Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early molecular responses of coral larvae to hyperthermal stress

Most of the work on the impact of elevated temperature and light on Symbiodinium‐invertebrate symbioses have focused primarily on how the photosynthetic (algal) partner is impacted. Understanding how the same stresses affect the invertebrate host, however, is in its infancy. In this study, we re‐examined the direct effect of elevated temperatures on the invertebrate host exploring the early transcriptional response of aposymbiotic (without algal symbionts) coral larvae. The temperatures tested in the experimental design were 24 °C (ambient seawater temperature), 28 °C and 31 °C; and the sampling points were 3 and 10 h after temperature exposure. We explored relative changes in transcription using a cDNA microarray constructed for the scleractinian coral, Acropora millepora, and containing 18 142 expressed sequence tag (EST) clones/8386 unigenes. Our study identified 29 genes that were significantly up‐ and down‐regulated when A. millepora coral larvae were exposed to elevated temperatures. Down‐regulation of several key components of DNA/RNA metabolism was detected implying inhibition of general cellular processes. The down‐regulation of protein synthesis, however, was not simple and random, which suggested that the stress response was a more complicated adjustment of cellular metabolism. We identified four significant outcomes during the very early hours of the transcriptional response to hyperthermal stress in coral larvae. First, the expression of heat‐shock proteins increased rapidly (within 3 h) in response to hyperthermal stress. Second, a fluorescent protein homologue, DsRed‐type FP, decreased its expression in response to elevated temperature reinforcing a potential role as a molecular marker for monitoring hyperthermal stress in nature. Third, the down‐regulation of a coral mannose‐binding C‐type lectin under elevated temperature suggests that heat stress might compromise some components of the coral immune defence and therefore might bring about susceptibility to pathogenic diseases. And last, genes involved in protecting cells against oxidative stress showed little response at the early hours to heat stress, supporting the proposal that up‐regulation of cnidarian host oxidative stress genes may require reactive oxygen species generated by stressed algal symbionts.
Changes in HIV-related risk behaviors following drug abuse treatment.

OBJECTIVES To measure changes in HIV-related injection drug and sexual risk behaviors following drug treatment in a therapeutic community program. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study of 261 drug users, randomly assigned to day or residential treatment. Participants were interviewed 2 weeks after entering treatment and 6, 12 and 18 months later (follow-up rate: 83%). RESULTS Greater reductions in injection risk behaviors were associated with more time in treatment and the later waves of measurement. Wave was also associated with a reduction of sexual risk behavior. CONCLUSIONS Drug abuse treatment was associated with a decrease in HIV-related risk behavior.
Selegiline in de novo parkinsonian patients: The finnish study

Selegiline (L‐deprenyl) has been recommended as an antiparkinsonian drug to be used as an adjunct to therapy with L‐dopa, if and when L‐dopa starts to lose its effect. However, initial selegiline monotherapy followed by L‐dopa may be both effective and safe. A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial was carried out in previously untreated patients with Parkinson's disease randomized to receive selegiline (10 mg/day; 27 patients) or placebo (25 patients) until L‐dopa treatment became imperative. Three rating scales were used for assessment. The study design continues to be double‐blind even after L‐dopa is introduced. L‐Dopa was needed after 545 ± 90 days in the selegiline group. This was significantly later (p = 0.03) than after placebo (372 ± 28 days). Disability was less severe in the selegiline group, and there were no serious adverse effects. A nearly twofold dose of L‐dopa was needed in the placebo group to achieve a sufficient therapeutic effect during longterm treatment. These results show that selegiline is safe and effective as monotherapy in early parkinsonism. It delays the need for L‐dopa treatment and reduces the amount of daily L‐dopa required. This could be explained by either a symptomatic effect or neuroprotective efficacy or, more likely, a combination of both.
Asynchronous sub-threshold ultra-low power processor

Ultra low power VLSI circuits may enable applications such as medical implants, sensor networks and “things” for IoT. Aggressive supply voltage scaling is known to significantly improve power consumption and efficiency, but incurs both performance degradation and high delay variations. We illustrate that the most energy efficient operating point of a pipelined MIPS CPU lies in the deep sub-threshold region. We investigate the optimal selection of technology node, process variant and transistor type, and compare synchronous and asynchronous designs. We identify the optimal performance/power ratio design point for the 28nm high-k metal-gate high-performance process with high VT transistors and a bundled-data asynchronous design style to efficiently accommodate delay variations. We illustrate a 7.4× power efficiency improvement potential for the CPU, coupled with a reduction in power consumption by more than one thousand, relative to a synchronous CPU operating at nominal voltage. The asynchronous sub-threshold MIPS CPU designed in this work is compared with other commercial and research CPUs, and is shown to achieve superior power efficiency.
Decrease of miR-146b-5p in Monocytes during Obesity Is Associated with Loss of the Anti-Inflammatory but Not Insulin Signaling Action of Adiponectin

Background Low adiponectin, a well-recognized antidiabetic adipokine, has been associated with obesity-related inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance. Globular adiponectin is an important regulator of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)/NFκB pathway in monocytes of obese subjects. It protects against inflammation and oxidative stress by inducing IRAK3. microRNA (miR)-146b-5p inhibits NFκB-mediated inflammation by targeted repression of IRAK1 and TNF receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF6). Therefore, we measured the expression of miR-146b-5p in monocytes of obese subjects. Because it was low we determined the involvement of this miR in the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and insulin signaling action of globular adiponectin. Methods miR-146b-5p expression in monocytes of obese subjects was determined by qRT-PCR. The effect of miR-146b-5p silencing on molecular markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin signaling and the association with globular adiponectin was assessed in human THP-1 monocytes. Results miR-146b-5p was downregulated in monocytes of obese persons. Low globular adiponectin decreased miR-146b-5p and IRAK3 in THP-1 monocytes, associated with increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intracellular ROS and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) protein were unchanged. Silencing of miR-146b-5p with an antisense inhibitor resulted in increased expression of IRAK1 and TRAF6 leading to more NFκB p65 DNA binding activity and TNFα. As a response IRAK3 and IRS1 protein increased. Mitochondrial and intracellular ROS production did not increase despite more inflammation. In addition, exposure of miR-146b-5p-depleted THP-1 monocytes to high levels of globular adiponectin resulted in an increased production of TNFα and intracellular ROS. Still, they did not lose their potential to increase IRAK3 and IRS1 protein and to decrease mitochondrial ROS. Conclusion miR-146b-5p, decreased in monocytes during obesity, is a major mediator of the anti-inflammatory action of globular adiponectin. It appears not to be involved in insulin signaling possibly by protective response of IRAK3 and lack of mitochondrial ROS production.
Edaphic and Ecophysiological Responses to Early Establishment Weed Control and Fertilisation in F1 Hybrid Pine Plantations of Southeast Queensland

Post-planting silviculture in the exotic pine plantations of Southeast Queensland focuses on fertilisation and weed control at early plantation establishment. Early establishment silviculture in pine plantations aims to reduce the competition for light, nutrients and water in the short term, while maximising resource conversion for growth in the long term. However, silviculture can be applied in a systematic way without necessarily considering the limitations to maximum tree growth at each site. Accordingly, silvicultural treatments could be applied in a site specific manner to better reflect the limitations to tree growth at each site (e.g. nutrition and/or water), or for maximum effectiveness based on seasonal limitations (e.g. weed competition, water availability). This research aimed to investigate the effects of early establishment weed control and fertilisation practices on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling (as an indicator of soil fertility), tree nutrition (particularly N nutrition), growth and eco-physiological responses, in the F1 hybrid exotic pine plantations (Pinus elliottii Engelm var. elliottii x Pinus caribaea Morelet var. hondurensis (Senecl.) W.H. G. Barett & Golfari. ) in the subtropics of Southeast Queensland.
Long‐term optimization of crop yield while concurrently improving soil quality

Sustainably feeding the growing human population requires improvements in both soil quality and nitrogen (N) management. However, in response to N fertilizer addition, whether soil quality will be optimized at N application rates that maximize yields is rarely explored from a long‐term perspective. We conducted a 9‐year field experiment to examine agronomic and soil quality indices in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) double cropping system. Optimal nitrogen rates (ONR) were determined by in‐season soil NO3−‐N testing. Other treatments included control plots, 50–70% ONR, 130–150% ONR, and local farmers' N practices (FNP). The ONR increased grain yield by 10.5% in comparison with the 50–70% ONR treatment and achieved yields comparable to the 130–150% ONR treatment. The ONR treatment reduced the applied N fertilization rate by 38.5% in comparison with FNP levels but without any yield losses. After N fertilization for 9 years, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, C sequestration rates, and soil microbial biomass C were the highest with the ONR treatment. Relative to the control, the ONR treatment significantly increased the weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregates, reduced the richness and diversity of fungi, and reduced the richness of bacteria in comparison with the FNP treatment. Furthermore, the soil microbial community structure had a significant relationship with the SOC, organic C input, and soil inorganic N content, which was ascribed to the driving of N management strategy. These results highlight the importance of the optimization of N management to produce high grain with less N fertilizer input in agricultural systems while concurrently promoting soil quality and providing benefits to the microbial community.
Thyroid transcription factor 1 is an independent prognostic factor for patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in lung development. It is preferentially expressed in adenocarcinomas of the lung and has been investigated as a potential prognostic parameter in patients with lung cancer, with conflicting results. We quantitatively assessed TTF1 protein expression in two large and independent data sets to investigate the impact of TTF1 nuclear expression on patient survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Automated quantitative analysis, a fluorescent-based method for analysis of in situ protein expression, was used to assess a series of cell lines to find the threshold of detection of TTF1 expression. Then two independent cohorts (176 and 237 cases, respectively) were measured by the same technique, and TTF1 expression was correlated with survival. RESULTS Tumors expressed TTF1 in 45% and 58% of the cases in each cohort. TTF1 was consistently expressed in adenocarcinomas (n = 61 and 73; Spearman rho = 0.313 and 0.4 for the first and second set, respectively; P < .0001) independent of their differentiation and stage. Survival analysis showed that patients with stage I adenocarcinoma with TTF1 expression had a longer median overall survival than those without expression (n = 43, 44.3 v 26.2 months, P = .05 for the first cohort; n = 87; 49.7 v 38.5 months, P = .03 for the second cohort) Multivariate analysis revealed an independent lower risk of death for patients with stage I adenocarcinoma with TTF1-expressing tumors (hazard ratio = 0.479, 95% CI, 0.235 to 0.977; P = .043). CONCLUSION TTF1 expression defines a subgroup of patients with a favorable outcome and may be useful for prognostic stratification of patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma.
Topoisomerase II: A specific marker for cell proliferation

We have used an antibody probe to measure the levels of topoisomerase II in several transformed and developmentally regulated normal cell types. Transformed cells contain roughly 1 X 10(6) copies of the enzyme. During erythropoiesis in chicken embryos the enzyme level drops from 7.8 X 10(4) copies per erythroblast to less than 300 copies per erythrocyte concomitant with the cessation of mitosis in the blood. Cultured myoblasts also lose topoisomerase II upon fusion into nonproliferating myotubes. When peripheral blood lymphocytes (which lack detectable topoisomerase II) commence proliferation, they express topoisomerase II de novo. Appearance of the enzyme exactly parallels the onset of DNA replication. These results suggest that topoisomerase II is not required for transcription in higher eukaryotes, but that it may function during DNA replication. Furthermore, topoisomerase II is a sensitive and specific marker for proliferating cells.
Recognizing Syntactic Errors in Written Philippine English

This paper reports on the error identification component of POPSICLE, a computer-aided language learning software that has been designed to help Filipino language speakers learn standard English. The software assesses the English grammar proficiency of the learner based on an input document, identifies the grammatical errors committed in the document, and generates grammar lessons that are tailor fit to the individual needs of the learner. The learner is given opportunities to correct and learn from his mistakes. The software maintains a user model that tracks an individual learner’s English grammar proficiency, his position and path toward acquiring English, the dialogue history containing the text generated by the system during the current tutorial session, the evaluation scores for each of the teaching strategies employed, and a concise log of explanations attempted by the system over the learning period of the current user.
Trans-Radial versus Trans-Femoral Intervention for the Treatment of Coronary Bifurcations: Results from Coronary Bifurcation Stenting Registry

Trans-radial (TR) approach is increasingly recognized as an alternative to the routine use of trans-femoral (TF) approach. However, there are limited data comparing the outcomes of these two approaches for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions. We evaluated outcomes of TR and TF percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in this complex lesion. Procedural outcomes and clinical events were compared in 1,668 patients who underwent PCI for non-left main bifurcation lesions, according to the vascular approach, either TR (n = 503) or TF (n = 1,165). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularization (TLR) in all patients and in 424 propensity-score matched pairs of patients. There were no significant differences between TR and TF approaches for procedural success in the main vessel (99.6% vs 98.6%, P = 0.08) and side branches (62.6% vs 66.7%, P = 0.11). Over a mean follow-up of 22 months, cardiac death or MI (1.8% vs 2.2%, P = 0.45), TLR (4.0% vs 5.2%, P = 0.22), and MACE (5.2% vs 7.0%, P = 0.11) did not significantly differ between TR and TF groups, respectively. These results were consistent after propensity score-matched analysis. In conclusion, TR PCI is a feasible alternative approach to conventional TF approaches for bifurcation PCI (clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT00851526).
A Lower Bound for Families of Natarajan Dimension d

A system F of functions {1, 2, ? , n}? {1, 2, ? , k} has Natarajan dimension at most d if no (d+1)-element subset A? X is 2-shattered. A is 2-shattered if for each x? A there is a 2-element set Vx? {1, 2, ? , k} such that for any choice of elements cx? Vx, a function f? F exists with f(x)=cx for all x? A. We improve a lower bound of cdkdnd (due to Haussler and Long) for the maximum size of F of Natarajan dimension at most d by a factor somewhat smaller than k (e.g., by k for d=1). The problem of obtaining a tight bound is related to interesting questions in extremal graph theory.
Integer Promotion Elimination on Abstract Syntax Tree

In the C programming language standard, there are rules for implicit type conversions, including integer promotion rules. These rules, as well as the explicit type conversions imposed by the coder, may result in redundant code for 8-bit MCUs. However, code size is critical for the programs running in embedded systems, since smaller code size often means less consumption of ROM as well as energy, and thus more competitiveness for IC manufacturers. This paper presents a novel algorithm to eliminate redundant computations arising from unnecessary type conversions. Our algorithm employed the scheme of grammar attribute, and achieved remarkable performance in optimizing the code. Besides, using the scheme of grammar attribute, our algorithm is flexible and scalable to cover more syntactic elements of any programming language syntactically similar to C. Our experiment showed it achieved a reduction in code size of 36.1 percent with other traditional compiler optimization disabled, and 11.7 percent with other optimization enabled.
Handedness, measures of hemispheric asymmetry, and lateralised lexical decision

The goals of the present study were to evaluate the differences between measures of lateralisation in the human brain derived from a dichotic listening (DL) task and from a task involving identification of visually presented consonant‐vowel‐consonant (CVC) nonwords, and to correlate these lateralisation indices with performance on a lexical decision task involving visually presented words and nonwords. Visual stimuli were presented either in a central position, or to the left or right of fixation. Left‐handed and right‐handed participants completed each of the three tasks. Lateralisation indices were derived from performance on the DL and CVC tasks, and latency and accuracy measures of lexical decision performance were obtained for targets presented centrally and parafoveally. Lateralisation indices for left‐handed and right‐handed participants differed significantly for both tasks, and the two lateralisation indices had different pattern of correlation with lexical decision performance for left‐ and right‐handers. For left‐handers, lateralisation indices derived from the (visual) CVC task were correlated with lexical decision response latency for targets in central and left visual field. For right‐handers, lateralisation indices derived from the (auditory) DL task were correlated with lexical decision response latency for targets in central and right visual field. A possible explanation for this finding is that the two laterality measures reflect specialisation for different types of linguistic processing in the human brain.
Comparison of supervised exercise with and without manual physical therapy for patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.

STUDY DESIGN A prospective randomized clinical trial. OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of 2 physical therapy treatment approaches for impingement syndrome of the shoulder. BACKGROUND Manual physical therapy combined with exercise is a commonly applied but currently unproven clinical treatment for impingement syndrome of the shoulder. METHODS AND MEASURES Thirty men and 22 women (age 43 years +/- 9.1) diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. The exercise group performed supervised flexibility and strengthening exercises. The manual therapy group performed the same program and received manual physical therapy treatment. Both groups received the selected intervention 6 times over a 3-week period. The testers, who were blinded to group assignment, measured strength, pain, and function before treatment and after 6 physical therapy visits. Strength was a composite score of isometric strength tests for internal rotation, external rotation, and abduction. Pain was a composite score of visual analog scale measures during resisted break tests, active abduction, and functional activities. Function was measured with a functional assessment questionnaire. The visual analog scale used to measure pain with functional activities and the functional assessment questionnaire were also measured 2 months after the initiation of treatment. RESULTS Subjects in both groups experienced significant decreases in pain and increases in function, but there was significantly more improvement in the manual therapy group compared to the exercise group. For example, pain in the manual therapy group was reduced from a pretreatment mean (+/- SD) of 575.8 (+/- 220.0) to a posttreatment mean of 174.4 (+/- 183.1). In contrast, pain in the exercise group was reduced from a pretreatment mean of 557.1 (+/- 237.2) to a posttreatment mean of 360.6 (+/- 272.3). Strength in the manual therapy group improved significantly while strength in the exercise group did not. CONCLUSION Manual physical therapy applied by experienced physical therapists combined with supervised exercise in a brief clinical trial is better than exercise alone for increasing strength, decreasing pain, and improving function in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.