Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the vanishing ranges for the cohomology of finite groups of Lie type II

The computation of the cohomology for finite groups of Lie type in the describing characteristic is a challenging and difficult problem. In earlier work, the authors constructed an induction functor which takes modules over the finite group of Lie type to modules for the ambient algebraic group G. In particular this functor when applied to the trivial module yields a natural G-filtration. This filtration was utilized in the earlier work to determine the first non-trivial cohomology class when the underlying root system is of type A_{n} or C_{n}. In this paper the authors extend these results toward locating the first non-trivial cohomology classes for the remaining finite groups of Lie type (i.e., the underlying root system is of type B_{n}, C_{n}, D_{n}, E_{6}, E_{7}, E_{8}, F_{4}, and G_{2}) when the prime is larger than the Coxeter number.
An Induced Bactericidin in the Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus ∗

Summary Spiny lobsters, P. argus, immunized with living or killed bacteria, have been shown to synthesize a nondialyzable bactericidin. This substance was present in the hemolymph and was usually detectable within 12 hours. In the primary response, it reached a peak within 24-48 hours. The most effective antigen was a gram-negative bacillus, EMB-1, isolated from the normal intestinal flora of healthy P. argus. Varying results were obtained when specificity was tested with heterologous bacteria, but the bactericidin was less specific than mammalian antibody. Heating at 65°C for 20 min was required for complete inactivation. EDTA, dialysis, carrageenin, and freezing failed to inactivate this substance. It could be adsorbed by homologous and heterologous bacteria.
Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implant Surgery

In the past, it was thought that hearing loss patients with residual low-frequency hearing would not be good candidates for cochlear implantation since insertion was expected to induce inner ear trauma. Recent advances in electrode design and surgical techniques have made the preservation of residual low-frequency hearing achievable and desirable. The importance of preserving residual low-frequency hearing cannot be underestimated in light of the added benefit of hearing in noisy atmospheres and in music quality. The concept of electrical and acoustic stimulation involves electrically stimulating the nonfunctional, high-frequency region of the cochlea with a cochlear implant and applying a hearing aid in the low-frequency range. The principle of preserving low-frequency hearing by a “soft surgery” cochlear implantation could also be useful to the population of children who might profit from regenerative hair cell therapy in the future. Main aspects of low-frequency hearing preservation surgery are discussed in this review: its brief history, electrode design, principles and advantages of electric-acoustic stimulation, surgical technique, and further implications of this new treatment possibility for hearing impaired patients.
Stool Xpert® MTB/RIF test for the diagnosis of childhood pulmonary tuberculosis at primary clinics in Zimbabwe

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Xpert® MTB/RIF on stool samples from children with clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) at primary care clinics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional diagnostic evaluation enrolling 5–16 year olds from whom one induced sputum (IS) sample was tested for microbiological TB confirmation. Results of a single stool sample tested using Xpert were compared against microbiologically confirmed TB, defined as a positive result on sputum microscopy and/or culture and/or IS Xpert. RESULTS: Of 222 children enrolled, 218 had complete microbiological results. The median age was 10.6 years (interquartile range 8–13). TB was microbiologically confirmed in 19/218 (8.7%) children. Of these, respectively 5 (26%), 9 (47%) and 15 (79%) were smear-, culture- and IS Xpert-positive. Stool Xpert was positive in 13/19 (68%) microbiologically confirmed cases and 4/199 (2%) microbiologically negative cases. Stool Xpert detected 76.9% (10/13) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected and 50% (3/6) of non-HIV-infected children with microbiologically confirmed TB (P = 0.241). CONCLUSION: Stool Xpert is a potential alternative screening test for children with suspected TB if sputum is unavailable. Strategies to optimise the diagnostic yield of stool Xpert assay need further study.
Integrated Network Analysis Identifies Fight-Club Nodes as a Class of Hubs Encompassing Key Putative Switch Genes That Induce Major Transcriptome Reprogramming during Grapevine Development[W][OPEN]

A small pool of putative switch genes, whose expression is negatively correlated with that of genes outside their community in the network, appear to mark the shift from immature to mature growth. We developed an approach that integrates different network-based methods to analyze the correlation network arising from large-scale gene expression data. By studying grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) gene expression atlases and a grapevine berry transcriptomic data set during the transition from immature to mature growth, we identified a category named “fight-club hubs” characterized by a marked negative correlation with the expression profiles of neighboring genes in the network. A special subset named “switch genes” was identified, with the additional property of many significant negative correlations outside their own group in the network. Switch genes are involved in multiple processes and include transcription factors that may be considered master regulators of the previously reported transcriptome remodeling that marks the developmental shift from immature to mature growth. All switch genes, expressed at low levels in vegetative/green tissues, showed a significant increase in mature/woody organs, suggesting a potential regulatory role during the developmental transition. Finally, our analysis of tomato gene expression data sets showed that wild-type switch genes are downregulated in ripening-deficient mutants. The identification of known master regulators of tomato fruit maturation suggests our method is suitable for the detection of key regulators of organ development in different fleshy fruit crops.
A Framework for GUI Testing Based on Use Case Design

Today GUIs are not exclusive of desktops and web applications. They can be found in a widely variety of embedded systems such as cellular phones, TVs, cars, etc. GUI testing is an emergent approach to assure software quality. In this paper, we show how to evaluate some GUI testing techniques and the importance of controlled experiments in order to have statistical confidence. Furthermore, as GUI design changes often during the development process, test cases need to be updated as well. Therefore, we also propose a general framework to GUI test case design and generation based on model-based testing and GUI capture-replay tools. The framework is easily extended to support different test case generation algorithms and script languages. It also allows one to explore functional as well as non-functional requirements, such as usability, accessibility, reliability, and so on.
Evaluation of the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) precipitation fields in a topographically complex domain

ABSTRACT The North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) precipitation product was evaluated using station observations and catchment water yield in British Columbia (BC), Canada, at inter-annual, monthly, and daily time scales. A structural break occurred in 2003, associated with exclusion of Canadian precipitation gauge data from NARR’s data assimilation process beginning in that year. The NARR product under-predicted precipitation in mountainous regions, over-predicted in the northern region of BC’s Interior Plateau, and catchment-averaged NARR precipitation was less than observed water yield in coastal BC. The product was unable to reproduce even the seasonal pattern at three stations. This study highlights uncertainties associated with the NARR precipitation product, and presents a cautionary tale that is likely relevant not only to the application of NARR in BC, but may be relevant for other re-analysis products and other regions with complex topography and sparse station networks.
Symbolic transfer entropy: inferring directionality in biosignals

Abstract Inferring directional interactions from biosignals is of crucial importance to improve understanding of dynamical interdependences underlying various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. We here present symbolic transfer entropy as a robust measure to infer the direction of interactions between multidimensional dynamical systems. We demonstrate its performance in quantifying driver-responder relationships in a network of coupled nonlinear oscillators and in the human epileptic brain.
Vegetables, but Not Pickled Vegetables, Are Negatively Associated With the Risk of Breast Cancer

This study investigated the association between pickled vegetable consumption and the risk of breast cancer using a validated food frequency questionnaire. A total of 358 patients with breast cancer who were matched to 360 healthy controls by age (using a 5-yr age distribution) were recruited from the National Cancer Center in South Korea. After adjusting for nondietary risk factors, total vegetable intake was inversely associated with risk of breast cancer. However, unlike nonpickled vegetables, pickled vegetable intake and its proportion relative to total vegetables were positively associated with the risk of breast cancer, and this association was more profound and consistent when pickled vegetable intake was considered as a proportion relative to total vegetables (odds ratio [OR] = 6.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.55–10.97; P for trend <0.001 for highest vs. lowest quartiles of intake) than as the absolute consumed amount (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.45–4.21; P for trend = 0.015 for highest vs. lowest quartiles of intake). These results suggest that not only the amount of total vegetable intake but also the amounts of different types of vegetable (i.e., pickled or nonpickled) and their proportions relative to total vegetables are significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer.
Loss of Geminin induces rereplication in the presence of functional p53

Strict regulation of DNA replication is essential to ensure proper duplication and segregation of chromosomes during the cell cycle, as its deregulation can lead to genomic instability and cancer. Thus, eukaryotic organisms have evolved multiple mechanisms to restrict DNA replication to once per cell cycle. Here, we show that inactivation of Geminin, an inhibitor of origin licensing, leads to rereplication in human normal and tumor cells within the same cell cycle. We found a CHK1-dependent checkpoint to be activated in rereplicating cells accompanied by formation of γH2AX and RAD51 nuclear foci. Abrogation of the checkpoint leads to abortive mitosis and death of rereplicated cells. In addition, we demonstrate that the induction of rereplication is dependent on the replication initiation factors CDT1 and CDC6, and independent of the functional status of p53. These data show that Geminin is required for maintaining genomic stability in human cells.
Retrocrural Space Involvement on Computed Tomography as a Predictor of Mortality and Disease Severity in Acute Pancreatitis

Background Because computed tomography (CT) has advantages for visualizing the manifestation of necrosis and local complications, a series of scoring systems based on CT manifestations have been developed for assessing the clinical outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP), including the CT severity index (CTSI), modified CTSI, etc. Despite the internationally accepted CTSI having been successfully used to predict the overall mortality and disease severity of AP, recent literature has revealed the limitations of the CTSI. Using the Delphi method, we establish a new scoring system based on retrocrural space involvement (RCSI), and compared its effectiveness at evaluating the mortality and severity of AP with that of the CTSI. Methods We reviewed CT images of 257 patients with AP taken within 3–5 days of admission in 2012. The RCSI scoring system, which includes assessment of infectious conditions involving the retrocrural space and the adjacent pleural cavity, was established using the Delphi method. Two radiologists independently assessed the RCSI and CTSI scores. The predictive points of the RCSI and CTSI scoring systems in evaluating the mortality and severity of AP were estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Principal Findings The RCSI score can accurately predict the mortality and disease severity. The area under the ROC curve for the RCSI versus CTSI score was 0.962±0.011 versus 0.900±0.021 for predicting the mortality, and 0.888±0.025 versus 0.904±0.020 for predicting the severity of AP. Applying ROC analysis to our data showed that a RCSI score of 4 was the best cutoff value, above which mortality could be identified. Conclusion The Delphi method was innovatively adopted to establish a scoring system to predict the clinical outcome of AP. The RCSI scoring system can predict the mortality of AP better than the CTSI system, and the severity of AP equally as well.
Prosocial behavior and gender

This study revisits different experimental data sets that explore social behavior in economic games and uncovers that many treatment effects may be gender-specific. In general, men and women do not differ in “neutral” baselines. However, we find that social framing tends to reinforce prosocial behavior in women but not men, whereas encouraging reflection decreases the prosociality of males but not females. The treatment effects are sometimes statistically different across genders and sometimes not but never go in the opposite direction. These findings suggest that (i) the social behavior of both sexes is malleable but each gender responds to different aspects of the social context; and (ii) gender differences observed in some studies might be the result of particular features of the experimental design. Our results contribute to the literature on prosocial behavior and may improve our understanding of the origins of human prosociality. We discuss the possible link between the observed differential treatment effects across genders and the differing male and female brain network connectivity, documented in recent neural studies.
Seismic Evidence for a Mantle Transition Zone Origin of the Wudalianchi and Halaha Volcanoes in Northeast China

There exists much debate about origins of Cretaceous to present volcanism in northeast (NE) China. Here we present high‐resolution seismic images of the upper mantle beneath NE China obtained by inverting P wave traveltime data recorded by two dense linear arrays. The inclusion of the new data set has greatly improved sampling of the upper mantle beneath the study region, providing tight constraints on the seismic structure under the intraplate Wudalianchi and Halaha volcanoes. Local‐scale low P wave velocity (low‐Vp) anomalies are revealed in the shallow mantle beneath the two volcanoes, whereas a large‐scale high‐Vp zone is imaged in the mantle transition zone. These new results suggest that the two volcanoes, though located at different sites above the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone, are likely related to the deep subduction and dehydration of the Pacific slab, possibly through hot and wet upwelling in the big mantle wedge beneath Wudalianchi and through deeper hydrous upwelling related to slab avalanche beneath Halaha. Our results also reveal other striking features, such as high‐Vp anomalies resting atop the 410‐km discontinuity beneath the Great Xing'an Range and the Songliao Basin, which are attributed to detached continental lithosphere. The delamination most likely occurred in the Cretaceous, which induced widespread magmatism in NE China.
Polyphylla saponin I has antiviral activity against influenza A virus.

OBJECTIVE In the present study, the antiviral effects of polyphylla saponin I isolated from Parispolyphylla on influenza A virus are investigated both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS Column chromatography and reversed phase liquid chromatography separation technology were used to extract and purify polyphylla saponin I. The purity of polyphylla saponin I was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and analyses of cytopathic effects were performed to examine the antiviral activity of polyphylla saponin I upon MDCK cells infected with influenza A virus. Model mice were made by intranasal inoculation of influenza a virus. Mice infected with influenza A virus were orally administered polyphylla saponin I and oseltamivir twice a day for 5 days to study their antiviral efficacy in vivo. RESULTS Polyphylla saponin I had no cytotoxicity on MDCK cells at the concentration of 50 μg/mL. Polyphylla saponin I (6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 μg/mL) and oseltamivir (40 μg/mL) had remarkable inactivation effects on influenza A virus, prevention effects on influenza A virus adsorption on MDCK cells, and inhibitory effects on the reproduction of influenza A virus in MDCK cells. In addition, polyphylla saponin I (5 and 10 mg/kg), and oseltamivir (3 mg/kg) significantly reduced viral hemagglutination titer, improved the pathologic histology of lung tissues, and decreased the mortality of mice infected with influenza A virus. Polyphylla saponin I (5 and 10 mg/kg) prolonged the survival time of mice from 8.5±0.3 days to 13.2±0.5 days, with the prolonged life rates being 49.4% and 55.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION Polyphylla saponin I has antiviral activity on influenza A virus both in vitro and in vivo.
LIPID PEROXIDATION AND DNA DAMAGE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

Introduction: Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the formation of Reactive oxygen species and protective antioxidant defense. It is known that oxidative stress increases the Acute renal failure. Measurement of oxidative stress parameters may be a simple tool for monitoring the progression of acute renal failure. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate oxidative stress in acute renal failure patients by Lipid peroxidation product Malondialdehyde (MDA), Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidative DNA damage product and compare its level among the patients of varying severity as per RIFLE classification. Materials and methods. We conducted a cross sectional study to compare oxidative stress parameters. Blood samples were collected from 62 patients with ARF, admitted to the Vinayaka Mission’s Medical College & Hospital, Salem from March 2009 to July 2010. We further subdivided the patients according to RIFLE classification. Results: The levels of MDA, Index of oxidative status MDA/TAC and DNA damage product 8 OH deoxy guanosine were significantly higher among failure group when compared to risk and injury. Total antioxidant capacity and super oxide dismutase (SOD) were found to be decreased
Prevalence of Residential Smoke Alarms and Fire Escape Plans in the U.S.: Results from the Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2)

Objectives. This study was conducted to estimate (1) the proportion of U.S. homes with installed smoke alarms and fire escape plans, and (2) the frequency of testing home smoke alarms and of practicing the fire escape plans. Methods. The authors analyzed data on smoke alarms and fire escape plans from a national cross-sectional random-digit dialed telephone survey of 9,684 households. Results. Ninety-five percent of surveyed households reported at least one installed smoke alarm and 52% had a fire escape plan. The prevalence of alarms varied by educational level, income, and the presence of a child in the home. Only 15% tested their alarms once a month and only 16% of homes with an escape plan reported practicing it every six months. Conclusion. While smoke alarm prevalence in U.S. homes is high, only half of homes have a fire escape plan. Additional emphasis is needed on testing of installed smoke alarms and on preparedness for fire escape plans.
Warm season nocturnal rainfall over the eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and its relationship with rainfall events in adjacent regions

Hourly observational records are used to investigate the distinct nocturnal rainfall and related convection activities over the eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau (EPTP). The results show that rainfall events over the EPTP are characterized by frequent moderate rainfall with long durations, which differs from both the eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP_E) and the west Sichuan Basin (SCB_W). Although the nocturnal rainfall dominates the warm season rainfall over the EPTP and its adjacent slopes, the midnight rainfall peak is more evident over the slope and basin regions, whereas over the TP_E, the rainfall intensity tends to peak in the late afternoon. An eastwards phase delay is found from the TP_E to the downstream EPTP regions, and the signal is more evident in the intense long‐duration rainfall events. To demonstrate the regional characteristics of the rainfall processes over the EPTP and its adjacent areas, a regional rainfall event (RRE) method is applied to consider the spatiotemporal evolution of the rainfall processes. The intense long‐duration RREs over the EPTP are selected and classified into two categories, with one related to the early stage rainfall systems in the TP region (RRE_with_TP) and the other not related to the TP rainfall systems (RRE_without_TP). The RRE_with_TP cases are probably related to the propagation of rainfall systems from the plateau. By analysing the convective activity derived from the FY‐2 geostationary satellites, evidence of the close relationship between the RRE_with_TP cases and the eastwards propagation of the convective systems that develop over the TP in the late afternoon is shown, whereas the RRE_without_TP cases seem to be more locally initialized or caused by rainfall systems from eastern regions. These results provide more detailed metrics to evaluate model performances over the EPTP region where excessive rainfall has been a long‐standing problem in the simulation of the East Asian climate.
Major Differences in Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission onto Two Neocortical Interneuron Subclasses

Locally projecting GABAergic interneurons are the major providers of inhibition in the neocortex and play a crucial role in several brain functions. Neocortical interneurons are connected via electrical and chemical synapses that may be crucial in modulating complex network oscillations. We investigated the properties of spontaneous and evoked IPSCs in two morphologically and physiologically identified interneuron subtypes, the fast-spiking (FS) and low threshold-spiking (LTS) cells in layer V of rodent sensorimotor cortex. We found that IPSCs recorded in FS cells were several orders of magnitude more frequent, larger in amplitude, and had faster kinetics than IPSCs recorded in LTS cells. GABAA receptor α- and β-subunit selective modulators, zolpidem and loreclezole, had different effects on IPSCs in FS and LTS interneurons, suggesting differential expression of GABAA receptor subunit subtypes. These pharmacological data indicated that the α1 subunit subtype is poorly expressed by LTS cells but makes a large contribution to GABAA receptors on FS cells. This was confirmed by experiments performed in genetically modified mice in which the α1 subunit had been made insensitive to benzodiazepine-like agonists. These results suggest that differences in IPSC waveform are likely attributable to distinctive expression of GABAA receptor subunits in FS and LTS cells. The particular properties of GABAergic input on different interneuronal subtypes might have important consequences for generation and pacing of cortical rhythms underlying several brain functions. Moreover, selective pharmacological manipulation of distinct inhibitory circuits might allow regulation of pyramidal cell activities under specific physiological and pathophysiological conditions.