Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retinal neurodegeneration may precede microvascular changes characteristic of diabetic retinopathy in diabetes mellitus

Significance Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a primary cause of blindness, is characterized by microvascular abnormalities. Recent evidence suggests that retinal diabetic neuropathy (RDN) also occurs in people with diabetes, but little is known about the temporal relationship between DR and RDN. This longitudinal study in people with diabetes with no or minimal DR shows that RDN precedes signs of microvasculopathy and that RDN is progressive and independent of glycated hemoglobin, age, and sex. This finding was further confirmed in human donor eyes and in two experimental mouse models of diabetes. The results suggest that RDN is not ischemic in origin and represent a shift in our understanding of the pathophysiology of this complication of diabetes that potentially affects vision in all people with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has long been recognized as a microvasculopathy, but retinal diabetic neuropathy (RDN), characterized by inner retinal neurodegeneration, also occurs in people with diabetes mellitus (DM). We report that in 45 people with DM and no to minimal DR there was significant, progressive loss of the nerve fiber layer (NFL) (0.25 μm/y) and the ganglion cell (GC)/inner plexiform layer (0.29 μm/y) on optical coherence tomography analysis (OCT) over a 4-y period, independent of glycated hemoglobin, age, and sex. The NFL was significantly thinner (17.3 μm) in the eyes of six donors with DM than in the eyes of six similarly aged control donors (30.4 μm), although retinal capillary density did not differ in the two groups. We confirmed significant, progressive inner retinal thinning in streptozotocin-induced “type 1” and B6.BKS(D)-Leprdb/J “type 2” diabetic mouse models on OCT; immunohistochemistry in type 1 mice showed GC loss but no difference in pericyte density or acellular capillaries. The results suggest that RDN may precede the established clinical and morphometric vascular changes caused by DM and represent a paradigm shift in our understanding of ocular diabetic complications.
The Design Rationale for Multi-MLton

Multi-MLton is a compiler and runtime environment that targets scalable multicore platforms. It combines new language abstractions and associated compiler analyses for expressing and implementing various kinds of fine-grained parallelism (safe futures, speculation, transactions, etc.), along with a sophisticated runtime system tuned to efficiently handle large numbers of lightweight threads. Multi-MLton defines a programming model in which threads primarily communicate via message-passing. It differs from other message-passing systems insofar as the abstractions it provides permit (a) the expression of isolation of communication effects among groups of communicating threads; (b) composable speculative actions that are message-passing aware; (c) the construction of asynchronous events that seamlessly integrate abstract asynchronous communication protocols with abstract CML-style events, and (d) deterministic concurrency within threads to enable the extraction of additional parallelism when feasible and profitable. These abstractions are supported by a combination of compiletime analyses and specialized runtime structures to enable efficient execution on scalable multicore and manycore platforms.
Molecular Characterization and Sequence of a Methionine Biosynthetic Locus from Pseudomonas syringae

ABSTRACT Two methionine biosynthetic genes in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, metX andmetW, were isolated, sequenced, and evaluated for their roles in methionine biosynthesis and bacterial fitness on leaf surfaces. The metXW locus was isolated on a 1.8-kb DNA fragment that was required for both methionine prototrophy and wild-type epiphytic fitness. Sequence analysis identified two consecutive open reading frames (ORFs), and in vitro transcription-translation experiments provided strong evidence that the ORFs encode proteins with the predicted molecular masses of 39 and 22.5 kDa. The predicted amino acid sequence of MetX (39 kDa) showed homology to several known and putative homoserineO-acetyltransferases. This enzyme is the first enzyme in the methionine biosynthetic pathway of fungi, gram-negative bacteria of the genus Leptospira, and several gram-positive bacterial genera. Both metX andmetW were required for methionine biosynthesis, and transcription from both genes was not repressed by methionine. MetW (22.5 kDa) did not show significant homology to any known protein, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic methionine biosynthetic enzymes. Several classes of methionine auxotrophs, includingmetX and metW mutants, exhibit reduced fitness on leaf surfaces, indicating a requirement for methionine prototrophy in wild-type epiphytic fitness. This requirement is enhanced under environmentally stressful conditions, suggesting a role for methionine prototrophy in bacterial stress tolerance.
Who accepts Savage's axiom?

Many decision theorists believe that the axioms of rational choice are similar to the principles of logic in the sense that no reasonable person who understands them would wish to violate them. The present study questions this view by investigating the acceptability of a key axiom underlying expected utility theory—Savage's independence principle. Persistent violations of this axiom were observed, even after it was presented to subjects in a clear and, presumably compelling fashion. The problem of distinguishing between rejection of a decision principle and failure to understand it is discussed.
Is word-to-phone mapping better than phone-phone mapping for handling English words?

In this paper, we relook at the problem of pronunciation of English words using native phone set. Specifically, we investigate methods of pronouncing English words using Telugu phoneset in the context of Telugu Text-to-Speech. We compare phone-phone substitution and wordphone mapping for pronunciation of English words using Telugu phones. We are not considering other than native language phoneset in all our experiments. This differentiates our approach from other works in polyglot speech synthesis.
Model Driven Engineering of Rich Internet Applications Equipped with Zoomable User Interfaces

The development of a Rich Internet Application is particularly challenging because its user interface can involve highly interactive techniques that require substantive programming that is mostly done by hand nowadays. This paper addresses this challenge by introducing a model-driven engineering approach where a zoomable user interface of such a Rich Internet Application is obtained successively by performing the following steps: the Computing Independent Model level consists of modeling a task for the future interface based on a list of canonical task types augmented by custom tasks, each task being mapped onto a domain model; the Platform Independent Model level consists of exploiting the structure and the temporal operators of this task model in order to generate one or many abstract user interfaces that will lead in turn to concrete user interfaces structured according to the principles of a zoomable user interface at the Platform Specific Model level.
Output feedback control of nonlinear systems using RBF neural networks

An adaptive output feedback control scheme is presented for output tracking of a class of continuous-time nonlinear plants. An RBF neural network is used to adaptively compensate for the plant nonlinearities. The network weights are adapted using a Lyapunov-based design. The method uses parameter projection, control saturation, and a high-gain observer to achieve semi-global uniform ultimate boundedness. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated through simulations. The simulations also show that by using adaptive control in conjunction with robust control, it is possible to tolerate larger approximation errors resulting from the use of lower-order networks.
Cultural Models and their Interplay in Global Software-Engineering Practice

Cultural dynamics play a significant role in the unfolding of the global software practice. Research in the other disciplines have utilized the idea of cultural models to help researchers investigate cultural influence in their respective fields. Cultural models are defined as the taken-for-granted, pre-supposed models of the world that are shared widely by members of a society and that help the members understand their world and influence their behavior in that world. Utilizing this cultural models idea, we conducted an ethnographically-informed investigation of a global software practice at a large vendor organization in India to uncover some cultural models embedded in the practice. This paper presents an ethnographic account of an escalation situation that occurred in the field. Using this situation as our unit of analysis, we uncovered three cultural models - Agreement, Flexibility, and Trust Cultural Models - that appear to have influenced the organization of the behaviors of the participant members. The findings illustrate how the internalized cultural models influenced the members' behaviors to make decision that conflicted the business prospects (e.g., Agreement Model), the different members internalized different understanding of the cultural elements (e.g., Trust Model), and the cultural models tacitly played the role of "cultural blind spots" (e.g., Flexibilty Model). Thus, the research demonstrates how the technical system of global software engineering is complexly intertwined with the cultural system of its members.
A Model of Coping with Role Conflict: The Role Behavior of College Educated Women.

A model of role conflict coping behavior is presented based upon three levels in the role process. Type I coping, structural role redefinition, involves altering external, structurally imposed expectations relative to a person's position. Type II coping is personal role redefinition, changing one's expectations and perception of one's own behavior in a given position. Type III coping, reactive role behavior, entails attempting to find ways to meet all role expectations, assuming that demands are unchangeable and must be met. Through a pilot sample and a subsequent survey of college educated women, sixteen specific behavioral strategies are identified and classified under these three general types. The relat onship between coping behavior and satisfaction is explored both in bivariate and moderator analyses. The results indicate that the simple act of coping (as opposed to noncoping) may be more strongly related to satisfaction in women than the particular type of coping strategy employed. '
Twinning in Tufted Capuchins (Cebus apella): Rate, Survivorship, and Weight Gain

We calculated the rate of twinning across four captive collections of tufted capuchins (Cebus apella) to be 2.4%. This rate contrast with previous reports that twinning in tufted capuchins is rare. Additionally, we present data on the survival and weight gain of twins in this species as compared to singletons. Twins face their greatest risk of mortality on or before the first day of life, when 45% will die compared to 16% of singletons. After the first day of life, twins and singletons demonstrate comparable survival rates. This, in conjunction with the finding that at no time during the first year of life do twins and singletons differ significantly in their weights, suggests that twinning is a viable reproductive form for these animals, especially in the captive setting where nutritional demands are met.
Family Holidays. A Qualitative Analysis of Family Holiday Experiences

Family holidays are seen as breaks away from busy everyday lives. They are supposed to be a relief from stress and chores, giving time for recovery and rest in the pleasant companionship of the family, but it sometimes may turn out to be a challenge to combine needs and desires of the different members of the family: parents and children, mothers and fathers, young children and older children. Family holidays are not always all harmony and may generate stress and conflicts at times. But families also experience good moments. Some family holidays – or at least some situations in family holidays – are perceived as successful and just the way they were supposed to be. But what are these “good experiences” and “good moments” like? This article is about the special context of family holidays and the successful moments in the family holiday from the perspective of parents and children, based on an empirical analysis of 26 extensive interviews with German and Danish families and a literature review on family holidays. The good moments are perceived to be moments where all family members are content and happy, with no nagging or sulking, and in situations where the children are absorbed by activities, not necessarily with their parents.
Function-selectable tactile sensing system with morphological change

This paper presents a novel approach for active tactile sensation that utilizes soft morphological deformation. This work is inspired by human finger's wrinkles, which appear after a long time soaking in water, and has been indicated as an efficient mean for enhancement of gripping in wet environment. We created a tactile sensing system that is an integration of actuation (pneumatic actuator) and sensing elements (strain gauges). This device can change its morphology (wrinkle patterns) so that the posture of embedded sensing elements can vary, then generate different responses depending on sensing tasks. As a result, this device can actively select its sensing function depending on sensing task. In this paper, the sensing device is both sensitive to contact action and sliding action by using only one types of strain gauges. This work can be extended to a wide range of sensing elements (not only strain gauges), and considered to give impact to the field.
Furin Is Involved in Baculovirus Envelope Fusion Protein Activation

ABSTRACT The Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) Se8 gene was recently shown to encode the viral envelope fusion (F) protein. A 60-kDa C-terminal subunit (F1) of the 76-kDa primary translation product of this gene was found to be the major envelope protein of SeMNPV budded virus (BV) (W. F. J. IJkel, M. Westenberg, R. W. Goldbach, G. W. Blissard, J. M. Vlak, and D. Zuidema, Virology 275:30–41, 2000). A specific inhibitor was used to show that furin is involved in cleavage of the precursor envelope fusion (F0) protein. BV produced in the presence of the inhibitor possesses the uncleaved F0 protein, while an F protein with a mutation in the furin cleavage site was translocated to the plasma membrane but lost its fusogenic activity. These results indicate that cleavage of F0 is required to activate the SeMNPV F protein and is necessary for BV infectivity. Specific antibodies against F1 and against the putative N terminus (F2) of the primary translation product were used to show that the F protein is BV specific and that BVs contain both the 60- (F1) and 21-kDa (F2) cleavage products. In nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both subunits migrate as a single 80-kDa protein, indicating that the subunits remain associated by a disulfide linkage. In addition, the presence of the F protein predominately as a monomer suggests that disulfide links are not involved in oligomerization. Thus, the envelope fusion protein from group II nucleopolyhedroviruses of baculoviruses has properties similar to those of proteins from a number of vertebrate viruses.
Role of Exopolysaccharide in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans–Induced Bone Resorption in a Rat Model for Periodontal Disease

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans a causative agent of periodontal disease in humans, forms biofilm on biotic and abiotic surfaces. A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm is heterogeneous in nature and is composed of proteins, extracellular DNA and exopolysaccharide. To explore the role played by the exopolysaccharide in the colonization and disease progression, we employed genetic reduction approach using our rat model of A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced periodontitis. To this end, a genetically modified strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans lacking the pga operon was compared with the wild-type strain in the rat infection model. The parent and mutant strains were primarily evaluated for bone resorption and disease. Our study showed that colonization, bone resorption/disease and antibody response were all elevated in the wild-type fed rats. The bone resorption/disease caused by the pga mutant strain, lacking the exopolysaccharide, was significantly less (P < 0.05) than the bone resorption/disease caused by the wild-type strain. Further analysis of the expression levels of selected virulence genes through RT-PCR showed that the decrease in colonization, bone resorption and antibody titer in the absence of the exopolysaccharide might be due to attenuated levels of colonization genes, flp-1, apiA and aae in the mutant strain. This study demonstrates that the effect exerted by the exopolysaccharide in A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced bone resorption has hitherto not been recognized and underscores the role played by the exopolysaccharide in A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced disease.
Development of critical spatial thinking through GIS learning

This study developed an interview-based critical spatial thinking oral test and used the test to investigate the effects of Geographic Information System (GIS) learning on three components of critical spatial thinking: evaluating data reliability, exercising spatial reasoning, and assessing problem-solving validity. Thirty-two students at a large state university completed pre- and post-tests administered during the 2010 fall semester. This study found positive relationships between GIS learning and critical spatial thinking. We argue that the improvement can be attributed to students' experiences in a GIS course.
Ethical Implications of Collegial Loyalty as One View of Teacher Professionalism

Abstract Within education, some teachers’ interpretation of professionalism emphasizes conformity to the perceived norms of collective associations. Unprofessional behaviour, often equated with ‘unethical’ behaviour, is seen by many to be that which threatens solidarity and loyalty to colleagues. Informal norms typified by casual collegial relations as well as more formal attachments to organized unions or teachers’ federations exert a significant influence on individuals’ behaviour within the group. Professional ethics, in this sense, become concerned primarily with how one relates to colleagues rather than how one fulfils moral responsibilities to students. Qualitative findings from interviews with elementary and secondary school teachers suggest that, as a result of an ethic of collegial loyalty, some teachers experience personal moral and ethical dilemmas that they find difficult to resolve. Some respondents acknowledged that this can enable serious situations to be ignored or ‘covered up’. This paper.
Expected Stock Returns and Variance Risk Premia

We find that the difference between implied and realized variances, or the variance risk premium, is able to explain more than fifteen percent of the ex-post time series variation in quarterly excess returns on the market portfolio over the 1990 to 2005 sample period, with high (low) premia predicting high (low) future returns. The magnitude of the return predictability of the variance risk premium easily dominates that afforded by standard predictor variables like the P/E ratio, the dividend yield, the default spread, and the consumption-wealth ratio (CAY). Moreover, combining the variance risk premium with the P/E ratio results in an R^2 for the quarterly returns of more than twenty-five percent. The results depend crucially on the use of \\"model-free\\", as opposed to standard Black-Scholes, implied variances, and realized variances constructed from high-frequency intraday, as opposed to daily, data. Our findings suggest that temporal variation in risk and risk-aversion both play an important role in determining stock market returns.
Sensors for microprocessor-based applications

The microprocessor offers considerable scope for increasing the utility of sensors. Nonlinearity is an example of a considerable problem for continuous electronics which is greatly diminished by the application of software techniques such as the 'look-up table'. The cheapness and compactness of digital integral circuitry allows processing power to be distributed throughout an instrumentation system. It is important to examine the trade-offs associated with each form of distribution. In some cases it is sensible to include a microprocessor within the sensor housing, so that problems such as nonlinearity, parameter drift and cross sensitivity are invisible externally. As a bonus a simple digital interface is then also easily realised.
Cutting Edge: Paradoxical Roles of BST2/Tetherin in Promoting Type I IFN Response and Viral Infection

Bone marrow stromal Ag 2 (BST2) is a transmembrane protein that prevents virus release from infected cells. It was also reported that BST2 inhibits type I IFN production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells. To determine BST2 impact on antiviral responses in vivo, we generated BST2−/− mice. Following infection with a murine retrovirus, BST2−/− mice had slightly elevated viral loads; however, infection with other enveloped viruses revealed unexpected roles of BST2. BST2−/− mice showed reduced type I IFN production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Moreover, BST2−/− mice had lower viral titers in lungs following intranasal infection with vesicular stomatitis virus expressing OVA and influenza B and increased numbers of virus-specific CD8 T cells in the lungs, suggesting that BST2 may facilitate entry and/or replication of enveloped viruses and modulate priming of CD8 T cells. These findings suggest complex roles of BST2 beyond retroviral control in vivo, possibly reflecting the involvement of BST2 in endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of viruses, viral nucleic acids, and Ags.
A system to study 3D perception for diagnosing schizophrenia and assessing treatment results

Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) perceive various visual stimuli differently than healthy controls. This is especially true of the “hollow-face illusion. ” We have created a virtual rendering system that exploits this well-known fact. We also explain the addition of a head-tracking feature that provides a more realistic spatio-temporal interaction for our virtual-reality apparatus. Our system is capable of quantifying the amount of time a person perceives the illusion and affords a comparison between SZ patients and controls, thus offering a diagnostic tool for SZ.
"Teachers Know You Can Do More"

Urban high school reform is one of the most significant challenges facing education today. In response to this challenge, reformers have put significant energy toward restructuring the large high school primarily through creating smaller school settings. Although the research literature often draws connections between school size and student outcomes, an examination of life within these settings remains a large void. From the voices and experiences of students, this article examines how relationships are connected to school culture. The nature of student-adult relationships is disentangled by exploring how students experience personalized, respectful, and encouraging interactions with school adults. Then relationships are connected to student dispositions in schools by examining the question, relationships for the purpose of what? The author concludes that the silver bullet for high school reform is a commitment to forging deliberate "cultures of success" for low-income Black and Latina or Latino students in U.S. high schools. Implications for research, policy, and practice are explored.