Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic Characterization of Two Ancylostoma caninum Isolates with Different Susceptibilities to the Anthelmintic Pyrantel

ABSTRACT The anthelmintic pyrantel plays an important role in the control of gastrointestinal helminths of humans and domestic animals. Despite the demonstration of pyrantel resistance in several helminth species over the last 20 years, the resistance mechanism remains unclear. It has been hypothesized that resistance may arise as a consequence of changes to the relative proportions of subpopulations of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchRs). To test this hypothesis, we examined the responses of two isolates of the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum with low-level resistance (isolate NT) and high-level resistance (isolate PR) to pyrantel to nicotinic agonist drugs reported to be selective for three nAchR subtypes. We used larval motility and conformation assays and force transduction experiments with adult worms. Pyrantel and levamisole were less potent against larvae of isolate PR than larvae of isolate NT (up to an 18-fold increase in the 50% inhibitory concentration); on the other hand, bephenium was more potent against larvae of isolate PR than larvae of isolate NT (twofold) and nicotine had the same potency against larvae of both isolates. In adults, pyrantel, levamisole, and nicotine were less potent against isolate PR than isolate NT (two- to threefold), but the potency of bephenium against the two isolates was equivalent. Our data indicate a complex pattern of nAchRs in this species and suggest that the two isolates differ in their relative sensitivities to agonists targeting different nAchRs.
Bioinformatic Approaches Reveal Metagenomic Characterization of Soil Microbial Community

As is well known, soil is a complex ecosystem harboring the most prokaryotic biodiversity on the Earth. In recent years, the advent of high-throughput sequencing techniques has greatly facilitated the progress of soil ecological studies. However, how to effectively understand the underlying biological features of large-scale sequencing data is a new challenge. In the present study, we used 33 publicly available metagenomes from diverse soil sites (i.e. grassland, forest soil, desert, Arctic soil, and mangrove sediment) and integrated some state-of-the-art computational tools to explore the phylogenetic and functional characterizations of the microbial communities in soil. Microbial composition and metabolic potential in soils were comprehensively illustrated at the metagenomic level. A spectrum of metagenomic biomarkers containing 46 taxa and 33 metabolic modules were detected to be significantly differential that could be used as indicators to distinguish at least one of five soil communities. The co-occurrence associations between complex microbial compositions and functions were inferred by network-based approaches. Our results together with the established bioinformatic pipelines should provide a foundation for future research into the relation between soil biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Design and Control of a Modular Multilevel HVDC Converter With Redundant Power Modules for Noninterruptible Energy Transfer

This paper presents design and control methods for fault-tolerant operations with redundant converter modules, one of the most prominent features in modular multilevel converter (MMC) topology. In fully implementing MMC functionalities, a nearest level control is applied as a low-switching modulation method. A dual sorting algorithm is newly proposed for effectively reducing the switching commutations of each power module as well as for voltage balancing control. Built upon these primary MMC topological and control features, its redundant operation is comprehensively investigated for fail-safe energy transfer. In particular, a novel spare process is proposed to handle an emergency situation when the number of faulty power modules exceeds the module redundancy. Since topological redundancy may cause the switching commutations of power modules in an arm to be unevenly distributed, a practical and effective mitigation measure is incorporated to keep the energy balance while avoiding the undesired switching stresses. Rigorous simulation studies for MMC and its application for high-voltage direct current are performed to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed spare process under normal and emergency conditions.
Low-dose radiotherapy for lymphoid lesions of the orbit and ocular adnexa.

PURPOSE There is no agreement within the radiation oncology and ophthalmic communities regarding the treatment of lymphoid lesions of the orbit and ocular adnexa. The authors report their experience with the use of low-dose radiation therapy for malignant and benign lymphoid masses of the orbital region in a series of 54 patients treated between 1985 and 1993. METHODS All patients received 2 Gy per day for a total of 24 Gy, except when the lesion was extensive, in which case the therapy was 1.5 Gy per day for a total of 25.5 Gy. A diagnosis was established by incisional surgical biopsy in 26 patients and aspiration cytology in 28 patients. Those with a malignant or an indeterminate diagnosis were evaluated with a modified Ann Arbor staging system. RESULTS Low-dose radiation therapy produced a complete response in 100% of the orbital lymphoid lesions. This local control was maintained in 52 patients (96%) for the first year and in 51 patients (95%) for 5 or more years with a mean follow-up of 7 years. One patient died of causes unrelated to the malignant lymphoma after the first year of observation. The mean age of the 54 patients was 67 years, and the range was 37 to 90 years. The mean ages of presentation for each location were: orbit, 67 years; conjunctiva, 68 years; lacrimal gland, 66 years; and eyelids, 72 years. The female-to-male ratio was 1.25:1 (34 women and 20 men). In this series, 9 patients had benign processes, 38 patients had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 7 patients had abnormalities of indeterminate cause. All histologic subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the orbit responded equally well to therapy. Forty-five patients had clinically staged disease as follows: stage I, 21 patients; stage II, 4 patients; stage III, 2 patients; and stage IV, 18 patients. Benign disease, diagnosed in 9 patients, was not staged. CONCLUSION Low-dose radiation therapy proved effective in treating lymphoid lesions of the orbital area. No treatment-limiting complications occurred. The only early side effects were mild xerophthalmia and chemosis in 50% of patients, and the only chronic side effect was mild xerophthalmia in 33% of patients. Cataracts, corneal ulcerations, and retinal injury were not observed.
MINIMIZING THE RISK OF ENDOPHTHALMITIS FOLLOWING INTRAVITREOUS INJECTIONS

Purpose: To review techniques that are important in preventing endophthalmitis following intravitreous injections based on the available evidence. Methods: A review of the literature regarding existing evidence that is relevant to post-injection endophthalmitis prophylaxis. Results: The available evidence regarding endophthalmitis prophylaxis is largely based on intraocular surgery, particularly cataract surgery. Despite the controversy and the paucity of evidence regarding endophthalmitis prophylaxis for intravitreous injections, it is recommended that povidone-iodine should be used prior to intravitreous injections to minimize or eliminate the presence of ocular surface bacteria. Administration of topical antibiotics may also be considered before and after the intravitreous injections. Strict adherence to aseptic techniques, including the use of an eyelide speculum is also important. Conclusion: Endophthalmitic can occur following intravitreous injections. Prophylaxis with topical povidone-iodine, and possibly antibiotics, as well as adherence to aseptic technique may minimize the risk of post-injection endophthalmitis.
Tissue Biomarkers in Prognostication of Serous Ovarian Cancer following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Serous ovarian cancer (SOC) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in females with poor prognosis because of advanced stage at presentation. Recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is being used for management of advanced SOC, but role of tissue biomarkers in prognostication following NACT is not well established. The study was conducted on advanced stage SOC patients (n = 100) that were treated either conventionally (n = 50) or with NACT (n = 50), followed by surgery. In order to evaluate the expression of tissue biomarkers (p53, MIB1, estrogen and progesterone receptors, Her-2/neu, E-cadherin, and Bcl2), immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative scoring were done following morphological examination. Following NACT, significant differences in tumor histomorphology were observed as compared to the native neoplasms. MIB 1 was significantly lower in cases treated with NACT and survival outcome was significantly better in cases with low MIB 1. ER expression was associated with poor overall survival. No other marker displayed any significant difference in expression or correlation with survival between the two groups. Immunophenotype of SOC does not differ significantly in samples from cases treated with NACT, compared to upfront surgically treated cases. The proliferating capacity of the residual tumor cells is less, depicted by low mean MIB1 LI. MIB 1 and ER inversely correlate with survival.
Adolescent mathematical Problem Solving: The Role of Metacognition, Strategies and Beliefs.

Normal 0 21 false false false ES-TRAD X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Mathematical problem solving has been the focus of much concern. This study investigated the relationship of various cognitive factors, attributions, and gender tio the solution of mathematics problems by 100 high school seniors. The independent variables examined in this study included: (1) mathematics knowledge as measured by a score on the ,mathematics section of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude test (PSAT): (2) metacognitive regulation as measured by a score on the Assessment of Individual Mathematical Metacognition (AIMM); (3) beliefs, including attributions and generalized beliefs, as measured by scores on selected questions from the Inventory of Students Mathematical Beliefs and Behavior (ISMBB); (4) Metacognitive Awareness as measured by a score on the Metacognitive Awareness Assestment (MAA); and (5) gender. No gender differences were found in any of the variables except in the high knowledge group: (1) high knowledge boys outperformed high knowledge girls on one problem, and (2) high knowledge girls were less likely to attribute their success in mathematics to effort than were high knowledge boys.
Obtaining referential word meanings from visual and distributional information: Experiments on object naming

We investigate object naming, which is an important sub-task of referring expression generation on real-world images. As opposed to mutually exclusive labels used in object recognition, object names are more flexible, subject to communicative preferences and semantically related to each other. Therefore, we investigate models of referential word meaning that link visual to lexical information which we assume to be given through distributional word embeddings. We present a model that learns individual predictors for object names that link visual and distributional aspects of word meaning during training. We show that this is particularly beneficial for zero-shot learning, as compared to projecting visual objects directly into the distributional space. In a standard object naming task, we find that different ways of combining lexical and visual information achieve very similar performance, though experiments on model combination suggest that they capture complementary aspects of referential meaning.
Blurred License Plate Recognition based on single snapshot from drive recorder

Nowadays, drive recorders are becoming a popular form of evidences used by drivers and accepted by court. One common investigation task is to identify vehicles of interest and recognize their license plates (LPs). In this paper, we focus on License Plate Recognition (LPR) based on single snapshot from a drive recorder. As drive recorders are installed on moving vehicles, snapshots by drive recorders usually suffer from serious blur, and the key issue is recognizing the Blurred License Plate (BLP) from single image. A straightforward method is first deblurring the BLP and then recognizing it. However, the first problem with this method is that general image deblurring methods are designed to get a good overall visual effect and the deblurred results may be not good for LPR. The second problem is that general image deblurring methods don't use the features of the LPs, which could be important priors for the deblurring process. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel method that integrates deblurring and recognizing in a closed-loop. The proposed method utilizes characters and patterns of LPs as priors, and the deblurring and recognizing process will stop when a reliable recognition result is obtained from the deblurred image. Furthermore, by analyzing the features of BLPs, this paper proposes a ℓ0-norm based deblurring method. Experiments show that, compared to other LPR methods, the proposed method can achieve higher recognition rate on the BLPs.
Strigolactone biosynthesis is evolutionarily conserved, regulated by phosphate starvation and contributes to resistance against phytopathogenic fungi in a moss, Physcomitrella patens.

In seed plants, strigolactones (SLs) regulate architecture and induce mycorrhizal symbiosis in response to environmental cues. SLs are formed by combined activity of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) 7 and 8 from 9-cis-β-carotene, leading to carlactone that is converted by cytochromes P450 (clade 711; MAX1 in Arabidopsis) into various SLs. As Physcomitrella patens possesses CCD7 and CCD8 homologs but lacks MAX1, we investigated if PpCCD7 together with PpCCD8 form carlactone and how deletion of these enzymes influences growth and interactions with the environment. We investigated the enzymatic activity of PpCCD7 and PpCCD8 in vitro, identified the formed products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and LC-MS, and generated and analysed ΔCCD7 and ΔCCD8 mutants. We defined enzymatic activity of PpCCD7 as a stereospecific 9-cis-CCD and PpCCD8 as a carlactone synthase. ΔCCD7 and ΔCCD8 lines showed enhanced caulonema growth, which was revertible by adding the SL analogue GR24 or carlactone. Wild-type (WT) exudates induced seed germination in Orobanche ramosa. This activity was increased upon phosphate starvation and abolished in exudates of both mutants. Furthermore, both mutants showed increased susceptibility to phytopathogenic fungi. Our study reveals the deep evolutionary conservation of SL biosynthesis, SL function, and its regulation by biotic and abiotic cues.
Forecasting enrollments using high‐order fuzzy time series and genetic algorithms

In recent years, many researchers have presented different forecasting methods to deal with forecasting problems based on fuzzy time series. When we deal with forecasting problems using fuzzy time series, it is important to decide the length of each interval in the universe of discourse due to the fact that it will affect the forecasting accuracy rate. In this article, we present a new method to deal with the forecasting problems based on high‐order fuzzy time series and genetic algorithms, where the length of each interval in the universe of discourse is tuned by using genetic algorithms, and the historical enrollments of the University of Alabama are used to illustrate the forecasting process of the proposed method. The proposed method can achieve a higher forecasting accuracy rate than the existing methods. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 485–501, 2006.
Channel Quantization Using Constellation Based Codebooks for Multiuser MIMO-OFDM

In this paper, we propose clustered quantization techniques for multiuser multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) using constellation based codebooks. Constellation based codebooks provide scalability and efficient codeword search capability, which are key features for practical multiuser MIMO-OFDM systems with a large number of antennas. The proposed clustered quantization scheme quantizes consecutive subcarriers into a single codeword that minimizes aggregated quantization errors. We base our new clustering techniques on two constellation based quantization methods, namely equal-magnitude angular quantization (EMAQ) and squared-lattice angular quantization. New efficient codebook search algorithms are proposed for the clustered quantization. In addition, we propose new constellations to guarantee different users quantize channels into distinct codewords. One is a rotated M-PSK constellation suitable for randomly-distributed user scenarios, and the other is a random phase equal-magnitude (RPEM) constellation suitable for ill-conditioned user scenarios. Thus, full spatial multiplexing gain can be achievable even with small number of users. Finally, a near-sphere codeword search algorithm is proposed for the RPEM. In simulations, the proposed clustered quantization shows up to 50% higher throughput compared to conventional fixed-pilot channel quantization. Also, we show our new constellations for EMAQ improve throughput almost 35% compared to the standard EMAQ.
Cross‐Border Listings and Price Discovery: Evidence from U.S.‐Listed Canadian Stocks

We examine the contribution of cross-listings to price discovery for a sample of Canadian stocks listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) and a U.S. exchange. We find that prices on the TSE and U.S. exchange are cointegrated and mutually adjusting. The U.S. share of price discovery ranges from 0.2 percent to 98.2 percent, with an average of 38.1 percent. The U.S. share is directly related to the U.S. share of trading and to the ratio of proportions of informative trades on the U.S. exchange and the TSE, and inversely related to the ratio of bid-ask spreads.
The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment as a measure of personality disorder traits in children and adolescents

Many psychological problems in adulthood have their roots in childhood and adolescence. This is particularly true for personality disorders (PDs). In order to identify young people with PD traits before their problems become pervasive, we need reliable and valid assessment tools. This volume includes three papers seeking to examine the usefulness of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) for measuring PD traits in young people. Part 1 is a systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that used the ASEBA to investigate the internalising and externalising problems of young people presenting with (or who later developed) personality difficulties. The majority of the studies examined antisocial and borderline PD. The review concluded that there was consistent evidence of criterion validity for a few ASEBA scales but the ASEBA did not have adequate psychometric properties for accurately identifying young people with PD. Part 2 is an empirical paper that used a large database created for audit purposes in a community-based psychotherapy and counselling service for young people. The ASEBA profiles of young people with PD traits and PD-related presenting problems were examined. This paper also describes the development and psychometric evaluation of two new, PD-related ASEBA scales. Finally, Part 3 is a critical appraisal of the research undertaken. It discusses epistemological and methodological aspects of the work and reflects upon the proposed changes in the conceptualisation of PD in the updated diagnostic system. This paper also highlights the clinical dilemmas related to diagnosing PD before adulthood.
Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) genetic diversity at Paranaguá Estuarine Complex feeding grounds in Brazil

Sea turtles are marine reptiles that undertake long migrations through their life, with limited information regarding juvenile stages. Feeding grounds (FGs), where they spend most of their lives, are composed by individuals from different natal origins, known as mixed stock populations. The aim of this study was to assess genetic composition, natal origins and demographic history of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (PEC), Brazil, considered a Natural World Heritage site. Tissue samples of stranded animals were collected (n = 60), and 700 bp mitochondrial DNA sequences were generated and compared to shorter sequences from previously published studies. Global exact tests of differentiation revealed significant differences among PEC and the other FGs, except those at the South Atlantic Ocean. Green turtles at PEC present genetic signatures similar to those of nesting females from Ascension Island, Guinea Bissau and Aves Island/Surinam. Population expansion was evidenced to have occurred 20–25 kYA, reinforcing the hypothesis of recovery from Southern Atlantic refugia after the last Glacial Maximum. These results contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of green turtle populations at a protected area by providing knowledge on the dispersion patterns and reinforcing the importance of the interconnectivity between nesting and foraging populations.
Polarity-Sensitive Modulation of Cortical Neurotransmitters by Transcranial Stimulation

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability and is being used for human studies more frequently. Here we probe the underlying neuronal mechanisms by measuring polarity-specific changes in neurotransmitter concentrations using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). MRS provides evidence that excitatory (anodal) tDCS causes locally reduced GABA while inhibitory (cathodal) stimulation causes reduced glutamatergic neuronal activity with a highly correlated reduction in GABA, presumably due to the close biochemical relationship between the two neurotransmitters.
Getting It Right So They Can Get It Right: An Overview of the Special Series

Abstract This article reviews the studies making up this special series on academic assessment and intervention in light of new federal education law and study of special education by the federal government. It is argued that the appearance of these unsolicited articles is a further indicator of changing expectations on the part of the field for school psychology practice. The article also attempts to highlight features of the studies that help to address some as-yet-unresolved measurement and intervention issues.