Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arginine N-Methyltransferase 1 Is Required for Early Postimplantation Mouse Development, but Cells Deficient in the Enzyme Are Viable

ABSTRACT Protein arginine N-methyltransferases have been implicated in a variety of processes, including cell proliferation, signal transduction, and protein trafficking. In this study, we have characterized essentially a null mutation induced by insertion of the U3βGeo gene trap retrovirus into the second intron of the mouse protein arginineN-methyltransferase 1 gene (Prmt1). cDNAs encoding two forms of Prmt1 were characterized, and the predicted protein sequences were found to be highly conserved among vertebrates. Expression of the Prmt1-βgeo fusion gene was greatest along the midline of the neural plate and in the forming head fold from embryonic day 7.5 (E7.5) to E8.5 and in the developing central nervous system from E8.5 to E13.5. Homozygous mutant embryos failed to develop beyond E6.5, a phenotype consistent with a fundamental role in cellular metabolism. However, Prmt1 was not required for cell viability, as the protein was not detected in embryonic stem (ES) cell lines established from mutant blastocysts. Low levels of Prmt1 transcripts (approximately 1% of the wild-type level) were detected as assessed by a quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay. Total levels of arginineN-methyltransferase activity and asymmetricNG ,NG -dimethylarginine were reduced by 85 and 54%, respectively, while levels of hypomethylated substrates were increased 15-fold. Prmt1 appears to be a major type I enzyme in ES cells, and in wild-type cells, most substrates of the enzyme appear to be maintained in a fully methylated state.
Secreted Dense Granule Adenine Nucleotides Promote Calcium Influx and the Maintenance of Elevated Cytosolic Calcium Levels in Stimulated Human Platelets

Summary Evidence that secreted dense granule adenine nucleotides mediate part of the agonist-induced cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) responses in human platelets was obtained from comparisons of fura-2-loaded platelets from normal subjects and from patients with a form of platelet storage pool deficiency (SPD) in which the secretory dense granules and their contents are virtually absent. SPD platelets had normal initial [Ca2+]i in creases induced by thrombin and the endoperoxide analog U46619, but a significantly enhanced decay of elevated [Ca2+]i levels following the initial increases. With thrombin, this enhanced [Ca2+]i decay was associated with decreased Ca2+ influx, as measured by Mn2+ quench of fura-2 fluorescence. Addition of micromolar concentrations of ADP, alone or together with ATP, after stimulation reversed the enhanced [Ca2+]I decay and increased Mn2+ quench in SPD platelets, but had no effect on these responses in normal platelets, while addition of 100-fold higher concentrations of ATP or apyrase before stimulation increased [Ca2+]I decay and decreased Mn2+ quench in normal platelets, but had little effect in SPD platelets. ATP and α,β-methylene ATP, a specific agonist for P2X1 receptors, at micromolar concentrations also increased Mn2+ quench, but to lesser extents than did ADP, in SPD platelets isolated and loaded with fura-2 in the presence of apyrase. Similar effects of ADP and excess ATP were seen in U46619-stimulated platelets, but decreased Ca2+ influx could not be measured directly in SPD platelets, presumably due to the very transient influx response seen with U46619. These results suggest that secreted dense granule ADP and ATP contribute to the maintenance of elevated [Ca2+]i levels, but not to the initial [Ca2+]i increases, in stimulated human platelets, most likely via a nucleotide-specific component of Ca2+ influx which may be mediated by interactions with both P2X1 and P2Y1 purinoceptors.
Active Patch Antenna for Digital TV Receiver

This paper presents a broadband, low noise and high-gain active patch antenna for digital television receiver. The active antenna includes a broadband passive patch antenna and a one stage low noise bipolar amplifier. They are integrated on a Fr4 substrate. The frequency covers from 170MHz to230 MHz (VHF) and from 350MHz to 650 MHz (UHF).
Effects of Leader Persistence and Environmental Complexity on Leadership Perceptions

The effects of managerial persistence with one course of action and environmental complexity on leadership perceptions were explored. Persistent leaders were evaluated more highly and attributed more leadership and responsibility than nonpersistent leaders, regardless of the level of environmental complexity. The results suggest that implicit beliefs about effective leader behavior may not vary across situations, thereby discouraging variety in leader behavior critical for performance in complex environments.
Resting sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity in subjects with low and high tolerance to central hypovolemia induced by lower body negative pressure

Central hypovolemia elicited by orthostasis or hemorrhage triggers sympathetically-mediated baroreflex responses to maintain organ perfusion; these reflexes are less sensitive in patients with orthostatic intolerance, and during conditions of severe blood loss, may result in cardiovascular collapse (decompensatory or circulatory shock). The ability to tolerate central hypovolemia is variable and physiological factors contributing to tolerance are emerging. We tested the hypothesis that resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) are attenuated in male and female subjects who have low tolerance (LT) to central hypovolemia induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). MSNA and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) were recorded in 47 human subjects who subsequently underwent LBNP to tolerance (onset of presyncopal symptoms). LT subjects experienced presyncopal symptoms prior to completing LBNP of −60 mm Hg, and subjects with high tolerance (HT) experienced presyncopal symptoms after completing LBNP of −60 mm Hg. Contrary to our hypothesis, resting MSNA burst incidence was not different between LT and HT subjects, and was not related to time to presyncope. BRS was assessed as the slope of the relationship between spontaneous fluctuations in DAP and MSNA during 5 min of supine rest. MSNA burst incidence/DAP correlations were greater than or equal to 0.5 in 37 subjects (LT: n = 9; HT: n = 28), and BRS was not different between LT and HT (−1.8 ± 0.3 vs. −2.2 ± 0.2 bursts·(100 beats)−1 ·mm Hg−1, p = 0.29). We conclude that tolerance to central hypovolemia is not related to either resting MSNA or sympathetic BRS.
A Basic Linear Algebra Compiler

Many applications in media processing, control, graphics, and other domains require efficient small-scale linear algebra computations. However, most existing high performance libraries for linear algebra, such as ATLAS or Intel MKL are more geared towards large-scale problems (matrix sizes in the hundreds and larger) and towards specific interfaces (e.g., BLAS). In this paper we present LGen: a compiler for small-scale, basic linear algebra computations. The input to LGen is a fixed-size linear algebra expression; the output is a corresponding C function optionally including intrinsics to efficiently use SIMD vector extensions. LGen generates code using two levels of mathematical domain-specific languages (DSLs). The DSLs are used to perform tiling, loop fusion, and vectorization at a high level of abstraction, before the final code is generated. In addition, search is used to select among alternative generated implementations. We show benchmarks of code generated by LGen against Intel MKL and IPP as well as against alternative generators, such as the C++ template-based Eigen and the BTO compiler. The achieved speed-up is typically about a factor of two to three.
On the linguistic shaping of thought: Another response to Alfred Bloom

ABSTRACT Bloom (1981, 1984) linked the existence of specific grammatical constructions – for example, the counterfactual conditional in English – to the development of a labeled cognitive schema specific to counterfactual thought. He claimed that because the Chinese language lacks an equivalent grammatical marker, Chinese speakers do not develop the corresponding cognitive schema and thus process counterfactuals “less naturally” (1981:22) than English speakers. Whereas attempts to replicate Bloom (Au 1983, 1984; Liu 1985) questioned the extent to which such differences exist, this article demonstrates that where differences in counterfactual response patterns clearly do exist, they cannot be attributed to the presence/absence of a linguistic “counterfactual” construction.
School Choice in London, England: Characteristics of Students in Different Types of Secondary Schools

In England, parents make “choices” (in reality, “preferences”) for the state-maintained secondary schools they wish their child to attend. If there are more applicants than places, the school's published admissions criteria are used to give priority to applicants. This article examines how school composition in London varies by first comparing schools that are overtly academically selective with those that are nominally “comprehensive” (“all ability”); second, comparing “comprehensive” schools that control their own admissions with those that do not; third, comparing schools with and without selective admissions criteria; and fourth, comparing schools that use religious criteria with those that do not. We find that school compositions vary. Academically selective schools have fewer students from poor households than comprehensive schools in the same area and have fewer Black and more Indian and Chinese/Other Asian students. Comprehensive schools with autonomy over admissions admit higher attaining students and have fewer students from poor households and with special educational needs, and those with selective admissions criteria admit higher performing children. There are fewer Bangladeshi/Pakistani students and more Black students in schools with a religious character than in those without. Although a range of factors are likely to play a role in explaining the variation in school composition, the evidence suggests that there is “selecting in” and “selecting out” of more desirable students by some schools. Implications for policy are highlighted. This article is based on a presentation given at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco in 2006. It has since been substantially revised. We are grateful for the comments made by two anonymous reviewers. They would also like to thank Hazel Pennell, RobertWest, Philip Noden, and Peter Currie for comments on an earlier draft of this article.
Examining the Discourses That Shape Our Teacher Identities

AbstractIn this article I advocate for explicitly teaching prospective and practicing teachers about the concept of discourse. Within discourses, teachers, children, and families are positioned in very particular ways in relation to one another. Learning to examine the discourses through which we enact our teaching lives provides us with opportunities to select those discourses that allow for the creation of positive social and academic identities for the children in our care. The ideas for this article evolved from conversations that I had with a student enrolled in a graduate-level child growth and development course. Her provocative ideas and insights caused me to question my teaching and explore how our class struggled to speak and act within two discourses, a child-centered discourse and a sociocultural discourse. I discuss the tensions that we experienced in our university classroom as we challenged ourselves to understand the shifts in our identities as they were constructed within a sociocultural .
Characterization of a New Animal Model for Evaluation of Persistent Postthoracotomy Pain

Chronic pain after thoracotomy is common, although its basis and therapy have not been well characterized. In this study we characterize the allodynic responses (mechanical and cold) as well as the histopathologic changes after thoracotomy and rib retraction in rats. The antinociceptive effect of systemic and intrathecal analgesics was also evaluated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and the right 4th and 5th ribs surgically exposed. The pleura was opened between the ribs and a retractor placed under both ribs and opened 8 mm. Retraction was maintained for 5, 30, or 60 min. Control animals had pleural incision only. Beginning Day 2 postsurgery, animals were tested for mechanical allodynia using calibrated von Frey filaments and cold allodynia using acetone applied to the incision site. Two weeks after surgery, animals were tested for reduction of allodynia with intraperitoneal and intrathecal injections of analgesics. Intercostal nerve histology was examined at 14 days postsurgery. Allodynia developed in 50% of the animals with 60 min retraction but in only 11% and 10% of animals when the retraction time was 5 and 30 min, respectively, and in none of the control animals. Allodynic animals showed extensive axon loss in the intercostal nerves of the retracted ribs. Allodynia appeared by Day 10 in the rib-retraction model and lasted at least 40 days. Systemic morphine sulfate (50% effective dose [ED50], 1.06 mg/kg) and gabapentin (ED50, 24.2 mg/kg), as well as intrathecal morphine (ED50, 1.19 nmol), gabapentin (ED50, 13.8 nmol), clonidine (ED50, 72.7 nmol), and neostigmine (ED50, 0.54 nmol) reduced allodynia. Rib-retraction in rats for 60 min produces allodynia that lasts more than 1 mo, and this allodynia is reduced by morphine, gabapentin, clonidine, and neostigmine. This new model may be useful for quantifying the efficacy of techniques to reduce the frequency and severity of long-term postthoracotomy pain.
Developing effective messages about potable recycled water: The importance of message structure and content

Community opposition is a barrier to potable recycled water schemes. Effective communication strategies about such schemes are needed. Drawing on social psychological literature, two experimental studies are presented, which explore messages that improve public perceptions of potable recycled water. The Elaboration‐Likelihood Model of information processing and attitude change is tested and supported. Study 1 (N = 415) premeasured support for recycled water, and trust in government information at Time 1. Messages varied in complexity and sidedness were presented at Time 2 (3 weeks later), and support and trust were remeasured. Support increased after receiving information, provided that participants received complex rather than simple information. Trust in government was also higher after receiving information. There was tentative evidence of this in response to two‐sided messages rather than one‐sided messages. Initial attitudes to recycled water moderated responses to information. Those initially neutral or ambivalent responded differently to simple and one‐sided messages, compared to participants with positive or negative attitudes. Study 2 (N = 957) tested the effectiveness of information about the low relative risks, and/or benefits of potable recycled water, compared to control groups. Messages about the low risks resulted in higher support when the issue of recycled water was relevant. Messages about benefits resulted in higher perceived issue relevance, but did not translate into greater support. The results highlight the importance of understanding people's motivation to process information, and need to tailor communication to match attitudes and stage of recycled water schemes' development.
The Problem of Search and Deliberation in Economic Action: When Social Networks Really Matter

It has been argued persuasively that social networks hold relevance for economic action. Yet, in light of the taken-for-granted role of prices, it is crucial to specify when and how social networks influence the efficiency of economic actions taken by actors oriented primarily, as business firms tend to be, toward economic objectives. In this article I contend that when actors need to but cannot, independently or via market mechanisms, cost-effectively ascertain the identity and reliability of potential exchange partners, then scope exists for social networks to appreciably and systematically influence efficiency.
Cross-site Scripting Attacks on Android Hybrid Applications

Hybrid mobile applications are coded in both standard web languages and native language. The including of web technologies results in that Hybrid applications introduce more security risks than the traditional web applications, which have more possible channels to inject malicious codes to gain much more powerful privileges. In this paper, Cross-site Scripting attacks specific to Android Hybrid apps developed with PhoneGap framework are investigated. We find out that the XSS vulnerability on Hybrid apps makes it possible for attackers to bypass the access control policies of WebView and WebKit to run malicious codes into victim's WebView. With the PhoneGap plugins, the malicious codes can steal user's private information and destroy user's file system, which are more damaging than cookie stealing.
Design and Monitoring Systems for Parallel Programming

In this paper we consider computer-based systems for designing, debugging, tuning and optimizating parallel programs. The development of such systems is complicated and labour-intensive. Despite this, in the last few years many interesting projects have been developed which can be effectively used to design debug programs for parallel architectures. We analyse the current state in this area and the various approaches are compared.
MicroRNA-Mediated Down-Regulation of Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) Attenuates the Apoptosis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Transplanted into Infarcted Heart

Stem cell therapy using adult stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has produced some promising results in treating the damaged heart. However, the low survival rate of MSCs after transplantation is still one of the crucial factors that limit the therapeutic effect of stem cells. In the damaged heart, oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production can cause the death of transplanted MSCs. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) has been implicated in the development of oxidative stress-related pathologic conditions. Thus, we hypothesized that down-regulation of ASK1 in human MSCs (hMSCs) might attenuate the post-transplantation death of MSCs. To test this hypothesis, we screened microRNAs (miRNAs) based on a miRNA-target prediction database and empirical data and investigated the anti-apoptotic effect of selected miRNAs on human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) and on rat myocardial infarction (MI) models. Our data indicated that miRNA-301a most significantly suppressed ASK1 expression in hASCs. Apoptosis-related genes were significantly down-regulated in miRNA-301a-enriched hASCs exposed to hypoxic conditions. Taken together, these data show that miRNA-mediated down-regulation of ASK1 protects MSCs during post-transplantation, leading to an increase in the efficacy of MSC-based cell therapy.
The Network Structures of Organizations: Effects of Task Contingencies and Distributional Form

The broad concern in this paper is a long-standing one in organizational sociology, the determinants of organizational structures. However, it is argued that internal structures are better conceived and operationalized in network terms than in the "distributional" terms of past organizational research. From a survey of 36 agencies, network data were obtained on the communication and client referral ties among practitioner staff. From these data, the following structural measures were computed for each organization, density, connectivity (cohesion), symmetry (hierarchy), and clustering. From such theories of organization as Burns and Stalker's distinction between mechanistic and organic forms, hypotheses were derived relating these network structural properties to the distributional properties of differentiation, formalization, and centralization, as well as the task contingency variables of size, age, technology, and professionalization. The regression analysis provides support for the general argument that organic organization is manifested in networks characterized by high density, connectivity, and multiplexity combined with low hierarchy and clustering.
A review of the literature concerning HIV and cigarette smoking: Morbidity and mortality, associations with individual- and social-level characteristics, and smoking cessation efforts

Cigarette smoking is endemic among many populations, but is especially prevalent among people living with HIV, and is consequently associated with a variety of types of morbidity as well as mortality. Despite this knowledge, relatively little research has been conducted among smokers living with HIV. Extant research has focused on examining individual-level characteristics associated with smoking behaviors, to the neglect of examining social-level factors. This manuscript represents a critical literature review of the intersecting research fields of HIV and cigarette smoking. Topics considered within this review include: morbidity, mortality, as well as treatment and medication adherence outcomes; individual- and social-level characteristics associated with various smoking behaviors; evidence-based smoking cessation interventions; and findings from cessation interventions among smokers living with HIV. Additionally, gaps in the existing literature, as well as directions for future research were identified and discussed.
The Korean Concepts Dapdaphada and Uulhada

This study explored the Korean emotion concepts dapdaphada and uulhada. Korean (n =50) and German (n = 50) participants read scenarios designed to elicit these and eight more emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, joy). Participants denoted the feelings that they would have in these situations verbally and by selecting pictures of facial expressions. The results indicate that uulhada and dapdaphada are specific emotion words in the domain of sadness with no translation equivalents in German. However, the question of whether or not Koreans and Germans had the same feelings (regardless of the words they used to denote them) remained open.
High performance PRAM cell scalable to sub-20nm technology with below 4F2 cell size, extendable to DRAM applications

A PRAM cell with great scalability and high speed operation capability with excellent reliability below 20nm technology was demonstrated. This has the meaning of the potential applicable to the technology area of scaling limitation of DRAM cell. We fabricated a confined PRAM cell with 7.5nm×17nm of below 4F2. In particular, Sb-rich Ge-Sb-Te phase change material was employed for high speed operation below 30nsec. The excellent writing endurance performance was predicted to maintain up to 6.5E15cycles by reset program energy acceleration. Its data retention was 4.5 years at 85°C which is enough for DRAM application.
Ontology in Plain English

In a series of papers, Eli Hirsch develops a deflationary account of certain ontological debates, specifically those regarding the composition and persistence of physical objects. He argues that these debates are merely verbal disputes between philosophers who fail to correctly express themselves in a common language. To establish the truth in plain English about these issues, Hirsch contends, we need only listen to the assertions of ordinary speakers and interpret them charitably. In this paper, I argue that Hirsch’s conclusions rest on a deficient understanding of the principle of charity. On a proper understanding of this principle, we can see that philosophical disagreement on these issues is not merely verbal. Further, it is no serious violation of charity to interpret ordinary assertions on these matters as false, for the beliefs they express can be explained as reasonable mistakes. Throughout I focus on the debate on composition; but my arguments should carry over to the debate on persistence.