Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone as an Antioxidant on In Vitro Maturation of Oocytes and Development of Parthenogenetic Embryos in Pigs

One of the factors that impairs in vitro produced porcine embryos is the oxidative stress that is mainly caused by the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and antioxidants activity, especially that of glutathione (GSH). Here, we examined the effect of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a kind of flavonoid antioxidant, on porcine oocyte maturation and its developmental competence. Porcine oocytes were cultured in media supplemented with 0, 1, 5 and 10 μM 7,8-DHF during both in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro culture (IVC) after parthenogenetic activation. Maturation of oocytes was evaluated based on first polar body (PB) extrusion and intracellular GSH level, and developmental competence was assessed through observing cleavage and blastocyst formation. In each step, the levels of intracellular GSH and ROS were assessed by fluorescence intensity, and the apoptosis-related gene expression was examined using semiquantitative RT-PCR. The group treated with 1 μM 7,8-DHF during IVM and IVC showed increased cytoplasmic maturation and reached the blastocysts stage (36.1%) at a higher rate than the other groups (24.7, 16.0 and 10.3% for 0, 5 and 10 μM, P<0.05). In that group, the intracellular GSH level was significantly increased while ROS generation was significantly decreased after IVM and IVC (P<0.05). Moreover, it showed high expression of an anti-apoptotic gene (BCL2L1) and low expression of a pro-apoptotic gene (BAK1) (P<0.05). In conclusion, treatment with 1 μM 7,8-DHF during IVM and IVC showed an anti-apoptotic effect by increasing intracellular GSH synthesis and scavenging ROS and therefore improved the developmental competence of porcine embryos.
Effects of Family Business Membership and Psychological Separation on the Career Development of Late Adolescents

Family businesses are reported to consist of overinvolved family relationships. Overinvolvement often leads to conflict when late adolescents attempt to develop their own identity, separate from the home, and choose an occupation. This study examines differences between family-and non-family-business offspring in relation to psychological overinvolvement, and career choice and development. Analyses of assessments completed by 248 undergraduate college students does not support the belief that family business members are overinvolved with each other, but does suggest implications for the career development of family business offspring.
Anaerobic degradation of halogenated phenols by sulfate-reducing consortia

Sulfidogenic consortia enriched from an estuarine sediment were maintained on either 2-, 3-, or 4-chlorophenol as the only source of carbon and energy for over 5 years. The enrichment culture on 4-chlorophenol was the most active and this consortium was selected for further characterization. Utilization of chlorophenol resulted in sulfate depletion corresponding to the values expected for complete mineralization to CO2. Degradation of 4-chlorophenol was coupled to sulfate reduction, since substrate utilization was dependent on sulfidogenesis and chlorophenol loss did not proceed in the absence of sulfate. Other sulfur oxyanions, sulfite or thiosulfate, also served as electron acceptors for chlorophenol utilization, while carbonate, nitrate, and fumarate did not. The sulfidogenic consortium utilized phenol, 4-bromophenol, and 4-iodophenol in addition to 4-chlorophenol. 4-Fluorophenol, however, did not serve as a substrate. 4-Bromo- and 4-iodophenol were degraded with stoichiometric release of halide, and 4-[14C]bromophenol was mineralized, with 90% of the radiolabel recovered as CO2.
Streptococcus mutans NADH Oxidase Lies at the Intersection of Overlapping Regulons Controlled by Oxygen and NAD+ Levels

ABSTRACT NADH oxidase (Nox, encoded by nox) is a flavin-containing enzyme used by the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans to reduce diatomic oxygen to water while oxidizing NADH to NAD+. The critical nature of Nox is 2-fold: it serves to regenerate NAD+, a carbon cycle metabolite, and to reduce intracellular oxygen, preventing formation of destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS). As oxygen and NAD+ have been shown to modulate the activity of the global transcription factors Spx and Rex, respectively, Nox is potentially poised at a critical junction of two stress regulons. In this study, microarray data showed that either addition of oxygen or loss of nox resulted in altered expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and transport and the upregulation of genes encoding ROS-metabolizing enzymes. Loss of nox also resulted in upregulation of several genes encoding transcription factors and signaling molecules, including the redox-sensing regulator gene rex. Characterization of the nox promoter revealed that nox was regulated by oxygen, through SpxA, and by Rex. These data suggest a regulatory loop in which the roles of nox in reduction of oxygen and regeneration of NAD+ affect the activity levels of Spx and Rex, respectively, and their regulons, which control several genes, including nox, crucial to growth of S. mutans under conditions of oxidative stress.
A prospective analysis of blood donation history and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract Blood donation may influence subsequent NHL development via temporary immune system alterations. To test the hypothesis that frequent blood donation is associated with an increased risk of NHL and its most common histologic subtypes, this study followed 36 576 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), who provided information on frequency of blood donation in the past 30 years in 1992. This study confirmed 544 incident cases of NHL through 2010. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazards ratios (HR) and 95% CI for the risk of all NHL and major NHL histologic subtypes associated with number of blood donations. In this prospective study, there was no significant evidence of an association between blood donation frequency and incidence of NHL (age-adjusted HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.94–1.68, comparing > 20 donations vs 0 donations over 30 years, p for trend = 0.18) or of any major NHL subtypes.
Pitfalls in the Evaluation of Uric Acid as a Risk Factor for Vascular Disease~!2009-10-29~!2009-12-23~!2010-04-08~!

The association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the risk for vascular disease is controversial. Several studies in the general population suggested that elevated SUA levels are independently related to increased vascular mor- bidity and mortality. However, in other studies this relationship was not significant when other vascular risk factors were considered. Some evidence also suggests that uric acid might be implicated in the development of hypertension, renal dis- ease and insulin resistance. We review the epidemiological data on the relationship between SUA levels and vascular dis- ease and summarize the potential adverse vascular effects of uric acid. We also discuss the associations of SUA levels with established vascular risk factors and the potential benefits of lowering SUA concentration. It is unclear whether uric acid is a causal risk factor for vascular disease. Until more conclusive data are available, patients with elevated SUA lev- els should be evaluated for the presence of more established risk factors (including type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease) and treatment should be targeted against these factors.
Team‐based reward allocation structures and the helping behaviors of outcome‐interdependent team members

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of two key team‐based pay characteristics – namely reward allocation procedures (i.e. reward based on norms of equity, equality or some combination of the two) and incentive intensity – on both the amount and type of help given to one another among members of outcome‐interdependent teams.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 180 undergraduate students participate in a laboratory simulation with a 2 × 3 experimental design. Servicing virtual “clients,” participants receive pre‐scripted requests for assistance from anonymous teammates. ANOVA and hierarchical regression analyses are used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Relative to equity‐oriented group‐based pay structures, equality‐oriented pay structures are found to be associated with both significantly more help giving in general and more of the type of help likely to enhance group‐level competencies (i.e. autonomous help). Incentive intensity strengthens the effects of reward allocation .
Computing Data Cubes and Aggregate Query Processing

The paper is dealing with data cubes, multidimensional data structures built from data warehouse for OLAP purposes. Performing aggregations over cube dimensions and the way they are stored is considered to be a problem worth optimization. A two-tier multilevel list structure for storing cubes has been proposed. Algorithms for tiers' setup and maintenance when records are loaded into the data warehouse have been designed. An overview of analytical queries has been presented. Algorithm for processing analytical query over data cubes stored in the proposed structure has been outlined.
Tofacitinib versus methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis: patient-reported outcomes from the randomised phase III ORAL Start trial

Objectives To compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in methotrexate (MTX)-naive patients (defined as no prior treatment or ≤3 doses) receiving tofacitinib versus MTX. Methods In the 24-month, phase III, randomised, controlled, ORAL Start trial (NCT01039688), patients were randomised 2:2:1 to receive tofacitinib 5 mg two times per day (n=373), tofacitinib 10 mg two times per day (n=397) or MTX (n=186). PROs assessed included Patient Global Assessment of disease (PtGA), pain, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) and health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]). Results PROs improved following tofacitinib and MTX treatment: benefits were sustained over 24 months. Patients receiving tofacitinib reported earlier responses which were significantly different between each tofacitinib dose and MTX at month 3 through month 24. At month 6 (primary end point), significant improvements versus MTX were observed in PtGA, pain, HAQ-DI, SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS), 5/8 domain scores and FACIT-F with tofacitinib 5 mg two times per day; all PROs, except SF-36 Mental Component Summary Score and Medical Outcomes Survey-Sleep, with tofacitinib 10 mg two times per day. At month 6, the proportion of patients reporting improvements ≥minimum clinically important difference were significant versus MTX with tofacitinib 5 mg two times per day in PtGA and 3/8 SF-36 domains; and with tofacitinib 10 mg two times per day in PtGA, pain, HAQ-DI, SF-36 PCS, 4/8 domains and FACIT-F. Conclusions Patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg two times per day monotherapy versus MTX reported statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in multiple PROs over 24 months; onset of benefit with tofacitinib treatment occurred earlier. Trial registration number NCT01039688.
Parallel Dynamic Graph Partitioning for Adaptive Unstructured Meshes

A parallel method for the dynamic partitioning of unstructured meshes is described. The method introduces a new iterative optimization technique known as relative gain optimization which both balances the workload and attempts to minimize the interprocessor communications overhead. Experiments on a series of adaptively refined meshes indicate that the algorithm provides partitions of an equivalent or higher quality to static partitioners (which do not reuse the existing partition) and much more rapidly. Perhaps more importantly, the algorithm results in only a small fraction of the amount of data migration compared to the static partitioners.
The Effects of Social Activism on the Occupational Experience, Locus of Control, and Well-Being of Black Midlife Women

The purpose of this study was to address the confluence of social activism, occupational experience, and overall well-being in midlife Black college-educated women. The participants included 205 Black women who graduated from a historically Black university between the years of 1958 and 1968. This study of educated Black midlife women resulted in a number of suggestive findings. The structural equation model supported the relationship between social activism and occupational experience in this sample of women.
The Assessment of Children's Understanding of Inclusion Relations: Transitivity, Asymmetry, and Quantification

This study investigated the development of the understanding of class inclusion in children age 5, 7, and 9 years, whose performance on a qualitative class-inference task assessing their appreciation of the transitive and asymmetrical nature of inclusive relations within the animal domain was compared with their ability to make quantitative inferences in Piagetian class-inclusion problems. Results showed that, although 5-year-olds demonstrate a fair knowledge of the transitivity of inclusion relations, this notion is not fully understood until the age of 7. In contrast, the process leading to the acquisition of asymmetry understanding appears relatively slowly, and is not yet completed by 9 years of age. Whereas the ability to make qualitative inferences requiring the understanding of transitivity is acquired well before the ability to make quantitative inferences, making qualitative inferences requiring a knowledge of asymmetry is as difficult as making quantified judgments. Methodological considerations about the complementarity of the two kinds of tasks, along with the theoretical implications of our findings for Blewitt's developmental model of hierarchical knowledge, are discussed.
Transition through multiple augmentative and alternative communication systems: a three-year case study of a head injured adolescent

This paper describes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment and intervention with a head injured adolescent over a three-year period. The case study illustrates a two pronged assessment-intervention model which not only addresses the client's needs and skills, but also provides support and training for facilitators, that is, the significant others in the client's life. The case study documents the client's transition through a range of AAC systems over the three-year period, as the client's needs and skills in face-to-face interaction and written communication changed and as technological advances in the field increased the range of options available. Changes in the client's systems and in the intervention approaches employed also reflect the learning which occurred among the clinical team as its members became increasingly aware of the complexity of issues in the AAC field.
Exploring the Accuracy and Utility of the Rey Fifteen Item Test (RMT) with Recognition Trial in a Forensic Psychiatric Population

The Rey Fifteen Item Test (RMT; Rey, 1941) is one of the most commonly used measures to assess the validity of cognitive and memory deficits. A recent recognition trial has been developed to enhance sensitivity of the RMT (Boone, Salazar, Lu, Warner-Chacon, & Razani, 2002). The RMT was administered to 116 forensic patients hospitalized for restoration of competency to stand trial who were classified by treating psychiatrists as “genuine” or “feigning,” and 36 community simulators. Consistent with previous research, the recognition trial increased the sensitivity of the RMT from 44% to 64% among suspected feigners, while decreasing specificity from 82.4% to 74.7% among genuine patients. The optimal cut score for maximizing specificity was 11 in this sample, while the optimal cut score for enhancing the utility of the RMT as a screening measure was found to be 24. Implications of using the RMT with recognition trial as a screening tool in forensic psychiatric assessment are discussed.
Morphological, biometrical and molecular characterization of Archaeopsylla erinacei (Bouché, 1835)

Abstract In the present work, we carried out a morphological, biometrical and molecular study of the species Archaeopsylla erinacei (Bouché, 1835) and their subspecies: Archaeopsylla erinacei erinacei (Bouché, 1835) and Archaeopsylla erinacei maura (Jordan & Rothschild, 1912) isolated from hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) from different geographical regions (Seville and Corse). We have found morphological differences in females of A. erinacei from the same geographical origin that did not correspond with molecular differences. We suggest that some morphological characters traditionally used to discriminate females of both subspecies should be revised as well as we set the total length of the spermatheca as a valid criterion in order to discriminate between both subspecies. The Internal Transcribed Spacers 1 and 2 (ITS1, ITS2) and partial 18S rRNA gene, and partial cytochrome c-oxidase 1 (cox1) and cytochrome b (cytb) mtDNA gene sequences were determined to clarify the taxonomic status of these taxa and to assess intra-specific and intra-population similarity. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis with other species of fleas using Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analysis was performed. All molecular markers used, except 18S, showed molecular differences between populations corresponding with geographical origins. Thus, based on the phylogenetic and molecular study of two nuclear markers (ITS1, ITS2) and two mitochondrial markers (cox1 and cytb), as well as concatenated sequences of both subspecies, we reported the existence of two geographical genetic lineages in A. erinacei corresponding with two different subspecies: A. e. erinacei (Corse, France) and A. e. maura (Seville, Spain), that could be discriminated by polymerase chain reaction-linked random-fragment-length polymorphism.
Habitus and Cultural Capital in the Field of Personal Finance

Key concepts drawn from the work of Pierre Bourdieu – in particular, habitus and cultural capital – which have been widely used to analyse the fields of education and the arts, are applied here to the sociologically neglected field of personal finance. The cultural project to promote marketization has not created an informed public of sovereign consumers rich in cultural capital. On the contrary, the development of commodified mass-market financial products and services implies a lowering of the threshold not just of economic but also of cultural capital needed for their acquisition. Financial scandals, such as the widespread misselling of personal pensions in the UK from the mid-1980s, typically involve in Bourdieu's terms an ‘objective complicity’ between a wide variety of stakeholders – including the government, employers, financial service providers, industry regulators, and financial advisers – and private investors whose habitus and lack of cultural capital prepare them for cooperation in their own exploitation.
Qualitative Data Analysis: Can Computers Do It?

Qualitative data analysis contains built-in constraints - on volume of records, complexity of analysis, detail of classification and ability to explore emergent theory. Those constraints, rarely acknowledged, conflict with goals central to the method. The article describes one response, a system for computer-aided indexing, searching and analysis of unstructured data. Designed to replicate and go beyond methods special to qualitative data analysis, it uses the speed, power and memory of the computer to overcome constraints. It allows storage and exploration of any quantity of text or other data and any volume of information about it. Text and indexing information are stored separately in ways that permit immediate retrieval of material in any indexing category or combination of categories, exploration of that material by combinations of category, characteristics of respondents, settings or files, and examination of the interplay of themes by synthesis of new concepts abstracted from index and file data.
Active pollination favours sexual dimorphism in floral scent

Zoophilous flowers often transmit olfactory signals to attract pollinators. In plants with unisexual flowers, such signals are usually similar between the sexes because attraction of the same animal to both male and female flowers is essential for conspecific pollen transfer. Here, we present a remarkable example of sexual dimorphism in floral signal observed in reproductively highly specialized clades of the tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae). These plants are pollinated by species-specific, seed-parasitic Epicephala moths (Gracillariidae) that actively collect pollen from male flowers and pollinate the female flowers in which they oviposit; by doing so, they ensure seeds for their offspring. We found that Epicephala-pollinated Phyllanthaceae plants consistently exhibit major qualitative differences in scent between male and female flowers, often involving compounds derived from different biosynthetic pathways. In a choice test, mated female Epicephala moths preferred the scent of male flowers over that of female flowers, suggesting that male floral scent elicits pollen-collecting behaviour. Epicephala pollination evolved multiple times in Phyllantheae, at least thrice accompanied by transition from sexual monomorphism to dimorphism in floral scent. This is the first example in which sexually dimorphic floral scent has evolved to signal an alternative reward provided by each sex, provoking the pollinator's legitimate altruistic behaviour.
Joint Feature Selection for Object Detection and Recognition

Object detection and recognition systems, such as face detectors and face recognizers, are often trained separately and operated in a feed-forward fashion. Selecting a small number of features for these tasks is important to prevent over-fitting and reduce computation. However, when a system has such related or sequential tasks, selecting features for these tasks independently may not be optimal. We propose a framework for choosing features to be shared between object detection and recognition tasks. The result is a system that achieves better performance by joint training and is faster because some features for identification have already been computed for detection. We demonstrate with experiments in text detection and character recognition for images of scenes.
The IgLON Family Member Negr1 Promotes Neuronal Arborization Acting as Soluble Factor via FGFR2

IgLON proteins are GPI anchored adhesion molecules that control neurite outgrowth. In particular, Negr1 down-regulation negatively influences neuronal arborization in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we found that the metalloprotease ADAM10 releases Negr1 from neuronal membrane. Ectodomain shedding influences several neuronal mechanisms, including survival, synaptogenesis, and the formation of neurite trees. By combining morphological analysis and virus-mediated selective protein silencing in primary murine cortical neurons, we found that pharmacologically inhibition of ADAM10 results in an impairment of neurite tree maturation that can be rescued upon treatment with soluble Negr1. Furthermore, we report that released Negr1 influences neurite outgrowth in a P-ERK1/2 and FGFR2 dependent manner. Together our findings suggest a role for Negr1 in regulating neurite outgrowth through the modulation of FGFR2 signaling pathway. Given the physiological and pathological role of ADAM10, Negr1, and FGFR2, the regulation of Negr1 shedding may play a crucial role in sustaining brain function and development.