Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PI3K-Akt pathway inhibits senescence and promotes self-renewal of human skin-derived precursors in vitro

Skin‐derived precursors (SKPs) are embryonic neural crest‐ or somite‐derived multipotent progenitor cells with properties of dermal stem cells. Although a large number of studies deal with their differentiation ability and potential applications in tissue damage repair, only a few studies have concentrated on the regulation of SKP self‐renewal. Here, we found that after separation from their physiological microenvironment, human foreskin‐derived SKPs (hSKPs) quickly senesced and lost their self‐renewal ability. We observed a sharp decrease in Akt activity during this process, suggesting a possible role of the PI3K‐Akt pathway in hSKP maintenance in vitro. Blocking this pathway with several inhibitors inhibited hSKP proliferation and sphere formation and increased hSKP senescence. In contrast, activating this pathway with PDGF‐AA and a PTEN inhibitor, bpV(pic), promoted proliferation, improved sphere formation, and alleviated senescence of hSKPs, without altering their differentiation potential. Data also implied that this effect was associated with altered actions of FoxO3 and GSK‐3β. Our results suggest an important role of the PI3K‐Akt pathway in the senescence and self‐renewal of hSKPs. These findings also provide a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying hSKP self‐renewal and stem cell senescence to allow more efficient expansion of hSKPs for regenerative medical applications.
Correlated Size Variations in Human Visual Cortex, Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, and Optic Tract

We have examined several components of the human visual system to determine how the dimensions of the optic tract, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), and primary visual cortex (V1) vary within the same brain. Measurements were made of the cross-sectional area of the optic tract, the volumes of the magnocellular and parvocellular layers of the LGN, and the surface area and volume of V1 in one or both cerebral hemispheres of 15 neurologically normal human brains obtained at autopsy. Consistent with previous observations, there was a two- to threefold variation in the size of each of these visual components among the individuals studied. Importantly, this variation was coordinated within the visual system of any one individual. That is, a relatively large V1 was associated with a commensurately large LGN and optic tract, whereas a relatively small V1 was associated with a commensurately smaller LGN and optic tract. This relationship among the components of the human visual system indicates that the development of its different parts is interdependent. Such coordinated variation should generate substantial differences in visual ability among humans.
Global Diastolic Strain Rate for the Assessment of Left Ventricular Relaxation and Filling Pressures

Background— Diastolic strain rate (SR) measurements that comprise all left ventricular (LV) segments are advantageous over myocardial velocity for assessment of diastolic function. Mitral early diastolic velocity (E)/SR ratio during the isovolumetric relaxation (IVR) period can be used to estimate LV filling pressures. Methods and Results— Simultaneous echocardiographic imaging and LV pressure measurements (7F catheters) were performed in 7 adult dogs. Loading conditions were altered by saline infusion and caval occlusion, and lusitropic state was changed by dobutamine and esmolol infusion. A curve depicting global SR was derived from each of the 3 apical views, and SR was measured during IVR (SRIVR) and early LV filling (SRE). SRIVR had a strong correlation with time constant of LV pressure decay during the IVR period (&tgr;) (r=−0.83, P<0.001), whereas SRE was significantly related to LV end-diastolic pressure (r=0.52, P=0.005) in the experimental stages where &tgr; was <40 ms. In 50 patients with simultaneous right heart catheterization and echocardiographic imaging, mitral E/SRIVR ratio had the best correlation with mean wedge pressure (r=0.79, P<0.001), as well as in 24 prospective patients (r=0.84, P=0.001). E/SRIVR was most useful in patients with ratio of E to mitral annulus early diastolic velocity (E/Ea ratio) 8 to 15 and was more accurate than E/Ea in patients with normal ejection fraction and regional dysfunction (both P<0.01). Conclusions— Global SRIVR by 2-dimensional speckle tracking is strongly dependent on LV relaxation. E/SRIVR can predict LV filling pressures with reasonable accuracy, particularly in patients with normal ejection fraction and in those with regional dysfunction.
Current Challenges in the Evaluation of Predominant Melody Extraction Algorithms

In this paper we analyze the reliability of the evaluation of Audio Melody Extraction algorithms. We focus on the procedures and collections currently used as part of the annual Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX), which has become the de-facto benchmark for evaluating and comparing melody extraction algorithms. We study several factors: the duration of the audio clips, time offsets in the ground truth annotations, and the size and musical content of the collection. The results show that the clips currently used are too short to predict performance on full songs, highlighting the paramount need to use complete musical pieces. Concerning the ground truth, we show how a minor error, specifically a time offset between the annotation and the audio, can have a dramatic effect on the results, emphasizing the importance of establishing a common protocol for ground truth annotation and system output. We also show that results based on the small ADC04, MIREX05 and INDIAN08 collections are unreliable, while the MIREX09 collections are larger than necessary. This evidences the need for new and larger collections containing realistic music material, for reliable and meaningful evaluation of Audio Melody Extraction.
Associations between family well-being, parenting, and child well-being outcomes from infancy to adolescence

i Zusammenfassung . v Synopsis . 1 Present Research: A Pathway Model of Family and Child Well-Being . 5 Child Well-Being Outcomes . 10 Family Well-Being and Parenting Factors . 16 Research Paper 1: Do Fathers Promote Subjective Well-Being After Childbirth? 18 Research Paper 2: How Can Well-Being in Children Be Promoted? 20 Research Paper 3: How Can Adolescents’ Future Orientations Be Promoted? 24 General Discussion . 25 Child Well-Being Outcomes . 26 Risk and Promoting Child Well-Being Factors . 28 Father’s Role . 31 Limitations . 32 General Conclusions . 35 Research Paper 1 . 37 Abstract . 38. 38 Introduction . 39 Childbirth and Life-Satisfaction Trajectories . 39 Paternal Involvement and Support in Childcare . 40 Research Questions . 41 Methods . 42 Measures . 42 Analytic Strategy . 44 Results . 46 Fathers’s Involvement, Support in Childcare, and Sociodemographics . 46 Life Satisfaction and Fathers’ Relative Involvement . 49 Support in Childcare as Moderator for Life-Satisfaction Trajectories . 51 Discussion . 54
Interval observers for continuous-time linear systems with discrete-time outputs

We consider continuous-time linear systems with additive disturbances and discrete-time measurements. First, we construct an observer, which converges to the state trajectory of the linear system when the maximum time interval between two consecutive measurements is sufficiently small and there are no disturbances. Second, we obtain interval observers allowing one to determine, for any solution, a set that is guaranteed to contain the actual state of the system when bounded disturbances are present.
Identification of Nonseparable Models with General Instruments

I consider nonparametric identification of a nonseparable model with a continuous endogenous variable (treatment), a scalar unobservable and an excluded instrumental variable. If the first-stage relationship between the instrument and the treatment is strictly monotone in unobservables then many kinds of relevant instruments can be used to identify the levels of the outcome equation. In particular, binary instruments, such as the intent to treat, can be used. This contrasts sharply with related work on nonparametric identification for nonseparable models, which has often required continuous instruments, sometimes with large support. The key insight is that strict ∗Ph.D. candidate, Department of Economics, Yale University, a-torgovitsky@northwestern.edu. I thank my advisors, Donald Andrews, Xiaohong Chen and Edward Vytlacil, who have been gracious with their advice, support and feedback. I have benefited from discussions with Joseph Altonji, Lanier Benkard, Steven Berry, Kirill Evdokimov, Jinyong Hahn, Philip Haile, James Heckman, Keisuke Hirano, Yuichi Kitamura, Sokbae (Simon) Lee, Oliver Linton, Geert Ridder, Jean-Marc Robin and Elie Tamer. I thank participants of the 2010 Cowles Foundation Summer Conference, the 2010 World Congress of the Econometric Society, the 2010 New York Area Econometrics Colloquium and of seminars at Yale, Chicago, Northwestern, Columbia, Michigan, UCLA and USC. While writing this paper I was generously supported by a Carl Arvid Anderson fellowship from the Cowles Foundation. †This paper is based on a portion of my job market paper, which was circulated under the title “Identification and Estimation of Nonparametric Quantile Regressions with Endogeneity” and dated November 12, 2010.
Positive Changes Following Adversity

Throughout human history the theme of positive changes following adversity is found in literature, religions, and philosophies. Most notable is Nietzsche’s famous dictum, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. ” It was an idea also common to the existential and humanistic traditions of psychology of the mid-twentieth century. Viktor Frankl wrote about the will to meaning following his experiences in Theresienstadt and Auschwitz, and Abraham Maslow noted that confrontations with tragedy were often precursors to self-actualization. Scientific interest was sparked when a handful of studies appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s, reporting positive changes in, for example, rape survivors (Burt & Katz, 1987), male cardiac patients (Affleck, Tennen, Croog, & Levine, 1987), bereaved adults (Edmonds & Hooker, 1992), and combat veterans (Elder & Clipp, 1989).
Mixing of Ground States in Vertex Models

We consider the analogue of the six-vertex model constructed from alternating spin n/2 and spin m/2 lines, where . We identify the transfer matrix and the space on which it acts in terms of the representation theory of . We diagonalize the transfer matrix and compute the S-matrix. We give a trace formula for local correlation functions. When n = 1, the one-point function of a spin m/2 local variable for the alternating lattice with a particular ground state is given as a linear combination of the one-point functions of the pure spin m/2 model with different ground states. The mixing ratios are calculated exactly and are expressed in terms of irreducible characters of and the deformed Virasoro algebra.
A COMPARATIVE FLOW ANALYSIS OF NACA 6409 AND NACA 4412 AEROFOIL

In this work, flow analysis of two aerofoils (NACA 6409 and NACA 4412) was investigated. Drag force, lift force as well as the overall pressure distribution over the aerofoils were also analysed. By changing the angle of attack, variation in different properties has been observed. The outcome of this investigation was shown and computed by using ANSYS workbench 14.5. The pressure distributions as well as coefficient of lift to coefficient of drag ratio of these two aerofoils were visualized and compared. From this result, we compared the better aerofoil between these two aerofoils. The whole analysis is solely based on the principle of finite element method and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Finally, by comparing different properties i.e drag and lift coefficients, pressure distribution over the aerofoils, it was found that NACA 4412 aerofoil is more efficient for practical applications than NACA 6409 aerofoil.
Role of carriers in the transmission of pneumonia in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)

ABSTRACT In the absence of livestock contact, recurring lamb mortality in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations previously exposed to pneumonia indicates the likely presence of carriers of pneumonia-causing pathogens, and possibly inadequate maternally derived immunity. To investigate this problem we commingled naïve, pregnant ewes (n=3) with previously exposed rams (n=2). Post-commingling, all ewes and lambs born to them acquired pneumonia-causing pathogens (leukotoxin-producing Pasteurellaceae and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae), with subsequent lamb mortality between 4-9 weeks of age. Infected ewes became carriers for two subsequent years and lambs born to them succumbed to pneumonia. In another experiment, we attempted to suppress the carriage of leukotoxin-producing Pasteurellaceae by administering an antibiotic to carrier ewes, and evaluated lamb survival. Lambs born to both treatment and control ewes (n=4 each) acquired pneumonia and died. Antibody titers against leukotoxin-producing Pasteurellaceae in all eight ewes were ‘protective’ (>1:800 and no apparent respiratory disease); however their lambs were either born with comparatively low titers, or with high (but non-protective) titers that declined rapidly within 2-8 weeks of age, rendering them susceptible to fatal disease. Thus, exposure to pneumonia-causing pathogens from carrier ewes, and inadequate titers of maternally derived protective antibodies, are likely to render bighorn lambs susceptible to fatal pneumonia. Summary: Previously exposed bighorn sheep can become carriers and transmit respiratory pathogens to naïve animals. Successive crops of lambs acquire pathogens and inadequate passive immunity and subsequently succumb to pneumonia.
The Buddhist Tradition of Samatha : Methods for Refining and Examining Consciousness

Buddhist inquiry into the natural world proceeds from a radically different point of departure than western science, and its methods differ correspondingly. Early pioneers of the scientific revolution, including Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo, expressed an initial interest in the nature of physical objects most far removed from human subjectivity: such issues as the relative motions of the sun and earth, the surface of the moon, and the revolutions of the planets. And a central principle of scientific naturalism is the pure objectification of the natural world, free of any contamination of subjectivity. This principle of objectivism demands that science deals with empirical facts testable by empirical methods entailing testability by third-person means; and such facts must, therefore, be public rather than private, which is to say, they must be accessible to more than one observer. Another aspect of this principle is that scientific knowledge — paradigmatically knowledge of astronomy and physics — must be epistemically objective, which is to say, observer-independent. A profound limitation of this ideal is that it cannot accommodate the study of subjective phenomena, which presumably accounts for the fact that the scientific study of the mind did not even begin until three hundred years after the launching of the scientific revolution. And it was roughly another hundred years before the nature of consciousness came to be accepted as a legitimate object of scientific inquiry. In short, the principle of objectivity excludes the subjective human mind and consciousness itself from the proper domain of natural science. In stark contrast to this objective orientation of western science, Buddhism begins with the premise that the mind is the primary source of human joy and misery and is
Bank Opacity, Intermediation Cost and Globalization: Evidence from a Sample of Publicly Traded Banks in Asia

This paper examines the relationship between opacity and the cost of intermediation in Asian banks. Using a sample of publicly traded commercial banks from 2002 to 2008, our empirical results show that higher opacity is associated with a lower intermediation cost in banking. Hence, bank managers in their efforts to overcome asymmetric information issues and to improve transparency tend to offset the higher cost of acquiring and disclosing information by increasing the cost of intermediation for entrepreneurs. Moreover, a deeper look at the country level indicates that the negative link between opacity and the cost of intermediation is reversed as globalization increases. Greater globalization therefore outweighs managerial entrenchment behavior to preserve bank opacity. Our findings highlight that bank opacity issues are even more costly in countries with higher globalization.
Effect of heart failure on catecholamine granule morphology and storage in chromaffin cells

One of the key mechanisms involved in sympathoexcitation in chronic heart failure (HF) is the activation of the adrenal glands. Impact of the elevated catecholamines on the hemodynamic parameters has been previously demonstrated. However, studies linking the structural effects of such overactivation with secretory performance and cell metabolism in the adrenomedullary chromaffin cells in vivo have not been previously reported. In this study, HF was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. Five weeks after surgery, cardiac function was assessed by ventricular hemodynamics. HF rats showed increased adrenal weight and adrenal catecholamine levels (norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine) compared with sham-operated rats. Rats with HF demonstrated increased small synaptic and dense core vesicle in splanchnic–adrenal synapses indicating trans-synaptic activation of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes, increased endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi lumen width to meet the demand of increased catecholamine synthesis and release, and more mitochondria with dilated cristae and glycogen to accommodate for the increased energy demand for the increased biogenesis and exocytosis of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla. These findings suggest that increased trans-synaptic activation of the chromaffin cells within the adrenal medulla may lead to increased catecholamines in the circulation which in turn contributes to the enhanced neurohumoral drive, providing a unique mechanistic insight for enhanced catecholamine levels in plasma commonly observed in chronic HF condition.
Predicting Returns with Financial Ratios

This article provides a new test of the predictive ability of aggregate financial ratios. Predictive regressions are subject to small-sample biases, but the correction in previous studies can substantially understate forecasting power. Dividend yield predicts aggregate market returns from 1946 Â€O 2000, as well as in various subperiods. Book-to-market and the earnings-price ratio predict returns during the shorter 1963 Â€O 2000 sample. The evidence remains strong despite the unusual price run-up in recent years
A Total Variation-Based JPEG Decompression Model

We propose a variational model for artifact-free JPEG decompression. It is based on the minimization of the total variation over the convex set $U$ of all possible source images associated with given JPEG data. The general case where $U$ represents a pointwise restriction with respect to an $L^2$-orthonormal basis is considered. Analysis of the infinite dimensional model is presented, including the derivation of optimality conditions. A discretized version is solved using a primal-dual algorithm supplemented by a primal-dual gap-based stopping criterion. Experiments illustrate the effect of the model. Good reconstruction quality is obtained even for highly compressed images, while a graphics processing unit (GPU) implementation is shown to significantly reduce computation time, making the model suitable for real-time applications.
Image Metamorphosis with Scattered Feature Constraints

This paper describes an image metamorphosis technique to handle scattered feature constraints specified with points, polylines, and splines. Solutions to the following three problems are presented: feature specification, warp generation, and transition control. We demonstrate the use of snakes to reduce the burden of feature specification. Next, we propose the use of multilevel free-form deformations (MFFD) to compute C/sup 2/-continuous and one-to-one mapping functions among the specified features. The resulting technique, based on B-spline approximation, is simpler and faster than previous warp generation methods. Furthermore, it produces smooth image transformations without undesirable ripples and foldovers. Finally, we simplify the MFFD algorithm to derive transition functions to control geometry and color blending. Implementation details are furnished and comparisons among various metamorphosis techniques are presented.
A General Framework to Analyze the Fault-Tolerance of Unstructured P2P Systems

This work presents a study on the fault-tolerance of unstructured P2P overlays, modeled as complex networks. A framework is proposed to derive the peers’ degree distribution, once the P2P system is described through the evolution laws characterizing the distributed protocol, the attachment and failure rates. From the degree distribution, estimations may be derived on the mean number of m-neighbors, as well as the diameter of the net. We analyze three different P2P distributed protocols. The analytical tool is compared with results coming from simulation. Outcomes confirm that the approach can be employed to dynamically tune the peers’ attachment rate and maintain the desired topology of the P2P network.
Spatiotemporal Features of Retinal Waves Instruct the Wiring of the Visual Circuitry

Coordinated spontaneous activity is present in different sensory systems during early stages of development. This activity is thought to play a critical role in the development of sensory representations before the maturation of sensory experience. In the visual system, the mechanisms by which spatiotemporal properties of retinal spontaneous activity, called retinal waves, drive developmental events has been well studied. Recent advancements in pharmacological, genetic, and optogenetic manipulations have provided further understanding of the contribution of specific spatiotemporal properties of retinal waves to eye-specific segregation and retinotopic refinement of retinofugal projections. Here we review some of the recent progress in understanding the role of retinal waves in the early stages of visual system development, prior to the maturation of vision.
The Effects of Motivational Training on State Anger and Aggressive Impulses Among People Varying in Trait Anger

Anger management problems are associated with heightened approach motivation in socially threatening situations. Two experiments examined whether training motivational tendencies can be used in anger management training. Participants were trained to respond to angry faces with either avoidance or approach movements, using a validated joystick task. Experiment 1 (n = 130) found that avoidance (compared with approach) training reduced angry feelings and trait anger. Experiment 2 (n = 185) found that avoidance (compared with approach) training lowered aggressive impulses. The latter effect was most pronounced among participants with high trait anger, who are characterized by chronic anger management problems. Unexpectedly, there was no evidence that the motivational training affected people’s motivational bias toward angry faces. These findings suggest that avoidance training may complement traditional anger management interventions.