Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Higher Adolescent Body Mass Index Is Associated with Lower Regional Gray and White Matter Volumes and Lower Levels of Positive Emotionality

Adolescent obesity is associated with an increased chance of developing serious health risks later in life. Identifying the neurobiological and personality factors related to increases in adiposity is important to understanding what drives maladaptive consummatory and exercise behaviors that result in obesity. Previous research has largely focused on adults with few findings published on interactions among adiposity, brain structure, and personality. In this study, Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) was used to identify associations between gray and white matter volumes and increasing adiposity, as measured by Body Mass Index percentile (BMI%), in 137 adolescents (age range: 9–20 years, BMI% range: 5.16–99.56). Variations in gray and white matter volume and BMI% were then linked to individual differences in personality measures from the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). After controlling for age and other covariates, BMI% correlated negatively with gray matter volume in the bilateral caudate (right: partial r = −0.338, left: r = −0.404), medial prefrontal cortex (partial r = −0.339), anterior cingulate (partial r = −0.312), bilateral frontal pole (right: partial r = −0.368, left: r = −0.316), and uncus (partial r = −0.475) as well as white matter volume bilaterally in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (right: partial r = −0.34, left: r = −0.386), extending to the left middle frontal subgyral white matter. Agentic Positive Emotionality (PEM-AG) was correlated negatively with BMI% (partial r = −0.384). PEM-AG was correlated positively with gray matter volume in the right uncus (partial r = 0.329). These results suggest that higher levels of adiposity in adolescents are associated with lower trait levels in reward-related personality domains, as well as structural variations in brain regions associated with reward processing, control, and sensory integration.
Who drive people to forward information: publisher or spreader?

The explosive growth in online social networks makes them major platforms of information diffusion. People receive large-scale information from friends, but hardly find what they really want. Understanding influential factors of forwarding behavior can be used to improve the ranking algorithm, and prevent the information overload. In this paper, we compare the influence of the publisher and the spreader in Renren, the largest and oldest online social network in China. We crawl a connected graph component of 42.1 million users, 1.6 billion social relationships, and 118.2 million unique URLs. We compare URLs received from friends, and URLs which are really adopted. We observe that people are more influenced by spreaders than publishers: the spreader's recommendation time is more important than the publisher's publication time. People prefer URLs which were forwarded by spreaders a short time ago. Moreover, the previous adoption from the spreader is useful to predict user's forwarding behavior, while the previous adoption from the publisher is useless. These findings are useful to improve the ranking algorithm and prevent the information overload.
Gene set enrichment analysis: performance evaluation and usage guidelines

A central goal of biology is understanding and describing the molecular basis of plasticity: the sets of genes that are combinatorially selected by exogenous and endogenous environmental changes, and the relations among the genes. The most viable current approach to this problem consists of determining whether sets of genes are connected by some common theme, e.g. genes from the same pathway are overrepresented among those whose differential expression in response to a perturbation is most pronounced. There are many approaches to this problem, and the results they produce show a fair amount of dispersion, but they all fall within a common framework consisting of a few basic components. We critically review these components, suggest best practices for carrying out each step, and propose a voting method for meeting the challenge of assessing different methods on a large number of experimental data sets in the absence of a gold standard.
Multiframe super resolution with JPEG2000 compressed images

Historically, Joint Photographic Experts Group 2000 (JPEG2000) image compression and multiframe Super Resolution (SR) image processing techniques have evolved separately. We focus on the adaptive Wiener filter (AWF) method of SR and study its performance as JPEG2000 is incorporated in three different ways. In particular, we perform compression prior to SR using independent and difference frame methods. We also consider performing compression after SR. We find that the effects of compression can be reduced by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the correlation model for the AWF SR method, providing a novel approach to treat the compression artifacts. This SNR modification can be done globally or locally. The experimental results include the use of simulated imagery for quantitative analysis. We also include real video results for subjective analysis.
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase α inhibitors: a patent review

Introduction: The alpha isoform of the class 1A family of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Kα) has been extensively studied and exploited as a target for cancer drugs. A large number of compounds, from a wide variety of structural scaffolds, are in development. There is an ongoing debate about the desirability for selectivity between PI3Kα and the other isoforms. Areas covered: The article briefly outlines the nature and role of the class 1A PI3K in cell signalling and provides a table of representative inhibitors of these enzymes that have proceeded to clinical trial, with literature data on their isoform selectivity. It covers the published patent literature from 2011 to 2012 (search completed in December 2012), with a particular focus on compounds with a level of selective inhibition of PI3Kα. In most cases, representative examples of claimed compounds and data on their inhibitory effects are provided. Expert opinion: Features of the development of PI3K inhibitors to date have been the plasticity of the enzymes, which possess binding sites for a bewildering number of small molecule scaffolds, and the need to determine the optimal patterns of selectivity between both the PI3K isoforms and the related downstream serine/threonine kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) for therapeutic effect. Both themes are apparent in the recent patents reviewed here, with a wide variety of drug types, including variations on existing scaffolds and completely new ones, being evident. While many of these are dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, the PI3Kα-selective pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine heterocycles reported by Intellikine and the (thiazolyl)pyrrolidinecarboxamides of Novartis are of particular interest.
Activity of Imipenem against Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilms In Vitro and In Vivo

ABSTRACT Encapsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as one of the most clinically relevant and more frequently encountered opportunistic pathogens in combat wounds as the result of nosocomial infection. In this report, we show that imipenem displayed potent activity against established K. pneumoniae biofilms under both static and flow conditions in vitro. Using a rabbit ear model, we also demonstrated that imipenem was highly effective against preformed K. pneumoniae biofilms in wounds.
Spectral and electron-collision properties of atomic ions. II. Inner-shell properties.

In this report, a follow-up to our earlier paper (Theodosiou, Manson, and Inokuti, Phys. Rev. A 34, 943 (1986)) on comprehensive calculations of various properties of all atomic ions in all stages of ionization with nuclear charge {ital Z}{le}50, we investigate, within the Hartree-Slater approximation, inner-shell properties including orbital binding energies, x-ray transition energies and rates, photoionization cross sections, and expectation values of powers of electron radial coordinates. Throughout we concentrate on enumerating general trends of the properties as functions of the nuclear charge {ital Z} and the total electron number {ital N}. The systematics thus found for highly stripped ions (i.e., for ions in which {ital Z}{minus}{ital N} is appreciable) are interpreted in terms of the outer-shell screening and the hydrogenic shell structure in which complete shells occur at {ital N}={ital n}({ital n}+1)(2{ital n}+1)/3 =2,10,28,60,. , for principal quantum numbers {ital n}=1,2,3,4,. , respectively.
Rapid functional and evolutionary changes follow gene duplication in yeast

Duplication of genes or genomes provides the raw material for evolutionary innovation. After duplication a gene may be lost, recombine with another gene, have its function modified or be retained in an unaltered state. The fate of duplication is usually studied by comparing extant genomes and reconstructing the most likely ancestral states. Valuable as this approach is, it may miss the most rapid evolutionary events. Here, we engineered strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying tandem and non-tandem duplications of the singleton gene IFA38 to monitor (i) the fate of the duplicates in different conditions, including time scale and asymmetry of gene loss, and (ii) the changes in fitness and transcriptome of the strains immediately after duplication and after experimental evolution. We found that the duplication brings widespread transcriptional changes, but a fitness advantage is only present in fermentable media. In respiratory conditions, the yeast strains consistently lose the non-tandem IFA38 gene copy in a surprisingly short time, within only a few generations. This gene loss appears to be asymmetric and dependent on genome location, since the original IFA38 copy and the tandem duplicate are retained. Overall, this work shows for the first time that gene loss can be extremely rapid and context dependent.
Characterization of hydration products of mineral trioxide aggregate.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the hydration products of white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). METHODOLOGY Mineral trioxide aggregate, white Portland cement and bismuth oxide were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Rietveld XRD. The cements were tested un-hydrated and after hydration and curing for 30 days at 37 degrees C. Analysis of hydrated cement leachate was performed weekly for five consecutive weeks from mixing using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy after which the cements were viewed under the scanning electron microscope to evaluate the cement microstructure. Quantitative energy dispersive analysis with X-ray was performed and atomic ratios were plotted. RESULTS Both Portland cement and MTA produced calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcium hydroxide (CH) on hydration. The tricalcium aluminate levels were low for MTA which resulted in reduced production of ettringite and monosulphate. On hydration the bismuth level in the hydrated MTA decreased; bismuth oxide replaced the silica in the C-S-H and was leached out once the C-S-H decomposed with time. Both MTA and Portland cement released a high amount of calcium ions which decreased in amount over the 5-week period. CONCLUSIONS The hydration mechanism of MTA is different to that of Portland cement. In MTA the bismuth oxide is bound to the C-S-H and is leached out from the cement with time as the C-S-H decomposes. MTA produces a high proportion of calcium ions from CH a by-product of hydration and also by decomposition of C-S-H. The release of calcium ions reduces with time.
Temperature: The Single Most Important Factor for Degradation of Glucose Fluids during Storage

Objective Bioincompatible glucose degradation products (GDPs) develop during heat sterilization of peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluids. However, degradation may also take place during storage. Consequently, storage may add to the bioincompatibility caused by heat sterilization. The aim of the present study was to investigate how different factors such as the sterilization procedure, pH, glucose concentration, and temperature influence GDP production during storage. Design Degradation in glucose solutions was followed by pH and UV absorbance at 228 nm and 284 nm over 2 years of storage. Different sterilization times, storage temperatures, pH, and glucose concentrations were included in the study. Peritoneal dialysis fluids were also used in the experiment. Bioincompatibility was estimated through inhibition of cell growth in L-929 fibroblasts, and GDPs through UV absorption and liquid chromatography. Results The most important factor determining the rate of GDP production during storage was temperature. The GDPs created by heat sterilization promoted further degradation of glucose during subsequent storage. A pH of around 3.2 protected glucose from degradation during both heat sterilization and storage. At a storage temperature of 20°C and a pH of 3.2, degradation was almost negligible. Heat sterilization produced considerable amounts of GDPs absorbing at 228 nm. During initial storage, these 228 nm-absorbing GDPs almost disappeared. After reaching a nadir, absorbance at 228 nm again started to increase. Contrary to this, absorbance at 284 nm [caused mainly by 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF)] increased during the whole storage period. After 2 years at 40°C, the concentrations of GDPs produced during storage were of the same magnitude as those caused by heat sterilization. Inhibition of cell growth of L-929 fibroblasts correlated well with the part of the absorbance at 228 nm not caused by 5-HMF in glucose solutions that were heat sterilized under a wide range of conditions. This part of 228 nm absorbance (denoted 228corr) was caused almost entirely by 3,4-dideoxyglucosone-3-ene (3,4-DGE). Conclusions Temperature is the single most important factor for glucose degradation during storage. The concentrations of bioincompatible GDPs produced may, under improper conditions, be as high as those produced during sterilization. High concentrations of glucose and low pH protect glucose from being degraded during both sterilization and storage. A good estimate of 3,4-DGE concentration in the fluids can be obtained correcting the UV absorbance at 228 nm for the influence from 5-HMF (and, when appropriate, for lactate). The 228corr may thus be used as a simple quality control for the fluids.
Differentiating Culture Samples Representing Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcal Bacteremia from Those Representing Contamination by Use of Time-to-Positivity and Quantitative Blood Culture Methods

ABSTRACT Differentiating true coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection from contamination has an important impact on therapeutic implications. Time to positivity reflects bacterial density and may help in the interpretation of blood cultures. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 272 patients from June 2005 to January 2008 for clinical characteristics, microbiological data, and therapeutic outcome. Four groups were identified. The first three groups, as follows, included patients with one positive quantitative blood culture: the low-colony-count group (<10 CFU/ml), the moderate-colony-count group (30 to 100 CFU/ml), and the high-colony-count group (>100 CFU/ml). The control group included patients with two positive quantitative blood cultures and definite coagulase-negative staphylococcal bloodstream infection. The high-colony-count group had shorter time to positivity (≤16 h) than did the low-colony-count group (P < 0.0001). The low-colony-count group had a significantly longer time to positivity, >20 h (P = 0.001), than did the moderate-colony-count group. Even though antibiotics were not provided in 71% of cases and central venous catheter was retained in 83%, the low-colony-count group had a favorable outcome, suggesting that <10 CFU/ml represents contamination. The high-colony-count group, similar to the positive control group, required antibiotics in 81% of cases and central venous catheter removal in 51% (P = 0.001). A time to positivity of ≤16 h reflects high-grade bacteremia with CFU of >100. Similar to the positive control group, these patients required an active therapeutic approach. A time to positivity of >20 h indicates possible contamination with a CFU of <10, and active therapy may not be required.
An Experiment in the Use of Manipulation Primitives and Tactile Perception for Reactive Grasping

Uncertainty is one of the main problems that have to deal robot manipulation systems in service environments. In this paper we propose a theoretical framework to program manipulation actions, that makes use of a priori defined manipulation primitives and sensory feedback to face uncertainty in the execution. It also takes into account the limitation of the robot gripper and the reactive execution of such actions. We describe the role of different sensory data in such scheme. Finally, a practical implementation of a manipulation primitive is presented which follows the principles of the theoretical framework. The task is the is the extraction of books from a bookshelf, with the UJI service robot.
Application of the Granzyme B ELISPOT Assay for Monitoring Cancer Vaccine Trials

Granzyme B (GrB) is present in the granules of cytolytic lymphocytes and is a key mediator of cell-mediated target cell death via the granule-mediated pathway. The release of GrB can be used as an indicator of a cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. Herein, we report that the GrB enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) can be used to measure ex vivo antigen-specific cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from cancer patients vaccinated with a peptide-based cancer vaccine. We compare the reactivity of patients’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the GrB ELISPOT with reactivity in the tetramer, interferon (IFN)-γ ELISPOT, and 51Cr-release assays. Differences in immune response over all assays tested were found between patients and 4 response patterns were observed. Reactivity in the GrB ELISPOT was more closely associated with cytotoxicity in the 51Cr-release assay than the tetramer or IFN-γ ELISPOT assays. Moreover, the higher affinity g209-2M peptide (used for vaccination) elicited greater GrB secretion than the native g209 peptide, although this difference was not observed with IFN-γ secretion. Taken together with the fact that GrB is a specific mediator released by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, these results show that simultaneous use of the GrB ELISPOT assay with other immunologic assays may provide important additional immunologic insight into patient responses to cancer vaccines.
Anticipated Climate Warming Effects on Bull Trout Habitats and Populations Across the Interior Columbia River Basin

Abstract A warming climate could profoundly affect the distribution and abundance of many fishes. Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus may be especially vulnerable to climate change given that spawning and early rearing are constrained by cold water temperatures creating a patchwork of natal headwater habitats across river networks. Because the size and connectivity of patches also appear to influence the persistence of local populations, climate warming could lead to increasing fragmentation of remaining habitats and accelerated decline of this species. We modeled the relationships between (1) the lower elevation limits of small bull trout and mean annual air temperature and (2) latitude and longitude across the species' potential range within the interior Columbia River basin of the USA. We used our results to explore the implications of the climate warming expected in the next 50 or more years. We found a strong association between the lower elevation limits of bull trout distributions and longitude and l.
Semantisch relevante und semantisch irrelevante Kasusalternation am Beispiel von entlang

This paper analyzes case government for the German adposition entlang. Postposed entlang takes the accusative, preposed entlang the dative or genitive : Sie spaziert den Fluβ entlang ; Sie spaziert entlang dem Fluβ / des Flusses [She walks along(side) the river']. Entlang is the only adposition in German showing both a semantically relevant accusative/dative opposition and a semantically irrelevant dative/genitive opposition. Explanation of the accusative/dative opposition is based on M.B. Smith's (1987) cognitive approach to case using image schemas. It is claimed that the spatial configuration underlying entlang is one of oriented parallelism and thus necessarily contains a PATH-GOAL-schema as well as a LINK-schema. The accusative focuses on the dynamic aspect of the configuration (the spatial progression of the trajector in time), the dative on the static aspect (the spatial link between trajector and landmark). In some contexts the choice between dative and accusative is indeed free, depending only on the communicative needs of the speaker. In most contexts, however, one of the two cases is more or less imposed on the speaker by actors such as characteristics of the movement itself, location of the trajectory, nature of landmark and/or trajector and the syntactic construction involved. The opposition between dative and genitive is analyzed as part of a general grammaticalization phenomenon. In German, adpositions which are on their way towards grammaticalization tend to change government : not only do genitive adpositions acquire a new dative, but also dative adpositions (such as entlang) a new genitive. As a result, we have a synchronic coexistence of differently grammaticalized stages of one and the same form with no distinction in meaning
Revealing the elusive effects of vividness: a meta-analysis of empirical evidences assessing the effect of vividness on persuasion

Abstract Despites decades of research, past studies focusing on the effects of vividness on persuasion found mixed and contradictory results. In order to solve this conflicting issue, a meta-analysis was conducted on empirical studies assessing the impact of vivid (vs. pallid) communications on attitude and/or behavioral intention. Overall, 27 articles (k = 43; N = 7575) were included. Our results showed that vividness yielded significant small-to-medium effect on both attitude (d+ = .31) and behavioral intention (d+ = .39). Furthermore, meta-regression analyses indicated that memory recall, cognitive elaboration, and topic valence moderated these effects, whereas vividness/argument congruency was not significantly related to the variations of effects sizes. Finally, theoretical implications of theses finding will be discussed.
Tat mediates apoptosis in vivo in the rat central nervous system.

The HIV-1 transactivator of transcription, Tat, mediates apoptosis in neurons and may cause AIDS-associated neurologic disorders, which include dementia and loss of motor control. Here we investigate the ability of Tat to stimulate apoptosis in the rat central nervous system in vivo. Using the TUNEL assay, treatment of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells with 1.0 microgram/ml of Tat for 24 h was found to stimulate apoptosis. Further, electrophoresis of DNA from Tat-treated PC12 cells demonstrated fragmentation. To investigate Tat mediated apoptosis in vivo, 20 microgram of Tat was infused into the striatum of Sprague-Dawley rats. Histochemical analysis (TUNEL) of the Tat-infused area demonstrated apoptosis. Further, these rats demonstrated postural deviation ipsilateral to the infusion. These data demonstrate that Tat stimulates apoptosis in vivo and causes neurologic dysfunction in the intact animal.
MHV vertices and fermionic scattering amplitudes in gauge theory with quarks and gluinos

The Cachazo-Svrcek-Witten approach to perturbative gauge theory is extended to gauge theories with quarks and gluinos. All googly amplitudes with quark-antiquark pairs and gluinos are computed and shown to agree with the previously known results. The computations of the non-MHV or non-googly amplitudes are also briefly discussed, in particular the purely fermionic amplitude with 3 quark-antiquark pairs.