Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental trajectories of overweight and obesity of US youth through the life course of adolescence to young adulthood

Objective To detect subgroups with different risks at different ages to develop overweight and obese during the adolescence–young adulthood period. Design Accelerated longitudinal design and developmental trajectory analysis were used. The likelihoods to become overweight (body mass index [BMI] >25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) were assessed across the life course from the ages of 12 to 28 years. Subjects Adolescent participants aged 12–17 years (n = 4119) identified in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 at baseline were followed up to 2008. Results Seven overweight risk groups (WG) were detected for male and female samples respectively, of which five were closely related to each of the following five periods: (a) middle-school ages (19.7% and 12.6% for male and female, respectively), (b) high-school ages (11.4% and 13.6%, respectively), (c) college ages (12.6% and 9.1%, respectively), (d) post-college ages (11.8% and 10.0%, respectively), and (e) work–family-formation ages (11.0% and 12.9%, respectively); two were nonperiod-specific groups: a permanent low-risk group for both sexes (27.3% for male, 36.4% for female), a growing-risk group for males (6.2%), and a self-limiting risk group for females (5.4%, with the likelihood increasing with age, which peaked at the age of 21 years, and then declined). Likewise, six obesity risk groups (OG) were detected, of which four corresponded to the first four high-risk WG groups. The risk groups were relatively independent of race and educational attainment. Conclusions Findings of this study imply that five risk groups for weight gain like five consecutive “tests” exist from middle-school period to work-and-family formation. Failure to pass any of these tests in the life course could lead to overweight or obese status. Further research needs to study life-course-specific factors and mechanisms for more effective weight control.
Resolution Dependence and Rossby Wave Modulation of Atmospheric Rivers in an Aquaplanet Model

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are examined in a set of aquaplanet simulations using the Model for Prediction Across Scales dynamical core run at multiple horizontal resolutions, namely, 240, 120, and 60 km. As the resolution is increased, there is an increase in the occurrence of long‐lasting ARs. At the same time there is also an increase in the local finite‐amplitude wave activity (LWA) of upper‐tropospheric absolute vorticity, a measure for Rossby wave phase and amplitude that is closely linked with wave breaking. Consistent with the notion that changes in ARs are driven by midlatitude dynamics, a strong relationship is identified between ARs and the equatorward component of LWA. A logistic regression model is used to quantify the probability of AR occurrence based solely on LWA and explains most of the change in AR frequency with resolution. LWA is a diagnostic that may be easily applied to the broadly available output of phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison project and other model simulations, thus enabling scientists to infer AR and Rossby wave characteristics. AR characteristics, in particular, require higher‐resolution moisture and winds at multiple levels that are not always easily available.
A Galactic Plane relative extinction map from 2MASS

We present three 14 400 square degree relative extinction maps of the Galactic Plane (|b| < 20°) obtained from 2MASS using accumulative star counts (Wolf diagrams). This method is independent of the colour of the stars and the variation of extinction with wavelength. Stars were counted in 3.5 × 3.5 boxes, every 20.1° × 1° surrounding fields were chosen for reference, hence the maps represent local extinction enhancements and ignore any contribution from the ISM or very large clouds. Data reduction was performed on a Beowulf-type cluster (in approximately 120 hours). Such a cluster is ideal for this type of work as areas of the sky can be independently processed in parallel. We studied how extinction depends on wavelength in all of the high extinction regions detected and within selected dark clouds. On average a power law opacity index (β) of 1.0 to 1.8 in the NIR was deduced. The index however differed significantly from region to region and even within individual dark clouds. That said, generally it was found to be constant, or to increase, with wavelength within a particular region.
A Deterministic K-means Algorithm based on Nearest Neighbor Search

In data mining, the k-means algorithm is among the most commonly and widely used method for solving clustering problems because of its simplicity and performance. However, one of the main drawback of this algorithm is that its accuracy and performance are sensitive to the initial choice of clustering centers, which are generated randomly. To overcome this drawback, we propose a simple deterministic method based on nearest neighbor search and k-means procedure in order to improve clustering results. Experimental results on various data sets reveal that the proposed method is more accurate than standard K-means algorithm.
Finite Model Reasoning in Horn-SHIQ

Finite model reasoning in expressive DLs such as ALCQI and SHIQ requires non-trivial algorithmic approaches that are substantially differerent from algorithms used for reasoning about unrestricted models. In contrast, finite model reasoning in the inexpressive fragment DL-LiteF of ALCQI and SHIQ is algorithmically rather simple: using a TBox completion procedure that reverses certain terminological cycles, one can reduce finite subsumption to unrestricted subsumption. In this paper, we show that this useful technique extends all the way to the popular and much more expressive Horn-SHIQ fragment of SHIQ.
Chondroitin sulphate decreases collagen synthesis in normal and scleroderma fibroblasts through a Smad-independent TGF-β pathway – implication of C-Krox and Sp1

Despite several investigations, the transcriptional mechanisms which regulate the expression of both type I collagen genes (COL1A1 and COL1A2) in either physiological or pathological situations, such as scleroderma, are not completely known. In this study, we determined the effects of both native ichtyan chondroïtin sulphate (CS) and its derived hydrolytic fragments (CSf) on human normal (NF) and scleroderma (SF) fibroblasts. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that CS and CSf exert an inhibitory effect on type I collagen protein synthesis and decrease the corresponding mRNA steady‐state levels of COL1A1 and COL1A2 in NF and SF. These glycosaminoglycan molecules repress COL1A1 gene transcription through a ‐112/‐61 bp sequence upstream the start site of transcription and imply hc‐Krox and Sp1 transcription factors. In addition, CS and CSf induced a down‐regulation of TβRI expression. As a conclusion, our findings highlight a possible new role for CS and CSf as anti‐fibrotic molecules and could help in elucidating the mechanisms of action by which CS and CSf exert their inhibitory effect on type I collagen synthesis.
Carcinoma Initiation via Rb Tumor Suppressor Inactivation: A Versatile Approach to Epithelial Subtype-Dependent Cancer Initiation in Diverse Tissues

Carcinomas arise in a complex microenvironment consisting of multiple distinct epithelial lineages surrounded by a variety of stromal cell types. Understanding cancer etiologies requires evaluating the relationship among cell types during disease initiation and through progression. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models facilitate the prospective examination of early oncogenic events, which is not possible in humans. Since most solid tumors harbor aberrations in the RB network, we developed an inducible GEM approach for the establishment and assessment of carcinoma initiation in a diverse range of epithelial tissues and subtypes upon inactivation of RB-mediated tumor suppression (RB-TS). The system allows independent assessment of epithelial subtypes that express either cytokeratins (K) 18 or 19. By Cre-dependent expression of a protein that dominantly inactivates RB and functionally redundant proteins p107 and p130, neoplasia could be initiated in either K18 or K19 expressing cells of numerous tissues. By design, because only a single pathway aberration was engineered, carcinomas developed stochastically only after long latency. Hence, this system, which allows for directed cell type-specific carcinoma initiation, facilitates further definition of events that can progress neoplasms to aggressive cancers via engineered, carcinogen-induced and/or spontaneous evolution.
The Catalytic Properties of Hybrid Rubisco Comprising Tobacco Small and Sunflower Large Subunits Mirror the Kinetically Equivalent Source Rubiscos and Can Support Tobacco Growth1[W][OA]

Plastomic replacement of the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Rubisco large subunit gene (rbcL) with that from sunflower (Helianthus annuus; rbcLS) produced tobaccoRst transformants that produced a hybrid Rubisco consisting of sunflower large and tobacco small subunits (LsSt). The tobaccoRst plants required CO2 (0.5% v/v) supplementation to grow autotrophically from seed despite the substrate saturated carboxylation rate, Km, for CO2 and CO2/O2 selectivity of the LsSt enzyme mirroring the kinetically equivalent tobacco and sunflower Rubiscos. Consequently, at the onset of exponential growth when the source strength and leaf LsSt content were sufficient, tobaccoRst plants grew to maturity without CO2 supplementation. When grown under a high pCO2, the tobaccoRst seedlings grew slower than tobacco and exhibited unique growth phenotypes: Juvenile plants formed clusters of 10 to 20 structurally simple oblanceolate leaves, developed multiple apical meristems, and the mature leaves displayed marginal curling and dimpling. Depending on developmental stage, the LsSt content in tobaccoRst leaves was 4- to 7-fold less than tobacco, and gas exchange coupled with chlorophyll fluorescence showed that at 2 mbar pCO2 and growth illumination CO2 assimilation in mature tobaccoRst leaves remained limited by Rubisco activity and its rate (approximately 11 μmol m−2 s−1) was half that of tobacco controls. 35S-methionine labeling showed the stability of assembled LsSt was similar to tobacco Rubisco and measurements of light transient CO2 assimilation rates showed LsSt was adequately regulated by tobacco Rubisco activase. We conclude limitations to tobaccoRst growth primarily stem from reduced rbcLS mRNA levels and the translation and/or assembly of sunflower large with the tobacco small subunits that restricted LsSt synthesis.
The New Zealand Nurse Specialist Framework

Maximizing the contribution that nurses can make to the health care outcomes is the focus of health workforce planners and funders worldwide. New Zealand, along with many other countries, faces significant taxonomical challenges in developing specialist nursing workforce as nurse specialists and specialty areas of practice are inconsistently defined. Clearly defining and capturing data on current workforces is a challenge shared by many countries impacting on the ability to understand current supply and plan for anticipated increased demand. This article presents an overview of the New Zealand Nurse Specialist Framework (NZNSF) developed through a consensus approach as part of a doctoral study. The NZSNF has already been adopted by some national nursing groups in New Zealand and provides an overarching structure to support coherence, clarity and consistency for nurse specialists. The framework aims to support workforce policy makers in planning effective utilization of the nurse specialist in health care delivery.
In Vitro DVS Approach to Evaluate Skin Reparation

The stratum corneum (SC), the most superficial layer of the skin, is directly responsible for the skin’s barrier function. The intercellular lipids in the SC play an important role in the regulation of the skin’s water-holding capacity. The modification of the intercellular lipid organization and composition may impair these properties. The aim of the present study is to describe a new in vitro approach of the repairing capacity evaluation of lipid formulations on skin with the use of absorption and desorption curves. The formulations were applied on lipid-extracted SC, and the possible SC reparation was assessed with the use of a thermogravimetric balance (DVS). Moisture absorption/desorption experiments proved to be adequate for the evaluation of the repairing capacity of formulations applied on damaged skin. Besides, freeze-substitution transmission electron microscopy (FSTEM) images showed some lipid bilayers, indicating a lipid bilayer reconstitution due to the applied formulations.
Proofs You Can Believe In. Proving Equivalences Between Prolog Semantics in Coq

Basing program analyses on formal semantics has a long and successful tradition in the logic programming paradigm. These analyses rely on results about the relative correctness of mathematically sophisticated semantics, and authors of such analyses often invest considerable eﬀort into establishing these results. The development of interactive theorem provers such as Coq and their recent successes both in the ﬁeld of program veriﬁcation as well as in mathematics, poses the question whether these tools can be usefully deployed in logic programming. This paper presents formalisations in Coq of several general results about the correctness of semantics in diﬀerent styles; forward and backward, top-down and bottom-up. The results chosen are paradigmatic of the kind of correctness theorems that semantic analyses rely on and are therefore well-suited to explore the possibilities afforded by the application of interactive theorem provers to this task, as well as the diﬃculties likely to be encountered in the endeavour. It turns out that the advantages oﬀered by moving to a functional setting, including the possibility to apply higher-order abstract syntax, are considerable.
How Equal are Educational Opportunities? Family Background and Student Achievement in Europe and the United States

This paper estimates the effects of family-background characteristics on student performance in the US and 17 Western European school systems. Family background has strong effects both in Europe and the United States, remarkably similar in size. France and Flemish Belgium achieve the most equitable performance for students from different family backgrounds, and Britain and Germany the least. Equality of opportunities is unrelated to countries� mean performance. Quantile regressions show little variation in family-background effects across the ability distribution in most countries.
A New Scheme of LBS Privacy Protection

LBS provide users with highly personalised information accessible by means of a variety of mobile devices that are able to locate themselves. Nevertheless, the wide deployment of LBS can jeopardise the privacy of their users, so ensuring user privacy is paramount to the success of those services. This article focuses on finding a new safe and efficient scheme to prevent LBS server or other users in group from receive real user's personal info. In this scheme, we adopt ASGKA protocol to build safe group and design a cycle-like structure to make group member have safe status.
The Process of Developing a Mobile Device for Communication in a Safety-Critical Domain

This paper describes the process of developing an interactive mobile system for use in a safety-critical domain. The system was developed to inquire into the extent of which coordination between people carrying out a collaborative work task can be improved by means of computer mediated communication on a mobile device. The application area for the device was controlling and monitoring processes in the safety-critical domain of a large container vessel when it arrives at or leaves a harbor. The development process involved ethnographic studies of work activities in this domain, analysis of communication between actors involved in the work activities, design and implementation of an experimental prototype, and two usability evaluations of the prototype. We emphasize the analysis and design activities and outline the challenges involved in the development of the mobile device. Also, we outline how our experiences are relevant in a more general context.
Development and aetiology of body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys and girls

This longitudinal study aims to describe the development of body dissatisfaction (BD), measured with the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, between the ages of 14 and 18, and to identify factors associated with BD at age 18, among 413 adolescents. Between the ages of 14 and 18, the proportion of girls wanting to be thinner increased, although it remained unchanged among boys. A ratio of 1:2 girls and 1:5 boys reported having seriously tried to lose weight. Factors associated with BD in girls at age 18 were (1) wanting to be thinner, (2) body mass index (BMI), (3) weight control behaviours and (4) negative comments about weight. Factors associated with BD in boys at age 18 were (1) wanting to be thinner or bigger, (2) BMI, (3) having experienced sexual intercourse and (4) negative comments about weight. The high prevalence of BD and weight-related concerns suggest a need for early interventions.
Soft-spectrum adaptation in UWB impulse radio

A soft-spectrum impulse radio scheme with multi-band pulse waveform adaptation and shaping is proposed, which can be applied to the co-existence, the interference avoidance, the matching with regulatory spectral mask (e.g. FCC spectrum mask), and high data rate. In the paper, the soft-spectrum adaptation proposal has been discussed in detail. Different kinds of soft-spectrum pulse waveforms with various shapes, envelopes, as well as their corresponding spectral features are investigated. Achievable BER performance simulations for these multi-band pulse waveforms are also carried out under AWGN environment.
Selectivity function scheduler for IEEE 802.11e HCCA access mode

In this paper, we present a scheduling algorithm that enhances the performance of the standard IEEE 802.11e scheduler for the Hybrid Coordination Function Controlled Channel Access mode. The main contribution in designing the proposed scheduler is the ability to accommodate multiple streams with different levels of Quality of Service requirements concurrently running on the same station. This is achieved by dynamically calculating the Transmission Opportunities of each active traffic stream TS and the appropriate Service Interval of each active station. The proposed algorithm optimizes the utilization of the scarce bandwidth resources by only polling active stations. The algorithm incorporates a selectivity function to assign polling priorities to the active streams only based on their diverse requirements and their link-attainable transmission rates. The performance of the proposed Selectivity Function Scheduler SFS scheme is evaluated against the standard scheduler. Simulation results show that the SFS outperforms the standard scheduler in terms of enhancing streams' throughput, reducing packet dropping ratio and maintaining high fairness amongst the admitted TS. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
IKKε inhibits PKC to promote Fascin-dependent actin bundling

Signaling molecules have pleiotropic functions and are activated by various extracellular stimuli. Protein kinase C (PKC) is activated by diverse receptors, and its dysregulation is associated with diseases including cancer. However, how the undesired activation of PKC is prevented during development remains poorly understood. We have previously shown that a protein kinase, IKKε, is active at the growing bristle tip and regulates actin bundle organization during Drosophila bristle morphogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that IKKε regulates the actin bundle localization of a dynamic actin cross-linker, Fascin. IKKε inhibits PKC, thereby protecting Fascin from inhibitory phosphorylation. Excess PKC activation is responsible for the actin bundle defects in IKKε-deficient bristles, whereas PKC is dispensable for bristle morphogenesis in wild-type bristles, indicating that PKC is repressed by IKKε in wild-type bristle cells. These results suggest that IKKε prevents excess activation of PKC during bristle morphogenesis. Summary: The protein kinase IKKε is active at the growing tip of Drosophila bristles and prevents excess PKC activation during bristle actin bundle organization and morphogenesis.
Fixed points of graph peeling

Degree peeling is used to study complex networks. It corresponds to a decomposition of the graph into vertex groups of increasing minimum degree. However, the peeling value of a vertex is non-local in this context since it relies on the connections the vertex has to groups above it. We explore a different way to decompose a network into edge layers such that the local peeling value of the vertices on each layer does not depend on their non-local connections with the other layers. This corresponds to the decomposition of a graph into subgraphs that are invariant with respect to degree peeling, i.e. they are fixed points. We introduce in this context a method to partition the edges of a graph into fixed points of degree peeling, called the iterative-edge-core decomposition. Information from this decomposition is used to formulate a notion of vertex diversity based on Shannon's entropy. We illustrate the usefulness of this decomposition in social network analysis. Our method can be used for community detection and graph visualization.
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase 1 Regulates Resistance to Infection

ABSTRACT Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1)-deficient mice are resistant to Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infections. Corneas healed completely in TIMP-1-deficient mice, and infections were cleared faster in TIMP-1-deficient mice than in wild-type littermates. Genetic suppression studies using matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-deficient mice showed that MMP-9, MMP-3, and MMP-7 but not MMP-2 or MMP-12 are needed for resistance. Increased resistance was also seen during pulmonary infections. These results identify a novel pathway regulating infection resistance.
Frequency, Voltage and Angle Tracking for Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Inverter based on SVPWM Technique

Photovoltaic (PV) and other sources of renewable energy are being used increasingly in grid-connected systems, for which stronger power quality requirements are being specified. This project upholds the objective of developing an inverter with frequency, voltage and angle tracking using Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) technique. This project will give an overview of different techniques employed for the inverter control of inverters in grid connected applications, where the power transfer is ensured always from the inverter to the utility. SVPWM is employed as the method for inverter control. Use of SVPWM technique gives a better harmonics response and higher efficiency as compared to the normal regular sampled pulse width modulation techniques. Also another advantage of SVPWM is its ease in digital implementation. The present scope of project is to analyze the existing PWM techniques and their merits and demerits. It also includes the detailed study of proposed scheme of grid connection and implementation of SVPWM for three phase inverter using MATLAB/SIMULINK and results obtained are validated with the theoretical concepts.