Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Between‐sex genetic covariance constrains the evolution of sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster

Males and females share much of their genome, and as a result, intralocus sexual conflict is generated when selection on a shared trait differs between the sexes. This conflict can be partially or entirely resolved via the evolution of sex‐specific genetic variation that allows each sex to approach, or possibly achieve, its optimum phenotype, thereby generating sexual dimorphism. However, shared genetic variation between the sexes can impose constraints on the independent expression of a shared trait in males and females, hindering the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Here, we examine genetic constraints on the evolution of sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) expression. We use the extended G matrix, which includes the between‐sex genetic covariances that constitute the B matrix, to compare genetic constraints on two sets of CHC traits that differ in the extent of their sexual dimorphism. We find significant genetic constraints on the evolution of further dimorphism in the least dimorphic traits, but no such constraints for the most dimorphic traits. We also show that the genetic constraints on the least dimorphic CHCs are asymmetrical between the sexes. Our results suggest that there is evidence both for resolved and ongoing sexual conflict in D. melanogaster CHC profiles.
Maternal obesity and the developmental programming of hypertension: a role for leptin

Mother–child cohort studies have established that both pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain are independently associated with cardio‐metabolic risk factors in young adult offspring, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Animal models in sheep and non‐human primates provide further evidence for the influence of maternal obesity on offspring cardiovascular function, whilst recent studies in rodents suggest that perinatal exposure to the metabolic milieu of maternal obesity may permanently change the central regulatory pathways involved in blood pressure regulation. Leptin plays an important role in the central control of appetite, is also involved in activation of efferent sympathetic pathways to both thermogenic and non‐thermogenic tissues, such as the kidney, and is therefore implicated in obesity‐related hypertension. Leptin is also thought to have a neurotrophic role in the development of the hypothalamus, and altered neonatal leptin profiles secondary to maternal obesity are associated with permanently altered hypothalamic structure and function. In rodent studies, maternal obesity confers persistent sympathoexcitatory hyper‐responsiveness and hypertension acquired in the early stages of development. Experimental neonatal hyperleptinaemia in naive rat pups provides further evidence of heightened sympathetic tone and proof of principle that hyperleptinaemia during a critical window of hypothalamic development may directly lead to adulthood hypertension. Insight from these animal models raises the possibility that early‐life exposure to leptin in humans may lead to early onset essential hypertension. Ongoing mother–child cohort and intervention studies in obese pregnant women provide a unique opportunity to address associations between maternal obesity and offspring cardiovascular function. The goal of the review is to highlight the potential importance of leptin in the developmental programming of hypertension in obese pregnancy.
Reliability of circumferential bone level assessment around single implants in healed ridges and extraction sockets using cone beam CT.

PURPOSE Cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) provides three-dimensional information and could absolutely be useful for evaluating circumferential implant bone levels. However, the accuracy and precision of the technique has not been described. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy and precision of CBCT (i-CAT®, Imaging Sciences International®, Hatfield, PA, USA) using periapical radiographs (PA) as a reference and to evaluate the circumferential bone level on CBCT around immediately loaded single implants placed in healed ridges (CIT, conventional implant treatment) and extraction sockets (IIT, immediate implant placement). MATERIALS AND METHODS PA and CBCT radiographs were obtained from 26 single Astra Tech Osseospeed™ implants (Astra Tech AB, Mölndal, Sweden) 1 year after loading in respectively healed ridges (CIT) or extraction socket (IIT). For accuracy analysis, the three mesial and three distal interproximal levels obtained by CBCT were pooled to enable a comparison with PA. Precision was analyzed by intra- and interexaminer reliability calculation from mesial and distal sites on CBCT. The circumferential bone level considered all eight positions assessed on CBCT. RESULTS Accuracy of CBCT was low (R = 0.325/p = .019) given the fact that bone level of the total group was 0.70 mm (standard deviation [SD] 0.78, range 0.00-3.20) on PA and 0.23 mm (SD 0.27, 0.00-1.20) on CBCT (p < .001) with only 42% of the measurements showing deviation within 0.2 mm. However, intra- and interexaminer reliability were favorable (R ≥ 0.611/p < .001, ≥ 83%). The mean circumferential bone level on CBCT was 0.21 mm (SD 0.30) and 0.26 mm (SD 0.18) for IIT and CIT, respectively. The impact of the treatment strategy was not significant. CONCLUSION PA should be the standard technique to assess interproximal bone level but correlates poorly with the CBCT measurements. However, the precision of CBCT was high. CBCT requires further improvements of hardware and/or software. Within the limitations of the study, there is an indication that the buccal bone 1 year after implant treatment is evenly preserved when implants are immediately loaded in extraction sockets or in healed bone.
Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering for Information Retrieval Using Latent Semantic Index

Web clustering has been a highly interesting research field in Information Retrieval (IR) for many years. Considering the amount of web sites listed with an ambiguous query on major search engines, many researchers opted for Search Results Clustering (SRC) aiming on grouping vast lists of results into topically comprehensible clusters. Although some well-known algorithms exist already, results show there is still more work to be done in many aspects. This paper proposes method integrating Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) with Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC). The approach behind combining these two methods is to counter the synonymy and polysemy that occurs when previous SRC methods use bag-of-words model. Moreover, we observe that clusters by previous SRC methods are not satisfied and can be further clustered. Thus, we give room for other hidden topics to be shown. For the verification of proposed method, we use two common datasets AMBIguous ENTries (AMBIENT) and MORE Sense-tagged QUEries (MORESQUE), showing significant improvement in terms of clustering quality.
Landscape governance as policy integration ‘from below’: A case of displaced and contained political conflict in the Netherlands

Agrienvironmental schemes (AES) have been a predominant manifestation of environmental policy Integration in the EU. However, rather than strictly following formal AES policy, farmers across Europe have taken various other initiatives to integrate environmental and agricultural practices. Mostly, these integrative initiatives were based on dynamic actor networks at various levels, responding to local problems and challenges. Compared with situations where, from the top down, one (mostly weaker) policy domain is integrated into another, the kind of integration taking place in these examples may be called more ‘fundamental’. Here, integration is already embedded in the practical outcomes envisioned in specific places. The parts of the outcome require each other. However, this fundamental form of integration may render problems at other levels and sectors of governance. In this paper we present a case study of an initiative called Farming for Nature. The initiative aimed to integrate farming and nature more thoroughly than EU and national policies and incorporated some important other characteristics of the area, such as its water dynamics and relationships with the urban environment. However, it also involved some key differences from mainstream policy; and although it resonated with EU support for participative governance, these differences rendered a lengthy process towards implementation lasting more than half a decade. We use the concept of ‘landscape governance’—operationalized as the interplay of discourses, institutional practices, and natural–spatial conditions—to understand the politics of scale involved when mainstream government policies and local integrative initiatives meet. Particular attention is paid to how the local ideas toned down some of their integrative ingredients in order to comply with mainstream sectoral policy discourse. We find that the type of landscape governance implemented shaped the initiatives into a form that contributed to their implementation, but simultaneously displaced and contained political conflict in a way that prevented public debate.
Regulation of Cytosolic Calcium by Angiotensins in Vascular Smooth Muscle

The carboxy terminal homologue of angiotensin II (Ang II), Ang-(3–8) or hexapeptide, was used as a model peptide to examine the types of receptor mechanisms involved in calcium mobilization in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Hexapeptide did not produce tachyphylaxis but did produce a sustained increase in intracellular calcium. Differences in the increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]1) and the pattern of inositol phosphate production indicate that Ang-(3–8) and maximal concentrations of Ang II mobilize calcium through different mechanisms. The calciummobilizing mechanisms that predominate appear to depend on the concentration of angiotensin. Concentrations of Ang II greater than 10−5 M produce sharp calcium transients in which the [Ca2+], returns close to baseline within 1 minute after stimulation, but concentrations of Ang II equal to or less than 3×10−9 M result in a plateau increase in calcium. Pretreatment with Bordetella pertussis toxin does not abolish either the calcium transient induced by Ang II or the plateau phase induced by Ang-(3–8), indicating that the GTP-transducing protein that couples the receptor to phospholipase C or, possibly, a receptor-operated calcium channel is not Bordetella pertussis toxin sensitive.
FDI in China's Industry-Contributions to Growth and Technology Progress

FDI has carved an important niche for itself in the Chinese industry. These significant roles the FDI plays will be described and analyzed in detail in the paper based on empirical studies. A look will be taken at the fields in which the FDI has a key role to play. It can, among other things, provide new sources of capital, improve investment efficiency, increase productivity, enhance the nation's ability to introduce and develop advanced technology, and promote the quality of labor force. The conclusion is that FDI has not only become a dynamo behind the sustained growth of the Chinese economy,it is also changing the mode of economic growth in this country and improving its quality as well.
Cross‐sectional and longitudinal correlations between disease progression and different health‐related quality of life domains in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In ALS it would be expected that quality of life (QoL) would be decreased. However, studies to date show diverging results. Our study focuses on how ALS affects QoL on the different domains of the SF‐36 cross‐sectionally and during progression. The method used was a prospective cohort study, with assessments at baseline, at six months, and at one year. Patients were included with possible, probable or definite ALS according to the revised El Escorial criteria and were between 30 and 70 years of age. ALS functional rating scale was used to establish disease status, SF‐36 as QoL scale. At baseline 73 completed ALSFRS forms were available and 62 completed SF‐36 forms.The ALSFRS showed disease progression. SF‐36 scores showed lower QoL scores of persons with ALS compared to the general population both in cross‐sectional and longitudinal aspects in the domains of Physical Functioning, Role Physical, and Social Functioning, but similar compared with the general population in the Mental Health and Role Emotional domains. This study shows deteriorating physical health but stable mental health, thereby illustrating the diverging correlations between ALS severity and HRQoL. The diverging pattern of physical and mental health suggests a frame‐shift in the experience of HRQoL.
Dorsal Penile Nerve Block in Neonatal Circumcision: Chloroprocaine Versus Lidocaine

Dorsal penile nerve blocking (DPNB) has been used with success in decreasing neonatal stress during circumcision. This study was designed to confirm the effectiveness of lidocaine in DPNB and to demonstrate that chloroprocaine, a shorter acting anesthetic, is as effective in blocking circumcision stress as lidocaine, but, because of its shorter plasma elimination half-life and time of onset of action, is safer. Five groups of 15 neonates were matched for weight, age, and Apgar scores and randomly assigned to a control group, one lidocaine group and three chloroprocaine groups with 2-, 3- and 5-minute postinjection waiting periods. Each neonate was subjected to six events during circumcision for which heart rate, tissue oxygenation, and cry duration were recorded. We found that, as in previous investigations, DPNB with lidocaine was effective in reducing neonatal stress, as was evident from decreased excursion from baseline heart rate, tissue oxygenation, and cry duration when compared with the control group (nonblocked). Furthermore, chloroprocaine DPNB approximates the effectiveness of lidocaine, as was evident from decreased change from baseline cry duration, tissue oxygenation, and heart rate during the most stressful events, particularly in the 3-minute wait chloroprocaine group. This more rapid onset of regional anesthesia decreases DPNB circumcision time and benefits patients, parents, and physicians.
System Identification Approach Applied to Drift Estimation

A system identification approach is applied to estimate the time base drift introduced by a high-frequency sampling oscilloscope. First, a new least squares estimator is proposed to estimate the delay of a set of repeated measurements in the presence of additive and jitter noise. Next, the effect of both additive and jitter noise is studied in the frequency domain using simulations. Special attention is devoted to the covariance matrix of the experiments, which is used to construct a weighted least squares estimator that minimizes the uncertainty of the estimated delays. Comparative results with respect to other state-of-the-art methods are shown. Finally, the enhanced method is applied to estimate the drift observed in repeated impulse response measurements of an opto-electrical converter using an Agilent 83480A sampling oscilloscope in combination with a 83484A 50 GHz electrical plug-in.
Relation between the number of broadcasts of probe packets and energy consumption in multi-hop wireless networks

In multi-hop wireless networks, if we know the packet reception rates of all links in the network, we can find the path with the minimum energy consumption. However, to obtain the packet reception rates with high accuracy, we need a number of exchanges of probe packets. Also, the energy consumption along a path depends on a routing method. In this paper, we consider three routing methods and evaluate the relation between the number of broadcasts of probe packets and the total energy consumption along the paths selected by these methods.
Id: A Target of BMP Signaling

Cytokines of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily transduce their signals by activating receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads). Distinct R-Smads or combinations of R-Smads are activated by TGF-β, activin, or bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). R-Smads activated by BMPs induce expression of Id proteins, which act as inhibitors of differentiation and stimulators of cell growth by inhibiting the function of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. In endothelial cells, TGF-β binds to two distinct type I receptor serine-threonine kinases, ALK-5 and ALK-1; the latter activates the same R-Smads that are activated by BMP and induces synthesis of Id (inhibitor of differentation or inhibitor of DNA binding) proteins. Growing evidence suggests that Id proteins may play crucial roles in angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and osteogenesis and act as key molecules in regulating biological responses induced by BMPs and TGF-β.
DNA Network Structures on Various Solid Substrates Investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy

We have fabricated DNA network structures on glass and sapphire substrates. As a comparison, we also formed the network structure on mica substrate. For titanate strontium substrate, however, DNA network can not be obtained even if it is wet-treated by Na_2HPO_4 solution to make it hydrophilic. We also discuss the factors that affect the DNA networks formed on various substrates.
SIV/SHIV Infection Triggers Vascular Inflammation, Diminished Expression of Krüppel-like Factor 2 and Endothelial Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with increased risk of thromboembolic and cardiovascular comorbid conditions. Although systemic inflammation is linked to cardiovascular risk, direct evidence of vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction is lacking. METHODS We examined by immunofluorescence microscopy thoracic aortas from 16 simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)- or simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected and 16 uninfected rhesus macaques. RESULTS Focal endothelial proliferation and subendothelial inflammatory cells were found in sections of all infected animals, compared with minimal changes in sections from the 16 uninfected controls. In the infected animals, we detected increased endothelial levels of bacterial 16s ribosomal DNA as well as increased subendothelial accumulation of CD68(+) monocytes/macrophages (P< .001) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes (P< .001). Endothelial dysfunction was manifested by decreased levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (P< .005) and Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) (P< .005). KLF2 expression was decreased in primary human aortic endothelial cells exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide or to oxidized low-density lipoprotein in vitro, and this could be prevented by simvastatin. CONCLUSIONS SIV and SHIV infection lead to endothelial inflammation, dysfunction, and decreased KLF2 expression reflecting early atherosclerotic changes. Translocated bacterial components and lipid oxidation products may induce endothelial dysfunction in HIV infection that could be prevented by statin treatment.
Savivaldybės administracijoje dirbančių valstybės tarnautojų motyvacijos tyrimo analizė

Straipsnyje aptariami Lietuvos savivaldybių administracijose dirbancių valstybės tarnautojų motyvacijos tyrimo 2010 m. rezultatai. Jame analizuojami dirbti valstybės tarnyboje skatinantys motyvai ir pasitenkinimas darbu, akcentuojama amžiaus, lyties, užimamų pareigų ir kitų veiksnių įtaka valstybės tarnautojų motyvacijai. Straipsnyje tvirtinama, kad apie bendrą valstybės tarnybos etoso egzistavimą gali būti kalbama tik su tam tikromis islygomis. Kai kuriais bendresnio pobūdžio kausimais, pavyzdžiui, dėl viesųjų paslaugų paskirties, valstybės tarnautojų veiklos ribų žinojimo, pagalbos sprendžiant socialines problemas, respondentų nuomonė buvo gana vieninga, o kai kuriais klausimais, ypac dėl tarnavimo visuomenei be atlygio, pasiaukojimo jos gerovei, valstybės tarnybos paskirties, užuojautos kitiems patiriant asmeninius nuostolius, gerokai issiskyrė.
Estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast carcinoma: Correlations with epidemiology and pathology

Analysis of estrogen receptor protein (ERP) was carried out on 784 patients with primary breast carcinomas. Significant relationships were found with the following epidemiologic features; age at diagnosis, menstrual status, race, and use of exogenous hormones (contraceptive and menopausal estrogens). Patients taking either type of hormone at diagnosis had lower median total ERP binding levels. Although the data do not explain how recent hormone usage affects tumor ERP, it seems advisable to discontinue these hormones as early as possible before a breast biopsy because they may cause spuriously low ERP levels. Correlation with pathology variables confirmed most prior observations relating to tumor type, histologic grade, and lymphocytic infiltrate. However, in this large series, infiltrating lobular carcinomas were not ERP‐positive more frequently than duct carcinomas to any significant degree. The pattern of progesterone receptors (PRP) did not vary significantly with menstrual status, but in other respects correlations of epidemiologic and pathologic variables were similar for ERP and PRP.
Exosomes and retroviruses: the chicken or the egg?

Retroviruses appropriate pre‐existing cellular machineries to propagate. In the last decade, impressive similarities have been observed in the generation and dissemination in the host cells of retroviruses and small cellular vesicles known as exosomes. These cellular vesicles are thought to facilitate intercellular communication processes and mediate immune functions. However, their link to the retroviral life cycle has given rise to distinct hypotheses and puzzling dilemmas. Are exosomes the antecessors of retroviruses or do retroviruses merely exploit the same cellular machinery designated for exosome biosynthesis? Here, we address these fascinating evolutionary questions by reviewing recent discoveries and analysing the controversies surrounding them.
Identification of Protective Epitopes on Ebola Virus Glycoprotein at the Single Amino Acid Level by Using Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Viruses

ABSTRACT Ebola virus causes lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans, but currently there are no effective vaccines or antiviral compounds for this infectious disease. Passive transfer of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) protects mice from lethal Ebola virus infection (J. A. Wilson, M. Hevey, R. Bakken, S. Guest, M. Bray, A. L. Schmaljohn, and M. K. Hart, Science 287:1664-1666, 2000). However, the epitopes responsible for neutralization have been only partially characterized because some of the MAbs do not recognize the short synthetic peptides used for epitope mapping. To identify the amino acids recognized by neutralizing and protective antibodies, we generated a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) containing the Ebola virus glycoprotein-encoding gene instead of the VSV G protein-encoding gene and used it to select escape variants by growing it in the presence of a MAb (133/3.16 or 226/8.1) that neutralizes the infectivity of the virus. All three variants selected by MAb 133/3.16 contained a single amino acid substitution at amino acid position 549 in the GP2 subunit. By contrast, MAb 226/8.1 selected three different variants containing substitutions at positions 134, 194, and 199 in the GP1 subunit, suggesting that this antibody recognized a conformational epitope. Passive transfer of each of these MAbs completely protected mice from a lethal Ebola virus infection. These data indicate that neutralizing antibody cocktails for passive prophylaxis and therapy of Ebola hemorrhagic fever can reduce the possibility of the emergence of antigenic variants in infected individuals.