Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repair of Radiation-Induced DNA Double-Strand Breaks is Dependent upon Radiation Quality and the Structural Complexity of Double-Strand Breaks

Abstract Pastwa, E. , Neumann, R. D. , Mezhevaya, K. and Winters, T. A. Repair of Radiation-Induced DNA Double-Strand Breaks is Dependent upon Radiation Quality and the Structural Complexity of Double-Strand Breaks. Radiat. Res. 159, 251–261 (2003). Mammalian cells primarily repair DSBs by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). To assess the ability of human cells to mediate end joining of complex DSBs such as those produced by chemicals, oxidative events, or high- and low-LET radiation, we employed an in vitro double-strand break repair assay using plasmid DNA linearized by these various agents. We found that human HeLa cell extracts support end joining of complex DSBs and form multimeric plasmid products from substrates produced by the radiomimetic drug bleomycin, 60Co γ rays, and the effects of 125I decay in DNA. End joining was found to be dependent on the type of DSB-damaging agent, and it decreased as the cytotoxicity of the DSB-inducing agent increased. In addition to the inhibitory effects of DSB end-group structures on repair, NHEJ was found to be strongly inhibited by lesions proximal to DSB ends. The initial repair rate for complex non-ligatable bleomycin-induced DSBs was sixfold less than that of similarly configured (blunt-ended) but less complex (ligatable) restriction enzyme-induced DSBs. Repair of DSBs produced by γ rays was 15-fold less efficient than repair of restriction enzyme-induced DSBs. Repair of the DSBs produced by 125I was near the lower limit of detection in our assay and was at least twofold lower than that of γ-ray-induced DSBs. In addition, DSB ends produced by 125I were shown to be blocked by 3′-nucleotide fragments: the removal of these by E. coli endonuclease IV permitted ligation.
Characterization of a glycine receptor domain that controls the binding and gating mechanisms of the β‐amino acid agonist, taurine

The β‐amino acid, taurine, is a full agonist of the human glycine receptor α1 subunit when recombinantly expressed in a mammalian (HEK293) cell line, but a partial agonist of the same receptor when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Several residues in the Ala101–Thr112 domain have previously been identified as determinants of β‐amino acid binding and gating mechanisms in Xenopus oocyte‐expressed receptors. The present study used the substituted cysteine accessibility method to investigate the role of this domain in controlling taurine‐specific binding and gating mechanisms of glycine receptors recombinantly expressed in mammalian cells. Asn102 and Glu103 are identified as taurine and glycine binding sites, whereas Ala101 is eliminated as a possible binding site. The N102C mutation also abolished the antagonistic actions of taurine, indicating that this site does not discriminate between the putative agonist‐ and antagonist‐bound conformations of β‐amino acids. The effects of mutations from Lys104–Thr112 indicate that the mechanism by which this domain controls β‐amino acid‐specific binding and gating processes differs substantially depending on whether the receptor is expressed in mammalian cells or Xenopus oocytes. Thr112 is the only domain element in mammalian cell‐expressed GlyRs which was demonstrated to discriminate between glycine and taurine.
Effect of hormonal contraceptives on lipid profile and the risk indices for cardiovascular disease in a Ghanaian community

Background Hormonal contraceptives (HCs) have been shown to alter lipid profile among various population groups with different patterns of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular (CV) risk. The study aimed at determining the lipid profile pattern and CV risk in a Ghanaian cohort. Methods Purposive random sampling was done. Forty-seven and 19 cases were on oral contraceptives (OCs) and injectable contraceptives (ICs), respectively; five were on subdermal implant. Twenty-four non-users served as controls. Biodemographic and lipid profiles were determined. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and very-low-density lipid lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLC), were determined. Castelli index I and II were calculated. Results The mean age difference between the HC and control groups was insignificant. However, diastolic blood pressure (BP) differences were significant (P=0.006). The body mass index (BMI) of the OC and IC groups were significantly different from the control group (P=0.003 and P=0.008, respectively). TC levels for the control and case groups were 3.35±0.62 mmol/L and 4.07±0.91 mmol/L, respectively (P=0.002). LDLC levels for the control and case groups were 1.74±0.57 mmol/L and 2.38±0.84 mmol/L, respectively (P=0.003). Castelli index I (TC/HDLC) and II (LDLC/HDLC) were significantly different between the control and OC groups (P=0.026 and P=0.014, respectively). Spearman’s rho correlation showed significant influence of HC use on TG (P=0.026), TC (P=0.000), LDLC (P=0.004), and VLDLC (P=0.026) over time. Conclusion HC use is associated with significant increases in BMI, diastolic BP, TC, LDLC, and Castelli index I and II. These changes carry a potential risk in the development of CV disease.
Water Dispersal of Methanotrophic Bacteria Maintains Functional Methane Oxidation in Sphagnum Mosses

It is known that Sphagnum associated methanotrophy (SAM) changes in relation to the peatland water table (WT) level. After drought, rising WT is able to reactivate SAM. We aimed to reveal whether this reactivation is due to activation of indigenous methane (CH4) oxidizing bacteria (MOB) already present in the mosses or to MOB present in water. This was tested through two approaches: in a transplantation experiment, Sphagna lacking SAM activity were transplanted into flark water next to Sphagna oxidizing CH4. Already after 3 days, most of the transplants showed CH4 oxidation activity. Microarray showed that the MOB community compositions of the transplants and the original active mosses had become more similar within 28 days thus indicating MOB movement through water between mosses. Methylocystis-related type II MOB dominated the community. In a following experiment, SAM inactive mosses were bathed overnight in non-sterile and sterile-filtered SAM active site flark water. Only mosses bathed with non-sterile flark water became SAM active, which was also shown by the pmoA copy number increase of over 60 times. Thus, it was evident that MOB present in the water can colonize Sphagnum mosses. This colonization could act as a resilience mechanism for peatland CH4 dynamics by allowing the re-emergence of CH4 oxidation activity in Sphagnum.
Sex differences in the long-term neuropsychological outcome of mild traumatic brain injury

Primary objective: To investigate possible sex differences in neuropsychological functioning among patients following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods and procedures: Retrospective records analysis of the neuropsychological test results of 102 participants with head injury, including 62 males and 40 females. Main outcome and results: A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that females and males performed similarly on neuropsychological tests, on average, ∼2 years after minor head trauma. A sex-by-age interaction effect was found on the Category and Trail Making A Tests, with a pattern similar to those obtained in a previous research. Conclusions: Although past research has found that females develop more TBI-related neuropsychological deficits than males in the immediate post-injury period, the present study found that, overall, sex differences in the performance of patients with mild TBI on a variety of neuropsychological tests were insignificant. More investigation into the sex-by-age interaction effect appears warranted.
Privacy Preservation in the Publication of Trajectories

We study the problem of protecting privacy in the publication of location sequences. Consider a database of trajectories, corresponding to movements of people, captured by their transactions when they use credit or RFID debit cards. We show that, if such trajectories are published exactly (by only hiding the identities of persons that followed them), there is a high risk of privacy breach by adversaries who hold partial information about them (e.g., shop owners). In particular, we show that one can use partial trajectory knowledge as a quasi-identifier for the remaining locations in the sequence. We device a data suppression technique, which prevents this type of breach, while keeping the posted data as accurate as possible.
We Thank the Multinational Advantage

Using a proprietary dataset, we evaluate whether the degree of foreign operations affects firm value by comparing actual value to imputed value for U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs). We argue that using benchmark firms operating in the same country and industry as each MNC segment controls for differences in discount rates and expected growth rates across countries and industries. This allows us to isolate the value effects of organizing a set of otherwise independent activities within a multinational network. We find robust evidence that multinational networks trade at a premium relative to a benchmark portfolio of independent firms. JEL Classification: F23, G32, G34, M41
Real-Time Self-Regulation of Emotion Networks in Patients with Depression

Many patients show no or incomplete responses to current pharmacological or psychological therapies for depression. Here we explored the feasibility of a new brain self-regulation technique that integrates psychological and neurobiological approaches through neurofeedback with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a proof-of-concept study, eight patients with depression learned to upregulate brain areas involved in the generation of positive emotions (such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and insula) during four neurofeedback sessions. Their clinical symptoms, as assessed with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS), improved significantly. A control group that underwent a training procedure with the same cognitive strategies but without neurofeedback did not improve clinically. Randomised blinded clinical trials are now needed to exclude possible placebo effects and to determine whether fMRI-based neurofeedback might become a useful adjunct to current therapies for depression.
Random Subnetworks of Random Sorting Networks

A sorting network is a shortest path from $12\cdots n$ to $n\cdots21$ in the Cayley graph of $S_n$ generated by nearest-neighbor swaps. For $m\leq n$, consider the random $m$-particle sorting network obtained by choosing an $n$-particle sorting network uniformly at random and then observing only the relative order of $m$ particles chosen uniformly at random. We prove that the expected number of swaps in location $j$ in the subnetwork does not depend on $n$, and we provide a formula for it. Our proof is probabilistic, and involves a Polya urn with non-integer numbers of balls. From the case $m=4$ we obtain a proof of a conjecture of Warrington. Our result is consistent with a conjectural limiting law of the subnetwork as $n\to\infty$ implied by the great circle conjecture of Angel, Holroyd, Romik and Virag.
Early predictors of refractory status epilepticus: an international two‐center study

Status epilepticus (SE) refractory to first‐ and second‐line antiepileptic drugs carries high mortality. Little is known on early prediction of refractory SE (RSE) – an essential tool for planning appropriate therapy. Our aim was to identify and validate independent early RSE predictors in adults.
Enhancing Fertility in the Same Cycle: A Case Report on Effects of Hysterosalpingo-Foam Sonography (HyFoSy) for a Couple With Mild Infertility

Fertility issues are becoming increasingly prevalent, leading many couples to seek fertility treatment at specialized centers. Infertility is a diverse clinical condition, with multiple potential etiologic factors and variable severity in its manifestation. Regardless of the underlying factors and severity, routine fertility assessment rarely differs between cases, with an essential step being fallopian tube patency assessment. Hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) is the latest available diagnostic technique to assess this parameter, offering robust results, with reduced intra-procedural pain and equipment requirements, in the convenience of the office setting. However, apart from its diagnostic value, HyFoSy has also demonstrated a therapeutic tubal flushing effect, that may be the decisive factor for couples with mild infertility to spontaneously conceive. In this report, we present the case of a couple with mild infertility, who managed to spontaneously conceive after a HyFoSy examination, and in fact within the same cycle.
Cotugno and cerebrospinal fluid

Background: MxA gene expression is one of the most appropriate markers of biological activity of exogenous interferon (IFN) beta. Methods: We quantified MxA mRNA for five consecutive days in 62 patients treated with IFN beta (16, Avonex; 10, Betaferon; 24, Rebif 22; 12, Rebif 44), by quantitative-competitive polymerase chain reaction. Every three months, IFN beta induced neutralising antibodies (NAbs) were evaluated in sera using a cytopathic effect assay. Results: Two categories of patients were identified: one group (49/62) had a sharp post-injection increase in MxA expression (defined as “IFN beta biological responder”), whereas the other group (13/62) had no MxA induction after IFN beta administrations (defined as “IFN beta biological non-responder”). In 11/13 biological non-responders, the persistent presence of NAbs correlated with abolished biological activity, independently of treatment regimen. The two remaining IFN beta biological non-responders were NAb–. Among the 49 IFN beta biological responders, biological activity was comparable between the four preparations on day 2 and 3 (+12 and +36 hours post-injection), but it was greater in Betaferon and both Rebif preparations on day 1, 4, and 5. In biological responders treated three times a week, only 82% (59/72) of injections were considered effective, compared with 100% (13/13) of Avonex injections. Conclusion: Our results suggest that an optimal IFN beta regimen is not yet available: Avonex, given once a week, shows lower cumulative biological activity. On the other hand, both Betaferon and Rebif, given three times a week, show 18% biologically ineffective injections and higher risk of developing NAbs, which abolish biological activity.
Balance, Muscle Strength, and Fear of Falling in Older Adults

This study examined balance ability, lower-extremity muscle strength, fear of falling and their inter-relationships in 40 community-dwelling older adults (>65 years). Subjects who self-identified either as being fearful offalling or not (no concern) were screened to exclude those with known risk factors for falling. Limits of stability, maximal isometric strength, gait speed, and fear of falling were contrasted between groups (27 control subjects, 13 fearful subjects). Those fearful of falling demonstrated smaller center of pressure (COP) excursions in anterior, left, and right directions ( p <.0001) and used a smaller percentage of their base of support during maximal weight shifting in combined anterior-posterior and right-left directions ( p <.001) compared to the control group. Strength did not differ between groups, but was associated with the ability to shift the COP in the anterior-posterior direction ( p <.05). Fear of falling also related to weight shifting ability ( p <.017). Seniors fearful of falling demonstrated limitations in balance ability and balance confidence that could not be explained by muscle weakness.
Photometric Redshifts for Galaxies in the GOODS Southern Field

We use extensive multiwavelength photometric data from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey to estimate photometric redshifts for a sample of 434 galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the Chandra Deep Field-South. Using the Bayesian method, which incorporates redshift/magnitude priors, we estimate photometric redshifts for galaxies in the range 18 < RAB < 25.5, giving an rms scatter σ ≤ 0.11. The outlier fraction is less than 10%, with the outlier-clipped rms being 0.047. We examine the accuracy of photometric redshifts for several special subclasses of objects. The results for extremely red objects are more accurate than those for the sample as a whole, with σ = 0.051 and very few outliers (3%). Photometric redshifts for active galaxies, identified from their X-ray emission, have a dispersion of σ = 0.104, with 10% outlier fraction, similar to that for normal galaxies. Employing a redshift/magnitude prior in this process seems to be crucial in improving the agreement between photometric and spectroscopic redshifts.
Semantic tracking: Single-target tracking with inter-supervised convolutional networks

This article presents a semantic tracker which simultaneously tracks a single target and recognises its category. In general, it is hard to design a tracking model suitable for all object categories, e.g., a rigid tracker for a car is not suitable for a deformable gymnast. Category-based trackers usually achieve superior tracking performance for the objects of that specific category, but have difficulties being generalised. Therefore, we propose a novel unified robust tracking framework which explicitly encodes both generic features and category-based features. The tracker consists of a shared convolutional network (NetS), which feeds into two parallel networks, NetC for classification and NetT for tracking. NetS is pre-trained on ImageNet to serve as a generic feature extractor across the different object categories for NetC and NetT. NetC utilises those features within fully connected layers to classify the object category. NetT has multiple branches, corresponding to multiple categories, to distinguish the tracked object from the background. Since each branch in NetT is trained by the videos of a specific category or groups of similar categories, NetT encodes category-based features for tracking. During online tracking, NetC and NetT jointly determine the target regions with the right category and foreground labels for target estimation. To improve the robustness and precision, NetC and NetT inter-supervise each other and trigger network adaptation when their outputs are ambiguous for the same image regions (i.e., when the category label contradicts the foreground/background classification). We have compared the performance of our tracker to other state-of-the-art trackers on a large-scale tracking benchmark (100 sequences)---the obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed tracker as it outperformed other 38 state-of-the-art tracking algorithms.
A Fault Tolerant Perception system for autonomous vehicles

Road driving environments are complex, unstructured and highly changeable. A safe driving is, thus, becoming quite challenging task, in particular from the view point of development and deployment of autonomous vehicles-based urban transport systems. In that context, the reliable perception appears as a one of the main enabling strategies in developing safe autonomous driving. Currently, many autonomous vehicles are being tested on public roads with the objective of demonstrating the capability of operating in real world situations. A big effort has been focused towards creating fault-free autonomous vehicles. Nevertheless, fault tolerant perception for autonomous vehicles still needs to be further developed in order to create autonomous vehicles capable of driving under real road traffic conditions since on-board vehicle sensors may fail due to bad calibration, erroneous readings, physical or electrical failures, etc. A multi-sensor based vehicle architecture is a logical response to this issue. While the multi-sensor concept often relates to the strategy of using a variety of sensor types, this research has been focused on to the case when all sensors are vision sensors, either identical or different from each other. This paper proposes a Fault Tolerant Perception paradigm that deals with possible sensor faults by defining the Federated Data Fusion Architecture designed to detect a faulty sensor and reduce its impact on to the safe autonomous driving. The proposed architecture minimises the influence of faulty data allowing the system to enter in a tolerated error state, where a recovery action can be performed to avoid failures. The developed architecture was then adapted towards meeting requirements of the KITTI Vision Benchmark Suite. Experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of the developed fault tolerant perception paradigm to successfully detect early faulty data from a singular sensor and to minimise the influence of that faulty sensor in the fusion process.
Diverse beliefs

Agents can differ in many ways, but differences in beliefs or information are perhaps the most interesting. In this paper, we adopt a general diverse beliefs framework that makes such models relatively easy to analyse. Our first result proves that a finite-horizon discrete-time dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) where agents have diverse information is observationally equivalent to the one where the agents have diverse beliefs. This is important because diverse beliefs models are quite easy to study, whereas diverse information models are not. The solution to a continuous-time central-planner equilibrium problem is easy to characterize in the framework adopted, and we develop various properties of the solution, including expressions for equilibrium interest rates and stock price dynamics for an economy of constant relative risk aversion (CRRA) agents, and an expression for the volume of trade.
Raising laying hens: housing complexity and genetic strain affect startle reflex amplitude and behavioural response to fear-inducing stimuli

Individual variation in fearfulness can be modified during ontogeny, and high levels of fear can affect animal welfare. We asked whether early-life environmental complexity and genetic strain affect fear behaviour in young laying hens (pullets). Four replicates of brown (B) and white (W) genetic strains (breeds) of layers were each raised in four environmental treatments (housing): conventional cages (Conv) and different rearing aviaries with increasing space and complexity (Low < Mid < High). We used a startle reflex test (weeks 4 and 14) to measure startle amplitude and autonomic response (i.e. comb temperature). A combination of novel arena (NA) and novel object (NO) tests was used (week 14) to assess NA exploration and alertness, latency to approach the centre and initial NO avoidance and investigation. Housing × strain affected startle amplitude (B-Conv, B-High < B-Low, B-Mid; B > W; no housing effect in W) but not autonomic response. Fear behaviour was affected by housing (NA exploration, investigation: Conv < Low, Mid, High; NO avoidance: Conv, High < Low, Mid), strain (NA alertness: B > W, NO avoidance: W > B) and their interaction (NA centre approach: B-Conv < all other groups). We present evidence for strain-specific fear responses depending on early experience.