Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combination effects of epidermal growth factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on the in vitro developmental potential of porcine oocytes

Summary The developmental potential of in vitro matured porcine oocytes is still lower than that of oocytes matured and fertilized in vivo. Major problems that account for the lower efficiency of in vitro production include the improper nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes. With the aim of improving this issue, the single and combined effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on oocyte developmental competence were investigated. Porcine cumulus–oocyte cell complexes (COCs) were matured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF (0, 10 or 50 ng/ml) and/or GDNF (0, 10 or 50 ng/ml) for 44 h, and subsequently subjected to fertilization and cultured for 7 days in vitro. The in vitro-formed blastocysts derived from selected growth factor groups (i.e. EGF = 50 ng/ml; GDNF = 50 ng/ml; EGF = 50 ng/ml + GDNF = 50 ng/ml) were also used for mRNA expression analysis, or were subjected to Hoechst staining. The results showed that the addition of EGF and/or GDNF during oocyte maturation dose dependently enhanced oocyte developmental competence. Compared with the embryos obtained from control or single growth factor-treated oocytes, treatment with the combination of EGF and GDNF was shown to significantly improve oocyte competence in terms of blastocyst formation, blastocyst cell number and blastocyst hatching rate (P < 0.05), and also simultaneously induced the expression of BCL-xL and TERT and suppressed the expression of caspase-3 in resulting blastocysts (P < 0.05). These results suggest that both GDNF and EGF may play an important role in the regulation of porcine in vitro oocyte maturation and the combination of these growth factors could promote oocyte competency and blastocyst quality.
EXcess Idle Time

We introduce a novel economic indicator, named excess idle time (EXIT), measuring the extent of sluggishness in financial prices. Under a null and an alternative hypothesis grounded in no‐arbitrage (the null) and market microstructure (the alternative) theories of price determination, we derive a limit theory for EXIT leading to formal tests for staleness in the price adjustments. Empirical implementation of the theory indicates that financial prices are often more sluggish than implied by the (ubiquitous, in frictionless continuous‐time asset pricing) semimartingale assumption. EXIT is interpretable as an illiquidity proxy and is easily implementable, for each trading day, using transaction prices only. By using EXIT, we show how to estimate structurally market microstructure models with asymmetric information.
Constructing the context through goals and schemata: top-down processes in comprehension and beyond

My main purpose here is to provide an account of context selection in utterance understanding in terms of the role played by schemata and goals in top-down processing. The general idea is that information is organized hierarchically, with items iteratively organized in chunks—here called “schemata”—at multiple levels, so that the activation of any items spreads to schemata that are the most accessible due to previous experience. The activation of a schema, in turn, activates its other components, so as to predict a likely context for the original item. Since each input activates its own schemata, conflicting schemata compete with (and inhibit) each other, while multiple activations of a schema raise its likelihood to win the competition. There is therefore a double movement—with bottom-up activation of schemata enabling top-down prediction of other contextual components—triggered by multiple sources. Another claim of the paper is that goals are represented by schemata placed at the highest-levels of the executive hierarchy, in accordance with Fuster’s model of the brain as a hierarchically organized perception-action cycle. This account can be considered, in part at least, a development of ideas contained in Relevance Theory, though it may imply that some other claims of the theory are in need of revision. Therefore, a secondary purpose of the paper is a contribution to the analysis of that theory.
Laboratory data in children with Lyme neuroborreliosis, relation to clinical presentation and duration of symptoms

The occurrence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdoferi in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and intrathecal synthesis of antibodies (antibody index) were studied in relation to clinical presentation and the duration of symptoms before diagnosis in 146 children diagnosed with neuroborreliosis. Lymphocytic meningitis was demonstrated in 141 of these children. Levels of white blood cells (WBC) and protein in CSF correlated significantly to numbers of d with symptoms. Children were divided into 3 clinical groups: A (n = 37): only cranial neuropathy; B (n = 68): both cranial neuropathy and other neurological symptoms; C (n = 41): neurological symptoms without cranial neuropathy. Levels of WBC and protein in CSF as well as the proportion of children with antibodies in serum and CSF were generally lowest in group A, intermediate in group B and highest in group C. The proportion of children with antibodies in serum and CSF and a positive antibody index was also related to duration of symptoms; the antibody index was present in 51% of children with symptoms ≤ 7 d, and in 80% of children with symptoms > 7 d (p<0.01). The clinical presentation and duration of symptoms must be considered when interpreting laboratory data in children with suspected neuroborreliosis.
Conjunction analysis of cortical activations common to encoding and retrieval

The notion of overlap between encoding and retrieval processes is central in cognitive theories of episodic memory, but to date most functional neuroimaging studies have emphasized differences between these processes. In the present study, overlap between encoding and retrieval processes was investigated by analyzing data from a positron emission tomography (PET) study of encoding and retrieval of different kinds of event information. Using a conjunction analysis, we specifically aimed at identifying overlap in activation patterns for encoding and retrieval of three classes of event information: item, temporal, and spatial. It was found that both encoding and retrieval of spatial information activated posterior parietal areas bilaterally. In addition, item encoding and retrieval were associated with increased activity in the right temporal pole, and temporal encoding and retrieval with left inferior frontal and left inferior temporal regions. These findings suggest that when specific episodic information is retrieved from memory, regions involved in encoding of the same information are engaged. Microsc. Res. Tech. 51:39–44, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PERCEPTIONS OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS REGARDING THE INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TURKISH EDUCATION FACULTIES

This study explored the views of pre-service teachers regarding the indicators of information and communication technologies (ICT) at Turkish education faculties. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented with graduating students enrolled in Turkish education faculties. A combination of stratified random sampling and systematic sampling was implemented. Turkish education faculties were subdivided into six groups based upon the knowledge of how each institution stood relative to selected stratifying variables, and a sample was drawn from each group randomly. The data collection tool was administered to 2515 graduating students at those education faculties. It was found that participants criticized the current situation of ICT indicators in their institutions. Perceptions differed with regard to different departments, gender and frequency of ICT use for instructional purposes whereas they did not vary with regard to income, PC experience, and having a PC at home. Implications and suggestions for further research were provided.
Stress analysis in transverse loading of soft core sandwich plates with various boundary conditions

In this paper, the transverse loading of sandwich plate is formulated to study the three-dimensional stress field in the sandwich plates for various edge conditions. The formulation is based on the weak formulation approach. A complete three-dimensional displacement field is considered and the weak formulation approach is employed to obtain the governing equations of the plate using the three dimensional equilibrium equations of elasticity. An analytical solution is presented for governing equations when two opposite edges of plate are simply supported. A one-step stress recovery scheme is used to compute the out-of-plane stresses in the sandwich plates. A comparison is made with the predictions of exact elasticity solutions in the open literature and very good agreements are achieved. The distribution of stresses is investigated for various boundary conditions and the log-linear procedure is employed to study the order of stress singularity at free and clamped edge of the plate. It is seen that the present approach accurately predicts the distribution of out-of-plane stresses and local concentration of stresses in the vicinity of free and clamped edges of sandwich structures.
Genetic risk factor in primary open-angle glaucoma: a case-control study.

PURPOSE To evaluate the link between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and potential genetic and environmental risk factors. METHODS A case/control study was carried out using 175 POAG patients and 175 controls, all Caucasians of at least 40 years of age. The diagnosis of POAG was established based on the presence of characteristic defects in the visual field and on glaucomatous cupping. The presence of risk factors was established by means of a questionnaire. RESULTS Using a conditional logistic regression, we found that a family history of POAG in first-degree relatives was a major risk factor (OR = 7.67; 95% CI: [3.25-18.1]; p < 10(-5)). We found no link between diabetes and POAG, high blood pressure and POAG, heart disease and POAG, myopia and POAG, or the use of alcohol or tobacco and POAG. CONCLUSION Our results indicate a strong genetic influence in the development of POAG and suggest the hypothesis of a polygenic or multifactorial mechanism.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Liposomal Flavonoid against Arsenite-Induced Liver Fibrosis

Arsenic, the environmental metalloid toxicant, is known to induce oxidative damage to liver and produce hepatic fibrosis. The theme of our study was to optimize and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of galactosylated liposomal flavonoidal antioxidant, quercetin (QC), in combating arsenic-induced hepatic fibrogenesis. The rats of the hepatic damage group were injected s.c. a single dose of sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) (100.06 μM/kg b. wt. in 0.5 ml of physiological saline). Hepatocytes and stellate cells were separated. Mitochondrial membranes were isolated from all those separated cells. Oxidative damage was monitored at different isolated subcellular parts of different hepatic cells. Liver fibrosis was also induced by the injection of NaAsO2. Galactosylated liposomal QC injection before NaAsO2 treatment checked fibrogenesis completely by protecting the liver from oxidative attack in cellular and subcellular levels. The maximal protections from hepatocellular and fatty metamorphosis, necrosis, Kupffer cell hyperplasia, fibrosis, and in the deposition of collagen contents were observed and reconfirmed by our histopathological and histochemical analysis when rats were treated with galactosylated liposomal QC before NaAsO2 injection. Application of galactosylated liposomal QC may be a potent therapeutic approach for NaAsO2-induced fibrogenesis through a complete protection against oxidative attack in cellular and subcellular parts of rat liver.
Breastfeeding, HIV status and weights in South African children: a comparison of HIV-exposed and unexposed children

Objectives:To examine growth of children by maternal and infant HIV status allowing for infant feeding mode. Design:Women enrolled into a nonrandomized intervention cohort. Methods:Children of HIV-infected and uninfected women weighed and assessed for HIV status, monthly: from birth to 9 months; quarterly: 10–24 months. Daily infant feeding practices recorded at weekly intervals. Weight-for-age z-scores of children born to HIV-infected mothers compared with the reference population of children of HIV-uninfected mothers. Changes in z-scores over age were examined by HIV infection status and infant feeding practice using linear mixed effects models. Results:The 1261 children of HIV-infected mothers grew as well as the reference group of 1061 children of HIV-uninfected mothers, irrespective of feeding mode. z-scores for HIV-infected children were consistently lower than those of HIV-exposed but uninfected children: a difference of 420 g for male children and 405 g for female children at 52 weeks of age. Breastfed HIV-infected infants had consistently higher z-scores for weight, especially during first 6 weeks (difference of 130 g for male children; 110 g for female children). In an adjusted regression analysis, maternal mid-upper arm circumference, CD4 cell count, infant birth weight and HIV status had the biggest impact on infant growth (z-score coefficient: 0.38 for mid-upper arm circumference ≥28.35 vs. <25.7 cm; P < 0.001; −0.32 for CD4 cell count <200 vs. ≥500; P = 0.001; −2.01 for birth weight <2500 vs. ≥2500 g; P < 0.001; −0.20 for infected vs. uninfected children; P < 0.001). Conclusion:Optimal early feeding practices ameliorate the effect of being born to an HIV-infected mother and strengthen the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for HIV-infected women in terms of long-term child health.
Flooding attacks by exploiting persistent forwarding loops

In this paper, we present flooding attacks that exploit routing anomalies in the Internet. In particular, we focus on routing anomalies introduced by persistent forwarding loops. Persistent forwarding loops may share one or more links with forwarding paths to reachable addresses. An attacker can exploit persistent forwarding loops to overload the shared links to disrupt the Internet connectivity to those reachable addresses. To understand the extent of this vulnerability, we perform extensive measurements to systematically study persistent forwarding loops and the number of network addresses that can be affected. We find that persistent forwarding loops do exist in the current Internet. About 0.2% of routable addresses experience persistent forwarding loops and 0.21% of routable addresses can be attacked by exploiting persistent forwarding loops. In addition, 85.16% of the persistent forwarding loops appear within destination domains and they can be observed from various locations, which makes it possible to launch attacks from many vantage points. We also find that most persistent forwarding loops are just two hops long, which enables an attacker to amplify traffic to persistent forwarding loops significantly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of exploiting the vulnerability of persistent forwarding loops to launch DDoS attacks.
Glutamate Dehydrogenase Affects Resistance to Cell Wall Antibiotics in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT The glutamate dehydrogenase RocG of Bacillus subtilis is a bifunctional protein with both enzymatic and regulatory functions. Here we show that the rocG null mutant is sensitive to β-lactams, including cefuroxime (CEF), and to fosfomycin but that resistant mutants arise due to gain-of-function mutations in gudB, which encodes an otherwise inactive glutamate dehydrogenase. In the presence of CEF, ΔrocG ΔgudB mutant cells exhibit growth arrest when they reach mid-exponential phase. Using microarray-based transcriptional profiling, we found that the σW regulon was downregulated in the ΔrocG ΔgudB null mutant. A survey of σW-controlled genes for effects on CEF resistance identified both the NfeD protein YuaF and the flotillin homologue YuaG (FloT). Notably, overexpression of yuaFG in the rocG null mutant prevents the growth arrest induced by CEF. The YuaG flotillin has been shown previously to localize to defined lipid microdomains, and we show here that the yuaFGI operon contributes to a σW-dependent decrease in membrane fluidity. We conclude that glutamate dehydrogenase activity affects the expression of the σW regulon, by pathways that are yet unclear, and thereby influences resistance to CEF and other antibiotics.
Novel Developmental Genes, fruCD, of Myxococcus xanthus: Involvement of a Cell Division Protein in Multicellular Development

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus is a gram-negative soil bacterium that undergoes multicellular development upon nutrient starvation. In the present study, two novel developmental genes, fruC and fruD, of M. xanthus were identified and characterized. The FruD protein has significant amino acid sequence similarity to the DivIVA proteins of many bacteria including Bacillus subtilis. Vegetative cells of the fruD mutant exhibited a filamentous phenotype. The fruC and fruD mutants displayed similar delayed-development phenotypes. The formation of tightly aggregated mounds by fruC and fruD mutants was slower than that by the wild-type strain. Spore formation by the fruC and fruD mutants initiated after 30 h poststarvation, whereas wild-type M. xanthus initiated spore formation after 18 h. The fruCD genes were constitutively expressed as an operon during vegetative growth and development. S1 mapping revealed that transcription initiation sites of the fruCD operon were located 114 (P1) and 55 bp (P2) upstream of the fruC initiation codon. Only the P1 promoter was active during vegetative growth, while both the P1 and P2 promoters were active during development. The FruD protein was produced as a cytoplasmic protein and formed an oligomer during vegetative growth and development.
Takayasu arteritis: clinical features in 110 Mexican Mestizo patients and cardiovascular impact on survival and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE Takayasu Arteritis (TA) is a rare disease that mainly affects large elastic arteries. It is more frequently seen in Asia, the Mediterranean basin, South Africa and Latin America. We have characterized its clinical manifestations and identified the cardiovascular mortality predictors in a cohort of 110 Mexican Mestizo patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD Retrospective review of 110 charts of TA patients complying with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, seen in a single hospital between 1976 and 2003. Demographic, clinical, and radiological characteristics were described. With the use of actuarial table analysis at 2, 5, and 10 years, and Kaplan Meier methods applying t function for probability, plus Cox regression analysis, the following factors were identified as mortality predictors: systemic arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease and aortic valve regurgitation. Informed consent and approval from the institutional Internal Review Board (IRB) were obtained. RESULTS We observed a slowly progressive widespread obstructive arterial disease with cardiovascular (48%), neuro-ophthalmic (36%), and skin morbidity (13%). Systemic hypertension and heart disease were significant mortality predictors. Twenty-six percent of cases died due to myocardial infarction, chronic renal failure, stroke, or surgical complications. CONCLUSION TA in Mexican Mestizos shows a clinical pattern similar to the one recognized in the Far East. Management strategies must be directed at reducing the identified mortality risk factors.
The effects of hydraulic loading and NaCl concentrations on the regeneration of exhausted homoionic natural zeolite

A study of the suitable operational conditions for the regeneration of exhausted homoionic natural zeolite with ammonium was carried out. Laboratory-scale columns using NaCl solutions with concentrations of 2 and 4 mol/L and hydraulic loadings of 4, 6 and 8 bed volumes per hour (BV/h) were assessed. For both NaCl concentrations studied, the hydraulic load of 6 BV/h showed the highest ammonia nitrogen output from the exhausted zeolite bed. Results showed that the hydraulic load (BV/h) had a greater influence on the regeneration efficiency than the concentration of the regenerating solution.
Optimal constant-time approximation algorithms and (unconditional) inapproximability results for every bounded-degree CSP

Raghavendra (STOC 2008) gave an elegant and surprising result: if Khot's Unique Games Conjecture (STOC 2002) is true, then for every constraint satisfaction problem (CSP), the best approximation ratio is attained by a certain simple semidefinite programming and a rounding scheme for it. In this paper, we show that similar results hold for constant-time approximation algorithms in the bounded-degree model. Specifically, we present the following: (i) For every CSP, we construct an oracle that serves an access, in constant time, to a nearly optimal solution to a basic LP relaxation of the CSP. (ii) Using the oracle, we give a constant-time rounding scheme that achieves an approximation ratio coincident with the integrality gap of the basic LP. (iii) Finally, we give a generic conversion from integrality gaps of basic LPs to hardness results. All of those results are unconditional. Therefore, for every bounded-degree CSP, we give the best constant-time approximation algorithm among all. A CSP instance is called ε-far from satisfiability if we must remove at least an ε-fraction of constraints to make it satisfiable. A CSP is called testable if there is a constant-time algorithm that distinguishes satisfiable instances from ε-far instances with probability at least 2/3. Using the results above, we also derive, under a technical assumption, an equivalent condition under which a CSP is testable in the bounded-degree model.
Internet Traffic and Multiresolution Analysis

Traditional Internet traffic studies have primarily focused on the temporal characteristics of packet traces as observed on a single link within an ISP’s network. They have contributed to advances in the areas of self-similar stochastic processes, long-range dependence, and heavy-tailed distributions and have demonstrated the benefits of applying a wavelet-based multiresolution analysis (MRA) approach when analyzing these traces. However, an ISP’s physical infrastructure typically consists of 100s or 1000s of such links which are connected by routers or switches, and the Internet as a whole is made up of about 20,000 such ISPs. When viewed within this bigger context, the importance of the traffic’s spatial characteristics becomes evident, and traffic matrices—compact and succinct descriptions of the traffic exchanges between nodes in a given network structure—are used in practice to capture and explore critical aspects of this spatial component of Internet traffic. In this paper, we first review some of the known results about the observed multifaceted scaling behavior of Internet traffic as seen on a single link. Next, we give a detailed account of how the architectural design of the Internet gives rise to natural representation of traffic matrices at different scales or levels of resolution. Moreover, we discuss the development of a MRA-like framework of traffic matrices that respects the different physically or logically meaningful Internet connectivity structures and provides new insights into Internet traffic as a spatio-temporal object.