Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Risk of Disease Progression and Pharmacological Management of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited renal disorder worldwide. The disease is characterized by renal cysts and progressive renal failure due to progressive enlargement of cysts and renal fibrosis. An estimated 45% to 70% of patients with ADPKD progress to end-stage renal disease by age 65 years. Although both targeted and nontargeted therapies have been tested in patients with ADPKD, tolvaptan is currently the only pharmacological therapy approved in Canada for the treatment of ADPKD. The purpose of this consensus recommendation is to develop an evidence-informed recommendation for the optimal management of adult patients with ADPKD. This document focuses on the role of genetic testing, the role of renal imaging, predicting the risk of disease progression, and pharmacological treatment options for ADPKD. These areas of focus were derived from 2 national surveys that were disseminated to nephrologists and patients with ADPKD with the aim of identifying unmet needs in the management of ADPKD in Canada. Specific recommendations are provided for the treatment of ADPKD with tolvaptan.
On adaptive synchronization control of coordinated multirobots with flexible/rigid constraints

In assembly tasks performed by coordinated multiple robots, the contact force at the end-effector of each robot should be a function of the states of all the robots, and further be a function of the control inputs when subject to rigid constraints. After a discussion on the algebraic loop issue caused by using direct force cancellation, an adaptive synchronization control algorithm is proposed in this paper, which particularly addresses the dual-arm case subject to both flexible and rigid constraints. Extension of the result to the multiple-arm case is also presented.
Extreme heat changes post-heat wave community reassembly

Climate forecasts project further increases in extremely high-temperature events. These present threats to biodiversity, as they promote population declines and local species extinctions. This implies that ecological communities will need to rely more strongly on recovery processes, such as recolonization from a meta-community context. It is poorly understood how differences in extreme event intensity change the outcome of subsequent community reassembly and if such extremes modify the biotic environment in ways that would prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. We studied replicated aquatic communities consisting of algae and herbivorous rotifers in a design that involved a control and two different heat wave intensity treatments (29°C and 39°C). Animal species that suffered heat-induced extinction were subsequently re-introduced at the same time and density, in each of the two treatments. The 39°C treatment led to community closure in all replicates, meaning that a previously successful herbivore species could not re-establish itself in the postheat wave community. In contrast, such closure never occurred after a 29°C event. Heat wave intensity determined the number of herbivore extinctions and strongly affected algal relative abundances. Re-introduced herbivore species were thus confronted with significantly different food environments. This ecological legacy generated by heat wave intensity led to differences in the failure or success of herbivore species re-introductions. Reassembly was significantly more variable, and hence less predictable, after an extreme heat wave, and was more canalized after a moderate one. Our results pertain to relatively simple communities, but they suggest that ecological legacies introduced by extremely high-temperature events may change subsequent ecological recovery and even prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. Knowing the processes promoting and preventing ecological recovery is crucial to the success of species re-introduction programs and to our ability to restore ecosystems damaged by environmental extremes.
Managing the Integrity of Design Data Generated by Multiple Applications: The Theory and Practice of

The purpose of this work is to develop automatic methods of semantic inte grity maintenance, in support of concurrent engineering. Semantic integrity relations in any final engineering design are built up incrementally, through the use of different computer applications. Here, the structure of these integrity relations are formalized for representation within a dat b se. When changes to a design have to be made, they can invalidate integrity relations in other parts of the design. Formal methods are defined for identifying what data and integrity relations are invalidated by any c hange. Methods for making changes that minimize re-design are described and formalized. Opportuniti es for using semantic integrity to assess progress on a design are reviewed.
Active and structural strain model for magnetostrictive transducers

We consider the modeling of strains generated by magnetostrictive materials in response to applied magnetic fields. The active or external component of the strain is due to the rotation of magnetic moments within the material to align with the applied field. This is characterized through consideration of the Jiles-Atherton mean field theory for ferromagnetic hysteresis in combination with a quadratic moment rotation model for magnetostriction. The second component of the strain reflects the passive or internal dynamics of the rod as it vibrates. This is modeled through force balancing which yields a wave equation with magnetostrictive inputs. The validity of a combined transducer model is illustrated through comparison with experimental data.
Select a Hypermarket Location Based on Fuzzy Multi Criteria Decision Making ( F-MCDM ) Techniques ( Hybrid of F-Delphi , F-AHP , F-LLSM and F-PROMTHEE )

The select location of Hypermarket is regarding as the case study in this paper. The proposed hybrid fuzzy MCDM approach is applied to the location choice. There are five criteria and six alternatives (locations) in our model. This paper solves a factor rating system facility location allocation problem defined as follows: 1) Determine alternatives, criteria and decision makers; Define linguistic values and their corresponding fuzzy number and Aggregate the decision-maker's estimation by F-Delphi and F-AHP; 2) Compute the average fuzzy weight and construct the fuzzy decision matrix by F-LLSM and LINGO software; 3) Construct the fuzzy preference function; Define the multi-criteria preference index to decide the valued outranking relation and Calculate the ߔ ෩ା ( ), �ߔ ෩ ( ) outranking flow and the net flow to pre-order the alternatives by F-PROMETHEE; 4) Defuzzification by the Chen's maxima and minima sets and Ranking of alternatives by Excel.
Keratin 12 missense mutation induces the unfolded protein response and apoptosis in Meesmann epithelial corneal dystrophy

Meesmann epithelial corneal dystrophy (MECD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by dominant-negative mutations within the KRT3 or KRT12 genes, which encode the cytoskeletal protein keratins K3 and K12, respectively. To investigate the pathomechanism of this disease, we generated and phenotypically characterized a novel knock-in humanized mouse model carrying the severe, MECD-associated, K12-Leu132Pro mutation. Although no overt changes in corneal opacity were detected by slit-lamp examination, the corneas of homozygous mutant mice exhibited histological and ultrastructural epithelial cell fragility phenotypes. An altered keratin expression profile was observed in the cornea of mutant mice, confirmed by western blot, RNA-seq and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mass spectrometry (MS) and immunohistochemistry demonstrated a similarly altered keratin profile in corneal tissue from a K12-Leu132Pro MECD patient. The K12-Leu132Pro mutation results in cytoplasmic keratin aggregates. RNA-seq analysis revealed increased chaperone gene expression, and apoptotic unfolded protein response (UPR) markers, CHOP and Caspase 12, were also increased in the MECD mice. Corneal epithelial cell apoptosis was increased 17-fold in the mutant cornea, compared with the wild-type (P < 0.001). This elevation of UPR marker expression was also observed in the human MECD cornea. This is the first reporting of a mouse model for MECD that recapitulates the human disease and is a valuable resource in understanding the pathomechanism of the disease. Although the most severe phenotype is observed in the homozygous mice, this model will still provide a test-bed for therapies not only for corneal dystrophies but also for other keratinopathies caused by similar mutations.
Etv2 and Fli1b Function Together as Key Regulators of Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis

Objective— The E26 transformation-specific domain transcription factor Etv2/Etsrp/ER71 is a master regulator of vascular endothelial differentiation during vasculogenesis, although its later role in sprouting angiogenesis remains unknown. Here, we investigated in the zebrafish model a role for Etv2 and related E26 transformation-specific factors, Fli1a and Fli1b in developmental angiogenesis. Approach and Results— Zebrafish fli1a and fli1b mutants were obtained using transposon-mediated gene trap approach. Individual fli1a and fli1b homozygous mutant embryos display normal vascular patterning, yet the angiogenic recovery observed in older etv2 mutant embryos does not occur in embryos lacking both etv2 and fli1b. Etv2 and fli1b double-deficient embryos fail to form any angiogenic sprouts and show greatly increased apoptosis throughout the axial vasculature. In contrast, fli1a mutation did not affect the recovery of etv2 mutant phenotype. Overexpression analyses indicate that both etv2 and fli1b, but not fli1a, induce the expression of multiple vascular markers and of each other. Temporal inhibition of Etv2 function using photoactivatable morpholinos indicates that the function of Etv2 and Fli1b during angiogenesis is independent from the early requirement of Etv2 during vasculogenesis. RNA-Seq analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation suggest that Etv2 and Fli1b share the same transcriptional targets and bind to the same E26 transformation-specific sites. Conclusions— Our data argue that there are 2 phases of early vascular development with distinct requirements of E26 transformation-specific transcription factors. Etv2 alone is required for early vasculogenesis, whereas Etv2 and Fli1b function redundantly during late vasculogenesis and early embryonic angiogenesis.
Mathematical Advances in Manifold Learning

Manifold learning has recently gained a lot of interest by machine learning practitioners. Here we provide a mathematically rigorous treatment of some of the techniques in unsupervised learning in context of manifolds. We will study the problems of dimension reduction and density estimation and present some recent results in terms of fast convergence rates when the data lie on a manifold.
A 35-year experiment in public deliberations shows that democracy depends on a process of constant learning

Deliberative democracy has long been an aspiration for campaigners and academics who see it as a way of harnessing humanity’s inherent capacity for reason and debate. But, while compelling in theory, there is a relative paucity of practical evidence as to its success. Here, the former United States Health, Education and Welfare David Matthews shares evidence from a 35 year experiment in the form of National issues Forums, evidence which he argues shows that public deliberation depends on a process of constant learning, and that deliberation itself is a form of learning.
Intracellular calcium modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels in ventricular myocytes.

AIMS Cardiac voltage-gated sodium channels control action potential (AP) upstroke and cell excitability. Intracellular calcium (Ca(i)(2+)) regulates AP properties by modulating various ion channels. Whether Ca(i)(2+) modulates sodium channels in ventricular myocytes is unresolved. We studied whether Ca(i)(2+) modulates sodium channels in ventricular myocytes at Ca(i)(2+) concentrations ([Ca(i)(2+)]) present during the cardiac AP (0-500 nM), and how this modulation affects sodium channel properties in heart failure (HF), a condition in which Ca(i)(2+) homeostasis is disturbed. METHODS AND RESULTS Sodium current (I(Na)) and maximal AP upstroke velocity (dV/dt(max)), a measure of I(Na), were studied at 20 and 37 degrees C, respectively, in freshly isolated left ventricular myocytes of control and HF rabbits, using whole-cell patch-clamp methodology. [Ca(i)(2+)] was varied using different pipette solutions, the Ca(i)(2+) buffer BAPTA, and caffeine administration. Elevated [Ca(i)(2+)] reduced I(Na) density and dV/dt(max), but caused no I(Na) gating changes. Reductions in I(Na) density occurred simultaneously with increase in [Ca(i)(2+)], suggesting that these effects were due to permeation block. Accordingly, unitary sodium current amplitudes were reduced at higher [Ca(i)(2+)]. While I(Na) density and gating at fixed [Ca(i)(2+)] were not different between HF and control, reductions in dV/dt(max) upon increases in stimulation rate were larger in HF than in control; these differences were abolished by BAPTA. CONCLUSION Ca(i)(2+) exerts acute modulation of I(Na) density in ventricular myocytes, but does not modify I(Na) gating. These effects, occurring rapidly and in the [Ca(i)(2+)] range observed physiologically, may contribute to beat-to-beat regulation of cardiac excitability in health and disease.
Assessing Acceptance of Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems: Prior Knowledge vs. Cognitive Styles

Perceived usefulness and ease of use have proved to be key determinants of the acceptance and usage of e-learning systems. On the contrary, little is known about students‟ perceptions in Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems (AEHS). In this paper, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was utilized to investigate university students‟ attitudes towards AEHSs. The goal of the study was to investigate whether students‟ perceptions towards AEHS that adapts basing on cognitive styles were comparable to perceptions of students using AEHS that adapts basing on prior knowledge. This is part of a project to determine how prior knowledge and cognitive styles could be combined in AEHS to maximize learning and comprehension of educational materials. To this end, the study presented in this paper developed two AEHSs, one tailored to students‟ prior knowledge while the other to their cognitive styles with emphasis on Holist-Serialist dimension. Comparative effects of using the two systems employing perceptions and attitudes as a measure were then investigated. In total, 104 students participated in the study, 60 students using the prior knowledge version while 44 participated on the cognitive styles version. The findings indicate that students using the cognitive styles version had more positive attitudes and perceptions towards their version than those who used the prior knowledge version. The implications of these results for the design of effective AEHSs combining prior knowledge and cognitive styles are discussed.
An Efficient Task Allocation Protocol for P2P Multi-agent Systems

Recently, task allocation in multi-agent systems has been investigated by many researchers. Some researchers suggested to have a central controller which has a global view about the environment to allocate tasks. Although centralized control brings convenience during task allocation processes, it also has some obvious weaknesses. Firstly, a central controller plays an important role in a multi-agent system, but task allocation procedures will break down if the central controller of a system cannot work properly. Secondly, centralized multi-agent architecture is not suitable for distributed working environments. In order to overcome some limitations caused by centralized control, some researchers proposed distributed task allocation protocols. They supposed that each agent has a limited local view about its direct linked neighbors, and can allocate tasks to its neighbors. However, only involving direct linked neighbors could limit resource origins, so that the task allocation efficiency will be greatly reduced. In this paper, we propose an efficient task allocation protocol for P2P multi-agent systems. This protocol allows not only neighboring agents but also indirect linked agents in the system to help with a task if needed. Through this way, agents can achieve more efficient and robust task allocations in loosely coupled distributed environments (e.g. P2P multi-agent systems). A set of experiments are presented in this paper to evaluate the efficiency and adaptability of the protocol. The experiment result shows that the protocol can work efficiently in different situations.
Has Imported Rice Crowded-out Domestic Rice Production in Ghana? What has Been the Role of Policy?

Commercial rice imports have accounted for approximately 61%, food aid in rice accounted for about 2%, and domestic rice accounted for some 37% per annum of rice consumption in Ghana over the four years between 2000 and 2003. Compared to the 1990s, these figures show a gradual decline in the share of local rice production in the total quantities of rice consumed in the country. On the other hand, the proportion of food aid in rice consumed has remained relatively constant over the period, while the proportion of commercial imports has increased steadily. Using the Engel-Granger residual-based co-integration test, a market integration analysis was explored for imported rice and domestic rice which compared a central market for imported rice and five key rice producing centres in Ghana. In addition, the various policies that affected rice during the period were analysed. The results of the co-integration analysis suggest that there is no spatial market integration between the central market price of imported rice and prices in the local markets. This implies that the prices of imported rice in these local markets do not share common properties or behaviour with prevailing price trends in the central market, suggesting that markets for imported rice in Ghana are segmented, and domestic policies have generally not favoured local rice production
Socio-political studies of financial reporting and standard setting

This chapter appraises the influence of Burchell et al. (1985) on interdisciplinary studies of accounting standardization and choice in financial reporting as social and organizational practices. It begins with a brief review of economics-based research streams including a priori accounting measurement theories and theorizations of accounting products as information commodities. These research paradigms provided few insights for understanding processes of accounting change. In contrast, Burchell et al. constructed a theoretically engaged analytical method to study financial accounting change that unpacked taken-for-granted assumptions and stimulated new research directions. Subsequent studies of financial accounting change are organized into three areas emphasized by Burchell et al. — accounting problematization, the social functioning of accounting and its articulation with other fields of action, and the unpacking of taken-for-granted assumptions and values contained within neo-classical economics perspectives on accounting regulation and change. The chapter concludes with suggested avenues for future research.
Comparison of data-driven bandwith selectors

Abstract This article compares several promising data-driven methods for selecting the bandwidth of a kernel density estimator. The methods compared are least squares cross-validation, biased cross-validation, and a plug-in rule. The comparison is done by asymptotic rate of convergence to the optimum and a simulation study. It is seen that the plug-in bandwidth is usually most efficient when the underlying density is sufficiently smooth, but is less robust when there is not enough smoothness present. We believe the plug-in rule is the best of those currently available, but there is still room for improvement.
Concerted and differential actions of two enzymatic domains underlie Rad5 contributions to DNA damage tolerance

Many genome maintenance factors have multiple enzymatic activities. In most cases, how their distinct activities functionally relate with each other is unclear. Here we examined the conserved budding yeast Rad5 protein that has both ubiquitin ligase and DNA helicase activities. The Rad5 ubiquitin ligase activity mediates PCNA poly-ubiquitination and subsequently recombination-based DNA lesion tolerance. Interestingly, the ligase domain is embedded in a larger helicase domain comprising seven consensus motifs. How features of the helicase domain influence ligase function is controversial. To clarify this issue, we use genetic, 2D gel and biochemical analyses and show that a Rad5 helicase motif important for ATP binding is also required for PCNA poly-ubiquitination and recombination-based lesion tolerance. We determine that this requirement is due to a previously unrecognized contribution of the motif to the PCNA and ubiquitination enzyme interaction, and not due to its canonical role in supporting helicase activity. We further show that Rad5′s helicase-mediated contribution to replication stress survival is separable from recombination. These findings delineate how two Rad5 enzymatic domains concertedly influence PCNA modification, and unveil their discrete contributions to stress tolerance.
Minimum Wage Effects and Low-Wage Labor Markets: A Disequilibrium Approach

We present a new approach to estimating minimum wage effects on employment. In contrast to most previous research, we account for the possibility that the relationship between minimum wages and employment depends on the magnitude of the minimum wage relative to the equilibrium wage in the absence of the legislated minimum. In particular, estimating the employment effects of binding minimum wages requires separation of sample observations into those that are on the labor demand curve but off the labor supply curve, and those that are at labor market equilibria. The paper implements an endogenous switching regression model with unknown sample separation that yields these estimates. The approach also yields estimates of the impact of labor market characteristics on the probability that minimum wages are binding. We also extend the disequilibrium approach to monopsony, which introduces a third regime, between the equilibrium monopsony wage and the equilibrium competitive wage, in which observations are on the labor supply curve but off the labor demand curve and minimum wages are therefore positively related to employment. Minimum wage effects under monopsony are estimated in a three-regime endogenous switching regression model with unknown regimes, and the monopsony characterization of low-wage labor markets is tested against the competitive characterization.