Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parallel divergence in mate guarding behaviour following colonization of a novel habitat

Ecological factors can have profound effects on mating system and mating behaviour. We investigated the effect of altered ecological conditions, following colonization of a novel habitat, on precopulatory mate guarding in a freshwater isopod (Asellus aquaticus). This isopod occurs in two different ecotypes, which coexist within several different lakes in Sweden but which utilize different habitats. These ecotypes have rapidly (ca. 40 generations) diverged in parallel among lakes in several phenotypic characters, presumably as a response to different predatory pressures. Here, we demonstrate that also mate guarding characteristics have diverged in parallel between the ecotypes in different lakes. This is one of the few studies reporting parallel evolution of mating behaviour. Furthermore, our results also indicate a potential sexual conflict, as the length of mate guarding appears to lower components of female fitness. We discuss how novel environments might have strong and rapid effects on mate guarding dynamics and mating behaviour.
Host cell phospholipids are trafficked to and then modified by Chlamydia trachomatis

There is little information on the trafficking of eukaryotic lipids from a host cell to either the cytoplasmic membrane of or the vacuolar membrane surrounding intracellular pathogens. Purified Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite, contains several eukaryotic glycerophospholipids, yet attempts to demonstrate transfer of these lipids to the chlamydial cell membrane have not been successful. In this report, we demonstrate that eukaryotic glycerophospholipids are trafficked from the host cell to C. trachomatis. Phospholipid trafficking was assessed by monitoring the incorporation of radiolabelled isoleucine, a precursor of C. trachomatis specific branched-chain fatty acids, into host-derived glycerophospholipids and by monitoring the transfer of host phosphatidylserine to chlamydiae and its subsequent decarboxylation to form phosphatidylethanolamine. Phospholipid trafficking to chlamydiae was unaffected by brefeldin A, an inhibitor of Golgi function. Furthermore, no changes in trafficking were observed when C. trachomatis was grown in a mutant cell line with a nonfunctional, nonspecific phospholipid transfer protein. Host glycerophospholipids are modified by C. trachomatis, such that a host-synthesized straight-chain fatty acid is replaced with a chlamydia-synthesized branched-chain fatty acid. We also demonstrate that despite the acquisition of host-derived phospholipids, C. trachomatis is capable of de novo synthesis of phospholipids typically synthesized by prokaryotic cells. Our results provide novel information on chlamydial phospholipid metabolism and eukaryotic cell lipid trafficking, and they increase our understanding of the evolutionary steps leading to the establishment of an intimate metabolic association between an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite and a eukaryotic host cell.
Conservation and Education: Prominent Themes in Zoo Mission Statements

In this study, the authors examine the mission statements of 136 zoos in the United States that the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) has accredited, and report on the predominant themes of education and conservation in the statements. To explore the relation between these two themes, the authors present a literature review of the roles and purposes of zoos and discuss how the literature compares with the roles and purposes of zoos as found in the zoo mission statements. They conclude that with more than 134 million visitors a year, zoos are in a unique position to provide environmental education and conservation education to large numbers of people.
First Study on Data Readiness Level

We introduce the idea of Data Readiness Level (DRL) to measure the relative richness of data to answer specific questions often encountered by data scientists. We first approach the problem in its full generality explaining its desired mathematical properties and applications and then we propose and study two DRL metrics. Specifically, we define DRL as a function of at least four properties of data: Noisiness, Believability, Relevance, and Coherence. The information-theoretic based metrics, Cosine Similarity and Document Disparity, are proposed as indicators of Relevance and Coherence for a piece of data. The proposed metrics are validated through a text-based experiment using Twitter data.
MJ - A System for Constructing Bug-Finding Analyses for Java

Many software defects result from the violation of programming rules: rules that describe how to use a programming language and its libraries and rules that describe the dos and don’ts within a given application, library or system. MJ is a language and an engine that can succinctly express many of these rules for programs written in Java. MJ programs are checkers that are compiled into compiler extensions. A static analysis engine applies the extensions to user code and flags rule violations. We have implemented and tested several extensions in MJ for both general and application-specific rules. Our checkers have found dozens of bugs in some widely-deployed and mature software systems.
Bettering the reliability through gossiping in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Network consists of several sensor nodes which continuously monitor or sensing its environmental or physical condition and agreeably sends the sensing information to the Base Station or Sink. WSNs are application-specific, where the design requirements of WSNs change according to the application. Hence, routing protocol requirements are changed from one application to another. As WSN is mainly used to send the critical messages, many protocols have been proposed to increase network lifetime. In our project we propose a new protocol called Reliable Location based Gossiping (RLGossiping) to address the problems of Gossiping and its extensions. RLGossiping consists of three phases: Initialization, Information Gathering and Routing. We show how our approach increases the network energy and as a result maximizes the network life time. Saving the nodes energy leads to an increase in the node life in the network.
Performance of ensemble learning classifiers on malignant-benign classification of pulmonary nodules

Computer-aided detection systems can help radiologists to detect pulmonary nodules at an early stage. In this study, a novel Computer-aided Diagnosis system (CAD) is proposed for the classification of pulmonary nodules as malignant and benign. Proposed CAD system, providing an important support to radiologists at the diagnosis process of the disease, achieves high classification performance using ensemble learning classifiers.
Integrated, marginal, and resilient: race, class, and the diverse experiences of white first‐generation college students

While first‐generation college students are ‘at risk’, the majority do persist. Using in‐depth interviews with 28 white college students I ask: How do white, first‐generation, working‐class students understand their college experiences, especially in terms of their academic, social, and cultural adjustment? Moreover, what kinds of factors seem to help or hinder their adjustment to college life? I discovered three patterns of adjustment among these students: (1) about half expressed few feelings of marginality and appeared well integrated into campus life; (2) one quarter experienced persistent and debilitating marginality; and (3) another quarter overcame their feelings of marginality en route to becoming socially and academically engaged on campus, with some transforming their feelings of marginality into motivation for social change. I argue that these variations can be understood by looking at how working‐class students’ economic resources may function as an asset, while their whiteness may function alternately as an asset and a liability.
Preliminary report: homology modeling of human, dog and catβ-adrenergic receptors

Beta 2-adrenergic Receptors are widely distributed in heart, airway smooth muscle, liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. The specific ligand, beta 2-agonist, binds at the specific binding site on ADRB2 then the signal transduction pathways begins. The three-dimensional configuration of ADRB2 is uniquely and determines by its amino acid sequence. In this study, human ADRB2, dog ADRB2, and cat ADRB2 sequences were studied by sequence of P07550, P54833 and Q9TST5, respectively. The similarity of human ADRB2 and dog ADRB2 was 90% whereas the similarity between human ADRB2 and cat ADRB2 was 89%. In addition, the similarity between dog ADRB2 and cat ADRB2 was 95%. The in silico ADRB2 models were generated and compared among species of interest. The results show that the shapes and the pocket sites of ADRB2 differ between species. The differences of ADRB2 three-dimensional configuration may give explanations about the variety of interaction between ADRB2 and its agonist among human, dog and cat. Further study of protein-protein interaction, structure-based drug design, and novel function of ADRB2 in companion animals may have basis from human ADRB2.
La mémoire chez l'animal: évolution récente de quelques concepts utilisés en psychophysiologie

Dans cet article, nous cherchons a faire le point sur l'evolution recente de quelques concepts et methodes d'analyse utilises pour etudier la memoire chez l'animal, et evaluer le role de structures nerveuses — essentiellement l'hippocampe — dans differentes formes de memoire. Tout d'abord, nous relevons dans les vingt dernieres annees les developpements qui ont contribue a l'adequation du modele animal pour approcher les phenomenes mnesiques dans une perspective evolutionniste permettant l'extrapolation a l'homme. Puis nous discutons la valeur de quelques categories de memoire (memoires spatiale, declarative, de travail) utilisees pour rendre compte de dissociations fonctionnelles induites experimentalement ou observees en clinique. ; Mots cles : memoire spatiale, memoire de travail, memoire declarative, hippocampe. ;
Noninvasive MRI evaluation of cerebral blood flow in cerebrovascular disease

Previous studies have demonstrated that cerebral blood flow (CBF) can be assessed noninvasively by MRI using magnetic labeling of arterial water as a diffusible flow tracer. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of CBF images obtained from patients with cerebrovascular disease using this method, and to begin to evaluate the potential clinical role for this technique. We recruited 14 patients who presented with stroke, TIA, or severe carotid stenosis and were likely to have altered CBF based on clinical assessment. In many of these patients, CBF imaging disclosed both focal and hemispheric hypoperfusion, either in vascular territories or in watershed regions. In 11 patients with significant proximal arterial stenosis, hemispheric CBF abnormalities localized to the side of most significant stenosis for the anterior circulation distribution. In several patients watershed hypoperfusion was even more pronounced. Our results suggest that good-quality MR CBF images can be obtained reliably from patients with cerebrovascular disease. CBF imaging can be combined with standard structural imaging within a single MRI examination, and provides clinically meaningful information. The capability of measuring CBF easily provides a potentially useful tool for clinical assessment and further investigation of stroke pathophysiology.
Optimal Sampling for Hemicubes

The hemicube estimates of form factors are based on a finite set of sample directions. We obtain several optimal arrangements of sample directions, which minimize the variance of these estimates. They are based on changing the size or shape of the pixels or the shape of the hemicube, or using non-uniform pixel grids. The best reduces the variance by 43%. The variance calculation is based on the assumption that the errors in the estimate are caused by the projections of single polygon edges, and that the positions and orientations of these edges are random. This replaces the infinite dimensional space of possible environments by the two dimensional space of great circles on the unit sphere, making the numerical variance minimization possible. >
Pathology of Human Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Infection with influenza A (H5N1) virus, which has not been associated with respiratory disease in humans previously, caused clinical signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome with high mortality in humans in Hong Kong in 1997. To study the pathogenesis of this disease, we infected four cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) with 2.5 × 104 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) of influenza virus A/Hong Kong/156/97 (H5N1) and euthanatized them 4 or 7 days after infection. The main lesion was a necrotizing broncho-interstitial pneumonia (4/4) similar to those found in primary influenza virus pneumonia in humans, with desquamation of respiratory epithelium (4/4), intra-alveolar hemorrhage (4/4), hyaline membrane formation (2/4), and infiltration with neutrophils and macrophages (4/4). Lesions in other organs consisted of a suppurative tonsillitis (2/4) and necrosis in lymphoid organs (1/4), kidney (1/4), and liver (1/4). By immunohistochemistry, influenza virus antigen was limited to pulmonary tissue (4/4) and tonsils (2/4). Based on these results, we suggest that the cynomolgus monkey is a suitable animal model for studying the pathogenesis of human H5N1 virus infection and that multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome in this disease may be caused by diffuse alveolar damage from virus replication in the lungs alone.
Better Policing through a Paradigm Shift in Public Perception of the Police

The general populace may not always have a good impression of the police force. It is essential that the public should have a positive perception of the police force so that the force may be able to count on public cooperation in their efforts to combat crime and maintain public order. This paper investigated the factors that influenced the public opinion of the police such as police effectiveness in combating crime, corruption, brutality and personal links between police and the public. It is a qualitative study comprising 30 respondents from Terengganu and 30 from Penang. It was found that most of the educated members were not happy with the police as they felt that the police could be more effective in combating crime. In addition, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the prevalence of corruption and brutality in the police force. They also felt that the actions taken by the police to curb these ills are inadequate. The police should further reduce crime and seen to be acting sternly against corruption and brutality in order to regain public confidence and win their cooperation in combating crime. Further research should be carried out on a quantitative basis using a much larger sample.
Asian ethnicity and the sense of personal control

The relationship between the sense of personal control and psychological well-being is well established, but this association may be specific to Western cultures. In this study we examine the relationship between Asian culture and the sense of personal control, and the impact of perceived control on depression and anxiety among Asians and non-Asians. Using the World Values Survey and the combined responses of four surveys in the United States, we find that Asian Americans and Asians in Asia (Japan, South Korea, China, and India) both report lower levels of perceived control than non-Asians. Furthermore, the sense of personal control has less of an impact on psychological distress for Asians. Findings are interpreted in terms of Asian collectivist values. Compared with individualistic Western cultures, Asian cultures emphasize selfless subordination to family and community, which may decrease levels of personal control. Furthermore, the dictates of collectivist cultures are such that high levels of personal control among Asians may be a norm violation. For this reason, high levels of perceived control may be associated less strongly with psychological well-being for Asians.
Regulation of ionic currents in pheochromocytoma cells by nerve growth factor and dexamethasone

Growth factors and hormones induce differentiation of clonal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, which are derived from rat adrenal medulla chromaffin cells. On application of nerve growth factor (NGF), PC12 cells extend neurites and express properties characteristic of autonomic ganglion cells. In contrast, incubation of PC12 cells with a corticosteroid, dexamethasone (DEX), does not induce neurite formation but causes an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity, suggesting that the cells become chromaffin cell-like. The ability of NGF and DEX to regulate ionic currents has been less well studied. Therefore, we examined how long-term NGF and DEX treatments affected voltage- dependent Na, Ca, and K currents in PC12 cells. Voltage-dependent Na currents were observed only in a small fraction of the PC12 cells in the absence of NGF or DEX. Virtually all NGF-treated cells expressed Na currents within 7 d. DEX increased the number of cells expressing voltage-dependent Na current slowly over 3 weeks, but, unlike NGF, DEX did not change Na current density. Both NGF and DEX also affected the expression of voltage-dependent Ca currents. Most of the untreated cells had only sustained, high-threshold voltage-dependent Ca currents. Chronic application of NGF or DEX increased the fractions of the cells that showed transient, low-threshold T-type Ca currents in addition to the high-threshold currents. The T-type Ca current density, however, increased significantly only in NGF-treated cells. Neither DEX nor NGF affected the voltage-dependent K currents. These results suggest that the expression of voltage-dependent Na and Ca currents are differentially regulated by NGF and DEX. The distinction between treated and untreated cells decreased after 3 weeks in culture as older untreated cells showed increases in the fraction of cells expressing both Na and low-threshold Ca currents. A PC12 subline selected for adherence to uncoated plastic also showed increased fraction of cells expressing these currents, suggesting that interactions with substrate may also influence ionic current expression.
Historical Development and Future Directions in Data Resource Development

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Distribution of smile line, gingival angle and tooth shape among the Saudi Arabian subpopulation and their association with gingival biotype

Objectives: To determine the occurrence of smile line and maxillary tooth shape in the Saudi Arabian subpopulation, and to estimate the association between these parameters with gingival biotype. Materials and Methods: On the fulfillment of selection criteria, total 315 patients belong to Saudi Arabian ethnic group were randomly selected. Two frontal photographs of the patients were acquired. The tooth morphology, gingival angle, and smile line classification were determined with ImageJ image analyzing software. The gingival biotype was assessed by probe transparency method. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 19 (IBM Corporation, New York, USA) software to determine the frequency and association between other parameters and gingival biotype. Results: Among the clinical parameters evaluated, the tapering tooth morphology (56.8%), thick gingival biotype (53%), and average smile line (57.5%) was more prevalent. The statistically significant association was found between thick gingival biotype and the square tooth, high smile line. The high gingival angle was associated with thin gingival biotype. Conclusions: The study results indicate the existence of an association between tooth shape, smile line, and gingival angle with gingival biotype.
Increase of mitochondria in vasa nervorum of cases with mitochondrial myopathy, Kearns‐Sayre syndrome, progressive externaI ophthalmoplegia and MEWS *

Previous studies on patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy. lactic acidosis, and stroke‐like episodes (MELAS) revealed accumulations of mitochondria in endothelial cells. smooth muscle cells of pial arterioles, and small intracerebral arteries up to 250μm in diameter; in pericytes of capillaries, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells of small blood vessels in skeletal muscle; and according to preliminary results also in endothelial and smooth muscle cells of capillaries and arterioles in sural nerves. These mitochondria do not show the prominent paracrystalline inclusions which are seen in striated muscle fibres and led to the identification of this group of disorders. To corroborate our preliminary findings in peripheral nerves, additional cases have been evaluated morphometrically by electron microscopy including cases in which rnitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been identified. In fact, an increase of the mean number and an enlargement of the mean cross‐sectional area of mitochondria was noted in endothelial and smooth muscle cells of endoneurial and epineurial arterioles, and in endothelial cells and in pericytes of capillaries in sural nerves of the 20 cases with mitochondrial disorders studied. This increase was statistically significant compared to the control group. However, due to heteroplasmia, which is a common feature in mitochondrial disorders, and because of the limited number of measurable blood vessels and cases, no significant differences could be detected between the various types of mitochondrial diseases which were characterized by dflerent point mutations or deletions of mtDNA. Our findings suggest that the mitochondria play a significant role in the pathogenesis not only of myopathic and encephalopathic symptoms, but also in the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathy which appears to be regularly associated with mitochondrial disorders.
Calculation of LTC Premiums Based on Direct Estimates of Transition Probabilities

In this paper we model the life-history of LTC-patients using a Markovian multi-state model in order to calculate premiums for a given LTC-plan. Instead of estimating the transition intensities in this model we use the approach suggested by Andersen et al. (2003) for a direct estimation of the transition probabilities. Based on the Aalen-Johansen estimator, an almost unbiased estimator for the transition matrix of a Markovian multi-state model, we calculate so-called pseudo-values, known from Jackknife methods. Further, we assume that the relationship between these pseudo-values and the covariates of our data are given by a GLM with the logit as link-function. Since the GLMs do not allow for correlation between successive observations we use instead the “Generalized Estimating Equations” (GEEs) to estimate the parameters of our regression model. The approach is illustrated using a representative sample from a German LTC portfolio.