Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elite male faculty in the life sciences employ fewer women

Significance Despite decades of progress, men still greatly outnumber women among biology faculty in the United States. Here, we show that high-achieving faculty members who are male train 10–40% fewer women in their laboratories relative to the number of women trained by other investigators. These skewed employment patterns may result from self-selection among female scientists or they may result from conscious or unconscious bias on the part of some faculty members. The dearth of women who are trained in these laboratories likely limits the number of female candidates who are most competitive for faculty job searches. Women make up over one-half of all doctoral recipients in biology-related fields but are vastly underrepresented at the faculty level in the life sciences. To explore the current causes of women’s underrepresentation in biology, we collected publicly accessible data from university directories and faculty websites about the composition of biology laboratories at leading academic institutions in the United States. We found that male faculty members tended to employ fewer female graduate students and postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) than female faculty members did. Furthermore, elite male faculty—those whose research was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who had been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, or who had won a major career award—trained significantly fewer women than other male faculty members. In contrast, elite female faculty did not exhibit a gender bias in employment patterns. New assistant professors at the institutions that we surveyed were largely comprised of postdoctoral researchers from these prominent laboratories, and correspondingly, the laboratories that produced assistant professors had an overabundance of male postdocs. Thus, one cause of the leaky pipeline in biomedical research may be the exclusion of women, or their self-selected absence, from certain high-achieving laboratories.
Cd2+ regulation of the hyperpolarization-activated current IAB in crayfish muscle

The effects of Cd2+ on the hyperpolarization-activated K(+)-mediated current called IAB (Araque, A., and W. Buno. 1994. Journal of Neuroscience. 14:399-408.) were studied under two-electrode voltage- clamp in opener muscle fibers of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii. IAB was reversibly reduced by extracellular Cd2+ in a concentration- dependent manner, obeying the Hill equation with IC50 = 0.452 +/- 0.045 mM and a Hill coefficient of 1 (determined from the maximal chord conductance of IAB). Cd2+ decreased the IAB conductance (GAB) and shifted its voltage dependence towards hyperpolarized potentials in a similar degree, without affecting the slope of the voltage dependence. The IAB activation time constant increased, whereas the IAB deactivation time constant was not modified by Cd2+. The IAB equilibrium potential (EAB) was unmodified by Cd2+, indicating that the selective permeability of IAB channels was not altered. IAB was unaffected by intracellular Cd2+. The Cd(2+)-regulation of IAB did not depend on [K+]o, and the effects of [K+]o on IAB were unchanged by Cd2+, indicating that Cd2+ did not compete with K+. Therefore, Cd2+ probably bound to a different site to that involved in the K+ permeability pathway. We conclude that Cd2+ affected the gating of IAB channels, interfering with their opening but not with their closing mechanism. The results can be explained by a kinetic model in which the binding of Cd2+ to the IAB channels would stabilize the gating apparatus at its resting position, increasing the energy barrier for the transition from the closed to the open channel states.
Beyond the Barriers: Understanding Decisions to Participate in Continuing Higher Education Among Under-Represented Groups

0 ne of the challenges facing continuing higher education, as with most education aimed at adults, is how to expand and diversify the student population. If there is to be a genuine and effective move towards a learning society for all, it is essential to have participation from as wide a cross-section of the population as possible. This ideal is some way from realization. Educators and administrators need to understand and respond strategically to the choices people make, and continuing higher education has a substantial and central role to play in extending higher education possibilities to those who do not fit the traditional student mold. Fulfilling this potential requires educators to understand people's decisions about education and respond to them creatively. It would be helpful to have a way of understanding participation as an active choice that makes sense for certain individuals in their particular context, but perhaps not for others. In this article, I consider continuing higher education to refer to programs offered by institutions of higher education that do not serve conventional full-time undergraduate or graduate student groups. At my own institution, a large research-driven Scottish university with one of the most extensive continuing education programs in the United Kingdom, this includes noncredit programs designed for the general public as well as specific programs to support university entry for marginalized groups. Both of these areas are key concerns for a learning society. The first provides an affordable way for people to remain engaged in learning across a wide range of topics and contributes to a general culture of learning. The second is related to equity of opportunity, ensuring that people are not alienated from higher education due to disadvantage early in their lives. Continuing higher education is concerned with both maintaining engagement with education for those who have previous experience and supporting engagement for those new to higher education. In this discussion I consider some of the issues involved in more fully understanding participation for different social groups, based on a review of participation literature from North America and the United Kingdom (UK) . The focus of much of these discussions is adult education in general, but the internal evidence from my own institution shows the patterns are highly consistent with continuing higher education, especially the overand under-represented segments of the population. The need to understand the participation decisions of specific groups is summarized clearly in an exhaustive survey of around 10 years ago:
Facilitating Transfer of Skills between Group Projects and Work Teams

As organizations have adopted team-based work arrangements, the use of group projects in education has also grown. One objective is to help prepare students to be effective team members in organizations. Yet, student comments and instructor observations suggest we may not be achieving this objective. This article shows how to apply transfer of learningprinciples, and findings related to work team effectiveness, to improve the chances of skill transfer between school and work. Recommendations include specific ideas for instructors to use before, during, and after group work, and for faculty to consider from a program-level perspective.
Qual é a Contribuição da Nomeação Seriada Rápida para a Habilidade de Leitura e Escrita?: Evidência de Crianças e Adolescentes com e sem Dificuldades de Leitura

The study investigates the relationship between rapid serial naming and phoneme awareness, and reading and spelling ability. Participants were 146 North-American children and adolescents varying in age from seven to 18 years. Approximately half of the participants (N = 71) had reading difficulties. The results suggest that rapid serial naming contributes variation to reading and spelling ability that is independent of the contribution of phoneme awareness. However, relative to this skill, rapid serial naming makes a rather modest contribution to learning to read and spell in an alphabetic writing system. Further analyses suggested that rapid serial naming is particularly important for the development of the ability to read texts rapidly and accurately, whereas phoneme awareness is particularly important for the development of the ability to read by phonological recoding, that is, by translating letters or group of letters into their phonological codes. Finally, there was little indication that the role played by either phoneme awareness or rapid serial naming interacts with age or reading ability
A wait-free queue for multiple enqueuers and multiple dequeuers using local preferences and pragmatic extensions

Queues are one of the most commonly used data structures in applications and operating systems [1]. Up-and-coming multi-core processors force software developers to consider data structures in order to make them thread-safe. But, in real-time systems, e.g., robotic controls, parallelization is even more complicated as such systems must guarantee to meet their mostly hard deadlines. A considerable amount of research has been carried out on wait-free objects [2] to achieve this. Wait-freedom can guarantee that each potentially concurrent thread completes its operation within a bounded number of steps. But applicable wait-free queues, which supports multiple enqueue, dequeue and read operations, do not exist yet. Therefore, we present a statically allocated and statically linked queue, which supports arbitrary concurrent operations. Our approach is also applicable in other scenarios, where unsorted queues with statically allocated elements are used. Moreover, we introduce ‘local preferences’ to minimize contention. But, as the response times of our enqueue operation directly depends on the fill level, the response times of a nearly filled queue still remain an issue. Moreover, our approach is jitter-prone with a varying fill level. In this paper, we also address all of these issues with an approach using a helping queue. The results show that we can decrease the worst case execution time by approximately factor twenty. Additionally, we reduce the average response times of potentially concurrent enqueue operations in our queue. To the best of our knowledge, our wait-free queue is the best known and practical solution for an unsorted thread-safe queue for multiple enqueuers, multiple dequeuers and mulitple readers.
Glasgow Coma Scale scores, early opioids, and 4-year psychological outcomes among combat amputees.

Morphine and fentanyl are frequently used for analgesia after trauma, but there is debate over the advantages and disadvantages of these opioids. Among combat amputees, intravenous (IV) morphine (vs IV fentanyl) after injury was associated with reduced likelihood of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The previous results were based on military health diagnoses over 2 yr postinjury. The present study followed psychological diagnoses of patients with amputation for 4 yr using military and Department of Veterans Affairs health data. In-theater combat casualty records (n = 145) documented Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and/or morphine, fentanyl, or no opioid treatment within hours of injury. We found that (1) GCS scores were not significantly associated with PTSD; (2) longitudinal modeling using four (yearly) time points showed significantly reduced odds of PTSD for patients treated with morphine (vs fentanyl) across years (adjusted odds ratio = 0.40; 95% confidence interval = 0.17–0.94); (3) reduced PTSD prevalence for morphine (vs IV fentanyl; morphine = 25%, fentanyl = 59%, p < 0.05) was significant, specifically among patients with traumatic brain injury during the first 2 yr postinjury; and (4) PTSD prevalence, but not other disorders (e.g., mood), increased between year 1 (PTSD = 18%) and years 2 through 4 postinjury (PTSD range = 30%–32%).
Ultrasonic array beamforming with iterative spatial filters

First-principle approaches to the design of medical ultrasonic imaging systems for specific visual tasks are being explored in this paper. Our study focuses on breast cancer diagnosis and is based on the ideal observer concept for visual discrimination tasks, whereby tasks based on five clinical features are expressed mathematically as likelihood functions. Realistic approximations to the ideal strategy for each task are proposed as additional beamforming to maximize diagnostic image information content available to readers. Our previous study showed that a spatial Wiener filter (SWF) beamformer, derived as a stationary approximation of the ideal observer and operating on RF echo data, generally improved discriminability except for one case involving high-contrast lesions. This study explores an adaptive, iterative spatial Wiener filter (ISWF) beamformer that includes a lesion segmentation algorithm to overcome the stationarity assumption and improve discriminability for highcontrast lesions. Predicted performance is compared with that measured from trained human observers using psychophysical methods. We found the greatest feature enhancement of the delay-and-sum beamformer followed by SWF occurs at the image formation step where RF data are converted into B-mode data. The Smith-Wagner computational observer, which operates on the B-mode instead of RF data, was applied to indicate performance lost by envelope detection. ISWF was found to match the performance of SWF for low-contrast lesions and increase the performance for the high-contrast tasks. The ISWF beamforming approach offers greater diagnostic performance for discriminating malignant and benign breast lesions, and it provides a rational basis for further task-specific imaging system design.
Evolutionary Toggling of Vpx/Vpr Specificity Results in Divergent Recognition of the Restriction Factor SAMHD1

SAMHD1 is a host restriction factor that blocks the ability of lentiviruses such as HIV-1 to undergo reverse transcription in myeloid cells and resting T-cells. This restriction is alleviated by expression of the lentiviral accessory proteins Vpx and Vpr (Vpx/Vpr), which target SAMHD1 for proteasome-mediated degradation. However, the precise determinants within SAMHD1 for recognition by Vpx/Vpr remain unclear. Here we show that evolution of Vpx/Vpr in primate lentiviruses has caused the interface between SAMHD1 and Vpx/Vpr to alter during primate lentiviral evolution. Using multiple HIV-2 and SIV Vpx proteins, we show that Vpx from the HIV-2 and SIVmac lineage, but not Vpx from the SIVmnd2 and SIVrcm lineage, require the C-terminus of SAMHD1 for interaction, ubiquitylation, and degradation. On the other hand, the N-terminus of SAMHD1 governs interactions with Vpx from SIVmnd2 and SIVrcm, but has little effect on Vpx from HIV-2 and SIVmac. Furthermore, we show here that this difference in SAMHD1 recognition is evolutionarily dynamic, with the importance of the N- and C-terminus for interaction of SAMHD1 with Vpx and Vpr toggling during lentiviral evolution. We present a model to explain how the head-to-tail conformation of SAMHD1 proteins favors toggling of the interaction sites by Vpx/Vpr during this virus-host arms race. Such drastic functional divergence within a lentiviral protein highlights a novel plasticity in the evolutionary dynamics of viral antagonists for restriction factors during lentiviral adaptation to its hosts.
The individuality of mice

Mutant mice simulating human CNS disorders are used as models for therapeutic drug development. Drug evaluation requires a coherent correlation between behavioral phenotype and drug status. Variations in behavioral responses could mask such correlations, a problem highlighted by the three‐site studies of Crabbe et al. (1999) and Wahlsten et al. (2003a). Factors contributing to variation are considered, focusing on differences between individual animals. Genetic differences due to minisatellite variation suggest that each mouse is genetically distinct. Effects during gestation, including maternal stress, influence later life behavior; while endocrine exchanges between fetus and parent, and between male and female fetuses dependent on intrauterine position, also contribute. Pre and perinatal nutrition and maternal attention also play a role. In adults, endocrine cyclicity in females is a recognized source of behavioral diversity. Notably, there is increasing recognition that groups of wild and laboratory mice have complex social structures, illustrated through consideration of Crowcroft (1966). Dominance status can markedly modify behavior in test paradigms addressing anxiety, locomotion and aggressiveness, to an extent comparable to mutation or drug status. Understanding how such effects amplify the behavioral spectrum displayed by otherwise identical animals will improve testing.
Improvement on the Cold Cranking Capacity of Commercial Vehicle by Using Supercapacitor and Lead-Acid Battery Hybrid

Paralleling a supercapacitor with a lead-acid battery decreases the size and the capacity of the starting battery that is required for cold cranking. A simple circuit model for the hybrid power source is introduced and analyzed, showing that lower effective series resistance (ESR) gives greater effective discharge capacity. Laboratory experiments and road tests on reduced-volume batteries that are ganged with aqueous carbon-carbon (C/C) supercapacitors demonstrate practical and economic advantages. Applications to engineering are discussed.
SESAG: an object‐oriented application framework for real‐time systems

Advancements in hardware and software technologies have made possible the design of real‐time systems and applications where stringent timing constraints are imposed on critical tasks. The design of such systems is more complex than that of temporally unrestricted systems because system correctness depends on the satisfaction of functional as well as temporal requirements. To aid users in correctly and efficiently designing systems, object‐oriented frameworks provide a useful environment for significant reuse and reduction in design effort. In contrast to other application domains, there has been relatively little work on an application framework for the design of real‐time systems. Facing the growing need for real‐time applications, we propose a novel application framework called SESAG, which consists of five components, namely Specifier, Extractor, Scheduler, Allocator, and Generator. Within SESAG, several design patterns are proposed and used for the development of real‐time applications. A new evaluation metric called relative design effort is proposed for evaluating SESAG. Experiences in using SESAG show a significant increase in design productivity through design reuse and a significant decrease in design time and effort. Two complex application examples have been developed using SESAG and evaluated using the new evaluation metric. The examples demonstrate relative design efforts of at most 18% of the design efforts required by conventional methods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Before the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION In re : Docket No

In re: Docket No. 2004P-0060 Filed on: June 3,2004 COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY WEXDER NUTRITEON INTERNATIONAL, INC. Weider Nutrition International, Inc., (“Commenter”) hereby submits the attached scientific report by Michael John Glade, Ph.D., CNS, FACN (Exhibit A) as responsive to the Petition of Rotta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Glade’s report responds to the Petition of Rotta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., concerning the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of crystalline glucosamine sulfate. Commenter respectfully requests that FDA consider the attached report of Dr. Glade when evaluating the Petition filed by Rotta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Respectfully submitted, WEIDER NUTRITION INTERNATIONAL, INC.,
Effect of Sympathetic Stimulation on Permeability of the Blood‐Brain Barrier to Albumin during Acute Hypertension in Cats

Most studies concerning effects of neural stimuli on the cerebral circulation have focused on changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF). The purpose of this study was to examine effects of sympathetic nerves on permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to albumin, using a quantitative method, and to relate changes in blood flow to changes in permeability of the BBB. Permeability of the BBB was evaluated by measuring the accumulation ofulI-labeled serum albumin (RISA) in brain. RISA was injected intravenously, and the ratio of brain RISA to blood RISA was used as an index of permeability of the BBB. In normotensive cats, the BBB index in the cerebrum was 0.12 ± 0.04% (mean ± BE). During acute hypertension produced by intravenous norepinephrine, the BBB index in the cerebrum increased to 0.91 ± 0.20% (P< 0.05). Sympathetic stimulation during hypertension attenuated the increase in BBB index: the BBB index was 0.38 ± 0.10% and 1.01 ± 0.26% on the stimulated and unstimulated sides of the cerebrum, respectively (P < 0.05). CBF increased more than threefold during severe hypertension; sympathetic stimulation attenuated the increase in flow. Increases in flow and disruption of the BBB were most marked in cortical gray matter, and responses to sympathetic stimulation were also largest in cortical grey matter. Disruption of the BBB during hypertension was minimal in subcortical grey and white matter, and sympathetic stimulation had no detectable effect in these areas. In summary, these studies provide the first quantitative evidence that acute hypertension increases the permeability of the BBB to albumin and that sympathetic stimulation reduces disruption of the barrier. The regions of the brain that were most susceptible to disruption of the BBB were most responsive to the protective effect of sympathetic stimulation. Cine Res 45: 331-338, 1979
Association between Three Mutations, F1565C, V1023G and S996P, in the Voltage-Sensitive Sodium Channel Gene and Knockdown Resistance in Aedes aegypti from Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Mutations in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene (Vssc) have been identified in Aedes aegypti and some have been associated with pyrethroid insecticide resistance. Whether these mutations cause resistance, alone or in combination with other alleles, remains unclear, but must be understood if mutations are to become markers for resistance monitoring. We describe High Resolution Melt (HRM) genotyping assays for assessing mutations found in Ae. aegypti in Indonesia (F1565C, V1023G, S996P) and use them to test for associations with pyrethroid resistance in mosquitoes from Yogyakarta, a city where insecticide use is widespread. Such knowledge is important because Yogyakarta is a target area for releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes with virus-blocking traits for dengue suppression. We identify three alleles across Yogyakarta putatively linked to resistance in previous research. By comparing resistant and susceptible mosquitoes from bioassays, we show that the 1023G allele is associated with resistance to type I and type II pyrethroids. In contrast, F1565C homozygotes were rare and there was only a weak association between individuals heterozygous for the mutation and resistance to a type I pyrethroid. As the heterozygote is expected to be incompletely recessive, it is likely that this association was due to a different resistance mechanism being present. A resistance advantage conferred to V1023G homozygotes through addition of the S996P allele in the homozygous form was suggested for the Type II pyrethroid, deltamethrin. Screening of V1023G and S996P should assist resistance monitoring in Ae. aegypti from Yogyakarta, and these mutations should be maintained in Wolbachia strains destined for release in this city to ensure that these virus-blocking strains of mosquitoes are not disadvantaged, relative to resident populations.