Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Odor‐evoked activity is spatially distributed in piriform cortex

Much data on the olfactory bulb (OB) indicates that structural characteristics of odorant molecules are encoded as ordered, spatially consolidated sets of active cells. New results with “genetic tracing” (Zou et al. [2001] Nature 414:173–179) suggest that spatial order is also present in projections from the OB to the olfactory cortex. For the piriform cortex (PC), results with this technique indicate that afferents conveying input derived from single olfactory receptors (ORs) are distributed to well‐defined patches in the anterior PC (APC) but that these patches are much larger than in the OB. We have used c‐fos induction to examine how input patterning for single ORs is translated into patterns of odor‐evoked cellular activity in the PC. The laminar distribution of labeled cells and dual‐immunostaining for γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic markers indicated that activity was detected largely in pyramidal cells. In odor‐stimulated rats, labeled cells were present throughout the posterior PC (PPC) but were concentrated in prominent rostrocaudal bands in APC. Analysis of responses to different odorants and concentrations revealed that locations and shapes of bands conveyed no apparent information regarding odor quality, rather, they appeared to correspond to subregions of the APC distinguished by cytoarchitecture and connectivity. Small‐scale variations in labeling density were observed within APC bands and throughout the PPC that could reflect the presence of a complex topographical order, but discrete patches at consistent locations as observed by genetic tracing were absent. This finding suggests that as a result of afferent overlap and intracortical processing, odor‐quality information is represented by spatially distributed sets of cells. A distributed organization may be optimal for discriminating biologically relevant odorants that activate large numbers of ORs. J. Comp. Neurol. 457:361–373, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Low‐copy episomal vector pFY20 and high‐saturation coverage genomic libraries for the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

In fission yeast, as in many organisms, episomally replicating plasmid DNA molecules can be used for a wide variety of applications. However, replicating plasmids described previously are each propagated at a high copy number per cell. Plasmid fission yeast twenty (pFY20) contains the ura4+ gene for positive and negative selection, an origin of replication (ars1) and a stability element (stb). Although this plasmid does not have a centromere, it is propagated with a copy number of about two plasmids per haploid genome equivalent and it is transmitted with relatively high fidelity in mitosis and meiosis. This low‐copy vector is useful for screens and mutational studies where overexpression (e.g. from high copy plasmids) is undesirable. We therefore constructed multiple partial‐digest, size‐fractionated, fission yeast genomic DNA libraries in pFY20 and in the cloning vector pBluescript KS+. These libraries have sufficient complexity (average of 2100 genome equivalents each) for saturation screening by complementation, plasmid shuffle or hybridization. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nutritional Modulation of Insulin Resistance in the True Carnivorous Cat: A Review

Cats are strict carnivores that rely on nutrients in animal tissues to meet their specific and unique nutritional requirements. In their natural habitat, cats consume prey high in protein with moderate amounts of fat and minimal carbohydrates in contrast to commercial diets, which are sometimes moderate to high in carbohydrates. This change in diet has been accompanied by a shift from an outdoor environment to an indoor lifestyle and decreased physical activity, because cats no longer need to hunt to obtain food. This transformation of the lifestyle of cats is thought to be responsible for the recent increase in incidence of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus in domestic cats. At first, an overview of the evolutionary physiological adaptations of carbohydrate digestion in the feline digestive tract and of the hepatic carbohydrate and protein metabolism reflecting the true carnivorous nature of cats is given. Secondly, this literature review deals with nutritional modulation of insulin sensitivity, focusing on dietary macronutrients, carbohydrate sources, and dietary fiber for prevention and treatment of insulin resistance.
Covered Call Strategies: One Fact and Eight Myths

A covered call is a long position in a security and a short position in a call option on that security. Equity index covered calls are an attractive strategy to many investors because they have realized returns not much lower than those of the equity market but with much lower volatility. However, a number of myths about the strategy—from why it works to why an investor should or should not invest—have surfaced, and many of them are erroneously considered “common knowledge. ” The authors review the underlying risk and returns of covered call strategies and dispel eight common myths about them. Equity index covered calls are an attractive strategy to many investors because they have realized returns not much lower than their underlying equity index but with much lower volatility. An equity index covered call owns the index and sells a call option on the index. These two positions expose the portfolio to two compensated risks and earn their respective premiums: the equity and volatility risk premiums. In order for the covered call’s risk and expected return profile to be understood, it must be analyzed from the perspective of its risk exposures. Because covered calls are rarely described in this manner, a number of myths about the strategy—from how it works to why an investor should or should not invest—have surfaced. Today, many of these myths are erroneously considered “common knowledge. ” After reviewing the underlying risk and returns of covered call strategies, we dispel the following eight common myths about them: Risk exposure can be expressed in a payoff diagram. Covered calls provide downside protection. Covered calls generate income. Covered calls on high-volatility stocks and/or shorter-dated options provide higher yield. Time decay of written options works in your favor. Covered calls are appropriate if you have a neutral to moderately bullish view. Covered calls pay you for doing what you were going to do anyway. Covered calls allow you to buy a stock at a discounted price. In our view, the myths collectively conceal the simple facts that option overwriting is a version of selling volatility and that selling volatility is a risky strategy. If you believe that the underlying equity index will rise and that implied volatilities are rich, the covered call is a step in the right direction of expressing those views in order to capture expected compensation for the long equity and short volatility exposures embedded in covered call writing. History provides strong evidence in support of both risk premiums. However, if you have no view on implied volatility, there is no reason to sell options or invest in covered calls.
Phospholipid content, expression and support of thrombin generation of neonatal platelets

Aim: Newborns have, despite low clotting factors and poor in vitro platelet function, a well functioning haemostasis. We investigated whether phospholipids (PL) in neonatal platelets differ from those in adult platelets in their exposure on the platelet surface, and their effect on thrombin generation.
The Impact of Foreign Aid on Economic Growth in Papua New Guinea

This article investigates the impact of foreign aid on economic growth in Papua New Guinea (PNG) using time-series data for the period 1965 to 1999. Following the most recent literature, the article examines whether aid effectiveness is conditional on levels of economic policy and governance. An empirical model is estimated using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration proposed by Pesaran and Shin [1995]. Results provide little evidence that aid and its various components have contributed to economic growth in PNG. There is some evidence that aid is more effective during periods when the country has undertaken a World Bank Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). An alternative interpretation is that a SAP may be more effective at spurring growth when supported by foreign aid.
Effect of passive range of motion exercises on lower-extremity goniometric measurements of adults with cerebral palsy: a single-subject design.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE People with spastic cerebral palsy often receive passive stretching that is intended to maintain or increase joint passive range of motion (PROM) even though the effectiveness of these exercises has not been definitively demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PROM exercises on 6 adults with spastic quadriplegia and contractures. PARTICIPANTS Four men and 2 women (X =31 years of age, range=20-44 years) who lived in an institution for people with mental retardation participated in the study. METHODS The authors used 2 multiple baseline designs. Three participants (group 1) received lower-extremity PROM exercises during phase A; PROM exercises were discontinued during phase B. Three participants (group 2) did not receive PROM exercises during phase A; PROM exercises were initiated during phase B. Data were analyzed using visual analysis and the C statistic. RESULTS Results varied with the method of analysis; however, phase A and phase B measurements, overall, did not differ for either group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study demonstrated use of a single-subject design to measure the effect of PROM exercises on adults with cerebral palsy. The authors concluded that the PROM exercise protocol did not have an effect on the lower-extremity goniometric measurements of the participants.
A single-center experience of non-bioartificial liver support systems among Chinese patients with liver failure

Introduction Liver failure is one of the most deadly, prevalent, and costly diseases worldwide. Non-bioartificial liver support systems (NBALs) have been shown to be effective in improving the clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters of patients with liver failure. The main aim of this large case series analysis was to investigate the status of NBALs and their effectiveness in improving survival in liver-failure patients. Methods In this retrospective study, 460 patients with liver failure who received NBAL treatment in addition to conventional medications were compared with 422 patients who were treated with conventional medications alone. Kaplan-Meier and life table analyses were used to estimate survival rates. Results Clinical outcomes were improved after NBAL treatment. The 30-day survival rates of subacute liver failure (SALF) patients were 63% among those who received NBALs and 21% among those who did not receive NBALs (p<0.01). Similarly, the 30-day survival rate of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients who received NBALs was 47%, significantly higher than that of the non-NBAL patients (p<0.05). The survival rates of ACLF patients with low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores (MELD≤20) were 64% and 40% among whom received NBALs and those who did not, respectively (p<0.01). Conclusions NBAL treatment is helpful to improve the survival of patients with ALF, SALF or ACLF. ACLF patients with lower MELD scores showed improved outcomes relative to those with higher MELD scores.
Continuation of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy in a large health maintenance organization: transdermal matrix patch versus oral estrogen therapy.

OBJECTIVE To determine possible differences in continuation of postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy among women initiating treatment with transdermal estradiol versus those initiating treatment with oral estrogen. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective database search. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed estrogen use among 45- to 74-year-old women who filled index prescriptions for estrogen during 1996 for either once-a-week transdermal estradiol or daily oral estrogen. Prescription use was analyzed separately for each of 2 groups: 276 hysterectomized women who filled prescriptions for estrogen alone (ERT) and 4182 women who filled prescriptions for medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) with estrogen (HRT) on the same day. RESULTS Risk of discontinuing therapy after 12 months ranged from 59% to 76% among the 4 subgroups: ERT with unopposed transdermal estradiol; ERT with unopposed oral estrogen; HRT with MPA-opposed transdermal estradiol; and HRT with MPA-opposed oral estrogen. The relative risk (RR) of discontinuation was significantly greater among women starting HRT with transdermal estradiol than among women starting oral estrogen (RR = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3 to 1.8). RR of discontinuation among women starting ERT with transdermal estradiol compared with women starting oral estrogen therapy was 1.3 (95% CI = 1.0 to 1.8). CONCLUSIONS Approximately 2 of 3 women who start either ERT or HRT discontinue therapy within a year, regardless of hysterectomy status. Furthermore, women who start ERT or HRT with a transdermal estradiol system are more likely to discontinue therapy.
Zebrafish mutations in gart and paics identify crucial roles for de novo purine synthesis in vertebrate pigmentation and ocular development

Although purines and purinergic signaling are crucial for numerous biochemical and cellular processes, their functions during vertebrate embryonic development have not been well characterized. We analyze two recessive zebrafish mutations that affect de novo purine synthesis, gart and paics. gart encodes phosphoribosylglycinamide formyltransferase, phosphoribosylglycinamide synthetase, phosphoribosylaminoimidazole synthetase, a trifunctional enzyme that catalyzes steps 2, 3 and 5 of inosine monophosphate (IMP) synthesis. paics encodes phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase, phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase, a bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes steps 6 and 7 of this process. Zygotic gart and paics mutants have pigmentation defects in which xanthophore and iridophore pigmentation is almost completely absent, and melanin-derived pigmentation is significantly decreased, even though pigment cells are present in normal amounts and distributions. Zygotic gart and paics mutants are also microphthalmic, resulting from defects in cell cycle exit of proliferative retinoblasts within the developing eye. Maternal-zygotic and maternal-effect mutants demonstrate a crucial requirement for maternally derived gart and paics; these mutants show more severe developmental defects than their zygotic counterparts. Pigmentation and eye growth phenotypes in zygotic gart and paics mutants can be ascribed to separable biosynthetic pathways: pigmentation defects and microphthalmia result from deficiencies in a GTP synthesis pathway and an ATP synthesis pathway, respectively. In the absence of ATP pathway activity, S phase of proliferative retinoblasts is prolonged and cell cycle exit is compromised, which results in microphthalmia. These results demonstrate crucial maternal and zygotic requirements for de novo purine synthesis during vertebrate embryonic development, and identify independent functions for ATP and GTP pathways in mediating eye growth and pigmentation, respectively.
Real-time distributed algorithms for nonconvex optimal power flow

The optimal power flow (OPF) problem, a fundamental problem in power systems, is generally nonconvex and computationally challenging for networks with an increasing number of smart devices and real-time control requirements. In this paper, we first investigate a fully distributed approach by means of the augmented Lagrangian and proximal alternating minimization method to solve the nonconvex OPF problem with a convergence guarantee. Given time-critical requirements, we then extend the algorithm to a distributed parametric tracking scheme with practical warm-starting and termination strategies, which aims to provide a closed-loop sub-optimal control policy while taking into account the grid information updated at the time of decision making. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for real-time nonconvex OPF problems is demonstrated in numerical simulations.
Muscular strength is inversely associated with aortic stiffness in young men.

UNLABELLED Muscular strength is associated with reduced mortality. Paradoxically, strength training may increase central artery stiffness, a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the relationship between muscular strength and central arterial stiffness has yet to be defined. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between muscular strength and central arterial stiffness in young men. METHODS Central and peripheral pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index, muscular strength, and aerobic capacity (V O2peak) were measured in 79 young men (mean +/- SD, age = 23 +/- 4 yr). Height, weight, and brachial blood pressure were also recorded. Muscular strength was determined using a one-repetition maximum bench press and normalized to bodyweight. Spearman correlations were used to determine the relationships between relative strength, aerobic fitness, and hemodynamic/vascular measures. RESULTS There was a significant negative correlation between central PWV and strength (r = -0.222, P < 0.05). The relationship remained significant when controlling for aerobic fitness (r = -0.189, P < 0.05). Muscular strength was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in men with low central PWV (5.2 +/- 0.4 m.s) compared with men with high central PWV (6.6 +/- 0.4 m.s). CONCLUSION These results show that there is a significant inverse association between muscular strength and aortic stiffness independent of aerobic fitness.
Prognostic value of MMP‐2 immunoreactive protein (72 kD type IV collagenase) in primary skin melanoma

The penetration of the subepithelial basement membrane is the first critical step in the dissemination of melanoma. In vitro studies have suggested that the 72 kD type IV collagenase (MMP‐2) may be important in melanoma invasion. It has recently been demonstrated that the expression of MMP‐2 immunoreactive protein increased with increasing atypia in melanocytic tumours and was associated with later haematogenous metastases in melanoma. This paper investigates the value of MMP‐2 as a possible prognostic marker in melanoma. The expression of MMP‐2 immunoreactive protein was studied with immunoperoxidase staining in paraffin‐embedded sections of 50 cases of primary skin melanoma by using specific, affinity purified antibodies. Positive immunostaining was quantified by counting the percentage of positive cancer cells and was compared with clinical patient characteristics and survival. Sixty‐four per cent of the primary melanoma cases displayed positive cytoplasmic immunostaining for MMP‐2 in tumour cells. Marked overexpression of MMP‐2 protein (≥34 per cent of melanoma cells positive) correlated with the 5‐year survival of the patients when compared with patients with lower MMP‐2 positivity, 55 per cent vs. 85 per cent, respectively (P<0·05). Male patients displayed positive staining more often than females (75 per cent vs. 54 per cent, respectively). There was no correlation between MMP‐2 positivity and Clark level or Breslow classification. A distinct group with unfavourable prognosis was identified. The 10‐year survival for MMP‐2‐positive male melanoma patients was 39 per cent as opposed to 79 per cent with the other melanoma patients (P<0·05). In the hierarchic Cox regression model for survival, MMP‐2 immunoreactive protein was found to be independent of Clark level and Breslow classification. Overexpression of MMP‐2 protein indicated a 4·5‐fold relative risk of dying from melanoma. It is concluded that MMP‐2 immunoreactive protein in melanoma cells is an independent prognostic factor for survival. High MMP‐2 expression in male melanoma patients indicates an unfavourable prognosis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Replacement of Threonine 558, a Critical Site of Phosphorylation of Moesin in Vivo, with Aspartate Activates F-actin Binding of Moesin

Point and deletion mutants of moesin were examined for F-actin binding by blot overlay and co-sedimentation, and for intra- and intermolecular interactions with N- and C-terminal domains with yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding assays. Wild-type moesin molecules interact poorly with F-actin and each other, and bind neither C- nor N-terminal fragments. Interaction with F-actin is strongly enhanced by replacement of Thr558 with aspartate (T558D), by deletion of 11 N-terminal residues (DelN11), by deletion of the entire N-terminal membrane-binding domain of both wild type and T558D mutant molecules, and by exposure to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-diphosphate. Activation of F-actin binding is accompanied by changes in inter- and intramolecular domain interactions. The T558D mutation renders moesin capable of binding wild type but not mutated (T558D) C-terminal or wild type N-terminal fragments. The interaction between the latter two is prevented. DelN11 truncation enables binding of wild type N and C domain fragments. These changes suggest that the T558D mutation, mimicking phosphorylation of Thr558, promotes F-actin binding by disruption of interdomain interactions between N and C domains and exposure of the high affinity F-actin binding site in the C-terminal domain. Oscillation between activated and resting state could thus provide the structural basis for transient interactions between moesin and the actin cytoskeleton in protruding and retracting microextensions.
PRESTASI AKADEMIK DITINJAU DARI KETERLIBATAN REMAJA DALAM KEGIATAN EKSTRAKURIKULER

Kegiatan ekstrakurikuler merupakan kegiatan yang dilakukan di luar jam pelajaran untuk memperluas wawasan pengetahuan yang telah dimiliki dari berbagai bidang studi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat hubungan antara kegiatan ekstrakurikuler dengan prestasi akademik pada mahasiswa. Jumlah subjek pada penelitian ini adalah 640 orang. Subjek diambil dengan menggunakan teknik acidental sampling, yaitu jenis sampling nonprobabiliti yang melibatkan sampel diambil dari bagian populasi yang dekat dengan sumber data. Alat ukur dalam penelitian ini yaitu dengan menggunakan kuesioner 11 item skala likert 5 poin untuk mengukur keterlibatan dalam kegiatan ekstrakurikuler dan prestasi akademik menggunakan nilai IPK. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa ada hubungan antara kegiatan kegiatan ekstrakurikuler dengan prestasi akademik mahasiswa dengan sig p>0.001.
Government and the distribution of skills

Individuals' life chances in the future will very much depend on how we invest in our children now. An optimal human capital model would combine a high mean with minimal variance of skills. It is well-established that early childhood learning is key to adult success. The impact of social origins on child outcomes remains strong, and the new role of women poses additional challenges to our conventional nurturing approach to child development. This paper focuses on skill development in the early years, examining how we might best combine family inputs and public policy to invest optimally in our future human capital. I emphasize three issues: one, the uneven capacity of parents to invest in children; two, the impact of mothers' employment on child outcomes; and three, the potential benefits of early pre-school programmes. I conclude that mothers' intra-family bargaining power is decisive for family investments and that universal child care is key if our goal is to arrive at a strong mean with minimal variance.