Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synteny and Chromosome Evolution in the Lepidoptera: Evidence From Mapping in Heliconius melpomene

The extent of conservation of synteny and gene order in the Lepidoptera has been investigated previously only by comparing a small subset of linkage groups between the moth Bombyx mori and the butterfly Heliconius melpomene. Here we report the mapping of 64 additional conserved genes in H. melpomene, which contributed 47 markers to a comparative framework of 72 orthologous loci spanning all 21 H. melpomene chromosomes and 27 of the 28 B. mori chromosomes. Comparison of the maps revealed conserved synteny across all chromosomes for the 72 loci, as well as evidence for six cases of chromosome fusion in the Heliconius lineage that contributed to the derived 21-chromosome karyotype. Comparisons of gene order on these fused chromosomes revealed two instances of colinearity between H. melpomene and B. mori, but also one instance of likely chromosomal rearrangement. B. mori is the first lepidopteran species to have its genome sequenced, and the finding that there is conserved synteny and gene order among Lepidoptera indicates that the genomic tools developed in B. mori will be broadly useful in other species.
High spectral efficient and flexible multicarrier D-RoF modem using up to 1024-QAM modulation format

We propose a flexible optical SCM modem to transmit, with high spectral efficiency, mobile front-haul signals. The real time experimental results, demonstrate the multicarrier aggregation capacity of 3.6 Gbps based on four 1024-QAM D-RoF subcarriers and a 30km transmission reach.
Goffman als basis voor frame-analyse en framingonderzoek

Het woord framing komt al een vijftiental jaren in het Nederlands voor in politiek en media. Het wordt meestal gebruikt om een communicatiestrategie aan te duiden. Door een onderwerp via woord en/of beeld in een bepaald kader te plaatsen, krijgt het een lading met positieve of juist negatieve associaties. De frames die in beleidsrapporten en media een rol spelen (de zogenoemde mediaframes) wijken wat af van het meer algemene begrip dat Goffman in zijn boek Frame Analysis (1974) introduceerde, maar zij zijn daarmee wel verwant. Een frame brengt orde in de ervaring van de persoon en is een leidraad voor situatiedefinities. Frame-analyse is dan ook een kwalitatieve onderzoekstechniek die past bij het symbolisch-interactionisme, een theoretisch perspectief dat de sociale werkelijkheid bestudeert in termen van handelingsprocessen (vgl. Arts, Hilhorst & Wester, 1985). Via frame-analyse worden structuren gereconstrueerd in de betekenisverlening, die men zich via ervaring en socialisatie heeft eigen gemaakt (vgl. Mead, 1934). In deze bijdrage zal ik Goffmans ideeen en een voorbeeld van zijn frame-analyse presenteren en vervolgens ingaan op het framing-perspectief in onderzoek van de media.
Toxicity of the Alternaria metabolites alternariol, alternariol methyl ether, altenuene, and tenuazonic acid in the chicken embryo assay

The effects in the chicken embryo assay of four Alternaria metabolites (alternariol [AOH], alternariol methyl ether [AME], altenuene [ALT], and tenuazonic acid [TA]) were investigated. Administered to 7-day-old chicken embryos by yolk sac injection, AOH, AME, and ALT caused no mortality or teratogenic effect at doses up to 1,000, 500, and 1,000 micrograms per egg, respectively. TA exhibited a calculated 50% lethal dose of 548 micrograms per egg, with no teratogenic effect observed at either lethal or sublethal doses.
Heat shock induction of HIV production from chronically infected promonocytic and T cell lines.

HIV infection is associated with a long period of clinical latency before the development of symptoms and HIV-related disease. Two chronically HIV-infected cell lines, U1 (promonocytic) and ACH-2 (T-lymphocytic) have been developed as models for studying the mechanisms governing viral latency and the reactivation of virus expression. We have previously shown that a variety of physiologic stimuli, including cytokines and cell stress, can up-regulate HIV expression from these cell lines. In this study we demonstrate that heat shock can also up-regulate the production of virus from both ACH-2 and U1 cells. Heat induction of virus appears to be mediated at the transcriptional level as established in long terminal repeat-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase transient transfection experiments with the use of U937 cells. This inductive effect in part requires the NF-kappa B-binding region of the HIV-long terminal repeat. Furthermore, although physiologic levels of heat are not sufficient to directly induce virus production from these cells, these temperatures are able to synergistically enhance virus production in U1 cells stimulated with IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage-CSF. In contrast, the inductive effect of other cytokines (i.e., TNF-alpha) was not affected by heat stimulation. These in vitro observations suggest that the hyperthermia associated with opportunistic infections, particularly in conjunction with certain cytokines that are released during immune reactions, may play a role in the in vivo induction of HIV expression in infected cells.
An optoelectronic oscillator using an 850-nm VCSEL for generating low jitter optical pulses

We demonstrate an optoelectronic oscillator using a gain-switched vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser in a fiber-feedback configuration. We simultaneously generate a 2-GHz optical pulse stream at 850 nm with 750-fs timing jitter (over 100 Hz-10 MHz range) along with an electrical signal that is locked to the repetition rate of the optical pulses. The timing jitter performance is confirmed by measuring higher harmonic phase noise.
Abductive analogical reasoning

If a knowledge base does not have all of the necessary clauses for reasoning, ordinary hypothetical reasoning systems cannot explain observations. In this case, it is necessary to explain such observations by abductive reasoning, supplemental reasoning, or approximate reasoning. The inference in this paper explains the observation by supplementing missing knowledge with reference to similar knowledge when an observation cannot be explained because necessary knowledge is lacking. However, it is somewhat difficult to find clauses to explain an observation without hints. Therefore, an abductive strategy (CMS) is used to find missing clauses. A piece of knowledge which is similar to the missing knowledge is sought in the knowledge base and mapped to the knowledge in the same problem domain as the missing knowledge. Then the observation is explained by generated hypotheses similar to the knowledge in the knowledge base. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 31(1): 11–19, 2000
Analysis of Time Dependent Electric Field Degradation in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

The authors report on an electrical and optical analysis of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs stressed under high electric field conditions into a state of permanent degradation, evidenced by an increase in OFF-state leakage current and a reduction in breakdown voltage. A method of stress testing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs to voltages close to breakdown while protecting the device from catastrophic failure is presented. Using this stress method, a detailed study was performed to observe device degradation that limits safe operation in the OFF-state. Electrical analysis reveals that quantitatively the Schottky properties of the gate diode are degraded by the stress and suggests a localized defect. An optical analysis confirms localized degradation via electroluminescence (EL) spots on the stressed side of the gate finger. It is shown that the dominant EL site in the degraded device may be observed prior to the application of stress. Finally, it is confirmed that the localized EL emission of the stressed device is the dominant gate leakage path via thermal imaging. These results suggest a method for identifying and understanding the failure mechanisms that limit the safe operating area of GaN HEMTs.
Subclinical Anxiety Symptoms, Sleep, and Daytime Dysfunction in Older Adults With Primary Insomnia

Both insomnia complaints and anxiety disorders are common in older adults, and are associated with poor daytime functioning. The present study investigated whether subclinical levels of anxiety were associated with sleep disturbance and daytime functioning in older adults who met diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia, and therefore did not meet criteria for depression or an anxiety disorder. After adjustment for depressive symptoms, elevated state anxiety was associated with higher levels of wake after sleep onset (measured by both actigraphy and sleep log) and shorter sleep onset latency (measured by sleep log). Higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with greater wake after sleep onset (measured by sleep log). Elevated state and trait anxiety were associated with worse social functioning, and higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with worse role functioning. Thus, subclinical anxiety symptoms may be an important target for clinical intervention to improve sleep and functioning in older adults with primary insomnia.
Developmental roles of platelet‐derived growth factors

Platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) was originally identified in platelets and in serum as a mitogen for fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells (SMC) and glia cells in culture. PDGF has since expanded to a family of dimers of at least four gene products, whose biological actions are mediated through two receptor tyrosine kinases, PDGFRs. The present review summarizes and discusses the biological functions of PDGFs and PDGFRs in developmental processes, mainly as revealed through genetic analysis in mice. Such studies have demonstrated multiple critical roles of PDGFs and PDGFRs in embryonic and postnatal development. PDGFs seem to act upon specific populations of progenitor cells that give rise to several different cell types with distinct functions in a variety of developmental processes. Analogies are seen between the cell functions and the developmental processes controlled by PDGFs. This suggests that ancestral PDGF and PDGFR expression patterns and functions may have been iterated in related sets of morphogenetic processes in the course of evolution. BioEssays 23:494–507, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exposition précoce aux toxiques et déséquilibres nutritionnels : l’inflammation et les lésions précancéreuses de la prostate

Les maladies chroniques de l’adulte (maladies cardiovasculaires, cancers, maladies respiratoires et diabete) tuent chaque annee dans le monde 38 millions de personnes dont 16 millions avant l’âge de 70 ans. Jusqu’aux annees 1990, l’origine de ces pathologies etaient associee au style de vie de l’individu : consommation de tabac, d’alcool, l’inactivite physique et un regime alimentaire desequilibre. Depuis l’elaboration du concept de DOHaD, identifiant les origines developpementales de la sante et des maladies, de nombreuses donnees montrent que les maladies chroniques de l’adulte ont, en partie, une origine tres precoce pendant la periode peri conceptionnelle (in utero, premieres annees de la vie). L’exposition, a cette periode, a des desequilibres alimentaires, des toxiques, des produits chimiques synthetiques perturbant les hormones endogenes (perturbateurs endocriniens, PEs) pourra impacter l’organisme en developpement via des modifications epigenetiques qui retiennent la memoire des facteurs environnementaux auxquels sont soumis les individus. Toutefois, les phenotypes et les mecanismes impliques sont encore loin d’etre decryptes. Au cours de ce travail de these, nous nous sommes interessee aux effets developpementaux sur la prostate. En effet, le cancer de la prostate (CaP) est la deuxieme cause de cancer et la 5° cause de mort par cancer dans le monde. Les donnees de la litterature montrent que les desequilibres alimentaires (regime riche en graisse, HFD) et les PEs œstrogeno-mimetiques sont des facteurs de risque pour ce cancer. Nous avons developpe un modele experimental de rats (jeunes adultes, 90 jours post-natal) exposes pendant la gestation jusqu’au sevrage a un HFD (60% de graisses), ou a un estrogene (estradiol benzoate, EB) pendant la periode neonatale, ou bien a la combinaison des deux, pour explorer les effets sur la prostate (lobe ventral). L’exposition peri natale a l’EB ou a la combinaison EB+HFD diminue le poids de la prostate adulte. Cette anomalie est associee a une inflammation de la prostate moderee (HFD), importante (EB) ou massive (EB+HFD). L’infiltrat est compose essentiellement de macrophages et de lymphocytes T. Cette inflammation est associee a une augmentation dans la prostate du taux de cytokines pro-inflammatoires TNFa, CCL2/MCP1 (EB) mais aussi IL-6 (EB+HFD) ainsi qu’a une deregulation de l’inflammasome NLRP3. NLRP3 est active de facon chronique puisque l’on observe une sur expression de ses substrats IL-1b et IL-18. En conclusion, nous montrons que l’exposition peri conception a un estrogene ou a la combinaison RRG+EB programme des lesions prostatiques chez l’animal adulte. Chez l’homme, il est suggere que des lesions inflammatoires chroniques (atrophie proliferative inflammatoire) seraient, comme pour d’autres organes, une premiere etape vers le debut de la carcinogenese. Ainsi, notre modele experimental permettrait l’etude des etapes precoces de la tumorigenese prostatique.
Oxidative stress and aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

Much attention has been focused on the hypothesis that oxidative damage plays in cellular and organismal aging. A mev-1 (kn1) mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans, isolated on the basis of its methyl viologen (paraquat) hypersensitivity, is also hypersensitive to elevated oxygen levels. Unlike the wild type, its life span decreases dramatically as oxygen concentrations are increased from 1% to 60%. Strains, which bear this mutation, accumulate fluorescent materials and protein carbonyl groups, markers of aging, at faster rates than the wild type. We have cloned mev-1 gene by transformation rescue and found that it is, in fact, the previously sequenced gene (cyt-1) that encodes succinate dehydrogenase cytochrome b. A missense mutation abolishes complex II activity in the mitochondrial membrane but not succinate dehydrogenase enzyme activity per se. These data suggest that CYT-1 directly participates in electron transport from FADH2 to coenzyme Q. Moreover, mutational inactivation of this process renders animals susceptible to oxidative stress and, as a result, leads to premature aging.
The Effects of Adaptogens on the Physical and Psychological Symptoms of Chronic Stress

Stress is a state of disharmony or threatened homeostasis. The maintenance of homeostasis in stages of internal or external challenges, called stressors, requires constant adjustments of a hormonal, behavioral, and autonomic functions. The nuances of life may bring about unwanted stress to the human body. Some of the top causes of stress in America include work, finances, relationships, and health. There are numerous physical and psychological symptoms which are associated with long-term “chronic” stress which includes chronic fatigue, frustration, irritability, insomnia, frequent headaches, chest and back pain, weakness, and weight gain or weight loss. The symptoms of stress are associated with depression, anxiety, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even cancer. Stress causes a systemic elevation of the steroid hormone cortisol. Some of the symptoms of elevated cortisol levels include anxiety, depression, hypertension, stress-related fatigue, insulin resistance and obesity. Stress-related fatigue is a form of occupational stress, for example, it can often induce long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, producing a condition known as burnout syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP) in relationships with a reduced level of personal accomplishment (PA). Adaptogens are plants that help your body adapt or adjust to stress. True adaptogens should protect against stress, stimulate mental performance, and normalize body functions. They allow the human body to achieve optimal homeostasis by either down-regulating hyperactive organ systems or up-regulating hypoactive organ systems. Numerous previous studies have shown how these herbs have been beneficial to people suffering from chronic stress. The aim is to review the scientific literature regarding the effects of three adaptogen herbs (Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and Bacopa) on cortisol levels and the symptoms associated with physical and psychological stress. Specifically, I want to examine the effects of these adaptogens on stress-related elevated cortisol levels, fatigue, and cognitive function.
Delay Sensitive Wireless Protocols for Telerobotics Applications

In telerobotics applications, communication delays play a central role in overall system performance, and their minimization is a fundamental problem in this area. In this paper, we consider a master arm on the operator side, and a slave arms (Robot arm) operating in a wireless environment with sensors located on or around this slave arm. Sensor data needs to be transmitted to the operator side to provide feedback, and operator commands must be transmitted to the slave arm to operate it. In a setup like this, minimization of transmission delays is of extreme importance for smooth interactive operation. In the first part of the paper , we evaluate of two alternatives for wireless protocol development and analysis for our Mitsubishi robot RV-2AJ. The first one is the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) (11) which has an FPGA for baseband processing and other possible low level protocol details. USRP has analog daughterboards for different frequency bands, including 900MHz, and 2.4GHz bands. USRP allows custom protocol development in the physical, and MAC lay- ers, as well as the layers above these two. The second alternative system considered is a powerful microcontroller with an 802.11b controller card (12, 10). In this system, lots of physical layer details are fixed inside the 802.11b controller card, there is no operating system on the microcontroller, but one can generate custom 802.11 packets, and build custom protocols above the MAC layer for delay sensitive telerobotics applications. In the second part of the paper, we present the details of the proposed custom protocol and its implementation on the selected microcontroller board with an 802.11b controller. The proposed custom protocol is compared with standard data communication protocols, and it is demonstrated that the proposed protocol has smaller communication delays. Finally, in the presence of traffic congestion, or/and low received signal strength, it has been also shown that the proposed protocol has significant advantages compared to standard data communication protocols.
Lymphocytic Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Review for the Practicing Pathologist

Increased numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes (lymphocytosis) can be found in the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon in a variety of clinical circumstances. This review, directed at practicing pathologists, portrays the normal resident lymphocyte population in the mucosa of each segment of the digestive tract and discusses the different situations that may result in quantitative or qualitative alterations of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Esophageal lymphocytosis has not been fully characterized and its clinical significance, if any, awaits definition. Thus, this diagnosis is presently discouraged. In the stomach, it is particularly important to exclude Helicobacter pylori infection and celiac sprue before diagnosing lymphocytic gastritis. Duodenal lymphocytic infiltrates, inextricably tied with alterations of the villous architecture of the mucosa, are often caused by gluten sensitivity. However, similar morphologic changes may be caused by a vast array of other conditions that must be carefully considered and excluded. Lymphocytic and collagenous colitis are most often unexplained, but their frequent association with autoimmune conditions or certain medications deserve a thorough investigation in each case. Using a combination of histologic and clinical clues, a cause for the intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltration can be identified in many instances. As some of the associated conditions are amenable to effective treatment, the importance of diligently seeking such associations before resorting to a diagnosis of primary lymphocytosis is emphasized.
Autoimmune Enzephalitiden

Zusammenfassung Eine autoimmune Enzephalitis ist eine entzündliche Erkrankung des Gehirns, die meist auf einer Antikörper-vermittelten Schädigung und Funktionsstörung von neuronalen Strukturen beruht. Man unterscheidet zwischen onkoneuronalen Antikörpern (gegen intrazelluläre neuronale Antigene gerichtet mit resultierenden paraneoplastischen, neurologischen Syndromen) und Antikörpern, die gegen neuronale Zelloberflächen- oder synaptische Proteine gerichtet sind (mit dem Bild der synaptischen Enzephalopathien). Charakteristisch für die häufigste Form der autoimmunen Enzephalitiden, der NMDA-Rezeptor-Antikörper-Enzephalitis, ist ein phasenweiser Verlauf. Unspezifische Prodromi (Abgeschlagenheit, Fieber, Kopfschmerzen) führen zu Hausarzt- oder Notaufnahme-Vorstellungen. Es folgen psychische Verhaltensauffälligkeiten, epileptische Anfälle, Gedächtnisstörungen und letztendlich Vigilanzstörungen bis zum Koma, zusammen mit Dysautonomie und Atemstörungen. Diese ziehen oft intensivmedizinisch behandlungsbedürftige Komplikationen (wie Status epileptikus) nach sich. Die Diagnose wird durch den Nachweis der Auto-Antikörper in Serum bzw. Liquor gesichert. Eine intensive Suche nach Tumoren wird empfohlen. Die Therapie der autoimmunen Enzephalitis beinhaltet eine immunmodulatorische und -suppressive Strategie. Die Tumortherapie ist die wichtigste Therapie der autoimmunen Enzephalitis durch onkoneuronale Antikörper.
The Moneyball Anomaly and Payroll Efficiency: A Further Investigation

In our 2006 paper, we examined the implications of Michael Lewis’ book for the labor market in Major League Baseball. Our tests provided econometric support for Lewis’ claim of mis-pricing in the baseball labor market’s valuation of batting skills. We also found suggestive evidence that the dispersion of statistical knowledge throughout baseball organizations was associated with a sharp attenuation of the mis-pricing. This paper takes a closer look at the economic issues raised by Lewis for the baseball labor market. We extend the sample both backward and forward in time, seeking to determine how long the pricing anomaly existed, and whether the recent attenuation in the anomaly is robust to new observations. In addition, we refine the measures of skill used in our tests to more closely match the narrative account in Lewis’ book. Using both our earlier and refined measures, we find that the pricing anomaly extends well before the period described in Moneyball, and that with some important caveats, the market correction in the post-Moneyball period persists. Finally, improvements in personnel management associated with a closer link between pay and performance may be responsible for the sharply increased correlation between winning percentage and payroll in recent years.
Role of neurotransmitters in endosulfan-induced aggressive behaviour in normal and lesioned rats.

Normal and lesioned rats exposed to 3 mg/kg i.p. endosulfan for 10 subsequent days showed elevated foot-shock fighting behaviour in septal and nigral brain-lesioned animals. Increased ipsilateral circling was noticed in unilateral-nigral lesioned rats. A marked decrease in locomotor activity and no seizure pattern were recorded in rats treated with chlorpromazine (CPz). Electroencephalographic recording on the tenth day of endosulfan exposure showed high-voltage slow activity (HVSA) with occasional spindles and 5-6 Hz amplitude of 200 microV. In the treated rats an increase in the concentration of dopamine (DA) and a decrease in serotonin (5-HT) were recorded in amygdaloid, septal and nigral brain-lesioned rats.