures the role of pulsatility in optimal vascular designs. This demonstrates the forward well-matchedness of coronary bifurcations, whereas backward waves are damped asymmetrically at junctions.
Level 1 quenched large deviation principle for random walk in dynamic random environment

Consider a random walk in a time-dependent random environment on the lattice Z d . Recently, Rassoul-Agha, Seppalainen and Yilmaz (RSY11) proved a general large deviation principle under mild ergodicity assumptions on the random environment for such a random walk, establishing rst level 2 and 3 large deviation principles. Here we present two alter- native short proofs of the level 1 large deviations under mild ergodicity assumptions on the environment: one for the continuous time case and another one for the discrete time case. Both proofs provide the existence, continuity and convexity of the rate function. Our me- thods are based on the use of the sub-additive ergodic theorem as presented by Varadhan in (V03).
Bursts of activity in collective cell migration

Significance During wound healing and in cancer invasion, cells migrate collectively driven by active internal forces and invade the available space. Here we show that this motion occurs by intermittent bursts of activity described by universal scaling laws similar to the ones observed in other driven systems where a front propagates in response to an external force, such as in fracture and fluid imbibition. Our results demonstrate that living systems display universal nonequilibrium critical fluctuations, induced by cell mutual interactions, that are usually associated with externally driven inanimate media. Dense monolayers of living cells display intriguing relaxation dynamics, reminiscent of soft and glassy materials close to the jamming transition, and migrate collectively when space is available, as in wound healing or in cancer invasion. Here we show that collective cell migration occurs in bursts that are similar to those recorded in the propagation of cracks, fluid fronts in porous media, and ferromagnetic domain walls. In analogy with these systems, the distribution of activity bursts displays scaling laws that are universal in different cell types and for cells moving on different substrates. The main features of the invasion dynamics are quantitatively captured by a model of interacting active particles moving in a disordered landscape. Our results illustrate that collective motion of living cells is analogous to the corresponding dynamics in driven, but inanimate, systems.
Effects of Fillers on Polyurethane Resin-based Polyurethane Elastomeric Bearing Materials for Passive Isolation

A series of cork and black carbon filler incorporated cross-linked molded polyurethane (PU), based on polyethylene adipate diol and 4,4' diphenyl methane diisocyanate with 1,4 butane diol or 1,6 hexane diol and glycerin as chain extender, were synthesized. Mechanical properties were examined in composites that had between 1 and 15% cork and carbon black between 2 and 3%. Therefore, in order to understand the behavior of fillers, such as carbon black and cork added to cross-link polyurethane resins, several thermal and mechanical tests were conducted on samples, made of these new materials. The mechanical properties of the composites were found to depend mostly on the type and amount of filler. The results show that the polyurethane component ratios in cross-linked polymers, the types of filler, and the amount of powder added all affect the properties of the filled cross-linked polyurethanes. The addition of cork filler into polyurethane composites yields an increase in Young's modulus and a decrease in the elongation at break. This new cross-linked polyurethane—matrix and polyurethane—cork composite materials with better damping properties can be used as a bearing pad for acoustic and vibratory isolation for railway and underground lines.
Use of signature‐tagged transposon mutagenesis to identify Vibrio cholerae genes critical for colonization

The pathogenesis of cholera begins with colonization of the host intestine by Vibrio cholerae. The toxin co‐regulated pilus (TCP), a fimbrial structure produced by V. cholerae, is absolutely required for colonization (i.e. the persistence, survival and growth of V. cholerae in the upper intestinal milieu), but many other aspects of the colonization process are not well understood. In this study, we use signature‐tagged transposon mutagenesis (STM) to conduct a screen for random insertion mutations that affect colonization in the suckling mouse model for cholera. Of approximately 1100 mutants screened, five mutants (approximately 0.5%) with transposon insertions in TCP biogenesis genes were isolated, validating the use of STM to identify attenuated mutants. Insertions in lipopolysaccharide, biotin and purine biosynthetic genes were also found to cause colonization defects. Similar results were observed for mutations in homologues of pta and ptfA, two genes involved in phosphate transfer. Finally, our screen identified several novel genes, disruption of which also caused colonization defects in the mouse model. These results demonstrate that STM is a powerful method for isolating colonization‐defective mutants of V. cholerae.
Development of a Branching Submaximal Treadmill Test for Predicting Vo2max

This study determined the reliability and validity of a branching treadmill protocol in predicting Vo2max. Thirty-seven, apparently healthy individuals (19 women and 18 men); volunteered to participate. On 2 separate testing days, each subject underwent maximal exercise testing using the protocol developed. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that the percentage of age-predicted maximum heart rate (APMHR) achieved at stage 3, speed and grade at stage 3, and APMHR accounted for 89% of the variance in Vo2max. The 4 predictor variables were statistically significant (p < 0.01), and the standard error of the estimate was 4.56 ml·kg−1·min−1. Results indicate that health and fitness professionals can incorporate this protocol into their practices for the purpose of predicting Vo2max for their clients outside the laboratory environment. Furthermore, our results indicate that using the proposed regression model is reliable and has received preliminary construct validity support.
Human use of human subjects: the problem of deception in social psychological experiments.

THOUGH THERE IS OFTEN GOOD REASON FOR DECEIVING SS IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS, WIDESPREAD USE OF SUCH PROCEDURES HAS SERIOUS (1) ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS, INVOLVING NOT ONLY THE POSSIBILITY OF HARM TO S, BUT ALSO THE QUALITY OF THE E-S RELATIONSHIP; (2) METHODOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS, RELATING TO
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy and relations among antioxidant activity, oxidative stress, and VEGF in the vitreous body

Purpose To investigate the relationships among antioxidant activities, oxidative stress, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the vitreous body and serum from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. Methods In 21 patients with PDR and 21 controls with macular hole (MH), the VEGF and lipid peroxide (Nε-hexanoyl-lysine [HEL]) levels in the vitreous and serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while antioxidant capacity (potential antioxidant [PAO]) was measured by chemical reduction of Cu2+. Results Both the PAO and HEL levels in the vitreous and serum were significantly higher in PDR patients than in those with MH (both p<0.01). The VEGF concentrations in the vitreous were higher in PDR patients than in those with MH (p<0.01); however, the VEGF concentrations in the serum were not different between the two groups (p=0.95). Positive correlations were found between the PAO and VEGF concentrations and between the HEL and VEGF concentrations in the vitreous of both the PDR and the MH patients. Conclusions Our study revealed that the PAO, HEL, and VEGF concentrations in the vitreous were increased in PDR versus MH patients and that there were positive correlations among these factors. This is consistent with VEGF and lipid peroxide levels in the vitreous playing some role in the pathogenesis of PDR.
Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning: A Survey and Interpretation

The study and understanding of human behaviour is relevant to computer science, artificial intelligence, neural computation, cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, and several other areas. Presupposing cognition as basis of behaviour, among the most prominent tools in the modelling of behaviour are computational-logic systems, connectionist models of cognition, and models of uncertainty. Recent studies in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and psychology have produced a number of cognitive models of reasoning, learning, and language that are underpinned by computation. In addition, efforts in computer science research have led to the development of cognitive computational systems integrating machine learning and automated reasoning. Such systems have shown promise in a range of applications, including computational biology, fault diagnosis, training and assessment in simulators, and software verification. This joint survey reviews the personal ideas and views of several researchers on neural-symbolic learning and reasoning. The article is organised in three parts: Firstly, we frame the scope and goals of neural-symbolic computation and have a look at the theoretical foundations. We then proceed to describe the realisations of neural-symbolic computation, systems, and applications. Finally we present the challenges facing the area and avenues for further research.
An evolutionary autonomous agents approach to image feature extraction

This paper presents a new approach to image feature extraction which utilizes evolutionary autonomous agents. Image features are often mathematically defined in terms of the gray-level intensity at image pixels. The optimality of image feature extraction is to find all the feature pixels from the image. In the proposed approach, the autonomous agents, being distributed computational entities, operate directly in the 2-D lattice of a digital image and exhibit a number of reactive behaviors. To effectively locate the feature pixels, individual agents sense the local stimuli from their image environment by means of evaluating the gray-level intensity of locally connected pixels, and accordingly activate their behaviors. The behavioral repository of the agents consists of: 1) feature-marking at local pixels and self-reproduction of offspring agents in the neighboring regions if the local stimuli are found to satisfy feature conditions, 2) diffusion to adjacent image regions if the feature conditions are not held, or 3) death if the agents exceed their life span. As part of the behavior evolution, the directions in which the agents self-reproduce and/or diffuse are inherited from the directions of their selected high-fitness parents. Here the fitness of a parent agent is defined according to the steps that the agent takes to locate an image feature pixel.