Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decreased androgen receptor gene methylation in premature pubarche: a novel pathogenetic mechanism?

CONTEXT Several studies found links between DNA methylation and gene expression. In patients with idiopathic hirsutism, a preferential methylation of the of shorter androgen receptor (AR) alleles was hypothesized to be responsible for the abnormal hair growth. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess whether abnormalities in the AR function in both peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and androgen target tissues are present in children with premature pubarche (PP). DESIGN Human DNA was extracted from PBLs and pubic hair and CAG repeats length and methylation status of the AR gene were analyzed. SETTING The study was performed at a Pediatric Endocrinology referral clinic. PATIENTS Twenty-five girls with PP, 23 prepubertal children, and 10 girls with Tanner stage II pubertal development were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The main outcome measures were CAG repeat length and AR methylation pattern in PBLs and pubic hair. RESULTS In PBLs from PP patients, AR gene methylation was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that of prepubertal children and similar to that of girls with Tanner II stage pubertal development. A negative correlation between AR gene methylation in PBLs and the age of normal children was detected. PATIENTS with PP exhibited a hair follicle AR methylation pattern similar to that of Tanner stage II girls. The mean number of CAG repeats was lower in PP patients than in prepubertal and Tanner stage II girls, although it was within the normal range for the general population in both groups. CONCLUSIONS The increased AR gene activity observed in PP patients, as indicated by the reduced AR gene methylation pattern, together with the presence of shorter CAG repeats, might lead to hypersensitivity of the hair follicles to steroid hormones and therefore to the premature development of pubic hair.
Effectiveness of a coastal wetland in reducing pollution of a Laurentian Great Lake: Hydrology, sediment, and nutrients

The ability of coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes to reduce pollution from tributaries has not been documented in detail or over multiple seasons. This study developed a surface-water budget for a coastal wetland along lake Erie and estimated monthly, annual, and storm-related exports of total suspended solids and selected nutrients from the wetland. Water-budget measurements included precipitation, evaporation, surface discharge into the wetland, and net surface discharge into Lake Erie. Water, samples collected upstream and downstream and composite dryfall-precipitation samples were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrate + nitrite nitrogen (NO2+3), ammonia nitrogen (NH3), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), soluble reactive silica, chloride, and specific conductance. Seasonal and storm-related concentration patterns and a wide variation in monthly, seasonal, and annual loads from the tributary into the wetland were typical of streams draining the western Lake Erie basin. All substances reached higher maximum concentrations upstream than downstream; however, median monthly time-weighted mean concentrations of TP, TSS, NH3, and TKN were higher downstream. Concentrations without discharge data were inadequate to estimate removal rates. Annual loads of TSS, NH3, and TKN increased during passage through the wetland, whereas those of TP, SRP, NO2+3, and soluble reactive silica decreased. During storm runoff events, various proportions of TP, SRP, TSS, NO2+3, and soluble reactive silica were removed, despite brief hydraulic residence times, whereas more NH3 exited than entered. Wetlands occupying the flooded lower reaches of Great Lakes tributaries collectively are probably important in maintaining and enhancing the water and sediment quality of the lakes. Water levels throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes have decreased in recent years; consequently, wetland areas with standing water and hydraulic residence times have decreased, probably reducing the effectiveness of the wetlands in mitigating pollution.
Guanidinium Toxins and Their Interactions with Voltage-Gated Sodium Ion Channels

Guanidinium toxins, such as saxitoxin (STX), tetrodotoxin (TTX) and their analogs, are naturally occurring alkaloids with divergent evolutionary origins and biogeographical distribution, but which share the common chemical feature of guanidinium moieties. These guanidinium groups confer high biological activity with high affinity and ion flux blockage capacity for voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV). Members of the STX group, known collectively as paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), are produced among three genera of marine dinoflagellates and about a dozen genera of primarily freshwater or brackish water cyanobacteria. In contrast, toxins of the TTX group occur mainly in macrozoa, particularly among puffer fish, several species of marine invertebrates and a few terrestrial amphibians. In the case of TTX and analogs, most evidence suggests that symbiotic bacteria are the origin of the toxins, although endogenous biosynthesis independent from bacteria has not been excluded. The evolutionary origin of the biosynthetic genes for STX and analogs in dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria remains elusive. These highly potent molecules have been the subject of intensive research since the latter half of the past century; first to study the mode of action of their toxigenicity, and later as tools to characterize the role and structure of NaV channels, and finally as therapeutics. Their pharmacological activities have provided encouragement for their use as therapeutants for ion channel-related pathologies, such as pain control. The functional role in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems for both groups of toxins is unproven, although plausible mechanisms of ion channel regulation and chemical defense are often invoked. Molecular approaches and the development of improved detection methods will yield deeper understanding of their physiological and ecological roles. This knowledge will facilitate their further biotechnological exploitation and point the way towards development of pharmaceuticals and therapeutic applications.
Selecting test frequencies for sinewave tests of ADCs

A common requirement for the selection of a frequency for sinewave tests of waveform recorders or analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is to make a selection that guarantees that the phases of the sampled values are uniformly distributed between 0 and 2/spl pi/. It is well known that this requirement is met by choosing a frequency for which there is an exact integer number of cycles J~ in the record length M and that J~ is relatively prime to M. In this paper, we address the question of how well the phase uniformity is maintained when the frequency deviates slightly from its ideal value. We show that, in general, phase uniformity can be so sensitive to frequency deviations that it may be nearly impossible to attain. However, we show that there are special values of J~ for which the phase uniformity is relatively insensitive to frequency deviations. These are the values of J~ whose inverse, modulo M, is either very close to zero or very close to M.
Innovation speed and radicalness: are they inversely related?

Purpose – The objective in this study is to examine the relationship between innovation speed, and radical product and process innovations.Design/methodology/approach – A survey of firms in the high‐tech (semiconductor, audio video equipment and computer hardware) industries was conducted. Hypotheses were tested using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis.Findings – The results revealed a significant positive relationship between innovation speed and both radical product and radical process innovations. Radical product and process innovations were highly correlated in the sample.Research limitations/implications – Response rate was relatively low to the survey, however, control variables were included to ensure accuracy of results. This study empirically tested inter‐innovation relationships within the high‐tech industry.Practical implications – Findings suggest that firms should not avoid radical innovations with the fear of being late to market. In addition, based on these results, product and pro.
Dietary flavonoids: bioavailability, metabolic effects, and safety.

Flavonoids comprise the most common group of plant polyphenols and provide much of the flavor and color to fruits and vegetables. More than 5000 different flavonoids have been described. The six major subclasses of flavonoids include the flavones (e.g., apigenin, luteolin), flavonols (e.g., quercetin, myricetin), flavanones (e.g., naringenin, hesperidin), catechins or flavanols (e.g., epicatechin, gallocatechin), anthocyanidins (e.g., cyanidin, pelargonidin), and isoflavones (e.g., genistein, daidzein). Most of the flavonoids present in plants are attached to sugars (glycosides), although occasionally they are found as aglycones. Interest in the possible health benefits of flavonoids has increased owing to their potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities observed in vitro. There is growing evidence from human feeding studies that the absorption and bioavailability of specific flavonoids is much higher than originally believed. However, epidemiologic studies exploring the role of flavonoids in human health have been inconclusive. Some studies support a protective effect of flavonoid consumption in cardiovascular disease and cancer, other studies demonstrate no effect, and a few studies suggest potential harm. Because there are many biological activities attributed to the flavonoids, some of which could be beneficial or detrimental depending on specific circumstances, further studies in both the laboratory and with populations are warranted.
DNA from Bacteria, but Not from Vertebrates, Induces Interferons, Activates Natural Killer Cells and Inhibits Tumor Growth

The nucleic acid fraction from cells of 6 species of bacterium and 2 kinds of vertebrate, calf and salmon, was extracted and purified by the same procedures as described previously. When the spleen cells from BALB/c mice were incubated with the nucleic acid fraction from either of the bacteria, natural killer (NK) activity of the cells was remarkably elevated and the cells produced factors to activate macrophages and to inhibit viral growth. It was shown that the factor to activate macrophages was interferon (IFN)‐gamma and that to inhibit viral growth was IFN‐alpha/beta. On the other hand, the nucleic acid fraction from either of the vertebrate cells did not show such activities. Pretreatment of the bacterial nucleic acid fraction with DNase, but not with RNase, abrogated completely the biological activities. The activities of the bacterial nucleic acid were not influenced by the presence of polymyxin B, an inhibitor of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the spleen cells from not only BALB/c mice but also LPS‐insensitive C3H/HeJ mice were activated, indicating that the activities of the fraction were not ascribed to LPS contaminated possibly into the fraction, but to DNA itself. Intralesional injection with the bacterial DNA fraction caused regression of mouse IMC tumors, but the injection with the vertebrate DNA fraction did not. These findings prompted us to examine the biological activities of DNA samples from a variety of animals and plants, which were provided from other laboratories or purchased from manufacturers. All of the DNA samples from cells of 5 kinds of bacterium, 2 of virus and 4 of invertebrate augmented NK activity and induced IFN, more or less, in mouse spleen calls, while the DNA from 10 kinds of vertebrate, including 3 of fish and 5 of mammal, showed no such activities. The DNA from 2 species of plants, were also inactive. Possible mechanisms to explain the different biological activities of DNA from different cell sources were discussed based on our previous finding that the particular palindromic sequences with a G‐C motif (s) are required for induction of IFNs and activation of NK cells with synthetic 30‐mer oligonucleotides.
The mobilization of accounting in preening for privatization

Purpose – The paper sets out to examine the use of accounting as part of the privatization process of a national railway in Canada. The argument is that proponents of the privatization used accounting strategically to justify and sustain the privatization. Major societal events, such as the privatization of national assets, merit close scrutiny so that an accounting world thus constructed should not be permitted to pass unchallenged. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the way in which accounting language, concepts and information were deployed in the prospectus issued in support of the initial public offering of shares by the Canadian government. Findings – Evidence is found suggesting that the vagaries of accounting language were marshalled to sustain a self-fulfilling prophecy of success. Research limitations/implications – Case studies possess both the strength of specific instance detail and interpretation, and the ostensible weakness of interpretation of a sample of one. But such research may provide for reframing conceptual perspectives and contribute to stimulating additional efforts at interrogating accounting language's roles in major social change events. Practical implications – The paper strongly endorses a critical analytical perspective by all those affected by major social change, such as privatization, in which accounting language often plays a persuasive but subtle role. Originality/value – Individuals, groups, employees, managers, customers, and others, including the public-at-large, who are potentially impacted by privatizations, are reminded that accounting is not an innocent bystander in the political maneuverings associated with a privatization. Accounting does not axiomatically provide an objective measure of some underlying financial truth, but is part of an arsenal of rhetoric to achieve political ends.
Stealth Economy? Economic Theory and the Politics of Administrative Reform

Market-based administrative reform has triggered a debate argument in the public administration field. Some argue that it enhances cost efficiency and customer responsiveness. Others maintain that the public sector is not just a service-producing system delivering “public value” but that it stands for legality, due process, and legal security in addition to being a service provider. The article first compares the impact of market-based reform in Rechtsstaat administrative systems and “public interest” systems. It then discusses the potential democratic downsides to market solutions in the public administration and assesses under what conditions “publicness” can be delegated to private sector organizations.
RMIT University Video Retrieval Experiments at TRECVID 2006

Our approach uses the moving query window technique [17, 18, 21, 22]. We applied the system that we used in 2004 [22] and varied algorithm parameters around the optimal settings that we obtained with training runs on the trecvid 2005 test set. The results of all runs are close together at a high standard in terms of recall and precision, but we could not match the performance that we achieved in previous years. In particular, precision for gradual transition detection has suffered significantly in all runs. We use localised hsv colour histograms with 16 regions and 32 bins per dimension. Our system uses different weights for histogram regions when computing frame differences. We observe decreased performance compared to previous years because of many falsely reported gradual transitions. Cut detection performance suffered due to high brightness levels in most video clips. Some of the fixed thresholds that we use do not allow the algorithm to adapt well to different types of footage. Our system performed best on videos that are similar to the 2004 and 2005 test sets, such as those from cnn or nbc.
SDG2-Mediated H3K4me3 Is Crucial for Chromatin Condensation and Mitotic Division during Male Gametogenesis in Arabidopsis1[OPEN]

Active H3K4me3 deposition is essential for gametophyte chromatin landscape, playing critical roles in gamete mitotic cell cycle progression and pollen vegetative cell function. Epigenetic reprogramming occurring during reproduction is crucial for both animal and plant development. Histone H3 Lys 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mark of transcriptional active euchromatin. While much has been learned in somatic cells, H3K4me3 deposition and function in gametophyte is poorly studied. Here, we demonstrate that SET DOMAIN GROUP2 (SDG2)-mediated H3K4me3 deposition participates in epigenetic reprogramming during Arabidopsis male gametogenesis. We show that loss of SDG2 barely affects meiosis and cell fate establishment of haploid cells. However, we found that SDG2 is critical for postmeiotic microspore development. Mitotic cell division progression is partly impaired in the loss-of-function sdg2-1 mutant, particularly at the second mitosis setting up the two sperm cells. We demonstrate that SDG2 is involved in promoting chromatin decondensation in the pollen vegetative nucleus, likely through its role in H3K4me3 deposition, which prevents ectopic heterochromatic H3K9me2 speckle formation. Moreover, we found that derepression of the LTR retrotransposon ATLANTYS1 is compromised in the vegetative cell of the sdg2-1 mutant pollen. Consistent with chromatin condensation and compromised transcription activity, pollen germination and pollen tube elongation, representing the key function of the vegetative cell in transporting sperm cells during fertilization, are inhibited in the sdg2-1 mutant. Taken together, we conclude that SDG2-mediated H3K4me3 is an essential epigenetic mark of the gametophyte chromatin landscape, playing critical roles in gamete mitotic cell cycle progression and pollen vegetative cell function during male gametogenesis and beyond.
Cournot Duopoly with Multi-period Competition: Inventory as a Coordination Device

This paper analyses a Cournot duopoly model with finitely repeated competition. Each firm is allowed to hold inventories for a period. When there are more than two periods, inventory-holdings encourage firms to take collusive actions. By holding large inventories, a firm can commit to large sales in the next period, giving inventories a strategic value. When a firm deviates from collusion, the strategic value of inventories allows the non-defecting firm to become the Stackelberg leader in future markets, forcing the defecting firm to become the Stackelberg follower. Collusive sales can be attained with this threat of punishment. Copyright 1999 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd/University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia
Posttraumatic stress disorder in the World Mental Health Surveys

Background Traumatic events are common globally; however, comprehensive population-based cross-national data on the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the paradigmatic trauma-related mental disorder, are lacking. Methods Data were analyzed from 26 population surveys in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. A total of 71 083 respondents ages 18+ participated. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed exposure to traumatic events as well as 30-day, 12-month, and lifetime PTSD. Respondents were also assessed for treatment in the 12 months preceding the survey. Age of onset distributions were examined by country income level. Associations of PTSD were examined with country income, world region, and respondent demographics. Results The cross-national lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 3.9% in the total sample and 5.6% among the trauma exposed. Half of respondents with PTSD reported persistent symptoms. Treatment seeking in high-income countries (53.5%) was roughly double that in low-lower middle income (22.8%) and upper-middle income (28.7%) countries. Social disadvantage, including younger age, female sex, being unmarried, being less educated, having lower household income, and being unemployed, was associated with increased risk of lifetime PTSD among the trauma exposed. Conclusions PTSD is prevalent cross-nationally, with half of all global cases being persistent. Only half of those with severe PTSD report receiving any treatment and only a minority receive specialty mental health care. Striking disparities in PTSD treatment exist by country income level. Increasing access to effective treatment, especially in low- and middle-income countries, remains critical for reducing the population burden of PTSD.
Qualité de l'audit et Satisfaction de l'audité : Chronique d'une Innovation Ordinaire

L’objectif de la recherche presentee est d’examiner le role que peut jouer un referentiel qualite dans la relation entre l’auditeur et l’audite. Pour cela, nous avons etudie les origines d’une association regroupant neuf cabinets francais, l’ADACEIP (Association de Developpement des Activites de Commissariat aux comptes dans les Entites d’Interet Public), ainsi que la demarche qualite qu’elle a mise en œuvre a travers la publication d’un referentiel qualite, l’Audit Statutaire Premium. Des entretiens ont ete menes avec l’ensemble des membres fondateurs du projet. Leur analyse a mobilise deux branches de la sociologie. En premier lieu, la sociologie des professions a permis de comprendre la genese de l’ADACEIP comme une strategie de survie sur un marche domine par les Big Four. En second lieu, la sociologie de l’innovation a propose d’interpreter l’Audit Statutaire Premium comme un projet bousculant l’ordre etabli d’une profession ou la notion de ‘satisfaction du client’ semble compromettre l’assurance d’une independance de l’auditeur. Ces deux eclairages theoriques nous amenent a etablir un lien reflexif entre la qualite de l’audit et la satisfaction de l’audite. Selon nous, cette reflexivite contribue a l’idee selon laquelle un audit est le coproduit de deux acteurs, l’auditeur et l’audite.
Migraine and stroke – why do we talk about it?

Data from observational studies suggest that migraine may be a risk factor for stroke. Furthermore, a significant association between migraine and ischemic stroke (IS) has been demonstrated in population and case–control studies. The risk of IS appears to be higher for migraine with aura than for migraine without aura. The pathogenesis is not known but several studies report some common biochemical mechanisms in the two diseases. Meta‐analysis also demonstrates that subjects with migraine are at higher risk of showing white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance images than are those without migraine.
Polynucleation and economic development: The Randstad

Abstract In a generalized form two kinds of systems of cities exist in Europe: those with a strongly dominating city, and those with a polynucleated structure. The Netherlands show the latter type. It is common in economic geography to connect economic performance with agglomeration advantages and a concomitant spatial concentration of the strongest functions. For the Netherlands a continuing spatial dispersal of population and economic activities from the largest towards smaller cities and the Green Heart has been observed; this gives reason to support the hypothesis that agglomeration economies cannot be seen as a main condition for national economic growth. However, a further investigation might show that the highest levels of economic and cultural functions need larger agglomerations, which could lead to a loss of certain functions to global cities like London.
Resonant frequency analysis of microstrip antenna on dielectric-magnetic medium

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of some materials used as substrates on the microstrip antenna design. The propagation characteristics of the annular ring microstrip antenna (ARMSA) printed on different substrates, namely dielectric isotropic, dielectric anisotropic, ferrite, and metamaterial are presented. The model accuracy is investigated through comparisons between results obtained via spectral domain analysis and simulations with the commercial Ansoft HFSS.