Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recombination Events Involving the atp9 Gene Are Associated with Male Sterility of CMS PET2 in Sunflower

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) systems represent ideal mutants to study the role of mitochondria in pollen development. In sunflower, CMS PET2 also has the potential to become an alternative CMS source for commercial sunflower hybrid breeding. CMS PET2 originates from an interspecific cross of H. petiolaris and H. annuus as CMS PET1, but results in a different CMS mechanism. Southern analyses revealed differences for atp6, atp9 and cob between CMS PET2, CMS PET1 and the male-fertile line HA89. A second identical copy of atp6 was present on an additional CMS PET2-specific fragment. In addition, the atp9 gene was duplicated. However, this duplication was followed by an insertion of 271 bp of unknown origin in the 5′ coding region of the atp9 gene in CMS PET2, which led to the creation of two unique open reading frames orf288 and orf231. The first 53 bp of orf288 are identical to the 5′ end of atp9. Orf231 consists apart from the first 3 bp, being part of the 271-bp-insertion, of the last 228 bp of atp9. These CMS PET2-specific orfs are co-transcribed. All 11 editing sites of the atp9 gene present in orf231 are fully edited. The anther-specific reduction of the co-transcript in fertility-restored hybrids supports the involvement in male-sterility based on CMS PET2.
Association of childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders with adult-onset chronic physical conditions.

CONTEXT The physical health consequences of childhood psychosocial adversities may be as substantial as the mental health consequences, but whether this is the case remains unclear because much prior research has involved unrepresentative samples and a selective focus on particular adversities or physical outcomes. The association between early-onset mental disorders and subsequent poor physical health in adulthood has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders are independently associated with increased risk of a range of adult-onset chronic physical conditions in culturally diverse samples spanning the full adult age range. DESIGN Cross-sectional community surveys of adults in 10 countries. SETTING General population. PARTICIPANTS Adults (ie, aged ≥18 years; N = 18 303), with diagnostic assessment and determination of age at onset of DSM-IV mental disorders, assessment of childhood familial adversities, and age of diagnosis or onset of chronic physical conditions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Risk (ie, hazard ratios) of adult-onset (ie, at age >20 years) heart disease, asthma, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, chronic spinal pain, and chronic headache as a function of specific childhood adversities and early-onset (ie, at age <21 years) DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders, with mutual adjustment. RESULTS A history of 3 or more childhood adversities was independently associated with onset of all 6 physical conditions (hazard ratios, 1.44 to 2.19). Controlling for current mental disorder made little difference to these associations. Early-onset mental disorders were independently associated with onset of 5 physical conditions (hazard ratios, 1.43 to 1.66). CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the hypothesis that childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders have independent, broad-spectrum effects that increase the risk of diverse chronic physical conditions in later life. They require confirmation in a prospectively designed study. The long course of these associations has theoretical and research implications.
Impact of Teaching Cognitive and Metacognitive Learning Strategies on Academic Achievement among Nursing Students

each Students in the experimental 10 sessions of 70 minutes long (twice a training for cognitive and metacognitive strategies, while the control group received no training. All students completed a teacher-made academic achievement testat the pretest, posttest, and follow-up phases. Data were analyzed usingrepeated measures ANOVA technique. The mean value of the experimental group was higher than the control group (13.47 2.37) at the posttest phase. value of the experimental group group in students at posttest and follow-up phases. Thus, academic teachers may teach these useful strategies to the students to improve their academic achievement.
Nanotechnology in cancer: A clinical review

Emergence of modern nanotechnology has plethora of ideas in store for the mankind. It has led to the creativity without constraints for the scientific community Nanotechnology is uniquely promising as an early detection tool for several reasons. To successfully detect cancer at its earliest stages, scientists must be able to detect molecular changes even when they occur only in a small percentage of cells. This means the necessary tools must be extremely sensitive. The potential for nanostructures to enter and analyze single cells suggests they could meet this need. Current cancer therapy primarily involves surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These methods of treatment are usually painful and kill normal cells in addition to producing adverse side effects. Carbon NanoTubes as drug delivery vehicles have shown potential in targeting specific cancer cells with a dosage lower than conventional drugs used, that is just as effective in killing the cells, however does not harm healthy cells and significantly reduces side effects Another method to detect cancer by nanotechnology in clinical research is using Nanoshells. A Nanoshell is a type of spherical nanoparticle consisting of a dielectric core which is covered by a thin metallic shell. Nanoparticle-base therapeutics have been successfully delivered into tumors by exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention effect, a property that permits nanoscale structures to be taken up passively into tumors with out the assistance of antibodies.
Distributed Requirements Specification: Minimizing the Effect of Geographic Dispersion

Requirements specification is an important phase of the requirements engineering area in the software development process. In geographically distributed environments, this phase becomes critical due to the characteristics of the distributed development (physical and temporal distance, cultural differences, trust, communication, etc). The objective of this paper is to analyze the requirements specification in geographically distributed environments, identifying the main challenges and proposing a process to minimize the impacts of this scenario. The results are based on a case study carried on a multinational organization that has software development units in multiple countries, and was recognized as a SW-CMM level 2 organization in 2 of them. The results suggest the necessity to adapt the requirements specification phase to the distributed software development environment, addressing the main existing challenges. The problems and the solutions adopted are presented, aiming to relate these solutions to the organization distribution level, considering where the project team, users and customers are located.
Efficacy of the Life Goal-Focused Brief Intervention among Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Preliminary Study

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the life goal-focused brief intervention, or the so-called the goal-focused self-regulation program (GFSRP), for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods The GFSRP was developed as an 8-week group-program, which is based on a wide range of self-regulation theories, such as goal setting and implementation intentions. Patients with AUD (n=50) took part in the GFSRP and were compared to the control group (n=48). This study examined the changes in outcome measures from baseline to follow-up (12-week) in a mixed design. Results The GFSRP group had higher scores for the abstinence self-efficacy in negative affect situations than the control group at the post-test. In addition, it showed greater scores of optimisms compared to the control group. Furthermore, in the GFSRP group, there was no difference in intrinsic life goals from baseline to the 12-week follow-up, whereas the control group showed a significant decrease. Conclusion The GFSRP could increase the abstinence self-efficacy and optimism among patients with AUD. Moreover, it might prevent loss of life-goals as core factors in self-regulation among patients with AUD.
Nonlinear sliding mode control of the Furuta pendulum

This paper deals with the control design of a nonlinear Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) for an underactuated mechanical system under external disturbance. The Furuta Pendulum represents a testbed on which control methodology is tested because it exhibits chaotic behavior, it involves highly nonlinear dynamics, and it is underactuated. The aforementioned remarks make the control of the Furuta pendulum a nontrivial task. The SMC methodology which uses the full model of the system, applied here, is pegged against a linear state feedback control law which is based on the linearized model around the control objective. The control laws are tested in a simulated environment in which external disturbances are injected, and the performance of the approaches is then compared.
The sigma receptor ligand 1,3-di-(2-tolyl)guanidine in animal models of schizophrenia.

The behavioral effects of the selective sigma ligand 1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine (DTG) were studied in rats. In the radial 8-arm maze, DTG (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg i.p.) reduced the number of arm entries in the spontaneous alternation task. In animals receiving 4 mg/kg DTG, the percentage of 135 degrees angles between consecutive arm entries decreased. In the open field, equipped with a holeboard, DTG (8 mg/kg) reduced the number of line crossings, rearings and head dips. Sniffing, measured in an experimental chamber, was also reduced. DTG prolonged the time that the animals were inactive. In combination with DL-amphetamine (4 mg/kg) or dizocilpine (0.16 mg/kg), DTG (8 mg/kg) decreased--but did not antagonize--the induced enhancement of locomotion and sniffing. These results demonstrate motor depressant effects of DTG on locomotion, rearing and sniffing. Since antagonists of sigma binding sites are known to produce opposite effects, we conclude that DTG--in behavioral terms--acts like an antagonist at sigma binding sites.
Order Planning Decision Support System for Customer Driven Manufacturing: Overview of Main System Requirements

An important goal in schedule production orders through a manufacturing facility is to assure that the work is completed as close as possible to its due date. Work that is late creates downstream delays, while early completion can be detrimental if storage space is limited. Production planning and control manufacturing is becoming more difficult as family products increase and quantity decreases. This paper presents an ongoing information system development that aims the production planning of special test tables equipment for automobile components manufacturers. The simulated based information system will be used to support planning and schedule activities; to compare and analyze the impact of planning rescheduling; to forecast the production completion date; to detect bottlenecks and to evaluate machines performance.
CK1/Doubletime activity delays transcription activation in the circadian clock

In the Drosophila circadian clock, Period (PER) and Timeless (TIM) proteins inhibit Clock-mediated transcription of per and tim genes until PER is degraded by Doubletime/CK1 (DBT)-mediated phosphorylation, establishing a negative feedback loop. Multiple regulatory delays within this feedback loop ensure ~24 hr periodicity. Of these delays, the mechanisms that regulate delayed PER degradation (and Clock reactivation) remain unclear. Here we show that phosphorylation of certain DBT target sites within a central region of PER affect PER inhibition of Clock and the stability of the PER/TIM complex. Our results indicate that phosphorylation of PER residue S589 stabilizes and activates PER inhibitory function in the presence of TIM, but promotes PER degradation in its absence. The role of DBT in regulating PER activity, stabilization and degradation ensures that these events are chronologically and biochemically linked, and contributes to the timing of an essential delay that influences the period of the circadian clock.
Continuous track paths reveal additive evidence integration in multistep decision making

Significance Many daily-life decisions consist of multiple steps (e.g., go outside, go left, arrive at Italian restaurant). We distinguish four prominent models of such multistep decision making. We further propose a paradigm in two experiments to disentangle these models. Only the models implementing additive integration from second- to first-step choices were able to account for track path movements. Specifically, we find that first-step decisions are initially based on the sum/mean of second-step future rewards. As information regarding the optimal second-step choice increases, the decision gradually becomes based on the maximal future reward. Hence, we suggest that multistep decision making involves progressive unraveling of future outcomes during decision making. Multistep decision making pervades daily life, but its underlying mechanisms remain obscure. We distinguish four prominent models of multistep decision making, namely serial stage, hierarchical evidence integration, hierarchical leaky competing accumulation (HLCA), and probabilistic evidence integration (PEI). To empirically disentangle these models, we design a two-step reward-based decision paradigm and implement it in a reaching task experiment. In a first step, participants choose between two potential upcoming choices, each associated with two rewards. In a second step, participants choose between the two rewards selected in the first step. Strikingly, as predicted by the HLCA and PEI models, the first-step decision dynamics were initially biased toward the choice representing the highest sum/mean before being redirected toward the choice representing the maximal reward (i.e., initial dip). Only HLCA and PEI predicted this initial dip, suggesting that first-step decision dynamics depend on additive integration of competing second-step choices. Our data suggest that potential future outcomes are progressively unraveled during multistep decision making.
Neonatal Genistein Exposure and Glucocorticoid Signaling in the Adult Mouse Uterus

Background: Female reproductive tract development is sensitive to the endocrine-disrupting potential of environmental estrogens. Early-life exposure to the dietary phytoestrogen genistein impairs fertility and persistently alters the transcriptome in the oviduct and uterus of rodents. Glucocorticoid signaling, which has recently been shown to be essential for normal fertility in the female mouse uterus, is antagonized by genistein. Objective: Our goal was to determine whether early-life exposure to genistein disrupts glucocorticoid signaling in the mouse uterus, which may contribute to infertility. Methods: Female C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to either 50mg/kg per day genistein, 10μg/kg per day estradiol, or vehicle (corn oil) on postnatal days 1–5 (PND1–5), and then treated with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex: 1mg/kg) or vehicle (saline) on PND5, at weaning on PND21, or as adults on PND56 following adrenalectomy and ovariectomy to evaluate glucocorticoid responsiveness. Uteri were isolated following treatment for gene expression or chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results: Neonatal exposure to genistein altered the uterine transcriptome of adult mice and caused substantial changes to the transcriptional response to glucocorticoids. Although expression of the glucocorticoid receptor was not affected, genistein exposure disrupted glucocorticoid receptor recruitment to specific regulatory sites in target genes. Many genes involved in chromatin remodeling were dysregulated in genistein-exposed mice, suggesting that epigenetic reprograming may contribute to the altered glucocorticoid response of the uterus following early-life exposure to genistein. These changes affected the biological activity of glucocorticoids within the uterus, as glucocorticoids antagonized the proliferative effects of estradiol in the uterus of control mice but not genistein-exposed mice. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that disruption of glucocorticoid signaling due to early-life exposure to environmental estrogens may in part render the uterus unable to support implantation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1575
Categories of empirical models

A notion of morphism that is suitable for the sheaf-theoretic approach to contextuality is developed, resulting in a resource theory for contextuality. The key features involve using an underlying relation rather than a function between measurement scenarios, and allowing for stochastic mappings of outcomes to outcomes. This formalizes an intuitive idea of using one empirical model to simulate another one with the help of pre-shared classical randomness. This allows one to reinterpret concepts and earlier results in terms of morphisms. Most notably: non-contextual models are precisely those allowing a morphism from the terminal object; contextual fraction is functorial; Graham-reductions induce morphisms, reinterpreting Vorob'evs theorem; contextual models cannot be cloned.
Uplink channel estimation with basis expansion model and expectation maximization for wireless communication systems on high speed railways

This paper proposes a blind channel estimator based on expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and historical information based basis expansion model (HiBEM) for uplink wireless communication systems on high speed railways (HSRs). The information of basis matrices is obtained from the uplink data of the past trains at the base station (BS). With the known basis matrices at the BS, our suggested estimator can estimate the basis coefficients and recover the channel parameters without requiring training symbols. Numerical results are provided to corroborate that the proposed estimator outperforms existing data-aided estimators, including least square (LS) and linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE).
Systematic realization of a class of hysteresis chaotic oscillators

A systematic method for realizing a class of hysteresis RC chaotic oscillators is described. The method is based on direct coupling of a general second-order sinusoidal oscillator structure to a passive non-monotone current-controlled non-linear resistor. Owing to this passive non-linearity, the power consumption, supply voltage and bandwidth limitations imposed upon the chaotic oscillator are mainly those due to the active sinusoidal oscillator alone. Tunability of the chaotic oscillator can be achieved via a single control parameter and the evolution of the two-dimensional sinusoidal oscillator dynamics into a three-dimensional state-space is clearly recognized. The flexibility of this method is demonstrated by two examples using PSpice simulations and experimental results. Numerical simulations of derived mathematical models are also shown. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
No Evidence for Enhancements to Visual Working Memory With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Prefrontal or Posterior Parietal Cortices

The present study examined the relative contributions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) to visual working memory. Evidence from a number of different techniques has led to the theory that the PFC controls access to working memory (i.e., filtering), determining which information is encoded and maintained for later use whereas the parietal cortex determines how much information is held at 1 given time, regardless of relevance (i.e., capacity; McNab & Klingberg, 2008; Vogel, McCollough, & Machizawa, 2005). To test this theory, we delivered transcranial DC stimulation (tDCS) to the right PFC and right PPC and measured visual working memory capacity and filtering abilities both during and immediately following stimulation. We observed no evidence that tDCS to either the PFC or PPC significantly improved visual working memory. Although the present results did not allow us to make firm theoretical conclusions about the roles of the PFC and PPC in working memory, the results add to the growing body of literature surrounding tDCS and its associated behavioral and neurophysiological effects.
Green tea extract ingestion , fat oxidation , and glucose tolerance in healthy humans 1 , 2

Background: Green tea consumption is reportedly associated with various health-promoting properties. For example, it has been shown to promote fat oxidation in humans at rest and to prevent obesity and improve insulin sensitivity in mice. Objective: We investigated the effects of acute ingestion of green tea extract (GTE) on glucose tolerance and fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise in humans. Design: Two studies were performed, both with a counter-balanced crossover design. In study A, 12 healthy men performed a 30-min cycling exercise at 60% of maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max) before and after supplementation. In study B, 11 healthy men took an oral-glucose-tolerance test before and after supplementation. In the 24-h period before the experimental trials, participants ingested 3 capsules containing either GTE (total: 890 13 mg polyphenols and 366 5 mg EGCG) or a corn-flour placebo (total: 1729 22 mg). Results: Average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of GTE than after ingestion of placebo (0.41 0.03 and 0.35 0.03 g/min, respectively; P 0.05). Moreover, the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure was also significantly higher, by a similar percentage, after GTE supplementation. The insulin area under the curve decreased in both the GTE and placebo trials (3612 301 and 4280 309 IU/dL 120 min, respectively; P 0.01), and there was a concomitant increase of 13% in insulin sensitivity. Conclusions: Acute GTE ingestion can increase fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise and can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in healthy young men. Am J Clin Nutr
Employment and Financial Stability : Dual Goals of Capital Flow Management ∗ ( Job Market Paper )

I study optimal capital flow management in a small open-economy DSGE model with two frictions: downward nominal wage rigidity and a pricedependent collateral constraint. Wage rigidity introduces an aggregate demand externality under fixed exchange rates and the collateral constraint introduces a pecuniary externality. I provide an analytical characterization of the optimal capital flow management measures and show how they mitigate the externalities. Specifically, I find that the optimal policy in this economy is a prudential tax that discourages capital inflows when the risk of financial crisis is high or when wage is increasing, and it is a stimulative subsidy that encourages capital inflows when unemployment is high and the risk of financial crisis is low. Using quantitative methods and standard calibration, I show that the optimal state-contingent capital inflow tax and even a non-state-contingent flat tax can significantly reduce unemployment and prevent financial crises, hence ultimately improving welfare. These results are of particular relevance for members of a currency union or emerging economies with an exchange rate peg. JEL codes: E2, F32, F4, H21