Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response Form, Force, And Number: Effects On Concurrent-schedule Performance.

Six hens responded on concurrent variable-interval (key-peck) variable-interval (door-push) schedules of reinforcement in which the second-order (fixed-ratio) requirements on the alternatives (Experiment 1) or the required door forces (Experiment 2) were varied. The key-peck and door-push response (measured as fixed-ratio completion) and time data were well described by the generalized matching law. However, the manipulations of fixed-ratio requirement and required response force differed in their effects. The manipulations of fixed-ratio size affected the response and time measures differently, producing fairly constant, multiplicative biases only in terms of response allocation. It was argued that variations in fixed-ratio size necessarily change the time allocated to that response unit, and thus changes in time bias were not necessarily a fundamental effect of changing the ratio. In contrast, the changes in response bias were a fundamental result of changes in ratio size. The response-force manipulations produced similar bias shifts in terms of response and time allocation, but they appeared to combine with relative reinforcement rate to affect choice interactively. Specifically, behavior appeared to be biased towards the least effortful (i.e., key-peck) response, but the increases in door force had a larger effect on bias when the hens were making this response infrequently (on a lean schedule). The different effects of the fixed-ratio and response-force manipulations on concurrent performance were partially accounted for by the differing times required to complete each response unit under those manipulations, but this would not account for the interaction. The interaction would be consonant with increased response effort decreasing the effective value of the associated reinforcement schedule.
Potential Functional Roles of Extracellular ATP in Kidney and Urinary Tract

P2 receptors are sensitive to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and uridine triphosphate and can be divided into two major subtypes: P2X and P2Y receptors. They are specific membrane-bound receptors which when activated by extracellular ATP initiate a variety of biological effects. The P2X receptors are ligand-gated channels, whereas the P2Y receptors are coupled to G proteins linked to second-messenger systems. In this review, the potential functional roles of extracellular ATP in the kidney and lower urinary tract are discussed and briefly explored in the context of some specific renal and urinary tract abnormalities.
Tetracyclines in veterinary medicine and bacterial resistance to them

Since their discovery in 1945, tetracyclines have been used extensively in the therapy and prophylaxis of infectious diseases and as growth promoters. These wide applications have led to the equally fast spread of tetracycline resistant strains of gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial genera, including strains belonging to pathogenic as well as nonpathogenic species. Nonpathogenic bacteria could act as a reservoir of resistance determinants, which can be disseminated by horizontal transfer into pathogens. More than thirty different tetracycline resistance genes have been characterized. They encode two major mechanisms of resistance: 1 – active efflux of the antibiotic, and 2 – protection of ribosomes. Further mechanisms of tetracycline resistance include enzymatic inactivation of antibiotic, permeability barriers, mutations or multidrug transporter systems. Effective horizontal spread is favoured by the location of tetracycline resistance genes on mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons. Their exchange, enhanced by the use of tetracyclines, is observed between bacteria of the same or different species and genera as well. Thus, questions of reevaluating and global reducing of tetracyclines in human and animal healthcare and food production are extensively discussed.
Dysmorphogenic effects of first trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure in mice: a magnetic resonance microscopy-based study.

BACKGROUND The first trimester of human development and the equivalent developmental period in animal models is a time when teratogenic ethanol (EtOH) exposure induces the major structural birth defects that fall within fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Previous FASD research employing an acute high dose maternal intraperitoneal EtOH treatment paradigm has identified sensitive periods for a number of these defects. Extending this work, this investigation utilized high resolution magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM)-based analyses to examine the dysmorphology resulting from maternal dietary EtOH intake occurring during selected first trimester-equivalent time periods. METHODS Female C57Bl/6J mice were acclimated to a liquid 4.8% EtOH (v/v)-containing diet, then bred while on standard chow. Dams were again provided the EtOH-containing liquid diet for a period that extended either from the beginning of gestational day (GD) 7 to the end of GD 11 or from the beginning of GD 12 to the end of GD 16. On GD 17, a subset of fetuses was selected for MRM-based analyses. Group comparisons were made for litter characteristics and gross dysmorphology, as well as whole and regional brain volumes. RESULTS EtOH-induced stage of exposure-dependent structural brain abnormalities were observed. The GD 7 to 11 EtOH-exposed group presented with a significant decrease in cerebellar volume and an increase in septal volume, while GD 12 to 16 EtOH treatment resulted in a reduction in right hippocampal volume accompanied by enlarged pituitaries. Additionally, the GD 12 to 16 EtOH exposure caused a high incidence of edema/fetal hydrops. CONCLUSIONS These results illustrate the teratogenic impact of maternal dietary EtOH intake occurring at time periods approximately equivalent to weeks 3 through 6 (GD 7 to 11 in mice) and weeks 7 through 12 (GD 12 to 16 in mice) of human gestation, further documenting EtOH's stage of exposure-dependent neuroteratogenic end points and highlighting the vulnerability of selected brain regions during the first trimester. Additionally they suggest that clinical attention should be paid to fetal hydrops as a likely component of FASD.
Article Increased thermodynamic stability by hydrophilic amino acid substitutions on the surface of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor

Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) is a homodimer composed of 113 amino acid residues in a subunit and contains three Met residues at the positions of 70, 73, and 103. Met73 is the P1 site residue on the surface of SSI and is crucial for inhibitory activity. We have studied the relationship between the thermal stability and hydrophobicity of the P1 site residue. Mutant proteins were prepared by the substitution of Met73 with Gly, Al a, Val, Leu, Ile, Lys, Asp, or Glu. The melting temperatures of the mutants were determined by monitoring the temperature dependence of the 1 H NMR signal intensities of Met70 and Met103. The results showed that mutants whose P1 residue is hydrophilic are more stable than the wild-type SSI. A good correlation was obtained between the increase of the thermal stability and the decrease of the hydrophobicity of the side-chain of the P1 site, which would be a "reverse hydrophobic effect", as first reported by Pakula and Sauer (Nature 344, 363-364, 1990).
Rehabilitation of Irradiated Head and Neck Tissues by Autologous Fat Transplantation

Background: Treatment of head and neck cancers allows good carcinologic results but induces aesthetic and functional sequelae. Autologous fat transplants have been used to correct aesthetic defects since the past century and exhibit many of the qualities of the ideal filler. Results reported here stem from experiences from 2000, with abdominal fat grafting in 11 patients who were referred to the authors' center for aesthetic subcutaneous or submucous head and neck reconstruction after radiotherapy. Methods: Abdominal fat tissues were harvested, and injection into host sites was performed in a manner similar to that of the lipostructure technique described by Coleman. The postoperative follow-up periods ranged from 2 to 88 months (mean, 39.9 months). Clinical monitoring of the patients was carried out. Additional pathologic study was performed on irradiated tissues surrounding the scar and on abdominal fat and treated tissues. Results: No surgical procedure complications occurred. For all cases, except for one patient, the rehabilitation was aesthetic and functional. The quality of life of the patients was improved. The pathologic data highlighted a decrease in irradiated morphologic patterns characterized by an absence of necrotic areas and a high vascular network density associated with a normal histologic structure. Conclusions: Fat tissues can be successfully transplanted into irradiated areas, inducing both aesthetic and functional improvement. The cellular and/or tissular mechanisms underlying these changes need further investigation.
Differential Modulation of Cardiac Sympathetic Neural Control and β-Adrenoceptor–G Protein Signaling Cascade in Rats With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes increases the risk of developing congestive heart failure, even in the absence of coronary heart disease or hypertension. A growing body of experimental and clinical evidence is accumulating to show diabetes-related cardiac dysfunction (1). The molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms that are responsible for cardiac dysfunction in diabetes include impaired calcium homeostasis, upregulated renin-angiotensin system, increased oxidative stress, altered myocardial substrate and energy metabolism, and mitochondrial dysfunction (1). Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is one of the common and serious complications of diabetes, which also can be the major mechanism implicated in the pathogenesis leading to the manifestation of impaired cardiac function in diabetes. Autonomic dysfunction in diabetes impairs exercise tolerance, reduces response in heart rate and blood pressure, and blunts increases in cardiac output in response to exercise (2). In a rat model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes, the impaired release of norepinephrine from cardiac sympathetic nerves in response to electrical field stimulation has been demonstrated (3), indicating reduced cardiac sympathetic nerve activity. An earlier report showed increases in turnover, uptake, and synthesis of norepinephrine in STZ-induced diabetic hearts (4), but this observation does not reach general agreement according to later reports (3,5,6). Whatever changes in norepinephrine stored in cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals, the fall in overflow of norepinephrine produced by cardiac electrical stimulation (3) would reflect an impairment of the presynaptic functional process for releasing norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings in hearts from STZ-induced diabetic rats (Fig. 1). Interestingly, the lack of ability of atropine or yohimbine to enhance the norepinephrine release from cardiac sympathetic nerves in STZ rats …
The Relationship Among Child Maltreatment, Parental Bonding, and a Lifetime History of Major Depressive Disorder in Latino College Students

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship among child maltreatment, parental bonding, and a lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD) in a sample of 119 Latino students. Forty-five students reported a lifetime history of MDD and 74 reported not having a lifetime history of MDD. The results indicated that emotional abuse and maternal overprotection were significantly associated with having a lifetime history of MDD. The findings support the importance of examining these factors among depressed Latinos. Future research should continue to explore both the role of child maltreatment and parental bonding in relation to a lifetime history of MDD in this population.
Do differences in institutional and legal environments explain cross-country variations in IPO underpricing?

We empirically analyse the determinants of Initial Public Offering (IPO) underpricing using panel data for 24 countries over the period 1988–2005. Our hypotheses stress the importance of institutional and legal factors in explaining cross-country variations. We find evidence that underpricing is higher in countries with stronger protection of outside investors, suggesting that incumbent managers try to use underpricing as a tool to safeguard their private benefits of control when going public. Moreover, the results show that underpricing is reduced when stronger law enforcement and the availability of accounting information reduce the value of private benefits of control.
A busca por uma nova economia.

A despeito do pessimismo que marca o nosso tempo, nunca se viu tanto esforço para mover o mundo na direção do desenvolvimento sustentável. São inúmeras as iniciativas para remodelar a agenda de desenvolvimento e promover mudanças no funcionamento da economia global. Um exemplo recente está na aprovação, pela Cúpula das Nações Unidas, dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Eles orientarão as políticas nacionais e globais para 2030. E, nas últimas duas semanas, a COP 21, com líderes globais reunidos em Paris, buscou consolidar um acordo para reduzir os perigos crescentes das mudanças climáticas.
Likelihood of malignancy in a solitary pulmonary nodule: comparison of Bayesian analysis and results of FDG-PET scan.

OBJECTIVE To compare the probability of cancer in a solitary pulmonary nodule using standard criteria with Bayesian analysis and result of 2-[F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomographic (FDG-PET) scan. SETTING A university hospital and a teaching Veteran Affairs Medical Center. METHODS Retrospective analysis of 52 patients who had undergone both CT scan of the chest and a FDG-PET scan for evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule. FDG-PET scan was classified as abnormal or normal. Utilizing Bayesian analysis, the probability of cancer using "standard criteria" available in the literature, based on patient's age, history of previous malignancy, smoking history, size and edge of nodule, and presence or absence of calcification were calculated and compared to the probability of cancer based on an abnormal or normal FDG-PET scan. Histologic study of the nodules was the gold standard. RESULTS The likelihood ratios for malignancy in a solitary pulmonary nodule with an abnormal FDG-PET scan was 7.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.36 to 7.96), suggesting a high probability for malignancy, and 0.06 (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.07) when the PET scan was normal, suggesting a high probability for benign nodule. FDG-PET scan as a single test alone was more accurate than the standard criteria and standard criteria plus PET scan in correctly classifying nodules as malignant or benign. CONCLUSION FDG-PET scan as a single test was a better predictor of malignancy in solitary pulmonary nodules than the standard criteria using Bayesian analysis. FDG-PET scan can be a useful adjunct test in the evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules.
Peer Evaluation and Assessment Resource (PEAR) to Assess Students' Professional Skills

Professional skills expected from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students are well-aligned with the broad learning outcomes defined by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). While acquisition of professional skills in our graduates is increasingly crucial due to global competition and intensifying pressures on companies, the absence of a robust assessment framework limits effectiveness of pedagogical efforts by faculty. Thus, there is a need for an assessment model, which can help assess students’ professional skill development across multiple disciplines. In this paper, we introduce a web-based application, called Peer Evaluation and Assessment Resource (PEAR), to assist in assessing students’ development in professional skills, and we illustrate how this tool can be used for teamwork assessment. PEAR intends to streamline the processes of peer evaluations. PEAR has been designed based on the theory of Model of Domain Learning (MDL), and thus can help explain the complex interactions among knowledge, interest level, and strategies with which knowledge is gained. We illustrate the workflow of PEAR and how MDL is integrated into the peer assessment process. We also discuss the advantages of the MDL-based assessment framework compared to a traditional assessment model.
Quantitative analysis of human herpesvirus 6 cell tropism

Although HHV‐6A and ‐6B are known to replicate preferably in human T‐lymphocytes, in vitro infection of several other cell types has been described. Also, the finding that both variants use the ubiquitous molecule CD46 as a membrane receptor fully supports the possibility of a broad cellular tropism. However, productive infection, which requires complete progression through the viral replication cycle, depends on multiple cellular processes. Our studies were aimed at determining the differences in replication efficiency according to the cell type infected and at relating these differences to the sequential transcriptional events preceding DNA replication. A strong expression of immediate‐early, early, and late genes was only seen in the T‐lymphoblastoma lines. In the other cell lines, there was no clear correlation between the level of transcription and the final outcome of replication. Finally, we investigated the cytopathic effects of HHV‐6 on different cell types of neural origin (oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and neurons) in greater detail, and found that although all three sustained HHV‐6 replication, HHV‐6A was more neurovirulent than HHV‐6B. This was confirmed in primary human oligodendrocyte cultures. J. Med. Virol. 75:76–85, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Persistent SIRS and acute fluid collections are associated with increased CT scanning in acute interstitial pancreatitis

Abstract Background: The use of computed tomography (CT) in acute pancreatitis (AP) continues to increase in parallel with the increasing use of diagnostic imaging in clinical medicine. Aim: To determine the factors associated with obtaining >1 CT scan in acute interstitial pancreatitis (AIP). Methods: Demographic and clinical data of all adult patients admitted between 1/2010 and 1/2015 with AP (AP) were evaluated. Only patients with a CT severity index (CTSI) ≤ 3 on a CT obtained within 48 h of presentation were included. Results: A total of 229 patients were included, of whom 206 (90%) had a single CT and 23 (10%) had >1 CT during the first week of hospitalization. Patients undergoing >1 CT had significantly higher rates of acute fluid collection (AFC), persistent SIRS, opioid use ≥4 days, and persistent organ failure compared to those undergoing 1 CT (p < .05 for all). On multivariable analysis, only persistent SIRS (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.4–9.6, p = .01) and an AFC on initial CT (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.4–9, p = .009) were independently associated with obtaining >1 CT. Conclusion: An AFC on initial CT and persistent SIRS are associated with increased CT imaging in AIP patients. However, these additional CT scans did not change clinical management.
Classification of entities via their descriptive sentences

Hypernym identification of open-domain entities is crucial for taxonomy construction as well as many higher-level applications. Current methods suffer from either low precision or low recall. To decrease the difficulty of this problem, we adopt a classification-based method. We pre-define a concept taxonomy and classify an entity to one of its leaf concept, based on the name and description information of the entity. A convolutional neural network classifier and a K-means clustering module are adopted for classification. We applied this system to 2.1 million Baidu Baike entities, and 1.1 million of them were successfully identified with a precision of 99.36%.
Two-step superresolution approach for surveillance face image through radial basis function-partial least squares regression and locality-induced sparse representation

Abstract. Face superresolution (SR), or face hallucination, refers to the technique of generating a high-resolution (HR) face image from a low-resolution (LR) one with the help of a set of training examples. It aims at transcending the limitations of electronic imaging systems. Applications of face SR include video surveillance, in which the individual of interest is often far from cameras. A two-step method is proposed to infer a high-quality and HR face image from a low-quality and LR observation. First, we establish the nonlinear relationship between LR face images and HR ones, according to radial basis function and partial least squares (RBF-PLS) regression, to transform the LR face into the global face space. Then, a locality-induced sparse representation (LiSR) approach is presented to enhance the local facial details once all the global faces for each LR training face are constructed. A comparison of some state-of-the-art SR methods shows the superiority of the proposed two-step approach, RBF-PLS global face regression followed by LiSR-based local patch reconstruction. Experiments also demonstrate the effectiveness under both simulation conditions and some real conditions.
Toxicological Assessment of Formaldehyde - Opinion of BfR No. 023/2006 of 30 March 2006

Formaldehyde is manufactured on a large scale industrially and is to be found in numerous (consumer) products. Furthermore, it is formed during the cell metabolism of humans and other living organisms. At present, the substance is classified as “possibly carcinogenic” (C 3). Mid 2004 after a consultation with experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced that formaldehyde was deemed to be a human carcinogen following a reassessment (sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans). It has not yet published its reasons.