Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereotypes and Stigma: Biased Attributions in Matching Older Persons with Drawings of Viruses?

To test whether germs are perceived as more harmful and threatening in stigmatized groups, photographs of young Black, young Hispanic, young White, and older White persons were shown for five seconds. Participants (N = 62) matched photographs with five drawings of viruses. The viruses were pre-rated by a separate sample (N = 39) and it was determined that the viruses formed a continuum along a 5-point scale from benign to threatening. Utilizing ANOVA, statistical significance was found (F(3,183) = 3.77, p < . 05) between the four groups of photographs, with post-hoc analysis indicating differences between young Hispanic and older White persons. Perceptions of attractiveness (r = .5) may have influenced choice of virus matched with person.
Psoralea corylifolia L. Seed Extract Attenuates Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting Renal Fibrosis and Apoptosis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

The Psoralea corylifolia L. seed (PCS) is a widely used herbal medicine, but its possible effect against diabetic nephropathy has not been studied. To investigate the anti-nephropathic effect of PCS extracts, we performed experiments using a diabetic mouse model and high glucose-treated mesangial cells. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were orally administered PCS extract for 8 weeks (500 mg/kg/day). Increased creatinine clearance, urine volume, urine microalbumin, and mesangial expansion were observed in STZ-induced diabetic mice; these were significantly reduced by PCS extract administration. PCS extract significantly reduced fibrosis in the kidney tissue of diabetic mice as evidenced by decreased mRNA expression of collagen type IV-α2, fibronectin, PAI-1, and TGF-β1. In addition, cleaved PARP, an apoptotic gene, was upregulated in the diabetic nephropathy mice, and this was ameliorated after PCS extract treatment. Treatment of high glucose-treated MES-13 cells with isopsoralen and psoralen, major components of PCS extract, also decreased the expression of fibrosis and apoptosis marker genes and increased cell viability. PCS extract exerts protective effects against STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy via anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects. PCS extract might be a potential pharmacological agent to protect against high glucose-induced renal damage under diabetic conditions.
Cryptochrome

It was recently discovered that the photoreceptor cryptochrome is involved in mediating magnetosensitive entrainment of the internal clock of fruit flies (1). This discovery follows other recent studies implicating a role of cryptochrome in mediating magnetic sensitivity in orientation responses of fruit flies (2,3) and growth responses of plants (4). Such widespread use of the same molecule for mediating magnetic sensitivity might suggest that cryptochrome is in some way optimal for detecting the magnetic field of the earth and that the magnetoreception function cannot be easily taken over by other molecules. This raises the question what properties might set cryptochromes apart from other molecules in terms of their ability to detect the geomagnetic field. Here, we will discuss possible answers to this question. We will first review the likely biophysical mechanism by which magnetic fields can be detected by a photoreceptor and discuss what constitutes an optimal photo-magneto-receptor. We will then discuss in how far cryptochrome matches the profile of an optimal molecule and what further steps are required for more conclusive answers.
From Litterfall to Breakdown in Streams: A Review

This paper is a review of recent (≤10 years) information on litterfall, standing stock of benthic organic matter, breakdown rates, and fungal colonization of organic matter in streams. In some cases, recent research reinforces the findings of classic reference papers. In other cases, the additional knowledge provided by recent research introduces a higher variation in the processes analyzed. In many aspects, especially those concerning stream organic matter, the review is biased towards the temperate North American streams, reflecting the fact that most research was carried out there. However, during the 1990s European studies increased enormously, especially those related with instream processes, such as leaf litter decomposition. The first part of this review analyzes the origin of allochthonous organic matter to streams (litterfall, retention, and storage), and it provides data on the amounts estimated in different streams and on the methodology used in the studies. The second part analyzes the fate of detritus in streams: mechanisms of leaf breakdown, relative importance of fungi and bacteria, factors affecting the activity of microbial decomposers, and chemical changes of leaf litter during decomposition. A list of breakdown rates of several different leaf species is given, together with the methodology used, and the main characteristics of the incubation streams.
Is Russia successful in attracting foreign direct investment? Evidence based on gravity model estimation

Abstract The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it is to answer the question of whether Russia is successful in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Second, it is to identify partner countries that “overinvest” and “underinvest” in the Russian economy. We do this by calculating potential FDI inflows to Russia and comparing them with actual values. This research is associated with the empirical estimation of factors explaining FDI flows between countries. The methodological foundation used for the research is the gravity model of foreign direct investment. In discussing the pros and cons of different econometric methods of the estimation gravity equation, we conclude that the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood method with instrumental variables (IV PPML) is one of the best options in our case. Using a database covering about 70% of FDI flows for the period of 2001-2011, we discover the following factors that explain the variance of bilateral FDI flows in the world economy: GDP value of investing country, GDP value of recipient country, distance between countries, remoteness of investor country, remoteness of recipient country, level of institutions development in host country, wage level in host country, membership of two countries in a regional economic union, common official language, common border and colonial relationships between countries in the past. The potential values of FDI inflows are calculated using coefficients of regressors from the econometric model. We discover that the Russian economy performs very well in attracting FDI: the actual FDI inflows exceed potential values by 1.72 times. Large developed countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy) overinvest in the Russian economy, while smaller and less developed countries (Czech Republic, Belarus, Denmark, Ukraine) underinvest in Russia. Countries of Southeast Asia (China, South Korea, Japan) also underinvest in the Russian economy.
Relative Efficacy of Different Alfalfa Cultivar-Rhizobium meliloti Strain Combinations for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

Five Rhizobium meliloti isolates known to have different capabilities for expression of nitrogenase activity under symbiotic conditions were used to inoculate four representative Medicago sativa cultivars under aseptic conditions. Nitrogenase activities and respiratory activity were measured for whole plants and excised nodules. Dry weights and nodule numbers were also recorded after 4 weeks of growth in plastic pouches on a nitrogen-free nutrient medium. Hydrogen evolution and acetylene reduction rates were used to calculate the fraction of reducing power allocated to dinitrogen reduction. Although the efficiency of the system defined in this way was poorly correlated with plant yield, a very high linear correlation was obtained between yield and the algebraic product of nitrogenase activity and efficiency. High correlation (r > 0.78) was obtained between respiration and nitrogenase activity for whole plants as well as for excised nodules. Nodular respiration accounted for between 10 and 20% of the total plant dark respiration. The four test cultivars exhibited significantly different symbiotic responses to the inocula, although trends in potential for expression of the nitrogenase system by the five R. meliloti strains were evident. There was significant interaction between the host plant and symbiont in determining nitrogenase activity and yield. This screening method allows quantitative discrimination between effective and ineffective host-inoculum combinations.
The effect of the chamber on kinetic results in cryopreserved bull spermatozoa

In this study, the effect of the chamber used for the automated analysis of sperm motility by a computer‐assisted semen analysis system on sperm kinematics was evaluated, and the cause of this effect was also verified. Twenty‐three bull semen batches were thawed, and semen was diluted, aliquoted and analysed with six different chambers, (three capillary‐loaded chambers and three droplet (DR)‐loaded chambers). For each chamber type, each sample was analysed in quadruplicate, and the reliability of the analysis was tested using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Furthermore, sperm membrane integrity (MI) was evaluated, for each sample and chamber, in 12 randomly selected central and 12 edge fields. The ICC analysis showed that some parameters could have a significant variability related to the chamber. High stability of results was detected in Leja 4‐chamber slide. Furthermore, as previously reported in other studies, capillary‐loaded chambers seemed to affect the total and progressive motility and sperm velocities (average path velocity, straight line velocity and curvilinear velocity). These findings were corroborated by the evaluation of sperm MI that was significantly higher in the DR‐loaded chambers. This study confirms that the chamber used for the objective kinetic evaluation of bull‐thawed spermatozoa significantly affects the result. These differences could be present also in other species, even if the specific effect on the sperm kinematics should be verified. The Makler chamber seemed to give reliable results with negligible effects on sperm kinematics.
Prediction-based sampled-data H∞ controller design for attitude stabilisation of a rigid spacecraft with disturbances

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the H∞ control problem of the attitude stabilisation of a rigid spacecraft with external disturbances using prediction-based sampled-data control strategy. Aiming to achieve a ‘virtual’ closed-loop system, a type of parameterised sampled-data controller is designed by introducing a prediction mechanism. The resultant closed-loop system is equivalent to a hybrid system featured by a continuous-time and an impulsive differential system. By using a time-varying Lyapunov functional, a generalised bounded real lemma (GBRL) is first established for a kind of impulsive differential system. Based on this GBRL and Lyapunov functional approach, a sufficient condition is derived to guarantee the closed-loop system to be asymptotically stable and to achieve a prescribed H∞ performance. In addition, the controller parameter tuning is cast into a convex optimisation problem. Simulation and comparative results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed control scheme.
A Proposed Business Intelligent Framework for Recommender Systems

In this Internet age, recommender systems (RS) have become popular, offering new opportunities and challenges to the business world. With a continuous increase in global competition, e-businesses, information portals, social networks and more, websites are required to become more user-centric and rely on the presence and role of RS in assisting users in better decision making. However, with continuous changes in user interests and consumer behavior patterns that are influenced by easy access to vast information and social factors, raising the quality of recommendations has become a challenge for recommender systems. There is a pressing need for exploring hybrid models of the five main types of RS, namely collaborative, demographic, utility, content and knowledge based approaches along with advancements in Big Data (BD) to become more context-aware of the technology and social changes and to behave intelligently. There is a gap in literature with a research focus in this direction. This paper takes a step to address this by exploring a new paradigm of applying business intelligence (BI) concepts to RS for intelligently responding to user changes and business complexities. A BI based framework adopting a hybrid methodology for RS is proposed with a focus on enhancing the RS performance. Such a business intelligent recommender system (BIRS) can adopt On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools and performance monitoring metrics using data mining techniques of BI to enhance its own learning, user profiling and predictive models for making a more useful set of personalised recommendations to its users. The application of the proposed framework to a B2C e-commerce case example is presented.
Coexpression of vesicular glutamate transporter‐3 and γ‐aminobutyric acidergic markers in rat rostral medullary raphe and intermediolateral cell column

Markers of serotonergic, γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐ergic (glutamic acid decarboxylase, 67 kDa isoform; GAD‐67), and glutamatergic transmission (vesicular glutamate transporter 3; VGLUT3) have been detected in presumed sympathetic premotor neurons of the medullary raphe, a region that controls sympathetic tone to brown fat, skin blood vessels, and heart. In this study, the degree of coexpression of these markers was examined in raphe neurons by simultaneous histological detection of tryptophan hydroxylase (TrpOH) immunoreactivity with GAD‐67 mRNA and VGLUT3 mRNA. Over half (52%) of the VGLUT3 mRNA‐positive neurons expressed one or both of the other markers. The proportion of VGLUT3 neurons containing at least one of the other two markers was even higher (89%) for VGLUT3 spinally projecting neurons. VGLUT3 neurons containing markers for both serotonin and GABA were especially numerous (50–72%, depending on rostrocaudal level) within the marginal layer of raphe pallidus and the parapyramidal region. The dual GABAergic and glutamatergic nature of some bulbospinal raphe neurons was suggested by the presence of nerve terminals immunoreactive (ir) for both VGLUT3 and GABA in the intermediolateral cell column (IML) as detected by electron microscopy. VGLUT3‐ir terminals formed approximately equal numbers of symmetric and asymmetric synapses onto presumed preganglionic neurons (nitric oxide synthase‐ir profiles) or GABA‐ir dendrites in IML, and terminals immunoreactive for both VGLUT3 and GABA always formed symmetric synapses. These data suggest that medullary raphe VGLUT3 neurons could inhibit sympathetic outflow and that their spinal targets include both preganglionic neurons and GABAergic interneurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 492:477–494, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Solving a New 3D Bin Packing Problem with Deep Reinforcement Learning Method

In this paper, a new type of 3D bin packing problem (BPP) is proposed, in which a number of cuboid-shaped items must be put into a bin one by one orthogonally. The objective is to find a way to place these items that can minimize the surface area of the bin. This problem is based on the fact that there is no fixed-sized bin in many real business scenarios and the cost of a bin is proportional to its surface area. Our research shows that this problem is NP-hard. Based on previous research on 3D BPP, the surface area is determined by the sequence, spatial locations and orientations of items. Among these factors, the sequence of items plays a key role in minimizing the surface area. Inspired by recent achievements of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) techniques, especially Pointer Network, on combinatorial optimization problems such as TSP, a DRL-based method is applied to optimize the sequence of items to be packed into the bin. Numerical results show that the method proposed in this paper achieve about 5% improvement than heuristic method.
Male-male competition and female choice are differentially affected by male call acoustics in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus

Background The evolution of exaggerated vocal signals in anuran species is an important topic. Males and females have both evolved the ability to discriminate communication sounds. However, the nature of sexual dimorphism in cognition and sensory discrimination and in the evolution and limitation of sexual signal exaggeration remain relatively unexplored. Methods In the present study, we used male calls of varied complexity in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus, as probes to investigate how both sexes respond to variations in call complexity and how sex differences in signal discrimination play a role in the evolution of sexual signal exaggeration. The compound calls of male K. odontotarsus consist of a series of one or more harmonic notes (A notes) which may be followed by one or more short broadband notes (B notes). Results Male playback experiments and female phonotaxis tests showed that increasing the number of A notes in stimulus calls elicits increased numbers of response calls by males and increases the attractiveness of the stimulus calls to females. The addition of B notes, however, reduces male calling responses. Moreover, call stimuli which contain only B notes suppress spontaneous male calling responses. Phonotaxis experiments show that females prefer calls with greater numbers of A notes and calls containing both A notes and B notes, but do not prefer calls with only B notes. Discussion Male-male competition and female choice appear to have played different roles in the evolution and limitation of signal complexity in K. odontotarsus. These results provide new insights into how exaggerated compound signals evolve and how signal complexity may be limited in anurans.
Effect of Inoue balloon mitral valvotomy on severe pulmonary arterial hypertension in 315 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis: immediate and long-term results.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY Despite advances in surgical techniques, mitral valve surgery in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) causes considerable mortality and morbidity. Balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) is an established alternative to treat high-risk surgical patients with mitral stenosis (MS). The study aims were to evaluate immediate and long-term efficacy of BMV in patients with MS and severe PAH, compared to those with mild/moderate PAH. METHODS Among 1,125 patients who underwent Inoue BMV, 315 had severe PAH (mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure > or = 50 mmHg (group I; 79 of these patients had suprasystemic PAH). Results from this group were compared with those of patients with mild/moderate PAH (group II). RESULTS Group I patients were younger and more symptomatic (mean PA pressure 62 +/- 10.6 mmHg versus 32.6 +/- 8.2 mmHg in group II). Before BMV, mean transmitral gradient (17.8 +/- 6.5 versus 14.4 +/- 5.4 mmHg) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) (31.6 +/- 6.1 versus 22.8 +/- 6.2 mmHg) were significantly higher, while mitral valve area (MVA) (0.66 +/- 0.2 versus 0.85 +/- 0.2 cm2) was significantly lower in group I. After BMV, PA mean pressure was significantly reduced (34.8 +/- 11.2 and 21.1 +/- 8.4 mmHg), transmitral gradient (8.0 +/- 3.9 and 6.9 +/- 3.2 mmHg) and mean PCWP (12.8 +/- 5.8 and 11.0 +/- 5.1 mmHg) in groups I and II, respectively, with a comparable increase in MVA (1.77 +/- 0.4 and 1.84 +/- 0.5 cm2). Group I patients had worse baseline hemodynamic parameters than group II, but the former had a higher absolute gain in hemodynamic parameters. Residual severe PAH after BMV was seen in 9.8% of patients, with PA pressures normalized in 9.5%. Among 79 patients with suprasystemic PA pressure (mean PA systolic pressure 116.6 +/- 28.2 mmHg), 16.5% normalized their PA pressures and 25.3% had residual severe PAH. At mean follow up of 33 months, 80.4% were in NYHA class I. Mean PA systolic pressure in 161 patients was 39.0 +/- 14.2 mmHg compared with a post-BMV value of 55.0 +/- 16.9 mmHg; thus, a sustained fall in pressure was demonstrated at follow up. CONCLUSION Inoue BMV is safe and effective in patients with MS and severe PAH. Although these patients have worse clinical and hemodynamic parameters before BMV, they achieve a greater absolute gain in terms of improvement in all hemodynamic parameters.
Where Dating Meets Data: Investigating Social and Institutional Privacy Concerns on Tinder

The widespread diffusion of location-based real-time dating or mobile dating apps, such as Tinder and Grindr, is changing dating practices. The affordances of these dating apps differ from those of “old school” dating sites, for example, by privileging picture-based selection, minimizing room for textual self-description, and drawing upon existing Facebook profile data. They might also affect users’ privacy perceptions as these services are location based and often include personal conversations and data. Based on a survey collected via Mechanical Turk, we assess how Tinder users perceive privacy concerns. We find that the users are more concerned about institutional privacy than social privacy. Moreover, different motivations for using Tinder—hooking up, relationship, friendship, travel, self-validation, and entertainment—affect social privacy concerns more strongly than institutional concerns. Finally, loneliness significantly increases users’ social and institutional privacy concerns, while narcissism decreases them.
Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv mice and mechanism of the suppressive effect of tranilast, an antiallergic drug inhibiting mediator release from mast cells, on fibrosis.

It has been well known that the number of mast cells increases during the development of fibrosis in various tissues including the lung. However, the role of mast cells in fibrosis still remains obscure. In the present paper, we evidenced that pulmonary fibrosis could be induced in genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv mice as well as WBB6F1-(+/+) mice having mast cells normally by the treatment with bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg, i.v., 10 days), and there was not much difference in the histological changes of lungs between the two strains. An increase in the hydroxyproline content of the lung of WBB6F1-W/Wv mice was rather higher than that of WBB6F1-(+/+) mice. Previously, we reported that tranilast, an antiallergic drug inhibiting chemical mediator release from mast cells, suppressed the development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in ICR mice, suggesting the possibility that mast cells play certain roles in fibrosis. However, it was evidenced in the present report that tranilast suppressed BLM-induced fibrosis in WBB6F1-W/Wv mice. Tranilast neither suppressed the cytotoxic activity of BLM against KB cells and L-929 cells in vitro, nor inhibited the antitumor activity of BLM against Sarcoma-180 transplanted subcutaneously into ICR mice. Tranilast may act through suppressing BLM-induced activation of lymphoid cells including macrophage and neutrophil. These results indicate an inconsequential role of mast cells in the development of fibrosis. Increases in the number of mast cells and in histamine content of the lung, which were widely reported in the lungs of BLM-treated mice, may be the result of fibrosis.