Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-Cultural Representations of Musical Shape

In cross-cultural research involving performers from distinct cultural backgrounds (U.K., Japan, Papua New Guinea), we examined 75 musicians’ associations between musical sound and shape, and saw pronounced differences between groups. Participants heard short stimuli varying in pitch contour and were asked to represent these visually on paper, with the instruction that if another community member saw the marks they should be able to connect them with the sounds. Participants from the U.K. group produced consistent symbolic representations, which involved depicting the passage of time from left-to-right. Japanese participants unfamiliar with English language and western standard notation provided responses comparable to the U.K. group’s. The majority opted to use a horizontal timeline, whilst a minority of traditional Japanese musicians produced unique responses with time represented vertically. The last group, a non-literate Papua New Guinean tribe known as BenaBena, produced a majority of iconic responses which did not follow the time versus pitch contour model, but highlighted musical qualities other than the parameters intentionally varied in the investigation, focusing on hue and loudness. The participants’ responses point to profoundly different ‘norms’ of musical shape association, which may be linked to literacy and to the functional role of music in a community.
Association between the -844 G>A, HindIII C>G, and 4G/5G PAI-1 Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis in Western Mexican Population

Introduction Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease, where fibrin deposition and the impairment in its degradation have been shown to play an important role in the demyelination process. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a serine protease that enhances the conversion of plasminogen into its active form plasmin, the principal tPA inhibitor is the PAI-1. Several PAI-1 polymorphisms impact its gene expression and protein activity. Furthermore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between the - 844 G>A, HindIII C>G, and 4G/5G PAI-1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to MS. Material and Methods The study group included 400 Mexican mestizo subjects: 200 unrelated patients and 200 unrelated individuals identified as control subjects. The analysis of PAI-1 polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results A significant association was found between the CG genotype of the HindIII C>G PAI-1 polymorphism and susceptibility to MS (OR = 1.58, p = 0.03); moreover, the frequency of 5G allele and 5G/5G genotype of the 4G/5G PAI-1 polymorphism was statistically significant (OR = 1.36 and p = 0.04 and OR = 2.43 and p = 0.02, respectively). With respect to the relation between the scores of progression (EDSS) and severity (MSSS), no association was found between EDSS and genotypes of the PAI-1 polymorphisms analyzed. Regarding MSSS, male that carries genotype GA of the -844 G>A and genotype 4G/5G of the 4G/5G PAI-1 polymorphisms showed a significant association with an increase of media of MSSS in comparison with females (p = 0.01 in both cases).
Application of Hot Wire Technique and Comsol Multiphysics in the Heat Transfer Monitoring in Solids.

We applied the Hot Wire (HW) technique and Comsol Multiphysics software to study the heat transfer of a homogeneous and isotropic solid material. The HW technique is based on the application of a linear power density modulated by a rectangular pulse of heat, in a specific time period. The power density is applied over the symmetry axis of the sample to produce a radial heat flux and then, to investigate the thermal response of the sample. In this work, the solutions of the transient heat transport equation by means of the finite element technique with appropriate boundary conditions are reported and compared with the conventional theoretical model.
Detection of Colletotrichum pyricola on urban trees of Embothrium coccineum in Chile

The genus Colletotrichum comprises several species in cryptic complexes that cannot be easily recognizable using morphological and cultural characteristics. As a consequence of the lack of morphological characters suitable for identification, DNA sequence analyses are now typically used as the primary basis in diagnosis and description of new species of Colletotrichum. In this study, based on a multi-locus phylogeny analysis, C. pyricola was identified on leaves of Embothrium coccineum in Chile, corresponding to the first report of this fungus in the country. Colletotrichum pyricola is a member of the C. acutatum complex, morphologically sharing features with several species of this group, being necessary the combination of morphological and molecular data for its identification. Species of Colletotrichum cause diseases in a wide range of hosts, making it important to establish an accurate diagnosis of the species for plant pathology or quarantine purposes.
The Genetic Background of Keratoconus: A Review on Keratoconus Genes

Keratoconus is a chronic, bilateral, usually asymmetrical, non-inflammatory, ectatic disorder, being characterized by progressive steepening, thinning and apical scarring of the cornea. It affects approximately 1 in every 2000 individuals, but its incidence seems to be increased with the clinical use of corneal topography. Keratoconus is considered as a multifactorial disease, caused by the interaction between several genes, microRNAs and environmental factors, including eye rubbing, atopy, sun exposure, geographic location and race. Although the disease is usually sporadic, a genetic predisposition and raised incidence in familial and monozygotic twins have been described. Given that the diagnosis of the disease is based on a anterior eye assessment, the identification of certain genes could be an additional diagnostic tool. Furthermore, it may pave the way for the gene therapy of the disease.
Regional context and dispersal mode drive the impact of landscape structure on seed dispersal.

Land-use change modifies the spatial structure of tropical landscapes, shaping global biodiversity patterns. Yet, it remains unknown how key ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, can be affected by changes in landscape patterns, and whether such effects differ among regions with different climate and disturbance intensity. We assessed the effect of five landscape metrics (forest cover, matrix openness, forest edge density, forest fragmentation, and inter-patch distance) on the seed rain recorded in two Mexican fragmented regions (20 forest sites per region): the more deforested, defaunated and windy Los Tuxtlas rainforest (LTX), and the better-preserved Lacandona rainforest (LAC). We quantified the proportions of dispersed tree species and their seeds, separately evaluating wind- and animal-dispersed species. Our findings support the hypothesis that forest loss is more important than fragmentation per se, negatively impacting the seed rain in both regions. As expected, landscape patterns were comparatively more important for wind-dispersed seeds in LTX, probably because of stronger wind events in this region. Specifically, proportions of wind-dispersed seeds and species decreased with increasing edge density, suggesting that forest edges prevents dispersal of wind-dispersed species, which may occur if edges create physical barriers that limit wind flow. This pattern can also be caused by source limitation in landscapes with more forest edges, as tree mortality rates usually increase at forest edges. The wind-dispersed seed rain was also positively related to matrix openness, especially in LTX, where wind flow can be favored by the dominance of treeless anthropogenic matrices. Surprisingly, the proportion of animal-dispersed seeds in LTX was positively related to matrix openness and patch isolation, suggesting that seed dispersers in more deforested regions may be forced to concentrate in isolated patches and use the available habitat more intensively. Yet, as expected, patch isolation limited wind-dispersed seeds in LAC. Therefore, dispersal (and potentially regeneration) of wind-dispersed trees is favored in regions exposed to stronger wind events, especially in landscapes dominated by regularly shaped patches surrounded by open areas. Conversely, animal-dispersed seeds are primarily favored by increasing forest cover. Preventing forest loss is therefore critical to promote animal seed dispersal and forest recovery in human-modified rainforests.
Mesothelin Enhances Tumor Vascularity in Newly Forming Pancreatic Peritoneal Metastases

Over 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) express mesothelin (MSLN). Overexpression or knockdown of MSLN has been implicated in PDAC aggressiveness. This activity has been ascribed to MSLN-induced activation of MAPK or NF-κB signaling pathways and to interaction of MSLN with its only known binding partner, MUC16. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to delete MSLN from PDAC, then restored expression of wild-type (WT) or Y318A mutant MSLN by viral transduction. We found that MSLN KO cells grew in culture and as subcutaneous tumors in mouse xenografts at the same rate as WT cells but formed intraperitoneal metastases poorly. Complementation with WT MSLN restored intraperitoneal growth, whereas complementation with Y318A mutant MSLN, which does not bind MUC16, was ineffective at enhancing growth in both MUC16(+) and MUC16(−) models. Restoration of WT MSLN did enhance growth but did not affect cell-to-cell binding, cell viability in suspension or signaling pathways previously identified as contributing to the protumorigenic effect of MSLN. RNA deep sequencing of tumor cells identified no changes in transcriptional profile that could explain the observed phenotype. Furthermore, no histologic changes in tumor cell proliferation or morphology were observed in mature tumors. Examination of nascent MSLN KO tumors revealed decreased microvascular density as intraperitoneal tumors were forming, followed by decreased proliferation, which resolved by 2 weeks postimplantation. These data support a model whereby MSLN expression by tumor cells contributes to metastatic colonization. Implications: MSLN confers a growth advantage to tumor cells during colonization of peritoneal metastasis. Therapeutic blockade of MSLN might limit peritoneal spread.
A CGE Analysis of the Harbinson Proposal : Outcomes for the EU 25 Corresponding

In this study, we employ the Harbinson proposal and July Framework to compare a ‘likely’ Doha scenario with an ‘inclusive’ baseline. The key aim is to assess the impacts across EU member states. More specifically, we (i) employ the latest version 6 of the GTAP database, (ii) explicitly model CAP mechanisms (e.g., quotas, decoupled payments, set-aside, CAP budget etc.) to more accurately assess the asymmetric trade led welfare effects on selected EU member states, and (iii) introduce binding overhangs into domestic support, export subsidies and more importantly market access commitments. Whilst the EU regions benefit from the multilateral reform proposals, the gains are weakened considerably by the tariff binding overhangs, where the EU25 only gain ten per cent of their potential trade led welfare gain from the proposals. On this basis, a more positive stance must be applied if the Doha Reforms are to yield a meaningful outcome for all.
Circularly Polarized V-Shaped Patch Antenna for RFID Application

A circularly polarized (CP) V-shaped patch antenna is proposed. Different from normal patch antennas, the suggested antenna employs a 3-dimentional V-shaped patch as the radiator. Two wings of the V-shaped patch gradually change antenna height and provide the impedance taper, therefore increases the bandwidth. The bottom of the "V" avoid large inductive reactance introduced by long feed probes. And a metal screw shorted to the ground has been added to significantly improve the impedance matching and CP performance. Good agreement has been observed between simulation and measurement. Measured results show that this antenna has an impedance bandwidth (|S11| < -10 dB) of 22 %, and a 3 dB AR bandwidth of 4.4 %, gain is around 8 dBi with a 915 MHz center frequency. Overall, the proposed antenna is very suitable for RFID applications.
Toxicological and Histopathological Impacts of Textile Dyeing Industry Effluent on a Selected Teleost Fish Poecilia Reticulata

The textile effluent has been proved to impart adverse effects on the aquatic environment and its fauna. The aim of the present study was to determine the lethal concentration of a textile industry effluent to the freshwater fish Poecilia reticulata by toxicity bioassay method. The LC50 values of the effluent for 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours were found to be 73.081, 67.030, 60.398, 55.521, 49.211 and 39. 726% respectively. The fishes exhibited abnormal behaviors including erratic swimming, hyper-excitation, rapid opercular movement and thick mucus covering which indicated the toxicity of the effluent. The effluent induced histopathological changes also. The primary gill bar was enlarged and secondary gill bar was detached. Liver showed cytoplasmic vacuolation and clustering of nuclei whereas in the intestine disintegration of intestinal villi and infiltration of haemocytes into the lumen was seen.
Getting Real About Inequality: Evidence from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru

Consumption baskets vary across households and inflation rates vary across goods. As a result, standard consumer price index (CPI) inflation may provide a misleading measure of the inflation actually faced by poor households, more so the more unequal the distribution of aggregate consumption across households. Likewise, changes in observed nominal consumption inequality may be very different from those in true inequality, that is, that measured using household-specific CPIs. The authors explore empirically these issues using household data covering nine episodes from four Latin American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru). They find that in these countries standard CPI inflation typically reflects the inflation rate faced by a rich consumer located in the 80 to 90 percentile of the distribution of consumption expenditure. In most episodes the authors also find that inflation was anti-rich-that is, the inflation faced by the richest consumers was higher than the inflation faced by the poorest consumers. As a result of this bias, the observed increases in nominal inequality generally exceed the actual changes in real inequality. These results are robust to correcting for quality change bias in the CPI, to the use of alternative price indices, and to the use of alternative inequality measures.
Dynamic Analysis of Manipulator Arm for 6-legged Robot

The paper deals with dynamic analysis of manipulator arm which is part of 6-legged robot. The robot is designed for search and rescue purposes like searching for survivors after building collapse or earthquake. The manipulator arm has tentacle as end-effector which serves for grasping and transfer of ruins. The aim of the paper is investigation of particular dynamic reactions in certain nodes of the manipulator links in order to optimization purposes. The results of simulations then can be used for FEM analysis. For dynamic analysis software SolidWorks and Matlab / SimMechanics are used.
AMENABLE UNITARY REPRESENTATIONS OF MEASURED GROUPOIDS

We shall introduce and study a notion of amenability for a unitary representation of a locally compact groupoid. The notation for groupoids is that of [3] and [4]. Notation 1. Let G be a Borel groupoid, f u ; u 2 G (0) g a Haar system on G, and a quasi-invariant probability for the Haar system. The measure on G induced by is = R u d (u), and the modular function is = d d 1 . Let G (0) H be an analytic Borel Hilbert bundle over G (0) ([4]), and let (fn)n be a fundamental sequence for this bundle. We write R G(0) H (u) d (u) for
Regulation of Raft-derived Studies on Echovirus 1 and Baculovirus Endocytic Pathways

Kakkonen, Elina Regulation of raft-derived endocytic pathways – studies on echovirus 1 and baculovirus Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2009, 96 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 197) ISBN 978-951-39-3479-8 (PDF), 978-951-39-3461-3 (nid.) Yhteenveto: Echovirus 1:n ja bakuloviruksen soluun sisäänmenon reitit ja säätely To efficiently enter cells, viruses utilize different endocytic pathways. In this thesis, the regulators and entry routes utilized by a human pathogen, echovirus 1 (EV1), as well as an insect pathogen and potential gene therapy vector, baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus, were studied. EV1 was shown to enter cells with fluid-phase markers in tubulovesicular structures that matured into multivesicular bodies. The pathway was regulated by factors that have been associated generally with macropinocytosis, namely phospholipase C, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Rac1 and p21-activated kinase1. C-terminal binding protein1/brefeldin A-ADP ribosylated substrate (CtBP1/BARS) was shown to be a novel regulator of epidermal growth factorinduced macropinocytosis, and CtBP1/BARS also had an essential role in the entry of EV1 and α2β1 integrin, the receptor of EV1. EV1 and α2β1 integrin originated from lipid raft-derived plasma membrane areas, and the internalization was dependent on cholesterol both at the plasma membrane and during the later stages of entry. The multivesicular structures formed after α2β1 integrin clustering (α2-MVBs) were sensitive to cholesterol-aggregating drugs, but not to Triton X-100 treatment, indicating that they were enriched in cholesterol and possibly raft lipids. Cholesterol-aggregating drugs also inhibited EV1 uncoating and had a great impact in the cytoplasmic α2-MVB structures. Baculovirus internalization into mammalian cells was sensitive to a cholesterol-aggregating drug, and the internalization induced membrane ruffling. The virus entered cells together with fluid-phase markers in large, noncoated vesicles. Regulators of the clathrin-mediated pathway or macropinocytosis were not involved in baculovirus entry. Instead, the pathway was regulated by RhoA and Arf6, and the virus triggered the uptake of phagocytic marker E.coli into non-phagocytic human cells. These results suggest that baculovirus entry occurs via a mechanism that is reminiscent of phagocytosis.
Smartphone applications for the treatment of depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis and qualitative review.

BACKGROUND Emerging research indicates that the use of smartphone mental health applications (apps) could be used as an adjunctive therapy for individuals with depression, especially those who have difficulty accessing conventional therapies. The adoption and ownership of smartphone technology continues to increase in developed and developing nations, and could provide widespread and cost-effective evidence-based treatments for depressive symptoms. METHODS The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of smartphone mental health app interventions on depressive symptoms. Identified studies were qualitatively reviewed to address the following secondary objectives: (1) identify the types of smartphone apps currently being used to target depression; (2) identify factors associated with positive response to smartphone apps in depression; (3) provide directives for future research and app development; and (4) characterize the therapeutic opportunity of smartphone app interventions among individuals with depression. RESULTS The results indicate that there may be some therapeutic opportunity with smartphone interventions as an adjunctive treatment for depression. In particular, we observed a small effect in favor of smartphone app interventions for reducing depressive symptoms. However, because of the significant heterogeneity across studies, continued research among more homogenous samples is warranted to determine whether these interventions might have larger (ie, more clinically relevant) effects in specific subpopulations and/or whether specific app characteristics produce larger effects. CONCLUSIONS The current study highlights some key areas of priority going forward, particularly concerning the design of future studies and the development of novel technologies with a user-centered focus.
Aid and Taxation in Ethiopia GIULIA

The relation between aid and taxation is largely contested in the literature. On the one hand, aid may act as a substitute for tax revenue and thus have a crowding-out effect. It can also have a detrimental effect on domestic tax institutions. On the other hand, it can promote and support tax mobilisation through policy advice, technical assistance, and conditionality, in addition to more indirect channels. The case of Ethiopia supports the existence of a positive relation between aid and tax, which occurs mainly through policy advice and technical assistance rather than conditionality. This finding is grounded in both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Enzyme activities of phytoplankton in the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica) in relation to nutrients and primary production

Dada la potencial importancia de la actividad enzimatica de ensambles fitoplanctonicos, como indicador de su metabolismo interno dominante respecto de los nutrientes, este estudio investigo las relaciones entre la nitrato reductasa (NR) y la fosfatasa alcalina (FA) con la produccion primaria y nutrientes inorganicos en las Islas Shetland del Sur, Antartica. Las variables de actividad enzimatica del fitoplancton (0,7-210 µm), produccion primaria, biomasa autotrofica y nutrientes inorganicos fueron analizadas en nueve estaciones en los primeros 100 m de profundidad durante un crucero oceanografico en el area noroeste de las Islas Shetland del Sur (Antartica), durante la primavera austral (diciembre 2000). Las actividades enzimaticas de NR fluctuaron entre 0 y 42,8 nmol L-1 h-1 (promedio = 10,08 nmol L-1 h-1, DE = 10,42 nmol L-1 h-1) y de FA entre 0,81 y 5,67 nmol L-1 h-1 (promedio = 2,68 nmol L-1 h-1, DE = 0,95 nmol L-1 h-1). Aquellas estaciones con estimaciones de productividad primaria (PP) y clorofila a mayores que mg C m-3 h-1 y 0,75 mg clorofila a L-1, respectivamente, presentaron mayores actividades enzimaticas de nitrato reductasa y fosfatasa alcalina que aquellas estaciones caracterizadas por estimaciones de produccion primaria y clorofila a menores que 2 mg C m-3 h-1 y 0,17 mg clorofila a L-1, respectivamente. La actividad especifica de FA fue negativamente correlacionada con ortofosfato a concentraciones menores que 2,0 µM, lo que sugiere que el fitoplancton se encontraba en condiciones ambientales de deficiencia de fosfato. Nuestros resultados indican que la actividad especifica de NR estuvo positivamente asociada a la biomasa autotrofica y produccion primaria en la zona fotica, lo que evidencia el uso de nitrato como nutriente nitrogenado por el fitoplancton en aguas superficiales. Ademas, altas actividades de NR fueron positivamente correlacionadas con NO3-, lo que sugiere la ocurrencia del proceso de respiracion de nitrato en aguas superficiales bien oxigenadas de la Antartica