Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantification of factors influencing fluorescent protein expression using RMCE to generate an allelic series in the ROSA26 locus in mice

SUMMARY Fluorescent proteins (FPs) have great utility in identifying specific cell populations and in studying cellular dynamics in the mouse. To quantify the factors that determine both the expression and relative brightness of FPs in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and in mice, we generated eight different FP-expressing ROSA26 alleles using recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE). These alleles enabled us to analyze the effects on FP expression of a translational enhancer and different 3′-intronic and/or polyadenylation sequences, as well as the relative brightness of five different FPs, without the confounding position and copy number effects that are typically associated with randomly inserted transgenes. We found that the expression of a given FP can vary threefold or more depending on the genetic features present in the allele. The optimal FP expression cassette contained both a translational enhancer sequence in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) and an intron-containing rabbit β-globin sequence within the 3′-UTR. The relative expressed brightness of individual FPs varied up to tenfold. Of the five different monomeric FPs tested, Citrine (YFP) was the brightest, followed by Apple, eGFP, Cerulean (CFP) and Cherry. Generation of a line of Cherry-expressing mice showed that there was a 30-fold variation of Cherry expression among different tissues and that there was a punctate expression pattern within cells of all tissues examined. This study should help investigators make better-informed design choices when expressing FPs in mESCs and mice.
Molecular Alterations of Parotid Saliva in Infantile Chronic Recurrent Parotitis

Infantile chronic recurrent parotitis (ICRP) is an insidious disease whose etiopathogenesis remains an enigma. Alterations in the physical appearance of parotid saliva from ICRP patients have been frequently reported. However, sialochemical studies in regard to ICRP are very rare. The aim of this study was to determine whether saliva of ICRP patients presents major physicochemical and biochemical alterations compared with saliva from paired healthy controls. Parotid, whole, and submandibular/sublingual saliva was collected at an asymptomatic stage from 33 ICRP patients (5–16 y old, both sexes) and from 33 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Saliva was analyzed for protein concentration, mode of protein diffusion on cellulose membranes, unidimensional sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protein profiles and zymographic profiles of metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). Parotid saliva of ICRP patients showed an increased protein concentration, altered mode of protein diffusion, a higher frequency of polypeptide bands of 43, 37, 33, 29, 26, 16, and 10 kD, higher asymmetry in the polypeptide profiles of both contralateral parotid saliva, and an increase in the frequency of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Parotid saliva of patients with ICRP is molecularly altered with respect to normal saliva. Some of the molecular differences could be related to the etiopathogenesis of the disease.
Multidisciplinary Treatments, Patient Characteristics, Context of Care, and Adverse Incidents in Older, Hospitalized Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that contribute to adverse incidents by creating a model that included patient characteristics, clinical conditions, nursing unit context of care variables, medical treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, and nursing treatments. Data were abstracted from electronic, administrative, and clinical data repositories. The sample included older adults hospitalized during a four-year period at one, academic medical facility in the Midwestern United States who were at risk for falling. Relational databases were built and a multistep, statistical model building analytic process was used. Total registered nurse (RN) hours per patient day (HPPD) and HPPDs dropping below the nursing unit average were significant explanatory variables for experiencing an adverse incident. The number of medical and pharmaceutical treatments that a patient received during hospitalization as well as many specific nursing treatments (e.g., restraint use, neurological monitoring) were also contributors to experiencing an adverse incident.
Skeletal anchorage in orthodontics--a review of various systems in animal and human studies.

PURPOSE The aim of the present investigation was to review and evaluate the current literature on skeletal bone anchorage in orthodontics with regard to success rates of the various systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane searches (period January 1966 to January 2006, English language) of animal and human studies using skeletal anchorage during orthodontic treatment were scrutinized. A total of 50 relevant articles were identified which investigated various types of implants. RESULTS Two types of anchorage systems are used in orthodontics: (1) osseointegrated dental implants, including temporary mid-palatal implants. These systems were associated with a wide variety of success rates in animal studies. In human studies, the systems were shown to be reliable, with success rates between 85% and 100% (ie, systems still functioning at the end of the orthodontic treatment). (2) Nonosseointegrated mini-plates and mini-screw anchorage systems. Titanium miniplates were associated with 100% success in animals, and hardly any loss of these mini-plates (bone anchors) were lost due to infection in human studies, with success rates between 91% and 100%. Few long-term studies on nonosseointegrated mini-screws were found, but in animal studies, success rates ranged from 90% to 100%. A success rate of more than 75% in human studies is considered favorable for these orthodontic implants, which confirms the clinical applicability of this type of immediate loading anchor support in orthodontics. CONCLUSIONS Both animal and human studies revealed that mesiodistal and intrusion movements can be reliably carried out by means of skeletal anchorage devices. A drawback is that animal studies do not reflect the real orthodontic clinical situation; thus, the outcome of these studies should be interpreted with caution. Human studies, however, show that orthodontic forces between 100 and 400 grams can be applied successfully to skeletal anchorage devices. Appropriate treatment strategies need to be confirmed by randomized prospective clinical trials. (More than 50 references).
The effect of long-term supplementation of vitamin C on pulpal blood flow in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

To examine the effect of vitamin C on blood flow in diabetic dental pulp, the animal model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (i.v. injection of STZ 55 mg/kg BW) was used. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were divided into 3 groups: non-diabetes (CON), diabetes (STZ), and diabetes supplemented by vitamin C (STZ+Vit C). Vitamin C was supplemented by drinking water (1 g/l). At 12 weeks (wks) and 24 wks after the STZ injection, the laser Doppler flow-meter (Model ALF 21, USA) was used to measure pulpal blood flow (PBF) while the animals were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (50 mg/kg BW). The experimental results showed that at 12 and 24 wks after the STZ injection, hyperglycemia hypertension and loss of body weight were significantly developed. Simultaneously, decreased plasma vitamin C level was demonstrated significantly in STZ rats. The reduction of pulpal blood flow (PBF) in the lower incisors was observed in STZ rats at both monitored time points. Interestingly, the supplementation of vitamin C for 24 wks restored PBF. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that long-term supplementation of vitamin C, a natural antioxidant, could markedly prevent the diabetic-induced reduction in PBF.
Nonparametric feature selection and support vector machine for polarimetric SAR data classification

There are a wide range of SAR parameters that may be extracted from polarimetric SAR data. In very complex scenes like forests it is very useful to exploit the discriminative power offered by these features. Most of these features are of complex and sometimes unknown statistical properties. For this, the conventional feature selection algorithms cannot be applied. To account for this, a nonparametric separability measure was used as the evaluation function in the feature selection process. The measure is defined as the determinant of the between-class scatter matrix to the determinant of the sum of within-class scatter matrices. To improve the classification accuracy, the method was also used in the context of a class-based feature selection. The approach, first selects a feature subset for each class, train a SVM classifier on each selected feature subset and finally combines the outputs of the classifiers in a combination scheme. The Wishart classification algorithm is used as the reference method. Experimental results using Radarsat-2 data indicate that using the developed method improves the classification accuracy.
Use of individual race results in the estimation of genetic parameters of trotting performance for Finnhorse and Standardbred trotters

Vuonna 1996 kaynnistyneen projektin tarkoituksena oli kehittaa elainmalli-BLUP -menetelmaan perustuva ravihevosten jalostusarvostelusysteemi. Lahtokohtana oli kilpailukohtaisten tulosten tarjoama mahdollisuus maaritella entista tarkempi tuloksia kuvaava tilastollinen malli, jonka avulla hevosia pystytaan vertaamaan kilpailukohtaisesti. Ensisijaisena vertailuryhmana olisivat kaikki samaan lahtoon osallistuvathevoset, eli ne, joita vastaan hevonen kilpailee. Tutkimuksessa maaritettiin tilastollinen malli ja perinnolliset tunnusluvut kilpailukohtaisille tuloksille. Tarkastelun kohteena oli kolme ravikilpailumenestysta mittaavaa tekijaa: kokonaisaika, sijoitus ja voittosumma. Analyyseissa olivat mukana tulokset Vermon keskusradalta ja Etela-Suomen maakuntaradoilta. Suomenhevosten osalta aineisto (SH) kasitti vuodet 19911995 ja sisalsi 81 643 kilpailukohtaista tulosta 4808 elaimelta. Lamminveristen hevosten aineisto (LV) jouduttiin laskentateknisista syista rajaamaan vuosiin 19931995, kasittaen 74 855 tulosta 5869 elaimelta. Sukulaisuudet otettiin huomioon kolmen sukupolven ajalta. Kayttokelpoisen tilastollisen mallin todettiin sisaltavan seuraavat kiinteat ymparistotekijat: sukupuoli, ika, ohjastaja, lahetystapa-lahtorata ja lahto. Ohjastajan vaikutus oletettiin kiinteaksi, ajokokemuksen mukaan luokitelluksi tekijaksi. Ohjastajaa testattiin myos satunnaistekijana talloin mallin avulla oli kuitenkin vaikea erottaa ohjastajan ja pysyvan ymparistotekijan vaikutukset toisistaan. Lahetystapa ja lahtorata yhdistettiin yhdeksi tekijaksi, koska auto- ja tasoituslahdoittain lahtoratojen ratkaisut olivat erilaiset. Kiintea lahtotekija, joka koostui paivamaarasta, raviradasta ja lahdon numerosta, johtaa elainten vertailuun kunkin lahdon sisalla, jolloin erillista juostavan matkan pituutta kuvaavaa tekijaa ei tarvittu. Lisaksi tilastollinen malli sisalsi elaimen jalostusarvoa kuvaavan termin seka elaimen ei-perinnollista vaikutusta kuvaavan tekijan. Tama ns. pysyva ymparisto-tekija jaettiin kahteen osaan: ensimmainen kuvaa kilpailutulosten toistuvuutta hevosen koko uran ajalta, toinen kunkin kilpailuvuoden sisalla. Kun pysyva ymparistotekija jaettiin kahteen eri osaan, mallin selitysaste parani. Molemmilla roduilla kokonaisajan (SH h 2 =0,23 LV h 2 =0,28), sijoituksen (SH ja LV h 2 =0,12) ja voittosumman (SH h 2 =0,05 ja LV h 2 =0,09) periytymisasteet vaihtelivat alhaisesta kohtalaiseen. Kokonaisaikaa voidaan pitaa monipuolisimpana kilpailumenestyksen mittana, koska se kertoo seka hevosten jarjestyksen etta niiden valiset erot. Sijoitus kertoo ainoastaan hevosten jarjestyksen, kun taas voittosumma asettaa samanarvoisiksi kaikki ne hevoset, jotka eivat ole saaneet rahapalkintoja. Toisaalta hylattyjen ja keskeyttaneiden hevosten huomioiminen jalostus-arvostelussa on tarkeaa, silla niiden huomiotta jattaminen vaaristaa jalostusarvoja. Eras ratkaisuvaihtoehto olisi kokonaisajan ja voittosumman kayttaminen samanaikaisesti jalostusarvostelussa.
Identifying dominant allocation strategies of individuals in the minimal group paradigm

I describe a simple method which makes it possible, on the basis of measured strategy pull scores in a given minimal group experiment, to identify and also visually display the dominant distribution strategies of individual participants. In a validation study (N = 32), I (1) compared these dominant strategies with the self-reported distribution strategies of the participants and (2) assessed their consistency across different Tajfel matrix types. As it turned out, the dominant strategies, particularly the consistent ones, were highly congruent with the participants' subjective strategies. I argue that dominant strategies are less ambivalent and psychologically more valid than pull scores, although they are derived from the latter, and that this type of analysis, with its focus on interindividual differences, has the potential to stimulate new, interesting research questions.
Models for the lens and source of B0218+357: a LensClean approach to determine H0

B0218+357 is one of the most promising systems to determine the Hubble constant from time-delays in gravitational lenses. Consisting of two bright images, which are well resolved in very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations, plus one of the most richly structured Einstein rings, it potentially provides better constraints for the mass model than most other systems. The main problem left until now was the very poorly determined position of the lensing galaxy. After presenting detailed results from classical lens modelling, we apply our improved version of the LensClean algorithm which for the first time utilizes the beautiful Einstein ring for lens modelling purposes. The primary result using isothermal lens models is a now very well defined lens position of (255 ± 6, 119 ± 4) mas relative to the A image, which allows the first reliable measurement of the Hubble constant from the time-delay of this system. The result of H0= (78 ± 6) km s−1 Mpc−1 (2σ) is very high compared with other lenses. It is, however, compatible with local estimates from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) key project and with WMAP results, but less prone to systematic errors. We furthermore discuss possible changes of these results for different radial mass profiles and find that the final values cannot be very different from the isothermal expectations. The power-law exponent of the potential is constrained by VLBI data of the compact images and the inner jet to be β= 1.04 ± 0.02, which confirms that the mass distribution is approximately isothermal (corresponding to β= 1), but slightly shallower. The effect on H0 is reduced from the expected 4 per cent decrease by an estimated shift of the best galaxy position of circa 4 mas to at most 2 per cent. Maps of the unlensed source plane produced from the best LensClean brightness model show a typical jet structure and allow us to identify the parts which are distorted by the lens to produce the radio ring. We also present a composite map which for the first time shows the rich structure of B0218+357 on scales ranging from mas to arcsec, both in the image plane and in the reconstructed source plane. Finally, we use a comparison of observations at different frequencies to investigate the question of possible weakening of one of the images by propagation effects and/or source shifts with frequency. The data clearly favour the model of significant ‘extinction’ without noticeable source position shifts. The technical details of our variant of the LensClean method are presented in the accompanying Paper I.
Culture and Identity-Protective Cognition: Explaining the White Male Effect in Risk Perception

Why do white men fear various risks less than women and minorities? Known as the “white-male effect,” this pattern is well documented but poorly understood. This article proposes a new explanation: identityprotective cognition. Putting work on the cultural theory of risk together with work on motivated cognition in social psychology suggests that individuals selectively credit and dismiss asserted dangers in a manner supportive of their cultural identities. This dynamic, it is hypothesized, drives the white-male effect, which reflects the risk skepticism that hierarchical and individualistic white males display when activities integral to their cultural identities are challenged as harmful. The article presents the results of an 1,800-person study that confirmed that cultural worldviews interact with the impact of gender and race on risk perception in patterns that suggest cultural-identity-protective cognition. It also discusses the implications of these findings for risk regulation and communication. Fear discriminates. Numerous studies show that risk perceptions are skewed across gender and race: women worry more than men, and minorities more than whites, about myriad dangers—from environmental pollution to
Too Much of a Good Thing? The Relationship Between Number of Friends and Interpersonal Impressions on Facebook

A central feature of the online social networking system, Facebook, is the connection to and links among friends. The sum of the number of one’s friends is a feature displayed on users’ profiles as a vestige of the friend connections a user has accrued. In contrast to offline social networks, individuals in online network systems frequently accrue friends numbering several hundred. The uncertain meaning of friend status in these systems raises questions about whether and how sociometric popularity conveys attractiveness in non-traditional, non-linear ways. An experiment examined the relationship between the number of friends a Facebook profile featured and observers’ ratings of attractiveness and extraversion. A curvilinear effect of sociometric popularity and social attractiveness emerged, as did a quartic relationship between friend count and perceived extraversion. These results suggest that an overabundance of friend connections raises doubts about Facebook users’ popularity and desirability. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008. 00409.x New forms of computer-mediated-communication (CMC) are raising questions, about the relationship between communication activities and interpersonal judgments. Communication technology has evolved beyond the means by which senders had more or less complete control over the impression-related information that receivers could observe. With the advent of new social technologies, users no longer have to rely on an individual’s self-composed emails, chat statements, or personal web pages to garner impressions about a subject. Users employ strategies unique to CMC including browsing archived transcripts of discussions and chats, surfing personal and institutional web sites, or using search engines to uncover a variety of
The use of personal digital assistants among medical residents

The purpose of this study was to determine residents’ perception of the utility of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and their influence on clinical practice at two teaching hospitals, one of which subsidized resident purchase of a PDA. A total of 21 residents in the unsubsidized group (32%) and 24 residents in the subsidized group (96%) owned a PDA. Medical residents who were provided with PDAs perceived them to be less useful than residents who were not provided with them. Palm owners in both groups responded that they used these devices to organize their record keeping and the most frequently used programs were pharmacopoeias, medical reference and clinical calculators. Residents quickly adapted PDA to clinical care and further research is needed to assess their impact on resident education and patient outcomes.
Determination of the intracellular sodium concentration in perfused mouse liver by 31P and 23Na magnetic resonance spectroscopy

A combination of 31P and 23Na NMR spectroscopy has been used to quantify the concentration of intracellular sodium, [Na]IC in the isolated and perfused mouse liver. The 31P resonances of dimethyl methylphosphonate and LaDOTP5−, markers of total tissue space and extracellular space, respectively, were used to determine the intracellular liver volume. For a mean wet weight of 1.7 ± 0.3 g, the intracellular liver volume as measured by 31P NMR averaged 1.2 ± 0.2 ml. The amount of intracellular sodium was measured from the baseline‐resolved intracellular 23Na resonance during perfusion of the shift reagent, TmDOTP5−. These two measurements resulted in an NMR‐determined value for [Na]IC of 29.0 ± 5.2 mM. Separate measurement of total tissue Tm and Na by atomic absorption spectroscopy on the same samples provided an AAS‐determined value for [Na]Ic of 32.1 ± 7.4 mM. These results indicate that intracellular sodium in the isolated, perfused liver is 100% visible by 23Na NMR spectroscopy.
Something on my mind besides the everyday: Women and literacy

In the concluding chapter, Mezirow acknowledges the contributors' potential disagreement with his approach but focuses on his own ideas in relating the diverse collection of approaches and ideologies. Also in this chapter, he highlights other approaches toward emancipatory education—Argyris and Schon's model of interpersonal communication, Shor and Freire's "dialogic method of teaching", and Brookfield's discussion of strategies such as assumptions analysis and options thinking.
An Australian Twin Study of Cannabis and Other Illicit Drug Use and Misuse, and Other Psychopathology

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug throughout the developed world and there is consistent evidence of heritable influences on multiple stages of cannabis involvement including initiation of use and abuse/dependence. In this paper, we describe the methodology and preliminary results of a large-scale interview study of 3,824 young adult twins (born 1972–1979) and their siblings. Cannabis use was common with 75.2% of males and 64.7% of females reporting some lifetime use of cannabis while 24.5% of males and 11.8% of females reported meeting criteria for DSM-IV cannabis abuse or dependence. Rates of other drug use disorders and common psychiatric conditions were highly correlated with extent of cannabis involvement and there was consistent evidence of heritable influences across a range of cannabis phenotypes including early (≤15 years) opportunity to use (h2 = 72%), early (≤16 years) onset use (h2 = 80%), using cannabis 11+ times lifetime (h2 = 76%), and DSM abuse/dependence (h2 = 72%). Early age of onset of cannabis use was strongly associated with increased rates of subsequent use of other illicit drugs and with illicit drug abuse/dependence; further analyses indicating that some component of this association may have been mediated by increasing exposure to and opportunity to use other illicit drugs.
How Working Parents Cope with the Care of Sick Young Children

Previous research has documented that the failure of institutional child care to deal with the care of sick children is a widespread source of stress and dissatisfaction amongst working parents. Questionnaires distributed to working parents of young children through some Sydney child care centres netted 489 responses. The survey determined which parent generally cared for sick children, the impact on their job, and their feelings about combining work and parenting. Responses indicated that the gap in institutional child care services for sick children persists and remains a considerable source of parental dissatisfaction. Mothers in particular saw disruption to work to care for sick children as a particular problem in demonstrating commitment to their career and as a major source of guilt in their role of working parent.