Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations between Genetic Variants in the ACE, AGT, AGTR1 and AGTR2 Genes and Renal Function in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background/Aims: Some studies suggest that polymorphisms in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II type I receptor (AGTR1) and angiotensin II type II receptor (AGTR2) genes may contribute to renal function variation. Methods: Genotyping for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these candidate genes was performed in 2,847 participants from four racial/ethnic groups (African American, Chinese, White and Hispanic) without known cardiovascular disease in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. SNP and haplotype analyses were performed to determine associations between genotypes and cross-sectional renal function measurements, including urine albumin excretion (UAE) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using serum creatinine and cystatin C. Results: Twenty-four ACE SNPs, 10 AGT SNPs, 15 AGTR1 SNPs and 6 AGTR2 SNPs were typed successfully. After adjusting for ancestry, age and gender, 3 SNPs (AGT M235T, AGT rs2148582 and AGTR1 rs2131127) showed associations with an empiric p value <0.05 with the same phenotype in multiple racial/ethnic groups, suggesting replication. The AGT M235T SNP has been shown previously to be associated with diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy. Conclusions: These data suggest that genetic polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin system are associated with renal phenotypes in the general population, but that many associations differ across racial/ethnic groups.
Occludin oligomeric assemblies at tight junctions of the blood–brain barrier are altered by hypoxia and reoxygenation stress

Hypoxic (low oxygen) and reperfusion (post‐hypoxic reoxygenation) phases of stroke promote an increase in microvascular permeability at tight junctions (TJs) of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) that may lead to cerebral edema. To investigate the effect of hypoxia (Hx) and reoxygenation on oligomeric assemblies of the transmembrane TJ protein occludin, rats were subjected to either normoxia (Nx, 21% O2, 60 min), Hx (6% O2, 60 min), or hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R, 6% O2, 60 min followed by 21% O2, 10 min). After treatment, cerebral microvessels were isolated, fractionated by detergent‐free density gradient centrifugation, and occludin oligomeric assemblies associated with plasma membrane lipid rafts were solubilized by perfluoro‐octanoic acid (PFO) exclusively as high molecular weight protein complexes. Analysis by non‐reducing and reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/western blot of PFO‐solubilized occludin revealed that occludin oligomeric assemblies co‐localizing with ‘TJ‐associated’ raft domains contained a high molecular weight ‘structural core’ that was resistant to disassembly by either SDS or a hydrophilic reducing agent ex vivo, and by Hx and H/R conditions in vivo. However, exposure of PFO‐solubilized occludin oligomeric assemblies to SDS ex vivo revealed the non‐covalent association of a significant amount of dimeric and monomeric occludin isoforms to the disulfide‐bonded inner core, and dispersal of these non‐covalently attached occludin subunits to lipid rafts of higher density in vivo was differentially promoted by Hx and H/R. Our data suggest a model of isoform interaction within occludin oligomeric assemblies at the BBB that enables occludin to simultaneously perform a structural role in inhibiting paracellular diffusion, and a signaling role involving interactions of dimeric and monomeric occludin isoforms with a variety of regulatory molecules within different plasma membrane lipid raft domains.
Higher screen time is associated with overweight, poor dietary habits and physical inactivity in Brazilian adolescents, mainly among girls

Abstract Objectives: To analyse the associations between high screen time and overweight, poor dietary habits and physical activity in adolescents according to sex. Methods: The study comprised 515 boys and 716 girls aged 14–17 years from Londrina, Brazil. Nutritional status (normal weight or overweight/obese) was assessed by calculating the body mass index. Eating habits and time spent in physical activity were reported using a questionnaire. The measurement of screen time considered the time spent watching television, using a computer and playing video games during a normal week. Associations between high screen time and dependent variables (nutritional status, eating habits and physical activity levels) were assessed by binary logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Results: Most adolescents (93.8% of boys and 87.2% of girls) spent more than 2 hours per day in screen-time activities. After adjustments, an increasing trend in the prevalence of overweight and physical inactivity with increasing time spent on screen activities was observed for both sexes. Screen times of >4 hours/day compared with <2 hours/day were associated with physical inactivity, low consumption of vegetables and high consumption of sweets only in girls and the consumption of soft drinks in both sexes. Conclusions: The frequency of overweight and physical inactivity increased with increasing screen time in a trending manner and independently of the main confounders. The relationship between high screen time and poor eating habits was particularly relevant for adolescent girls.
Ethnic composition and genetic differentiation of the Libyan population: insights on Alu polymorphisms

Abstract Background: It is thought that the ancient population of Libya was mainly composed of Saharan Berbers. Socio-geographic conditions and historical events have exerted some changes on the composition of the present-day Libyan population. Aim: To screen a set of autosomal Alu markers in a representative sample of the general Libyan population in order to study its ethnic and genetic structure and to re-examine its genetic relationships with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern groups. Subjects and methods: A sample of 190 Libyans was analysed for 17 Alu insertions. The sample was divided according to the Arabic or Berber origin of individuals’ surnames. Results: The current general Libyan population is homogeneous and shows considerable genetic diversity compared with other North Mediterranean and North African populations. It shows intermediate genetic distances between Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians on one side and Egyptian Siwa Berbers on the other. No particular affinities with Middle Eastern groups were detected. Conclusion: Alu insertions are useful markers to contribute to the reconstruction of human population history at a microgeographic scale, in particular when the analyses include anthropologically well sampled populations. The present results provide new information to improve understanding some aspects of the complex peopling of North Africa.
Using cultural theory to navigate the policy process

This chapter talks about complexity that places a premium on evidence and judgement, the ability to question, and learn and adapt. It points out how institutions matter in complexity and elaborates how policymakers use institutions to establish and prioritise particular values, norms, rules and roles to reduce the complexity of choice. It analyzes Cultural Theory (CT), which allows researchers to examine the role of institutions in structuring how policy actors make sense of their environment. The chapter addresses challenges through CT's parsimonious framework, which constitutes institutions in rivalrous cultural biases. It claims that theory provides common frames of reference that benefit the work of policy scholars, including their engagement with practical policy.
Rhizobium oryziradicis sp. nov., isolated from rice roots.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped endophytic bacterial strains, N19T and N11-2, were isolated from fresh rice (Oryza sativa) roots during investigation of the rice endophytic bacterial diversity. The 16S rRNA gene sequence results indicated that the similarity between strains N19T and N11-2 was 100 %. Both of them belong to the genus Rhizobium, with close similarity to Rhizobium taibaishanense CCNWSX 0483T (97.7 %), followed by Rhizobium vitis NCPPB 3554T (97.5 %). The sequence similarities of the housekeeping genes recA, gyrB and glnA between the novel isolates and members of the established species of the genus Rhizobium were less than 87 %. The DNA-DNA hybridization rates between strains N19T and N11-2 were 87.9 % using the initial renaturation rate method. Based on draft genome sequences, strain N19T showed 18.2 % and 19.6 % DNA-DNA hybridization values to R. taibaishanense CCNWSX 0483T and R. vitis S4, which demonstrated that these new isolates represent a novel species in the genus Rhizobium. The main cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c). The DNA G+C content of strain N19T was 58.7 mol% (Tm). The polar lipid profile of N19T consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an unknown lipid, two unknown aminolipids and an unidentified aminophospholipid. According to physiological and biochemical characteristics and genotypic data, strains N19T and N11-2 are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Rhizobium, for which the name Rhizobium oryziradicis sp. nov. is proposed, with N19T (=ACCC 19962T=KCTC 52413T) as the type strain.
Secrecy outage of Nakagami-m MISO channels with randomly located receivers

We perform an analysis of the secrecy outage of random networks under Nakagami-m fading with multiple transmit antennas. Specifically, using a network model that accounts for uncertainties both in node locations (distances) and channel coefficients (fading), we derive the distribution of the best path gain of eavesdroppers using Probability Generating Functional property of Poisson Point Process (PPP). Using this result, the secrecy outage probability and the conditional secrecy outage probability of random networks with multiple eavesdroppers are obtained, with basic factors such as the density of eavesdropping nodes, the number of transmit antennas and the fading coefficient all accounted for by explicit parameters. The impact of transmission factors, including number of transmit antennas, fading figure, legitimate node distance and node density are studied and analysed in numerical results.
ANALISIS INDEKS HARGA SAHAM GABUNGAN DENGAN PENDEKATAN VECTOR ERROR CORRECTION MODEL (VECM) (Studi Kasus: Data IHSG Periode Juli 2005 s/d Maret 2016)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menetapkan pemodelan Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) dengan Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) berdasarkan periode Juli 2005 sampai dengan Maret 2016 dan meramalkan IHSG untuk 3 bulan ke depan. Dalam pemodelan digunakan variabel yang mempengaruhi IHSG yaitu (i) BI Rate, (ii) Indeks Saham Global (S&P 500), (iii) Inflasi, (iv) Jumlah Uang Beredar (M1), dan (v) Kurs Rupiah. Penelitian diawali dengan melihat kestationeran data dengan menggunakan uji Phillip-Perron, bila data belum stationer aka dilakukan tahap differencing untuk menstationerkan data. Kemudian dilakukan penentuan lag optimal dengan melihat nilai Aikake Information Criteria (AIC) dan Schwarzt Information Criteria (SIC), selanjutnya dilakukan uji kontegrasi untuk mengetahui apakah terdapat hubungan jangka panjang antar variabel terhadap IHSG sebagai syarat untuk melanjutkan ke pemodelan VECM. Kemudian dilakukan pemodelan IHSG dengan pendekatan VECM. Untuk melihat perilaku dinamis dari model VECM melalui Impulse Respose Function (IRF) dan Variance Decomposition (VD). Hasil Peramalan menggunakan model VECM untuk 3 periode ke depan menghasilkan nilai ramalan pada bulan April 2016 sebesar 4965.095, bulan Mei 2016 sebesar 4997.200, dan bulan Juni 2016 sebesar 5029.304.
Facial expression recognition using shape signature feature

In this paper, we propose a novel framework for expression recognition by using salient landmarks induced shape signature. Detection of effective landmarks is achieved by appearance based models. A grid is formed using the landmark points and accordingly several triangles within the grid on the basis of a nose landmark reference point are formed. Normalized shape signature is derived from grid. Stability index is calculated from shape signature which is also exploited as significant feature to recognize the facial expressions. Statistical measures such as range, moment, skewness, kurtosis and entropy are used to supplement the feature set. This enhanced feature set is fed into Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Nonlinear AutoRegressive with eXogenous (NARX) to differentiate the expressions into different categories. We investigated our proposed system on Cohn-Kanade (CK+), JAFFE, MMI and MUG benchmark databases to conduct and validate our experiment and established its performance superiority over other existing competitors.
A sphenodontine (Rhynchocephalia) from the Miocene of New Zealand and palaeobiogeography of the tuatara (Sphenodon)

Jaws and dentition closely resembling those of the extant tuatara (Sphenodon) are described from the Manuherikia Group (Early Miocene; 19–16 million years ago, Mya) of Central Otago, New Zealand. This material is significant in bridging a gap of nearly 70 million years in the rhynchocephalian fossil record between the Late Pleistocene of New Zealand and the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. It provides the first pre-Pleistocene record of Rhynchocephalia in New Zealand, a finding consistent with the view that the ancestors of Sphenodon have been on the landmass since it separated from the rest of Gondwana 82–60 Mya. However, if New Zealand was completely submerged near the Oligo-Miocene boundary (25–22 Mya), as recently suggested, an ancestral sphenodontine would need to have colonized the re-emergent landmass via ocean rafting from a currently unrecorded and now extinct Miocene population. Although an Early Miocene record does not preclude that possibility, it substantially reduces the temporal window of opportunity. Irrespective of pre-Miocene biogeographic history, this material also provides the first direct evidence that the ancestors of the tuatara, an animal often perceived as unsophisticated, survived in New Zealand despite substantial local climatic and environmental changes.
Screening and kinetic studies of catharanthine and ajmalicine accumulation and their correlation with growth biomass in Catharanthus roseus hairy roots

Abstract Context Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is still one of the most important sources of terpene indole alkaloids including anticancer and hypertensive drugs as vincristine and vinblastine. These final compounds have complex pathway and many enzymes are involved in their biosynthesis. Indeed, ajmalicine and catharanthine are important precursors their increase can lead to enhance levels of molecules of interest. Objective This study aims at selecting the highest yield of hairy root line(s) and at identifying best times for further treatments. We study kinetics growth and alkaloids (ajmalicine and catharanthine) accumulation of three selected hairy root lines during the culture cycle in order to determine the relationship between biomass production and alkaloids accumulation. Materials and methods Comparative analysis has been carried out on three selected lines of Catharanthus roseus hairy roots (LP10, LP21 and L54) for their kinetics of growth and the accumulation of ajamalicine and catharanthine, throughout a 35-day culture cycle. The methanolic extract for each line in different times during culture cycle is analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results Maximum accumulation of the alkaloids is recorded for LP10 line in which the peak of ajmalicine and catharanthine accumulation reached to 3.8 and 4.3 mg/g dry weight (DW), respectively. This increase coincides with an exponential growth phase. Discussion and conclusion Our results suggest that the evolution of accumulation of ajmalicine and catharanthine are positively correlated with the development of the biomass growth. Significantly, for LP10 line the most promising line to continue optimizing the production of TIAs. Additionally, the end of exponential phase remains the best period for elicitor stimuli.
Identification of a diagnostic antibody‐binding region on the immunogenic protein EpC1 from Echinococcus granulosus and its application in population screening for cystic echinococcosis ¶

An Echinococcus granulosus cDNA sequence coding for EpC1, a proven serodiagnostic marker for cystic echinococcosis (CE, hydatid disease), has high amino acid sequence identity to a paralogue from Taenia solium, the cause of neurocysticercosis (NCC). To determine diagnostic antibody‐binding regions on EpC1 recognized specifically by CE sera, 10 truncated regions (P1–10) of the immunogenic protein were expressed in Escherichia coli and subjected to immunoblotting. One peptide, designated peptide 5 [P5, fused with glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST)] was positively recognized by sera from mice experimentally infected with oncospheres of E. granulosus and sera from surgically confirmed CE patients. Sera from NCC patients did not react with any of the peptides used. There are four amino acid substitutions in P5 compared with the T. solium sequence and these may form part of the epitope inducing CE‐specific antibody. Ninety‐seven per cent (58 of 60) of sera from confirmed CE patients recognized P5‐GST, which was higher than the parent EpC1 fused with GST which reacted with 92% (55 of 60) of the sera. A population screening survey showed that 424 human sera collected from communities in Xinjiang, an area in China endemic for CE, exhibited 4·5% and 3·3% positivity in immunoblotting analysis to EpC1 and P5, respectively; 19·8% of these sera reacted positively against hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) antigen B. Low numbers of surgical CE cases have been reported from this population, suggesting that HCF‐based serology lacks specificity and that EpC1 or its contained P5 peptide may prove more accurate for seroepidemiological surveys of CE.
Opening dynamics of 8‐oxoguanine in DNA

8‐oxoguanine is a major lesion of genomic DNA that results from oxidation of guanine by reactive oxygen species. The repair of this lesion is initiated by 8‐oxoguanine glycosylases, which excise the damaged base by “flipping” it outside the DNA double helix. The molecular mechanisms involved in the specific recognition of the damaged base by the enzyme are not yet fully understood. Several models have proposed that, in DNA, the base pair between 8‐oxoguanine and cytosine may possess altered dynamic properties that could help the enzyme locate the lesion and could favor the selective extra‐helical flipping of the damaged base. To test this proposal, we have characterized the spontaneous opening of the base pair between 8‐oxoguanine and cytosine in a DNA double helix using NMR spectroscopy and proton exchange. The results show that the rate of spontaneous opening of 8‐oxoguanine and the lifetime of the base in the extra‐helical state are the same as those of a canonical guanine‐cytosine base pair, in the same base sequence context. This finding suggests that the opening dynamics of 8‐oxoguanine, when paired with cytosine in DNA, does not play a significant role in the recognition of the lesion by glycosylases. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Urinary mRNA and lupus disease flare

In the past 20 years, extraction and quantification of mRNA from urinary sediment has emerged as a novel laboratory technique. The potential application of urinary mRNA quantification to the clinical care of patients with SLE has become an active field of research. However, published studies in this area are limited to small‐scale ones. mRNA levels of several of cytokine and transcript factor genes have been found to have the potential for the diagnosis or monitoring of disease activity in patients with lupus nephritis. Our previous studies showed that a high urinary mRNA level of T‐bet, the key transcription factor of type 1 T helper cells (Th1), was an independent predictor of lupus flare and probably reflects an intrinsic characteristic of patients with predisposition to Th1 activation. Other studies suggest that monitoring of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1(MCP‐1), interleukin (IL)‐17, GATA‐3 (the key transcription factor of type 2 T helper cells) and forkhead box P3 (FOXP3, the key transcription factor of regulatory T cells) mRNA level in urinary sediment may provide an early clue for detecting disease flare in lupus patients. As a simple and non‐invasive method, urinary mRNA level deserves further studies to validate its role in risk stratification and monitoring of patients with lupus nephritis.
Automating Human Motor Performance Ability Testing: The Case of Backward Step Detection

Coordination under precision demands is an important aspect of human motor performance ability. It is usually evaluated through a carefully selected set of physical exercises, which follow the same scheme: An examiner presents candidates with a task to perform, monitors their correct task execution, and manually tracks the score achieved by each candidate. However, the latter two steps impose a significant cognitive load on the examiner. Even short losses of attention while carrying out the (often monotonous) test procedures may lead to erroneous results being reported. An automated solution of determining test results would not only reduce the required degree of examiner attentiveness, but potentially even accelerate testing thereby. However, such a system has not yet been proposed to the best of our knowledge. We fill this gap by presenting an approach towards the automation of the "balancing backwards" motor performance ability test in this paper. Its objective is to quantify locomotion ability by counting the number of backward steps a test subject can take when balancing on a narrow aluminum beam. We analyze the design space for backward step counting and derive a sensor configuration tailored to the autonomous detection of the number of steps taken, based on gyroscope data and laser light barriers. The system design is followed by an evaluation of its achievable accuracy levels in real-world tests, which confirm its practical viability.
Relationship Between Vertical Jump Height and Swimming Start Performance Before and After an Altitude Training Camp

Abstract García-Ramos, A, Padial, P, de la Fuente, B, Argüelles-Cienfuegos, J, Bonitch-Góngora, J, and Feriche, B. Relationship between vertical jump height and swimming start performance before and after an altitude training camp. J Strength Cond Res 30(6): 1638–1645, 2016—This study aimed (a) to analyze the development in the squat jump height and swimming start performance after an altitude training camp, (b) to correlate the jump height and swimming start performance before and after the altitude training period, and (c) to correlate the percent change in the squat jump height with the percent change in swimming start performance. Fifteen elite male swimmers from the Spanish Junior National Team (17.1 ± 0.8 years) were tested before and after a 17-day training camp at moderate altitude. The height reached in the squat jump exercise with additional loads of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of swimmers' pretest body weight and swimming start performance (time to 5, 10, and 15 m) were the dependent variables analyzed. Significant increases in the jump height (p ⩽ 0.05; effect size [ES]: 0.35–0.48) and swimming start performance (p < 0.01; ES: 0.48–0.52) after the training period were observed. The start time had similar correlations with the jump height before training (r = −0.56 to −0.77) and after training (r = −0.50 to −0.71). The change in the squat jump height was inversely correlated with the change in the start time at 5 m (r = −0.47), 10 m (r = −0.73), and 15 m (r = −0.62). These results suggest that altitude training can be suitable to enhance explosive performance. The correlations obtained between the squat jump height and start time in the raw and change scores confirm the relevance of having high levels of lower-body muscular power to optimize swimming start performance.