Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of an in utero exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin on male reproductive function: identification of Ccl5 as a potential marker

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and dioxin-like compounds are widely encountered toxic substances suspected of interfering with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, and of contributing to the loss of fertility. In this study, we determined the changes in testicular gene expression caused by in utero exposure to TCDD along with the intra-testicular testosterone levels, epididymal sperm reserves, daily sperm production (DSP) and testis histology. To this purpose, female pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats orally received TCDD (10, 100 or 200 ng/kg body weight) or vehicle at embryonic day 15, and the offspring was killed throughout development. Hepatic Cyp1a1 gene expression was measured in the offspring to confirm the exposure to TCDD. The gross histology of the testes and intra-testicular testosterone levels were normal among the studied groups. Sperm reserves were altered in 67-day-old rats of the TCDD-200 group, but not in 145-day-old animals or in the other TCDD-exposed groups. Nonetheless, fertility was not altered in males of the TCDD-200 group, and the F2 males generated had normal sperm reserves and DSP. Microarray analysis permitted the identification of eight differentially expressed genes in the 4-week-old testes of the TCDD-200 compared with that of the control group (cut-off value ± 1.40), including the down-regulated chemokine Ccl5/Rantes. Inhibition of Ccl5/Rantes gene expression was observed throughout development in the TCDD-200 group, and at 67 and 145 days in the TCDD-100 group (animals of younger ages were not examined). Ccl5/Rantes gene expression was mostly confined in Leydig cells. F2 males generated from males of the TCDD-200 group had normal levels of Ccl5/Rantes in testis and Cyp1a1 in liver, which might indicate that Ccl5/Rantes is a marker of TCDD exposure in testis such as Cyp1a1 in liver. In conclusion, we demonstrated a decrease in Ccl5/Rantes RNA levels and a transitory decline in sperm reserves in the testes of rats of TCDD-dosed dams.
Shifts in the Autonomic Nervous System Defined by the Valence of TV News

The pattern and nature of autonomic nervous system responses largely depend on the type of emotion. The study was aimed at defining shifts in the autonomic nervous system that accompany the emotional activation under the influence of emotionally accented TV news. Results indicated that a heart rate decelerated in a few minutes after the watching neutral video set. At the same time, throughout the viewing of the video, the activity of the parasympathetic system and the stress index decreased. Negatively accented TV news caused more complex changes. For men, the significant changes in heart rate were recorded only during the first TV news items. On the other hand, negative TV news stories elicited the most significant changes in parasympathetic system and stress index – these changes occurred in the middle of exposure to negative TV news set. The impact was stronger and more complicated for women and consisted of decreasing heart rate while watching TV news stories and accelerating heartbeats in the pause between them. A significant decrease in the parasympathetic system activity occurred after watching negative TV news. Regarding all the parameters, negative TV news stories exerted more significant influence on the psycho-physiological condition of the volunteers than neutral TV stories. Our study revealed the short-term media effects of negative and neutral TV news on the activation patterns of the autonomic nervous system. The short-term reactions of the individual to the mass media are those bricks that underlie a large-scale picture of the media impact on a mass audience. The fact of the existence of short-term media effects gives the base for a further research on the cumulative nature of TV news content’s impact on people, including the longitudinal perspective of media effects.
A nonparametric procedure for exploring differences in rating quality across test-taker subgroups in rater-mediated writing assessments

Differences in rater judgments that are systematically related to construct-irrelevant characteristics threaten the fairness of rater-mediated writing assessments. Accordingly, it is essential that researchers and practitioners examine the degree to which the psychometric quality of rater judgments is comparable across test-taker subgroups. Nonparametric procedures for exploring these differences are promising because they allow researchers and practitioners to examine important characteristics of ratings without potentially inappropriate parametric transformations or assumptions. This study illustrates a nonparametric method based on Mokken scale analysis (MSA) that researchers and practitioners can use to identify and explore differences in the quality of rater judgments between subgroups of test-takers. Overall, the results suggest that MSA provides insight into differences in rating quality across test-taker subgroups based on demographic characteristics. Differences in the degree to which raters adhere to basic measurement properties suggest that the interpretation of ratings may vary across subgroups. The implications of this study for research and practice are discussed.
Nash Equilibrium

In game theory, aNash equilibrium is an array of strategies, one for each player, such that no player can obtain a higher payoff by switching to a different strategy while the strategies of all other players are held fixed. The concept is named after John Forbes Nash Jr. For example, if Chrysler, Ford, and GM choose production levels for pickup trucks, a commodity whose market price depends on aggregate production, an equilibrium is an array of production levels, one for each firm, such that none can raise its profits by making a different choice. Formally, an n-player game consists of a set I = {1,. ,n} of players, a set Si of strategies for each player i ∈ I, and a set of goal functions gi ∶ S1 × ⋯ × Sn → R that represent the preferences of each player i over the n-tuples, or profiles, of strategies chosen by all players. A strategy profile has a higher goal-function value, or payoff, than another if and only if the player prefers it to the other. Let S = S1×⋯×Sn denote the set of all strategy profiles, with generic element s, and let (ti, s−i) denote the strategy profile (s1,. , si−1, ti, si+1,. , sn) obtained from s by switching player i’s strategy to ti ∈ Si while leaving all other strategies unchanged. An equilibrium point of such a game is a strategy profile s∗ ∈ S with the property that, for each player i and each strategy ti ∈ Si, gi(s) ≥ gi(ti, s∗ −i).
Electromechanical coupling correction for piezoelectric layered beams

This paper deals with the bending of layered piezoelectric beams (multimorphs) subjected to arbitrary electrical and mechanical loading. Weinberg (1999) obtained a closed-form solution to this problem using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and integrated equilibrium equations. In his analysis, Weinberg assumes that the electric field is constant through the thickness of the piezoelectric layers. This approximation is valid for materials with small electromechanical coupling (EMC) coefficients. In this paper, we relax this constraint and obtain a solution which accounts for the effect of strain on the electric field in the layers. We find that Weinberg's solution can be extended to arbitrary EMC with a simple correction to the moment of inertia I of the piezoelectric layers. The EMC correction amounts to replacing I with (1+/spl xi/)I, where /spl xi/ is the square of the expedient coupling coefficient. The error in beam curvature introduced by neglecting the effect of EMC is shown to be proportional to /spl xi/. This effect can be quite significant for modern piezoelectric materials which tend to have large EMC coefficients. The formulation is applied to three example cases: a cantilever unimorph, an asymmetric bimorph and a three-layer multimorph with an elastic core. The theoretical predictions for the last two examples are compared to simulations using the finite-element method (FEM) and found to be in excellent agreement.
Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes

Zeus' Revenge Sediment-dwelling amoebae appear to have an unhappy affinity for huge viruses. Giant icosahedral Mimiviruses with genomes of the order of 1 megabase (Mb) were first identified in Acanthamoeba. Digging into antipodean sediments has once again been fruitful where Philippe et al. (p. 281; see the cover) discovered some enormous viruses in Acanthamoeba, visible by light microscopy and having genomes up to 2.5 Mb. The Pandoraviruses are phagocytosed by target cells and, after fusing with the phagosome membrane, their contents are released into the cytoplasm where they wreak terrible havoc on its nucleus. These viruses are encased into a tegument-like envelope and lack genes for capsid proteins, and there are no genes for protein translation, adenosine triphosphate generation, or binary fission—confirming their classification as viruses. Giant viruses that infect Southern Hemisphere Acanthamoeba and are visible under the light microscope have been identified. Ten years ago, the discovery of Mimivirus, a virus infecting Acanthamoeba, initiated a reappraisal of the upper limits of the viral world, both in terms of particle size (>0.7 micrometers) and genome complexity (>1000 genes), dimensions typical of parasitic bacteria. The diversity of these giant viruses (the Megaviridae) was assessed by sampling a variety of aquatic environments and their associated sediments worldwide. We report the isolation of two giant viruses, one off the coast of central Chile, the other from a freshwater pond near Melbourne (Australia), without morphological or genomic resemblance to any previously defined virus families. Their micrometer-sized ovoid particles contain DNA genomes of at least 2.5 and 1.9 megabases, respectively. These viruses are the first members of the proposed “Pandoravirus” genus, a term reflecting their lack of similarity with previously described microorganisms and the surprises expected from their future study.
Information Technology and Optimal Firm Structure

In this paper I use a principal-agent framework to explore the relation between the hierarchical structure of firms and the accounting information technologies available to them. I allow the principal to choose the number of layers in the firm, the number of agents in each layer, and the quantity and quality of information in the firm (subject to the available information technology). Alternative information technologies are characterized by their monitoring efficiency, the impact of control reduction on information quality and the returns on monitoring effort. I find that demand for a layer of supervisors exists only for a limited set of parameters. Furthermore, only in a few extreme cases do the benefits of additional layers of supervisors outweigh the costs. Obviously, there are reasons other than supervision for firms to use hierarchical structure; hence, my results demonstrate that from an information gathering perspective, in many cases, the required information rent associated with a hierarchical structure may outweigh its benefit, and in this respect "flatter" organizations are optimal. Structural changes in the economy that make monitoring more difficult might increase the information rent in a hierarchy. Hence, the analysis in this paper may help explain the recent trend towards "flatter" organizational structures.
Extended Lyα Emission around Young Quasars: A Constraint on Galaxy Formation

The early stage in the formation of a galaxy inevitably involves a spatially extended distribution of infalling, cold gas. If a central luminous quasar turned on during this phase, it would result in significant extended Lyα emission, possibly accompanied by other lines. For halos condensing at redshifts 3 ≲ z ≲ 8 and having virial temperatures 2 × 105 K ≲ Tvir ≲ 2 × 106 K, this emission results in a "fuzz" of characteristic angular diameter of a few arcseconds and surface brightness ~10-18 to 10-16 ergs s-1 cm-2 arcsec-2. The fuzz around bright, high-redshift quasars could be detected in deep narrowband imaging with current telescopes, providing a direct constraint on galaxy formation models. The absence of detectable fuzz might suggest that most of the protogalaxy's gas settles to a self-gravitating disk before a quasar turns on. However, continued gas infall from large radii, or an on-going merger spreading cold gas over a large solid angle, during the luminous quasar phase could also result in extended Lyα emission, and can be constrained by deep narrowband imaging.
Myt1 inhibition of Cyclin A/Cdk1 is essential for fusome integrity and premeiotic centriole engagement in Drosophila spermatocytes

Drosophila Myt1 is essential for male fertility. Loss of Myt1 activity causes defective fusomes and premature centriole disengagement during premeiotic G2 phase due to lack of Myt1 inhibition of Cyclin A/Cdk1. These functions are distinct from known roles for Myt1 inhibition of Cyclin B/Cdk1 used to regulate G2/MI timing.
Australian regional higher education: student characteristics and experiences

This study was undertaken for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) during May, June and July of 2010. It focuses on students who study at higher education institutions (HEIs) in regional parts of Australia, with particular attention paid to their characteristics, motivations, experiences and outcomes, both in terms of further study and of employment. The study catalogues a number of existing data sources which can be utilised for research into this population and identifies key gaps in the current collections which inhibit some areas of analysis into students at regional HEIs. Key findings include: (1) students at HEIs in regional parts of Australia are predominantly from surrounding regional areas; (2) students enrolled at regional HEIs are more likely to be female, tend to be older than their metropolitan counterparts, are more likely to care for dependents and are more likely to be Indigenous; (3) students from regional areas who wish to attend HEIs are often prevented from doing so by the costs associated with study, and are highly likely to defer the commencement of their courses for financial reasons; (4) students who complete their studies at regional HEIs tend to remain in regional areas for both further study and employment; and (5) students at regional HEIs in the fields of agriculture and environmental studies, and who undertake further study, are much less likely than metropolitan students to continue in the same field of education.
ZEB1 and c-Jun Levels Contribute to the Establishment of Highly Lytic Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in Gastric AGS Cells

ABSTRACT The induction of lytic infection has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for treating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive malignancies. To succeed, efficient methods are needed for activating the EBV immediate-early (IE) promoters, Zp and Rp. Here we compared factors which regulate Zp and Rp in AGS gastric carcinoma cells that support a remarkably high level of persistently lytic EBV infection with HeLa cervical cells that permit only tightly latent infection. We found that the level of Zp activity assayed by transient transfection assays with reporter plasmids was high in AGS cells but low in HeLa cells. The level of Rp activity was low in both cell types. Mutational analysis indicated that sequences within Zp located between −70 and +27 relative to the transcription initiation site were sufficient to confer a high level of Zp activity in AGS cells. The Zp CRE motif was necessary for this constitutive activity, while the ZIA and ZIB MEF2D motifs were not. Consistent with these findings, immunoblot analysis indicated that phosphorylated c-Jun, which activates Zp through the CRE motif, was expressed at a much higher level in EBV-infected AGS cells than in EBV-infected HeLa cells. In contrast, ZEB1, which represses Zp via the ZV motif located near the transcription initiation site, was abundant in HeLa cells, while it was absent from AGS cells. Exogenous addition of ZEB1 led to the repression of Zp in AGS cells. We conclude that the unusually high Zp activity level in AGS cells is due to the high abundance of positively acting transcription factors such as c-Jun combined with the low abundance of negatively acting factors such as ZEB1.
Connecting the Horizontal Dimension of Social Comparison With Self-Worth and Self-Confidence

Multilevel modeling of undergraduates (N = 229) event-contingent records of naturalistic social comparison experiences revealed distinct correlates of the horizontal (similar-different) dimension and vertical (better-worse) dimension of comparisons. Complementing past studies showing associations between the horizontal dimension and communal dispositions and experiences, the current study showed that the horizontal dimension also is associated with agentic dispositions and experiences such as self-worth and self-confidence. For example, participants perceived more similarity when comparing with targets’ desirable attributes than with targets’ undesirable attributes and perceiving similarities with desirable target attributes (and dissimilarities with undesirable target attributes) enhanced their self-confidence. Participants higher in self-worth (high in self-esteem and low in depression) were more discriminating in their experiences of similarity and connection; specifically, they reported more similarity and connection when targets’ attributes were desirable but less connection the more targets’ attributes were inferior to their own.
Genetic deletion of TNF receptor suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission via reducing AMPA receptor synaptic localization in cortical neurons

The distribution of postsynaptic glutamate receptors has been shown to be regulated by proimmunocytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) signaling. The role of TNF‐α receptor subtypes in mediating glutamate receptor expression, trafficking, and function still remains unclear. Here, we report that TNF receptor subtypes (TNFR1 and TNFR2) differentially modulate α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) clustering and function in cultured cortical neurons. We find that genetic deletion of TNFR1 decreases surface expression and synaptic localization of the AMPAR GluA1 subunit, reduces the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC), and reduces AMPA‐induced maximal whole‐cell current. In addition, these results are not observed in TNFR2‐deleted neurons. The decreased AMPAR expression and function in TNFR1‐deleted cells are not significantly restored by short (2 h) or long (24 h) term exposure to TNF‐α. In TNFR2‐deleted cells, TNF‐α promotes AMPAR trafficking to the synapse and increases mEPSC frequency. In the present study, we find no significant change in the GluN1 subunit of NMDAR clusters, location, and mEPSC. This includes applying or withholding the TNF‐α treatment in both TNFR1‐ and TNFR2‐deleted neurons. Our results indicate that TNF receptor subtype 1 but not 2 plays a critical role in modulating AMPAR clustering, suggesting that targeting TNFR1 gene might be a novel approach to preventing neuronal AMPAR‐mediated excitotoxicity. —He, P., Liu, Q. , Wu, J., Shen, Y. Genetic deletion of TNF receptor suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission via reducing AMPA receptor synaptic localization in cortical neurons. FASEB J. 26, 334–345 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Spin networks for noncompact groups

Spin networks are a natural generalization of Wilson loop functionals. They have been extensively studied in the case where the gauge group is compact and it has been shown that they naturally form a basis of gauge invariant observables. Physically the restriction to compact gauge groups is enough for the study of Yang–Mills theories, however it is well known that noncompact groups naturally arise as internal gauge groups for Lorentzian gravity models. In this context, a proper construction of gauge invariant observables is needed. The purpose of the present work is to define the notion of spin network states for noncompact groups. We first build, by a careful gauge fixing procedure, a natural measure and a Hilbert space structure on the space of gauge invariant graph connections. Spin networks are then defined as generalized eigenvectors of a complete set of hermitic commuting operators. We show how the delicate issue of taking the quotient of a space by noncompact groups can be address in term of algebraic geometry. We finally construct the full Hilbert space containing all spin network states. Having in mind applications to gravity, we illustrate our results for the groups SL(2,R) and SL(2,C).
Acoustic Emission use for prestressing strands corrosion assessment

La technique d'emission acoustique est etudiee dans le cadre de l'auscultation de la corrosion sous contrainte des câbles de precontrainte. Cette methode de controle non destructive semble particulierement adaptee puisqu'elle permet de detecter des defauts actifs en temps reel et a distance. Dans cette etude, les mecanismes de corrosion sont reproduits de maniere acceleree. Une attention particuliere a ete faite au mecanisme de fragilisation par l'hydrogene en utilisant une solution corrosive de thiocyanate d'ammonium. Une premiere etude avait demontre la capacite de l'EA a detecter quatre phases d'endommagement pendant un essai de corrosion. Chaque phase peut etre caracterisee par deux parametres d'EA : le nombre d'alternances et la duree. Ce second travail propose d'analyser la propagation des ondes d'emission acoustique dans une mini structure. Un accent particulier a ete mis sur le positionnement des capteurs. Les resultats montrent la difficulte des ondes a se propager dans le coulis de ciment mais certains capteurs ont des resultats encourageants.
ATLAS sensitivity range for the x(s) measurement

Previous results for the prospects of B_s mixing measurement in the ATLAS experiment at LHC are updated. The improved analysis method of the studied decay channels B_s -> D_s pi and B_s -> D_s a_1, combined with most recent values for the branching ratios and the B_s lifetime, leads to the new ATLAS sensitivity range for the x_s measurement: x_s^{max} = 42. An extensive study is done in order to estimate how x_s^{max} is influenced by the B-decay proper-time resolution of the vertex detector, as well as by the number of events and by the signal-to-background ratio.
How cuckoldry can decrease the opportunity for sexual selection: Data and theory from a genetic parentage analysis of the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus

Alternative mating strategies are common in nature and are generally thought to increase the intensity of sexual selection. However, cuckoldry can theoretically decrease the opportunity for sexual selection, particularly in highly polygamous species. We address here the influence of sneaking (fertilization thievery) on the opportunity for sexual selection in the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus, a marine fish species in which males build and defend nests. Our microsatellite-based analysis of the mating system in a natural sand goby population shows high rates of sneaking and multiple mating by males. Sneaker males had fertilized eggs in ≈50% of the assayed nests, and multiple sneakers sometimes fertilized eggs from a single female. Successful males had received eggs from 2 to 6 females per nest (mean = 3.4). We developed a simple mathematical model showing that sneaking in this polygynous sand goby population almost certainly decreases the opportunity for sexual selection, an outcome that contrasts with the usual effects of cuckoldry in socially monogamous animals. These results highlight a more complex and interesting relationship between cuckoldry rates and the intensity of sexual selection than previously assumed in much of the literature on animal mating systems.