Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new role for the neuronal ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 (UCH‐L1) in podocyte process formation and podocyte injury in human glomerulopathies

Glomerular epithelial cell (podocyte) injury is characterized by foot process retraction, slit diaphragm reorganization, and degradation of podocyte‐specific proteins. However, the mechanisms underlying podocyte injury are largely unknown. The ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 (UCH‐L1) is a key modulator of ubiquitin modification in neurons. Like neurons, UCH‐L1 expression was associated with an undifferentiated status in cultured human podocytes, whereas differentiation and arborization decreased UCH‐L1 and monoUb expression. Inhibition of UCH‐L1 induced time and concentration‐dependent process formation with α‐actinin‐4 distribution to the cell membrane and processes. An immunohistochemical approach was used to evaluate whether UCH‐L1 expression was associated with podocyte injury in 15 different human glomerular diseases. Whereas normal kidneys expressed no UCH‐L1 and little ubiquitin, a subset of human glomerulopathies associated with podocyte foot process effacement (membranous nephropathy, SLE class V, FSGS) de novo expressed UCH‐L1 in podocyte cell bodies, nuclei, and processes. Interestingly, UCH‐L1 expression correlated with podocyte ubiquitin content and internalization of the podocyte‐specific proteins nephrin and α‐actinin‐4. In contrast, minimal change glomerulonephritis, a reversible disease, demonstrated minimal UCH‐L1 and ubiquitin expression with intact α‐actinin‐4 but internalized nephrin. Glomerular kidney diseases typically not associated with foot process effacement (SLE class IV, ANCA+ necrotizing GN, amyloidosis, IgA nephritis) expressed intermediate to no UCH‐L1 and ubiquitin. These studies show a role for UCH‐L1 and ubiquitin modification in podocyte differentiation and injury. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Indoor navigation with smartphone-based visual SLAM and Bluetooth-connected wheel-robot

A smartphone-based positioning system suitable for indoor robot application is developed in this research by integrating image and other sensors on a smartphone with wheel odometer feedback from a Bluetooth-connected robot vehicle. WiFi signal, inertial sensors, and CMOS sensor in the smartphone were considered to provide measurements for positioning calculations. The real-time performances of SIFT, SURF, and ORB image feature detection and tracking algorithms are compared in the smartphone and ORB was chosen for implementation. Experimental result of Visual SLAM positioning is presented together with state convergence analysis.
Impact of access to credit on farm income: policy implications for rural agricultural development in Lesotho

ABSTRACT In this era of rapidly increasing food demand, a sustainable food supply is required to meet such demand. This suggests that capital investment through adequate access to credit is needed to develop the agricultural sector in developing countries including Lesotho. Therefore, this paper examined farmers’ access to credit and its impact on farm income using a three-stage model, namely: Probit, Tobit, and propensity score matching. The study was conducted in Lesotho with a sample size of 100 farmers. The empirical results reveal that access to credit increases net farm revenues by US$116.608 to US$136.894. Furthermore, savings, scale of production, membership of farmer associations and financial record keeping exert significant positive effects on access to credit, while higher interest rates reduce farmers’ likelihood of securing credit from a financial institution. We conclude that adequate access to credit is necessary to promote a sustainable agricultural development and the livelihoods of rural farmers in Africa.
Efficacy of informal peace committees to peacebuilding: Evidence from Seke district, Zimbabwe

Background: In recent years, informal peace committees have rapidly made their mark either as precautionary or as response mechanisms to particular conflicts. Their main purpose is to prevent the eruption or escalation of nascent micro-level conflict into violent and more widespread conflicts. This article reports on aspects of a larger research project in which the researcher collaborated with local communities to create a ward-level peace committee in ward 8 of Seke district, Mashonaland East province, Zimbabwe. Objective: To test whether and under what conditions informal peace committees can effectively help to contribute to peacebuilding at local community level. Method: The study applied participatory action research to design, implement and evaluate the peace committee initiative with 15 individual members in ward 8 of Seke district. The study first conducted a 10-member focus group. Secondly, a follow-up in-depth interview on five focus group members and seven more involved in peacebuilding provided feedback on the effectiveness of informal peace committees. Results: The study showed that creating informal peace committees is possible, as community participation in the design, implementation and day-to-day operations of such initiatives guarantees their sustainability even without external funding. One of the comparative advantages of informal peace committees is that all social groups in the community have equal chances of being represented, thus helping to meet the needs and aspirations of the community at large. The study further revealed that informal peace committees are faced with a number of limitations. The major one is that they do not enjoy official recognition from government, in spite of their critical role in contributing to peace in their host communities. Conclusion: The strengths of informal peace committees are that they are self-initiated; they represent the interests of the host community and can be replicated.
Towards optimal FPGA implementation of lattice-ladder neuron and its training circuit

The FPGA implementation of lattice-ladder multilayer perceptron with its training algorithm seems attractive, however there is a lack of experimental results on its efficiency. The main aim of this investigation was to optimize the latency and DSP block usage for the normalized lattice-ladder neuron (LLN) and its simple gradient training algorithm implementation on FPGA. Four alternative regressor lattices to be used in LLN training were considered and experimentally evaluated. The optimal resource sharing was approached by the LLN data flow graph partitioning into DSP block subgraphs. The experiments were performed by varying the number of synapses and the order of lattice-ladder filters. Recommendations for particular LLN implementation cases were given.
Effects of Youth Football on Selected Clinical Measures of Neurologic Function

We assessed 10 youth football players (13.4 ± 0.7 y) immediately before and after their season to explore the effects of football participation on selected clinical measures of neurologic function. Postseason postural stability in a closed-eye condition was improved compared to preseason (P = .017). Neurocognitive testing with the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery revealed that reaction time was significantly faster at postseason (P = .015). There were no significant preseason versus postseason differences in verbal memory (P = .507), visual memory (P = .750), or visual motor speed (P = .087). Oculomotor performance assessed by the King-Devick test was moderately to significantly improved (P = .047-.115). A 12-week season of youth football did not impair the postural stability, neurocognitive function, or oculomotor performance measures of the players evaluated. Though encouraging, continued and more comprehensive investigations of this at-risk population are warranted.
Assessment of the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis: No Room for Complacency

Assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis is an important initial step in the management of these patients. An ideal prognostic system or marker does not exist, and current approaches fall short of what is needed when dealing with individual patients. It is recommended that the evaluation of the performance of a particular prognostic system or marker should include the calculation of positive and negative likelihood ratios, derived from a combination of sensitivity and specificity. Knowing the pre-test probability of a particular endpoint and the likelihood ratios make it possible to derive the post-test probability for the presence or absence of that endpoint for the individual patient in that population. The change in probability from before to after the test gives an indication of the clinical usefulness of the test. Improving the performance of prognostic systems and markers remains a challenge and there is no room for complacency. There are two ways forward: either the prognostic systems and markers need to be used in a more intelligent way, with combinations, sequencing or artificial neural network techniques, or by the discovery of new markers that measure critical aspects of outcome determining pathophysiology. No lack of energy has been expended on the latter, while the former offers more immediate promise.
Endotoxin exposure among softwood lumber mill workers in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

An increased prevalence of respiratory problems among softwood lumber mill workers has been observed in a number of studies. These workers are potentially exposed to a variety of respiratory hazards including wood dust, abietic or other resin acids, monoterpenes, and fungi, as well as endotoxins. The objectives of this study were to determine if lumber mill workers were exposed to hazardous levels of airborne endotoxin and to identify the factors contributing to high exposures. Personal endotoxin samples (n = 216) were collected in four lumber mills in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The mean personal exposure concentration was 2.09 ng/m. (3) and 9% of the samples were above 5 ng/m. (3). Factors related to the personal endotoxin exposure were type of job, use of compressed air, the percentage of time spent in a booth or cab during a shift, and dust concentration. Log storage practices were also suspected of playing a role. The levels of exposure observed in this study were low compared to the levels reported for populations with respiratory problems attributed to endotoxins.
Ultrasound Enhances Retrovirus‐Mediated Gene Transfer

Abstract Viral vector systems are efficient for transfection of foreign genes into many tissues. Especially, retrovirus based vectors integrate the transgene into the genome of the target cells, which can sustain long term expression. However, it has been demonstrated that the transduction efficiency using retrovirus is relatively lower than those of other viruses. Ultrasound was recently reported to increase gene expression using plasmid DNA, with or without, a delivery vehicle. However, there are no reports, which show an ultrasound effect to retrovirus‐mediated gene transfer efficiency. Retrovirus‐mediated gene transfer systems were used for transfection of 293T cells, bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs), and rat skeletal muscle myoblasts (L6 cells) with β‐galactosidase (β‐Gal) genes. Transduction efficiency and cell viability assay were performed on 293T cells that were exposed to varying durations (5 to 30 seconds) and power levels (1.0 watts/cm2 to 4.0 watts/cm2) of ultrasound after being transduced by a retrovirus. Effects of ultrasound to the retrovirus itself was evaluated by transduction efficiency of 293T cells. After exposure to varying power levels of ultrasound to a retrovirus for 5 seconds, 293T cells were transduced by a retrovirus, and transduction efficiency was evaluated. Below 1.0 watts/cm2 and 5 seconds exposure, ultrasound showed increased transduction efficiency and no cytotoxicity to 293T cells transduced by a retrovirus. Also, ultrasound showed no toxicity to the virus itself at the same condition. Exposure of 5 seconds at the power of 1.0 watts/cm2 of an ultrasound resulted in significant increases in retrovirus‐mediated gene expression in all four cell types tested in this experiment. Transduction efficiencies by ultrasound were enhanced 6.6‐fold, 4.8‐fold, 2.3‐fold, and 3.2‐fold in 293T cells, BAECs, RASMCs, and L6 cells, respectively. Furthermore, β‐Gal activities were also increased by the retrovirus with ultrasound exposure in these cells. Adjunctive ultrasound exposure was associated with enhanced retrovirus‐mediated transgene expression in vitro. Ultrasound associated local gene therapy has potential for not only plasmid‐DNA‐, but also retrovirus‐mediated gene transfer.
Endogenizing Non-Price Competitiveness In A Model With Capital Accumulation And Bopc On Growth

At a theoretical level this article revisits Thirlwalls rule (or law) proposing a new channel through which it is possible to endogenize nonprice competitiveness in the BoPC framework. We develop a model that formalizes the inverted-U relationship hypothesis that non-price competitiveness rises as countries move from a primary productive structure to light manufactures and then decreases as richer countries get locked into antiquated industrial structures. We name it the strati cation mechanism. Finally we incorporate the supply side of the economy into the structure of the model in order to avoid the so called inconsistency problem.
Increased Matrix Gene Expression by Glucose in Rat Neural Connective Tissue Cells in Culture

The effects of different glucose concentrations on the expression of extracellular matrix genes were examined in primary cell cultures initiated from sciatic nerves of nondiabetic Sprague-Dawley rats. The cells were incubated in medium containing 5.5, 15, or 25 mM D-glucose, and the expression of type I and IV collagens, laminin, and fibronectin genes was examined at mRNA steady-state levels by Northern hybridizations. Incubation of cell cultures, consisting of Schwann cells, perineurial cells, and fibroblasts, in high glucose concentrations (15 or 25 mM D-glucose) resulted in elevation of pro-α 1(IV), pro-α 2(IV), and pro-α 1(I) collagen chain and fibronectin mRNAs after only 3 days of incubation, whereas laminin B2 chain mRNA levels appeared unaltered. These observations suggest that hyperglycemia may partially contribute to basement membrane thickening in peripheral nerves of diabetic individuals by increasing the expression of genes coding for basement membrane components, e.g., type IV collagen.
Effect of sowing date and weed management on productivity and economics of rainfed mungbean (Vigna radiata)

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2013 and 2014 at Angul, Odisha, to study the effect of sowing date and weed management on crop growth, yield, weed control, economics and nutrient up- take of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilezek]. The experiment consisted of 3 sowing date and 6 weed manage- ment treatments. The pooled results revealed that, the crop sown on June 20, resulted significantly higher plant height, dry matter accumulation, seeds/pod, nodules/plant, seed yield (1.0 t/ha), net returns ( 26,100/ha) and weed control efficiency (68.1%). Application of imazethapyr @ 100 g/ha at 20 days after sowing (DAS) followed by (fb) 1 hand-weeding at 40 DAS resulted in significantly higher plant height, dry matter accumulation, dry matter ef- ficiency, pods/plant, seeds/pod, nodules/plant, nodules dry weight, seed yield (1.17 t/ha), harvest index (29.7%), monetary returns ( 872/ha/day) and benefit: cost ratio (2.18). The same treatment also recorded the maximum weed control efficiency (87.9%), which resulted in significant reduction in both weed density (38.0/m2) and weed dry weight (28.6 g/m2). In contrast to nutrient uptake by mungbean crop, the decreased nitrogen, phosphorus and potash removal by weeds was recorded upto to 88.5% under weed management treatments.
The effect of school capital investments on local housing markets and household sorting in California

ABSTRACT In this paper, I investigate what effect school capital investments have on housing values and household location choice in the context of the Tiebout model. This research identifies an exogenous variation in school capital investments by exploiting the lottery allocation of entitlement to an interest-free construction bond among districts in California. Although the lottery is exogenous, additional non-lottery allocation complicates identification. This paper develops an empirical model based on sample selection methods in order to create a counterfactual state in which additional non-lottery allocation would not have existed. I find that receiving the interest-free construction bond increases school capital expenditure and housing values at the district level. I view the increase in housing values as the capitalization of school capital investments. I find little evidence for the effect of the interest-free construction bond on household sorting and student’s academic outcomes.
Pano: Design and evaluation of a 360° through-the-lens technique

Virtual Reality experiments have enabled immersed users to perform virtual tasks in a Virtual Environment (VE). Before beginning a task, however, users must locate and select the different objects they will need in the VE. This first step is important and affects global performance in the virtual task. If a user takes too long to locate and select an object, the duration of the task is increased. Moreover, both the comfort and global efficiency of users deteriorate as search and selection time increase. We have developed Pano, a technique which reduces this time by increasing the users natural field of view. More precisely, we provide a 360 panoramic virtual image which is displayed on a specific window, called the PanoWindow. Thanks to the PanoWindow, users can perceive and interact with the part of the Virtual Environment (VE) that is behind them without any additional head or body movement. In this paper, we present two user studies with 30 and 21 participants in different VEs. For the first study, participants were invited to perform object-finding tasks with and without Pano. The second study involved position-estimating tasks in order to know if the PanoWindow image enables users to build an accurate representation of the environment. First, the results show that Pano both reduces task duration and improves user comfort. Second, they demonstrate that good object-localization accuracy can be achieved using Pano.
The Influence of Sexually Explicit Internet Material on Sexual Risk Behavior: A Comparison of Adolescents and Adults

This study had three goals: first, to investigate whether sexually explicit Internet material (SEIM) affects sexual risk behavior; second, to study whether these effects differ between adolescents and adults; and third, to analyze, separately for adolescents and adults, whether gender and age moderate an influence of SEIM on sexual risk behavior. The authors conducted a 2-wave panel survey among nationally representative random samples of 1,445 Dutch adolescents and 833 Dutch adults. SEIM use increased sexual risk behavior among adults, but not among adolescents. More specifically, moderator analyses showed that SEIM use increased sexual risk behavior only among male adults, but not among female adults. In the adolescent sample, no moderating gender effect occurred. Neither among adolescents nor among adults did age moderate the effects. Our study shows that SEIM may influence outcomes related to people's sexual health. It also suggests that male adults may present a potential risk group for adverse effects of SEIM.
A Repository of Wrongful Convictions in Australia: First Steps Toward Estimating Prevalence and Causal Contributing Factors

While the occurrence of wrongful convictions is not contested today, the extent of the problem is debated and unknown. Over the last two decades, international scholars in the area, primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom, have focused efforts on identifying the causes of wrongful conviction and estimating a prevalence rate for the phenomenon through varied means. Less is known about the prevalence and causes of wrongful conviction in Australia. This article reviews the literature on estimating the prevalence of wrongful conviction in international contexts and identifies the challenges of extrapolating numbers from particular populations to determine this estimate. A complete listing of 71 identified and known wrongful convictions in Australia from 1922 to 2015 is provided and discussed in terms of potential causes of and contributing factors to wrongful conviction to serve as a basis for future studies and international comparisons. All causal and contributing factors to wrongful conviction that are established in the international literature are present in Australian cases, though the distributions vary from their international counterparts. Additional issues including erroneous judicial directions and the Indigenous ethnicity of the accused featured highly in the sample as causal or contributing factors of wrongful conviction in Australia.
The emergence of Japan's foreign aid power

"The Emergence of Japan's Foreign Aid Power" examines the forces which influence Japan's economic assistance to the developing world. Robert M. Orr discusses the lengthy decision-making process that the Japanese government requires in aid decisions, showing how widespread bureaucratic conflicts among four principal agencies have impeded the development of a concrete aid policy. He argues that these conflicts have also created a tendency for the private sector to play a large role in aid policy. Orr also examines the role played by foreign aid in the economic and political relations between the United States and Japan, and the nature and extent of U.S. influence on the foreign aid programme, exploring the historical and psychological reasons for the special role played by the U.S.
An open/free database and Benchmark for Uyghur speaker recognition

Few research has been conducted on Uyghur speaker recognition. Among the limited works, researchers usually collect small speech databases and publish results based on their own private data. This `close-door evaluation' makes most of the publications doubtable. This paper publishes an open and free speech database THUYG-20 SRE and a benchmark for Uyghur speaker recognition. The database is based on the THUYG-20 speech corpus we recently released, and the benchmark involves recognition tasks with various training/enrollment/test conditions. We provide a complete description for the database as well as the benchmark, and present an i-vector baseline system constructed using the Kaldi toolkit.