Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyses of coding region polymorphisms in apical and basolateral human organic anion transporter (OAT) genes [OAT1 (NKT), OAT2, OAT3, OAT4, URAT (RST)].

BACKGROUND Excretion by the kidney of a variety of organic anionic drugs and metabolites is mediated by a family of multispecific organic anion transporters (OAT genes) that are part of the SLC22 family of solute carriers. Different OATs localize to the apical (OAT2, OAT4, and RST/URAT) or basolateral (OAT1/NKT and OAT3) membranes of the renal proximal tubule; the net transport of organic anions from blood to urine is believed to require both apical and basolateral OATs. These genes are also thought to mediate transport of organic anionic drugs and metabolites (e.g., urate) across choroid plexus, retina, placenta, and possibly olfactory mucosa. The extent of functional redundancy among OATs remains uncertain, but closely related OAT genes are tightly linked in the genome. Hence, a better understanding of human variation in organic anionic drug excretion may be obtained by studying OAT genes in combination rather than individually. METHODS We have analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OAT1 (NKT), OAT2, OAT3, OAT4, and URAT1 (human homologue of RST) in an ethnically diverse sample of 96 individuals (192 haploid genomes). Ka/Ks analysis was also performed as well as haplotype reconstruction using the software program Arelquin. RESULTS The data indicate that (1) nonsynonymous SNPs in OAT1 and OAT3 may not be frequent so it will be important to consider promoter region SNPs that regulate gene expression; (2) certain ethnic groups may have a high prevalence of nonsynonymous SNPs in particular OATs (e.g., OAT4 in Sub-Saharan Africans); (3) there are individuals who have nonsynonymous SNPs in apical and basolateral OATs; (4) nonsynonymous OAT4 SNPs may be more frequent, raising the possibility of altered maternofetal transport of drugs and metabolites; and (5) combinations of synonymous SNPs in OAT1 and OAT3 also occur in certain individuals. In addition, Ka/Ks analysis of human, chimp and rodent genes suggests that OAT4 is under accelerated selection pressure, perhaps reflecting specific human environmental exposures during evolution. In contrast, Ka/Ks analysis for URAT1 suggests decelerated selection pressure. Haplotype reconstruction also supports this view. CONCLUSION Together, these data suggest that, in order to understand the effect of SNPs in genes of the SLC22 family on drug handling as well as excretion of metabolites like uric acid, it is important to consider the entire set of organic anion transporters. It will be particularly interesting to determine if individuals with nonsynonymous apical and basolateral SNPs have altered handling (and toxicity) of organic anionic drugs and metabolites. Certain OAT family members appear to be under greater evolutionary selection pressure.
Salutogenic Profile of Police Trainees on Entry into the Profession

The study aimed to determine the salutogenic (wellbeing) profile of South African police trainees on entry into the profession. Participants were police trainees with an average age of 26 years enrolled for basic training in a police college. Sample sizes ranged between 275 and 499 depending on the questionnaire. The participants completed six questionnaires, namely Orientation to Life Questionnaire (Antonovsky, 1987) Locus of Control Inventory (Schepers, 1999), Self Efficacy Scale (Bandura, 1997), Personal Views Survey (Kobasa, 1979), Potency Scale (Ben-Sira, 1985) and the Self-Control Schedule (Rosenbaum, 1990). The results indicated the trainees' abilities in logical reasoning, determination, independence, confidence, self control and influence that could be resources to support their wellbeing. The police trainees scored above average on most of the constructs, thereby suggesting their readiness to deal with the stressful occupation they were being trained for. Furthermore, the police trainees demonstrated a comparable or more positive salutogenic profile than those obtained in other South African studies.
SNPsea: an algorithm to identify cell types, tissues and pathways affected by risk loci

Summary: We created a fast, robust and general C++ implementation of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) set enrichment algorithm to identify cell types, tissues and pathways affected by risk loci. It tests trait-associated genomic loci for enrichment of specificity to conditions (cell types, tissues and pathways). We use a non-parametric statistical approach to compute empirical P-values by comparison with null SNP sets. As a proof of concept, we present novel applications of our method to four sets of genome-wide significant SNPs associated with red blood cell count, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease and HDL cholesterol. Availability and implementation: http://broadinstitute.org/mpg/snpsea Contact: soumya@broadinstitute.org Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FROM PARTIAL TO FULL-ENOUGH RECOVERY: A DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF RECOVERY FROM EATING DISORDERS

Questions about the nature of recovery from eating disorders have long divided the field. While one view purports that eating disorders are chronic conditions, other viewpoints maintain that full recovery from eating disorders is possible. The literature suggests the existence of levels of recovery: a) “partial” recovery, which includes remission of behavioral and physical of symptoms, in the absence of psychological remission, and b) “full” recovery, which includes remission of behavioral, physical and psychological symptoms. In-depth interviews with women in long-term recovery from anorexia and/or bulimia were conducted, transcribed and analyzed in order to develop a grounded theory of the progression within the recovery process. This dissertation considers the phenomenology of phases of recovery; individual experiences of levels of recovery; and, how change, specifically from early recovery going forward, occurs. Findings suggest a developmental process of recovery with central themes defining each stage. Participants’ in the study described nuanced experiences of recovery that lay between chronicity and complete freedom from all vestiges of the disorder. The dissertation proposes a model comprised of three-stages: 1) early recovery, which is dominated by a focus on behavioral change and seeking guidance from external sources, 2) transitional recovery in which change processes that introduce an inward focus emerge; and, 3) “full-enough” recovery, a stage marked by the presence of a flexible sense of self-trust. The term, “full-enough” recovery was developed to convey the participants’ experiences of a recovery that allows them both to acknowledge the presence of occasional mental remnants of the disorder and engage fully in their lives. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Jeffrey Applegate, Ph.D. Second Advisor Sheila Reindl, Ed.D. Third Advisor Carol Tosone, Ph.D.
Imaging assessment of glenohumeral dysplasia secondary to brachial plexus birth palsy*

Objective To assess imaging parameters related to the morphology of the glenohumeral joint in children with unilateral brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP), in comparison with those obtained for healthy shoulders. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective search for cases of unilateral BPBP diagnosed at our facility. Only patients with a clinical diagnosis of unilateral BPBP were included, and the final study sample consisted of 10 consecutive patients who were assessed with cross-sectional imaging. The glenoid version, the translation of the humeral head, and the degrees of glenohumeral dysplasia were assessed. Results The mean diameter of the affected humeral heads was 1.93 cm, compared with 2.33 cm for those of the normal limbs. In two cases, there was no significant posterior displacement of the humeral head, five cases showed posterior subluxation of the humeral head, and the remaining three cases showed total luxation of the humeral head. The mean glenoid version angle of the affected limbs (90-α) was -9. 6º, versus +1. 6º for the normal, contralateral limbs. Conclusion The main deformities found in this study were BPBP-associated retroversion of the glenoid cavity, developmental delay of the humeral head, and posterior translation of the humeral head.
Motoneuronal output and gradation of effort in attempts to contract acutely paralysed leg muscles in man.

1. The study was designed to determine the degree to which normal subjects can control motoneurones innervating a leg muscle when acutely deprived of muscle afferent feedback. Microneurographic recordings were made from eighteen motor fascicles in the common peroneal nerve, of which thirteen innervated tibialis anterior and five toe dorsiflexor muscles. The nerve was then blocked completely at a distal site near the fibular head with local anaesthetic. A sequence of tests was performed with each fascicle to determine the degree to which the subject could control the motoneuronal drive to the paralysed muscle. 2. During a complete distal block of the common peroneal nerve, motoneurones innervating tibialis anterior were frequently activated during weak attempted contraction of the synergist toe extensors and vice versa. 3. When subjects attempted contractions of the paralysed muscles at a constant effort, pressure applied to the dorsum of the foot caused relatively small changes in the level of neural output, producing a small increase in motoneuronal drive to tibialis anterior, but no consistent change in the drive to toe extensor fascicles. 4. Subjects were able to increase the motoneuronal drive to the paralysed tibialis anterior in five steps of effort each lasting 10 s. The level of motor output increased linearly with step number, but declined as the step was maintained, more so when auditory feedback was withdrawn. 5. There was hysteresis in the relationship between motoneuronal output and force (measured on the contralateral side) during attempts to make slowly increasing then decreasing ramps of effort on both sides over 20‐120 s. Motor drive to the paralysed muscle increased disproportionately rapidly compared with contralateral force when subjects attempted bilaterally symmetrical increasing efforts. 6. Subjects attempted to activate the paralysed muscle group maximally for 20‐30 s with auditory feedback of the neurogram and verbal encouragement. There was a small statistically significant reduction in the motoneuronal output 5‐10 s into the 30 s effort but, with further encouragement, it recovered towards the end of the effort. 7. When compared directly in the same recording sequences, attempts to make rapid brief maximal efforts (2‐3 s duration) produced the same motoneuronal output as attempts to make sustained efforts. 8. Similar results occurred when the motoneuronal output to tibialis anterior was recorded during a selective distal block of tibialis anterior sparing toe dorsiflexors. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Novel 10-Bit 2.8-mW TDC Design Using SAR With Continuous Disassembly Algorithm

This brief introduces a successive approximation time-to-digital converter based on a novel algorithm denoted as successive approximation register with continuous disassembly (SAR-CD). The main advantage of the proposed SAR-CD algorithm is that it moves the conditioning between the evaluated bits to the digital domain, after all the bits are evaluated. Simulation results show promising enhancements in power consumption compared with the state-of-the-art designs. A full 10-bit architecture is introduced using 65-nm CMOS technology as a case study with simulation power consumption of 2.8 mW at a sampling rate of 29.4 Msample/s from 1-V power supply with an effective number of bits value of 8.63 bits and a maximum differential nonlinearity of 1 least significant bit.
Predictive factors for commitment to the priestly vocation: A study of priests and seminarians

PREDICTIVE FACTORS FOR COMMITMENT TO THE PRIESTLY VOCATION: A STUDY OF PRIESTS AND SEMINARIANS Yulius Sunardi, M.S. Marquette University, 2014 The present study examined factors for priestly commitment and the relationship between priestly commitment and well-being of Catholic priests and seminarians. While evidence for the effectiveness of assessment in identifying the suitability of applicants to the priesthood and evaluating the general psychological health of priests and seminarians has been well documented, the effectiveness of assessment in predicting commitment to the priesthood remains under question. This study addressed such an issue by identifying the individual and sets of factors for priestly commitment. Through Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses, the study present examined the extent to which demographic factors (e.g., age and vocational status), social factors (e.g., parental environment, family religiosity, and religious experience), psychological factors (e.g., big five personality traits, defensiveness, gender characteristics, and loneliness), and religious factors (e.g., religious orientation, religious coping, spiritual support, perceived sacredness of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior) affect priestly commitment. And, through Multiple Regression, this study examined a correlation between priestly commitment and well-being. The results indicated that, when demographic, social, and psychological variables were controlled, agreeableness, defensiveness, masculinity, intrinsic religious orientation, sacred view of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior have positive effects on affective commitment, while parental care, extraversion, and loneliness had negative effects. Parental overprotection, extraversion, and loneliness positively affected thought of leaving the priesthood, while masculinity, perceived sacredness of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior had negative effects. Extrinsic religious orientation had a positive effect on continuance commitment to the priesthood. In contrast to the previous studies, no demographic effect was evident. The study also found that religious variables mediated the significance of parental care and moderated the effect of agreeableness on affective commitment. Related to well-being, the study found a positive effect of affective commitment on psychological well-being, whereas continuance commitment and thought of leaving the priesthood had negative impacts on psychological well-being. Affective commitment has a positive effect on affect balance and religious well-being, while thought of leaving the priesthood had a negative impact on affect balance.
ESTIMATION OF ORGANIC MATTER DIGESTIBILITY AND INTAKE FROM FAECAL ORGANIC MATTER AND DAILY N EXCRETION AND CONCENTRATION

This study was performed with grazing sheep, to establish: a) if the amount of total faecal N (C; in g 100g of organic matter intake (OMI)) remains constant at three feeding levels, in four utilisation periods of deferred Panicum coloratum cv. Verde; b) the relationship between C and faecal N fractions, and c) the relationship between faecal daily excretion of OM and N, and OMI. Intake increased (P<0.01) with utilisation period, and was related (r = 0.82; P<0.01) to the protein content of food, the insoluble N fraction (r = -0.49; P<0.01) and the soluble:insoluble N ratio (r = 0.41; P<0.01) in faeces. No relation with total N concentration (r = -0.22; P>0.05) or soluble N fraction (r = -0.02; P>0.05) in faeces could be found. Daily excretion of OM and N were positively related (R = 0.93 and 0.96, respectively; P<0.01) to OMI. The slopes of regression lines, but not the intercepts, were different (P<0.01) between evaluation periods. The digestibility can be estimated from OMI and faecal N whenever time of the year is taken into consideration.
Vitamin A Deficiency Results in Meiotic Failure and Accumulation of Undifferentiated Spermatogonia in Prepubertal Mouse Testis1

Vitamin A (retinol) is required for maintenance of adult mammalian spermatogenesis. In adult rodents, vitamin A withdrawal is followed by a loss of differentiated germ cells within the seminiferous epithelium and disrupted spermatogenesis that can be restored by vitamin A replacement. However, whether vitamin A plays a role in the differentiation and meiotic initiation of germ cells during the first round of mouse spermatogenesis is unknown. In the present study, we found that vitamin A depletion markedly decreased testicular expression of the all-trans retinoic acid-responsive gene, Stra8, and caused meiotic failure in prepubertal male mice lacking lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (Lrat), encoding for the major enzyme in liver responsible for the formation of retinyl esters. Rather than undergoing normal differentiation, germ cells accumulated in the testes of Lrat−/− mice maintained on a vitamin A-deficient diet. These results, together with our previous observations that germ cells fail to enter meiosis and remain undifferentiated in embryonic vitamin A-deficient ovaries, support the hypothesis that vitamin A regulates the initiation of meiosis I of both oogenesis and spermatogenesis in mammals.
The impact of humanitarian photography on the generation of sympathy and on donation behavior

i Acknowledgements . ii Dedications . iv List of Tables.vii List of Figures. viii Chapter 1: Introduction.1 Chapter 2: Literature Review . 4 Photography and Framing . 4 Representing and Reacting to the Pain of Others . 10 Reflections on Photography’s Evidentiary Power.13 Mirror Neurons and Aesthetics . 17 Emotional Contagion and Facial Emotion Expression.23 Attentional Mechanism in the Generation of Sympathy . 25 Psychic Numbing and Genocide . 28 Donation Behavior.31 Humanitarian Photography, Sympathy and Donation Behavior . 34 Hypotheses and Research Questions . 38 Chapter 3: Methodology.42 Research Design Overview . 42 The Selection of the Photographs.45 Questionnaire.57 Sympathy.58 Emotional Contagion.58 Awareness Measures . 59 Donation Behavior.59 Warm Glow . 60 Moral Disengagement . 60
Formulation Optimization and Stability Study of Transdermal Therapeutic System of Nicorandil

The aim of this research investigation was to fabricate acrylate-based stable transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) of nicorandil, which could deliver drug through transdermal route. Monolithic TTS was fabricated in pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs)—(a) terpolymer (PSA1) of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and acrylic acid, (b) copolymer (PSA2) of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, and vinyl acetate, and (c) Eudragit E100® pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA3). To enhance the flux of nicorandil, skin permeation enhancer N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was investigated at different concentrations (0.05–5%) in PSAs. Fabricated TTS was evaluated for in-vitro release and skin permeation through guinea pig skin. Maximum flux of nicorandil was observed from Eudragit E100 based TTS and kept for stability study at refrigeration, 25°C/30% RH and 30°C/60% RH. Patches were evaluated for various physicochemical parameters. Formulation was observed to be relatively more stable at refrigeration. Shelf life of the formulation was found to be 270, 270, and 30 days at refrigeration, 25°C/30% RH and 30°C/60% RH conditions, respectively. Nicorandil could be successfully derived from Eudragit E100 based TTS, but attention needs to be given to improve its chemical stability in formulation.
Keck Interferometer Observations of FU Orionis Objects

We present new K-band long-baseline interferometer observations of three young stellar objects of the FU Orionis class, namely, V1057 Cyg, V1515 Cyg, and Z CMa-SE, obtained at the Keck Interferometer during its commissioning science period. The interferometer clearly resolves the source of near-infrared emission in all three objects. Using simple geometric models, we derive size scales (0.5-4.5 AU) for this emission. All three objects appear significantly more resolved than expected from simple models of accretion disks tuned to fit the broadband optical and infrared spectrophotometry. We explore variations in the key parameters that are able to lower the predicted visibility amplitudes to the measured levels and conclude that accretion disks alone do not reproduce the spectral energy distributions and K-band visibilities simultaneously. We conclude that either disk models are inadequate to describe the near-infrared emission or additional source components are needed. We hypothesize that large-scale emission (tens of AU) in the interferometer field of view is responsible for the surprisingly low visibilities. This emission may arise in scattering by large envelopes believed to surround these objects.
Spontaneous eye movements during passive spoken language comprehension reflect grammatical processing

Language is tightly connected to sensory and motor systems. Recent research using eye- tracking typically relies on constrained visual contexts, viewing a small array of objects on a computer screen. Some critiques of embodiment ask if people simply match their simulations to the pictures being presented. This study compared the comprehension of verbs with two different grammatical forms: the past progressive form (e.g., was walking), which emphasizes the ongoing nature of actions, and the simple past (e.g., walked), which emphasizes the end-state of an action. The results showed that the distribution and timing of eye movements mirrors the underlying conceptual structure of this linguistic difference in the absence of any visual stimuli. Thus, eye movement data suggest that visual inputs are unnecessary to solicit perceptual simulations.
A wideband fully integrated SiGe chipset for high data rate communication at 240 GHz

This paper presents a fully integrated direct-conversion quadrature transmitter and receiver chipset at 240 GHz in a 0.13 μm SiGe HBT technology with fT/fmax of 350/550 GHz. This chipset is suited for applications requiring both fixed and tunable LO which is made possible due to a wideband frequency multiplier (×16) based local-oscillator (LO) signal source and a wideband on-chip antenna designed to be used with an external replaceable silicon lens. The Tx can deliver up to 6 dBm output power at 240 GHz and the 3-dB bandwidth is 40 GHz. For the Rx, the peak conversion gain is 10 dB and the NF is 15 dB while the 3-dB bandwidth is 28 GHz. The chipset is integrated in a low loss Rogers 4350B COB (chip-onboard) packaging. For communication applications where high IF bandwidth is required, stepped impedance low-pass filters with minimum group delay variations were implemented on the PCB to negate the low-pass characteristics introduced by the bondwire. The measured 6-dB IF bandwidth is 13 GHz. By using this chipset for high data rate communication, the measured EVM for BPSK modulation is 24% at 20 Gbps while the EVM is 30% at 25 Gbps. For the QPSK modulation scheme, an EVM of 24% is measured at 24 Gbps. These results are for a link of 70 cm and without calibrating the effect of the IF cables and without any channel equalization.