Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of pruning, fertilization and pesticide injection on crown dieback in urban trees in Colombia: Analysis of factors involved

This research evaluated the effect of pruning, fertilization and pesticide injection on crown dieback in urban trees in Colombia and analyzed the factors involved. Systemic insecticides and/or fungicides were applied through injections in the trunk of 15 tree species affected by the progressive deterioration of the crown in the urban forests of the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. The presence of progressive deterioration was evaluated qualitatively on a scale from zero to three in an average sample of 12 individuals for each species. Two treatments were used: i) application of insecticide + fungicide, and ii) application of insecticide, both treatments were applied three times, plus a general treatment of pruning and fertilization. Also, two controls were evaluated: healthy trees and diseased trees without treatment. The probability of individual progressive deterioration (PD) during the study period according to the species, treatment applied, and the initial state of affectation was estimated using a generalized linear mixed model. The analysis of factors involved also included planting site, traffic flow of the site, the wood density of the species, and time. The results suggest that the deterioration is a dynamic phenomenon associated with environmental stresses caused mainly by the climatic variability. From the evaluated variables, the species seems to be the most determinant factor for the affectation, since intrinsic variables of the species, like wood density, can favor its appearance. On the contrary, the treatments evaluated did not affect the recovery of the species. The action of insects and pathogens seems to be opportunistic once trees are affected.
Winning Probability Dynamics and the Disposition Effect

This paper studies the unique statistical features of multi-period returns vs. single-period returns and examines their implications on I derive a closed form representation of the dynamic relation between winning probability and holding time, and then apply the theoretical results to studying the disposition effect, which refers to the tendency of investors to be reluctant to realize losses. The winning probability refers to the probability that investors can make positive profits on their positions. The winning probability of multi-period investments evolves with the length of the holding period; the longer the holding periods, the larger or smaller the winning probability becomes, depending on the statistic properties of the stock price process. Such evolution of winning probability can lead to the observed disposition effects. Simulations with CRSP daily stock data show that the disposition effects can be replicated even when investors have no selling preference. Therefore the well-documented disposition effects may not be due to behavioral bias of investors, but rather probably due to statistical features of the financial market data. The puzzle of disposition effects can be solved within the economic framework in which market participants are rational agents.
The role of semaphorin 4D as a potential biomarker for antiangiogenic therapy in colorectal cancer

Background Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) belongs to the class IV semaphorins, and accumulating evidence has indicated that its elevated level may be one strategy by which tumors evade current anti-angiogenic therapies. The biological roles of Sema4D in colorectal cancer (CRC), however, remain largely undefined. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Sema4D on tumor angiogenesis and growth in CRC, especially in different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) backgrounds. Methods The expression of Sema4D in human CRC was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of tumors and their matching normal control tissues. The expression level of Sema4D and VEGF was investigated in different CRC cell lines. To evaluate the contributions of Sema4D to tumor-induced angiogenesis, two CRC cell lines with opposite VEGF backgrounds were infected with lentiviruses expressing Sema4D or Sema4D short hairpin RNA, followed by in vitro migration and in vivo tumor angiogenic assays. Results Immunohistochemical analysis of human CRC revealed high levels of Sema4D in a cell surface pattern. In all, 84.85% of CRC samples analyzed exhibited moderate to strong Sema4D expression. The positive ratios of Sema4D staining for well, moderately, and poorly differentiated cancers were 71.43%, 96.67%, and 77.27%, respectively. Sema4D is highly expressed in five different CRC cell lines, while VEGF expression level varies among these cell lines. HCT-116 showed the lowest VEGF level, while Caco-2 showed the maximum VEGF level. In vitro migration results show that regardless of cell type and VEGF background, Sema4D showed an enhanced in vitro proangiogenic effect to induce the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Finally, in vivo tumor angiogenic assays demonstrated that Sema4D alone can elicit a significant angiogenic response to promote tumor growth independently of VEGF. Conclusion Targeting Sema4D might serve as a parallel option for antiangiogenic therapy for CRC, particularly when traditional anti-VEGF therapies fail or tumors develop resistance to strategies targeting a single angiogenic signaling pathway.
Decentralized predictability of discrete event systems

In this paper, the decentralized predictability of discrete event systems (DESs) is investigated. The notion of copredictability of DESs is formalized under the decentralized framework to capture the feature of copredictable DESs that the occurrences of failure events can be predicted in advance based on at least one local observation. The relationships with the notions of predictability and codiagnosability of DESs are analyzed. It is deducted that copredictability is weaker than predictability but stronger than codiagnosability. In order to achieve the performance of the prediction, the copredictor is constructed from a given decentralized system, in which a family of local prediction components are employed to deal with the local observations. In particular, a necessary and sufficient condition for the copredictability of DESs is presented, which generalizes the main results of predictability of DESs from the centralized framework to the decentralized case.
Properties and distribution of ionic conductances generating electroresponsiveness of mammalian inferior olivary neurones in vitro.

The electrophysiological properties of the high‐ and low‐threshold Ca spikes described in inferior olivary neurones were analysed in detail. 1. During hyperpolarization the low‐ and high‐threshold Ca action potentials can coexist as two distinct spikes, demonstrating non‐mutual exclusion. 2. The high‐threshold Ca spike shows a lack of refractoriness, is generated remotely from the site of recording and is composed of several all‐or‐none components, the last two properties suggesting a dendritic origin. 3. Hyperpolarization of the neurones allows the activation of the low‐threshold Ca spike, which has activation properties resembling those of the early K conductance described in invertebrates. This low‐threshold Ca spike shows refractoriness. 4. The relation between membrane polarization and low‐threshold Ca spike is S‐shaped. Low‐threshold Ca spikes become apparent at ‐70 mV and have a maximum rate of rise (saturation) at polarization levels more negative than ‐85 mV. Thus, hyperpolarization removes a voltage‐dependent Ca inactivation which is present at normal resting membrane potential (‐65 mV). 5. Replacement of extracellular Ca by Ba or addition of tetraethylammonium to the bath corroborates the lack of fast inactivation for the high‐threshold Ca spike and the inactivation properties of the low‐threshold Ca conductance. It also demonstrates that the duration of the after‐depolarization is determined by an interplay between inward Ca current and both voltage‐dependent and Ca‐dependent K currents. 6. Extracellular recordings from single cells indicate that the Na‐dependent spike and the low‐threshold Ca action potential are somatic in origin, while the high‐threshold Ca spike (after‐depolarization) and the hyperpolarization that follows are apparently located in the dendrites. 7. The ionic conductances comprise the main components of the oscillatory behaviour of these cells. The sequence of events leading to oscillation entails initially a low‐threshold Ca spike or Na spike, followed by an after‐depolarization/after‐hyperpolarization sequence and then a post‐anodal exaltation product by a rebound low‐threshold Ca spike.
Pancreatic cancer in young adults: changes, challenges, and solutions

: Despite improvements in multidisciplinary treatments, survival of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients remains dismal. Studies dealing with early onset pancreatic cancer (EOPC) patients are scarce. In this review, we discuss differences between EOPC and late-onset pancreatic cancer based on findings in original papers and reviews with a focus on morphology, genetics, clinical outcomes and therapy. In conclusion, families with a positive history of PC and patients with BRCA 1 or 2 mutations should be monitored. Patients with EOPC usually present with better overall fitness compared to the average PC population, however often with even more aggressive cancer behaviour. Therefore, potent state-of-the-art multi-modal systemic therapies should be applied whenever possible. Large-scale registries and randomized clinical trials dealing with EOPC in regard to distinct biology and outcome are warranted. or BRCA2 mutations, the mean age of pancreatic cancer diagnosis was significantly lower, suggesting that mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genetic factors for early onset of pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, in one of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma subtypes defined by Waddell et al 44 (unstable), loss of BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 was frequently observed. Overlap of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma subtypes based on whole-genome and whole-exome studies. study compared adjuvant chemotherapy with modified (m)-FOLFIRINOX to gemcitabine. After a median follow-up of 30.5 months, the median DFS was 21.6 months in the m-FOLFIRINOX arm versus 12.8 months in the gemcitabine arm. the 54.4 respectively, providing high-level evidence
A multivariate dynamic correlation model with long memory dependence and asymmetries

A multivariate long memory asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation (LMADCC) model is proposed. Finite sample properties of the model are considered via monte carlo simulation. Empirical applications to currency and equity markets support the proposed model. It is shown that long memory in correlations signicantly improves out of sample forecasts of the covariance matrix and that this has implications for risk minimisation and dynamic beta estimation.
Olfactory Development, Part 2: Neuroanatomic Maturation and Dysgeneses

Olfactory axons project from nasal epithelium to the primitive telencephalon before olfactory bulbs form. Olfactory bulb neurons do not differentiate in situ but arrive via the rostral migratory stream. Synaptic glomeruli and concentric laminar architecture are unlike other cortices. Fetal olfactory maturation of neuronal differentiation, synaptogenesis, and myelination remains incomplete at term and have a protracted course of postnatal development. The olfactory ventricular recess involutes postnatally but dilates in congenital hydrocephalus. Olfactory bulb, tract and epithelium are repositories of progenitor stem cells in fetal and adult life. Diverse malformations of the olfactory bulb can be diagnosed by clinical examination, imaging, and neuropathologically. Cellular markers of neuronal differentiation and synaptogenesis demonstrate immaturity of the olfactory system at birth, previously believed by histology alone to occur early in fetal life. Immaturity does not preclude function.
Increased cut-point of the TACER-3 screen reduces false positives without losing sensitivity in predicting risk alcohol drinking in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Detection of in-pregnancy maternal risk alcohol drinking is an essential first step in preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the widely used T-ACE screen was developed for that purpose. We recently reported that increasing the total T-ACE score cut-point from 2 to 3 doubled specificity of detecting risk drinking in pregnancy and identified 4-year-old children with neurobehavioral effects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. METHODS In this study, the TACER-3 was further validated in another prospectively identified high-risk urban cohort. Women were categorized as follows: (i) Not At-Risk Group (negative on T-ACE and TACER-3); (ii) At-Risk Group (positive on T-ACE and TACER-3); and (iii) Change Risk Group (positive on T-ACE but negative on TACER-3). RESULTS The TACER-3 total score cut-point of 3 yielded fewer "false positives" than the T-ACE cut-point of 2. Based on relative risk scores, women in the TACER-3-positive At-Risk Group were more likely to drink alcohol during pregnancy than women in the Change Risk Group. In contrast, women in the Not At-Risk Group were largely not different in their drinking from women in the Change Risk Group. The largest increases in relative risk of the At-Risk Group compared to the Change Risk Group were for the amount of drinking per day across pregnancy (RR = 11.4) and for the amount of drinking per drinking day at the first prenatal visit (RR = 12.7). For both of these measures, the relative risk of at-risk alcohol consumption in the At-Risk Group was over >10 times that of the Change Risk Group. CONCLUSIONS Thus, the TACER-3 was more effective at selectively identifying women drinking at fetal risk levels than the original T-ACE. The TACER-3 allows for more efficient use of healthcare provider time in directing targeted clinical interventions with pregnant women identified as drinking at fetal risk levels.
Psychosocial factors associated with bulimia nervosa during pregnancy: An internal validation study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper was to internally validate previously reported relations (Knoph Berg et al., Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 42, 396-404, 2008) between psychosocial factors and bulimia nervosa (BN) outcomes during pregnancy. METHOD This study is based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Participants were women enrolled during pregnancy (N = 69,030). Internal validity was evaluated by way of bootstrapped parameter estimates using the overall sample and a split sample calibration approach. RESULTS Bootstrap bias estimates were below the problematic threshold, and extend earlier findings (Knoph Berg et al., Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 42, 396-404, 2008) by providing support for the validity of the models at the population level of all pregnant women in Norway. Bootstrap risk ratios indicated that prevalence, incidence, and remission of BN during pregnancy were significantly associated with psychosocial factors. The split sample procedure showed that the models developed on the training sample did not predict risks in the validation sample. DISCUSSION This study characterizes associations between psychosocial exposures and BN outcomes among pregnant women in Norway. Women with lifetime and current self-reported psychosocial adversities were at a much higher risk for BN during pregnancy. Psychosocial factors were associated with BN remission during pregnancy, inviting the prospect of enhancing therapeutic interventions. We consider the findings in the context of reproducibility in science.
Quantifying Serum Antiplague Antibody with a Fiber-Optic Biosensor

ABSTRACT The fiber-optic biosensor, originally developed to detect hazardous biological agents such as protein toxins or bacterial cells, has been utilized to quantify the concentration of serum antiplague antibodies. This biosensor has been used to detect and quantify the plague fraction 1 antigen in serum, plasma, and whole-blood samples, but its ability to quantify serum antibodies has not been demonstrated. By using a competitive assay, the concentration of serum antiplague antibodies was ascertained in the range of 2 to 15 μg/ml. By making simple dilutions, concentrations for 11 serum samples whose antiplague antibody concentrations were unknown were determined and were found to be in good agreement with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results. The competitive assay method could be used to effectively determine the exposure to plague of animals or humans or could be applied to other diseases, such as hepatitis or AIDS, where the presence of antibodies is used to diagnose infection.
A Latina Principal Leading for Social Justice: Influences of Racial and Gender Identity

In this study, the role that racial identity plays among Latina school principals is examined through a case study of a principal in a K–3 elementary school. Based on a Latina/o critical race framework and a phenomenological research approach, the study explores the degree to which having a strong understanding of one's racial identity formation may fuel leadership practices geared toward social justice. The sociocultural and historical implications of how race, class, and gender get operationalized in the identity of this Latina leader are surfaced through the following: growing up living and understanding students’ experiences; understanding the Latino family and advocating for community engagement; having high expectations for students of color by creating bridges between White teachers and students of color, as well as between families of color and White teachers; and having high expectations for students and an acute awareness of discriminatory practices in education. This study brings lessons related to improving the conditions of students of color through principals who are willing to reflect on their values, beliefs, and practices and to explore how these values and beliefs influence their work with students, families, and communities.
Oxidative Stress, Hypoxia, and Ischemia‐Like Conditions Increase the Release of Endogenous Amino Acids by Distinct Mechanisms in Cultured Retinal Cells

Abstract: The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which retinal cells release endogenous amino acids in response to ascorbate/Fe2+‐induced oxidative stress, as compared with chemical hypoxia or ischemia. In the absence of stimulation, oxidative stress increased the release of aspartate, glutamate, taurine, and GABA only when Ca2+ was present. Under hypoxia or ischemia, the release of aspartate, glutamate, glycine, alanine, taurine, and GABA increased mainly by a Ca2+‐independent mechanism. The increased release observed in N‐methyl‐d‐glucamine+ medium suggested the reversal of the Na+‐dependent amino acid transporters. Upon oxidative stress, the release of aspartate, glutamate, and GABA, occurring through the reversal of the Na+‐dependent transporters, was reduced by about 30%, although the release of taurine was enhanced. An increased release of [3H]arachidonic acid and free radicals seems to affect the Na+‐dependent transporters for glutamate and GABA in oxidized cells. All cell treatments increased [Ca2+]i (1.5 to twofold), although no differences were observed in membrane depolarization. The energy charge of cells submitted to hypoxia or oxidative stress was not changed. However, ischemia highly potentiated the reduction of the energy charge, as compared with hypoglycemia or hypoxia alone. The present work is important for understanding the mechanisms of amino acid release that occur in vivo upon oxidative stress, hypoxia, or ischemia, frequently associated with the impairment of energy metabolism.
Power assist method based on phase sequence driven by interaction between human and robot suit

We proposed a power assist method for leg based on the autonomous motion driven by the interaction between human and the robot suit, HAL (hybrid assistive limb) and verified the effectiveness of this method in the experiments in walking. In order to perform walking task autonomically, we used a phase sequence control which generates a task by transiting some simple basic motions called phase. A task was divided into some phases on the basis of the task performed by a normal person. The joint moving modes were categorized into the active, passive and free modes according to the characteristic of the muscle force conditions. The autonomous motion which HAL generates in each phases were designed according to one of the categorized modes. The floor reaction force and joint angle were adopted as the condition to transit each phase. The experiments in power assist were performed for normal person. The experimental results showed that the muscle activation levels in each phase were significantly reduced. With this, we confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed assist method.
Phosphorylation Provides a Negative Mode of Regulation for the Yeast Rab GTPase Sec4p

The Rab family of Ras-related GTPases are part of a complex signaling circuitry in eukaryotic cells, yet we understand little about the mechanisms that underlie Rab protein participation in such signal transduction networks, or how these networks are integrated at the physiological level. Reversible protein phosphorylation is widely used by cells as a signaling mechanism. Several phospho-Rabs have been identified, however the functional consequences of the modification appear to be diverse and need to be evaluated on an individual basis. In this study we demonstrate a role for phosphorylation as a negative regulatory event for the action of the yeast Rab GTPase Sec4p in regulating polarized growth. Our data suggest that the phosphorylation of the Rab Sec4p prevents interactions with its effector, the exocyst component Sec15p, and that the inhibition may be relieved by a PP2A phosphatase complex containing the regulatory subunit Cdc55p.
Unearthing the Integral Determinants of Foreign Ownership Prevalence of Companies in Africa: Role of Country-level Governance

ABSTRACT This study seeks to deepen our understanding on how country-level governance structures influence prevalence of foreign ownership of firms in Africa. This study reinforces the new institutional economics perspective by empirically highlighting that governance structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of companies in an economy. Using archival data from 39 African economies, we found that there is a significant positive association between regulatory quality and foreign ownership prevalence. Also, foreign ownership is prevalent in African countries that are politically stable and embrace rule of law. However, we found that countries with high voice and accountability structures are associated with low foreign ownership prevalence.
Using a Personal Health Care Cost Calculator to Estimate Future Expenditures Based on Individual Health Risks

Objective: To describe the development and application of an innovative Health Improvement Cost Calculator tool designed to help individuals recognize the link between their current health risks, future medical costs, and productivity. Methods: We describe how the Calculator was developed using data from studies that tie health care costs and productivity to population health risks, and how changes in risks are projected to reduce future spending for individual workers. Results: Two simulations of the model illustrate how individuals may realize future economic costs or benefits depending on whether they maintain or change their health-risk profile. Conclusions: The Calculator has the potential to be a powerful motivational tool for individuals, especially those heading toward retirement, who are looking to understand the relationships between their health risks, future medical spending, and impacts on productivity.