Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Marijuana primes, marijuana expectancies, and arithmetic efficiency.

OBJECTIVE Previous research has shown that primes associated with alcohol influence behavior consistent with specific alcohol expectancies. The present study examined whether exposure to marijuana-related primes and marijuana expectancies interact to produce similar effects. Specifically, the present study examined whether marijuana primes and marijuana expectancies regarding cognitive and behavioral impairment interact to influence performance on an arithmetic task. METHOD Two independent samples (N = 260) of undergraduate students (both marijuana users and nonusers) first completed measures of marijuana-outcome expectancies associated with cognitive and behavioral impairment and with general negative effects (Sample 2). Later in the semester, participants were exposed to marijuana-related (or neutral) primes and then completed an arithmetic task. RESULTS Results from Sample 1 indicated that participants who were exposed to marijuana-themed magazine covers performed more poorly on the arithmetic task if they expected that marijuana would lead to cognitive and behavioral impairment. Results from Sample 2 indicated that, for marijuana users, cognitive and behavioral impairment expectancies, but not expectancies regarding general negative effects, similarly moderated arithmetic performance for participants exposed to marijuana-related words. CONCLUSIONS Results support the hypothesis that the implicit activation of specific marijuana-outcome expectancies can influence cognitive processes. Implications for research on marijuana are discussed.
Agglomerative connectivity constrained clustering for image segmentation

We consider the problem of clustering under the constraint that data points in the same cluster are connected according to a pre‐existed graph. This constraint can be efficiently addressed by an agglomerative clustering approach, which we exploit to construct a new fully automatic segmentation algorithm for color photographs. For image segmentation, if the pixel grid with eight neighbor connectivity is imposed as the graph, each group of pixels generated by this clustering method is ensured to be a geometrically connected region in the image, a desirable trait for many subsequent operations. To achieve scalability for images with large sizes, the segmentation algorithm combines the top‐down k‐means clustering with the bottom‐up agglomerative clustering method. We also find that it is advantageous to conduct clustering at multiple stages through which the similarity measure is adjusted. Experimental results with comparison to other widely used and state‐of‐the‐art segmentation methods show that the new algorithm achieves higher accuracy at much faster speed. A software package is provided for public access. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 4: 84–99 2011
The Hunsaker Mon-Jet Ventilation Tube for Microlaryngeal Surgery: Optimal Laryngeal Exposure

Methods of delivering and monitoring anesthesia during microlaryngeal surgery are constantly evolving. In 1994, Hunsaker and colleagues introduced a laser-safe subglottic Mon-Jet ventilation tube, which has the ability to periodically measure end-tidal carbon dioxide levels. We conducted a retrospective review of 84 consecutive patients who had undergone microlaryngeal procedures with the aid of the Hunsaker Mon-Jet tube. Study parameters included the length of anesthetic induction and recovery times, the duration of surgery, the degree of surgical access to the larynx, and the incidence of anesthetic and surgical complications. We found that anesthetic induction and recovery times with the use of the Mon-Jet tube were comparable to those seen with standard endotracheal intubation. We also observed an apparent reduction in surgical time and a consistent subjective improvement in surgical visualization and access. The complication rate was acceptable, airway control was adequate, and use of the Mon-Jet tube was safe in all patients. We conclude that the Mon-Jet tube is a safe and effective subglottic jet ventilation system and that it has distinct advantages over other methods for both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist.
Longitudinal study of observed and perceived family influences on problem-focused coping behaviors of preadolescents with spina bifida.

OBJECTIVE To study coping socialization longitudinally by examining reported and observed family environment and parenting variables in relation to children's problem-focused coping in a sample of 68 families of preadolescents with spina bifida and 68 matched able-bodied comparison families. METHODS Family environment and parenting variables were assessed with mother and father reports and observational measures. Children's problem-focused coping was self-reported. RESULTS Prospective analyses revealed that maternal responsiveness, paternal responsiveness, and family cohesion predicted an increase in children's use of problem-focused coping strategies, while change in paternal responsiveness and maternal responsiveness and demandingness was related concurrently to change in coping. Few group (spina bifida vs. able-bodied) or gender differences with respect to parenting and family influences on children's coping behaviors were found. CONCLUSIONS Multimethod findings suggest that the quality of parenting and family environment is associated with children's problem-focused coping behaviors. We discuss clinical implications.
Ecosystem Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation after Grazing Exclusion in Semiarid Grassland

The grazing exclusion in degraded grassland has been extensively used to prevent the loss of grassland resources and to improve grassland services. The effects of grazing exclusion on C and N balance, however, have not been well addressed but are essential for assessing grassland C sinks, the sustainable use of grassland resources and the support of grassland services. To understand the response of ecosystem C and N to grazing exclusion in semiarid grassland, we determined the C and N in litter, aboveground biomass, roots and soils from ungrazed grassland fenced at different times in northwest China. Our results showed that the aboveground biomass, root biomass and plant litter were 70–92%, 56–151% and 59–141% higher, respectively, in grazer excluded grassland than in grazed grassland. Grazing exclusion significantly increased C and N stored in plant biomass and litter and increased the concentrations and stocks of C and N in soils. Grazing exclusion thus significantly increased the C and N stored in grassland ecosystems. The increase in C and N stored in soil contributed to more than 95% and 97% of the increases in ecosystem C and N storage. The highest C and N stocks in ecosystems were observed in 17-year grazer excluded grassland. The results from this study indicate that grazing exclusion has the potential to increase C and N storage in degraded semiarid grassland and that the recovery of ecosystem C and N was mainly due to the accumulation of C and N in soils.
Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna

What are the greatest sizes that the largest marine megafauna obtain? This is a simple question with a difficult and complex answer. Many of the largest-sized species occur in the world’s oceans. For many of these, rarity, remoteness, and quite simply the logistics of measuring these giants has made obtaining accurate size measurements difficult. Inaccurate reports of maximum sizes run rampant through the scientific literature and popular media. Moreover, how intraspecific variation in the body sizes of these animals relates to sex, population structure, the environment, and interactions with humans remains underappreciated. Here, we review and analyze body size for 25 ocean giants ranging across the animal kingdom. For each taxon we document body size for the largest known marine species of several clades. We also analyze intraspecific variation and identify the largest known individuals for each species. Where data allows, we analyze spatial and temporal intraspecific size variation. We also provide allometric scaling equations between different size measurements as resources to other researchers. In some cases, the lack of data prevents us from fully examining these topics and instead we specifically highlight these deficiencies and the barriers that exist for data collection. Overall, we found considerable variability in intraspecific size distributions from strongly left- to strongly right-skewed. We provide several allometric equations that allow for estimation of total lengths and weights from more easily obtained measurements. In several cases, we also quantify considerable geographic variation and decreases in size likely attributed to humans.
Late intraphagosomal hydrogen ion concentration favors the in vitro antimicrobial capacity of a 37-kilodalton cationic granule protein of human neutrophil granulocytes

We described previously (W.M. Shafer, L.E. Martin, and J.K. Spitznagel, Infect. Immun. 45:29-35, 1984) the presence of a 37-kilodalton cationic antimicrobial protein (37K CAP) in extracts of granules prepared from human polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN). In this investigation, we prepared 37K CAP from PMN granule extracts by sequential ion-exchange and molecular-sieve chromatography and examined its antimicrobial activity against a number of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. At concentrations of 5 micrograms/ml or lower, 37K CAP exerted selective antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria included Acinetobacter lwoffii, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas cepacia, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, and Shigella sonnei. However, at 5 micrograms of 37K CAP per ml, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratia marcescens resisted this antimicrobial activity. The bactericidal activity of 37K CAP was greatest in acidic (pH 5.5) as opposed to alkaline (pH 7.5) media. The level of S. typhimurium resistance to 37K CAP correlated with the presence of O antigen in the lipopolysaccharide. In the absence of O antigen repeat units, resistance was proportional to the length of the core oligosaccharide. These results suggest that 37K CAP may contribute significantly to the ability of PMN to kill gram-negative bacteria by nonoxidative means, particularly as the maturing phagolysosome becomes acidified.
Executive Functioning in Intellectual Disability 1 Running head: EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY Strengths and weaknesses in executive functioning in children with intellectual disability

Children with intellectual disability (ID) were given a comprehensive range of executive functioning measures which systematically varied in terms of verbal and non-verbal demands. Their performance was compared to the performance of groups matched on mental age (MA) and chronological age (CA), respectively. 22 children were included in each group. Children with ID performed on par with the MA group on switching, verbal executive-loaded working memory and most fluency tasks, but below the MA group on inhibition, planning, and non-verbal executive-loaded working memory. Children with ID performed below CA comparisons on all the executive tasks. We suggest that children with ID have a specific profile of executive functioning, with MA appropriate abilities to generate new exemplars (fluency) and to switch attention between tasks, but difficulties with respect to inhibiting pre-potent responses, planning, and non-verbal executive-loaded working memory The development of different types of executive functioning skills may, to different degrees, be related to mental age and experience.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE EVOLUTION OF VIRULENCE UNDER BOTH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL TRANSMISSION

Abstract According to current thinking, a parasite's transmission mode will be a major determinant of virulence, defined as the harm induced by parasites to their hosts. With horizontal transmission, virulence will increase as a byproduct of a trade-off between fitness gained through increased among-host transmission (infectivity) and fitness lost through increased virulence. With vertical transmission, virulence will decrease because a parasite's reproductive potential will be maximized only by decreasing harm to the host, allowing parasite transmission to more host offspring. To test both predictions, we transmitted barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) horizontally and then vertically in its host, barley (Hordeum vulgare). After four generations of horizontal transmission, we observed a nearly twofold increase in horizontal infectivity and nearly tripled virulence. After three generations of subsequent vertical transmission, we observed a modest (16%) increase in vertical transmissibility and a large (40%) reduction in virulence. Increased horizontal transmission is often due to increased pathogen replication which, in turn, causes increased virulence. However, we found no correlation between within-host virus concentration and virulence, indicating that the observed changes in virulence were not due to changes in viral titer. Finally, horizontally transmitted BSMV had reduced vertical transmission and vertically transmitted BSMV had reduced horizontal infectivity. These two observations suggest that, in nature, in different host populations with varying opportunities for horizontal and vertical transmission, different viral strains may be favored.
Transcriptome Analysis and Development of SSR Molecular Markers in Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.

Licorice is an important traditional Chinese medicine with clinical and industrial applications. Genetic resources of licorice are insufficient for analysis of molecular biology and genetic functions; as such, transcriptome sequencing must be conducted for functional characterization and development of molecular markers. In this study, transcriptome sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing platform generated a total of 5.41 Gb clean data. De novo assembly yielded a total of 46,641 unigenes. Comparison analysis using BLAST showed that the annotations of 29,614 unigenes were conserved. Further study revealed 773 genes related to biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of licorice, 40 genes involved in biosynthesis of the terpenoid backbone, and 16 genes associated with biosynthesis of glycyrrhizic acid. Analysis of unigenes larger than 1 Kb with a length of 11,702 nt presented 7,032 simple sequence repeats (SSR). Sixty-four of 69 randomly designed and synthesized SSR pairs were successfully amplified, 33 pairs of primers were polymorphism in in Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. , Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. , Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim. This study not only presents the molecular biology data of licorice but also provides a basis for genetic diversity research and molecular marker-assisted breeding of licorice.
Pattern and process in a threatened seagrass community: dynamics and habitat use by sessile epifaunal invertebrates in Posidonia australis

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Regulation of host cell cyclin D1 by Trypanosoma cruzi in myoblasts

Infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease. In this study we demonstrated that there was an increase in cyclin D1 expression in T. cruzi (Tulahuen strain)-infected myoblasts. To examine a possible mechanism for the increased cyclin D1 expression we transfected L6E9 myoblasts with cyclin D1 luciferase reporter constructs and infected with T. cruzi. There was no evidence of an increase in promoter activity. Additionally, quantitative PCR did not demonstrate any change in cyclin D1 message during infection. Moreover, we demonstrated that the cyclin D1 protein was significantly stabilized after infection. Collectively, these data indicate that infection with T. cruzi increases cyclin D1 protein abundance post-translationally.
IKAP/Elp1 Is Required In Vivo for Neurogenesis and Neuronal Survival, but Not for Neural Crest Migration

Familial Dysautonomia (FD; Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy; HSAN III) manifests from a failure in development of the peripheral sensory and autonomic nervous systems. The disease results from a point mutation in the IKBKAP gene, which encodes the IKAP protein, whose function is still unresolved in the developing nervous system. Since the neurons most severely depleted in the disease derive from the neural crest, and in light of data identifying a role for IKAP in cell motility and migration, it has been suggested that FD results from a disruption in neural crest migration. To determine the function of IKAP during development of the nervous system, we (1) first determined the spatial-temporal pattern of IKAP expression in the developing peripheral nervous system, from the onset of neural crest migration through the period of programmed cell death in the dorsal root ganglia, and (2) using RNAi, reduced expression of IKBKAP mRNA in the neural crest lineage throughout the process of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) development in chick embryos in ovo. Here we demonstrate that IKAP is not expressed by neural crest cells and instead is expressed as neurons differentiate both in the CNS and PNS, thus the devastation of the PNS in FD could not be due to disruptions in neural crest motility or migration. In addition, we show that alterations in the levels of IKAP, through both gain and loss of function studies, perturbs neuronal polarity, neuronal differentiation and survival. Thus IKAP plays pleiotropic roles in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Untethered Hovering Flapping Flight of a 3D-Printed Mechanical Insect

This project focuses on developing a flapping-wing hovering insect using 3D-printed wings and mechanical parts. The use of 3D printing technology has greatly expanded the possibilities for wing design, allowing wing shapes to replicate those of real insects or virtually any other shape. It has also reduced the time of a wing design cycle to a matter of minutes. An ornithopter with a mass of 3.89 g has been constructed using the 3D printing technique and has demonstrated an 85-s passively stable untethered hovering flight. This flight exhibits the functional utility of printed materials for flapping-wing experimentation and ornithopter construction and for understanding the mechanical principles underlying insect flight and control.
Improving Performance by Re-Rating in the Dynamic Estimation of Rater Reliability

Nowadays crowdsourcing is widely used in supervised machine learning to facilitate the collection of ratings for unlabelled training sets. In order to get good quality results it is worth rejecting results from noisy/unreliable raters, as soon as they are discovered. Many techniques for filtering unreliable raters rely on the presentation of training instances to the raters identified as most accurate to date. Early in the process, the true rater reliabilities are not known and unreliable raters may be used as a result. This paper explores improving the quality of ratings for training instances by performing re-rating. The re-rating relies on the detection of such instances and the acquisition of additional ratings for them when the rating process is over. We compare different approaches to re-rating and compare the improvements in labeling accuracy and the labeling costs of these approaches.
Different Effects of Ketoconazole on the Stereoselective First-Pass Metabolism of R/S-Verapamil in the Intestine and the Liver: Important for the Mechanistic Understanding of First-Pass Drug-Drug Interactions

In this acute study a pig jejunal intestinal perfusion model with multiple plasma sampling sites and three different administration routes was used to investigate the quantitative contribution of the intestine versus liver to the first-pass extraction of each enantiomer of verapamil (VER). A subclinical dose of ketoconazole (8 mg) was coadministered in the perfusion solution to selectively inhibit gut wall CYP3A. Both enantiomers of VER and its main metabolite norverapamil (NOR) as well as the inhibitor ketoconazole were quantified in all plasma compartments by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The overall first-pass metabolic extraction of VER and the metabolite NOR was shown to be stereoselective with the S-isomer being more extensively extracted. For VER the ratio of R- enantiomer to S-enantiomer was greater in the hepatic vein than in the portal vein (∼2.2 versus 1.4), indicating that the stereoselective metabolism of VER in pigs mainly occurs on the first pass through the liver and not in the intestine. Ketoconazole increased the area under the curve from time 0 to 6 h and Cmax of R- and S-VER at least 3-fold in the portal vein, most likely explained by inhibition of gut wall metabolism. Conversely, hepatic extraction was increased because the effect of gut wall metabolism was not observed at the peripheral sampling sites. In conclusion, this study provided novel and more direct information on the contribution of the intestine and the liver, respectively, to the overall first-pass extraction of racemic VER.
Clinical Features and Natural History of Serous Cystic Neoplasm of the Pancreas

Aims: To clarify the clinical features and the natural history of serous cystic neoplasm (SCN) of the pancreas. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 30 patients affected by SCN. SCNs were classified as (1) microcystic type, (2) micro- and macrocystic type, and (3) macrocystic type according to the modified WHO classification. Eighteen patients who underwent serial radiographic imaging were identified, and tumor growth rate in these patients was evaluated. Results: The median age was 62 years, and the female:male ratio was 2:1. Twenty-five patients (83%) were asymptomatic and 5 (17%) were symptomatic. The median tumor size was 2.6 cm. Fifteen cases (50%) had the microcystic type, 7 (23%) the micro- and macrocystic type, and 8 (27%) the macrocystic type. Age, gender, symptoms, location or tumor size did not differ significantly among the three subtypes. Eighteen patients were followed up for a median of 58 months. Morphological changes were observed in 3 patients (17%) and enlargement of tumor size in 9 patients (50%) during the follow-up. The growth rate was 0.29 cm per year and doubling time was 3.5 years; these rates did not differ among morphological subtypes or size of tumors. Conclusions: In asymptomatic patients with a clear imaging diagnosis of SCN, nonoperative management with a careful follow-up should be recommended. Surgery should be suggested in only symptomatic patients, those with giant tumors (>10 cm), rapid growing or when the presence of a potentially malignant tumor cannot be excluded.