Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation and Menadione, an Inducer of Oxidative Stress, Alone and in Combination in a Vertebrate Embryo Model

Prior work has established the zebrafish embryo as an in vivo model for studying the biological effects of exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation. One of the known effects of radiation is to elevate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tissue. However, ROS are also produced as by-products of normal metabolism and, regardless of origin, ROS produce similar chemical damage to DNA. Here we use the zebrafish embryo model to investigate whether the effects of low-dose (0–1.5 Gy) radiation and endogenous ROS are mechanistically distinct. We increased levels of endogenous ROS by exposure to low concentrations of the quinone drug, menadione. Imaging studies in live embryos showed that exposure to 3 μM or higher concentrations of menadione dramatically increased ROS levels. This treatment was associated with a growth delay and morphologic abnormalities, which were partially or fully reversible. By contrast, exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation had no discernable effects on overall growth or morphology, although, there was an increase in TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, consistent with the results of prior studies. Further studies showed that the combined effect of radiation and menadione exposure are greater than with either agent alone, and that attenuation of the expression of Ku80, a gene important for repair of radiation-induced DNA damage, had only a slight effect on menadione sensitivity. Together, results suggest that ionizing radiation and menadione affect the embryo by distinct mechanisms.
Readout Electronics Using Single-Flux-Quantum Circuit Technology for Superconducting Single-Photon Detector Array

Superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) based on NbN nanowires possess properties such as high counting rate, low dark count rate and small timing jitter, which are promising characteristics for a quantum key distribution system. An SSPD array has recently attracted attention, because it can provide a higher counting rate, and spatial and photon-number resolutions. We propose readout electronics using single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits to process a large number of output signals from an SSPD array. We designed and tested an interface circuit between an SSPD and SFQ circuit, and successfully observed SFQ pulse generation for an input pulse with a current amplitude of 17.4 ~ 36.4 muA , which is comparable with an output current amplitude of the SSPD. The interface circuit was also operational for an input pulse duration of 1.6 ns, which is shorter than the typical recovery time of the SSPD.
In vitro effects of various xenobiotics on Fusarium spp. strains isolated from cereals

This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of Fusarium spp. strains isolated from cereals to selected heavy metals, fungicides and silver nanoparticles. The experiments were conducted using 50 Fusarium strains belonging to five species: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides and F. avenaceum. The strains were found to be highly resistant to Pb2+ and Zn2+. Medium resistance to Cu2+ and Mn2+ and low resistance to Cd2+ and Fe3+ was also observed. Among the tested fungicides, formulations containing azoxystrobin, prochloraz and tebuconazole proved to be the most effective in inhibiting the growth of fungi, as they affected fungal growth in each of the applied doses. Susceptibility of Fusarium spp. to nanosilver, demonstrated in this study, shows the legitimacy of using nanostructures as fungicidal agents. The results confirm high diversity of the analyzed fungal species in terms of susceptibility to the tested substances, and encourage to continue research on the resistance of Fusarium spp. to various fungicidal agents.
Influence of White Matter Hyperintensities on the Cognition of Patients With Parkinson Disease

BackgroundWhite matter hyperintensities (WMH) have been associated with cognitive impairment in elderly persons and in patients with Alzheimer disease. However, the role of WMH in Parkinson disease (PD) dementia remains to be elucidated. MethodsThe cohort for this study comprised 71 consecutive patients with PD, all of whom completed a clinical assessment, neuropsychologic investigation, and magnetic resonance imaging of brain. WMH were rated using the semiquantitative visual rating system proposed by Scheltens et al. ResultsThe PD dementia group had significantly more WMH than the PD without dementia group in the evaluated brain regions except for the infratentorial area. The WMH showed a significant correlation with age, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, sum of the box of Clinical Dementia Rating, and many of the cognitive domains. The linear regression model showed that the WMH was independently associated with cognitive impairment in patients with PD, regardless of age, sex, duration or severity of PD symptoms, and vascular risk factors. ConclusionsThese findings confirm that WMH might be associated with cognitive decline in patients with PD, regardless of age, sex, education status, duration or severity of PD symptoms, and vascular risk factors. This result suggests that other nonvascular factors contribute to the progression of dementia in patients with PD.
Appendages and gene regulatory networks: Lessons from the limbless

Among squamate reptiles, dozens of lineages have independently evolved complete or partial limb reduction. This remarkable convergence of limbless and limb‐reduced phenotypes provides multiple natural replicates of different ages to explore the evolution and development of the vertebrate limb and the gene regulatory network that controls its formation. The most successful and best known of the limb‐reduced squamates are snakes, which evolved a limb‐reduced body form more than 100 million years ago. Recent studies have revealed the unexpected finding that many ancient limb enhancers are conserved in the genomes of snakes. Analyses in limbed animals show that many of these limb enhancers are also active during development of the phallus, suggesting that these enhancers may have been retained in snakes due their importance in regulating transcription in the external genitalia. This hypothesis is substantiated by functional tests of snake enhancers, which demonstrate that snake enhancer elements have lost limb function while retaining genital enhancer function. The large degree of overlap in the gene regulatory networks deployed during limb and phallus development may act to constrain the divergence of shared gene network components and the evolution of appendage morphology. Future studies will reveal whether limb regulatory elements have undergone similar functional changes in other lineages of limb‐reduced squamates.
The swinging pendulum: A national perspective of nonoperative management in severe blunt liver injury

BACKGROUND Despite a shift toward nonoperative management (NOM) of blunt liver trauma, severe injuries continue to require operative management. Our objective was to examine current trends of NOM for severe blunt liver injury from a national perspective. METHODS Patients with blunt liver injury with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of 4 or greater and no other major solid organ injury or pelvic fracture were identified in the National Trauma Data Bank 2002 to 2008. Attempted NOM was defined as no surgery in 6 hours or less. Failed NOM was defined as surgery in greater than 6 hours. Cox regression evaluated the association of NOM outcome with 30-day mortality after controlling for injury severity and center. Logistic regression was used to define independent predictors of failed NOM. Annual attempted and failed NOM rates were compared during the study period. RESULTS A total of 3,627 patients were identified with a median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 29 (interquartile range, 20–38) and 20% mortality. Early operative management occurred in 20%, while initial NOM occurred in 73% of the patients. Of these, 93% had successful NOM, and 7% had failed NOM. Failed NOM was an independent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–2.6; p = 0.01). Increasing age, male sex, increasing ISS, decreasing Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, hypotension, and hepatic angioembolization were independent predictors of failed NOM. The rate of attempted and failed NOM increased during the study period (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION NOM for isolated severe blunt liver injury is increasing nationally with similar increment in failure. Failed NOM was associated with higher mortality. Several predictors of failed NOM were identified including age, sex, ISS, GCS, and hypotension. These factors may allow for better patient selection and improved outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level IV; prognostic/epidemiologic study, level III.
Social motor coordination during adult–child interactions

Social motor coordination (SMC) pertains to the timing of contingent movements during social interactions and is of high relevance for successful social and musical interactions. Semi‐automated, objective methods are increasingly being used to analyze SMC, though it is unclear if these methods are feasible in naturalistic settings with young children. The purpose of the current preliminary study was to explore SMC in adult–child dyads during semi‐structured social interactions. Thirteen dyads (mean age of children = 36 months) participated in a predictable turn‐taking task from a social communication assessment, and a semi‐automated frame‐difference approach was used to capture movement activity. Relative timing and activity approaches revealed that, while there is some evidence of co‐occurring movement, the dyad predominantly exhibited patterns of responsive movement activity (e.g., turn taking or alternating movement) consistent with the activity's structure. Future work may extend these approaches to social musical interactions in order to examine movement coordination and prosocial behavior during joint music‐making activities with young children.
Voltage stability under current bias in superconducting microbridges

In superconducting films, the dissipative flux flow state plays a crucial role in the stability of those devices that operate under bias current whose value is very close to the critical current value, such as superconducting electronics and superconducting single particle/photon detectors. Therefore, we study the voltage stability versus electrical current transport by proper current-voltage measurement modes in superconducting films, investigating the effects of ion irradiation on the relevant current parameters.
Capital-Energy Substitution Revisted: New Evidence From Micro Data

We use new micro data for 11,520 plants taken from the Census Bureau=s 1991 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) and 1991 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) to estimate elasticities of substitution between energy and capital. We found that energy and capital are substitutes. We also found that estimates of Allen elasticities of substitution -- which have been used as a standard measure of substitution -- are sensitive to varying data sets and levels of aggregation. In contrast, estimates of Morishima elasticities of substitution -- which are theoretically superior to the Allen elasticities -- are more robust (except when two-digit level data are used). The results support the views that (i) the Morishima elasticity is a better measure of factor substitution and (ii) micro data provide more accurate elasticity estimates than those obtained from aggregate data. Our findings appear to resolve the long-standing conflict among the estimates reported in the many previous studies regarding energy-capital substitution/complementarity.
Calibration method using the Zadoff-Chu sequence

A novel calibration method using the Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence as a test signal is proposed. Using this technique, the timing information of the received test signal that contains the phase characteristics of each antenna path can be accurately estimated. Performance of the proposed method is first analyzed through computer simulation. Then, the proposed calibration algorithm is implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) board to verify its excellent performance in terms of the estimation accuracy for both the amplitude characteristics and the phase characteristics of each antenna path of a given array system.
An optimal credit policy to increase supplier's profits with price dependent demand functions

Abstract This paper deals with the problem of determining an optimal length of credit period from the perspective of supplier. We assume that a retailer jointly determines the unit retail price and order size to maximize profit when he/she purchases a product for which the supplier offers a trade credit. Two widely used demand functions are adopted for the study in which demands are decreasing functions of the retail price. A procedure is presented which shows how to achieve an optimal length of credit period for suppliers. The effects of credit period on the behaviour of retailers are also investigated using an example.
Myofibroblasts in healing laser excision wounds

The lack of myofibroblasts, cells responsible for wound contraction, has been suggested to be the underlying factor to the clinically observed minimal contraction in CO2 laser wounds. However, the histologic background to this phenomenon in laser excisions has not been thoroughly clarified. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of myofibroblasts in healing laser excisions and control excisions made by scalpel.
Formate Oxidation-Driven Calcium Carbonate Precipitation by Methylocystis parvus OBBP

ABSTRACT Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) applied in the construction industry poses several disadvantages such as ammonia release to the air and nitric acid production. An alternative MICP from calcium formate by Methylocystis parvus OBBP is presented here to overcome these disadvantages. To induce calcium carbonate precipitation, M. parvus was incubated at different calcium formate concentrations and starting culture densities. Up to 91.4% ± 1.6% of the initial calcium was precipitated in the methane-amended cultures compared to 35.1% ± 11.9% when methane was not added. Because the bacteria could only utilize methane for growth, higher culture densities and subsequently calcium removals were exhibited in the cultures when methane was added. A higher calcium carbonate precipitate yield was obtained when higher culture densities were used but not necessarily when more calcium formate was added. This was mainly due to salt inhibition of the bacterial activity at a high calcium formate concentration. A maximum 0.67 ± 0.03 g of CaCO3 g of Ca(CHOOH)2 −1 calcium carbonate precipitate yield was obtained when a culture of 109 cells ml−1 and 5 g of calcium formate liter−1 were used. Compared to the current strategy employing biogenic urea degradation as the basis for MICP, our approach presents significant improvements in the environmental sustainability of the application in the construction industry.
Politicians and Preferences of the Voter Majority: Does Gender Matter?

Does the gender of political representatives affect the extent to which they adhere to the voter majority's preferences? By matching individual male and female representatives' votes on legislative proposals with real referendum outcomes on the same issues, we obtain a direct measure of divergence. We find that female and male representatives adhere equally close to the majority's preferences if party affiliations are taken into account. This suggests that observed gender differences with respect to the national majority of voters may be reduced to an ideological left–right dimension.
Identifying Welfare State Regimes: The Links Between Politics, Instruments and Outcomes

With new sources of cross-national data appearing on income distribution and the characteristics of redistributional policy instruments, it is now possible to take the comparative analysis of welfare states well beyond the conventional focus on government expenditures. This study of 18 OECD nations examines the linkages between various aspects of the income redistribution process, elaborates a typology of welfare state regimes and locates the political origins of each of these regimes.
Participation in school sport and post-school pathways: evidence from ireland

We examine the impact of participation in sport at secondary school on post-school pathways using a survey of Irish school-leavers, distinguishing between those who dropped out of sport during their secondary school years and those who continued playing in their final school years. We find that members of this latter group are, on completion of secondary schooling, significantly and substantially more likely to continue their education rather than to join the labour market. This effect survives controlling for individual background traits, school characteristics, attachment to the school and academic achievement. Our results are also robust to the use of propensity score matching to control for selection into participation in sport based on observable characteristics. We relate our findings to previous work on the potential labour market benefits of participation in sport and to the emerging literature on the role of consumption value in educational choice.
Context Influences on the Relationship Between Views of Aging and Subjective Age: The Moderating Role of Culture and Domain of Functioning

Subjective age has been shown to reliably predict a variety of psychological and physical health outcomes, yet our understanding of its determinants is still quite limited. Using data from the Aging as Future project, the authors examined the degree to which views of aging influence subjective age and how this influence varies across cultures and domains of everyday functioning. Using data from 1,877 adults aged from 30 to 95 years of age collected in China, Germany, and the United States, they assessed how general attitudes about aging and perceptions of oneself as an older adult influenced subjective age estimates in 8 different domains of functioning. More positive attitudes about aging were associated with older subjective ages, whereas more positive views of self in old age were associated with younger subjective age. It is hypothesized that these effects are reflective of social-comparison processes and self-protective mechanisms. These influences varied considerably over contexts, with views of aging having a greater impact in domains associated with stronger negative stereotypes of aging (e.g., health) compared to those with more positive ones (e.g., family). Culture also moderated the impact of aging views in terms of the strength of prediction, direction of effect, and age of greatest influence, presumably due to cultural differences in the salience and strength of aging-related belief systems across contexts. The results illustrate the contextual sensitivity of subjective age and highlight the role played by an individual’s views of old age—both in general and regarding oneself—in determining their own experience of aging.
Human Stampedes: A Systematic Review of Historical and Peer-Reviewed Sources

Human stampedes, which occur around the world, are an important and unique yet incompletely understood type of disaster resulting from complex and often lethal dynamics that occur at large crowd gatherings. Given that human stampedes are a recurring phenomenon that can trigger mass casualties ranging into the thousands, they must be considered alongside other significant causes of disaster events. By definition, a stampede may be characterized as an impulsive mass movement of a crowd that often results in injuries and deaths. Another commonly associated term is trampling that leads to infliction of crushing casualties. Although human stampedes have widely been reported in the media, they have attracted scant scientific attention or investigation, limiting basic understanding of the pathophysiology and behavioral aspects of these events. This article is a review of elements within the context of historically significant human stampedes and specific events described in the literature. Strategies for preincident preparedness informed by improved systematic categorization and identification of human stampede determinants including pathophysiology, mechanisms, settings, and triggers are explored.
Primate Mammary Gland Insulin-Like Growth Factor System

Abstract Background Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) plays a critical role in estrogen-induced uterine proliferation, but it is unclear whether this estromedin function occurs in other estrogen-sensitive tissues such as the mammary gland. To elucidate this possibility, we investigated the cellular localization and hormonal regulation of mRNAs for IGF1 and 2, their cognate receptors (IGF1R, IGF2R), and IGF binding proteins 2-5 (BPs 2-5) in the rhesus monkey mammary gland. Methods Ovariectomized monkeys were treated with placebo, estradiol (E2), and E2 plus progesterone (E2/P4) for 3 days, after which mammary tissue was harvested for in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses. Results IGF1 and IGF2 mRNA levels were significantly increased and BP2 mRNA decreased by E2 and by E2/P4 treatment. IGF1R mRNA was increased by combined E2/P treatment but not by E2 alone. BP5 mRNA was decreased by E2/P4. No differences in IGF2R, BP3, and BP4 mRNA levels were detected in any treatment group. Mammary IGF1 and IGF2 mRNA levels were both positively correlated with local epithelial proliferation, assessed by immunodetection of the proliferation-specific antigen, Ki67. IGF1 and IGF1R expression were negatively correlated with local programmed cell death, as assessed by the in situ TUNEL method. In contrast, BP2 expression was negatively correlated with epithelial proliferation and positively correlated with programmed cell death. IGF2R, BP3, BP4, and BP5 levels were not significantly correlated with either proliferation or death. Conclusions Thus, E2-induced proliferation is associated with upregulation of both IGF1 and IGF2 expression and downregulation of BP2 expression. These data suggest that the local mammary IGF system is involved in sex steroid-induced mammary epithelial cell hyperplasia.
The Effects of Trainee Characteristics on Transfer of Training in Pre-Training Stage

There have been many literature and studies confirming the effects of trainee characteristics on transfer of training during post-training stage. On the contrary, there are relatively fewer studies on factors having expected influences on transfer of training. This study adopts Holton's Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) to analyze trainee characteristics during pre-training stage. There are totally 181 valid samples. This study applies regression analysis and factor analysis to examine the characteristics. The results show the characteristics have positive effects on Transfer Effort-Performance Expectations. Among the four factors, Learner Readiness and Motivation to Transfer have the most significant effects. The results of this study can serve as requisites for training practitioners to enhance trainee characteristics prior to training.