Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor modulates the Hepa 1c1c7 cell cycle and differentiated state independently of dioxin

The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has been defined and characterized according to its ability to mediate biological responses to exogenous ligands, such as the synthetic environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The natural ligand(s) for AhR is unknown, and we know relatively little about AhR function in the absence of TCDD. Here, we have exploited the availability of AhR-defective (AhR-D) mouse hepatoma (Hepa 1c1c7) cells to analyze AhR's effects under conditions in which TCDD is not present. Our results reveal that AhR-D cells exhibit a different morphology, decreased albumin synthesis, and a prolonged doubling time compared with wild-type cells. Introduction of AhR cDNA into AhR-D cells by stable transfection alters these characteristics such that the cells resemble wild-type cells. Conversely, introduction of antisense AhR cDNA into wild-type cells changes their phenotype such that they resemble AhR-D cells. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that AhR-D cells do not exhibit an increased rate of death. Flow cytometric and biochemical analyses imply that the slowed growth rate of AhR-D cells reflects prolongation of G1. Our findings reveal a potential link between AhR and the G1 phase of the Hepa 1c1c7 cell cycle. These effects of AhR occur in the absence of TCDD. We speculate that they represent responses to an endogenous AhR ligand in Hepa 1c1c7 cells.
Fuzzy rule based systems for gender classification from blog data

Gender classification is a popular machine learning task, which has been undertaken in various domains, e.g. business intelligence, access control and cyber security. In the context of information granulation, gender related information can be divided into three types, namely, biological information, vision based information and social network based information. In traditional machine learning, gender identification has been typically treated as a discriminative classification t ask, i.e. it is aimed at learning a classifier t hat d is criminates between male and female. I n this paper, we argue that it is not always appropriate to identify gender in the way of discriminative classification, especially when considering the case that both male and female people are of high diversity and thus individuals of different genders could have high similarity to each other in terms of their characteristics. In order to address the above issue, we propose the use of a fuzzy method for generative classification o f g ender. In particular, we focus on gender classification based on social network information. We conduct an experiment study by using a blog data set, and compare the fuzzy method with C4.5, Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machine in terms of classification performance. The results show that the fuzzy method outperforms the other methods and is also capable of capturing the diversity of both male and female people and dealing with the fuzziness in terms of gender identification.
Quality-Configurable Memory Hierarchy Through Approximation Conference

The memory subsystem is a major contributor to the overall performance and energy consumption of embedded computing platforms. The emergence of "killer" applications such as data-intensive recognition, mining, and synthesis (RMS) applications puts even more stress on the memory subsystem and exacerbates its energy consumption. Traditional mechanisms to ensure data integrity deploy overdesign (e.g., redundancy and error detection/correction) and/or guardbanding that consumes a signi cant part of the energy consumed in the memory subsystem. We explore opportunities for energy e ciency by exploiting the intrinsic tolerance of a vast class of approximate computing applications to some level of error in the on-chip memory hierarchy. We present two exemplars outlining the typical software and hardware mechanisms that are required for di erent components in the memory hierarchy, implemented in varying technologies such as SRAM and STT-MRAM.
Pharmacologic Treatments for Dry Eye: A Worthwhile Investment?

Purpose. To determine whether investment in a novel pharmacologic agent for the treatment of dry eye would be worthwhile from a financial perspective. Methods. Estimates were made of the cost and time required to develop a novel pharmacologic treatment of dry eye and the potential revenues for the product. These estimates were used to compute the value of the investment, adjusting for the time value of money. Results. Development was estimated to cost $42 million and to take 55 months from investigational new drug exemption filing to new drug application approval. The potential market for this treatment was estimated at $542 million per year at year 5. Adding in the cost of development and marketing as well as other costs, net present value was very positive at the 5, 8, 10, and 40% cost of financing. The internal rate of return was 90%. Conclusion. In summary, if there were a successful pharmacologic treatment of dry eye and if a firm could manage the cash flow during the development, then the market potential approaches that of other treatment of chronic ophthalmic conditions (e.g., glaucoma), and it would be a worthwhile investment.
Characterization, Development, and Management of Organic Matter in Turfgrass Systems

Organic ma er (OM) abounds in the environment and has long fascinated scientists with its formation and nature (Beyer, 1996; Hayes and Clapp, 2001). The development of OM in turfgrass systems is a signifi cant management consideration, especially in pu ing greens. Many factors infl uence OM accumulation, including the grass type, rate of plant growth and decay, soil chemical and physical properties, biological activity, cultural practices, and environmental conditions. Considerable eff ort has been focused on gaining a be er understanding of what OM is and how it is infl uenced by management practices. Much of this eff ort has built on the long history of research on OM in the soil of natural and agro-ecosystems (Manlay et al., 2007; Kögel-Knabner et al., 2008a, 2008b).
An Economic Analysis of the Introduction of an Electronic Data Interchange System

Although electronic data interchange EDI holds the promise of significantly increasing the efficiency of business transactions, an installed base of proprietary implementations has been detrimental to the widespread acceptance of the technology. Thus, an important research issue involves strategies for facilitating EDI adoption. We analyze the introduction of an EDI system in a vertical market involving one manufacturer and two suppliers. The manufacturer initiates an EDI network, and penalizes a supplier for not joining the system by reducing its volume of business with the supplier. Along with a “stick,” the manufacturer can also use a “carrot” in the form of a subsidy to partially offset a supplier's setup cost. The competition between the suppliers is characterized by incentive types for joining the EDI system “motivating” or “threatening” and the Information Technology IT efficiency “efficient” or “inefficient”. We show that regardless of its cost structure, a supplier may have to join the EDI network out of “strategic necessity,” due to the presence of an IT-efficient supplier. Our analysis further shows that depending on the supplier competition structure, the EDI system may prove to be a “beneficial” strategic necessity for a large supplier and an “unfortunate” strategic necessity for a small supplier. Another key result is that by increasing the severity of the penalty, both the manufacturer and the follower supplier can be worse off under certain conditions. The analysis of subsidy strategies reveals that unless leadership and followership positions are reversed due to a subsidy, subsidizing a supplier has no impact on the joining time of its competitor. Thus the EDI initiator cannot induce both suppliers to join earlier by subsidizing one supplier. Also, the larger the slack capacity of the leader, the higher lower the manufacturer's incentive to subsidize the leader follower. These results offer insights for initiators and adopters regarding penalty and subsidy strategies, impact on competition structure, joining decisions and network growth.
Optimization of a High Throughput, Cost Effective, and All-stage DNA Extraction Protocol for Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

The extraction of DNA for molecular analyses is often a limiting factor in terms of cost, time, and availability of skilled labor. Here the authors describe a simple extraction protocol for obtaining DNA from field and greenhouse grown plants. This method was optimized for sampling mature wild sorghum populations in remote areas of Ethiopia and young greenhouse grown seedlings for genetic studies using microsatellite loci. Initially, the leaf squashes are made on Whatman FTA ® plant saver cards or small cards of Whatman® chromatography paper. After several washes, sufficient DNA to run up to 70 PCR amplifications is eluted from a 6 mm disk. Both types of cards were equally effective for collecting genomic DNA from young and mature sorghum plants for PCR-based analyses. The use of this technology for extracting genomic DNA from seedlings and/or mature plants in situ is particularly attractive for sampling at sites that are far from the laboratory where samples are ultimately analyzed. Moreover, highly skilled personnel are not required to collect DNA samples using this protocol. The Whatman FTA ® card is more expensive than the Whatman® chromatography paper. Therefore, without compromising efficiency, the lower cost chromatography paper can be used for DNA extraction, especially for institutions in developing countries.
Report on the Verification of the Performance of a Method for the Detection of “ Bt 63 ” Rice Using Real-Time PCR 9 April 2008 Joint Research Centre Institute for Health and Consumer Protection Biotechnology & GMOs Unit Executive

In October 2006 the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, namely the Community Reference Laboratory for GM Food and Feed (CRL-GMFF), received samples possibly containing Bt rice as tested by GeneScan with a “Bt 63” construct-specific method. The CRL-GMFF, as a result of the analyses conducted, suggested to the European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) and to the EU enforcement laboratories the use of the detection method developed by Mäde et al. targeting the junction region between the cry1A(b)/cry1A(c) fusion protein and the nos terminator.
KLK4 Gene and Dental Decay: Replication in a South Brazilian Population

Objective: The objective of this research was to identify and replicate the participation of KLK4 gene polymorphisms in the susceptibility to dental decay. Methods: A total of 200 patients were recruited using ICDAS criteria - 100 of them with dental caries and 100 with no history of the disease. Buccal cells were collected and the DNA was extracted and amplified using PCR. Results: During the descriptive analysis, the variables ethnicity, biofilm, and gingivitis and the markers rs2242670 and rs2978642 were statistically significant. In the multivariate analysis, the marker rs2242670 and the variable biofilm maintained statistical significance. Conclusion: Genetic variations in the KLK4 gene may contribute to dental decay.
A New Weight Initialization Method Using Cauchy’s Inequality Based on Sensitivity Analysis

In this paper, an efficient weight initialization method is proposed using Cauchy’s inequality based on sensitivity analy- sis to improve the convergence speed in single hidden layer feedforward neural networks. The proposed method ensures that the outputs of hidden neurons are in the active region which increases the rate of convergence. Also the weights are learned by minimizing the sum of squared errors and obtained by solving linear system of equations. The proposed method is simulated on various problems. In all the problems the number of epochs and time required for the proposed method is found to be minimum compared with other weight initialization methods.
Developments in dynamical seasonal forecasting relevant to agricultural management

Recent developments in dynamical seasonal forecasting of potential relevance to agri- cultural management are discussed. These developments emphasize the importance of using a fully probabilistic approach at all stages of the forecasting process, from the dynamical ocean-atmosphere models used to predict climate variability at seasonal and interannual time scales, through the mod- els used to downscale the global output to finer scales, to the end-user forecast models. The final goal is to create an end-to-end multi-scale (both in space and time) integrated prediction system that pro- vides skilful, useful predictions of variables with socio-economic interest. Multi-model ensemble pre- dictions made with the leading European global coupled climate models as part of the DEMETER (Development of a European Multi-model Ensemble system for seasonal to inTERannual prediction) project are used as an example to illustrate the potential of producing useful probabilistic predictions of seasonal climate fluctuations and of applying them to crop yield forecasting.
Use of an Analog Task to Study Effects of Diazepam on Taste Perception, Consummatory Behaviors, and Risk Taking in a Social Context

In the present study, the authors examined the effects of diazepam (Valium) on various physical, social, and emotional variables within the framework of a task designed to test risk-taking behavior. Participants received either 10 mg of diazepam or a placebo. After the participants tasted strong-flavored liquids, they were able to engage in a risky behavior (i.e., drinking from a confederate's "used" water bottle). Half the participants received additional verbal pressure to drink from the bottle. The authors expected that diazepam would increase health-risk behavior, but the results were inconsistent with that prediction. The second goal of the experiment was to explore diazepam's effects on arousal, mood, social anxiety, and taste. Diazepam users exhibited differences in taste perception and social anxiety, which might in part explain the health-risk results.
Low Plasma Concentrations of Indinavir are Related to Virological Treatment Failure in HIV-1-Infected Patients on Indinavir-Containing Triple Therapy

All human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients who started to use indinavir (800 mg three times a day) as part of their triple drug regimen were included in a study to determine the importance of low plasma concentrations of indinavir as a cause of virological treatment failure. The indinavir concentration and a number of patient characteristics at baseline were tested as risk factors for virological treatment failure (defined as a viral load above 200 copies/ml after 24 weeks of treatment) in univariate and multivariate analyses; 65 patients were included. Virological treatment failure occurred in 36.9% of the patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a low plasma concentration of indinavir (odds ratio 0.1), a high viral load at baseline (odds ratio 2.6) and pretreatment with another protease inhibitor (odds ratio 10.0) were independent factors related to virological treatment failure. Monitoring of indinavir plasma concentrations may be an important tool for the optimization of triple drug combination therapy.
Faulting mechanism of the Gifu earthquake of September 9, 1969, and some related problems

The faulting process of a moderate-size shallow earthquake on inland Japan, the central Gifu earthquake of September 9, 1969(M=6.6), has been investigated by synthesizing all available seismic and geodetic data.The focal mechanism solution based on data from Japanese and WWSSN stations and the spatial distribution of aftershocks indicate that the earthquake was caused by left-lateral strike-slip motion along a vertical fault plane with dimensions of 20 by 10km striking in the N30°W direction. The strong-motion records from five JMA stations within a distance of 80km are compared with the synthetic seismograms computed from dynamic dislocation models. The comparison yields estimates for the seismic moment, average fault displacements, rise time, and rupture velocity. The pattern of vertical tectonic movements from pre- and post-earthquake leveling data along two nearby routes is generally consistent with that derived from the corresponding static models, but there is some possibility that displacements over the northwestern part of the fault might be considerably larger than the average. The strain steps that have been recorded during the earthquake on 23 strain meters at ten crustal movement observatories are not always consistent with theoretically expected values.In relation to the faulting process, pre-earthquake data from leveling and tiltmeter observations are also examined from the viewpoint of earthquake prediction, and tectonic implications of the earthquake are discussed.
Incidence and severity of tardive dyskinesia increase with age.

To the Editor —We recently completed an assessment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in psychiatric outpatients using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). 1 In light of Smith and Baldessarini's report of a strong correlation between severity of TD and age (Archives1980;37:1368-1373), we investigated this relationship in our sample population. The patients (n = 66) assessed were those who regularly attended a community health center in Sydney, Australia. Fifty had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, four of manic-depressive illness, and 12 of other illnesses, such as personality disorder, neurosis, etc. Most of the patients had regularly received fluphenazie decanoate (Modecate) by intramuscular injection for up to two years before assessment; only four patients had never received neuroleptic drugs. There was a tendency for TD (considered present if there was a rating of 2 in any body area) to increase with age, because patients over the age of 45 years (n = 34) had a higher prevalence of TD (56%) than those below age 45 years
Respiratory Succession and Community Succession of Bacterioplankton in Seasonally Anoxic Estuarine Waters

ABSTRACT Anoxia occurs in bottom waters of stratified estuaries when respiratory consumption of oxygen, primarily by bacteria, outpaces atmospheric and photosynthetic reoxygenation. Once water becomes anoxic, bacterioplankton must change their metabolism to some form of anaerobic respiration. Analysis of redox chemistry in water samples spanning the oxycline of Chesapeake Bay during the summer of 2004 suggested that there was a succession of respiratory metabolism following the loss of oxygen. Bacterial community doubling time, calculated from bacterial abundance (direct counts) and production (anaerobic leucine incorporation), ranged from 0.36 to 0.75 day and was always much shorter than estimates of the time that the bottom water was anoxic (18 to 44 days), indicating that there was adequate time for bacterial community composition to shift in response to changing redox conditions. However, community composition (as determined by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of 16S rRNA genes) in anoxic waters was very similar to that in surface waters in June when nitrate respiration was apparent in the water column and only partially shifted away from the composition of the surface community after nitrate was depleted. Anoxic water communities did not change dramatically until August, when sulfate respiration appeared to dominate. Surface water populations that remained dominant in anoxic waters were Synechococcus sp. , Gammaproteobacteria in the SAR86 clade, and Alphaproteobacteria relatives of Pelagibacter ubique, including a putative estuarine-specific Pelagibacter cluster. Populations that developed in anoxic water were most similar (<92% similarity) to uncultivated Firmicutes, uncultivated Bacteroidetes, Gammaproteobacteria in the genus Thioalcalovibrio, and the uncultivated SAR406 cluster. These results indicate that typical estuarine bacterioplankton switch to anaerobic metabolism under anoxic conditions but are ultimately replaced by different organisms under sulfidic conditions.
Phospholipid binding of factor VIII in different therapeutic concentrates

Binding to anionic phospholipid (PL) is essential for the biological function of factor VIII (FVIII). We have developed a method to study the level of PL binding of FVIII in a variety of therapeutic concentrates, using the BIACORETM system which utilizes the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) phenomenon. A HPA sensor chip was employed on to which synthetic phospholipid unilamellar vesicles were adsorbed to form a 3:1 phosphatidylcholine: phosphatidylserine lipid monolayer. Using this surface the interaction of unlabelled FVIII in concentrates was observed from which direct kinetic data (kon, koff and KD values) were obtained in real‐time. Marked differences in the binding to PL, as measured by KD values, between different products were observed. These fell into three categories: two recombinant FVIII products showed high affinities for PL with KD values around 0.05–0.14 nm; four high‐purity plasma derived products, two prepared by monoclonal antibody and two prepared by ion‐exchange chromatography, had 6–8‐fold lower affinities, and two intermediate‐purity products had 34–60‐fold lower affinities with KD values in the nm region. Measurements of kon and koff values for each product showed that the differences in the KD values expressed were primarily due to the differences in their respective kon values, although the recombinant products showed changes in the koff values. The study showed that the assessment of binding to PL by FVIII in concentrates was possible without prior purification and gave KD values in the range reported previously for other methods. The difference between the products requires further investigation but may be partly due to other proteins present, in particular the content and quality of von Willebrand factor which is known to affect PL binding of FVIII.
Humanistic Education: Concerns, Implications and Applications

Humanistic approach introduced by the ideas of Scholars like Erickson, Roger, and Maslow began to permeate the field of second language teaching and learning towards the end of 1970. According to Lei (2007) humanistic approach emphasizes the importance of the inner world of the learner and places the individual’s thought, emotions and feelings at the forefront of all human development. Due to this new shift of focus, language education and pedagogy moved away from the previous behavioristic and mentalistic approaches, and as a result, a new kind of education known as humanistic education emerged. Consequently, significant changes occurred in all aspects of language education, that is, the traditional roles of teachers and learners were redefined and the previously authoritarian teaching practices were replaced by learner-centered classrooms. This paper is of two-fold. First, it is going to take a detailed look at the main principles and features of humanistic education, and second, it is aimed at discussing the implications and applications of humanistic education. Finally, it tries to clarify the new roles and responsibilities considered for language teachers to be able to fully engage the students in the learning process.