Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Invariance and sex‐specific variations of the glomerular organization in the antennal lobes of a moth, Mamestra brassicae, and a butterfly, Pieris brassicae

The glomerular organization of the antennal lobes was analyzed in the moth Mamestra brassicae and comparatively in the butterfly Pieris brassicae. The invariance of the lobes in number, position, and size of the glomeruli was verified quantitatively in the moth for all the glomeruli in individuals of the same sex (67 in males, 68 in females) and for 56 sex‐invariant glomeruli which can be identified in all individuals whatever their sex. In the butterfly, the positional variability is greater than in the moth and hinders identification. The most conspicuous sex‐variant glomeruli are two adjoining macro‐glomeruli in the male moth which have homologs of very small size in the female. No such dimorph ism was observed in Pieris, a species in which males are attracted to female by visual stimuli and not by a sex pheromone as in Mamestra. There are other sex‐variant glomeruli in Mamestra: four varying in location, three subdivided in the female, two found only in the male, and three found only in the female. Consequently, differing olfactory sensitivity related to species and sex could correlate with detectable modifications in the glomerular organization. A hypothesis on the function of glomeruli is discussed in which most of the glomeruli are viewed as “olfactory general‐ists” giving rise collectively to proposed “across‐glomeruli patterns”.
Spectrum computation for periodic analog signals using genetic algorithms

This paper proposes a new method for computing the spectrum of a periodic analog signal, based on the concept of minimizing a square error function. The method involves generating the error function, which is accomplished using symbolic computation with the program Maple, and the minimization of this function using the genetic algorithms and gradient methods using the program Matlab.
Decreased Expression of SETD2 Predicts Unfavorable Prognosis in Patients With Nonmetastatic Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

AbstractDNA sequencing revealed that mutations in SETD2 occur in 3% to 12% of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cases and are associated with poor clinical outcome. In this study, we used an immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay to evaluate the impact of SETD2 loss, with expression of H3K36me3, a nonredundantly histone modification by SETD2, on recurrence and survival of nonmetastatic ccRCC patients after nephrectomy.SETD2 and H3K36me3 were assessed in 192 nonmetastatic ccRCC patients enrolled retrospectively from a single institution. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis were used to associate prespecified SETD2/H3K36me3 score with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). And a nomogram was constructed to predict OS at 10 years.Patients with low expression of SETD2 were prone to possess large tumor size and advanced pT stage. And low H3K36me3 expression was associated with larger tumor size. A prespecified combined score based on SETD2 and H3K36me3 expression remained an independent prognosticator for OS and RFS, which was associated with tumor size, pT stage, and sarcomatoid. Furthermore, using prespecified SETD2/H3K36me3 score could stratify nonmetastatic ccRCC patients into different risk subgroups, especially in patients dichotomized by pT stage and Fuhrman grade, respectively. Finally, the C-index for predicting OS increased from 0.727 to 0.747, after adding SETD2/H3K36me3 score to pT stage and Fuhrman grade.The combined score based on expression of SETD2 and H3K36me3 using IHC could predict poor clinical outcomes in nonmetastatic ccRCC patients, and it may benefit preoperative risk stratification and guide treatment planning in the future.
Consolidating Russia and Eurasia Antibiotic Resistance Data for 1992–2014 Using Search Engine

Background: The World Health Organization recognizes the antibiotic resistance problem as a major health threat in the twenty first century. The paper describes an effort to fight it undertaken at the verge of two industries—healthcare and Data Science. One of the major difficulties in monitoring antibiotic resistance is low availability of comprehensive research data. Our aim is to develop a nation-wide antibiotic resistance database using Internet search and data processing algorithms using Russian language publications. Materials and Methods: An interdisciplinary team built an intelligent Internet search filter to locate all publicly available research data on antibiotic resistance in Russia and Eurasia countries, extracted it, and collated it for analysis. A database was constructed using data from 850 original studies conducted at 153 locations in 12 countries between 1992 and 2014. The studies contained susceptibility and resistance rates of 156 microorganisms to 157 antibiotic drugs. Results: The applied search methodology was highly robust in that it yielded search precision of 58 vs. 20% in a typical Internet search. It allowed finding and collating within the database the following data items (among many others): publication details including title, source, date, authors, etc.; study details: time period, locations, research organization, therapy area, etc.; microorganisms and antibiotic drugs included in the study along with prevalence values of resistant and susceptible strains, and numbers of isolates. The next stage in project development will try to validate the data by matching it to major benchmark studies; in addition, a panel of experts will be convened to evaluate the outcomes. Conclusions: The work provides a supplementary tool to national surveillance systems in antibiotic resistance, and consolidates fragmented research data available for 12 countries for a period of more than 20 years.
An efficient top-down parsing algorithm for understanding speech by using stochastic syntactic and semantic models

The paper is concerning an approach for understanding speech using a new form of probabilistic models to represent syntactic and semantic knowledge of a restricted domain. One important feature of our grammar is that the parse tree directly represents the semantic content of the utterance. Since we determine that semantic content by an integrated search, we avoid consistency problems at the interface between the recognizer and the language understanding part of the speech understanding system. We succeeded in designing such an incremental algorithm, which integrates semantic, syntactic, and acoustic-phonetic knowledge in a seamless, consistent way. High efficiency is achieved by using a chart-parsing technique with structure-sharing and a strict top-down strategy for opening new word hypotheses in the pronunciation layer.
The Lord Howe Island Oral History Project

Life in remote locations is a keynote of the Australian experience, but what is it like to live on this Australian territory, an elevenkilometre long, remote speck in the Pacific Ocean, far from the mainland? A commissioned project recorded forty hours of interviews in 2005. This article shares some responses of informants on major themes of identity, lifestyle and isolation, as well as how unique aspects of land tenure and an island economy affect lives and aspirations; and critical aspects of environmental issues and residents' thoughts on the future of the island are also explored. Of particular note are details on how digital technology was used for recording, and later in compiling interview logs for research access to the material.
An Improved Implementation of Codon Adaptation Index

Codon adaptation index is a widely used index for characterizing gene expression in general and translation efficiency in particular. Current computational implementations have a number of problems leading to various systematic biases. I illustrate these problems and provide a better computer implementation to solve these problems. The improved CAI can predict protein production better than CAI from other commonly used implementations.
Exploring the influence of multigenerational transmission process among nonresidential African American fathers

With a disproportionate percentage of black children growing up in fatherless homes in the U.S. and an increasing concern over the state of fatherhood nationally, investigation of fathering in the African American community is essential. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nonresidential African American fathers and how their parenting beliefs and behaviors have been transmitted to them from their fathers and grandfathers. The theoretical framework of the study included the Responsible Fathering Conceptual Model and Family Systems Theory. Through qualitative, exploratory research methodology, the perceptions of African American fathers who do not reside in the same home as their children were investigated using indepth interviews. A sample size of 20 participants was selected using purposeful, maximum variation sampling procedures, with variations in educational and income levels. Participants were interviewed using preselected questions in a semi-structured interview, and interviews typically lasted between 1-2 hours. Data collected during this study included demographic profile questionnaires, audio-taped interviews and transcriptions of interviews, and investigator written memos and notes. Using the grounded theory approach, the data was analyzed through techniques such as line-by-line analysis, interpreting data "chunks," open, axial and selective coding, and constantly comparing individual and collective participants'
Evaluation of renal protective effects of inhibiting TGF-β type I receptor in a cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity model.

PURPOSE The use of cisplatin, the first of the platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs, is limited by the development of a myriad of adverse reactions, including nephrotoxicity. We conducted this study therefore to find out whether SB-431542, potent and specific inhibitor of type I transforming growth factor-beta receptor (TGF-βR1), could prevent or attenuate kidney damage in rats, and to elucidate its possible mechanism of action. METHODS Fifty rats were treated with cisplatin (10 mg/kg) in the presence (1 and 3 mg/kg) or absence of SB-431542. Morphological changes were assessed in kidney sections stained with H/E. Oxidative stress was evaluated in kidney homogenates by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Kidney samples were used for measurements of TGF-βR1, TGF-β1 and sCD93 by ELISA. Kidney tissue apoptosis was assessed by measuring caspase-3 activity. RESULTS The renal protective effect of SB-431542 was confirmed by the normal appearance of renal tissue and the relatively unaffected serum creatinine and urea levels. With SB-431542, there was significantly lower renal MDA and increased SOD compared with the cisplatin group. Furthermore, in the SB-431542 group, renal TGF-βR1, TGF-β1, sCD93 and caspase-3 levels were significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS Inhibition of TGF-βR1 provides protective effects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through several mechanisms, including attenuation of oxidative stress, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, blocking of renal fibrosis markers, and anti-apoptotic effects.
Evaluation of Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) scoring in African children with falciparum malaria

Objective: Little is known about the use of generic severity scores in severe childhood infectious diseases. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the performance of the Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) scoring system in predicting the outcome of falciparum malaria in African children. Design, Setting, Patients: All children admitted to a 120-bed pediatric ward in a tertiary care hospital in Dakar, Senegal, with a primary diagnosis of acute malaria were assigned a PRISM score after 24 hrs or at time of death. Interventions: None. Results: PRISM discrimination, evaluated by areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), was good both for all acute malaria cases (n = 311; lethality, 9%; AUC, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85–0.92) and for severe malaria cases (n = 233; lethality, 12%; AUC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.81–0.90). However, the number of children who died was greater than the number of deaths predicted by PRISM (standardized mortality ratio, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.46–2.87). Conclusion: This discrepancy observed in five classes of expected mortality (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square test, p < .001) may have been due to chance (sample size too small for a valid test), to a lower standard of care in Dakar than in the American hospitals where PRISM was designed, or to a failure of PRISM to classify risk in severe malaria.
Bipolar Disorder: It's All in Your Mind? The Neuropsychological Profile of a Biological Disorder

Objective: To compare and contrast the neuropsychological profile of the 3 phases of bipolar disorder (BD) to achieve a better definition of BD and to identify potential state and trait deficits. Methods: We conducted a search for English-language papers published in journals from 1965 onward, using the following terms in Medline and Embase: neuropsychology or neuropsychological and BD, depression, mania, and euthymia. We scrutinized suitable subheadings and retrieved familiar papers and literature. Results: We initially identified more than 100 articles and then excluded reviews and papers that did not directly administer neuropsychological tests. This left 27 papers, which we further examined and the findings of which we tabulated and discussed. Cognitive and executive functioning deficits were found, including set-shifting, verbal fluency, planning, attention, and memory. Conclusions: The neuropsychological deficits found in bipolar depression, mania or hypomania, and euthymia provide important insights into the pathophysiology of BD and may, in future studies, form the basis of clinically meaningful subtypes.
Association between parenting processes and child behavior outcomes: the moderating and mediating role of child characteristics

Past research demonstrates the importance parents have in determining the outcomes in their children’s lives. Of these outcomes, child academic achievement is extremely important. In investigating past research on parenting practices and styles, factors such as parental monitoring and involvement as well as styles of authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting were examined to determine an association with academic achievement in middle school children. Learning disabilities, mental disorders, child personality characteristics and child academic characteristics were other measures explored as buffers in the parenting to academic achievement relationship. Mediating effects were also examined. The current study sampled 179 middle school students (grades 6-9) and their mothers; and a majority of participants were recruited from the Cedar Falls community schools. The results found that parental monitoring and parental involvement with school-related discussions with children was positively associated with academic achievement, although involvement with homework showed a negative relation with academic achievement. Children with low levels of self-regulated learning and self-efficacy benefit academically from high levels of discussion with their parents. However, high levels of child self-efficacy served as a protective factor in cases of high authoritarian parenting. Mediating effects were also explored in child academic and personal characteristics with GPA (emotion regulation, self-regulated learning, and self-efficacy). The findings in this study have implications for early intervention programs for child academic achievement that target both child behaviors and parenting strategies. It also demonstrates how a number of factors can contribute to rates of child academic success, although other factors may be explored in future research.
Parental Use of the Threat "God Will Punish": Replication and Extension

Nunn (1964) presented data to give limited support to the thesis that in order to secure compliance from their children, powerless parents tell them "God will punish them if they misbehave. " Youths who subscribe to this belief have higher levels of self-blame and greater feeling they should be obedient than youths who do not. Using data from Minnesota children in grades four through eight, we find little support for the hypothesis that it is powerless parents who use this technique. However, like Nunn, we find the belief that "God punishes youths who are bad" is positively associated with selfblame and obedience. We introduce an additional variable, i.e., subscribing in general to the image of God as punishing or angry. Using this variable in relation to the belief that "God punishes youths who are bad" gives four cells, one of which is the image of God as angry/punishing but rejecting the belief that "God punishes youths who are bad" (this combination is one of a malevolent but impersonal God.). Youths subscribing to this combination have the lowest levels of self-blame and feeling of obedience to parents. Our findings agree with Nunn's linkage of parental "coalition with God" and the child's benevolent image of God; the malevolent view is linked with a lower level of internalization.
Neurobiological, Neuroimaging, and Neuropsychological Studies of Children and Adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

The aim of this article is to review findings from the neurobiological, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological literature that have contributed to our understanding of the etiology and development of disruptive behavior disorders, with particular reference to conduct disorder. This review focuses on neurobiological systems such as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and neuroimaging evidence linking disruptive behavior disorders to changes in brain functioning or structure. Overall, this research suggests that brain areas involved in emotional processing and regulation are particularly compromised in children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder, which fits with evidence obtained from neuropsychological studies. This review highlights the importance of neuroscientific research in characterizing reliable brain-based functional and structural biomarkers that may contribute to an increased understanding of, and the development of new treatments for, antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents.
Managing Business Processes an an Information Resource

The relevance of business processes as a major asset of an enterprise is more and more accepted: Business processes prescribe the way in which the resources of an enterprise are used, i.e., they describe how an enterprise will achieve its business goals. Organizations typically prescribe how business processes have to be performed, and they seek information technology that supports these processes. We describe a system that supports the two fundamental aspects of business process management, namely the modeling of processes and their execution. The meta-model of our system deals with models of business processes as weighted, colored, directed graphs of activities; execution is performed by navigation through the graphs according to a well-defined set of rules. The architecture consists of a distributed system with a client/server structure, and stores its data in an object-oriented database system.
Histopathological changes in gallbladder mucosa in cholelithiasis: correlation with chemical composition of gallstones.

BACKGROUND Cholelithiasis produces diverse histopathological changes in gallbladder mucosa namely acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, glandular hyperplasia, granulomatous inflammation, cholesterosis, dysplasia, and carcinoma. Gallstones have different chemical composition. They may be cholesterol, pigment or mixed stones. The aim of this prospective study was to see if any correlation existed between the chemistry of gallstones and any particular histopathologic picture. METHODS Between May 1997 and December 1997 we diagnosed and operated on 40 patients with cholelithiasis. Diagnosis was established by ultrasound. After operation gallstones were sent for chemical analysis to detect presence of calcium bilirubinate and cholesterol. Serial sections of gallbladder from fundus to neck were stained by haematoxylin and eosin, and studied. RESULTS Out of 40 patients (n = 40) 29 were females and 11 were males. The mean age of our patients was 38 +/- 21 years with a median of 40 years. Median age of males was 48 years compared to 38 years for females. Twenty-eight patients had mixed stones, 8 had pigment stones and 4 had cholesterol stones. Out of 28 patients with mixed stones 14 had histological picture of chronic cholecystitis, 8 had granulomatous cholecystitis, 4 had adenomatous hyperplasia, 1 had dysplasia and 1 had carcinoma. All 8 patients having pigment gallstones had chronic cholecystitis. Out of 4 patients with cholesterol gallstones, 2 had chronic cholecystitis, 1 had adenomatous hyperplasia and 1 had cholesterosis. Gallbladder having pigment stones were devoid of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses. CONCLUSION Adenomatous hyperplasia and Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses were not seen in gallbladder containing pigment stones but seen in gallbladders containing mixed and cholesterol stones in our study. Cholesterol may be a more potent stimulus for glandular hyperplasia or glandular hyperplasia may responsible for formation of cholesterol rich stones.
Enhancing Salesperson Trust: An Examination of Managerial Values, Empowerment, and the Moderating Influence of SBU Strategy

Within a sales environment, the development and conveyance of managerial values play a critical role in enhancing salesperson trust and performance. This study identifies specific managerial values (i.e., integration, flexibility, control, spontaneity, etc.) that support particular business strategies (i.e., prospector, defender, or analyzer). The proposed model investigates the impact of aligning managerial value systems to SBU type on building trusting relationships within a manager–salesperson context. Study results suggest various implications for managers.
High-precision tracking of sperm swimming fine structure provides strong test of resistive force theory

SUMMARY The shape of the flagellar beat determines the path along which a sperm cell swims. If the flagellum bends periodically about a curved mean shape then the sperm will follow a path with non-zero curvature. To test a simple hydrodynamic theory of flagellar propulsion known as resistive force theory, we conducted high-precision measurements of the head and flagellum motions during circular swimming of bull spermatozoa near a surface. We found that the fine structure of sperm swimming represented by the rapid wiggling of the sperm head around an averaged path is, to high accuracy, accounted for by resistive force theory and results from balancing forces and torques generated by the beating flagellum. We determined the anisotropy ratio between the normal and tangential hydrodynamic friction coefficients of the flagellum to be 1.81±0.07 (mean±s.d.). On time scales longer than the flagellar beat cycle, sperm cells followed circular paths of non-zero curvature. Our data show that path curvature is approximately equal to twice the average curvature of the flagellum, consistent with quantitative predictions of resistive force theory. Hence, this theory accurately predicts the complex trajectories of sperm cells from the detailed shape of their flagellar beat across different time scales.