Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatic prolactin receptor gene expression increases in the sheep fetus before birth and after cortisol infusion.

We have investigated the effect of increasing gestational age and cortisol on prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene expression in the fetal sheep liver during late gestation. RNA was extracted from the liver of sheep fetuses between 90 and 144 days (d) gestation (n = 18) and after intrafetal infusion of either cortisol (2-2.5 mg cortisol i.v./24 h; n = 6) or saline (n = 6) between 109 and 116 d gestation. A ribonuclease protection assay for the mRNAs encoding the long (PRLR1) and short (PRLR2) forms of the PRLR was developed using an antisense RNA probe complementary to ovine PRLR2. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the relative levels of liver PRLR1: GAPDH mRNA and PRLR2: GAPDH mRNA levels in fetal sheep between 90 and 144d gestation (PRLR1 mRNA: 90-95 d 0.6 +/- 0.1, 131-133 d 1.2 +/- 0.2, 141-144 d 3.6 +/- 0.5; PRLR2 mRNA: 90-95 d 0.7 +/- 0.1; 131-133 d 1.4 +/- 0.2, 141-144 d 3.0 +/- 0.4). The relative levels of liver PRLR1 and PRLR2: GAPDH mRNA levels were higher (p < 0.05) after cortisol administration (1.7 +/- 0.3 and 0.9 +/- 0.1 respectively) when compared with the saline infused group (0.7 +/- 0.1 and 0.5 +/- 0.1 respectively). We have demonstrated therefore that there is in increase in the levels of the mRNA encoding PRLR1 and PRLR2 in the fetal sheep liver during late gestation and that physiological increases in fetal cortisol stimulate PRLR1 and PRLR2 expression in the liver of the sheep fetus. These data suggest that fetal PRL may play a role in the growth and maturation of the fetal liver which occurs before birth.
Hemodynamics of the Stage 12 to Stage 29 Chick Embryo

The heart is the first functioning organ in the embryo and provides blood flow during cardiac morphogenesis from a muscle-wrapped tube a few cells thick to the four-chambered pump. We described the hemodynamics of the chick embryo from stage 12 (50 hours of a 21-day incubation) to stage 29 (6 days), during which the embryo weight increased 120-fold. We measured ventricular, embryo and extraembryonic vascular bed wet weights, dorsal aortic blood flow with a directional pulsed-Doppler velocity meter, and ventricular and vitelline arterial blood pressures witfa a servo-null micropressure system. The data are reported as mean ± SEM. With rapid development and morphogenesis, dorsal aortic blood flow increased from 0.015 ± 0.004 to 2.40 ± 0.20 mm3/sec parallel to the geometric increase of wet embryo weight from 2.22 ± 0.10 to 267.5 ± 9.7 mg. Dorsal aortic blood flow normalized for embryo and extraembryonic weight remained relatively constant (Y=2.13+0.02X, r=0.23, SEE=0.03). Stroke volume increased from 0.01 ± 0.003 to 0.69 ± 0.03 mm3, and heart rate doubled from 103 ± 2 to 208 ± 5 beats/min. Systolic, diastolic, and mean vitelline arterial pressure increased linearly from 0∼32 ± 0.01, 0.23 ± 0.01, and 0.28 ± 0.01 mm Hg at stage 12 to 2.00 ± 0.06, 1.22 ± 0.03, and 1.51 ± 0.04 mm Hg, respectively, at stage 29. Ventricular peak systolic and end-diastolic pressure increased from 0.95 ± 0.04 and 0.24 ± 0.02 at stage 12 to 3.45 ± 0.10 and 0.82 ± 0.03 at stage 29, respectively. The hemodynamic waveforms were similar to those found in the four-chamber heart of the mature animal. These data are integral to understanding the interrelation of function and form during cardiac development.
Task-Dependent Viscoelasticity of Human Multijoint Arm and Its Spatial Characteristics for Interaction with Environments

Human arm viscoelasticity is important in stabilizing posture, movement, and in interacting with objects. Viscoelastic spatial characteristics are usually indexed by the size, shape, and orientation of a hand stiffness ellipse. It is well known that arm posture is a dominant factor in determining the properties of the stiffness ellipse. However, it is still unclear how much joint stiffness can change under different conditions, and the effects of that change on the spatial characteristics of hand stiffness are poorly examined. To investigate the dexterous control mechanisms of the human arm, we studied the controllability and spatial characteristics of viscoelastic properties of human multijoint arm during different cocontractions and force interactions in various directions and amplitudes in a horizontal plane. We found that different cocontraction ratios between shoulder and elbow joints can produce changes in the shape and orientation of the stiffness ellipse, especially at proximal hand positions. During force regulation tasks we found that shoulder and elbow single-joint stiffness was each roughly proportional to the torque of its own joint, and cross-joint stiffness was correlated with elbow torque. Similar tendencies were also found in the viscosity–torque relationships. As a result of the joint stiffness changes, the orientation and shape of the stiffness ellipses varied during force regulation tasks as well. Based on these observations, we consider why we can change the ellipse characteristics especially in the proximal posture. The present results suggest that humans control directional characteristics of hand stiffness by changing joint stiffness to achieve various interactions with objects.
Evaluation of network impact of content distribution mechanisms

Efficient large-scale content distribution continues to be an important problem, due to the increasing popularity of multimedia content and wide-spread use of peer-to-peer file sharing. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of different content distribution mechanisms on the network level, based on how much wide area traffic they generate. We consider traditional unicast, content distribution networks (CDN), BitTorrent, and multicast. We develop an analytical model for describing the amount of network traffic generated by the mechanisms and provide experimental results. Our results indicate that BitTorrent can be quite wasteful of network resources, whereas the traditional mechanisms have a significantly lower cost. Based on our results, we propose a series of modifications to BitTorrent which enable us to fully exploit the power of a peer-to-peer content distribution system and result in a network cost often lower than in CDNs and comparable to multicast-based distribution.
Edge detection for facial expression recognition

Nowadays, Facial Expression Recognition is an active research subarea of computer vision because of its applications in different human activities. In this paper a method for detecting edge information in human face images is introduced, where Robinson Edge technique is applied. In addition, a thresholding threshold values are proposed to reduce the noise in the images with the aim to improve results. Based on experiments of the first stage, it is possible to detect facial expression in eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and forehead with good accuracy.
A long-term study of children with autism playing with a robotic pet: Taking inspirations from non-directive play therapy to encourage children’s proactivity and initiative-taking

This paper presents a novel methodological approach of how to design, conduct and analyse robot-assisted play. This approach is inspired by nondirective play therapy. The experimenter participates in the experiments, but the child remains the main leader for play. Besides, beyond inspiration from non-directive play therapy, this approach enables the experimenter to regulate the interaction under specific conditions in order to guide the child or ask her questions about reasoning or affect related to the robot. This approach has been tested in a long-term study with six children with autism in a school setting. An autonomous robot with zoomorphic, dog-like appearance was used in the studies. The children’s progress was analyzed according to three dimensions, namely, Play, Reasoning and Affect. Results from the case-study evaluations have shown the capability of the method to meet each child’s needs and abilities. Children who mainly played solitarily progressively experienced basic imitation games with the experimenter. Children who proactively played socially progressively experienced higher levels of play and constructed more reasoning related to the robot. They also expressed some interest in the robot, including, on occasion, affect. Keywords: Human–Robot Interaction, Robot-Mediated Therapy, Robot-Assisted Play, Non-Directive Play Therapy, Assistive Technology, Autism, Children
Modeling Crew Itineraries and Delays in the National Air Transportation System

We propose, optimize, and validate a methodological framework for estimating the extent of the crew-propagated delays and disruptions (CPDDs). We identify the factors that influence the extent of the CPDDs and incorporate them into a robust crew-scheduling model. We develop a fast heuristic approach for solving the inverse of this robust crew-scheduling problem to generate crew schedules that are similar to real-world crew-scheduling samples. We develop a sequence of exact and heuristic techniques to quickly solve the forward problem within a small optimality gap for network sizes that are among the largest in robust crew-scheduling literature. Computational results using four large real-world airline networks demonstrate that the crew schedules produced by our approach generate propagation patterns similar to those observed in the real world. Extensive out-of-sample validation tests indicate that the parameters calibrated for one network perform reasonably well for other networks. We provide new insights.
Achat interactif à domicile : Quels avantages pour les consommateurs, les distributeurs et les producteurs présents sur le marché électronique?

Les auteurs examinent les conséquences du commerce électronique pour les consommateurs, les distributeurs et les producteurs. Ils prennent pour l'hypothèse qu'à court terme les développements technologiques offriront des opportunités incomparables concernant la localisation et la comparaison des offres de produits. Ils étudient ces avantages comme une fonction des buts du consommateur typique et des catégories de produits et services recherchés, et ils proposent des conclusions relatives aux avantages et aux inconvénients perçus dans l'achat interactif à domicile par rapport aux formes de distribution traditionnelles. Les auteurs discutent enfin les implications de leur recherche pour les structures industrielles, en termes de concurrence entre distributeurs, entre producteurs, et de relations producteurs — distributeurs.
Ultrasonographic Measurement of Intra-Abdominal Adiposity , A Simple Method for Screening and Monitoring the Metabolic Syndrome

anthropometric measurements, and their relationship with lipid profile changes in young subjects, diagnosed with MS, considering a sub maximal and intermittent exercise programs. The research has been carried out for 6 months and included 40 young subjects, aged 22.5±2.1years who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MS). The participants in this study have performed 45min of intermittent exercise/sessions, 3 sessions/week: 10min of warm up at 5060%MRH, followed by intervals of 7 min at 80-85%MHR intensity, separated by three minutes of recovery periods at 50-60% MHR and 5min of cool-down. After performing the training program we observed a favorable evolution in all serum lipid parameters. After correlating (r values) the anthropometric parameters, abdominal visceral fat and plasma lipid concentrations we observed that the intra-abdominal adiposity could better estimate the effects of physical exercise on lipid metabolism than the changes of body weight, body mass index and abdominal circumference. Starting with this finding, we believe that ultrasonographic measurement of adipose intraabdominal tissue must be used as the main method of screening and monitoring the subjects diagnosed with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
CpG islands from the alpha-globin gene cluster increase gene expression in an integration-dependent manner

In contrast to other globin genes, the human and rabbit alpha-globin genes are expressed in transfected erythroid and nonerythroid cells in the absence of an enhancer. This enhancer-independent expression of the alpha-globin gene requires extensive sequences not only from the 5' flanking sequence but also from the intragenic region. However, the features of these internal sequences that are responsible for their positive effect are unclear. We tested several possible determinants of this activity. One possibility is that a previously identified array of discrete binding sites for known and potential regulatory proteins within the alpha-globin gene comprise an intragenic enhancer specific for the alpha-globin promoter, but directed rearrangements of the sequences show that this is not the case. Alternatively, the promoter may extend into the gene, with the function of the discrete binding sites being dependent on maintenance of their proper positions and orientations relative to the 5' flanking sequence. However, the positive effects observed in gene fusions do not localize to a discrete region of the alpha-globin gene and the results of internal deletions and point mutations argue against a required role of the targeted discrete binding sites. A third possibility is that the CpG island, which includes both the 5' flanking and intragenic regions associated with the positive activity, may itself have a more general effect on expression in transfected cells. Indeed, we show that the size of the CpG island in constructs correlates with the level of gene expression. Furthermore, the alpha-globin promoter is more active in the context of a previously inactive CpG island than in an A+T-rich context, showing that the CpG island provides an environment more permissive for expression. These effects are seen only after integration, suggesting a possible mechanism at the level of chromatin structure.
A Qualitative Approach to Lifelong Learning: Strategic Competence and Reflective Education

The present article is first of all a contribution to theory in the broad field of adult education in lifelong perspective, that, starting from literature and theories in this field, develops a reflection based on empirical work, related in particular to the use of qualitative methodologies in the learning process for mature students enrolled in university. The outcome of this experimentation was the support and empowerment of motivation and volition and the development of proactive, reflexive and self-analytical abilities needed for adult students to achieve transformative and reflective results in learning. The first part of the paper brings forward a theory on lifelong learning (LLL) and it is also a reflection on the need to place the subject at the centre of education by using qualitative methods, such as: experiential, reflective and transformative learning. In the second part, the paper tackles the issue of the relations between LLL and reflectiveness, as a basic feature of social relationships, of organisations and personal relations. The third section focuses on ‘learning to learn’ as a strategic competence and a necessary resource for anyone. The last part takes into consideration concepts and methods of reflective education as a feature of education not limiting itself to its functional dimension. Thus, some reflective methodologies such as: Bilan de Compétences (BdC), empowerment, lifelong guidance, critical event, are brought forward as examples of reflective educational paths.
Probabilistic bi-directional root-pattern relationships as cognitive model for semantic processing of arabic

This paper is attempting in terms of a formal statistical language model to review the overall domination of Arabic morphology as a non-linear or non-concatenated processing system in the case of word identification. The basic components of this model are relying on bi-directional probabilistic root-pattern relationships acting as cognitive morphological factors for word recognition. Considering a root in the mental lexicon as the highest level of semantic abstraction for a morpheme allows the view of considering words as a functional or applicative process instantiating the most probable or known pattern to the most plausible root. As Arabic is known for its highly inflectional morphological structure and its high tendency to pattern and root ambiguity (Root-Homonymy and Pattern Polysemy) this model is assuming bi-directional morphological background knowledge for resolving ambiguities in form of probabilistic semantic network. As a major consequence, this paper is stressing the significance of this phenomenon in designing Arabic interactive cognitive systems particularly those related to interactive Arabic natural language understanding and word recognition and corrections.
Wage Dispersion and Search Behavior

We use a rich new body of data on the experiences of unemployed job-seekers to determine the sources of wage dispersion and to create a search model consistent with the acceptance decisions the job-seekers made. From the data and the model, we identify the distributions of four key variables: offered wages, offered non-wage job values, the value of the job-seeker's non-work alternative, and the job-seeker's personal productivity. We find that, conditional on personal productivity, the dispersion of offered wages is moderate, accounting for 21 percent of the total variation in observed offered wages, whereas the dispersion of the non-wage component of offered job values is substantially larger. We relate our findings to an influential recent paper by Hornstein, Krusell, and Violante who called attention to the tension between the fairly high dispersion of the values job-seekers assign to their job offers – which suggest a high value to sampling from multiple offers – and the fact that the job-seekers often accept the first offer they receive.
PERCEPTUALLY GUIDED GEOMETRICAL PRIMITIVE LOCATION METHOD FOR 3 D COMPLEX BUILDING SIMPLIFICATION

Because of detailed geometrical components based description, 3D complex building contains the most elaborated perceptual and comprehensive semantic information. However, since the lack of optimal simplification method, the automatic LOD generation of such kind of model becomes a bottle neck which prohibited the high-fidelity 3D city applications. This paper proposed a perceptually guided geometrical primitive location method for the optimal simplification of 3D complex buildings. Firstly, the rendered image is snapped and a 2D discrete wavelet transform based human vision system filtering approach is adopted to extract the imperceptible details in the image, and then a kind of visual difference image is generated with sufficient perceptual information. Secondly, a ray-casting like method is proposed to precisely map the perceptual information from the image onto the geometric primitives. The statistics is carried out to determine whether a traced primitive is to be preserved or simplified. The results show that this method is able to efficiently locate the perceptible primitives and leave the imperceptible and undisplayable primitives to be further handled by simplification operations which enable a strong perceptual feature preserved simplification of 3D complex building models.
renin mRNA levels in mice with genetic disruptions of the main target of ANG

Katharina Machura,* Dominik Steppan,* Bjoern Neubauer, Natalia Alenina, Thomas M. Coffman, Carie S. Facemire, Karl F. Hilgers, Kai-Uwe Eckardt, Charlotte Wagner, and Armin Kurtz Institute of Physiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg; Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich Alexander University, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
Bandwidth enhancement of a pattern reconfigurable antenna array using series-feeding slots

A pattern reconfigurable antenna array with series-feeding slots for broadening the bandwidth is proposed in this paper. There are four operating modes for the proposed antenna array by controlling the on-off states of the PIN diodes, which are embedded in the branches on the top board of the antenna. The measured results show that the return loss is better than -10 dB over 2.04 - 2.38 GHz at all four operating modes for the proposed antenna, and the mutual coupling between the antenna elements is below -12.25 dB in the whole operating band. Reconfigurable patterns can be obtained by means of mode conversion.
Linear Algorithms for Isomorphism of Maximal Outerplanar Graphs

ABS'IRACT Two hnear algorithms are presented for solvmg the isomorphism problem for maximal outerplanar graphs (mops) These algorithms present improvements over corresponding hnear algorithms for planar graph isomorphism when apphed to mops The algorithms are based on a code for a mop G which is obtained from a umque Hamdtoman cycle m G The first involves a strmg-matchmg automaton and the second involves the removal of vertices of degree two m layers untd either an edge or triangular face remains
Ontogenetic Expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 Genes and Their Associations with Traits in Two Breeds of Chinese Fat-tailed Sheep

Lipins play dual function in lipid metabolism by serving as phosphatidate phosphatase and transcriptional co-regulators of gene expression. Mammalian lipin proteins consist of lipin1, lipin2, and lipin3 and are encoded by their respective genes Lpin1, Lpin2, and Lpin3. To date, most studies are concerned with Lpin1, only a few have addressed Lpin2 and Lpin3. Ontogenetic expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 and their associations with traits would help to explore their molecular and physiological functions in sheep. In this study, 48 animals with an equal number of males and females each for both breeds of fat-tailed sheep such as Guangling Large Tailed (GLT) and Small Tailed Han (STH) were chosen to evaluate the ontogenetic expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 from eight different tissues and months of age by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Associations between gene expression and slaughter and tail traits were also analyzed. The results showed that Lpin2 mRNA was highly expressed in perirenal and tail fats, and was also substantially expressed in liver, kidney, reproductive organs (testis and ovary), with the lowest levels in small intestine and femoral biceps. Lpin3 mRNA was prominently expressed in liver and small intestine, and was also expressed at high levels in kidney, perirenal and tail fats as well as reproductive organs (testis and ovary), with the lowest level in femoral biceps. Global expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 in GLT both were significantly higher than those in STH. Spatiotemporal expression showed that the highest levels of Lpin2 expression occurred at 10 months of age in two breeds of sheep, with the lowest expression at 2 months of age in STH and at 8 months of age in GLT. The greatest levels of Lpin3 expression occurred at 4 months of age in STH and at 10 months of age in GLT, with the lowest expression at 12 months of age in STH and at 8 months of age in GLT. Breed and age significantly influenced the tissue expression patterns of Lpin2 and Lpin3, respectively, and sex significantly influenced the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Lpin3. Meanwhile, Lpin2 and Lpin3 mRNA expression both showed significant correlations with slaughter and tail traits, and the associations appear to be related with the ontogenetic expression as well as the potential functions of lipin2 and lipin3 in sheep.