Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The deepest divergences in land plants inferred from phylogenomic evidence

Phylogenetic relationships among the four major lineages of land plants (liverworts, mosses, hornworts, and vascular plants) remain vigorously contested; their resolution is essential to our understanding of the origin and early evolution of land plants. We analyzed three different complementary data sets: a multigene supermatrix, a genomic structural character matrix, and a chloroplast genome sequence matrix, using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and compatibility methods. Analyses of all three data sets strongly supported liverworts as the sister to all other land plants, and analyses of the multigene and chloroplast genome matrices provided moderate to strong support for hornworts as the sister to vascular plants. These results highlight the important roles of liverworts and hornworts in two major events of plant evolution: the water-to-land transition and the change from a haploid gametophyte generation-dominant life cycle in bryophytes to a diploid sporophyte generation-dominant life cycle in vascular plants. This study also demonstrates the importance of using a multifaceted approach to resolve difficult nodes in the tree of life. In particular, it is shown here that densely sampled taxon trees built with multiple genes provide an indispensable test of taxon-sparse trees inferred from genome sequences.
Arabidopsis FHY 1 Protein Stability Is Regulated by Light via Phytochrome A and 26 S Proteasome 1

Peking-Yale Joint Center of Plant Molecular Genetics and Agrobiotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China (Y.S., L.M., L.-J.Q., Z.C., X.W.D.); National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China (Y.S., L.M.); Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520–8104 (Y.S., S.F., L.M., H.W., X.W.D.); and Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (R.L., H.W.)
Risk Factors and Predictability of Stock Returns in Central and Eastern Europe

SUMMER 2000 EMERGING MARKETS QUARTERLY 1 T his research challenges several assumptions about stock returns in emerging market economies. There are not always higher average realized returns than in developed markets, and not always lower correlations both across emerging markets and with developed markets. We study three aspects of the risk structure and its role in the return generation process in five Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. First, we analyze a wide set of risk factors that may influence equity market fluctuations in the CEE markets. Second, since the five countries are selected by the European Commission for early accession talks with the European Union in the middle of 1997, we test the importance of European integration as measured by changing correlations of returns with developed Europe. Third, since the research suggests that emerging market returns are more predictable –– that is, that the risk factors influence stock returns with a lag –– we test the predictability of returns in five CEE markets. The first major result is to show that a different choice of country indices provides lower average returns than in developed markets. High average returns in the published studies on emerging markets could have arisen due to the survivorship bias discussed by Harvey [1995], as most of the studies on emerging markets use the emerging market indices of international institutions as the dependent variable. The most popular institutions (the International Finance Corporation or Morgan Stanley Capital International) construct their indices by choosing the countries and stocks that have performed best over recent years, and then backtracking the returns. For example, IFCI Poland includes only thirty stocks, Hungary twelve, and the Czech Republic six (end of 1997). We study the local benchmark indices, which include more stocks and thus represent the larger part of market capitalization. Second, we discover higher correlation among CEE markets as well as with developed Europe than is normally reported in crosscountry correlations among emerging markets globally. The explanation for the higher correlations may be regional proximity. This suggests that low cross-country correlation among emerging markets may arise because countries are different, and not always fit in the same basket. One cannot look at emerging markets as a homogeneous group, as even countries with many common characteristics are quite different when it comes to the risk factors and their role in the stock return generation process. To mention a few, the differences may stem from industry composition, level of trade, who the main trading partners are, and choice of privatization method, as well as different political and legal systems. Third, we find lower autocorrelation of stock returns in the five CEE countries, except for Estonia. This trend may signal that stock returns are becoming less predictable and Risk Factors and Predictability of Stock Returns in Central and Eastern Europe
Intraindividual variation in serum thyroid hormones, parathyroid hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1

Abstract Background Biological variation of an analyte is an important determinant of its usefulness. Intraindividual variation in serum thyroid hormones, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in healthy subjects was determined in this study. Methods Blood samples were taken at weekly intervals for six weeks from 10 healthy subjects and analysed for serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), PTH and IGF-1. Results Intraindividual variations for serum FT4 and FT3 were <5.0%, IGF-1 9.4% and TSH and PTH 25.1% and 25.9%, respectively. Index of individuality was lowest for FT4 (0.42) and FT3 (0.38), and highest for PTH (1.09). Conclusion Intraindividual variation for FT4, FT3 and IGF-1 are low.
How can competitiveness be achieved in post-crisis Europe: deregulating employment relations or enhancing high performance work practices?

Abstract The recent Eurozone crisis has reinvigorated neoliberal policies and brought to the fore an academic and policy debate over the deregulation of employment relations’ institutions ‘in the name of competitiveness’. In the context of this debate, we ask the following question: have firms with employment relations institutions been less able to improve productivity during the crisis? We consider this question by examining data from the European Company Survey. We also look into different models of capitalism to gauge whether there are context-specific institutional effects that may mediate firm-level outcomes. Contrary to the dominant neoliberal discourse, we do not find any strong evidence that employment relations institutions are negatively associated with productivity increases. Instead, we find that certain high performance work practices are positively and significantly associated with productivity increases across EU-15 and in particular institutional contexts. Taken together these results challenge the neoliberal ‘low road’ policies that are focused on dismantling employment relations institutions and suggest shifting the attention towards context-sensitive ‘high road’ policies and practices.
[Treatment failures in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Role of vestibular rehabilitation].

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic maneuvers performed for BPPV patients. The study will also evaluate the efficacy of complementary exercises for vestibular rehabilitation (VR) in BPPV, presenting with persistent vertigo or disequilibrium after performing therapeutic maneuvers. PATIENTS AND METHODS 175 patients from both sexes, were included in this analysis. All suffered from BPPV and were treated with therapeutic maneuvers, preferably that described by Semont (SM). RESULTS One week after SM, 79% of patients were cured; 13% complained of disequilibrium or vertigo without BPPV, 3%, presented with a persistent positional vertigo without nystagmus during the Hallpike manoeuvre and 5% of the patients still complained from BPPV which in some cases got worse. For patients still complaining of imbalance or non-positional vertigo, customized VR programs were applied (optokinetic stimulations, rotatory chair, proprioceptive training and/or platform). The final results, evaluated by posturography and by DHI, were good. CONCLUSIONS VR exercises can achieve improvement or cure in 16% of these patients.
Effects of Saturated and Unsaturated Fat on Cholesterol Metabolism in the Rat

Summary 1. Rats fed a diet containing 20% corn oil have significantly lower concentrations of serum cholesterol than those fed equal amounts of coconut oil but both high-fat diets lead to elevation of serum cholesterol above that seen on control diets. 2. There is a very marked increase in esterified cholesterol of livers of rats fed corn oil whereas coconut oil-fed rats show no significant changes in liver cholesterol compared to controls. 3. Rate of incorporation of 1-C14-acetate or of T2O is higher in corn oil-fed rats than in others. 4. Some implications with respect to the mechanism by which unsaturated fats alter cholesterol metabolism are discussed.
ORIGINAL INVESTIGATIONS Pathogenesis and Treatment of Kidney Disease Association of Uric Acid With Change in Kidney Function in Healthy Normotensive Individuals

Outcomes: Decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 10 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , computed using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation, with secondary analyses examining similar decreases using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Cockcroft-Gault equations. Results: During a median follow-up of 59 months, eGFR decreased from 97 16 to 88 14 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Higher serum uric acid levels were associated with a greater likelihood of eGFR decrease in both women and men (HR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.04-1.39] per each 1-mg/dL increase in uric acid level); in multivariable analyses adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, blood glucose level, total cholesterol level, mean blood pressure, urine albumin-creatinine ratio, and serum triglyceride level, the association remained highly significant (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.12-1.48]). Results were similar using different estimating equations and when the association was examined in sex-specific subgroups. Limitations: Analyses were based on a single baseline uric acid measurement. Women are underrepresented. Conclusions: In healthy normotensive individuals, serum uric acid level is an independent risk factor for decreased kidney function. Am J Kidney Dis 56:264-272. © 2010 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
A randomized, double crossover study to investigate the influence of saline infusion on sleep apnea severity in men.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is commoner in patients with fluid-retaining states than in those without fluid retention, in men than in women, and worsens with aging. In men, OSA severity is related to the amount of fluid shifting out of the legs overnight, but a cause-effect relationship is not established. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that mimicking fluid overload during sleep would increase severity of OSA more in older (≥ 40 years) than in younger men (< 40 years). DESIGN Randomized, single-blind, double crossover study. SETTING Research sleep laboratory. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS Seven older and 10 younger men with non-severe or no sleep apnea, matched for body mass index. INTERVENTIONS During the control arm, normal saline was infused to keep the vein open. During intervention, subjects received an intravenous bolus of normal saline (22 mL/kg body weight) after sleep onset while they were wearing compression stockings to prevent fluid accumulation in the legs. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Compared to younger men, infusion of similar amounts of saline in older men caused a greater increase in neck circumference (P < 0.05) and in the AHI (32.2 ± 22.1 vs. 2.2 ± 7.1, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Older men are more susceptible to the adverse effects of intravenous fluid loading on obstructive sleep apnea severity than younger men. This may be due to age-related differences in the amount of fluid accumulating in the neck or upper airway collapsibility in response to intravenous fluid loading. These possibilities remain to be tested in future studies.
Reproductive performance of asexual clones of the peach-potato aphid, (Myzus persicae, Homoptera: Aphididae), colonising Scotland in relation to host plant and field ecology

Abstract The population of peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), in Scotland comprises large numbers of a few superclones with much smaller numbers of other clones, and the reason for their differential success has yet to be elucidated. In the current study, the reproduction of lineages derived from these clones was measured by counting the numbers of offspring produced by a one-day-old nymph after 15 days. This was measured on four plant species, including local agricultural hosts and at two different temperatures (14 and 18°C). There were significant differences in clonal lineage reproduction on different hosts and at different temperatures and amongst clonal lineages on the same hosts at the same temperature. Lineages of local insecticide sensitive clones did not have the best reproductive potential; instead, a recently introduced clonal lineage carrying MACE insecticide resistance was the best reproducer. The clonal lineage with the lowest reproductive potential also carried insecticide resistance, but this was kdr. A lineage from a local insecticide-sensitive clone was the least affected by reduced temperature. There was evidence of host plant specialisation in some of the clonal lineages.
Bodies in Relation—Bodies in Transition: Lesbian Partners of Trans Men and Body Image

SUMMARY Presenting published narratives of transgender and transsexual men (henceforth “trans men”), along with case study interview narratives from five lesbian-identified partners of trans men, I consider how body image issues may surface both individually and interpersonally in relation to the body dysphoria of a trans partner. In addition to self-reports of negatively shifting body image among some interviewees, I also discuss how negative body image may adversely affect these relationships in terms of sexual and non-sexual intimacy, bodily self-expression, and self-confidence. I term these processes and effects relational body image in order to trouble dominant conceptualizations of negative body image as primarily an individual issue arising from external, macro-sociological forces and pressures. I present these cases as a starting point for future sociological theorizing and empirical work with this under-studied population.
Cooperative transport with regrasping of torque-limited mobile robots

This paper deals with a motion planning of mobile robots during the cooperative transport of a large abject by a group of multiple mobile robots (a robot group). In spite of the complexity of the relationship between the several kinds of requirements for this problem, motion planning should be done in real time according to each robot's torque limit to apply its force to the object. Based on the algorithm of Ota et al. (1995), the authors propose the following approach: (1) derive handling force applied to the object by each robot, and (2) determine the role for each robot (to handle the object or to regrasp it) by each robot's torque limit and optimization of a penalty index indicating performance for obstacle avoidance, stable grasping, and reduction of force. Effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a transferring simulation.
Fish for human consumption: risk of contamination by mercury

Total mercury concentrations were measured in the muscle of different kinds of fish: megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), common sole (Solea vulgaris), striped mullet (Mullus barbatus), anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius), and black-bellied angler (Lophius budegassa), caught in the South Adriatic Sea (South Italy). The highest total mercury levels were found in anglerfish (0.61-2.22 mg/kg wet wt, mean 1:26±0.58), followed by black-bellied angler (0.22±1.62 mg/kg wet wt, 0.68±0.36), megrim (0.05±0.92 mg/kg wet wt, 0.39±0.30), striped mullet (0.10±0.63 mg/kg wet wt, 0.31±0.13) and common sole (0.05±0.44 mg/kg wet wt, 0.19 ±0.15). According to current regulations, 62.5% of anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) and 23% of black-bellied angler (Lophius budegassa) samples showed concentrations exceeding the peak value of 1 mg/kg, while only 25% of samples of megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), and 8.3% of striped mullet (Mullus barbatus), exceeded the peak value fixed at 0.5mg/kg. Correlations between total mercury concentration and specimen weight were evident in all the species examined.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes: impact of patient characteristics and timing of transplant

Abstract Patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (t-MDS) have poor survival and high non-relapse mortality (NRM) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This retrospective study assessed the transplant outcomes of 29 consecutive patients with t-AML (83%) or t-MDS (17%) treated with allogeneic transplantation. The median age of patients was 51 years. Donors were mostly matched unrelated (52%), and 59% of patients received myeloablative conditioning. Two-year overall survival, event-free survival and relapse incidence were 37%, 34% and 33%; NRM was 17% at 100 days, and 32% at 2 years. Event-free survival was reduced in patients with high-risk cytogenetics (p = 0.02), Karnofsky performance status ≤ 80% (p = 0.001) and disease after induction ± consolidation (p = 0.006). NRM was higher in patients receiving > 2 therapy lines for previous cancer (p = 0.01) and in those allografted > 6 months from diagnosis (p = 0.03). In conclusion, allogeneic transplantation should be proposed timely to these patients after an accurate analysis of patient history.
A regression framework for the proportion of true null hypotheses

Modern scientific studies from many diverse areas of research abound with multiple hypothesis testing concerns. The false discovery rate is one of the most commonly used error rates for measuring and controlling rates of false discoveries when performing multiple tests. Adaptive false discovery rates rely on an estimate of the proportion of null hypotheses among all the hypotheses being tested. This proportion is typically estimated once for each collection of hypotheses. Here we propose a regression framework to estimate the proportion of null hypotheses conditional on observed covariates. We provide both finite sample and asymptotic conditions under which this covariate-adjusted estimate is conservative leading to appropriately conservative false discovery rate estimates. Our case study concerns a genome-wise association meta-analysis which considers associations with body mass index. In our framework, we are able to use the sample sizes for the individual genomic loci and the minor allele frequencies as covariates. We further evaluate our approach via a number of simulation scenarios.
Oxygen uptake and ventilation during rowing and running in females and males

This study evaluated if the ventilatory response to exercise is impaired by the cramp position of rowing. Maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), maximal expiratory volume (V̇Emax), and maximal heart rate (HRmax) during rowing and running were compared in 55 males (age, mean±SD, 21±3 years; height 176±5 cm; body mass 72±6 kg) and 18 females (age 20±2 years; height 164±5 cm; body mass 61±4 kg). V̇Emax was larger during rowing than during running (males, 157±16 vs. 147±13 L min−1; 114±9 vs. 105±11 L min−1, P<0.01). Also V̇O2max was larger during rowing than during running (males, 4.5±0.5 vs. 4.3±0.4 L min−1; females, 3.3±0.4 vs. 3.2±0.4 L min−1, P<0.01). However, HRmax was lower during rowing than during running (males, 194±8 vs. 198±11 beats min−1; females, 192±6 vs. 196±8 beats min−1, P<0.05). V̇Emax was correlated to body mass and fat‐free mass, as was V̇O2max. Thus, the oxygen pulse (V̇O2max/HRmax) was larger during rowing than during running, while the ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (V̇Emax/V̇O2max) was similar. We showed that bending the body during rowing does not seem to impair ventilation either in males or in females. The results indicate that V̇Emax and V̇O2max relate to body size and fat‐free mass for both females and males. The findings indicate that the involvement of more muscles, the entrainment, and the body position during rowing facilitates ventilation and venous return and lowers maximal heart rate.
Properties of the transient outward current in rabbit atrial cells.

1. Whole‐cell and patch clamp techniques have been used to study the steady‐state voltage dependence and the kinetics of a transient outward current, It, in single cells from rabbit atrium. 2. The steady‐state voltage dependence of both activation and inactivation of It are well described by Boltzmann functions. Inactivation is fully removed at potentials negative to ‐70 mV and it is complete near 0 mV. The threshold for activation of It is near ‐30 mV and it is fully activated at +30 mV. The region of overlap between the activation and inactivation curves indicates that a steady non‐inactivating current will be recorded over a membrane potential range from approximately ‐30 to 0 mV. 3. In general, the time course of inactivation at potentials in the range 0 to +50 mV is best described as a sum of two exponential functions. The kinetic parameters controlling these processes exhibit only very weak voltage dependence. 4. Comparison of the time course of the development of inactivation in response to long depolarizing voltage clamp steps with the development of inactivation in response to trains of brief depolarizing pulses indicates that inactivation develops very quickly and decays relatively slowly at potentials near the resting potential (e.g. ‐70 mV). Thus, in response to (i) a train of voltage‐clamp pulses or (ii) a series of action potentials, the magnitude of It decreases due to a progressive increase in the amount of inactivation. 5. A simple model of channel gating is presented: it can account for the major aspects of the voltage dependence and kinetics of It (cf. Aldrich, 1981). 6. Cell‐attached patch clamp recordings have been used to identify the single‐channel or unitary events underlying the current, It. In general, only one active channel is present per patch. The single‐channel conductance in normal Tyrode solution is approximately 14 pS and the current‐voltage relationship is approximately linear between +50 and +150 mV with respect to rest. This information, in combination with the fully activated current‐voltage characteristics from the whole‐cell data, can be used to estimate the number and density of It channels per cell: these are 1600 and one per 3‐4 micron 2, respectively. 7. Ensemble averages obtained from patch recordings are very similar in time course to the macroscopic or whole‐cell current itself: the ensemble current rises to a peak within approximately 5 ms and decays with a biexponential time course in response to depolarizations to approximately +50 mV. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)