Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine-tuned modulation of competitive behaviour according to kinship in barn swallow nestlings

Kin selection theory predicts that, in species where progeny members compete for limiting parental care, individual offspring should be more prone to monopolize parental resources as their genetic relatedness to brood competitors decreases. Mixed parentage among broodmates may arise as a consequence, for example, of extra-pair fertilization or brood parasitism events. In this experimental study of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), we reciprocally partially cross-fostered hatchlings between broods and compared the behaviour of pairs of related and unrelated broodmates in a competitive context, both under normal food provisioning regime and after mild food deprivation. We found that scramble competition for food mediated by visual and vocal solicitation displays (begging) is inversely related to relatedness among competitors, independent of their level of satiation. Nestlings may modulate their competitive behaviour according to vocal cues that vary with their origin and allow kin recognition. We also uncover direct fitness costs to both parents and offspring arising from mixed parentage in a brood, in terms of increased parental workload and reduced survival of the nestlings. Such previously neglected costs may select for reduced frequency of extra-pair fertilizations and brood parasitism in species with extensive parental care.
Inflammation but no DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage in mice exposed to airborne dust from a biofuel plant.

OBJECTIVES Particles in ambient air are associated with such health effects as lung diseases and cancer of the lung. Exposure to bioaerosols has been found to be associated with respiratory symptoms. The toxic properties of exposure to combustion and bioaerosol particles from biofuel plants have not been studied in detail. This study investigated whether exposure to dust from biofuel plants induces DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage and inflammation in exposed mice. METHODS DNA damage and inflammation were evaluated in mice exposed through the intratracheal installation of airborne dust collected at a biofuel plant at the straw storage hall and in the boiler room. The mice were given either a single dose of dust (18 or 54 microg) or four doses of 54 microg on each of four consecutive days. Control mice were exposed to a 0.9% sodium chloride solution. RESULTS In the mice exposed to 4 x 54 microg of dust, the lung tissue mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) were increased more than 10-fold if the dust was from the boiler room and 30- to 60-fold if the dust came from the straw storage hall. The levels of DNA strand breaks in broncheoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from the mice exposed to dust did not differ from those in the control samples. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the instillation of dust from a biofuel plant, at doses corresponding to 2 weeks of exposure to human endotoxins, results in a strong inflammatory response without detectable DNA damage in BAL cells. The dust from the straw storage hall induced the strongest inflammatory response and had the highest concentration of most microbial components.
Role of N-Linked Glycans on Bunyamwera Virus Glycoproteins in Intracellular Trafficking, Protein Folding, and Virus Infectivity

ABSTRACT The membrane glycoproteins (Gn and Gc) of Bunyamwera virus (BUN, family Bunyaviridae) contain three potential sites for the attachment of N-linked glycans: one site (N60) on Gn and two (N624 and N1169) on Gc. We determined that all three sites are glycosylated. Digestion of the glycoproteins with endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (endo H) or peptide:N-glycosidase F revealed that Gn and Gc differ significantly in their glycan status and that late in infection Gc glycans remain endo H sensitive. The roles of the N-glycans in intracellular trafficking of the glycoproteins to the Golgi, protein folding, and virus replication were investigated by mutational analysis and confocal immunofluorescence. Elimination of the glycan on Gn, by changing N60 to a Q residue, resulted in the protein misfolding and failure of both Gn and Gc proteins to traffic to the Golgi complex. We were unable to rescue a viable virus by reverse genetics from a cDNA containing the N60Q mutation. In contrast, mutant Gc proteins lacking glycans on either N624 or N1169, or both sites, were able to target to the Golgi. Gc proteins containing mutations N624Q and N1169Q acquired endo H resistance. Three viable N glycosylation-site-deficient viruses, lacking glycans on one site or both sites on Gc, were created by reverse genetics. The viability of these recombinant viruses and analysis of growth kinetics indicates that the glycans on Gc are not essential for BUN replication, but they do contribute to the efficiency of virus infection.
Infants With Spina Bifida: Immediate Responses to Contextual and Manual Sensory Augmentation During Treadmill Stepping

Purpose: This study examined the effect of combined sensory enhancements and manual assistance on the immediate motor responsiveness of infants with spina bifida during treadmill trials. Methods: Six infants with spina bifida, aged 4 to 9.5 months, with lesion levels ranging from L4 to S3 were tested in each of 3 randomly ordered sets of enhanced sensory conditions across 3 weekly visits to the laboratory. Sensory enhancements included visual flow, unloading, load, and friction, presented in single and combined applications, as well as a set of trials with manual assistance for stepping at 2 treadmill belt speeds. Dependent variables included step frequencies and overall infant activity. Results: Friction+load was the most salient of the contextual sensory enhancements. Manual assistance at the slower speed was also effective at increasing infant stepping. Conclusions: Sensory enhancements that increase stance excursion and vertical clearance during swing need further study.
A Decentralized Load Balancing Approach for Neighbouring Charging Stations via EV Fleets

Due to the mobility and flexibility of the Electrical Vehicles (EV), the power allocation of EV loads conducts as a critical part of demand side management. Since the EV charging stations provide the essential access for mass EV loads into the power grid, we introduce an efficient and decentralized real-time EV power allocation scheme among the neighbouring charging stations. In this paper, firstly, EV load power is managed in parallel according to current base load power inside the bus, and the power fluctuation is minimized for the whole system via Proximal Jacobian Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) technique. Then, the EV units access the network by the random charging scheme which is defined by the power analysis results and the EV's characteristics. Facilitated by the proposed approach, the stability and efficiency of the whole system can be improved by the local optimization process with decentralized manner.
Symptomatic Remission in Schizophrenia and its Relationship with Functional Outcome Measures in Indian Population.

INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder with disabling symptoms and variable outcome. Outcome is a multidimensional construct that depends on description of clinical and social domains. Symptomatic remission is one such clinical domain which can determine the outcome of illness. AIM The study aimed to assess functional outcome in symptomatic remitted schizophrenia patients compared to unremitted patients in Indian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Institute of Mental Health, Chennai, India. Remitted (symptom free in preceding six months) and unremitted patients were assessed by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale, World Health Organization-Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). There were 30 patients in each group. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0 statistical software. RESULTS Patients in symptomatic remission were found to have better quality of life in personal, environmental and social domains (p<0.01). Their personal and social performance is significantly better in remission group. The overall functioning was assessed by GAF, was better in patients with symptomatic remission (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Symptomatic remission may be a good indicator of better clinical status, personal and social functioning and quality of life.
A programmable RFSoC in 16nm FinFET technology for wideband communications

In this paper, we present a Programmable SoC device with monolithically integrated RF-ADCs and RF-DACs in a 16nm FinFET process. The device includes quad ARM Cortex-53 and dual ARM Cortex-R5 processing subsystem, 750K programmable logic cells, 4000 DSP slices and 4 32Gb/s serial transceivers. Each 14-bit RF-DAC operates at a sample rate of up to 6.4GS/s and can directly synthesize RF carriers up to 4GHz. Each 12-bit RF-ADC operates at a sample rate of up to 4GS/s and can directly digitize RF carriers up to 4GHz. Other RF functions generally associated with analog / RF such as complex mixing and filtering have also been integrated and implemented in the digital domain (digital-RF), enabling lower system cost and power and increased flexibility.
CC chemokines induce the generation of killer cells from CD56+ cells

We describe here that members of the CC chemokines exhibit biological activities other than chemotaxis. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1α, MIP‐1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 and RANTES, but not interleukin (IL)‐8, induce the generation of cytolytic cells, designated here as CHAK (CC chemokine‐activated killer) cells to distinguish them from IL‐2‐activated (LAK) cells. Like IL‐2, CC chemokines can induce the proliferation and activation of killer cells. While incubating CC chemokines with CD4+ or CD8+ cells did not generate CHAK activity, all CC chemokines were capable of inducing CHAK activity upon incubating with CD56+ cells, suggesting that the primary effectors are NK cells. However, the presence of other cell types, such as CD4+ or CD8+, are necessary to induce the proliferation of CD56+ cells. Confirming the involvement of T cell‐derived factors in inducing the proliferation of these cells, anti‐IL‐2 and anti‐interferon‐γ, but not anti‐IL‐1β, anti‐tumor necrosis factor‐α, anti‐IL‐8, or anti‐granulocyte/monocyte‐colony‐stimulating factor inhibited RANTES‐induced proliferation of nylon wool column‐nonadherent cells. Our results may have important clinical applications for the utilization of CHAK cells in the treatment of cancer and immunodeficient patients.
Genome scans detect consistent divergent selection among subtidal vs. intertidal populations of the marine angiosperm Zostera marina

Genome scans are a powerful tool to detect natural selection in natural populations among a larger sample of marker loci. We used replicated habitat comparisons to search for consistent signals of selection among contrasting populations of the seagrass Zostera marina, a marine flowering plant with important ecological functions. We compared two different habitat types in the North Frisian Wadden Sea, either permanently submerged (subtidal) or subjected to aerial exposure (intertidal). In three independent population pairs, each consisting of one tidal creek and one tidal flat population each, we carried out a genome scan with 14 expressed sequence tag (EST)‐derived microsatellites situated in 5′‐ or 3′‐untranslated regions of putative genes, in addition to 11 anonymous genomic microsatellites. By using two approaches for outlier identification, one anonymous and two EST‐derived microsatellites showed population differentiation patterns not consistent with neutrality. These microsatellites were detected in several parallel population comparisons, suggesting that they are under diverging selection. One of these loci is linked to a putative nodulin gene, which is responsible for water channelling across cellular membranes, suggesting a functional link of the observed genetic divergence with habitat characteristics.
Low levels of the AhR in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-derived lung cells increases COX-2 protein by altering mRNA stability

Heightened inflammation, including expression of COX-2, is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is reduced in COPD-derived lung fibroblasts. The AhR also suppresses COX-2 in response to cigarette smoke, the main risk factor for COPD, by destabilizing the Cox-2 transcript by mechanisms that may involve the regulation of microRNA (miRNA). Whether reduced AhR expression is responsible for heightened COX-2 in COPD is not known. Here, we investigated the expression of COX-2 as well as the expression of miR-146a, a miRNA known to regulate COX-2 levels, in primary lung fibroblasts derived from non-smokers (Normal) and smokers (At Risk) with and without COPD. To confirm the involvement of the AhR, AhR knock-down via siRNA in Normal lung fibroblasts and MLE-12 cells was employed as were A549-AhRko cells. Basal expression of COX-2 protein was higher in COPD lung fibroblasts compared to Normal or Smoker fibroblasts but there was no difference in Cox-2 mRNA. Knockdown of AhR in lung structural cells increased COX-2 protein by stabilizing the Cox-2 transcript. There was less induction of miR-146a in COPD-derived lung fibroblasts but this was not due to the AhR. Instead, we found that RelB, an NF-κB protein, was required for transcriptional induction of both Cox-2 and miR-146a. Therefore, we conclude that the AhR controls COX-2 protein via mRNA stability by a mechanism independent of miR-146a. Low levels of the AhR may therefore contribute to the heightened inflammation common in COPD patients.
The Transcription Factor CrWRKY1 Positively Regulates the Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus1[W][OA]

Catharanthus roseus produces a large array of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) that are an important source of natural or semisynthetic anticancer drugs. The biosynthesis of TIAs is tissue specific and induced by certain phytohormones and fungal elicitors, indicating the involvement of a complex transcriptional control network. However, the transcriptional regulation of the TIA pathway is poorly understood. Here, we describe a C. roseus WRKY transcription factor, CrWRKY1, that is preferentially expressed in roots and induced by the phytohormones jasmonate, gibberellic acid, and ethylene. The overexpression of CrWRKY1 in C. roseus hairy roots up-regulated several key TIA pathway genes, especially Tryptophan Decarboxylase (TDC), as well as the transcriptional repressors ZCT1 (for zinc-finger C. roseus transcription factor 1), ZCT2, and ZCT3. However, CrWRKY1 overexpression repressed the transcriptional activators ORCA2, ORCA3, and CrMYC2. Overexpression of a dominant-repressive form of CrWRKY1, created by fusing the SRDX repressor domain to CrWRKY1, resulted in the down-regulation of TDC and ZCTs but the up-regulation of ORCA3 and CrMYC2. CrWRKY1 bound to the W box elements of the TDC promoter in electrophoretic mobility shift, yeast one-hybrid, and C. roseus protoplast assays. Up-regulation of TDC increased TDC activity, tryptamine concentration, and resistance to 4-methyl tryptophan inhibition of CrWRKY1 hairy roots. Compared with control roots, CrWRKY1 hairy roots accumulated up to 3-fold higher levels of serpentine. The preferential expression of CrWRKY1 in roots and its interaction with transcription factors including ORCA3, CrMYC2, and ZCTs may play a key role in determining the root-specific accumulation of serpentine in C. roseus plants.
La reputación como recurso estratégico. Un enfoque de recursos y capacidades

La investigacion se enmarca en la perspectiva propuesta por el enfoque de recursos y capacidades, aproximacion teorica que ha venido ganando vigencia en la disciplina academica de la direccion de empresas desde finales de los 80 y que, en contraposicion a los modelos de entorno, centra su foco de atencion en las caracteristicas internas de las organizaciones, de cara a explicar el surgimiento de ventajas competitivas. En especial, los recursos intangibles han cobrado una especial preponderancia en la investigacion aplicada, en funcion de su especial potencialidad para mejorar los niveles de competitividad de la empresa. Tras caracterizar el recurso intangible reputacion, se concluye su potencialidad para la consecucion de ventajas competitivas sostenidas, tanto desde el punto de vista teorico, en la medida que se trata de un recurso valioso, escaso, y dificil de imitar y sustituir, como desde el punto de vista empirico. Los resultados del estudio empirico realizado en el ambito del sector hotelero espanol, reflejan la importancia estrategica que la reputacion corporativa presenta para las empresas competidoras en dicho sector, en funcion de su aportacion a los diferenciales de rentabilidad existentes entre las mismas. Esto se explicaria en la medida que el citado recurso dota a las empresas de capacidad para fidelizar a la clientela, a traves de la diferenciacion y exclusividad; mejora su posicion de cara a afrontar el inevitable proceso de reorganizacion del sector, a traves de fenomenos de concentracion y cooperacion estrategica y, finalmente, permitiria la atraccion y retencion de recursos humanos cualificados. Ademas se comprueba la existencia de diferencias significativas de reputacion entre las empresas hoteleras de las distintas comunidades autonomas espanolas, entre los hoteles de tipo urbano y vacacional, asi como entre los establecimientos de diferentes categorias.
Relationship of mean platelet volume to lymphocyte ratio and coronary collateral circulation in patients with stable angina pectoris

Background In patients with coronary artery disease, coronary collateral circulation (CCC) develops as an adaptation to ischemia and contributes toward reduction of cardiovascular events. Recently, the mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR) has emerged as a novel and readily available marker of inflammation and thrombosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MPVLR and development of CCC. Patients and methods A total of 332 patients with stable angina pectoris undergoing coronary arteriography were enrolled and divided on the basis of the development of CCC into two groups: group with adequate CCC (n=243) and group with impaired CCC (n=89). Routine complete blood count parameters and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured before coronary arteriography. Results Both MPVLR and hsCRP levels were higher in the impaired CCC group (P<0.001 and P=0.007, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that MPVLR was associated independently with impaired CCC [odds ratio (OR): 1.706, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.328–2.192, P<0.001]. In addition to MPVLR, hsCRP (OR: 1.144, P=0.030) and fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.007, P=0.049) were also associated independently with impaired CCC. In receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, an optimal cut-off point for MPVLR (4.47) was found to predict the presence of good CCC with a sensitivity of 75.3% and a specificity of 71.2% (P<0001). Conclusion Our findings suggest that measurement of MPVLR may predict the development of CCC in patients with stable coronary artery disease. An increased MPVLR is associated independently with impaired CCC in these patients.
POPLMark reloaded: mechanizing logical relations proofs (invited talk)

Mechanizing formal systems, given via axioms and inference rules, together with proofs about them plays an important role in establishing trust in formal developments. Over the past decade, the POPLMark challenge popularized the use of proof assistants in mechanizing the metatheory of programming languages. Focusing on the the meta-theory of System F with subtyping, it allowed the programming languages community to survey existing techniques to represent and reason about syntactic structures with binders and promote the use of proof assistants. Today, mechanizing proofs is a stable fixture in the daily life of programming languages researchers. As a follow-up to the POPLMark Challenge, we propose a new collection of benchmarks that use proofs by logical relations. Such proofs are now used to attack problems in the theory of complex languages models, with applications to issues in equivalence of programs, compiler correctness, representation independence and even more intensional properties such as non-interference, differential privacy and secure multi-language inter-operability. Yet, they remain challenging to mechanize. In this talk, we focus on one particular challenge problem, namely strong normalization of a simply-typed lambda-calculus with a proof by Kripke-style logical relations. We will advocate a modern view of this well-understood problem by formulating our logical relation on well-typed terms. Using this case study, we share some of the lessons learned tackling this challenge problem in Beluga, a proof environment that supports higher-order abstract syntax encodings, first-class context and first-class substitutions. We also discuss and highlight similarities, strategies, and limitations in other proof assistants when tackling this challenge problem. We hope others will be motivated to submit solutions! The goal of this talk is to engage the community in discussions on what support in proof environments is needed to truly bring mechanized metatheory to the masses.
Effects of using recommended coping strategies on drinking outcome following a brief intervention.

AIMS To explore the unique contribution to outcome drinking of clients' use of six strategies for moderating drinking, after statistically accounting for variance explained by some client and intervention variables. DESIGN An exploratory hierarchical regression analysis assessed the contributions to variance in drinking outcome of pre-intervention (client characteristics, baseline drinking), assignment (level of assessment, therapist experience) and early follow-up variables. Data came from an experimental trial which evaluated the effect of adding assessment to provision of a self-help book to heavy drinkers. SETTING Diverse Ontario communities. PARTICIPANTS Heavy drinkers (99 males, 56 females) were selected from 185 media-recruited applicants who were screened by telephone to exclude cases with severe alcohol-related problems. Their mean (+/- SD) pre-admission weekly quantity of alcohol consumed was 22 +/- 15 drinks. Follow-up rates at 3 and 12 months were 92% and 88%. MEASUREMENTS Regressed onto weekly quantity at follow-up were: client characteristics, previous measures of weekly quantity, experimental condition and use of the menu of strategies (setting goals for drinking, keeping track of drinking, pacing drinking, planning ahead to avoid heavy drinking, developing free-time activities and coping with problems without drinking). FINDINGS At 3 months the variables predicting lower weekly quantity were: pre-intervention weekly quantity, developing free-time activities, setting goals for drinking and condition. Lower weekly quantity at 12 months was predicted by lower 3-month and pre-intervention weekly quantity, and regular use of: coping with problems without drinking, setting goals for drinking and keeping track of drinking. CONCLUSIONS This descriptive study revealed a positive association between level of use of recommended coping strategies at follow-up and drinking outcome. Controlled studies of the effects of strategy use on drinking outcome are therefore warranted.