Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Differences in DNA Methylation Changes in Two Contrasting Rice Genotypes in Response to Drought Conditions

Differences in drought stress tolerance within diverse rice genotypes have been attributed to genetic diversity and epigenetic alterations. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that influences diverse biological processes, but its effects on rice drought stress tolerance are poorly understood. In this study, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and an Affymetrix GeneChip rice genome array were used to profile the DNA methylation patterns and transcriptomes of the drought-tolerant introgression line DK151 and its drought-sensitive recurrent parent IR64 under drought and control conditions. The introgression of donor genomic DNA induced genome-wide DNA methylation changes in DK151 plants. A total of 1190 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were detected between the two genotypes under normal growth conditions, and the DMR-associated genes in DK151 plants were mainly related to stress response, programmed cell death, and nutrient reservoir activity, which are implicated to constitutive drought stress tolerance. A comparison of the DNA methylation changes in the two genotypes under drought conditions indicated that DK151 plants have a more stable methylome, with only 92 drought-induced DMRs, than IR64 plants with 506 DMRs. Gene ontology analyses of the DMR-associated genes in drought-stressed plants revealed that changes to the DNA methylation status of genotype-specific genes are associated with the epigenetic regulation of drought stress responses. Transcriptome analysis further helped to identify a set of 12 and 23 DMR-associated genes that were differentially expressed in DK151 and IR64, respectively, under drought stress compared with respective controls. Correlation analysis indicated that DNA methylation has various effects on gene expression, implying that it affects gene expression directly or indirectly through diverse regulatory pathways. Our results indicate that drought-induced alterations to DNA methylation may influence an epigenetic mechanism that regulates the expression of unique genes responsible for drought stress tolerance.
Neural networks underlying affective states in a multimodal virtual environment: contributions to boredom

The interaction of low perceptual stimulation or goal-directed behavior with a negative subjective evaluation may lead to boredom. This contribution to boredom may shed light on its neural correlates, which are poorly characterized so far. A video game served as simulation of free interactive behavior without interruption of the game’s narrative. Thirteen male German volunteers played a first-person shooter game (Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Two independent coders performed the time-based analysis of the audio-visual game content. Boredom was operationalized as interaction of prolonged absence of goal-directed behavior with lowered affect in the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). A decrease of positive affect (PA) correlated with response amplitudes in bilateral insular clusters extending into the amygdala to prolonged inactive phases in a game play and an increase in negative affect (NA) was associated with higher responses in bilateral ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Precuneus and hippocampus responses were negatively correlated with changes in NA. We describe for the first time neural contributions to boredom, using a video game as complex virtual environment. Further our study confirmed that PA and NA are separable constructs, reflected by distinct neural patterns. PA may be associated with afferent limbic activity whereas NA with affective control.
QoSNC: A novel approach to QoS-based network coding for fixed networks

In this paper, we present a decentralized algorithm to find minimum cost quality of service (QoS) flow subgraphs in network coded multicast schemes. The main objective is to find minimum cost subgraphs that also satisfy user-specified QoS constraints, specifically with respect to rate and delay demands. We consider networks with multiple multicast sessions. Although earlier network coding algorithms in this area have demonstrated performance improvements in terms of QoS parameters, the proposed QoS network coding approach provides a framework that guarantees QoS constraints are actually met over the network.
The Transcription‐Coupled Repair Protein ERCC6/CSB Also Protects Against Repeat Expansion in a Mouse Model of the Fragile X Premutation

The fragile X‐related disorders (FXDs) are members of the group of diseases known as the repeat expansion diseases. The FXDs result from expansion of an unstable CGG/CCG repeat tract in the 5′ UTR of the FMR1 gene. Contractions are also seen, albeit at lower frequency. We have previously shown that ERCC6/CSB plays an auxiliary role in promoting germ line and somatic expansions in a mouse model of the FXDs. However, work in model systems of other repeat expansion diseases has suggested that CSB may protect against expansions by promoting contractions. Since FXD mice normally have such a high expansion frequency, it is possible that such a protective effect would have been masked. We thus examined the effect of the loss of CSB in an Msh2+/− background where the germ line expansion frequency is reduced and in an Msh2−/− background where expansions do not occur, but contractions do. Our data show that in addition to promoting repeat expansion, CSB does in fact protect the genome from germ line expansions in the FXD mouse model. However, it likely does so not by promoting contractions but by promoting an error‐free process that preserves the parental allele.
Interpreting expressive performance through listener judgments of musical tension

This study examines listener judgments of musical tension for a recording of a Schubert song and its harmonic reduction. Continuous tension ratings collected in an experiment and quantitative descriptions of the piece's musical features, include dynamics, pitch height, harmony, onset frequency, and tempo, were analyzed from two different angles. In the first part of the analysis, the different processing timescales for disparate features contributing to tension were explored through the optimization of a predictive tension model. The results revealed the optimal time windows for harmony were considerably longer (~22 s) than for any other feature (~1–4 s). In the second part of the analysis, tension ratings for the individual verses of the song and its harmonic reduction were examined and compared. The results showed that although the average tension ratings between verses were very similar, differences in how and when participants reported tension changes highlighted performance decisions made in the interpretation of the score, ambiguity in tension implications of the music, and the potential importance of contrast between verses and phrases. Analysis of the tension ratings for the harmonic reduction also provided a new perspective for better understanding how complex musical features inform listener tension judgments.
Female sexual preferences differ inMus spicilegusandMus musculus domesticus: the role of familiarization and sexual experience

Mating systems correspond to particular ecological conditions and result from proximate interactions between individuals. We compared the mating preferences of female mice of two species: the house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, and the mound-builder mouse, Mus spicilegus. Because of differences in their habitat, we expected to observe differences in their sexual preferences. We studied female preferences for a familiar or an unfamiliar male and the occurrence of copulation with the unfamiliar male, during two states of female sexual activity: (1) the postpartum oestrus of paired females, to evaluate the stability of their sexual partnership; and (2) the oestrus of females familiarized with a male, to study the mechanisms underlying their sexual preferences. In the polygamous house mouse, postpartum oestrous females did not show a clear preference between their familiar male and the unfamiliar one. Moreover, oestrous females, familiarized with a male (without sexual interactions), preferred an unfamiliar male and copulated with him. In contrast, postpartum oestrous females and oestrous females of M. spicilegus preferred their familiar male and rarely copulated with the unfamiliar male. This study indicates a strong pair bond in established breeding pairs in M. spicilegus and shows that this bond can be established by familiarization, which is not the case in M. m. domesticus. Our study suggests the existence of monogamous traits in M. spicilegus in contrast to the polygamous M. m. domesticus. (c) 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Treatment of partial seizures with gabapentin: Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group study *

Abstract This double‐blind study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gabapentin 1200 mg/day and 1800 mg/day (t.i.d.) compared to placebo as an adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy. Patients were included when they had partial seizures at least eight times during a 12‐week baseline period despite treatment with one to two antiepileptic drugs. After baseline, eligible patients were randomized to gabapentin 1200 mg/day, 1800 mg/day, or placebo for 12‐week treatment. The primary end‐point, response ratio, was derived from seizure frequencies during treatment and baseline period based upon the seizure daily record by a patient. Of the 209 randomized patients, 86 received gabapentin 1200 mg/day, 41 received gabapentin 1800 mg/day, and 82 received placebo. A statistically significant difference was found between each of the two gabapentin groups and placebo for the primary efficacy end‐point, response ratio (P < 0.005) with definite dose–response (P < 0.001). More gabapentin patients reported moderate to marked improvement in seizure frequency and intensity/duration of each seizure than placebo patients. Treatment‐related adverse events were reported by approximately 65% of patients receiving gabapentin compared to approximately 46% of patients receiving placebo; somnolence and dizziness were the most common events. Gabapentin 1200 mg/day and 1800 mg/day significantly reduced the frequency of refractory seizures compared to placebo. Favorable tolerability of gabapentin was confirmed also in a Japanese population, consistent with previous global studies.
When Redundant On-Screen Text in Multimedia Technical Instruction Can Interfere With Learning

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Emotional intelligence, moral reasoning and transformational leadership

Using university residence staff as our leaders of interest, we explored the association of emotional intelligence and moral reasoning to leadership style and effectiveness. A total of 58 residence staff completed questionnaires assessing their emotional intelligence and moral reasoning. Subordinates (n=232) rated the residence staff’s leadership behaviours and effectiveness. Residence staff’s supervisors (n=12) also provided similar effectiveness ratings. Analysis showed that leaders who reported higher levels of emotional intelligence were perceived by their followers as higher in transformational leadership and more effective. Interestingly, having high emotional intelligence was not related to supervisor’s ratings of effectiveness. Supervisors associated greater job effectiveness with higher moral reasoning. Theoretical implications and practical applications of these findings are discussed.
Clinical utility of sperm DNA fragmentation testing: concise practice recommendations

Sperm DNA integrity is generally acknowledged as an essential component for human reproduction. While the negative impact of high sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) on outcomes of natural pregnancy and assisted reproductive technology (ART) is well known, the clinical indication of SDF testing is less well defined. A recent review on clinical utility of SDF testing highlighted the different SDF assays and clinical indications of SDF testing. This concise practice recommendations aim at summarizing the evidence and presenting to the readers the essence of the clinical utility of SDF testing based on the currently existing evidence. The potential role of SDF testing in varicocelectomy candidates, couples with recurrent pregnancy loss, patients with unexplained infertility, couples with failed assisted reproduction, and infertile men with exposure to modifiable lifestyle risk factors is illustrated. Recommendations from an expert panel on each clinical condition is presented, with levels of evidence.
BMI and Physical Activity Among at-Risk Sixth- and Ninth-Grade Students, Hillsborough County, Florida, 2005-2006

Introduction During the past 3 decades, the number of overweight adolescents increased while adolescent engagement in physical activity decreased. We investigated the prevalence of overweight and physical activity levels among economically disadvantaged and minority middle- and high-school students in a school district in Florida. In particular, data on physical activity levels of middle-school students are limited and needed for prevention and intervention planning. In addition, because of state education policies, students in Florida are less likely than students nationally to enroll in physical education, placing them at a higher risk for decreased physical activity levels. Methods We used multivariate methodology to analyze physical activity levels among 526 students from 3 middle and 2 high schools in southwest Florida. Results Forty percent of students met criteria for overweight or obesity. Overall, less than 45% of students reported engaging in daily physical activity. Boys reported higher levels of physical activity than did girls, and a decline in physical activity levels was observed between grades 6 and 9, especially among minority girls (ie, African American and Latino). Lack of time was identified as the greatest barrier to engaging in physical activity. Conclusion This study documents health disparities among minority students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in an urban school district. Participation in daily physical activity was below recommended guidelines across grades. We found numerous barriers to engaging in physical activity, which will enable local education agencies to evaluate their current physical activity policies and identify alternative physical activities for these youth.
Analisis Performansi RTSP Live Streaming Server Berbasis Raspberry Pi Untuk Video Surveillance System

Live streaming is a technology for running a video or audio file directly with a server that is running a live streaming service. Server that provides live streaming using a streaming protocol as a controller and the sender of the packet data in real-time to a client that is running a live streaming service on the server. One of the real-time protocol used for live streaming server that is Real Time Streaming Protocol, or RTSP called, the protocol used to communicate with a client that is running live streaming. In this final project, the author will do the analysis RTSP protocol implemented on a raspberry pi as a live streaming server for video surveillance systems integrated with camera supervisor. Surveillance system is a technology used to improve surveillance on the place or location out of reach of our vision or where it is being abandoned so that no one can supervise directly for example your home or workplace. The RTSP protocol will be analyzed its performance for use in video surveillance systems, as well as analysis of the use of raspberry pi as a live streaming server that is integrated with the camera. RTSP protocol performance , especially on network throughput tends to be greater than the RTMP protocol. The greatest value of throughput in RTSP is 3,83 Mbps, so that the delay value is greater than RTMP. The RTSP protocol has advantages in the quality of the video output but for better performance RTMP for delay value is smaller so sending data faster. Reliability raspberry pi as a live streaming server has good stability when running video streaming on a network video surveillance system that is accessed by the user or client.
Model Learning with Local Gaussian Process Regression

Precise models of robot inverse dynamics allow the design of significantly more accurate, energy-efficient and compliant robot control. However, in some cases the accuracy of rigid-body models does not suffice for sound control performance due to unmodeled nonlinearities arising from hydraulic cable dynamics, complex friction or actuator dynamics. In such cases, estimating the inverse dynamics model from measured data poses an interesting alternative. Nonparametric regression methods, such as Gaussian process regression (GPR) or locally weighted projection regression (LWPR), are not as restrictive as parametric models and, thus, offer a more flexible framework for approximating unknown nonlinearities. In this paper, we propose a local approximation to the standard GPR, called local GPR (LGP), for real-time model online learning by combining the strengths of both regression methods, i.e., the high accuracy of GPR and the fast speed of LWPR. The approach is shown to have competitive learning performance for high-dimensional data while being sufficiently fast for real-time learning. The effectiveness of LGP is exhibited by a comparison with the state-of-the-art regression techniques, such as GPR, LWPR and ν-support vector regression. The applicability of the proposed LGP method is demonstrated by real-time online learning of the inverse dynamics model for robot model-based control on a Barrett WAM robot arm.
Variations in Amazon forest productivity correlated with foliar nutrients and modelled rates of photosynthetic carbon supply

The rate of above-ground woody biomass production, WP, in some western Amazon forests exceeds those in the east by a factor of 2 or more. Underlying causes may include climate, soil nutrient limitations and species composition. In this modelling paper, we explore the implications of allowing key nutrients such as N and P to constrain the photosynthesis of Amazon forests, and also we examine the relationship between modelled rates of photosynthesis and the observed gradients in WP. We use a model with current understanding of the underpinning biochemical processes as affected by nutrient availability to assess: (i) the degree to which observed spatial variations in foliar [N] and [P] across Amazonia affect stand-level photosynthesis; and (ii) how these variations in forest photosynthetic carbon acquisition relate to the observed geographical patterns of stem growth across the Amazon Basin. We find nutrient availability to exert a strong effect on photosynthetic carbon gain across the Basin and to be a likely important contributor to the observed gradient in WP. Phosphorus emerges as more important than nitrogen in accounting for the observed variations in productivity. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of future tropical forests under a changing climate.
A Perturbed MicroRNA Expression Pattern Characterizes Embryonic Neural Stem Cells Derived from a Severe Mouse Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder and the leading genetic cause of death in infants. Despite the disease-causing gene, survival motor neuron (SMN1), encodes a ubiquitous protein, SMN1 deficiency preferentially affects spinal motor neurons (MNs), leaving the basis of this selective cell damage still unexplained. As neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent self-renewing cells that can differentiate into neurons, they represent an in vitro model for elucidating the pathogenetic mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases such as SMA. Here we characterize for the first time neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from embryonic spinal cords of a severe SMNΔ7 SMA mouse model. SMNΔ7 NSCs behave as their wild type (WT) counterparts, when we consider neurosphere formation ability and the expression levels of specific regional and self-renewal markers. However, they show a perturbed cell cycle phase distribution and an increased proliferation rate compared to wild type cells. Moreover, SMNΔ7 NSCs are characterized by the differential expression of a limited number of miRNAs, among which miR-335-5p and miR-100-5p, reduced in SMNΔ7 NSCs compared to WT cells. We suggest that such miRNAs may be related to the proliferation differences characterizing SMNΔ7 NSCs, and may be potentially involved in the molecular mechanisms of SMA.
Does gender inequality reduce growth and development : evidence from cross-country regressions

Using cross-country and panel regressions, this report investigates to what extent gender inequality in education and employment may reduce growth and development. The report finds a considerable impact of gender inequality on economic growth which is robust to changes in specifications and controls for potential endogeneities. The results suggest that gender inequality in education has a direct impact on economic growth through lowering the average quality of human capital. In addition, economic growth is indirectly affected through the impact of gender inequality on investment and population growth. Point estimates suggest that between 0.4-0.9 percent of the differences in growth rates between East Asia and Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East can be accounted for by the larger gender gaps in education prevailing in the latter regions. Moreover, the analysis shows that gender inequality in education prevents progress in reducing fertility and child mortality rates, thereby compromising progress in well-being in developing countries.