Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic effects on personality traits: early food provisioning and sibling competition

The relative contribution of genetic and non-genetic factors in shaping personality traits is of fundamental relevance to biologists and social scientists. Individual animals vary in the way they cope with challenges in their environment, comparable with variation in human personalities. This variation has a substantial genetic basis. Here we describe experiments showing the strength of environmental factors (food availability and sibling competition) in shaping personality traits in a passerine bird (Parus major). We manipulated the early rearing condition in two lines (F4) bidirectionally selected for different personalities (fast line: high exploration speed and high aggression; slow line: low exploration speed and low aggression) with a food rationing protocol inducing an impairment in growth rate and an enhancement in levels of offspring solicitation (begging behaviour). Growth impairment was more marked in the slow line. In a first experiment each nest contained experimental and control siblings of the same line (within-nests design). Slow chicks became much faster than their parents in the exploration tests regardless of the treatment, whereas fast chicks had scores similar to their parents and showed no treatment effect. As a consequence, the line difference in exploration behaviour of the offspring was not apparent in the juvenile phase. Six months later the offspring of the slow line was still relatively fast, but lines differed in exploration, since the fast line became even more fast. Food-rationed birds of the fast line were more aggressive than both controls and their fathers, while treatment did not affect the slow line. In a second experiment, carried out only in the slow line, each nest contained either control or experimental siblings (between-nests design). Now, only the food-rationed chicks became faster in exploration. We suggest that the shift in the controls in the within-nests design was due to enhanced sibling competition, forced by the experimental chick. Indeed, the control chicks in the first experiment begged more persistently and had higher exploration scores than the control chicks in the between-nests design. Environmental factors during ontogeny modulate the expression of phenotypic traits against the background of the reaction norm allowed by the genome even in selected lines of animals resulting in profound and reliable differences in behaviour.
Paricalcitol- or cinacalcet-centred therapy affects markers of bone mineral disease in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism receiving haemodialysis: results of the IMPACT-SHPT study.

BACKGROUND In this Phase 4 international study, efficacy and safety of paricalcitol-centred therapy were compared with that of cinacalcet-centred therapy for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients undergoing haemodialysis (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00977080). METHODS Patients ≥ 18 years of age with Stage 5 CKD and SHPT [intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level of 300-800 pg/mL, calcium level of 8.4-10.0 mg/dL and phosphate concentration of ≤ 6.5 mg/dL] who were undergoing haemodialysis were included. Patients were randomized by mode of paricalcitol administration [i.e. intravenous (IV) or oral strata] to receive paricalcitol- or cinacalcet-centred therapy for ≤ 28 weeks. Changes in metabolic markers [total alkaline phosphatase (AP), bone-specific AP and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23)] and the proportion of patients in each treatment group who achieved an iPTH level of 150-300 pg/mL during Weeks 8, 16 and 21-28 as a composite value were evaluated. RESULTS Compared with cinacalcet-centred therapy, levels of both bone turnover markers were significantly reduced from baseline with IV and oral paricalcitol-centred treatment (P < 0.05 for both dosing strata) at Weeks 8, 16 and 28. Levels of FGF-23 were increased with paricalcitol versus cinacalcet-centred treatment. A greater proportion of patients receiving paricalcitol-centred therapy achieved target iPTH levels (i.e. 150-300 pg/mL) throughout the study in the IV and oral dosing strata compared with patients receiving cinacalcet-centred treatment. CONCLUSIONS In patients with CKD and SHPT undergoing haemodialysis, paricalcitol-centred therapy reduced circulating bone turnover markers and iPTH levels and increased FGF-23 levels compared with cinacalcet-centred treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00977080.
Synthesis of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers with excellent biocompatibility for the selective separation and inhibition of testosterone in prostate cancer cells

Purpose Androgen plays an important role in the progression of prostate cancer. In the present study, novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) with good biocompatibility were produced for the selective separation and inhibition of testosterone in prostate cancer cells. Materials and methods MMIPs were prepared by using magnetic nanospheres, gelatin, and testosterone as the supporting materials, functional monomer, and the template molecule, respectively. The characterization of the resultant products was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometry. To test whether MMIPs can remove testosterone in biologic samples, human LNCaP (androgen-dependent) and C4-2 (androgen-independent) prostate cancer cells were selected as cell models. The translocation of androgen receptor (AR) was detected by immunofluorescence assay, and the expression of PSA mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Cell flow cytometry analysis was performed to detect cell cycle arrest. Results The synthesized nanomaterials (MMIPs) possessed high crystallinity, satisfactory superparamagnetic properties, and uniform imprinted shell, and exhibited high adsorption capacity, fast kinetics, and high selectivity for testosterone. Moreover, the obtained imprinted nanomaterials could selectively enrich and detect testosterone in the LNCaP cell samples as a solid-phase extractant coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the MMIPs could freely enter prostate cancer cells and suppress the translocation of AR into the cell nucleus. We further found that MMIPs inhibited upregulation of AR downstream target genes in LNCaP and C4-2 cells; also, MMIPs inhibited cell growth and induced obvious cell cycle arrest in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, but had no obvious effect on androgen-independent C4-2 cells. Conclusion Our results indicate that the obtained imprinted nanomaterials can specifically and effectively bind testosterone and recover it from prostate cancer cells. Moreover, the MMIPs can freely enter prostate cancer cells and block the activation of testosterone-AR pathway. Thus, the MMIPs may be a new option for antiandrogen therapy in prostate cancer.
Knowledge management among the older workforce

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw the attention to the necessity of knowledge management (KM) among the older workforce and to provide guidelines for human resource (HR) managers on how to engage in this process.Design/methodology/approach – First, characteristics of older employees, viewpoints of HR managers on the older workforce and critical success factors of KM are explored through a literature review and conversations in the field. Thereafter these findings are combined in order to arrive at those aspects that an ideal organizational culture for KM must entail among the older workforce. When a more proactive management style is incorporated in this culture, KM among older employees will be significantly facilitated.Findings – The paper finds that there exist opportunities for synergy between a proactive management style towards older employees and effective KM among this group. HR managers need to review their point of view towards the older worker in order to facilitate knowledge shari.
The Effects of Oral and Silent Reading on Reading Comprehension

This study examined the effects of reading mode (oral and silent) and text genre (narrative and expository) on fourth graders’ reading comprehension. While controlling for prior reading ability of 48 participants, we measured comprehension. Using a repeated measured design, data were analyzed using analysis of covariance, paired t-tests, and correlational statistics. Results revealed that silent reading was stronger for narrative passages in retell measures, but there was no difference for comprehension questions. The expository passages revealed no difference between the reading modes. Comprehension of narrative texts was consistently stronger than expository texts in both silent and oral reading.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING ONLINE REPURCHASE INTENTION

The advent of the Internet, many opportunities is rewarded for companies to remain competitive by allowing purchases easy, fast and affordable for customers. Internet shopping is one of the fast growing shopping. E-commerce and e-business purchases to customers’ direct access to global opportunities are created. In this regard, commerce and social science research increasingly focused on internet, multinational and multicultural marketing. The purpose of this study was to assess and test the factors affecting online repurchase. Data were collected from 385 students and were tested through structural equation modeling. The findings of the study indicate that factors other than usability, other factors have significant influence on online purchases again. In this case, the quality factor was identified as the most influential websites and a comprehensive model was provided in this area.
Bayesian Restoration of a Hidden Markov Chain with Applications to DNA Sequencing

Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are a class of stochastic models that have proven to be powerful tools for the analysis of molecular sequence data. A hidden Markov model can be viewed as a black box that generates sequences of observations. The unobservable internal state of the box is stochastic and is determined by a finite state Markov chain. The observable output is stochastic with distribution determined by the state of the hidden Markov chain. We present a Bayesian solution to the problem of restoring the sequence of states visited by the hidden Markov chain from a given sequence of observed outputs. Our approach is based on a Monte Carlo Markov chain algorithm that allows us to draw samples from the full posterior distribution of the hidden Markov chain paths. The problem of estimating the probability of individual paths and the associated Monte Carlo error of these estimates is addressed. The method is illustrated by considering a problem of DNA sequence multiple alignment. The special structure for the hidden Markov model used in the sequence alignment problem is considered in detail. In conclusion, we discuss certain interesting aspects of biological sequence alignments that become accessible through the Bayesian approach to HMM restoration.
A new approach towards facial recognition system using DCT & LVQ

This paper introduces a novel means of neuron coding allowing us to recognize the face of an unknown individual. The algorithm involves the application of segmentation and Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and is used to perform the facial recognition after training and classification from a neural network. The algorithm determines features' position and pixel value using image segmentation and DCT which is then applied to the neural network. The neural network used in the present discussion is Linear Vector Quantization (LVQ). The main aim here has been to incorporate varied constraints of pose and expressions of inputs facilitating insensitivity to system fluctuations.
Revisiting the bilingual advantage in attention in low SES Greek-Albanians: does the level of bilingual experience matter?

ABSTRACT The replicability of findings supporting a bilingual advantage in cognitive control has been questioned lately, with socioeconomic status (SES) and bilingualism type (e.g. early-late, dominant-balanced) as suggested confounding variables. It has lately also been argued that bilingual experience (switch cost asymmetry – SCA between the languages), might correlate with interference control. We further investigated this, with a homogeneous group of 45 young bilingual adults. Participants were carefully matched with 45 Greek-speaking monolinguals on age, gender, SES (mostly low), and non-verbal intelligence, and they were given the Attentional Network Test task and a language-switching task measuring SCA. The factor language group did not interact with congruency or cueing. Finally, conflict resolution did not correlate with SCA. Findings are discussed in relation to the present samples’ characteristics and evidence suggesting an underrepresentation of the bilingual advantage in lower SES bilinguals.
Learning Bayesian Networks from Data: An Efficient Approach Based on Information Theory

This paper addresses the problem of learning Bayesian network structures from data by using an information theoretic dependency analysis approach. Based on our three-phase construction mechanism, two efficient algorithms have been developed. One of our algorithms deals with a special case where the node ordering is given, the algorithm only require ) ( 2 N O CI tests and is correct given that the underlying model is DAG-Faithful [Spirtes et. al., 1996]. The other algorithm deals with the general case and requires ) ( 4 N O conditional independence (CI) tests. It is correct given that the underlying model is monotone DAG-Faithful (see Section 4.4). A system based on these algorithms has been developed and distributed through the Internet. The empirical results show that our approach is efficient and reliable.
Gender in the Journals: Publication Patterns in Political Science

ABSTRACT This article explores publication patterns across 10 prominent political science journals, documenting a significant gender gap in publication rates for men and women. We present three broad findings. First, we find no evidence that the low percentage of female authors simply mirrors an overall low share of women in the profession. Instead, we find continued underrepresentation of women in many of the discipline’s top journals. Second, we find that women are not benefiting equally in a broad trend across the discipline toward coauthorship. Most published collaborative research in these journals emerges from all-male teams. Third, it appears that the methodological proclivities of the top journals do not fully reflect the kind of work that female scholars are more likely than men to publish in these journals. The underrepresentation of qualitative work in many journals is associated as well with an underrepresentation of female authors.
The ALHAMBRA Project: A large area multi medium-band optical and NIR photometric survey

(ABRIDGED) We describe the first results of the ALHAMBRA survey which provides cosmic tomography of the evolution of the contents of the Universe over most of Cosmic history. Our approach employs 20 contiguous, equal-width, medium-band filters covering from 3500 to 9700 A, plus the JHKs bands, to observe an area of 4 sqdeg on the sky. The optical photometric system has been designed to maximize the number of objects with accurate classification by SED and redshift, and to be sensitive to relatively faint emission lines. The observations are being carried out with the Calar Alto 3.5m telescope using the cameras LAICA and O-2000. The first data confirm that we are reaching the expected magnitude limits of AB<~25 mag in the optical filters from the blue to 8300 A, and from AB=24.7 to 23.4 for the redder ones. The limit in the NIR is (Vega) K_s~20, H~21, J~22. We expect to obtain accurate redshift values, Delta z/(1+z) <~ 0.03 for about 5x10^5 galaxies with I<~25 (60% complete), and z_med=0.74. This accuracy, together with the homogeneity of the selection function, will allow for the study of the redshift evolution of the large scale structure, the galaxy population and its evolution with redshift, the identification of clusters of galaxies, and many other studies, without the need for any further follow-up. It will also provide targets for detailed studies with 10m-class telescopes. Given its area, spectral coverage and its depth, apart from those main goals, the ALHAMBRA-Survey will also produce valuable data for galactic studies.
Blind estimation of the pseudo-random sequence of a direct sequence spread spectrum signal

Direct sequence spread spectrum transmissions (DS-SS) are now widely used for secure communications, as well as for multiple access. They have many interesting properties, including low probability of interception. Indeed, DS-SS transmitters use a periodical pseudo-random sequence to modulate the baseband signal before transmission. A receiver which does not know the sequence cannot demodulate the signal. In this paper, we propose a method which can estimate the spreading sequence in a noncooperative context. The method is based on eigenanalysis techniques. The received signal is divided into windows, from which a covariance matrix is computed. We show that the sequence can be reconstructed from the two first eigenvectors of this matrix, and that useful information, such as the desynchronization time, can be extracted from the eigenvalues. Experimental results show that the method can provide a good estimation, even when the received signal is far below the noise level.
A Role for Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus in Inter-Temporal Choice Cost-Benefit Decision Making

Previous studies suggest a preferential role for dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) in spatial memory tasks, whereas ventral hippocampus (vHPC) has been implicated in aspects of fear and/or anxiety. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vHPC may be a critical subregion for performance on a delay-based, cost-benefit decision making task. Rats chose between the two goal arms of a T maze, one containing an immediately available small reward, the other containing a larger reward that was only accessible after a delay. dHPC, vHPC, and complete hippocampal (cHPC) lesions all reduced choice of the delayed high reward (HR) in favor of the immediately available low reward (LR). The deficits were not due to a complete inability to remember which reward size was associated with which arm of the maze. When an equivalent 10-s delay was introduced in both goal arms, all rats chose the HR arm on nearly all trials. The deficit was, however, reinstated when the inequality was reintroduced. Our results suggest an important role for both dHPC and vHPC in the extended neural circuitry that underlies intertemporal choice.
The mechanisms and dynamics of αvβ3 integrin clustering in living cells

During cell migration, the physical link between the extracellular substrate and the actin cytoskeleton mediated by receptors of the integrin family is constantly modified. We analyzed the mechanisms that regulate the clustering and incorporation of activated αvβ3 integrins into focal adhesions. Manganese (Mn2+) or mutational activation of integrins induced the formation of de novo F-actin–independent integrin clusters. These clusters recruited talin, but not other focal adhesion adapters, and overexpression of the integrin-binding head domain of talin increased clustering. Integrin clustering required immobilized ligand and was prevented by the sequestration of phosphoinositole-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis of Mn2+-induced integrin clusters revealed increased integrin turnover compared with mature focal contacts, whereas stabilization of the open conformation of the integrin ectodomain by mutagenesis reduced integrin turnover in focal contacts. Thus, integrin clustering requires the formation of the ternary complex consisting of activated integrins, immobilized ligands, talin, and PI(4,5)P2. The dynamic remodeling of this ternary complex controls cell motility.
The effect of early‐life stress on memory systems supporting instrumental behavior

People experiencing early‐life stress (ELS) exhibit increased incidence of behaviors that lead to addiction and obesity as adults. Many of these behaviors may be viewed as resulting from an overreliance on habits as opposed to goal‐directed instrumental behavior. This increased habitization may result from alterations in the interactions between dorsolateral striatum‐dependent and hippocampus‐dependent learning systems. As an initial examination of this idea, we investigated the effect of ELS on instrumental learning and extinction. In Experiment 1, we examined the effect of ELS in two groups of people, one trained on a continuous reinforcement schedule and one trained on a partial reinforcement schedule. We found that people who experienced ELS had a diminished effect of the partial reinforcement schedule on extinction. In Experiment 2, we again manipulated reinforcement schedule and also challenged declarative memory by requiring subjects to perform a concurrent task. We found that the declarative challenge did not affect extinction responding in the non‐ELS group. In a moderate‐ELS group, we observed a diminished sensitivity to the reinforcement schedule during extinction only under divided attention. In the high‐ELS group, we observed a reduced sensitivity to reinforcement schedule even in the absence of the declarative memory challenge, consistent with Experiment 1. Our results suggest that ELS reduces the tendency to use declarative, hippocampus‐dependent memory in instrumental tasks in favor of habits. ELS may affect hippocampal development, thus altering the interaction between memory systems and potentially contributing to poor health outcomes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Broad Autism Phenotype, Empathy, and Intimate Relationships

The broad autism phenotype (BAP), or subclinical features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has been identified in people both with and without relatives with ASD. Broad autism phenotype features include aloof personality, rigid personality, and pragmatic language deficits. Theoretically, a larger proportion of relatives of people with ASD should exhibit the BAP compared to nonrelatives, but estimated proportions of people with the BAP in each group has varied widely in the literature. Individuals with more features of the BAP exhibit weaker empathy skills and have fewer and shorter duration friendships than those with fewer BAP characteristics. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between BAP features, empathy skills, and intimate relationship functioning in emerging adults. Participants (N = 235, 80% female, mean age = 20) belonged to one of two groups: (1) emerging adults with no known relatives with ASD (No Relative Group; n = 115) and (2) emerging adults with relatives with ASD (Relative Group; n = 120). Multiple regression analyses revealed that being raised with a relative with ASD was associated with shorter friendship duration. Participants with more BAP features had weaker empathy skills, shorter friendship duration, and less interest in friendships. Self-reported empathy skills mediated the relationship between social BAP features and interest in and pleasure derived from friendships. There was no difference between BAP scores or number of people with the BAP in the No Relative Group and Relative Group. These results may be used to encourage young adults with the BAP to seek out friendships and to screen relatives of people with ASD for the BAP to provide them support about how to maintain friendships through the development of social skill and healthy friendship training programs and support groups.