Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tests du Khi-deux, Corrélations, variabilité... Pour une méthodologie quantitative, réflexive et structurale de l'étude des champs, des liens et des relations

Ce texte presente lors des jounees d'etudes du groupe org and co consacrees aux questions methodologiques (23/24 mai 2005) aborde la question de la methode quantitative statistiques sous l'angle de la co-relation existante entre diverses variables et constitutives des logiques de champ. Il vise a une comprehension reflexive et structuraliste constitutive des champs pour mieux saisir les "lois de compositions internes" des objets etudies, pour une meilleure objectivisation des phenomenes etudies.
Feasibility of utilizing the patellar ligament angle for assessing cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs

The patellar ligament angle (PLA) was assessed in 105 normal stifle joints of 79 dogs and 33 stifle joints of 26 dogs with a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL). The PLA of stifles with complete CrCL rupture was significantly lower than that of normal stifles, particularly at a flexion angle of 60~80° in both plain and stress views. If the PLA was <90.55° on the stress view with a 60~80° flexion angle, the dog was diagnosed with a complete rupture of the CrCL with a sensitivity of 83.9% and specificity of 100%. In conclusion, measuring the PLA is a quantitative method for diagnosing complete CrCL rupture in canines.
Klotho , an anti-aging molecule , attenuates oxidant-induced alveolar epithelial 1 cell mtDNA damage and apoptosis 2 3

Klotho, an anti-aging molecule, attenuates oxidant-induced alveolar epithelial 1 cell mtDNA damage and apoptosis 2 3 Seok-Jo Kim1,2, Paul Cheresh1,2, Mesut Eren2, Renea P Jablonski1,2, Anjana Yeldandi3, 4 Karen M Ridge1,2, GR Scott Budinger1,2, Dong-Hyun Kim4, Myles S Wolf5, Douglas 5 Vaughan2 and David W Kamp1,2 † 6 7 Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Jesse Brown VA 8 Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Medicine, 3Department of Pathology, and 9 Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 10 60611. Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 11 12 13 *Address correspondence to David W. Kamp, M.D., Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, 14 Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, McGaw M-330, 240 E. Huron St., 15 Chicago, IL, USA, 60611-3010, Phone: (312) 908-8163, Fax: (312) 908-4650, 16 E-mail: d-kamp@northwestern.edu 17 18 Running Title: Klotho attenuates AEC mitochondrial DNA damage 19 20 Keywords; mitochondrial DNA damage; oxidative stress, Klotho, alveolar epithelial cell, 21 pulmonary fibrosis 22 23 Articles in PresS. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol (April 20, 2017). doi:10.1152/ajplung.00063. 2017
BreedVision — A Multi-Sensor Platform for Non-Destructive Field-Based Phenotyping in Plant Breeding

To achieve the food and energy security of an increasing World population likely to exceed nine billion by 2050 represents a major challenge for plant breeding. Our ability to measure traits under field conditions has improved little over the last decades and currently constitutes a major bottleneck in crop improvement. This work describes the development of a tractor-pulled multi-sensor phenotyping platform for small grain cereals with a focus on the technological development of the system. Various optical sensors like light curtain imaging, 3D Time-of-Flight cameras, laser distance sensors, hyperspectral imaging as well as color imaging are integrated into the system to collect spectral and morphological information of the plants. The study specifies: the mechanical design, the system architecture for data collection and data processing, the phenotyping procedure of the integrated system, results from field trials for data quality evaluation, as well as calibration results for plant height determination as a quantified example for a platform application. Repeated measurements were taken at three developmental stages of the plants in the years 2011 and 2012 employing triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack L.) as a model species. The technical repeatability of measurement results was high for nearly all different types of sensors which confirmed the high suitability of the platform under field conditions. The developed platform constitutes a robust basis for the development and calibration of further sensor and multi-sensor fusion models to measure various agronomic traits like plant moisture content, lodging, tiller density or biomass yield, and thus, represents a major step towards widening the bottleneck of non-destructive phenotyping for crop improvement and plant genetic studies.
Incentive Pay in the United States: Its Determinants and Its Effects

The0501n objective of this article is to provide a survey of the empirical work done on the use of incentive pay in the United States focusing on two0501n empirical questions: what are the determinants of their use and what are the effects of pay-per-performance schemes, if any. Theoretical models are also discussed so as to provide a background to the reported evidence. L'objectif poursuivi dans cet article est de faire un survol des travaux empiriques effectues relativement a l'utilisation des methodes de remuneration incitative aux Etats-Unis. Deux questions font l'objet d'une attention particuliere: quels sont les facteurs expliquant l'utilisation de ces methodes de remuneration et quels en sont les effets reellement incitatifs. Les principaux modeles theoriques sous-jacents sont egalement discutes afin de fournir une toile de fond.
Results of auditory rehabilitation in elderly users of hearing aids evaluated by a dichotic test.

PURPOSE To verify the effects of auditory rehabilitation through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative aspects of the Staggered Spondaic Word Test (SSW) in elderly people who have recently started wearing hearing aids. METHODS The study included 17 elderly people, who have recently started wearing hearing aids, aged between 60 and 84 years old, divided into two groups: G1, for those who only wore hearing aids, and G2, for those submitted to an auditory rehabilitation program structured in seven sessions, including auditory counseling and training. All subjects were evaluated with the SSW test at two different moments, the beginning and the end of the study. All data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS Regarding quantitative aspects, subjects in G1 showed improvements, but no statistically significant differences were observed between evaluations, while G2 presented statistically significant improvements on the competitive right, the non-competitive left and the total number of hits. When comparing the final performance of both groups, there were statistically significant differences concerning almost all of the variables with greater results to the G2 group. Regarding qualitative aspects, volunteers in both groups had difficulties with phonemic decoding, gradual memory loss, organization and integration in both assessments, with different alterations between them. CONCLUSION The scores obtained by subjects in G2 submitted to the hearing rehabilitation in the variables competitive right and left non-competitive show especially the improvement on the left hemisphere, due to auditory training. For further evidence of differences between the results of qualitative aspects, a longer period of time would possibly be required in order for changes in auditory perception to occur associated with other sensory functions.
α1‐Adrenoceptor function and autoradiographic distribution in human asthmatic lung

1 The autoradiographic distribution of α1‐adrenoceptors was investigated in non‐diseased and asthmatic human lung by use of [3H]‐prazosin (H‐PZ). To validate binding and autoradiographic methods, H‐PZ binding was also measured in rat heart. 2 Significant levels of specific H‐PZ binding were detected in sections of rat heart. This binding was associated with a single class of non‐interacting sites of high affinity (dissociation constant, Kd = 1.17 ± 0.26 nm). The maximum binding capacity (Bmax) was 59.5 ± 4.5 fmol mg−1 protein. 3 In sharp contrast, very low levels of specific H‐PZ binding were found in both human non‐diseased and asthmatic bronchus, although a high level of binding of [125I]‐iodocyanopindolol (I‐CYP, 50 pm) to β‐adrenoceptors was detected in these airways. Furthermore, very low levels of autoradiographic grains representing specific H‐PZ binding were found in all airway structures in human non‐diseased or asthmatic lung parenchyma. 4 Consistent with these data, the α‐adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine failed to induce significant increases in tone in bronchi isolated from either non‐diseased or asthmatic human lung. Results indicate that asthma does not involve significant increases in airway α1‐adrenoceptor function.
Individual and social identities in intergroup relations

Henri Tajfel's contribution to the experimental study of intergroup relations is highlighted and recent complementary approaches are presented. The distinction between deductive and inductive aspects of social categorization and the links between within group and between group interaction and differentiation are commented. A plea is made for studying self as social representation and for considering ethical issues of intergroup relations.
Additive and Interactive Models of Crossed Categorization in Correlated Social Categories

The effects of crossed categorization on intergroup judgments have been the subject of considerable theoretical and empirical interest. A variety of alternative theoretical models have been proposed and examined in earlier research. The present study differs from those reported previously in that it focused on correlated social categorizations. Moreover it employed a large and broadly representative sample. This permitted us to examine the various theoretical models with considerable power. Results supported a largely additive model, in which out-group categorizations independently contributed to out-group derogation. Additionally, a number of weaker category interactions suggested that in-group membership on one dimension was of greater importance if the target person was an in-group member on other categorizations as well. Finally, somewhat different effects were found for the two dependent variables employed, liking and perceived similarity. Results are more in accordance with social identity theory and the similarity-attraction hypothesis than with Doise's category differentiation model.
Genetic polyandry and sexual conflict in the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

To investigate patterns of polyandry in the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), 20 pregnant females were sampled from the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Five species‐specific microsatellite markers were used to genotype each shark and its litter. Of 20 litters, 17 (85%) were shown to have multiple sires. In multiply sired litters, the estimated minimum number of sires ranged from two to five with an average of 2.3 males per litter. Regression analysis did not demonstrate a significant relationship between female reproductive success and female body size or sire number and female body size. There was a high incidence of reproductive skew noted in litters, and two groups of males with significantly different mean reproductive success were observed. Analyses using Bateman's principles suggest that there is less direct benefit for females that acquire multiple mates than for males who bias paternity within litters. In light of past morphological and behavioural studies, these data suggest that patterns of polyandry in elasmobranchs may be determined by coercive mating, and that breeding behaviour has likely evolved in the context of sexual conflict.
Unified non-quasi-static MOSFET model for large-signal and small-signal simulations

The spline-collocation-based non-quasi-static model is extended to include small-geometry effects and to enable both small-signal and large-signal simulations. The new NQS model has been implemented into circuit simulators using both SP and PSP models and verified using RF test data. Additional verification is provided by comparison with the results of numerical simulations and with the MM11 channel segmentation method. The large-signal and small-signal simulation results are compatible and consistent with the quasi-static formulation at low frequencies
Distinct Maturation of, but Not Migration between, Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells upon Ingestion of Apoptotic Cells of Early or Late Phases 1

Cell death via apoptosis is a normal physiological process. Rapid, but silent, removal of apoptotic cells (ACs) plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis in the immune system. Defective clearance of ACs allows ACs to accumulate and undergo late phase apoptosis, also known as secondary necrosis, which may generate danger signals, leading to inflammation or autoimmunity. In this study we investigate the outcome of dendritic cells (DCs), which are potent APCs, on the interaction with ACs of early or late phase. Immature DCs internalized ACs of both early and late phases with similar efficiency. However, DCs that had taken up ACs of early phase acquired a non-fully mature DC phenotype, expressing low MHC class II complex, costimulatory molecule CD40, and mature DC-restricted marker CD83, and had a low capacity to stimulate allogeneic CD4+ T cell proliferation, whereas DCs that had taken up ACs of late phase acquired a mature DC phenotype with enhanced T cell stimulatory capacity. Ingestion of either early or late ACs induced minimal production of IL-12 and modulated CC chemokine and CCR expression in DCs. In particular, there was down-regulation of CCR5 and up-regulation of CCR7, resulting in switches in responsiveness from inflammatory to lymphoid chemokines. We conclude from these data that after taking up ACs of either early or late phases, DCs acquire the capability of homing to draining lymph nodes, and the distinct maturation between DCs taking up early or late ACs may contribute to DC function in the induction of T cell tolerance or Ag-specific T cell response, respectively.
Automated Assembly Using 3D and 2D Cameras

2D and 3D computer vision systems are frequently being used in automated production to detect and determine the position of objects. Accuracy is important in the production industry, and computer vision systems require structured environments to function optimally. For 2D vision systems, a change in surfaces, lighting and viewpoint angles can reduce the accuracy of a method, maybe even to a degree that it will be erroneous, while for 3D vision systems, the accuracy mainly depends on the 3D laser sensors. Commercially available 3D cameras lack the precision found in high-grade 3D laser scanners, and are therefore not suited for accurate measurements in industrial use. In this paper, we show that it is possible to identify and locate objects using a combination of 2D and 3D cameras. A rough estimate of the object pose is first found using a commercially available 3D camera. Then, a robotic arm with an eye-in-hand 2D camera is used to determine the pose accurately. We show that this increases the accuracy to < 1 and < 1 . This was demonstrated in a real industrial assembly task where high accuracy is required.
Contribution Alcohol Use and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

The epidemiologic evidence for the role of alcohol use in pancreatic cancer development is equivocal. The authors prospectively examined the relation between alcohol use and risk of pancreatic cancer among 470,681 participants who were aged 50–71 years in 1995–1996 in the US National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. The authors identified 1,149 eligible exocrine pancreatic cancer cases through December 2003. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals with the referent group being light drinkers (<1 drink/day). The relative risks of developing pancreatic cancer were 1.45 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17, 1.80; Ptrend 1⁄4 0.002) for heavy total alcohol use ( 3 drinks/ day, ~40 g of alcohol/day) and 1.62 (95% CI: 1.24, 2.10; Ptrend 1⁄4 0.001) for heavy liquor use, compared with the respective referent group. The increased risk with heavy total alcohol use was seen in never smokers (relative risk 1⁄4 1.35, 95% CI: 0.79, 2.30) and participants who quit smoking 10 or more years ago before baseline (relative risk 1⁄4 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.00). These findings suggest a moderately increased pancreatic cancer risk with heavy alcohol use, particularly liquor; however, residual confounding by cigarette smoking cannot be completely excluded.
Are financing decisions of family-owned SMEs different? Empirical evidence using panel data

Abstract This paper analyses if ownership structure is an important determinant of capital structure decisions, on the basis of two sub-samples of family-owned and non-family owned SMEs, and using panel data models. The results suggest that family ownership is an important determinant for: i) the variations of short and long-term debt stimulated by financial deficit; ii) the speed of adjustment of short and long-term debt towards the respective target levels; and iii) the relationships between determinants and short-term debt and long-term debt. In general, the capital structure decisions of family-owned SMEs are closer to what is forecast by trade-off theory than those of non-family owned SMEs, whereas the capital structure decisions of non-family owned SMEs are closer to the forecasts of pecking order theory than those of family-owned SMEs.
Retinoblastoma protein functions as a molecular switch determining white versus brown adipocyte differentiation

Adipocyte precursor cells give raise to two major cell populations with different physiological roles: white and brown adipocytes. Here we demonstrate that the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) regulates white vs. brown adipocyte differentiation. Functional inactivation of pRB in wild-type mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) and white preadipocytes by expression of simian virus 40 large T antigen results in the expression of the brown fat-specific uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in the adipose state. Retinoblastoma gene-deficient (Rb–/–) MEFs and stem cells, but not the corresponding wild-type cells, differentiate into adipocytes with a gene expression pattern and mitochondria content resembling brown adipose tissue. pRB-deficient MEFs exhibit an increased expression of the Forkhead transcription factor Foxc2 and its target gene cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit RIα, resulting in increased cAMP sensitivity. Suppression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in Rb–/–MEFs blocked the brown adipocyte-like gene expression pattern without affecting differentiation per se. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that pRB is present in the nuclei of white but not brown adipocyte precursor cells at a developmental stage where both cell types begin to accumulate lipid and brown adipocytes express UCP-1. Furthermore, pRB rapidly undergoes phosphorylation upon cold-induced neodifferentiation and up-regulation of UCP-1 expression in brown adipose tissue. Finally, down-regulation of pRB expression accompanies transdifferentiation of white into brown adipocytes in response to β3-adrenergic receptor agonist treatment. We propose that pRB acts as a molecular switch determining white vs. brown adipogenesis, suggesting a previously uncharacterized function of this key cell cycle regulator in adipocyte lineage commitment and differentiation.
Acquisition and expression of conditioned taste aversion differentially affects extracellular signal regulated kinase and glutamate receptor phosphorylation in rat prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) can be applied to study associative learning and its relevant underpinning molecular mechanisms in discrete brain regions. The present study examined, by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry, the effects of acquisition and expression of lithium-induced CTA on activated Extracellular signal Regulated Kinase (p-ERK) in the prefrontal cortex (PFCx) and nucleus accumbens (Acb) of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The study also examined, by immunoblotting, whether acquisition and expression of lithium-induced CTA resulted in modified levels of phosphorylation of glutamate receptor subunits (NR1 and GluR1) and Thr34- and Thr75-Dopamine-and-cAMP-Regulated PhosphoProtein (DARPP-32). CTA acquisition was associated with an increase of p-ERK-positive neurons and phosphorylated NR1 receptor subunit (p-NR1) in the PFCx, whereas p-GluR1, p-Thr34- and p-Thr75-DARPP-32 levels were not changed in this brain region. CTA expression increased the number of p-ERK-positive neurons in the shell (AcbSh) and core (AcbC) but left unmodified p-NR1, p-GluR1, p-Thr34- and p-Thr75-DARPP-32 levels. Furthermore, post-embedding immunogold quantitative analysis in AcbSh revealed that CTA expression significantly increased nuclear p-ERK immunostaining as well as p-ERK-labeled axo-spinous contacts. Overall, these results indicate that ERK and NR1, but not GluR1 and DARPP-32, are differentially phosphorylated as a consequence of acquisition and expression of aversive associative learning. Moreover, these results confirm that CTA represents an useful approach to study the molecular basis of associative learning in rats and suggest the involvement of ERK cascade in learning-associated synaptic plasticity.
Alcohol consumption among older adults in Aotearoa/New Zealand: a comparison of ‘baby boomers’ and ‘over-65s’

The AUDIT-C screening measure for hazardous and heavy episodic drinking was included in a 2006 postal survey of a representative population sample of New Zealanders aged 55–70 years (N = 6642) funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Results from logistic regressions showed that New Zealand Europeans and Māori, males, those with higher incomes, and those with a good standard of living were significantly more likely to drink hazardously. Heavy episodic drinking was more likely among men, Māori, and those with secondary or no school qualifications. The findings warrant further research into alcohol consumption among older people as this cohort moves into retirement.
Factors associated with unknown aetiology in patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Despite comprehensive diagnostic work-up, the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains undetermined in 30–60% of cases. The authors studied factors associated with undiagnosed pneumonia. Patients hospitalised with CAP and being evaluated by two blood cultures, at least one valid lower respiratory tract sample, and serology on admission were prospectively recorded. Patients who had received antimicrobial pretreatment were excluded. Patients with definite or probable aetiology were compared to those with undetermined aetiology by uni- and multivariable analysis. A total 204 patients were eligible for the study. The aetiology remained undetermined in 82 (40%) patients, whereas a definite aetiology could be established in 89 (44%) and a probable one in 33 (16%). In multivariable analysis, factors associated with undetermined aetiology included age >70 yrs, renal and cardiac comorbidity, and nonalveolar infiltrates on the chest radiograph. There was no association of undiagnosed pneumonia with mortality. Age and host factors were associated with unknown aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia. Some of these cases may also represent fluid volume overload mimicking pneumonia.
Crafting User Experience via Game Metrics Analysis

Game metrics are numerical data obtained from the userinteraction with the game software, and form a valuable data source to user experience research and –design, because these data offer quantitative, time-stamped information about the specific behavior of players of computer games. By combining this game metrical data with traditional user experience measures – biofeedback, surveys and usability-methods – it is possible to directly link game experience with design elements.