Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genomic evidence for rod monochromacy in sloths and armadillos suggests early subterranean history for Xenarthra

Rod monochromacy is a rare condition in vertebrates characterized by the absence of cone photoreceptor cells. The resulting phenotype is colourblindness and low acuity vision in dim-light and blindness in bright-light conditions. Early reports of xenarthrans (armadillos, sloths and anteaters) suggest that they are rod monochromats, but this has not been tested with genomic data. We searched the genomes of Dasypus novemcinctus (nine-banded armadillo), Choloepus hoffmanni (Hoffmann's two-toed sloth) and Mylodon darwinii (extinct ground sloth) for retinal photoreceptor genes and examined them for inactivating mutations. We performed PCR and Sanger sequencing on cone phototransduction genes of 10 additional xenarthrans to test for shared inactivating mutations and estimated the timing of inactivation for photoreceptor pseudogenes. We concluded that a stem xenarthran became an long-wavelength sensitive-cone monochromat following a missense mutation at a critical residue in SWS1, and a stem cingulate (armadillos, glyptodonts and pampatheres) and stem pilosan (sloths and anteaters) independently acquired rod monochromacy early in their evolutionary history following the inactivation of LWS and PDE6C, respectively. We hypothesize that rod monochromacy in armadillos and pilosans evolved as an adaptation to a subterranean habitat in the early history of Xenarthra. The presence of rod monochromacy has major implications for understanding xenarthran behavioural ecology and evolution.
Performance Evaluation of MANETs Using Smart Antennas in Multipath Fading Environment

This paper investigates the performance of a MANET where nodes are equiped with fully adaptive smart antennas. The physical antenna system is a uniform circular array and the signal processing unit, employing LMS algorithm uses a reference signal to update the antenna weights. A comparison between a MAC protocol call selective CSMA with cooperative nulling (SCSMA/CN) and 802.11 DCF shows that higher throughput can be obtained exploiting efficient SDMA schemes. The objective of this paper is to extend, via simulations, the considerations on interferer suppression capabilities of smart antennas in more severe channel conditions. So, the link model takes into account path loss, cochannel interference and multipath fading, using modified Jakes model. Simulation results show the performance degradation due to increase of angular spread in multipath channels due to difficulties of smart antennas in placing nulls towards undesired directions. Moreover, this paper puts into evidence the effects of fading on network throughput in mobility scenario
Neuropathology of SUDEP

Objective: To seek a neuropathologic signature of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in a postmortem cohort by use of immunohistochemistry for specific markers of inflammation, gliosis, acute neuronal injury due to hypoxia, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, enabling the generation of hypotheses about potential mechanisms of death in SUDEP. Methods: Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated the expression of 6 markers (CD163, human leukocyte antigen–antigen D related, glial fibrillary acid protein, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α [HIF-1α], immunoglobulin G, and albumin) in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medulla in 58 postmortem cases: 28 SUDEP (definite and probable), 12 epilepsy controls, and 18 nonepileptic sudden death controls. A semiquantitative measure of immunoreactivity was scored for all markers used, and quantitative image analysis was carried out for selected markers. Results: Immunoreactivity was observed for all markers used within all studied brain regions and groups. Immunoreactivity for inflammatory reaction, BBB leakage, and HIF-1α in SUDEP cases was not different from that seen in control groups. Conclusions: This study represents a starting point to explore by immunohistochemistry the mechanisms underlying SUDEP in human brain tissue. Our approach highlights the potential and importance of considering immunohistochemical analysis to help identify biomarkers of SUDEP. Our results suggest that with the markers used, there is no clear immunohistochemical signature of SUDEP in human brain.
Mitochondrial control region variation in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) is not related to Chernobyl radiation exposure

—Three previous studies at Chernobyl, Ukraine, documented elevated mitochondrial DNA diversity in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from radioactively contaminated sites. Little evidence was found to link patterns of diversity in contaminated areas to radiation exposure, but the experimental design precluded discriminating among alternative explanations for elevated diversity in exposed groups. Reference sites selected for the studies were relatively distant from contaminated sites and, additionally, were separated from contaminated sites by large river systems; thus, we hypothesized that differences among sites were correlated with geographic isolation rather than with radiation exposure. For the present study, we added three reference sites, which were selected based on minimal radioactive contamination, proximity to contaminated sites, and absence of obvious barriers to dispersal. We hypothesized that neighboring reference sites should exhibit levels and patterns of diversity similar to those of contaminated sites if the previously detected differences were, in fact, caused by geographic isolation. Indeed, levels of diversity in nearby reference sites are comparable to levels in contaminated sites. Additionally, nearby reference sites contain several haplotypes not observed at other study sites. Our results suggest that levels of diversity in contaminated regions are more plausibly explained by ecological and historical factors than by increased mutational pressure resulting from exposure to Chernobyl radiation.
A Prototyping Method for Applications Development by End Users and Information Systems Specialists

The prototyping development method is presented here which has the potential to reduce the growing application development backlog. Prior research and our findings indicate that a prototyping process can assist in the efficient development of application systems by breaking a complex problem into several comprehensive parts. A state-transition model of the IS development process is presented and discussed. A tw-prototype method is explained in the context of this model. Two projects are described which are typical of development efforts made by end users in a microcomputer environment and IS specialists in a mainframe environment.
The application of multi-resolution techniques on the diagnostic x-ray coherent scatter images

A new Gaussian kernel function which called “Accumulating Gaussian kernel” was presented in this paper. The diagnostic x-ray coherent scatter images are a set of patterns of spatial distribution of photon energy, the signal from a coarser scale have to keep the total energy from finer scale. The accumulating Gaussian kernel can decompose the image same as the general Gaussian kernel and transfer the whole energy from finer scale to the coarser scale. In this pyramid scheme the coarser scale provides low frequency coefficients and keeps lossless of energy. So a simple linear scan method along the x-axis was used to describe the energy distribution accurately. With this method, the experimental results of analysis of x-ray coherent scatter are consistent with that got from the standard method.
Decreased plasma level of vitamin C in chronic kidney disease: comparison between diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND A decreased plasma level of vitamin C has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Here, we sought to determine the vitamin C status of patients with chronic kidney disease and the pathophysiological role of vitamin C in these patients. METHODS We studied 58 patients and evaluated the relationship between renal function and plasma vitamin C concentration, as well as the effect of diabetes on this relationship. Endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery was measured to assess the endothelial function. Serum malondialdehyde low-density lipoprotein was measured as a marker for oxidative stress. RESULTS Plasma vitamin C concentration had a positive linear relationship with eGFR in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients (P = 0.006 and P = 0.004, respectively). When vitamin C concentration and eGFR relationships were compared in the two groups, vitamin C concentration was significantly lower in diabetic patients at every eGFR (P = 0.006). Flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial artery was positively correlated with vitamin C concentration in non-diabetic patients (P = 0.047) but not in diabetic patients. There was a negative correlation between serum malondialdehyde low-density lipoprotein and vitamin C concentration in non-diabetic patients (P = 0.044) but not in diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS Renal dysfunction was associated with a decrease in plasma vitamin C level. Moreover, decreased vitamin C may cause endothelial dysfunction via an increase in oxidative stress in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease patients.
The polypyrimidine tract binding protein binds upstream of neural cell-specific c-src exon N1 to repress the splicing of the intron downstream

The neural cell-specific N1 exon of the c-src pre-mRNA is both negatively regulated in nonneural cells and positively regulated in neurons. We previously identified conserved intronic elements flanking N1 that direct the repression of N1 splicing in a nonneural HeLa cell extract. The upstream repressor elements are located within the polypyrimidine tract of the N1 exon 3' splice site. A short RNA containing this 3' splice site sequence can sequester trans-acting factors in the HeLa extract to allow splicing of N1. We now show that these upstream repressor elements specifically interact with the polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB). Mutations in the polypyrimidine tract reduce both PTB binding and the ability of the competitor RNA to derepress splicing. Moreover, purified PTB protein restores the repression of N1 splicing in an extract derepressed by a competitor RNA. In this system, the PTB protein is acting across the N1 exon to regulate the splicing of N1 to the downstream exon 4. This mechanism is in contrast to other cases of splicing regulation by PTB, in which the protein represses the splice site to which it binds.
Supracolloidal Reaction Kinetics of Janus Spheres

Colloidal particles that are charged on one side and hydrophobic on the other can form chiral helices in salt solutions. Clusters in the form of aggregates of a small number of elemental units display structural, thermodynamic, and dynamic properties different from those of bulk materials. We studied the kinetic pathways of self-assembly of “Janus spheres” with hemispherical hydrophobic attraction and found key differences from those characteristic of molecular amphiphiles. Experimental visualization combined with theory and molecular dynamics simulation shows that small, kinetically favored isomers fuse, before they equilibrate, into fibrillar triple helices with at most six nearest neighbors per particle. The time scales of colloidal rearrangement combined with the directional interactions resulting from Janus geometry make this a prototypical system to elucidate, on a mechanistic level and with single-particle kinetic resolution, how chemical anisotropy and reaction kinetics coordinate to generate highly ordered structures.
Suppressed, Forced Out and Fired

So entrenched and powerful is the patriarchy within organizations that women have serious difficulty acquiring positions of real importance, even when it is in the organization's best interest to use their talents fully (and reward them equitably). Reeves surveys the structural obstacles to women's advancement and argues that successful women executives threaten their male counterparts and their patriarchal culture, which responds by punishing them. Unlike other studies on the topic, Reeves explains the mechanisms by which gender discrimination operates—the dynamics of discrimination and the processes by which women in business are marginalized, subordinated, and excluded. Her book combines theory with first person case study accounts of 10 women who were suppressed, then fired. The result is a fresh, compelling argument that, despite claims to the contrary, the glass ceiling still exists. The patriarchy has simply devised subtle new ways to circumvent the legal remedies meant to crack through it. Reeves reviews statistics on the role of women in work, patterns of horizontal and vertical segregation, and differences in the experiences of men and women, then turns to an assessment of the theories of women's subordination. She profiles each of her 10 women subjects, explains their education, career trajectory, and accomplishments. Their experiences reveal various mechanisms through which the patriarchy operates to subordinate successful women, such as communication patterns among men that minimize women's contributions, withholding of information, denial of status to women, intimidation tactics, and the double bind that women find themselves in when they seek fair treatment. After analyzing the women's termination in detail, Reeves discusses how each woman's personality played a role in her termination. Reeves ends by drawing conclusions on what the present and future seem to hold for women's progress in organizations, and particularly in publicly held corporations.
Multi-Use Unidirectional Proxy Re-Encryption

This paper presents the first multi-use unidirectional proxy re-encryption scheme proven-secure against chosenciphertext attacks and collusion attacks in the standard model. Although our proposal features a linear ciphertext size and decryption time in the number of translations, we emphasize that it is the first multi-use and unidirectional realization of the primitive satisfying the chosen-ciphertext security and collusion resistance. The proposal gives an answer to the problem proposed by Canetti and Hohenberger at ACM CCS 2007.
Understanding Misunderstandings: A Practical Guide to More Successful Human Interaction

Preface Chapter One. Introduction: Interaction and Misunderstanding Part One. The Process of Misunderstanding Chapter Two. Action: The Problem of Being Misunderstood Chapter Three. Observing Behavior: Perception and Misunderstanding Chapter Four. Making Sense of What We Perceive The Problem of Interpretation Chapter Five. Modest Actions, Monumental Misunderstandings Chapter Six. The Consummation and the Aftermath: Behavioral Responses and Emotional Reactions Part Two. Misunderstandings in Cultural and Social Context Chapter Seven. Culture Clashes Chapter Eight. Class Acts: Social Class and Misunderstandings Chapter Nine. It's All Black and White: Race and Misunderstandings Chapter Ten. She Said, He Heard: Women, Men, and Misunderstanding References Index
Positive and negative consequences of sick leave for the individual, with special focus on part-time sick leave

Aims: To describe the consequences of long-term sick leave (>28 days) on working situation, health and lifestyle among employees from the public sector in Sweden. Methods: Employees in four county councils and two municipalities on long term sick leave on 1 November 2005 (n = 1,128) answered a questionnaire in February 2006. The response rate was 71.7%. Eighty seven per cent were still on sick leave when the questionnaire was answered: 54% part time and 33% full time. Results: Reporting positive consequences was rare but reporting negative consequences, such as effects on the development of salary, the possibilities of pursuing a career or to change to another job were common. Sick leave seemed to lead to a considerable loss of zest for work, even if the respondents were back in work full time. Regardless of the negative consequences at work, 92% of those on part-time sick leave believed that the part-time sick leave was good for them even if many thought it had negative consequences for employer and colleagues. Conclusions: Long-term sick leave has negative consequences for the individual in work situations, even for those back at work full time. The development of salary and career seem to be most affected. The attitude towards part-time sick leave was positive and this result indicates that there is a potential for an increased degree of partial return to work in the group of people on long-term sick leave.
How Interaction Designers use Tools to Capture, Manage, and Collaborate on Ideas

In this paper, we present an in-depth survey of how interaction designers use tools to capture, manage and collaborate on ideas. We observe that designers report very unique processes with various tools, and that no dominant tool is present for idea capture and development. Our discoveries are summarized into three key insights, suggesting ways for interaction design research to support these practices.
Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development

Integrates theory, research, and practice on the learning of second and foreign languages as informed by sociocultural and activity theory. It familiarizes students, teachers, and other researchers who do not work within the theory with its principal claims and constructs in particular as they relate to second language research. The book also describes and illustrates the use of activity theory to support practical and conceptual innovations in second language education.
Patterning the limb before and after SHH signalling

The vertebrate limb is one of the most relevant experimental models for analysing cell–cell signalling during patterning of embryonic fields and organogenesis. Recently, the combination of molecular and genetic studies with experimental manipulation of developing limb buds has significantly advanced our understanding of the complex molecular interactions co‐ordinating limb bud outgrowth and patterning. Some of these studies have shown that there is a need to revise some of the textbook views of vertebrate limb development. In this review, we discuss how signalling by the polarizing region is established and how limb bud morphogenesis is controlled by both long‐range and signal relay mechanisms. We also discuss recent results showing that differential mesenchymal responsiveness to SHH signalling is established prior to its expression by the polarizing region.
LOFT: A Latency-Oriented Fault Tolerant Transport Protocol for Wireless Sensor-Actuator Networks

Wireless sensor-actuator networks, or WSANs, refer to a group of sensors and actuators which collect data from the environment and perform application-specific actions in response. To act responsively and accurately, an efficient and reliable data transport protocol is crucial for the sensors to inform the actuators about the environmental events. Unfortunately, the low-power multi-hop communications in WSANs are inherently unreliable; the frequent sensor and link failures as well as the excessive delays due to congestion further aggravate the problem. In this paper, we propose a latency-oriented fault tolerant data transport protocol in WSANs. We argue that reliable data transport in such a real-time system should resist to the transmission failures, and should also consider the importance and freshness of the reported data. We articulate this argument and provide a cross-layer two-step data transport protocol for on- time and fault tolerant data delivery from sensors to actuators. Our protocol adopts smart priority scheduling that differentiates the event data of non-uniform importance. It balances the workload of sensors by checking their queue utilization and copes with node and link failures by an adaptive replication algorithm. We evaluate our protocol through extensive simulations, and the results demonstrate that it achieves the desirable reliability for WSANs.
Profiling Distributed File Systems with Computer Animation

Achieving performance, reliability, and scalability has proven difficult for distributed file systems. Placement of data, load distribution and other overheads are often the culprits. Profiling is a useful technique for understanding file system behavior, improving performance and debugging problems. Existing file system profiling methods often examine fine-grained system activity, such as the path of a single request. This makes understanding interactive relationsh ips difficult. Also, current profiling techniques do not provide a way for users to easily view full system behavior, often rely ing on logs, statistics, or simple graphs. We present a distributed file system profiling method based on clear-box profiling and visualization of full syste m behavior. Our approach allows for portable, low-overhead profiling and provides users with real-time animation of sys tem behavior. We present users with a visualization of the file system architecture and animate behaviors, such as load distribution, data location, and network traffic, under rea l workloads. This allows users to visually identify bottlenecks, latencies, characterize system state and I/O reques ts, and debug problems. We evaluate the overhead and effectiveness of our profiling method on the Ceph petabyte-scale, parallel file system. Our evaluation shows the visualizatio n client is able to profile each device with very minimal overhead. Additionally, We demonstrate the usefulness of our profiling and visualization techniques through a series of profiles on Ceph. Using these profiles, we have discovered several interesting and important problems ranging from in efficiencies, namely in small I/O operations, to major issue , such as instabilities in the Ceph messaging layer.
Cytodiagnosis of benign and malignant hürthle cell lesions of the thyroid by fine‐needle aspiration biopsy

Eighty‐two Hürthle cell (HC) lesions of the thyroid with cytologic evaluation by fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were reviewed. In 17 cases the FNAB was not diagnostic because the fine‐needle aspirates (FNAs) were too scanty in cellularity. Among the remaining 65 lesions, there were 45 HC adenomas (HCAs), six non‐neoplastic HC nodules (NHCNs), 10 primary HC carcinomas (HCCs), and four metastatic HCCs. Forty‐four HCAs were diagnosed as HC tumor (HCT), and one HCA was wrongly diagnosed as medullary carcinoma. All six NHCNs were wrongly diagnosed as HCT. Of 10 primary HCCs, three were diagnosed as HCT and seven as suspected HCC. Four metastatic HCCs were correctly diagnosed. The FNAs from 38 HCAs and four NHCNs were predominantly composed of large monomorphic HCs with oval nuclei, inconspicuous nucleoli, and abundant, well‐defined, granular cytoplasm present singly, in acinar arrangement, and in monolayered sheets of variable sizes. Nuclear pleomorphism and prominent nucleoli were noted in seven HCAs and two NHCNs. Occasional small syncytial tumor cell clusters (STCCs) were noted in six cases, and a few naked tumor cell nuclei (NTCN) were observed in 16 cases. The FNAs from 14 HCCs were hypercellular. In all cases tumor cells were relatively small and showed monomorphic or pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and ill‐defined cytoplasm. STCCs of variable sizes were present in abundance in 10 cases, and numerous NTCN were noted in 12 cases. In two HCCs, the tumor cells with well‐defined cytoplasm were present singly and in cohesive sheets, and no STCCs or NTCN were observed. Thus, the presence of small tumor cells with ill‐defined cytoplasm and prominent nucleoli in syncytial clusters and abundant NTCN in the FNA of a thyroid nodule should alert the observer about the strong possibility of an HCC. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;20:261–265. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.