Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A genome-wide screen in 1119 relative pairs with autoimmune thyroid disease.

CONTEXT Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), comprising Graves' disease and autoimmune hypothyroidism, are characterized by loss of immunological self-tolerance to thyroid antigens. These are complex diseases arising from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. An understanding of the genetic susceptibility factors for AITD could help to target treatments more effectively and identify people at risk for these conditions. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to identify regions of genetic linkage to AITD that could potentially harbor genetic susceptibility factors for these conditions. DESIGN The study design was a genome-wide screen performed on affected relative pairs with AITD. SETTING Patients were recruited through hospital endocrinology clinics. PARTICIPANTS Some 1119 Caucasian relative pairs affected with AITD (Graves' disease or autoimmune hypothyroidism) were recruited into the study. INTERVENTION Blood samples were obtained from each participant for DNA analysis, and clinical questionnaires were completed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The study aimed to identify regions of genetic linkage to AITD. RESULTS Three regions of suggestive linkage were obtained on chromosomes 18p11 (maximum LOD score, 2.5), 2q36 (maximum LOD score, 2.2), and 11p15 (maximum LOD score, 2.0). No linkage to human leukocyte antigen was found. CONCLUSIONS The absence of significant evidence of linkage at any one locus in such a large dataset argues that genetic susceptibility to AITD reflects a number of loci, each with a modest effect. Linkage analysis may be limited in defining such loci, and large-scale association studies may prove to be more useful in identifying genetic susceptibility factors for AITD.
#Yoga on Instagram: Understanding the Nature of Yoga in the Online Conversation and Community

Background and Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate #yoga on Instagram to better understand the nature of who is posting about yoga, in addition to whether the traditional teachings are present. Methods: A multimethod approach was utilized for this study. Using the Netlytic program, a text and content analysis (n = 35,000) was conducted to examine authors' captions/comments associated with #yoga collected over 9 days. An image and caption coding scheme was developed and used to analyze 100 unique authors and images from the larger dataset. Results: The text analysis revealed #fitness was the most cited word (n = 5491), suggesting an emphasis on the physical aspect of yoga. The content analysis suggested that the majority of words were categorized as good feelings (n = 32,747; 51%) and appearance (n = 30,351; 42%), while only a small amount was categorized as traditional teachings (n = 1703; 3%). Images revealed mostly women (n = 89; 89%), who were underweight (n = 68; 68%), in minimal clothing (70%), demonstrating a basic pose (n = 51; 51%), in an indoor environment (n = 57; 57%). Conclusion: According to the text, content, and image analyses, #yoga on Instagram seems to emphasize the physical nature of yoga as consistent with the commercialization of yoga and not traditional teachings of the practice.
Sex and Death in the Male Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum: The Life-History Effects of a Wing Dimorphism

Abstract Insect dispersal dimorphisms, in which both flight-capable and flightless individuals occur in the same species, are thought to reflect a balance between the benefits and costs of dispersal. Fitness costs and benefits associated with wing dimorphism were investigated in the male pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). In one-on-one mating competitions in small arenas between winged and wingless males, the winged aphids obtained most of the matings with virgin females. In contrast, during competition experiments in larger cages with multiple individuals of each morph, the winged males no longer had a clear mating advantage over wingless males. In the absence of competition, wingless males had marginally higher lifetime reproductive success than winged males, probably because mating winged males tended to die faster than wingless males. In the absence of females, winged males survived longer than wingless males and this difference disappeared under starvation conditions. Mating males of both morphs died significantly faster than males without access to females. There does not appear to be a direct tradeoff of dispersal ability with life history characteristics in pea aphid males, suggesting that the advantages of producing winged males may result from outbreeding.
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Arterial Stiffness in HIV-Infected Patients: The Role of HIV, Antiretroviral Therapy, and Lipodystrophy

Objectives:HIV-infected patients using combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) have an increased cardiovascular risk. We aimed to identify the effects of HIV, ART, and lipodystrophy (LD) on carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT), a surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, and arterial stiffness, a marker of cardiovascular risk. Design:Case-control study of 77 HIV-infected men (55 exposed to ART, 22 ART naive, and 23 with LD) and 52 controls. Methods:C-IMT was measured ultrasonically, and arterial stiffness was estimated by distensibility (DC) and compliance (CC) coefficients of the carotid, femoral, and brachial arteries, by the carotid Young elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity. Results:After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, HIV-infected patients had a 0.067 mm (10.8%) greater C-IMT than controls, 13.6% and 29.5% lower DC, and 14.1% and 31% lower CC of the carotid and femoral arteries, respectively, but similar Young elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity. Patients exposed to ART had similar C-IMT compared with ART-naive patients but 25.9% lower DC and 21.7% lower CC of the femoral artery. Arterial properties did not differ between patients with and without LD. Conclusions:HIV infection is independently associated with C-IMT and generally increased arterial stiffness. ART use is associated with increased stiffness of the femoral artery.
Impaired peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism in genetic obesity.

The obese Zucker rat has alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism resulting in a lower serum T3 concentration and T3 plasma appearance rate compared to its lean littermates. This study was undertaken to measure the contribution of specific nonthyroidal tissues to the total production of T3 in vivo in the Zucker fatty rat. Simultaneous pulse kinetic studies of T4 and T3 were performed in lean and obese Zucker littermates and analyzed according to a three-pool model of distribution and metabolism. The serum concentration and plasma appearance rate of T3 were both decreased in the obese vs. lean Zucker phenotype (P < 0.05) despite an elevated serum concentration and plasma appearance rate for T4. The quantity of T4 within the fast pool (i.e. liver and kidney) available for deiodination was equal for both phenotypes; however, generation of T3 within the fast pool was impaired for the obese compared to the lean group (-25%; P < 0.05). The tissue content of radiolabeled T3 generated within the liver 24 h post injection of T4 for the obese group was 48% lower (P < 0.02) vs. the lean group. A separate group of lean and obese littermates were surgically thyroid-ectomized and replaced with T4 to maintain a euthyroid state. The obese Zucker group had lower serum T3 concentrations and T3 plasma appearance rates compared to similarly treated lean Zucker animals despite similar T4 serum concentrations. Treatment with propylthiouracil produced a decline in serum T3 plasma appearance rate T3 PAR (-55%; P < 0.02) in the T4-replaced lean rat but no alteration in T3 metabolism in the fatty Zucker rat. We conclude that the obese Zucker rat has impaired T3 synthesis in tissues containing Type I 5-deiodinase despite adequate T4 availability as substrate for deiodination to T3.
Analysis of the relationship between quality of experience and service attributes for 3D future internet multimedia

Provisioning 3D video stream-based services online in an acceptable quality, even in a wireless access environment, is a big challenge for Future Internet service providers. Only few empirical results are known about the user perceived quality of these kinds of services. In this paper we describe a statistical analysis of the relationship between Quality of Experience and service attributes for active 3D live streaming, which was carried out in a real home scenario via an IEEE 802.11n standard based Wi-Fi access available for transferring data at the customer side. 90 participants took part in this investigation who watched 20 test cases of the full reference based subjective quality test suffering Quality of Service degradations, Wi-Fi TX-Power value changing and existence of secure and not secure (i.e., with and without IPsec) 3D video delivery. QoE was also affected by human factors like acceptance rate of 3D technology by the participants and their prior technical knowledge and experience, which could cause dissonant states of cognitions. The investigation presented here could help in the design of future QoE-aware 3D video streaming systems.
Genetic Variations Strongly Influence Phenotypic Outcome in the Mouse Retina

Variation in genetic background can significantly influence the phenotypic outcome of both disease and non-disease associated traits. Additionally, differences in temporal and strain specific gene expression can also contribute to phenotypes in the mammalian retina. This is the first report of microarray based cross-strain analysis of gene expression in the retina investigating genetic background effects. Microarray analyses were performed on retinas from the following mouse strains: C57BL6/J, AKR/J, CAST/EiJ, and NOD.NON-H2 -nb1 at embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5) and postnatal day 30.5 (P30.5). Over 3000 differentially expressed genes were identified between strains and developmental stages. Differential gene expression was confirmed by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Three major gene networks were identified that function to regulate retinal or photoreceptor development, visual perception, cellular transport, and signal transduction. Many of the genes in these networks are implicated in retinal diseases such as bradyopsia, night-blindness, and cone-rod dystrophy. Our analysis revealed strain specific variations in cone photoreceptor cell patterning and retinal function. This study highlights the substantial impact of genetic background on both development and function of the retina and the level of gene expression differences tolerated for normal retinal function. These strain specific genetic variations may also be present in other tissues. In addition, this study will provide valuable insight for the development of more accurate models for human retinal diseases.
Multiple H‐2 and non‐H‐2 genes controlling the anti‐lysozyme response: Alternative gene constellations can lead to responsiveness

Mice carrying the H‐Zb and H‐2s haplotypes are genetically nonresponsive to hen egg‐white lysozyme (HEL). Analysis of the anti‐HEL response patterns of F1, F2 and backcross progeny showed that responsiveness was dominant and H‐2‐linked. From plaque‐forming cell and serum assays in intra‐H‐2 recombinant mice, it was established that two I loci were implicated, the possession of either leading to responsiveness to HEL. One of the I genes maps in I‐A, and the second in I‐C, S or G. While the nonresponse phenotype was determined by the H‐2 haplotype, there were codominant non‐H‐2 genes which contributed to a severe reduction in the level of antibody produced in responder strains. A model is presented attributing the outcome of an encounter with HEL to the regulatory balance of helper and suppressor T cells, which have been activated by different subregions of the major histocompatibility complex.
Purification and Characterization of Three Members of the Photolyase/Cryptochrome Family Blue-light Photoreceptors from Vibrio cholerae*

The sequence of Vibrio cholerae genome revealed three genes belonging to the photolyase/cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptor family. The proteins encoded by the three genes were purified and characterized. All three proteins contain folate and flavin cofactors and have absorption peaks in the range of 350-500 nm. Only one of the three, VcPhr, is a photolyase specific for cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. The other two are cryptochromes and were designated VcCry1 and VcCry2, respectively. Mutation of phr abolishes photoreactivation of UV-induced killing, whereas mutations in cry1 and cry2 do not affect photorepair activity. VcCry1 exhibits some unique features. Of all cryptochromes characterized to date, it is the only one that contains stoichiometric amounts of both chromophores and retains its flavin cofactor in the two-electron reduced FADH2 form. In addition, VcCry1 exhibits RNA binding activity and co-purifies with an RNA of 60-70 nucleotides in length.
Chemopreventive effect of Korean Angelica root extract on TRAMP carcinogenesis and integrative “omic” profiling of affected neuroendocrine carcinomas

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) root ethanol extract exerts anti‐cancer activity in several allograft and xenograft models. Here we examined its chemopreventive efficacy through gavage administration against primary carcinogenesis in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. Male C57BL/6 TRAMP mice and wild type littermates were given a daily gavage (5 mg/mouse, Monday–Friday) of AGN or vehicle, beginning at 8 wk of age (WOA). All mice were terminated at 24 WOA, unless earlier euthanasia was necessitated by large tumors. Whereas AGN‐treated TRAMP mice decreased dorsolateral prostate lesion growth by 30% (P = 0.009), they developed fewer and smaller neuroendocrine‐carcinomas (NE‐Ca) (0.12 g/mouse) than vehicle‐treated counterparts (0.81 g/mouse, P = 0.037). We analyzed the proteome and transcriptome of banked NE‐Ca to gain molecular insights. Angiogenesis‐antibody array detected a substantial reduction in AGN‐treated NE‐Ca of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), an angiogenesis stimulator. iTRAQ proteomics plus data mining suggested changes of genes upstream and downstream of FGF2 functionally consistent with AGN inhibiting FGF2/FGFR1 signaling at different levels of the transduction cascade. Moreover, AGN upregulated mRNA of genes related to immune responses, restored expression of many tumor suppressor genes, and prostate function and muscle differentiation genes. On the other hand, AGN down‐regulated mRNA of genes related to neuron signaling, oncofetal antigens, inflammation, and mast cells, Wnt signaling, embryonic morphogenesis, biosynthesis, cell adhesion, motility, invasion, and angiogenesis. These changes suggest not only multiple cancer cell targeting actions of AGN but also impact on the tumor microenvironments such as angiogenesis, inflammation, and immune surveillance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating the presentation of user reviews in multiple languages: a semiotic approach

Although evidences show that there are more bilingual and multilingual individuals in the world than there are monolingual ones, still there are few software systems that take advantage of this ability of their users. In this paper, five current solutions for the presentation of user reviews in multiple languages are evaluated using a semiotic approach and the results are compared and discussed. The diversity of design strategies found among the systems is noteworthy and may be a consequence of the lack of scientific studies on the subject.
A Foundation of Deterministic Mechanisms

We study a general social choice environment that has multiple agents, a finite set of alternatives, and independent and diffuse information. We show that for any Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism, there exists a deterministic mechanism that i) is Bayesian incentive compatible; ii) delivers the same interim expected utilities/allocation probabilities for all the agents; and iii) delivers the same ex ante expected welfare. Our result holds in settings with a rich class of utility functions, multi-dimensional types, interdependent valuations, and non-transferable utilities. More importantly, the result recovers the optimality of deterministic mechanisms (whether in terms of revenue or efficiency), which sharply contrasts with the existing results in the screening literature. To prove our result, we develop a new methodology of "mutual purification", and establish its link with the literature of mechanism design.
A Rat Model for Arrest of Alveolarization Induced by Antenatal Endotoxin Administration

A possible association between intrauterine inflammation and impairments of lung development has been suggested. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of a potent proinflammatory agent, intra-amniotic lipopolysaccharide (LPS), on lung development. At 21 d gestation, an intra-amniotic injection of 1 μg LPS was administered to two subgroups of WKAH rats. One subgroup received only LPS and the other received LPS plus a fetal intraperitoneal dose of 0.25 μg granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (hrG-CSF) to produce peripheral blood neutrophilia. A third subgroup received hrG-CSF only, and a control group received maternal intraamniotic and fetal intraperitoneal normal saline. All pups were delivered by cesarean section at 22 d (term, 22.5 d) and maintained under identical conditions. Left upper lungs were obtained for morphometric analysis at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 45, and 60 d of age. Morphometric analysis indicated that changes in alveolar surface density (Sv), average alveolar radius (r), and numerical density of alveoli (nv) all showed that there were fewer and larger alveoli in rat lungs that had been exposed to LPS, but not to hrG-CSF alone or saline. LPS-exposed alveoli showed fewer secondary septa, suggesting an arrest of alveolarization. No destructive changes were observed in any alveoli. We concluded that these changes could be caused purely by intra-amniotic LPS. These abnormalities closely mimic those of new bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The LPS damage model may be applicable to further studies of the pathophysiology of new BPD.
A Distributed Reclustering Hierarchy Routing Protocol Using Social Welfare in Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, there has been a rapid proliferation of research concerning Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), due to the wide range of potential applications that they can be used for. Lifetime is one of the most important considerations for WSNs due to their inherent energy constraints, and various protocols have been proposed to overcome these difficulties. This study proposes a novel distributed reclustering routing protocol: Predictive and Adaptive Routing Protocol using Energy Welfare (PARPEW). PARPEW incorporates the concept of energy welfare (EW) to achieve both energy efficiency and energy balance simultaneously. PARPEW is equipped with a cluster head (CH) shift mechanism that utilizes predictive energy after transmission for the computation of EW. The average case time complexity of the shift mechanism belongs to O ( | C | 2 ) , where | C | is the average number of sensors in a cluster in the WSN. Experimental results demonstrate that the new protocol is capable of significantly prolonging the lifetime of WSNs under various scenarios.
The Term Structure of Interest Rates and Macro-Portfolio Returns

The paper presents an arbitrage-free yield model based on macro-portfolio dynamics. Apart from a level factor, detrended portfolio values serve as factors for the yield model. Using trend-balanced portfolios and parameters in terms of the instantaneous mean-variance frontier, risk premia and yield curve dynamics are modeled in a natural, integrated, parsimonious way. Positivity constraints on parameters and factors are formulated that guarantee the model is well posed. In an empirical analysis a four-factor model is applied to daily US Treasury yields. We estimate by quasi-maximum likelihood using the unscented Kalman filter. The model fits well, while the estimates of both parameters and factors satisfy the positivity constraints. The analysis reveals a strong link between business cycle variation in yields and risk premia.
Use of Intracortical Recordings to Control a Hand Neuroprosthesis

The purpose of this study was to develop an animal model for evaluating the efficacy of a brain machine interface (BMI) for controlling functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS). We have implemented such a system in a single primate. Our experimental model includes a 100-electrode implanted micro-array for recording intracortical signals, a reversible peripheral nerve block for temporarily paralyzing wrist and hand muscles, and a neuromuscular stimulator for electrically activating the paralyzed muscles. To date, we have evaluated the efficacy of each of these components and demonstrated how the BMI can be used to restore voluntary control of wrist flexion following muscle paralysis
Oil encapsulation in core–shell alginate capsules by inverse gelation II: comparison between dripping techniques using W/O or O/W emulsions

Abstract In the first part of this article, it was described an innovative method of oil encapsulation from dripping-inverse gelation using water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. It was noticed that the method of oil encapsulation was quite different depending on the emulsion type (W/O or oil-in-water (O/W)) used and that the emulsion structure (W/O or O/W) had a high impact on the dripping technique and the capsules characteristics. The objective of this article was to elucidate the differences between the dripping techniques using both emulsions and compare the capsule properties (mechanical resistance and release of actives). The oil encapsulation using O/W emulsions was easier to perform and did not require the use of emulsion destabilisers. However, capsules produced from W/O emulsions were more resistant to compression and showed the slower release of actives over time. The findings detailed here widened the knowledge of the inverse gelation and gave opportunities to develop new techniques of oil encapsulation.
Decision Making Under Conditions of Uncertainty: Experimental Assessment of Decision Models

This research was supported by the National Defense University under Contract No. DABJ29-03-P-0084 and was a project of Texas A&M University's Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy in the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily relfect the views of the National Defense University.
Passion Scale: Psychometric Properties and Factorial Invariance via Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM)

Abstract Passion is an important element among the psychological processes involved in the performance of any activity, including sports practice. Given the scarcity of nationally valid and reliable instruments, this study has the purpose of presenting the adaptation processes of the Passion Scale to the Brazilian context. A total of 789 Brazilian athletes (age:16.62±3.20; 58.4% men) participated in the study. To evaluate their psychometric properties, the scale dimensionality was estimated through the Hull method and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, and the accuracy by composite reliability. The factorial invariance model was estimated between men and women, and between participants of different competitive levels. Results showed the two-factor structure of the scale, according to the theoretical hypothesis, with desirable accuracy indicators. Equivalence of the measurement model was demonstrated when evaluating participants of different sexes and different competitive levels. Results suggest adequacy of the Brazilian version for the evaluation of this construct.