Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Party Polarization in Congress: A Social Networks Approach

We use the network science concept of modularity to measure polarization in the United States Congress. As a measure of the relationship between intra-community and extra-community ties, modularity provides a conceptually-clear measure of polarization that directly reveals both the number of relevant groups and the strength of their divisions. Moreover, unlike measures based on spatial models, modularity does not require predefined assumptions about the number of coalitions or parties, the shape of legislator utilities, or the structure of the party system. Importantly, modularity can be used to measure polarization across all Congresses, including those without a clear party divide, thereby permitting the investigation of partisan polarization across a broader range of historical contexts. Using this novel measure of polarization, we show that party influence on Congressional communities varies widely over time, especially in the Senate. We compare modularity to extant polarization measures, noting that existing methods underestimate polarization in periods in which party structures are weak, leading to artificial exaggerations of the extremeness of the recent rise in polarization. We show that modularity is a significant predictor of future majority party changes in the House and Senate and that turnover is more prevalent at medium levels of modularity. We utilize two individual-level variables, which we call “divisiveness” and “solidarity”, from modularity and show that they are significant predictors of reelection success for individual House members, helping to explain why partially-polarized Congresses are less stable. Our results suggest that modularity can serve as an early-warning signal of changing group dynamics, which are reflected only later by changes in formal party labels.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway mediates hyperoxia-induced apoptosis in cultured macrophage cells.

We have previously demonstrated that the lungs of mice can exhibit increased programmed cell death or apoptosis after hyperoxic exposure in vivo. In this report, we show that hyperoxic exposure in vitro can also induce apoptosis in cultured murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) as assessed by DNA-laddering, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase dUTP nick end-labeling, and nucleosomal assays. To further delineate the signaling pathway of hyperoxia-induced apoptosis in RAW 264.7 macrophages, we first show that hyperoxia can activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) p42/p44, in a time-dependent manner as assessed by increased phosphorylation of ERK1/ERK2 by Western blot analyses. Neither the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase nor the p38 MAPK was activated by hyperoxia in these cells. Chemical or genetic inhibition of the ERK p42/p44 MAPK pathway by PD-98059, a selective inhibitor of MAPK kinase, and dominant negative mutants of ERK, respectively, attenuated hyperoxia-induced apoptosis as assessed by DNA laddering and nucleosomal ELISAs. Taken together, our data suggest that hyperoxia can induce apoptosis in cultured murine macrophages and that the MAPK pathway mediates hyperoxia-induced apoptosis.
Sputum Eosinophilia and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ventilation Heterogeneity in Severe Asthma

Rationale: Inflammation and smooth muscle dysfunction are integral components of severe asthma that contribute to luminal obstruction causing airflow limitation, ventilation heterogeneity, and symptoms. This is important for guiding treatment decisions directed at the inflammatory (e.g., anti‐T‐helper cell type 2 monoclonal antibodies) and noninflammatory, smooth muscle‐mediated (e.g., bronchial thermoplasty) components of severe asthma. Objectives: To investigate the contribution of eosinophilic bronchitis and smooth muscle dysfunction to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ventilation heterogeneity in patients with severe asthma. Methods: We measured the inhaled hyperpolarized gas MRI response to salbutamol as a marker of smooth muscle dysfunction, and sputum eosinophils as a marker of airway inflammation, and their contributions to ventilation heterogeneity (quantified as the ventilation defect percent [VDP]) in 27 patients with severe asthma. Spirometry and forced oscillation airway resistance measurements were also acquired pre‐ and postsalbutamol. Patients were dichotomized on the basis of sputum eosinophilia, and pre‐ and postsalbutamol VDP and physiological measurements were evaluated. Measurements and Main Results: MRI VDP improved with salbutamol inhalation in patients in whom sputum eosinophilia was uncontrolled (≥3%, n = 16) (P = 0.002) and in those in whom it was controlled (<3%, n = 11) (P = 0.02), independent of improvements in FEV1, indicating smooth muscle response. In those patients in whom sputum eosinophilia was uncontrolled, greater VDP persisted postsalbutamol (P = 0.004). Postsalbutamol VDP correlated with sputum eosinophils (r = 0.63; P = 0.005). Conclusions: In patients with severe asthma, MRI regionally identifies the inflammatory and noninflammatory components of airway disease. Ventilation heterogeneity persists postsalbutamol in patients with uncontrolled eosinophilic bronchitis, which may be the functional consequence of airway inflammation.
Racial differences in amounts of visceral adipose tissue in young adults: the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study.

BACKGROUND In several white populations, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. VAT can be accurately assessed by computed topography or magnetic resonance imaging, but is also estimated from anthropometric variables, such as waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, or sagittal diameter. To date, anthropometric variables have been used largely in whites and inadequate data are available to evaluate the validity of these variables in other groups. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to 1) determine whether amount of VAT in relation to total body fatness differs in different race and sex groups and 2) determine which anthropometric variables predict amount of VAT in different race and sex groups. DESIGN We determined the amount and location of body fat, including assessment of VAT by computed tomography, in young adult white and black men and women participating in the 10-y follow-up of the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study. RESULTS Black men had less visceral fat (73.1+/-35.9 cm2) than white men (99.3+/-40 cm2), even when VAT was corrected for total body fatness. Black women were more obese than white women and thus had more visceral fat (75.1+/-37.5 compared with 58.6+/-35.9 cm2, respectively). This difference disappeared when corrected for total body fatness. CONCLUSIONS Both waist circumference and sagittal diameter were good predictors of VAT in all groups. However, the nature of this relation differed such that race- and sex-specific equations will likely be required to estimate VAT from waist circumference or sagittal diameter.
Role of voltage-sensitive release mechanism in depression of cardiac contraction in myopathic hamsters.

We investigated excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in isolated ventricular myocytes from prehypertrophic cardiomyopathic (CM) hamster hearts. Conventional and voltage-clamp recordings were made with high-resistance microelectrodes, and cell shortening was measured with a video-edge detector at 37°C. Contractions were depressed in myocytes from CM hearts, whether they were initiated by action potentials or voltage-clamp steps. As in guinea pig and rat, contraction in hamster myocytes could be triggered by a voltage-sensitive release mechanism (VSRM) or Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). Selective activation of these mechanisms demonstrated that the defect in EC coupling was primarily caused by a defect in the VSRM. However, activation and inactivation properties of the VSRM were not altered. When the VSRM was inhibited, the remaining contractions induced by CICR exhibited identical bell-shaped contraction voltage relations in normal and CM myocytes. Inward Ca2+current was unchanged. Thus a defect in the VSRM component of EC coupling precedes the development of hypertrophy and failure in CM hamster heart.
Iron deficiency anemia among Alaska Natives may be due to fecal loss rather than inadequate intake.

To define more fully the nature of a persistently high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia observed among Alaska Native children, we examined dietary iron intake, hemoglobin concentrations, and storage iron (serum ferritin) based on multiple cross-sectional surveys of Alaska Natives between 1983 and 1989. Approximately 30 to 50% of the children studied < 12 y of age had depleted iron stores. Anemia and depleted iron stores also were prevalent among adult men and women, about twice as prevalent as in the U.S. population based on the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). The higher rate of iron deficiency, occurring even when the dietary assessment found Alaska Native iron intake to be higher than the U.S. average with an ample intake of food high in bioavailable iron, suggests blood loss as a possible cause of the unusual pattern of iron deficiency observed. In a pilot study of stool blood loss in two villages, 65% of the samples had a significantly elevated stool heme concentration. Further investigation of iron deficiency due to gastrointestinal blood loss for the Alaska Native is warranted.
Colorless Green Recurrent Networks Dream Hierarchically

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) achieved impressive results in a variety of linguistic processing tasks, suggesting that they can induce non-trivial properties of language. We investigate to what extent RNNs learn to track abstract hierarchical syntactic structure. We test whether RNNs trained with a generic language modeling objective in four languages (Italian, English, Hebrew, Russian) can predict long-distance number agreement in various constructions. We include in our evaluation nonsensical sentences where RNNs cannot rely on semantic or lexical cues (“The colorless green ideas I ate with the chair sleep furiously”), and, for Italian, we compare model performance to human intuitions. Our language-model-trained RNNs make reliable predictions about long-distance agreement, and do not lag much behind human performance. We thus bring support to the hypothesis that RNNs are not just shallow-pattern extractors, but they also acquire deeper grammatical competence.
In silico evaluation of highly efficient organic light-emitting materials

Design and development of highly efficient organic and organometallic dopants is one of the central challenges in the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) technology. Recent advances in the computational materials science have made it possible to apply computer-aided evaluation and screening framework directly to the design space of organic lightemitting diodes (OLEDs). In this work, we will showcase two major components of the latest in silico framework for development of organometallic phosphorescent dopants – (1) rapid screening of dopants by machine-learned quantum mechanical models and (2) phosphorescence lifetime predictions with spin-orbit coupled calculations (SOC-TDDFT). The combined work of virtual screening and evaluation would significantly widen the design space for highly efficient phosphorescent dopants with unbiased measures to evaluate performance of the materials from first principles.
Sheep mitochondrial heteroplasmy arises from tandem motifs and unspecific PCR amplification

Abstract The mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop) is a widely used molecular marker in evolutionary and phylogeographic research. However, the occurrence of heteroplasmy of the D-loop region within individuals has rarely been investigated. In this study, a total of 85 Chinese sheep were used to amplify a partial D-loop region, and 15 heteroplasmic animals (17.64%) were identified. A comparative analysis of the PCR amplification and cloning of the D-loop sequences from the heteroplasmic samples revealed most of the sequencing profile from the heteroplasmic regions started at the beginning of a 75-bp random repeat motif. In addition, a total of 22 nonsyngeneic sequences with a D-loop were found in 61 of the clones obtained from the 4 random heteroplasmic and 3 homozygote animals, and their genomic locations were compared for homology. In summary, the D-Loop sequencing profiles appear to be heteroplasmic and could arise from tandem repeat motifs and unspecific replication during PCR amplification; however, they are not likely due to the presence of multiple mitochondrial genomes within an individual.
Dexibuprofen nanocrystals with improved therapeutic performance: fabrication, characterization, in silico modeling, and in vivo evaluation

Background The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate the impact of polymers on fabricating stable dexibuprofen (Dexi) nanocrystals with enhanced therapeutic potential, using a low energy, anti-solvent precipitation method coupled with molecular modelling approach. Methods Dexi nanocrystals were prepared using antisolvent precipitation with syringe pump. Crystallinity of the processed Dexi particles was confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry and powdered X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Dissolution of Dexi nanocrystals was compared with raw Dexi and marketed tablets. Molecular modelling study was coupled with experimental studies to rationalise the appropriate polymers for stable Dexi nanocrystals. Antinociceptive study was carried out using balb mice. Results Combinations of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and HPMC–Eudragit (EUD) were shown to be very effective in producing stable Dexi nanocrystals with particle sizes of 85.0±2.5 nm and 90±3.0 nm, and polydispersity of 0.179±0.01, 0.182±0.02, respectively. The stability studies conducted for 90 days demonstrated that nanocrystals stored at 2°C–8°C and 25°C were more stable than those at 40°C. The maximum recovery of Dexi nanocrystals was observed from the formulations using the combination of HPMC–PVP and HPMC–EUD, which equated to 98% and 94% of the nominal active drug content respectively. The saturation solubility of the Dexi nanocrystals was substantially increased to 270.0±3.5 μg/mL compared to the raw Dexi in water (51.0±2.0 μg/mL) and stabilizer solution (92.0±3.0 μg/mL). Enhanced dissolution rate (P<0.05) was observed for the Dexi nanocrystals compared to the unprocessed drug substance and marketed tablets. Dexi nanocrystals produced the analgesic effect at much lower doses (5 mg/kg) than that of control standard, diclofenac sodium (20 mg/kg) and Dexi counterparts (40 mg/kg). Conclusion HPMC-PVP and HPMC-EUD were found the best polymer combination to stabilise Dexi nanocrystals. The Dexi nanocrystals exhibited significant dissolution, solubility and analgesic effect compared to the raw Dexi and the control standard diclofenac sodium.
Changes in physico-mechanical properties of banana fruit during ripening treatment

In this paper, some physical and mechanical properties of banana fruits at different level of ripeness were investigated. Relation between various stages of ripeness and these properties were determined and correlation coefficients were calculated. The color of the fruit skin was measured as L*, a* and b* in CIELAB system. The mechanical properties were extracted from plotted force-deformation curve. A significant difference at 5% level was found between the level of ripeness and these properties. Duncan's multiple range test was conducted and results were reported. Results showed that changes in L*, b* and C was similar, also variation of color index (CI) was similar to a*. The firmness, rupture energy and hardness decreased as banana fruit ripened. All measured physico- mechanical properties of banana fruit except deformation had High correlation with stage of ripeness. Result of deformation analysis showed no significant difference at various stages of ripeness. The correlation between deformation and stage of ripeness was obtained as 0.2. (Mahmoud Soltani, Reza Alimardani, Mahmoud Omid. Changes in physico-mechanical properties of banana fruit during ripening treatment. Journal of American Science 2011;7(5):14-19). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience. org.
Responsiveness of the Countermovement Jump and Handgrip Strength to an Incremental Running Test in Endurance Athletes: Influence of Sex

Abstract The present study analyzed the acute effects of an incremental running test on countermovement jump (CMJ) and handgrip strength performance in endurance athletes, considering the effect of post-exercise recovery time and sex. Thirty-three recreationally trained long-distance runners, 20 men and 13 women, participated voluntarily in this study. The participants performed the Léger test, moreover, the CMJ and handgrip strength tests were carried out before and after the running test and during different stages of recovery (at the 1st min of recovery (posttest1), 5th min of recovery (posttest2), and 10th min of recovery (posttest3)). Two-way analysis of variance revealed a significant improvement in the CMJ (pre-posttest1, p = 0.001) and handgrip strength (pre-posttest2, p = 0.017) during recovery time. The Pearson’s Chi-2 test showed no significant relationship (p ≥ 0.05) between sex and post-activation potentiation (PAP). A linear regression analysis pointed to heart rate recovery as a predictive factor of CMJ improvement (PAP). In conclusion, despite significant fatigue reached during the Léger test, the long-distance runners did not experience an impaired CMJ and handgrip strength performance, either men or women, achieving an improvement (PAP) in posttest conditions. The results obtained showed no significant relationship between sex and PAP. Moreover, significant effect of recovery after running at high intensity on CMJ performance and handgrip strength was found. Finally, the data suggest that PAP condition can be predicted by heart rate recovery in endurance runners.
Shep regulates Drosophila neuronal remodeling by controlling transcription of its chromatin targets

Neuronal remodeling is crucial for formation of the mature nervous system and disruption of this process can lead to neuropsychiatric diseases. Global gene expression changes in neurons during remodeling as well as the factors that regulate these changes remain poorly defined. To elucidate this process, we performed RNA-seq on isolated Drosophila larval and pupal neurons and found upregulated synaptic signaling and downregulated gene expression regulators as a result of normal neuronal metamorphosis. We further tested the role of alan shepard (shep), which encodes an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein required for proper neuronal remodeling. Depletion of shep in neurons prevents the execution of metamorphic gene expression patterns, and shep-regulated genes correspond to Shep chromatin and/or RNA-binding targets. Reduced expression of a Shep-inhibited target gene that we identified, brat, is sufficient to rescue neuronal remodeling defects of shep knockdown flies. Our results reveal direct regulation of transcriptional programs by Shep to regulate neuronal remodeling during metamorphosis. Summary: We provide the first report of the transition of the neuronal transcriptome during metamorphic remodeling and further elucidate how Shep regulates transcription of its chromatin targets to regulate neuronal remodeling.
Plant foods, fiber, and rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND Associations between colon and rectal cancer and intakes of vegetables, other plant foods, and fiber have stimulated much debate. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between rectal cancer and plant food and fiber intakes. DESIGN Data from 952 incident cases of rectal cancer were compared with data from 1205 population-based controls living in Utah or enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in northern California RESULTS Rectal cancer was inversely associated with intakes of vegetables (odds ratio: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.98), fruit (0.73; 0.53, 0.99), and whole-grain products (0.69; 0.51, 0.94), whereas a high intake of refined-grain products was directly associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer (1.42; 1.04, 1.92). Similarly, relative to low fiber intakes, high intakes of dietary fiber reduced the risk of rectal cancer (0.54; 0.37, 0.78). The reduced risk of rectal cancer associated with vegetable (0.48; 0.29, 0.80), fruit (0.63; 0.38, 1.06), and fiber (0.40; 0.22, 0.71) intakes was strongest for persons who received the diagnosis after age 65 y. A threshold effect at approximately 5 servings of vegetables/d was needed to see a reduced risk of rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that plant foods may be important in the etiology of rectal cancer in both men and women. Age at diagnosis appears to play an important role in the association.
Intakes of essential n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids among pregnant Canadian women.

BACKGROUND Fetal growth requires n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is derived from the essential n-3 fatty acids in the maternal diet. DHA is accumulated in the developing brain and is critical for normal neural and visual function. Available estimates suggest that 67 mg DHA/d is accumulated by the fetus during the third trimester of gestation. Little is known about n-3 fatty acid intakes in pregnant women, although human milk concentrations of DHA have decreased in recent years. OBJECTIVE We prospectively determined the n-3 and n-6 fatty acid intakes of 55 pregnant Canadian women. DESIGN A food-frequency questionnaire was completed at 28 and 35 wk, and plasma n-3 and n-6 fatty acids were measured at 35 wk gestation. The fatty acid composition of approximately 500 foods was analyzed to allow analysis of dietary intakes from specific foods. RESULTS Intakes, as a percentage of energy, were (macro x +/- SEM) total fat, 28.0 +/- 3.6%; saturated fat, 9.8 +/- 0.3%; monounsaturated fat, 11.2 +/- 0.4%; polyunsaturated fat, 4.7 +/- 0.2%; linoleic acid, 3.9 +/- 0.2%; and alpha-linolenic acid, 0.54 +/- 0.05%. The daily intakes (range) were 160 +/- 20 (24-524) mg DHA/d, 121 +/- 8 (15-301) mg arachidonic acid/d, and 78 +/- 2 (4-125) mg eicosapentaenoic acid/d. The plasma phospholipids had (mg/100 g fatty acid) 5.0 +/- 0.18 DHA, 8.7 +/- 0.18 arachidonic acid, and 0.52 +/- 0.32 eicosapentaenoic acid. CONCLUSION The low intake of DHA among some pregnant women highlights the need for studies to address the functional significance of maternal fat intakes during pregnancy on fetal development.
To Have Seen or Not to Have Seen: A Look at Rensink, O’Regan, and Clark (1997)

Rensink, O’Regan, and Clark drew attention to the phenomenon of change blindness, in which even large changes can be difficult to notice if made during the appearance of motion transients elsewhere in the image. This article provides a sketch of the events that inspired that article as well as its subsequent impact on psychological science and on society at large.