Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Random Version of Shepp's Urn Scheme

In this paper, we consider the following random version of Shepp's urn scheme: A player is given an urn with n balls. p of these balls have value +1 and n-p have value -1. The player is allowed to draw balls randomly, without replacement, until he or she wants to stop. The player knows n, the total number of balls, but knows only that p, the number of balls of value +1, is a number selected randomly from the set {0, 1,2,. ,n}. The player wishes to maximize the expected value of the sum of the balls drawn. We first derive the player's optimal drawing policy and an algorithm to compute the player's expected value at the stopping time when he or she uses the optimal drawing policy. Since the optimal drawing policy is rather intricate and the computation of the player's optimal expected value is quite cumbersome, we present a very simple drawing policy, which is asymptotically optimal. We also show that this random urn scheme is equivalent to a random coin tossing problem.
Working Alliance for Clients with Social Anxiety Disorder: Relationship with Session Helpfulness and Within‐Session Habituation

It has been suggested that a strong working alliance encourages clients to take risks during therapy (Raue, Castonguay, & Goldfried, 1993). This encouragement may be important for clients who fear negative evaluations as they engage in risk‐taking elements of therapy. This study examined the relationship between working alliance, session helpfulness and measures of emotional processing in 18 clients undergoing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder. Results indicate a positive correlation between client‐rated, but not observer‐rated, working alliance and session helpfulness. Moderate levels of working alliance were associated with higher initial anxiety and deeper within‐session habituation. Overall, a strong alliance was associated with clients engaging with the session and finding the session helpful. Implications for the use of CBT for social anxiety are discussed.
Invadolysin, a conserved lipid-droplet-associated metalloproteinase, is required for mitochondrial function in Drosophila

Summary Mitochondria are the main producers of ATP, the principal energy source of the cell, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), important signaling molecules. Mitochondrial morphogenesis and function depend on a hierarchical network of mechanisms in which proteases appear to be center stage. The invadolysin gene encodes an essential conserved metalloproteinase of the M8 family that is necessary for mitosis and cell migration during Drosophila development. We previously demonstrated that invadolysin is found associated with lipid droplets in cells. Here, we present data demonstrating that invadolysin interacts physically with three mitochondrial ATP synthase subunits. Our studies have focused on the genetic phenotypes of invadolysin and bellwether, the Drosophila homolog of ATP synthase &agr;, mutants. The invadolysin mutation presents defects in mitochondrial physiology similar to those observed in bellwether mutants. The invadolysin and bellwether mutants have parallel phenotypes that affect lipid storage and mitochondrial electron transport chain activity, which result in a reduction in ATP production and an accumulation of ROS. As a consequence, invadolysin mutant larvae show lower energetic status and higher oxidative stress. Our data demonstrate an essential role for invadolysin in mitochondrial function that is crucial for normal development and survival.
High technology clustering in the polycentric metropolis: a view from the Los Angeles metropolitan region

This article examines the most significant assumptions on clustering and its impacts for high tech innovation and performance, with evidence from the Los Angeles metropolitan region. Geographical clusters in three advanced electronics industry groups (advanced computers, telecommunications and electromedical equipment manufacturing) are identified and related to the larger metropolitan context. Assumptions on the importance of clustering for R&D, inter-firm cooperation, productivity, small firm incubation, production costs, local embeddedness and industrial district effects are considered. Data from establishment surveys of clustered and non-clustered plants are then examined, to determine whether the assumptions diffused through much of the literature on high tech development correspond with the evidence found for the Los Angeles metropolitan region. The evidence provided in this article points to the need to consider the larger metropolitan context in order to understand the relationship between high tech clustering and the internal performance of manufacturing establishments.
Resting discharge of human muscle spindles is not modulated by increases in sympathetic drive

There is evidence in experimental animals that, in addition to receiving fusimotor drive, muscle spindles are subject to modulation by the sympathetic nervous system. We examined the validity of this idea in human subjects by recording from muscle spindles in the relaxed ankle and toe extensor muscles during a strong and sustained physiological activation of muscle sympathetic outflow. Unitary recordings were made from 20 primary and 17 secondary muscle spindle afferents via a tungsten microelectrode inserted percutaneously into the peroneal nerve in 10 awake, healthy subjects seated with the legs supported in the extended position. ECG, blood pressure, respiration and calf circumference were also recorded. The majority of the muscle spindles were spontaneously active at rest; a background discharge was induced in four silent spindles by vibrating the tendon. A sustained increase in muscle vasoconstrictor activity, an increase in calf volume and a fall in pulse pressure were produced by subjects performing a 30‐40 s maximal inspiratory breath‐hold. Despite this strong increase in muscle sympathetic outflow no significant changes occurred in the discharge of either primary or secondary muscle spindle afferents, measured as a change in mean frequency and variability over sequential 5 s epochs and compared with the preceding period of rest. Strong chemoreceptor‐driven sympathetic bursts during sustained expiratory breath‐holds also failed to modulate the firing of 14 spindle endings. We conclude that a sustained, physiological increase in muscle sympathetic activity causes no detectable change in muscle spindle firing, lending no support to the concept that the sympathetic nervous system can influence the sensitivity of human muscle spindles directly.
Inhibitors of myostatin as methods of enhancing muscle growth and development 1

With the increasing demand for affordable, high-quality meat, livestock and poultry producers must continually find ways to maximize muscle growth in their animals without compromising palatability of the meat products. Muscle mass relies on myoblast proliferation during prenatal or prehatch stages and fiber hypertrophy through protein synthesis and nuclei donation by satellite cells after birth or hatch. Therefore, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of myogenesis and muscle development is of great interest. Myostatin is a well-known negative regulator of muscle growth and development that inhibits proliferation and differentiation in myogenic cells as well as protein synthesis in existing muscle fibers. In this review, various inhibitors of myostatin activity or signaling are examined that may be used in animal agriculture for enhancing muscle growth. Myostatin inhibitors are relevant as potential therapies for muscle-wasting diseases and muscle weakness in humans and animals. Currently, there are no commercial myostatin inhibitors for agriculture or biomedical purposes because the safest and most effective option has yet to be identified. Further investigation of myostatin inhibitors and administration strategies may revolutionize animal production and the medical field.
Septum polarizer design for antenna feeds produced by casting

Many septum polarizer components are manufactured by casting. A parameter inherent to this production process is the draft angle, which leads to a linear reduction of housing dimensions with component length and which has been neglected in many polarizer designs over the years. With 25 dB return-loss/isolation and 0.5 dB axial-ratio specifications, however, the draft angle can no longer be neglected, since a slight increase in, e.g., septum thickness can already result in a considerable performance degradation. Therefore, this paper takes the casting manufacturing process fully into account. Moreover, matching transformers are incorporated under the same restrictions.
Myotonia caused by mutations in the muscle chloride channel gene CLCN1

Pure non‐syndromic, non‐dystrophic myotonia in humans is caused by mutations in the genes coding for the skeletal muscle sodium channel (SCN5A) or the skeletal muscle chloride channel (CLCN1) with similar phenotypes. Chloride‐channel myotonia can be dominant (Thomsen‐type myotonia) or recessive (Becker‐type myotonia). More than 60 myotonia‐causing mutations in the CLCN1 gene have been identified, with only a few of them being dominant. A common phenotype of dominant mutations is a dominant negative effect of mutant subunits in mutant‐WT heterodimers, causing a large shift of the steady‐state open probability voltage‐dependence towards more positive, unphysiological voltages. The study of the properties of disease causing mutations has helped in understanding the functional properties of the CLC‐1 channel that is part of a nine‐member gene family of chloride channels. The large body of knowledge obtained for CLC‐1 may also help to better understand the other CLC channels, three of which are also involved in genetic diseases. Hum Mutat 19:423–434, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vesicular stomatitis and exanthem. A syndrome associated with Coxsackie virus, type A16.

An unusual illness of children characterized in a typical case by slight malaise, fever, and discrete vesicular lesions in the mouth and on the hands and feet, occurred in many areas of California and possibly other western states, during the summer of 1959. In 33 cases observed in this study, the oral lesions resembled those of herpangina, but the syndrome was distinguishable from herpangina by the frequent presence of lesions on the buccal mucosa and tongue and also, in 8 cases, by the presence of a maculovesicular exanthem. Evidence of infection with a Coxsackie virus, group A, type 16, was found in 11 of 15 cases in which viral studies were done. This syndrome is not known to have been recorded previously in the United States, but a localized outbreak of a similar disease, likewise attributed to Coxsackie A16 virus, occurred in Toronto, Canada, in 1957.
Psychoeducation for Bipolar Mood Disorder

There has been significant improvement in available treatments for Bipolar Mood Disorder (BMD) during the past few years. However, this disorder still causes difficulties for the patients, their families, and the society (Kleinman et al., 2003). Overall studies have demonstrated that this disease affects patients‘ entire family and may weaken its strengths and adaptive abilities (Barry, 2001). Unavoidable poor outcome of this illness and their recurrent nature have put BMD among the most debilitating disorders, and has lead researchers to pay more attention to its treatment (Miklowitz et al., 2004). Based on the results of different studies, this disorder stands at the 6th or 7th place among other debilitating disorders worldwide (Calabrese, et al. 2003; Chisholm, et al. 2005; Simon et al., 2006). According to World Health Organization (WHO), mood disorders are one of the most important worldwide health issues of the 21st century (Boyd, 2007).
Study of a printed circular disc monopole antenna for UWB systems

This paper presents a study of a novel monopole antenna for ultrawide-band (UWB) applications. Printed on a dielectric substrate and fed by a 50 /spl Omega/ microstrip line, a planar circular disc monopole has been demonstrated to provide an ultra wide 10 dB return loss bandwidth with satisfactory radiation properties. The parameters which affect the performance of the antenna in terms of its frequency domain characteristics are investigated. A good agreement is achieved between the simulation and the experiment. In addition, the time domain performance of the proposed antenna is also evaluated in simulations.
Precise measurements help gauge Pacific Northwest's Earthquake potential

Except for the recent rumblings of a few moderate earthquakes and the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's, all has been relatively quiet on the Pacific Northwestern front. The Cascades region in the Pacific Northwest, a sporadically active earthquake and volcanic zone, still has great seismic potential [Atwater, 1987], as comparisons with other subduction zones around the world have shown [Heaton and Kanamori, 1984]. Recent tsunami propagation models [Satake, 1996] and tree ring studies suggest that the last great Cascadia earthquake occurred in the winter of 1700 A.D. and had a magnitude of −8.9. The North Cascades or Wenatchee earthquake followed in 1872. With an estimated magnitude greater than 7, it was the largest earthquake in the written history of Washington and Oregon.
ErbB3 is involved in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by epidermal growth factor

Conflicting results concerning the ability of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor to associate with and/or activate phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase have been published. Despite the ability of EGF to stimulate the production of PtdIns 3-kinase products and to cause the appearance of PtdIns 3-kinase activity in antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates in several cell lines, we did not detect EGF-stimulated PtdIns 3-kinase activity in anti-EGF receptor immunoprecipitates. This result is consistent with the lack of a phosphorylated Tyr-X-X-Met motif, the p85 Src homology 2 (SH2) domain recognition sequence, in this receptor sequence. The EGF receptor homolog, ErbB2 protein, also lacks this motif. However, the ErbB3 protein has seven repeats of the Tyr-X-X-Met motif in the carboxy-terminal unique domain. Here we show that in A431 cells, which express both the EGF receptor and ErbB3, PtdIns 3-kinase coprecipitates with the ErbB3 protein (p180erbB3) in response to EGF. p180erbB3 is also shown to be tyrosine phosphorylated in response to EGF. In contrast, a different mechanism for the activation of PtdIns 3-kinase in response to EGF occurs in certain cells (PC12 and A549 cells). Thus, we show for the first time that ErbB3 can mediate EGF responses in cells expressing both ErbB3 and the EGF receptor.
Trajectory tracking control of a miniature autonomous helicopter with input and output constraints

We propose an active control strategy for a miniature autonomous helicopter (MAH) with nonlinear input saturation in this paper. In order to deal with the effect of the input saturation, we design an auxiliary system and bring it into the active control design for the desired trajectory tracking based on a simplified MAH model. With the designed control, the stability of the closed-loop system is proven and obtained via Lyapunov's direct method and the effectiveness of the proposed control method is illustrated by the control performances in the numerical simulation.
Human Tribbles-1 Controls Proliferation and Chemotaxis of Smooth Muscle Cells via MAPK Signaling Pathways*

Migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells are key to a number of physiological and pathological processes, including wound healing and the narrowing of the vessel wall. Previous work has shown links between inflammatory stimuli and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, although the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. Here we report that tribbles-1, a recently described modulator of MAPK activation, controls vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and chemotaxis via the Jun kinase pathway. Our findings demonstrate that this regulation takes place via direct interactions between tribbles-1 and MKK4/SEK1, a Jun activator kinase. The activity of this kinase is dependent on tribbles-1 levels, whereas the activation and the expression of MKK4/SEK1 are not. In addition, tribbles-1 expression is elevated in human atherosclerotic arteries when compared with non-atherosclerotic controls, suggesting that this protein may play a role in disease in vivo. In summary, the data presented here suggest an important regulatory role for trb-1 in vascular smooth muscle cell biology.
Testing Stellar Evolution Theory with the Binary Fraction of Low-Mass White Dwarfs

We describe spectroscopic observations of 21 low-mass ( < 0.45M⊙) white dwarfs from the PalomarGreen Survey obtained over a period of four years. We use both radial velocity analysis and infrared photometry to identify binary systems, and find that t e fraction of single, low-mass white dwarfs is 30 with an uncertainty of 18%. We discuss the invers e relationship between the mass and the binary fraction of white dwarfs and compare this relatio nship to existing theoretical models. We also compare the period distribution of 0 . 2 and 0.4 solar mass white dwarfs and find that lower mass white dwarfs have systematically shorter orbital peri ods. Our results support the idea that single low-mass white dwarfs can be formed through enhanced mass-loss from a metal-rich progenitor star. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 0754568 and by the Smithsonian Institution.
Correcting for verification bias in studies of a diagnostic test's accuracy

Standard methods for assessing the accuracy of diagnostic tests require determination of true disease status for each study patient. In practice, some study patients might not have verified disease status. If the decision to verify a patient is influenced by the test result, analysis using only verified cases might lead to biased results, commonly known as verification bias. This paper reviews recent developments in bias-correction methods for studies on the accuracy of diagnostic tests.
Origin of Higher Affinity to RNA of the N-terminal RNA-binding Domain than That of the C-terminal One of a Mouse Neural Protein, Musashi1, as Revealed by Comparison of Their Structures, Modes of Interaction, Surface Electrostatic Potentials, and Backbone Dynamics*

Musashi1 is an RNA-binding protein abundantly expressed in the developing mouse central nervous system. Its restricted expression in neural precursor cells suggests that it is involved in maintenance of the character of progenitor cells. Musashi1 contains two ribonucleoprotein-type RNA-binding domains (RBDs), RBD1 and RBD2, the affinity to RNA of RBD1 being much higher than that of RBD2. We previously reported the structure and mode of interaction with RNA of RBD2. Here, we have determined the structure and mode of interaction with RNA of RBD1. We have also analyzed the surface electrostatic potential and backbone dynamics of both RBDs. The two RBDs exhibit the same ribo-nucleoprotein-type fold and commonly make contact with RNA on the β-sheet side. On the other hand, there is a remarkable difference in surface electrostatic potential, the β-sheet of RBD1 being positively charged, which is favorable for binding negatively charged RNA, but that of RBD2 being almost neutral. There is also a difference in backbone dynamics, the central portion of the β-sheet of RBD1 being flexible, but that of RBD2 not being flexible. The flexibility of RBD1 may be utilized in the recognition process to facilitate an induced fit. Thus, comparative studies have revealed the origin of the higher affinity of RBD1 than that of RBD2 and indicated that the affinity of an RBD to RNA is not governed by its fold alone but is also determined by its surface electrostatic potential and/or backbone dynamics. The biological role of RBD2 with lower affinity is also discussed.
Bulimia Nervosa and Dissatisfaction of Adolescent’s Body Shape

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that affects young people and causes serious damage to life quality and death in extreme cases (Affenito & Kerstetter, 1999; Cordas, 2004; Costa et al., 2008; Gucciardi et al., 2004). Since most people with the disorder have normal weight, the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa becomes a highly complex issue (Kaufman, 2000). The etiology of bulimia nervosa has yet to be understood. However, low self-esteem, depression, social pressure on keeping oneself slim and a dissatisfaction with the body shape are factors that may be associated with the bulimia nervosa event, especially in the case of adolescents and female young adults (Affenito & Kerstetter, 1999; Alvarez-Rayon et al., 2009; Costa et al., 2008; Crosby et al., 2009; Gucciardi et al., 2004; Jauregui-Lobera et al., 2008; Thompson & Chad, 2000). Excessive concern with weight gaining is not the only criterion for a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa. Nevertheless, adolescents with such concern have a seven-fold chance in developing some type of eating disorder (Grillo & Silva, 2004). The fact that many young people are not satisfied with their own body shape may be an effect of pre-conceived ideas on idealized body images taken from aesthetic values transmitted by society or by the social media (Andrade & Bosi, 2003; Reato et al., 2000; Reato, 2002). The female adolescent finds herself in conflict between a fantasy-created image and her real body shape. From her perspective, there is a great difference between what is observed and what is desired. This event may lead towards dissatisfaction and low selfesteem which induces the development of eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa (Andrade & Bosi, 2003; Mond et al., 2004; Reato, 2002; Silva et al., 2003). Many authors agree that the most prevalent aspect of female dissatisfaction occurs in issues referring to weight and appearance. Many women, including those with normal weight or even slim ones, have the impression that they are overweight or even obese. This is the reason why their body image distortion mainly affects female adolescent and young adult females (Alvarez-Rayon et al., 2009; Cordas, 2004; Costa et al., 2008; Mond et al., 2004; Nunes et al., 2001). Studies related to adolescent’s psychological and eating behaviour alterations are important for the determination of factors involved in the development of eating disorders in young populations. The use of self-evaluation scales is an asset in the detection of possible eating disorders or of sub-clinic individuals (Kjelsas et al., 2004; Wichstrom, 1995).