Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations Between Sleep Deprivation and Salivary Testosterone Levels in Male University Students: A Prospective Cohort Study

Sleep deprivation is a common health problem that is growing rapidly worldwide and it is associated with short- and long-term impacts on health. The aim of this study was to detect potential predictors of salivary testosterone (sT) association with sleep deprivation in Arab male university students. In this prospective cohort study, 77 university male students in the age range of 18 to 26 years were divided into two groups, sleep-deprived (SD) participants and non-sleep-deprived (NSD) participants. Sleep deprivation was defined as sleeping less than 5 hr per night. Blood samples and sT were collected from fasting participants to measure serum levels of glucose, lipid profile, leptin, serotonin, sT, and body mass index (BMI) values. The multiple linear correlation model of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), BMI, and serotonin was positively correlated with sT (r = .977, p < .05) in the SD group. No correlations were identified with sT in the NSD group. In the SD study group, the multiple linear regression model of HDL-C, BMI, and serotonin was significantly influenced by sT (R² = .955, p < .05). These predictors together explained approximately 96% of the variance in sT levels in the SD study group. No predictive variables for sT were reported in the NSD group. Results indirectly confirmed the presence of a positive association between sT and sleep deprivation in young men. This association is mediated by three factors, HDL-C, BMI, and serum serotonin, which are collectively considered as part of a significant physiological adaptation to sleep deprivation in young men.
Temporal Dissociation of Neocortical and Hippocampal Contributions to Mental Time Travel Using Intracranial Recordings in Humans

In mental time travel (MTT) one is “traveling” back-and-forth in time, remembering, and imagining events. Despite intensive research regarding memory processes in the hippocampus, it was only recently shown that the hippocampus plays an essential role in encoding the temporal order of events remembered, and therefore plays an important role in MTT. Does it also encode the temporal relations of these events to the remembering self? We asked patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation with depth electrodes penetrating the temporal lobes bilaterally toward the hippocampus to project themselves in time to a past, future, or present time-point, and then make judgments regarding various events. Classification analysis of intracranial evoked potentials revealed clear temporal dissociation in the left hemisphere between lateral-temporal electrodes, activated at ~100–300 ms, and hippocampal electrodes, activated at ~400–600 ms. This dissociation may suggest a division of labor in the temporal lobe during self-projection in time, hinting toward the different roles of the lateral-temporal cortex and the hippocampus in MTT and the temporal organization of the related events with respect to the experiencing self.
Dynamic Pricing and Demand Learning with Limited Price Experimentation

In a dynamic pricing problem where the demand function is not known a priori, price experimentation can be used as a demand learning tool. Existing literature usually assumes no constraint on price changes, but in practice sellers often face business constraints that prevent them from conducting extensive experimentation. We consider a dynamic pricing model where the demand function is unknown but belongs to a known finite set. The seller is allowed to make at most m price changes during T periods. The objective is to minimize the worst case regret, i.e., the expected total revenue loss compared to a clairvoyant who knows the demand distribution in advance. We demonstrate a pricing policy that incurs a regret of O(log^(m) T), or m iterations of the logarithm. We further show that this regret is the smallest possible up to a constant factor. Our analysis provides important structural insights into optimal pricing strategies. Finally, we describe an implementation at Groupon, a large e-commerce marketplace for daily deals. The field study shows significant impact on revenue and bookings.
Characterization and Evidence of the miR-888 Cluster as a Novel Cancer Network in Prostate

Prostate cancer afflicts 1 in 7 men and is the second leading cause of male cancer-related deaths in the United States. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), an extensive class of approximately 22 nucleotide noncoding RNAs, are often aberrantly expressed in tissues and fluids from prostate cancer patients, but the mechanisms of how specific miRNAs regulate prostate tumorigenesis and metastasis are poorly understood. Here, miR-888 was identified as a novel prostate factor that promotes proliferation and migration. miR-888 resides within a genomic cluster of 7 miRNA genes (mir-892c, mir-890, mir-888, mir-892a, mir-892b, mir-891b, mir-891a) on human chromosome Xq27.3. Moreover, as miR-888 maps within HPCX1, a locus associated with susceptibility and/or hereditary prostate cancer, it was hypothesized that additional miRNA cluster members also play functional roles in the prostate. Expression analysis determined that cluster members were similarly elevated in metastatic PC3-ML prostate cells and their secreted exosomes, as well as enriched in expressed prostatic secretions urine-derived exosomes obtained from clinical patients with high-grade prostate cancer. In vitro assays revealed that miR-888 cluster members selectively modulated PC3-derived and LNCaP cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation. Mouse xenograft studies verified miR-888 and miR-891a as pro-oncogenic factors that increased prostate tumor growth in vivo. Further analysis validated RBL1, KLF5, SMAD4, and TIMP2 as direct miR-888 targets and that TIMP2 is also coregulated by miR-891a. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the entire miR-888 cluster and reveals biological insight. Implications: This work reveals a complex noncoding RNA network in the prostate that could be developed as effective diagnostic and therapeutic tools for advanced prostate cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 16(4); 669–81. ©2018 AACR.
Generation of insulin-producing cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells on PLLA/PVA nanofiber scaffold

Abstract Pancreatic tissue engineering as a therapeutic option for restoring and maintenance of damaged pancreas function has a special focus to using synthetic Scaffolds. This study was designed to evaluate pancreatic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) on poly-L-lactic acid and polyvinyl alcohol (PLLA/PVA) scaffolds as 3 D matrix. During differentiation process, morphology of cells gradually changed and iPSCs derived insulin producing cells (iPSCs-IPCs) formed spherical shaped cell aggregation that was the typical shape of islets of pancreas. The highly efficient differentiation of iPSCs into a relatively homogeneous population of IPCs was shown by immunostaining. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results demonstrated that iPSCs-IPCs expressed pancreas-specific transcription factors (Pdx1, insulin, glucagon and Ngn3). The expressions of these transcription factors in PLLA/PVA scaffold were significantly higher than 2 D groups. Furthermore, we showed that concentration of insulin and C-peptide in PLLA/PVA scaffold and/or 2 D culture in response to various concentrations of glucose increased but the difference between them were not significant. Altogether the current results demonstrated that PLLA/PVA scaffold could provide the microenvironment that promotes the pancreatic differentiation of iPSCs, up-regulate pancreatic-specific transcription factors and improved metabolic activity.
Quality of Abstracts of Papers Reporting Original Cost-Effectiveness Analyses

Background . Although many peer-reviewed journals have adopted standards for reporting cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs), guidelines do not exist for the accompanying abstracts. Abstracts are the most easily accessed portion of journal articles, yet little is known about their quality. The authors examined the extent to which abstracts of published CEAs include key data elements (intervention, comparator, target population, study perspective) and assessed the effect of journal characteristics on reporting quality. Methods . Systematic review of the English-language medical literature from 1998 through 2001. The authors searched MEDLINE for original CEAs reported in costs per quality-adjusted life years(i.e., cost-utility analyses). Two independent readers abstracted data elements and met to resolve discrepancies. Results . Among the 303 abstracts reviewed, a clear description of the intervention was present in 94%, comparator in 71%, target population in 85%, and study perspective in 28%. All 4 data elements were reported in 20% of abstracts, 3 elements in 49%, 2 in 22%, and 0 or 1 in 9%. In journals with CEA-specific abstract reporting requirements, structured abstract requirements, or impact factors ≥ 10, significantly more data were included in abstracts than in journals without these features (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Conclusions . Abstracts of published CEAs frequently omit data elements critical to proper study interpretation. An explicit core set of reporting standards is needed, based on the standards by the US Public Health Service’s Panel on Cost-Effectiveness for reporting of CEAs, but specific to the accompanying abstracts.
Capital Structure in Start-up Firms in the Conditions of the Czech Economy

The aim of this article is to characterise the form of capital structures in start-up companies in the Czech economy and to identify what determines them. The choice of theme for this research was motivated by the important role that start-up companies have played in the development of economies especially in its contribution to employment, while having a low empirical understanding of the structure of capital resources of the firms. In this contribution, we have managed to identify the average form of the capital structures of start-up companies in the Czech economy. Moreover, they were in keeping with the Trade-Off Theory of Capital Structure testing the factors determining the composition of the capital resources of the firms. However it was only possible to empirically support the conclusions in part.
Asymmetrical positive assortative mating induced by developmental lead (Pb2+) exposure in a model system, Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Anthropogenic pollutants have the potential to disrupt reproductive strategies. Little is known about how lead (Pb2+) exposure disrupts individual-level responses in reproductive behaviors, which are important for fitness. Drosophila melanogaster was used as a model system to determine the effects of: 1) developmental lead exposure on pre-mating reproductive behaviors (i.e., mate preference), and 2) lead exposure and mating preferences on fitness in the F0 parental generation and F1 un-exposed offspring. Wild-type strains of D. melanogaster were reared from egg stage to adulthood in control or leaded medium (250 μM PbAc) and tested for differences in: mate preference, male song performance, sex pheromone expression, fecundity, mortality, and body weight. F0 leaded females preferentially mated with leaded males (i.e., asymmetrical positive assortative mating) in 2-choice tests. This positive assortative mating was mediated by the females (and not the males) and was dependent upon context and developmental exposure to Pb. Neither the courtship song nor the sex pheromone profile expressed by control and leaded males mediated the positive assortative mating in leaded females. Leaded females did not incur a fitness cost in terms of reduced fecundity, increased mortality, or decreased body weight by mating with leaded males. These results suggest that sublethal exposure to lead during development can alter mate preferences in adults, but not fitness measures once lead exposure has been removed. We suggest that changes in mate preference may induce fitness costs, as well as long-term population and multi-generational implications, if pollution is persistent in the environment.
Dominant Species in Subtropical Forests Could Decrease Photosynthetic N Allocation to Carboxylation and Bioenergetics and Enhance Leaf Construction Costs during Forest Succession

It is important to understand how eco-physiological characteristics shift in forests when elucidating the mechanisms underlying species replacement and the process of succession and stabilization. In this study, the dominant species at three typical successional stages (early-, mid-, and late-succession) in the subtropical forests of China were selected. At each stage, we compared the leaf construction costs (CC), payback time (PBT), leaf area based N content (NA), maximum CO2 assimilation rate (Pmax), specific leaf area (SLA), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), and leaf N allocated to carboxylation (NC), and to bioenergetics (NB). The relationships between these leaf functional traits were also determined. The results showed that the early-succession forest is characterized with significantly lower leaf CC, PBT, NA, but higher Pmax, SLA, PNUE, NC, and NB, in relation to the late-succession forest. From the early- to the late-succession forests, the relationship between Pmax and leaf CC strengthened, whereas the relationships between NB, NC, PNUE, and leaf CC weakened. Thus, the dominant species are able to decrease the allocation of the photosynthetic N fraction to carboxylation and bioenergetics during forest succession. The shift in these leaf functional traits and their linkages might represent a fundamental physiological mechanism that occurs during forest succession and stabilization.
The Research on Hand Gestures Segmentation Based on Skin Color Detection Combination with Dynamic Threshold

Aiming at the shortcomings of hand gestures segmentation based on fixed threshold and the problem of the interference of background color, this paper proposes a research on hand gestures segmentation based on skin color detection. The captured image is translated to YCgCr color space from RGB color space, and then skin color segmentation is done by using dynamic threshold method, so the hand gestures segmentation is completed. Finally segmentation results are verified by experiments and the method is summarized.
Description and phylogeny of a new Neotropical genus of Acalyptini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) associated with the staminodes of Cyclanthaceae

The weevil genusAzotoctla gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Acalyptini Thomson), is described to accommodate the following 15 new Neotropical species: Azotoctla aecuatorialis sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla anerunca sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla angustacra sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla curvirostra sp. nov. (Peru), Azotoctla dasygastra sp. nov. (Costa Rica and Honduras), Azotoctla femorata sp. nov. (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama), Azotoctla gomezi sp. nov. (Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama), Azotoctla gottsbergeri sp. nov. (Brazil), Azotoctla clemmyssa sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla melolauta sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla migueli sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla nana sp. nov. (Panama), Azotoctla punctata sp. nov. (Costa Rica), Azotoctla tibiatra sp. nov. (Belize), and Azotoctla tuberquiai sp. nov. (Colombia). Azotoctla is placed in the tribe Acalyptini, subtribe Staminodeina Franz, thus representing the sister taxon of Staminodeus Franz. The monophyly of Azotoctla is supported by the following inferred traits: a noncarinate rostrum that is tumescent above the antennal insertion in males; equilaterally subtriangular hemisternites of the male sternum 8; paired, longitudinal, laterally positioned sclerites of the aedeagus; and a bifurcate lamina of the female sternum 8, which bears explanate, diverging furcal arms. A key to the species of Azotoctla is provided; and the salient features of each species are illustrated and presented along with distributional and natural history data. A morphological cladistic analysis of 23 terminal species (eight outgroup, 15 ingroup) and 33 characters yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram (length = 75 steps, consistency index = 52, retention index = 77), with the ingroup topology ((A. aecuatorialis, (A. anerunca, A. gottsbergeri)), (A. punctata, ((A. angustacra, A. nana), (A. tibiatra, (A. clemmyssa, (A. curvirostra, A. femorata)), (A. melolauta, ((A. gomezi, A. migueli), (A. dasygastra, A. tuberquiai))))))). Species of Azotoctla are reproductively associated with the ephemeral staminodes of different members of the Neotropical monocot family Cyclanthaceae; most commonly with the widespread genus Carludovica Ruiz & Pavon. The interspecific homogeneity in external morphology, coupled with marked differences in genital traits and an apparent absence of narrow geographical ranges mediated by either host plants and/or biogeographical factors, jointly suggest that the diversification of Azotoctla is a relatively recent phenomenon and driven strongly by sexual selection. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 166, 559–623.
Advanced Materials for Applications at High Temperature: Fatigue Assessment by Means of Local Strain Energy Density

The interest on fatigue assessment of steel and other alloys at high temperature has increased continuously in the last years. However, high cycle fatigue of notched components at high temperature has not been deeply investigated experimentally and theoretically. The present paper investigates the accuracy of Strain Energy Density (SED) averaged over a control volume approach when applied to high‐temperature fatigue data from notched components. In the present work, a large bulk of high‐temperature fatigue data, taken from the literature and regarding notched components made of different advanced materials, is reanalyzed. In detail: C45 carbon steel at 250 °C, Inconel 718 at 500 °C, and directionally solidified superalloy DZ125 at 850 °C are considered. The main advantage of SED averaged over a control volume is that different geometries can be summarized in a single narrow scatter band. From an industrial viewpoint, the use of a geometry‐independent parameter (and fatigue curve) leads to a considerable advantage in terms of time and cost.
Impact of Chronic Total Occlusion of the Coronary Artery on Long-Term Prognosis in Patients With Ischemic Systolic Heart Failure

OBJECTIVES This study sought to assess the impact of chronic total occlusion (CTO) on long-term prognosis in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. BACKGROUND The presence of concomitant CTO in a nonculprit lesion in acute coronary syndromes is associated with worse prognosis. Coronary artery disease is the main cause of heart failure and in many cases at least 1 CTO is observed. METHODS The study included all patients with systolic heart failure who underwent elective coronary angiography and wereregistered from January2009toDecember2014intheongoingsingle-centerCOMMIT-HF(COnteMporaryModalities InTreatmentofHeartFailure)registry(NCT02536443). Thepatientsweredividedinto2groupswithregardtoCTOpresence. Alloftheanalyzedpatientswerefollowedupforatleast12monthswithall-causemortalityde ﬁ nedastheprimaryendpoint. RESULTS Of the 675 patients ful ﬁ lling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 278 patients (41.2%) had 1 or more CTOs of a major coronary artery ( þ CTO), and in 397 patients (58.8%)
Contour Integration over Time: Psychophysical and fMRI Evidence

&NA; The brain integrates discrete but collinear stimuli to perceive global contours. Previous contour integration (CI) studies mainly focus on integration over space, and CI is attributed to either V1 long‐range connections or contour processing in high‐visual areas that top‐down modulate V1 responses. Here, we show that CI also occurs over time in a design that minimizes the roles of V1 long‐range interactions. We use tilted contours embedded in random orientation noise and moving horizontally behind a fixed vertical slit. Individual contour elements traveling up/down within the slit would be encoded over time by parallel, rather than aligned, V1 neurons. However, we find robust contour detection even when the slit permits only one viewable contour element. Similar to CI over space, CI over time also obeys the rule of collinearity. fMRI evidence shows that while CI over space engages visual areas as early as V1, CI over time mainly engages higher dorsal and ventral visual areas involved in shape processing, as well as posterior parietal regions involved in visual memory that can represent the orientation of temporally integrated contours. These results suggest at least partially dissociable mechanisms for implementing the Gestalt rule of continuity in CI over space and time.
Enhancement and suppression in a lexical interference fMRI-paradigm

Previous picture‐word interference (PWI) fMRI‐paradigms revealed ambiguous mechanisms underlying facilitation and inhibition in healthy subjects. Lexical distractors revealed increased (enhancement) or decreased (suppression) activation in language and monitoring/control areas. Performing a secondary examination and data analysis, we aimed to illuminate the relation between behavioral and neural interference effects comparing target‐related distractors (REL) with unrelated distractors (UNREL). We hypothesized that interference involves both (A) suppression due to priming and (B) enhancement due to simultaneous distractor and target processing. Comparisons to UNREL should remain distractor unspecific even at a low threshold. (C) Distractor types with common characteristics should reveal overlapping brain areas. In a 3T MRI scanner, participants were asked to name pictures while auditory words were presented (stimulus onset asynchrony [SOA] =–200 msec). Associatively and phonologically related distractors speeded responses (facilitation), while categorically related distractors slowed them down (inhibition) compared to UNREL. As a result, (A) reduced brain activations indeed resembled previously reported patterns of neural priming. Each target‐related distractor yielded suppressions at least in areas associated with vision and conflict/competition monitoring (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]), revealing least priming for inhibitors. (B) Enhancements concerned language‐related but distractor‐unspecific regions. (C) Some wider brain regions were commonly suppressed for combinations of distractor types. Overlapping areas associated with conceptual priming were found for facilitatory distractors (inferior frontal gyri), and areas related to phonetic/articulatory processing (precentral gyri and left parietal operculum/insula) for distractors sharing feature overlap. Each distractor with semantic relatedness revealed nonoverlapping suppressions in lexical‐phonological areas (superior temporal regions). To conclude, interference combines suppression of areas well known from neural priming and enhancement of language‐related areas caused by dual activation from target and distractor. Differences between interference and priming need to be taken into account. The present interference paradigm has the potential to reveal the functioning of word‐processing stages, cognitive control, and responsiveness to priming at the same time.