Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kidney-type glutaminase (GLS1) is a biomarker for pathologic diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

The lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers hinders pathological diagnosis and prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since glutaminolysis plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis and progression, we sought to determine if the expression of kidney-type and liver-type glutaminases (GLS1 and GLS2) were informative for pathological diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. We compared the expression of GLS1 and GLS2 in a large set of clinical samples including HCC, normal liver, and other liver diseases. We found that GLS1 was highly expressed in HCC; whereas, expression of GLS2 was mainly confined to non-tumor hepatocytes. The sensitivity and specificity of GLS1 for HCC were 96.51% and 75.21%, respectively. A metabolic switch from GLS2 to GLS1 was observed in a series of tissues representing progressive pathologic states mimicking HCC oncogenic transformation, including normal liver, fibrotic liver, dysplasia nodule, and HCC. We found that high expression of GLS1 and low expression of GLS2 in HCC correlated with survival time of HCC patients. Expression of GLS1 and GLS2 were independent indexes for survival time; however, prognosis was predominantly determined by the level of GLS1 expression. These findings indicate that GLS1 expression is a sensitive and specific biomarker for pathological diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.
Towards an alternative approach to modelling in school mathematics

This article analyses the philosophical underpinnings of mathematical modelling with the focus on the modelling cycles in mainstream mathematics education. Due to its background of epistemological representation, the main focus is set on Kantian philosophy. I argue that representational thinking leads to a problematic view on mathematics and its relation to reality. Finally, I outline an alternative approach to mathematical modelling according to Deleuze’s differential ontology.
Bottom-up forcing and the decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska: assessing the ocean climate hypothesis

Declines of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) populations in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska could be a consequence of physical oceanographic changes associated with the 1976–77 climate regime shift. Changes in ocean climate are hypothesized to have affected the quantity, quality, and accessibility of prey, which in turn may have affected the rates of birth and death of sea lions. Recent studies of the spatial and temporal variations in the ocean climate system of the North Pacific support this hypothesis. Ocean climate changes appear to have created adaptive opportunities for various species that are preyed upon by Steller sea lions at mid-trophic levels. The east–west asymmetry of the oceanic response to climate forcing after 1976– 77 is consistent with both the temporal aspect (populations decreased after the late 1970s) and the spatial aspect of the decline (western, but not eastern, sea lion populations decreased). These broad-scale climate variations appear to be modulated by regionally sensitive biogeographic structures along the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska, which include a transition point from coastal to open-ocean conditions at Samalga Pass westward along the Aleutian Islands. These transition points delineate distinct clusterings of different combinations of prey species, which are in turn correlated with differential population sizes and trajectories of Steller sea lions. Archaeological records spanning 4000 yr further indicate that sea lion populations have experienced major shifts in abundance in the past. Shifts in ocean climate are the most parsimonious underlying explanation for the broad suite of ecosystem changes that have been observed in the North Pacific Ocean in recent decades.
The Role of Peer Pressure, Automatic Thoughts and Self-Esteem on Adolescents' Aggression.

Problem Statement: Aggression is defined as any kind of behavior intended to hurt others. Aggression generally arises due to the interaction between individual (e.g., social and emotional difficulties, low self-esteem, peer rejection, academic failure) and environmental (e.g., poverty, lack of family supervision, limited social support, conflicts within the family) characteristics. Identifying the factors which cause aggressiveness in adolescents is vital to finding precautions against it. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of peer pressure, automatic thoughts and self-esteem variables on the aggression levels of male and female adolescents. Methods: This is a relational and quantitative research aimed to examine the effects of peer pressure, automatic thoughts and self-esteem variables on the prediction of adolescents’ aggression levels. The study sample consisted of 411 volunteer students who were chosen through random sampling from a total of 720 9th grade students from various high schools in Antalya, Turkey. Participants completed the Aggression Questionnaire, Peer Pressure Scale, Automatic Thoughts Scale and Self-Esteem Scale in their classrooms during counseling sessions. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Findings and Results: In the hierarchical multiple regression analysis for female and male adolescents, it was found that peer pressure and
DR 09002-MIGRATORY EQUILIBRIA WITH INVESTED REMITTANCES

This paper analyzes international migrations when migrants invest part of their income in their origin country. This investment contributes to increase capital intensity and wages in the origin country, thus reducing the scope for migrating. We show that a non-total migratory equilibrium can exist if the foreign wage is not too high, and/or migratory and transfer costs are not too low. Exogenous shocks, such as an increase in the foreign wage, lead to an increase in optimal remittances per migrant, and a higher wage in the origin country. Yet the net effect on the equilibrium number of migrants is positive. Hence, in equilibrium, optimal remittances and number of migrants are positively related. We use data from twenty five countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia in 2000 in order to test for this implication of our model. OLS and bootstrap estimates put forward a positive elasticity of the number of migrants with respect to remittances per migrant. Policy implications follow. Key-Words: Investment motive Migration Migratory policy Remittances RESUME : L’article étudie la migration économique dans le cadre d’un modèle où les migrants peuvent investir une partie de leur épargne dans le pays d’origine. En particulier, un équilibre avec migration partielle est faisable. Dans ce cas, on démontre et teste empiriquement une relation positive entre nombre de migrants et le montant du transfert par migrant. Mots-clés : Migration Motif d’investissement Politique migrante Transfert des migrants JEL Classification : F22, F24, J61, O15
Sources of Variability in Recovery Time from Methohexital Sodium Anesthesia in Snakes

Abstract Variability in anesthetic effect is frequently observed in individuals within a species, yet few studies have investigated its causes in reptiles. To evaluate potential sources of variability in reptile anesthesia, we conducted experiments to test for effects of body temperature, body condition, gravidity, and time post-feeding on the recovery time of Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) anesthetized with methohexital sodium (Brevital Sodium). The mean recovery time of snakes anesthetized at 21°C was 125 min, at 26°C it was 86 min, and at 31°C it was 64 min. There was a significant correlation between body condition and recovery time, with thinner snakes experiencing longer recovery times. Gravid snakes anesthetized within five weeks of parturition had a mean recovery time that was twice as long as nongravid snakes of a similar mass. Time post-feeding did not have a statistically significant effect on the recovery time in snakes that were anesthetized one, three, and ten days after consuming 30% of their body mass in food. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for producing more predictable results when using methohexital sodium in reptiles.
Input-specific maturation of synaptic dynamics of parvalbumin interneurons in primary visual cortex

Significance Proper recruitment of inhibitory interneurons is crucial to configuring cortical neural circuits for information processing and propagation, but the development of synaptic inputs to these interneurons is not well-understood. We traced the sources of long-range and local inputs to a major interneuron subtype, the parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVNs), in mouse visual cortex. Whereas the long-range inputs show strong short-term synaptic depression, local recurrent inputs gradually lose such depression during postnatal maturation. We further uncovered the circuitry and molecular mechanisms that contribute to this source-dependent maturation in synaptic inputs. Although short-term depression of long-range inputs is well-suited for afferent signal detection, the robust synaptic dynamics of local inputs may facilitate rapid and proportional PVN recruitment for regulating network operations. Cortical networks consist of local recurrent circuits and long-range pathways from other brain areas. Parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVNs) regulate the dynamic operation of local ensembles as well as the temporal precision of afferent signals. The synaptic recruitment of PVNs that support these circuit operations is not well-understood. Here we demonstrate that the synaptic dynamics of PVN recruitment in mouse visual cortex are customized according to input source with distinct maturation profiles. Whereas the long-range inputs to PVNs show strong short-term depression throughout postnatal maturation, local inputs from nearby pyramidal neurons progressively lose such depression. This enhanced local recruitment depends on PVN-mediated reciprocal inhibition and results from both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, including calcium-permeable AMPA receptors at PVN postsynaptic sites. Although short-term depression of long-range inputs is well-suited for afferent signal detection, the robust dynamics of local inputs may facilitate rapid and proportional PVN recruitment in regulating local circuit operations.
Functional Constructivism: In Search of Formal Descriptors.

The Functional Constructivism (FC) paradigm is an alternative to behaviorism and considers behavior as being generated every time anew, based on an individual's capacities, environmental resources and demands. Walter Freeman's work provided us with evidence supporting the FC principles. In this paper we make parallels between gradual construction processes leading to the formation of individual behavior and habits, and evolutionary processes leading to the establishment of biological systems. Referencing evolutionary theory, several formal descriptors of such processes are proposed. These FC descriptors refer to the most universal aspects for constructing consistent structures: expansion of degrees of freedom, integration processes based on internal and external compatibility between systems and maintenance processes, all given in four different classes of systems: (a) Zone of Proximate Development (poorly defined) systems; (b) peer systems with emerging reproduction of multiple siblings; (c) systems with internalized integration of behavioral elements ('cruise controls'); and (d) systems capable of handling low-probability, not yet present events. The recursive dynamics within this set of descriptors acting on (traditional) downward, upward and horizontal directions of evolution, is conceptualized as diagonal evolution, or di-evolution. Two examples applying these FC descriptors to taxonomy are given: classification of the functionality of neuro-transmitters and temperament traits; classification of mental disorders. The paper is an early step towards finding a formal language describing universal tendencies in highly diverse, complex and multi-level transient systems known in ecology and biology as 'contingency cycles. '
A note on hidden factors in vowel perception experiments.

The article ‘‘Static, dynamic, and relational properties in vowel perception,’’ by Terrance M. Nearey [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 85, 2088–2113 (1989)], contains a report on a vowel perception experiment that reproduces the previous finding that the perceptual identification of vowels is influenced by both extrinsic, contextual factors and by intrinsic factors such as F0. The effect of F0 is, however, interpreted to be smaller than claimed in previous research. This appears to be due to an incorrect analysis of the role of context. It is shown how the results are to be interpreted taking into account how the listener’s expectations are affected by a preceding context. The results are compatible with predictions on the basis of a relational theory of speech perception for cases in which intrinsic and extrinsic factors do not counteract each other.
Musician Enhancement for Speech-In-Noise

Objective: To investigate the effect of musical training on speech-in-noise (SIN) performance, a complex task requiring the integration of working memory and stream segregation as well as the detection of time-varying perceptual cues. Previous research has indicated that, in combination with lifelong experience with musical stream segregation, musicians have better auditory perceptual skills and working memory. It was hypothesized that musicians would benefit from these factors and perform better on speech perception in noise than age-matched nonmusician controls. Design: The performance of 16 musicians and 15 nonmusicians was compared on clinical measures of speech perception in noise—QuickSIN and Hearing-In-Noise Test (HINT). Working memory capacity and frequency discrimination were also assessed. All participants had normal hearing and were between the ages of 19 and 31 yr. To be categorized as a musician, participants needed to have started musical training before the age of 7 yr, have 10 or more years of consistent musical experience, and have practiced more than three times weekly within the 3 yr before study enrollment. Nonmusicians were categorized by the failure to meet the musician criteria, along with not having received musical training within the 7 yr before the study. Results: Musicians outperformed the nonmusicians on both QuickSIN and HINT, in addition to having more fine-grained frequency discrimination and better working memory. Years of consistent musical practice correlated positively with QuickSIN, working memory, and frequency discrimination but not HINT. The results also indicate that working memory and frequency discrimination are more important for QuickSIN than for HINT. Conclusions: Musical experience appears to enhance the ability to hear speech in challenging listening environments. Large group differences were found for QuickSIN, and the results also suggest that this enhancement is derived in part from musicians' enhanced working memory and frequency discrimination. For HINT, in which performance was not linked to frequency discrimination ability and was only moderately linked to working memory, musicians still performed significantly better than the nonmusicians. The group differences for HINT were evident in the most difficult condition in which the speech and noise were presented from the same location and not spatially segregated. Understanding which cognitive and psychoacoustic factors as well as which lifelong experiences contribute to SIN may lead to more effective remediation programs for clinical populations for whom SIN poses a particular perceptual challenge. These results provide further evidence for musical training transferring to nonmusical domains and highlight the importance of taking musical training into consideration when evaluating a person's SIN ability in a clinical setting.
Suppression of transients in variable recursive digital filters with a novel and efficient cancellation method

A new method for suppressing transients in recursive infinite impulse response (IIR) digital filters is proposed. The technique is based on modifying the state (delay) variables of the filter when coefficients are changed so that the filter enters a new state smoothly without transient attacks, as originally proposed by Zetterberg and Zhang (1988). In this correspondence, we modify the Zetterberg-Zhang algorithm to render it feasible for efficient implementation. We define a mean square error (MSE) measure for transients and determine the optimal transient suppressor to cancel the transients down to a desired level at the minimum complexity of implementation. The application of the method to all-pole and direct-form II (DF II) IIR filter sections is studied in detail. Time-varying recursive filtering with transient elimination is illustrated for tunable fractional delay filters and variable-bandwidth lowpass filters.
The questionable contribution of medical measures to the decline of mortality in the United States in the twentieth century.

". by the time laboratory medicine came effectively into the picture the job had been carried far toward completion by the humanitarians and social reformers of the nineteenth century. Their doctrine that nature is holy and healthful was scientifically naive but proved highly effective in dealing with the most important health problems of their age. When the tide is receding from the beach it is easy to have the illusion that one can empty the ocean by removing water with a pail. "
A Preventive Model for Muscle Injuries: A Novel Approach based on Learning Algorithms

Introduction The application of contemporary statistical approaches coming from Machine Learning and Data Mining environments to build more robust predictive models to identify athletes at high risk for injury might support injury prevention strategies of the future. Purpose The purpose was to analyze and compare the behavior of numerous machine learning methods to select the best-performing injury risk factor model to identify athlete at risk for lower extremity muscle injuries (MUSINJ). Methods A total of 132 male professional soccer and handball players underwent a preseason screening evaluation that included personal, psychological, and neuromuscular measures. Furthermore, injury surveillance was used to capture all the MUSINJ occurring in the 2013/2014 seasons. The predictive ability of several models built by applying a range of learning techniques were analyzed and compared. Results There were 32 MUSINJ over the follow-up period, 21 (65.6%) of which corresponded to the hamstrings, 3 to the quadriceps (9.3%), 4 to the adductors (12.5%), and 4 to the triceps surae (12.5%). A total of 13 injures occurred during training and 19 during competition. Three players were injured twice during the observation period so the first injury was used, leaving 29 MUSINJ that were used to develop the predictive models. The model generated by the SmooteBoost technique with a cost-sensitive ADTree as the base classifier reported the best evaluation criteria (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve score, 0.747; true positive rate, 65.9%; true negative rate, 79.1) and hence was considered the best for predicting MUSINJ. Conclusions The prediction model showed moderate accuracy for identifying professional soccer and handball players at risk for MUSINJ. Therefore, the model developed might help in the decision-making process for injury prevention.
Investigating the Local Atmospheric Response to a Realistic Shift in the Oyashio Sea Surface Temperature Front

AbstractThe local atmospheric response to a realistic shift of the Oyashio Extension SST front in the western North Pacific is analyzed using a high-resolution (HR; 0.25°) version of the global Community Atmosphere Model, version 5 (CAM5). A northward shift in the SST front causes an atmospheric response consisting of a weak surface wind anomaly but a strong vertical circulation extending throughout the troposphere. In the lower troposphere, most of the SST anomaly–induced diabatic heating is balanced by poleward transient eddy heat and moisture fluxes. Collectively, this response differs from the circulation suggested by linear dynamics, where extratropical SST forcing produces shallow anomalous heating balanced by strong equatorward cold air advection driven by an anomalous, stationary surface low to the east. This latter response, however, is obtained by repeating the same experiment except using a relatively low-resolution (LR; 1°) version of CAM5. Comparison to observations suggests that the HR respo.
Assessing the influence of scanner background noise on auditory processing. II. An fMRI study comparing auditory processing in the absence and presence of recorded scanner noise using a sparse design

Several studies reported decreased signal intensities within auditory areas for experimental designs employing continuous scanner background noise (SBN) in comparison to designs with less or no SBN. This study examined the source for this SBN‐induced masking effect of the blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) response by directly comparing two experimental sessions with the same auditory stimulation, which was presented either with or without recorded scanner background noise (RecSBN). Ten subjects listened to a series of four one‐syllable words and had to decide whether two of the words were identical. The words were either presented with a silent background or with added RecSBN. This was then contrasted with either silence or RecSBN. A sparse temporal sampling method was used in both sessions, which enabled us to directly assess the influence of RecSBN without varying scanning parameters, acquisition quantities, or auditory stimulations. Our results suggest that previously reported SBN‐induced masking of the BOLD response in experimental designs with SBN might be caused by an interaction between increased baseline levels and nonlinearity effects within auditory cortices. Adding SBN to an experimental condition does not enhance signal intensities to the same degree that SBN does when presented with a silent background, and therefore contrasting an experimental and baseline condition that both have SBN may lead to signal decreases. In addition, our study shows this effect is greatest in Heschl's gyrus, but can also be observed in higher‐order auditory areas. Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.