Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fuzzy acceptance Analysis of Impact of Glaucoma and Diabetic Retinopathy using Confusion Matrix

Diabetic retinopathy is a vision loss and blindness disorder caused by diabetes. It affects the retina's blood vessels. The most prevalent retinal illnesses are glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (DR) both of which are important causes of blindness. In addition to causing diabetic retinopathy (DR), longterm hyperglycemia also produces retinal lesions, exudates, microaneurysms, and haemorrhages that can result in blindness. Diabetes mellitus affects [1] an estimated 210 million people worldwide, with 10-18% having or developing the disease. Therefore, accurate and prompt DR identification is essential to avoiding DR and potential visual loss. Glaucoma is frequently associated with increased vitreous fluid pressure in the eye, but this is not always the case. Glaucoma is thought to be the world's second leading cause of blindness, after cataract. This result shows that fuzzy acceptance analysis of glaucoma and Diabetic retinopathy [2].
Weight Bias, Stigmatization, and Bullying of Obese Youth

Obese children suffer psychological, social, and health-related consequences of weight bias and discrimination. Weight-based stigmatization toward obese youth is unrelenting, pervasive, and cruel. This paper reviews the definitions of weight-related bias and victimization, including bullying, discusses the consequences of these acts, examines current anti-bullying programs, and suggests future directions. The author recommends that all overweight or obese children (especially in school or clinical settings) be assessed for weight-based victimization with appropriate interventions employed if discovered.
A Haptoglobin-Hemoglobin Receptor Conveys Innate Immunity to Trypanosoma brucei in Humans

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is lysed by apolipoprotein L-I, a component of human high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles that are also characterized by the presence of haptoglobin-related protein. We report that this process is mediated by a parasite glycoprotein receptor, which binds the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex with high affinity for the uptake and incorporation of heme into intracellular hemoproteins. In mice, this receptor was required for optimal parasite growth and the resistance of parasites to the oxidative burst by host macrophages. In humans, the trypanosome receptor also recognized the complex between hemoglobin and haptoglobin-related protein, which explains its ability to capture trypanolytic HDLs. Thus, in humans the presence of haptoglobin-related protein has diverted the function of the trypanosome haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor to elicit innate host immunity against the parasite.
A Significant Upward Shift in Plant Species Optimum Elevation During the 20th Century

Spatial fingerprints of climate change on biotic communities are usually associated with changes in the distribution of species at their latitudinal or altitudinal extremes. By comparing the altitudinal distribution of 171 forest plant species between 1905 and 1985 and 1986 and 2005 along the entire elevation range (0 to 2600 meters above sea level) in west Europe, we show that climate warming has resulted in a significant upward shift in species optimum elevation averaging 29 meters per decade. The shift is larger for species restricted to mountain habitats and for grassy species, which are characterized by faster population turnover. Our study shows that climate change affects the spatial core of the distributional range of plant species, in addition to their distributional margins, as previously reported.
Analysis of Packet Compensation Protocols with MCS/CDMA for Local Broadcasting Services

The purpose of this paper is to compensate loss packets in the broadcasting services using road to vehicle communications (RVC). In particular, the push-type packet compensation protocol with multi-code sense code division multiple access (MCS/CDMA) (push scheme) and the pull-type packet compensation protocol with MCS/CDMA (pull scheme) are considered. The blocking probability and the average number of packet transmissions are analyzed. As the result, the average number of packet transmissions of the pull scheme is smaller than that of the push scheme. Therefore the pull scheme is superior to the push scheme in the power consumption
Design Optimization of Power Electronic Converters in More Electric Aircraft

System reliability and design optimization are the main concerns in power electronic converters of more-electric aircraft (MEA). The dual active bridge (DAB) is the topology usually considered to link the HVDC bus to the LV network onboard the aircraft. This paper proposes a design and control algorithm that maximizes the power transmission efficiency by minimizing the transformer RMS current while considering the converter parasitic elements in the process. The optimization methodology includes two layers of optimization through a genetic algorithm (GA); optimization of transformer turns ratio and DAB inductor and phase angle optimization by using triple phase shift (TPS) control mode. The high-turn ratio of the isolating transformer utilized in this application results in a considerable effect on the converter performance. The parasitics effect is discussed and FEA simulations are carried out in Ansys Q3D from which the stray inductances are extracted and fed to the optimization algorithm.
Throughput of WLAN Systems with LDPC Codes and Adaptive Bit Loading

Advanced forward error correcting (FEC) and modulation scheme basing on low-density parity-check codes (LDPC) and adaptive bit loading (ABL) procedure is investigated for WLAN physical layer (PHY) of IEEE 802.11a standard. The main intention of the present paper is to study influence of the advanced PHY algorithms on the WLAN throughput under the realistic deployment conditions, for which a hardware-friendly simulation model was developed. Also, we present approaches for selection of the most suitable LDPC codes and ABL algorithms. Simulation results show performance gains of the both techniques and illustrate sensitivity of them to the deployment conditions such as channel stability, channel profile measurement precision, etc
Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity in Response to Climate Change in a Wild Bird Population

Rapid climate change has been implicated as a cause of evolution in poorly adapted populations. However, phenotypic plasticity provides the potential for organisms to respond rapidly and effectively to environmental change. Using a 47-year population study of the great tit (Parus major) in the United Kingdom, we show that individual adjustment of behavior in response to the environment has enabled the population to track a rapidly changing environment very closely. Individuals were markedly invariant in their response to environmental variation, suggesting that the current response may be fixed in this population. Phenotypic plasticity can thus play a central role in tracking environmental change; understanding the limits of plasticity is an important goal for future research.
Evaluating the Impact of Multiple Paths in a Wireless Mesh Network with Distributed Scheduling Schemes

In this paper, we study the problem of joint routing and link scheduling to support high data rates for broadband wireless multi-hop networks. We first address multi-path routing in a static wireless mesh network. We review the premise that a routing protocol should prefer disjoint path construction and argue that using disjoint path limits route reliability in wireless mesh networks (WMNs) compared to using multiple loop-free paths that need not be disjoint. The new multi-path parallel routing protocol (MPRP) developed runs over a TDMA MAC protocol based on the coordinated distributed scheduling scheme (CDS) of the Std. IEEE 802.16. Moreover, we propose a variant of the coordinated distributed scheduling scheme called distributed scheduling scheme (DSS). Through extensive simulations, we show that multi-path routing protocol outperforms in terms of throughput and average end-to-end delay a well-known routing protocol ad-hoc on demand distance vector routing. Both protocols, MPRP and AODV run over the MAC protocol with the CDS or the DSS schemes. The synergic effect of multiple paths and conflict-free schedules generated at MAC layer alleviate the bottleneck created in a scenario in which only a node, the Internet Gateway, is assumed as destination and the others nodes are either source nodes or relay nodes. Compared to CDS we show that our DSS is more robust in different wireless network topologies.
Regulation of CD45 Alternative Splicing by Heterogeneous Ribonucleoprotein, hnRNPLL

The transition from naïve to activated T cells is marked by alternative splicing of pre-mRNA encoding the transmembrane phosphatase CD45. Using a short hairpin RNA interference screen, we identified heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein L-like (hnRNPLL) as a critical inducible regulator of CD45 alternative splicing. HnRNPLL was up-regulated in stimulated T cells, bound CD45 transcripts, and was both necessary and sufficient for CD45 alternative splicing. Depletion or overexpression of hnRNPLL in B and T cell lines and primary T cells resulted in reciprocal alteration of CD45RA and RO expression. Exon array analysis suggested that hnRNPLL acts as a global regulator of alternative splicing in activated T cells. Induction of hnRNPLL during hematopoietic cell activation and differentiation may allow cells to rapidly shift their transcriptomes to favor proliferation and inhibit cell death.
The Red Queen and the Court Jester: Species Diversity and the Role of Biotic and Abiotic Factors Through Time

Evolution may be dominated by biotic factors, as in the Red Queen model, or abiotic factors, as in the Court Jester model, or a mixture of both. The two models appear to operate predominantly over different geographic and temporal scales: Competition, predation, and other biotic factors shape ecosystems locally and over short time spans, but extrinsic factors such as climate and oceanographic and tectonic events shape larger-scale patterns regionally and globally, and through thousands and millions of years. Paleobiological studies suggest that species diversity is driven largely by abiotic factors such as climate, landscape, or food supply, and comparative phylogenetic approaches offer new insights into clade dynamics.
Advancing Practice through Continuing Professional Education: The Case for Reflection

This short discussion paper is inspired by the belief that continuing education is an essential catalyst for advancing professional practice. It proposes that reflection on practice is an essential component of continuing professional education and that experienced practitioners must reflect on practice in order both to develop personally and to move the profession forward. Inevitably, this entails questioning the status quo, facing conflict and initiating change. These processes are discussed here and the discussion concludes by considering some strategies for incorporating reflection through continuing professional education.
Gaze Dynamics in the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion

We studied preferably fixated parts and features of human face in the process of recognition of facial expressions of emotion. Photographs of facial expressions were used. Participants were to categorize these as basic emotions; during this process, eye movements were registered. It was found that variation in the intensity of an expression is mirrored in accuracy of emotion recognition; it was also reflected by several indices of oculomotor function: duration of inspection of certain areas of the face, its upper and bottom or right parts, right and left sides; location, number and duration of fixations, viewing trajectory. In particular, for low-intensity expressions, right side of the face was found to be attended predominantly (right-side dominance); the right-side dominance effect, was, however, absent for expressions of high intensity. For both low- and high-intensity expressions, upper face part was predominantly fixated, though with greater fixation of high-intensity expressions. The majority of trials (70%), in line with findings in previous studies, revealed a V-shaped pattern of inspection trajectory. No relationship, between accuracy of recognition of emotional expressions, was found, though, with either location and duration of fixations or pattern of gaze directedness in the face.
Regulation of Hepatic Lipogenesis by the Transcription Factor XBP1

Dietary carbohydrates regulate hepatic lipogenesis by controlling the expression of critical enzymes in glycolytic and lipogenic pathways. We found that the transcription factor XBP1, a key regulator of the unfolded protein response, is required for the unrelated function of normal fatty acid synthesis in the liver. XBP1 protein expression in mice was elevated after feeding carbohydrates and corresponded with the induction of critical genes involved in fatty acid synthesis. Inducible, selective deletion of XBP1 in the liver resulted in marked hypocholesterolemia and hypotriglyceridemia, secondary to a decreased production of lipids from the liver. This phenotype was not accompanied by hepatic steatosis or compromise in protein secretory function. The identification of XBP1 as a regulator of lipogenesis has important implications for human dyslipidemias.
Effect of Caregiver Feeding Behaviours on Child Nutritional Status in Rural Ghana

A six-month observational study involving 100 mothers with infants between the ages of 6 and 12months was conducted in the Manya Krobo district of Ghana. The objective was to assess the role of caregiver feeding behaviours on child nutritional status using a modified positive deviance approach. Each child was in the study for 6months, during which they were observed at home once a month. On each visit, data were collected on the child anthropometry, child meal frequency, diet diversity, responsiveness of caregiver during feeding, childs appetite and feeding atmosphere as well as caregiver hygienic practices related to feeding. Using weight-for-age (WAZ) and length-for-age (LAZ) scores, the children were classified as positive or negative deviant children. The study revealed significant differences between the two groups of children in terms of caregiver feeding behaviours. Positive deviant children had significantly higher meal frequencies (3.1±0.4 vs. 2.4±0.6, P=0.001), diet diversity scores (6.3±0.6 vs. 3.7±1.1, P=0.001), were fed under better hygienic conditions (7.2±0.9 vs. 4.2±1.1, P=0.001) and were much more interested in food during feeding (85.8% vs. 59.3%). Caregiver responsiveness during feeding was also significantly higher among the positive deviant group (6.5±0.8 vs. 4.5±0.9, P=0.001). This study has demonstrated the tremendous effect of caregiver feeding behaviours on child nutritional outcomes and provides a scientific basis for introducing care during feeding as a component of intervention to improve child nutritional status in Ghana.
Natural Selection Shapes Genome-Wide Patterns of Copy-Number Polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster

The role that natural selection plays in governing the locations and early evolution of copy-number mutations remains largely unexplored. We used high-density full-genome tiling arrays to create a fine-scale genomic map of copy-number polymorphisms (CNPs) in Drosophila melanogaster. We inferred a total of 2658 independent CNPs, 56% of which overlap genes. These include CNPs that are likely to be under positive selection, most notably high-frequency duplications encompassing toxin-response genes. The locations and frequencies of CNPs are strongly shaped by purifying selection, with deletions under stronger purifying selection than duplications. Among duplications, those overlapping exons or introns, as well as those falling on the X chromosome, seem to be subject to stronger purifying selection.
The Transcription/Migration Interface in Heart Precursors of Ciona intestinalis

Gene regulatory networks direct the progressive determination of cell fate during embryogenesis, but how they control cell behavior during morphogenesis remains largely elusive. Cell sorting, microarrays, and targeted molecular manipulations were used to analyze cardiac cell migration in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. The heart network regulates genes involved in most cellular activities required for migration, including adhesion, cell polarity, and membrane protrusions. We demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor signaling and the forkhead transcription factor FoxF directly upregulate the small guanosine triphosphatase RhoDF, which synergizes with Cdc42 to contribute to the protrusive activity of migrating cells. Moreover, RhoDF induces membrane protrusions independently of other cellular activities required for migration. We propose that transcription regulation of specific effector genes determines the coordinated deployment of discrete cellular modules underlying migration.
Biology, Politics, and the Emerging Science of Human Nature

In the past 50 years, biologists have learned a tremendous amount about human brain function and its genetic basis. At the same time, political scientists have been intensively studying the effect of the social and institutional environment on mass political attitudes and behaviors. However, these separate fields of inquiry are subject to inherent limitations that may only be resolved through collaboration across disciplines. We describe recent advances and argue that biologists and political scientists must work together to advance a new science of human nature.
In situ mechanotransduction via vinculin regulates stem cell differentiation

Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) proliferation, migration, and differentiation have all been linked to extracellular matrix stiffness, yet the signaling pathway(s) that are necessary for mechanotransduction remain unproven. Vinculin has been implicated as a mechanosensor in vitro, but here we demonstrate its ability to also regulate stem cell behavior, including hMSC differentiation. RNA interference‐mediated vinculin knockdown significantly decreased stiffness‐induced MyoD, a muscle transcription factor, but not Runx2, an osteoblast transcription factor, and impaired stiffness‐mediated migration. A kinase binding accessibility screen predicted a cryptic MAPK1 signaling site in vinculin which could regulate these behaviors. Indeed, reintroduction of vinculin domains into knocked down cells indicated that MAPK1 binding site‐containing vinculin constructs were necessary for hMSC expression of MyoD. Vinculin knockdown does not appear to interfere with focal adhesion assembly, significantly alter adhesive properties, or diminish cell traction force generation, indicating that its knockdown only adversely affected MAPK1 signaling. These data provide some of the first evidence that a force‐sensitive adhesion protein can regulate stem cell fate. Stem Cells 2013;31:2467–2477
Early outgrowth cells release soluble endocrine antifibrotic factors that reduce progressive organ fibrosis

Adult bone marrow‐derived cells can improve organ function in chronic disease models, ostensibly by the release of paracrine factors. It has, however, been difficult to reconcile this prevailing paradigm with the lack of cell retention within injured organs and their rapid migration to the reticuloendothelial system. Here, we provide evidence that the salutary antifibrotic effects of bone marrow‐derived early outgrowth cells (EOCs) are more consistent with an endocrine mode of action, demonstrating not only the presence of antifibrotic factors in the plasma of EOC‐treated rats but also that EOC conditioned medium (EOC‐CM) potently attenuates both TGF‐β‐ and angiotensin II‐induced fibroblast collagen production in vitro. To examine the therapeutic relevance of these findings in vivo, 5/6 subtotally nephrectomized rats, a model of chronic kidney and heart failure characterized by progressive fibrosis of both organs, were randomized to receive i.v. injections of EOC‐CM, unconditioned medium, or 106 EOCs. Rats that received unconditioned medium developed severe kidney injury with cardiac diastolic dysfunction. In comparison, EOC‐CM‐treated rats demonstrated substantially improved renal and cardiac function and structure, mimicking the changes found in EOC‐treated animals. Mass spectrometric analysis of EOC‐CM identified proteins that regulate cellular functions implicated in fibrosis. These results indicate that EOCs secrete soluble factor(s) with highly potent antifibrotic activity, that when injected intravenously replicate the salutary effects of the cells themselves. Together, these findings suggest that an endocrine mode of action may underlie the effectiveness of cell therapy in certain settings and portend the possibility for systemic delivery of cell‐free therapy. Stem Cells 2013;31:2408–2419
Vitamin C Enhances Nanog Expression Via Activation of the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway

Vitamin C (Vc), also known as ascorbic acid, is involved in many important metabolic and physiological reactions in the body. Here, we report that Vc enhances the expression of Nanog and inhibits retinoic acid‐induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells. We investigated Vc regulation of Nanog through Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway using cell signaling pathway profiling systems, and further confirmed by specific pathway inhibition. Using overexpression and knockdown strategies, we demonstrated that STAT2 is a new positive regulator of Nanog and is activated by phosphorylation following Vc treatment. In addition, site mutation analysis identified that STAT2 physically occupies the Nanog promoter, which was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Taken together, our data suggest a role for Vc in Nanog regulation networks and reveal a novel role for STAT2 in regulating Nanog expression. Stem Cells 2014;32:166–176
Seeds of a Perfect Storm

Demand for plant products has never been greater. More people, rising affluence, and expanding biofuels programs are rapidly pushing up the prices of grain and edible oil. Boosting supply isn9t easy: All the best farm land is already in use. There9s an acute need for another jump in global agricultural productivity--a second Green Revolution. Can it happen? Will it happen?
The Role of Impulse on the Initiation of Particle Movement Under Turbulent Flow Conditions

Fundamental to our understanding of erosional and transport phenomena in earth-surface dynamics and engineering is knowledge of the conditions under which sediment motion will begin when subjected to turbulent flow. The onset criterion currently in use emphasizes the time-averaged boundary shear stress and therefore is incapable of accounting for the fluctuating forces encountered in turbulent flows. We have validated through laboratory experiments and analytical formulation of the problem a criterion based upon the impulse imparted to a sediment grain. We demonstrate that in addition to the magnitude of the instantaneous turbulent forces applied on a sediment grain, the duration of these turbulent forces is also important in determining the sediment grain's threshold of motion, and that their product, or impulse, is better suited for specifying such conditions.