Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concentration-dependent regulation of neuronal gene expression by nerve growth factor

NGF is a neurotrophic protein that promotes the survival, growth, and differentiation of developing sympathetic neurons. To directly determine the effects of different concentrations of NGF on neuronal gene expression, we examined mRNAs encoding the p75 low-affinity NGF (LNGF) receptor, T alpha 1 alpha-tubulin (T alpha 1), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in pure cultures of rat sympathetic neurons from postnatal day 1 superior cervical ganglia. Studies of the timecourse of gene expression during 2 wk in culture indicated that a 5-d incubation period would be optimal for the concentration-effect studies. Analysis of RNA isolated from neurons cultured in 2-200 ng/ml 2.5S NGF for 5 d revealed that, as the NGF concentration increased, neurons expressed correspondingly increased levels of all three mRNAs. Both LNGF receptor and TH mRNAs increased seven-fold, and T alpha 1 mRNA increased four- fold in neurons cultured in 200 versus 10 ng/ml NGF. In contrast, T26 alpha-tubulin mRNA, which is constitutively expressed, did not alter as a function of NGF concentration. When neurons were initially cultured in 10 ng/ml NGF for 5 d, and then 200 ng/ml NGF was added, LNGF receptor, T alpha 1, and TH mRNAs all increased within 48 h. The timecourse of induction differed: T alpha 1 mRNA was maximal by 5 h, whereas LNGF receptor and TH mRNAs first began to increase at 12 h after the NGF increase. These experiments show that NGF regulates expression of a subset of mRNAs important to neuronal growth and differentiation over a broad concentration range, suggesting that the effects of NGF may be mediated by more than just a single receptor operating at one fixed affinity. These results also suggest a mechanism for coupling neuronal synthesis of axonal proteins to increases in size of the innervated target territory during growth of the organism.
Krüppel-Like Factor-11, a Transcription Factor Involved in Diabetes Mellitus, Suppresses Endothelial Cell Activation via the Nuclear Factor-&kgr;B Signaling Pathway

Objective—Endothelial cell (EC) inflammatory status is critical to many vascular diseases. Emerging data demonstrate that mutations of Krüppel-like factor-11 (KLF11), a gene coding maturity-onset diabetes mellitus of the young type 7 (MODY7), contribute to the development of neonatal diabetes mellitus. However, the function of KLF11 in the cardiovascular system still remains to be uncovered. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of KLF11 in vascular endothelial inflammation. Methods and Results—KLF11 is highly expressed in vascular ECs and induced by proinflammatory stimuli. Adenovirus-mediated KLF11 overexpression inhibits expression of tumor necrosis factors-&agr;–induced adhesion molecules. Moreover, small interfering RNA–mediated KLF11 knockdown augments the proinflammatory status in ECs. KLF11 inhibits promoter activity of adhesion molecules induced by tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and nuclear factor-&kgr;B p65 overexpression. Mechanistically, KLF11 potently inhibits nuclear factor-&kgr;B signaling pathway via physical interaction with p65. Furthermore, KLF11 knockdown results in increased binding of p65 to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin promoters. At the whole organism level, KLF11−/− mice exhibit a significant increase in leukocyte recruitment to ECs after lipopolysaccharide administration. Conclusion—Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time that KLF11 is a suppressor of EC inflammatory activation, suggesting that KLF11 constitutes a novel potential molecular target for inhibition of vascular inflammatory diseases.
The integration of energy and nitrogen balance in the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes

SUMMARY Floral nectars are rich in energy but contain only traces of amino acids, and it has been hypothesized that arthropods may be an important source of energy and amino acids for hummingbirds. We studied the nitrogen requirements of hummingbirds as well as how they use small arthropods to satisfy their nitrogen and energy requirements and how organ mass varies with nitrogen intake. Non-reproductive green-backed firecrowns Sephanoides sephaniodes were maintained for 10 days on diets containing 0%, 0.96%, 1.82%, 4.11% and 11.1% nitrogen (dry-matter basis). A second group of individuals were fed with varying amounts of nitrogen-free nectar supplemented with fruit flies. Finally, non-reproductive hummingbirds were captured as a control group for analysis of organ mass and size as well as fat content. The maintenance nitrogen requirement of green-backed firecrowns determined by regression was 1.42 mg N day-1, yet they required nearly 10 mg N day-1 to maintain body mass. When arthropods were available, we observed that hummingbirds required approximately 150 fruit flies to maintain body mass, which corresponds to a 5% nitrogen diet. Interestingly, when nectar was restricted (to 4 ml day-1), or was absent, arthropods alone were not able to satisfy the body mass balance requirements of hummingbirds, suggesting that arthropods are not adequate as an energy source. In the group offered an 11.1% nitrogen diet, the size and surface of the small intestine, and liver and kidney mass increased in comparison with the control group (non-reproductive field hummingbirds) or the nitrogen-free group, suggesting a nitrogen overload. Our results are in agreement with other studies showing low nitrogen requirements by nectarivores. An important point to stress is that nitrogen digestibility declined in the 11.1% nitrogen diet, which strongly supports our nitrogen absorption saturation hypothesis.
Structural Optimization with FreeFem

The aim of this paper is to show that relatively small, simple and efficient shape optimization routines can be written using the free finite element software \texttt{FreeFem++}. This is illustrated by the implementation of two classical methods: the boundary variation method and the homogenization one.Even though these routines are simple enough so that their implementation can be assigned (partially or totally) as homework to graduate students, they yield results accurate enough to be useful tools for engineers orresearchers.
Quantifying the costs and benefits of parental care in female treehoppers

Parental protection of eggs represents one of the most basic forms of parental care. Theory suggests that even such basic parental investment represents a trade-off between current offspring survival and future reproductive success. However, few studies have quantified the underlying costs and benefits of parental care for marked individuals across an entire lifetime. I marked and followed 370 females of Publilia concava (Hemiptera: Membracidae) that exhibited a range of guarding durations for their first clutch. Greater hatching success was correlated with longer guarding durations, and a removal experiment verified that female presence was responsible for a twofold increase in hatching success. On the other hand, females that remained to guard eggs had a lower number and size of future broods, suggesting that parental care may reduce lifetime fecundity. Marked females exhibited a bimodal distribution of guarding durations, reflecting the extreme tactics of immediate abandonment or remaining through hatching. Estimates of lifetime number of nymphs produced by females that abandon eggs early versus guard eggs through hatching revealed roughly equivalent levels of fitness. I discuss the conditions under which we might expect a female to adopt each of the alternative tactics, given the costs and benefits of parental care that were quantified in this study. Copyright 2003.
Comparison of the prevalence of islet autoantibodies according to age and disease duration in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Purpose This study investigated the prevalence of islet autoantibodies in children and adults with T1DM according to their age and the duration of disease. Methods We measured the levels of islet autoantibodies, including antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (anti-GAD Ab), and combined these with anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests of 137 patients newly diagnosed with T1DM during the last 20 years. The subjects were subdivided into four groups according to their age at the onset of the disease. We then compared the prevalence of islet autoantibodies in the different age groups with the duration of disease. Results Among the 137 patients, 68.9% tested positive for islet autoantibodies (71.4% within 1 year; 67.7% after 1 year of the disease onset). Within 1 year of the onset of the disease, 66.3% of the patients were positive for the anti-GAD Ab, and 35.6% were positive for IAAs. The prevalence of islet autoantibodies was significantly higher in the prepubertal groups than in the postpubertal groups (80.0% vs. 58.3%). The rate of positive islet autoantibodies changed with the duration of disease, and it differed according to the type of autoantibody and the age of the patient. Conclusion The rates of positive islet autoantibodies were significantly higher in younger than in older patients at the time of the diagnosis of the disease. The positive rates were significantly changed 1 year after the onset of the disease in the preschool and the children groups. So these findings suggest that we need to diagnose type 1B diabetes distinguished T2DM in aldolescent group, carefully.
On the relation between organizational culture and leadership: An empirical analysis

Abstract Leadership and organizational culture are considered to be two of the most crucial organizational elements in order for firms to compete successfully and to gain sustainable advantage. We examine the interconnection between the aforementioned elements and create an empirical link based on data drawn from a competitive industry. The results indicate a strong relationship between these two operational factors, while factors’ coordination (identical cultural type and leadership style) enforces this relationship. Moreover, it is investigated whether market conditions, such as strength of competition and “operational age and size,” can determine the extent and the direction of the relationship. Market competition seems to affect the direction of the relationship, while operational age and size affect the relevant extent.
Can face and soft-biometric traits assist in recognition of newborn?

Most of the biometric research being done is for adults and the identification accuracy of newborn are least reported in the literatures. In this paper we propose a novel biometric identification method for newborn babies using their face and soft biometrics. Accurate patient identification (ID) is essential for patient safety, especially with our smallest and most vulnerable pediatric patients. The main contribution of the research are (a) the preparation of face and soft biometric database of newborn. (b) Testing the algorithm for identification of 210 newborn. The combined use of all the four soft biometric traits results in an improvement of approximately 6% over the primary biometric system.
Modeling and simulation of OFDM scheme for radio over fiber (RoF)

Radio over fiber (RoF) system is the most appropriate combination of fiber optic link and radio waves. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-RoF system can increase the capacity of modulation radio frequency (RF) access with high speed data transmission. The purpose of this paper is modeling and simulation an OFDM-RoF system for fiber length up to 100 km by using 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM). OptiSystem 13 software is used for simulation. The proposed model of OFDM-RoF system uses two low pass cosine roll off filter (LP-CROF) as filter at the OFDM stage output and two LiNb-Mach Zehnder modulator (LiNb-MZM) as optical modulator. The results of simulation include the spectrum signal visualizers at the OFDM output, RF to optical upconventer (RTO) output as well as 16-QAM received constellation. The results of simulation have shown that increasing of roll off factor value, it will be broadening in filter band transition. The proposed of RoF-OFDM system is able to achieve fiber length up to 100 km uses 16 QAM sequence bit, the received power is 71.617 dBm with electrical and optical amplifications by using 10 Gbps data signal.
Flow experiences of children in an interactive social game environment

This study examines children's flow experiences in an interactive social game environment. A total of 33 children aged from 7 to 9 years participated in the study for 6 weeks. Data were collected through observations and interviews. In order to measure the flow experiences of the children, items of a flow scale were administered to the children through interviews. Results revealed that flow experiences occur more among boys than girls during gameplay. While ludology had more effect on the flow experiences of boys when compared with the narratology of computer games, narratology had more effect among girls. Challenge and complexity elements of games had more effect on the flow experiences of the children than clear feedback.
Food Inventories Document Behavior Change in Hispanic Women Participating in SNAP Nutrition Education Classes: A Pilot Study

The objective of this mixed methods study was to measure changes in the home food environment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible Hispanic families participating in a series of nutrition education and resource management classes. This small pilot project conducted before and after inventories and ethnographic interviews with 5 families to measure success of the classes in improving the quality and quantity of foods at home. Families improved food security by making the following behavior changes to stretch their food dollars: planning menus, using leftovers, using shopping lists, and shopping less often. Participants used savings to purchase additional healthy food including whole wheat bread and fruit.
Modelling the climate of the last millennium: What causes the differences between simulations?

An ensemble of simulations performed with a coarse resolution 3‐D climate model driven by various combinations of external forcing is used to investigate possible causes for differences noticed in two recent simulations of the climate of the past millennium using General Circulation Models (GCMs). Our results strongly suggest that differences in sensitivity (equilibrium and transient climate response) could be responsible for temperature changes that differ by more than a factor of two between two models. In addition, the spin‐up procedure could explain some differences between the simulations during the first centuries of the second millennium. The choice of the forcing reconstruction is found to play a smaller role for the differences in the simulated climate, in the model configurations analyzed here. Furthermore, at decadal scale, internal climate variability can mask the differences associated with different forcing reconstructions.
P Wave Dispersion and Maximum P Wave Duration Are Independently Associated with Rapid Renal Function Decline

The P wave parameters measured by 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) are commonly used as noninvasive tools to assess for left atrial enlargement. There are limited studies to evaluate whether P wave parameters are independently associated with decline in renal function. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to assess whether P wave parameters are independently associated with progression to renal end point of ≥25% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This longitudinal study included 166 patients. The renal end point was defined as ≥25% decline in eGFR. We measured two ECG P wave parameters corrected by heart rate, i.e. corrected P wave dispersion (PWdisperC) and corrected P wave maximum duration (PWdurMaxC). Heart function and structure were measured from echocardiography. Clinical data, P wave parameters, and echocardiographic measurements were compared and analyzed. Forty-three patients (25.9%) reached renal end point. Kaplan-Meier curves for renal end point-free survival showed PWdisperC > median (63.0 ms) (log-rank P = 0.004) and PWdurMaxC > median (117.9 ms) (log-rank P<0.001) were associated with progression to renal end point. Multivariate forward Cox-regression analysis identified increased PWdisperC (hazard ratio [HR], 1.024; P = 0.001) and PWdurMaxC (HR, 1.029; P = 0.001) were independently associated with progression to renal end point. Our results demonstrate that increased PWdisperC and PWdurMaxC were independently associated with progression to renal end point. Screening patients by means of PWdisperC and PWdurMaxC on 12 lead ECG may help identify a high risk group of rapid renal function decline.
Political cycles and cyclical policies

The authors test how government revenue and expenditure depend on ideology, elections, and economic activity. They show how fiscal forecasts can be used to identify the determinants of government revenue and expenditure. The approach is illustrated using a unique, unpublished Swedish data set of fiscal forecasts and forecasts of economic activity. The authors find partisan effects but no election effects. Revenue and expenditure, but also the fiscal surplus, are lower with right-wing governments. Fiscal policy has been countercyclical. Revenue varies positively with nominal earnings; expenditure varies negatively with real GDP. Copyright 1996 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF STACKING SEQUENCE IN KENAF AND BANANA FIBER

Recently the use of natural fiber reinforcedPolyestercomposite in the various sectors has increased tremendously. The interest in Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Composites (FRPC) is growing rapidly due to its high performance in terms of mechanical properties, significant processing advantages, excellent chemical resistance, low cost, and low density. The development of composite materials based on the reinforcement of two or more fiber types in a matrix leads to the production of laminate composites. In the present investigation, the effect of hybridization on mechanical properties on Kenaf and Banana Reinforced Polyester composite (KBRP) were evaluated experimentally. The main aim of this paper is to review the work carried out by using kenaf and banana fiber composite. This is due to the environmental problems and health hazard possessed by the synthetic fiber during disposal and manufacturing. The reinforcement made by using the kenaf and banana fiber shows its potential to replace the glass fiber composite. Composites were fabricated using Hand lay-up technique. The results demonstrate that hybridization play an important role for improving the mechanical properties of composites. The tensile and flexural properties of hybrid composites are markedly improved as compare to un hybrid composites. Water absorption behavior indicated that hybrid composites offer better resistance to water absorption.In addition to the mechanical properties, processing methods and application of kenaf and banana fiber composite is also discussed. This work demonstrates the potential of the hybrid natural fiber composite materials for use in a number of consumable goods.
Production of Referring Expressions for an Unknown Audience: A Computational Model of Communal Common Ground

This article presents a computational model of the production of referring expressions under uncertainty over the hearer's knowledge. Although situations where the hearer's knowledge is uncertain have seldom been addressed in the computational literature, they are common in ordinary communication, for example when a writer addresses an unknown audience, or when a speaker addresses a stranger. We propose a computational model composed of three complimentary heuristics based on, respectively, an estimation of the recipient's knowledge, an estimation of the extent to which a property is unexpected, and the question of what is the optimum number of properties in a given situation. The model was tested in an experiment with human readers, in which it was compared against the Incremental Algorithm and human-produced descriptions. The results suggest that the new model outperforms the Incremental Algorithm in terms of the proportion of correctly identified entities and in terms of the perceived quality of the generated descriptions.
Causes of the Decline of Economic Growth in Italy and the Responsibility of EURO. A Balance-of-Payments Approach

Some countries of the Euro-zone have experienced a declining economic growth more pronounced in the last recent years, like Italy. The aim of this paper is to investigate the causes of the poor growth performance in Italy and the responsibility of the Euro for this crisis. The theoretical approach applied is based on the balance-of-payments constraint hypothesis (known as Thirlwall’s Law) adapted to include internal and external imbalances. Our empirical analysis shows that both the extended model and the original Thirlwall’s Law over-predict the actual growth in Italy suggesting that there are supply constraints that encumber the economy from growing faster. Another conclusion is that part of the decline in economic growth is explained by the loss of competiveness during the Euro period. A scenarios analysis shows that a budget deficit and public debt discipline aiming at achieving the goals of the Stability Pact are not significant stimulus for faster growth. On the other hand, reducing the import dependence of the components of demand, or reducing the import and increasing the export shares in the economy are the most effective policies for fostering growth in Italy.
DNA Relatedness between Xenorhabdus spp. (Enterobacteriaceae), Symbiotic Bacteria of Entomopathogenic Nematodes, and a Proposal To Transfer Xenorhabdus luminescens to a New Genus, Photorhabdus gen. nov.

The levels of DNA relatedness for a broad sample of Xenorhabdus strains isolated from different species of entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) and from different geographical sources were estimated by the hydroxyapatite method. The level of DNA-DNA relatedness for the two phases of each isolate tested was not significantly different from 100%, demonstrating unequivocally that the phase variation demonstrated by all Xenorhabdus spp. is not due to contamination. The isolates of the described Xenorhabdus species coalesced into different DNA relatedness groups, confirming that Xenorhabdus nematophilus, Xenorhabdus bovienii, Xenorhabdus poinarii, and Xenorhabdus beddingii, defined on the basis of phenotypic differences, are valid species. The symbiont of Steinernema intermedia also coalesced with the X. bovienii isolates. This was the only symbiont of seven recently described and unamed Steinernema spp. (including Steinernema ritteri, Steinernema rara, and Steinernema anomali) that formed a group with any of the previously described Xenorhabdus species; new species descriptions are required to accommodate the other taxa, but too few isolates were available to allow satisfactory descriptions of them. The DNA relatedness data also showed that the bacteria currently classified as Xenorhabdus luminescens are significantly different from all other Xenorhabdus strains. These data strongly support indications from previous studies of phenotypic characteristics, cellular fatty acids, and DNA relatedness that X. luminescens should be classified as a separate genus. A new genus, Photorhabdus, with an amended description of the type species, Photorhabdus luminescens, is proposed.