Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Virulent Strain of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Prevails after Varroa destructor-Mediated, or In Vitro, Transmission

The globally distributed ectoparasite Varroa destructor is a vector for viral pathogens of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera), in particular the Iflavirus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV). In the absence of Varroa low levels DWV occur, generally causing asymptomatic infections. Conversely, Varroa-infested colonies show markedly elevated virus levels, increased overwintering colony losses, with impairment of pupal development and symptomatic workers. To determine whether changes in the virus population were due Varroa amplifying and introducing virulent virus strains and/or suppressing the host immune responses, we exposed Varroa-naïve larvae to oral and Varroa-transmitted DWV. We monitored virus levels and diversity in developing pupae and associated Varroa, the resulting RNAi response and transcriptome changes in the host. Exposed pupae were stratified by Varroa association (presence/absence) and virus levels (low/high) into three groups. Varroa-free pupae all exhibited low levels of a highly diverse DWV population, with those exposed per os (group NV) exhibiting changes in the population composition. Varroa-associated pupae exhibited either low levels of a diverse DWV population (group VL) or high levels of a near-clonal virulent variant of DWV (group VH). These groups and unexposed controls (C) could be also discriminated by principal component analysis of the transcriptome changes observed, which included several genes involved in development and the immune response. All Varroa tested contained a diverse replicating DWV population implying the virulent variant present in group VH, and predominating in RNA-seq analysis of temporally and geographically separate Varroa-infested colonies, was selected upon transmission from Varroa, a conclusion supported by direct injection of pupae in vitro with mixed virus populations. Identification of a virulent variant of DWV, the role of Varroa in its transmission and the resulting host transcriptome changes furthers our understanding of this important viral pathogen of honeybees.
Cell wall changes during the formation of aerenchyma in sugarcane roots

Background and Aims Aerenchyma develops in different plant organs and leads to the formation of intercellular spaces that can be used by the plant to transport volatile substances. Little is known about the role of cell walls in this process, although the mechanism of aerenchyma formation is known to involve programmed cell death and some cell wall modifications. We assessed the role that cell wall-related mechanisms might play in the formation of aerenchyma in sugarcane roots. Methods Sections of roots (5 cm) were subjected to microtomography analysis. These roots were divided into 1-cm segments and subjected to cell wall fractionation. We performed analyses of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and lignin and glycome profiling. Sections were visualized by immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling using selected monoclonal antibodies against polysaccharide epitopes according to the glycome profiles. Key Results During aerenchyma formation, gas spaces occupied up to 40 % of the cortex cross-section within the first 5 cm of the root. As some of the cortex cells underwent dissolution of the middle lamellae, leading to cell separation, cell expansion took place along with cell death. Mixed-linkage β-glucan was degraded along with some homogalacturonan and galactan, culminating in the formation of cell wall composites made of xyloglucan, arabinoxylans, cellulose and possibly lignin. Conclusion The composites formed seem to play a role in the physical-chemical properties of the gas chambers, providing mechanical resistance to forces acting upon the root and at the same time decreasing permeability to gases.
Neural correlates of cognitive processing in monolinguals and bilinguals

Here, we review the neural correlates of cognitive control associated with bilingualism. We demonstrate that lifelong practice managing two languages orchestrates global changes to both the structure and function of the brain. Compared with monolinguals, bilinguals generally show greater gray matter volume, especially in perceptual/motor regions, greater white matter integrity, and greater functional connectivity between gray matter regions. These changes complement electroencephalography findings showing that bilinguals devote neural resources earlier than monolinguals. Parallel functional findings emerge from the functional magnetic resonance imaging literature: bilinguals show reduced frontal activity, suggesting that they do not need to rely on top‐down mechanisms to the same extent as monolinguals. This shift for bilinguals to rely more on subcortical/posterior regions, which we term the bilingual anterior‐to‐posterior and subcortical shift (BAPSS), fits with results from cognitive aging studies and helps to explain why bilinguals experience cognitive decline at later stages of development than monolinguals.
Molecular Relatedness of Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Isolates from Staff, Environment and Pets at University Veterinary Hospital in Malaysia

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a problem in veterinary medicine and is no longer considered as a mere nosocomial pathogen. We studied the occurrence of MRSA in veterinary personnel, cats and dogs and the environmental premises in University Veterinary Hospital (UVH). We found the prevalence of MRSA as follows: UVH 2/28 (7.1%) staff, 8/100 (8%) of the pets [5/50 (10%) of the dogs and 3/50 (6%) of the cats)], and 9/28 (4.5%) of the environmental samples. Antibiotic sensitivity tests (AST) show multi-resistance characteristics of the MRSA and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the isolates ranged from 1.5 µg to >256 µg/ml. Molecular typing by using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal protein A typing (spa typing) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was conducted and the results from MLST indicated that an isolate from a veterinary personnel (PG21), typed as ST1241 belonged to the same clonal complex (CC) as the two isolates from two dogs (DG16 and DG20), both being typed as ST59. The PFGE results revealed that the two isolates from two veterinary personnel, PG21 and PG16 belonged to closely related MRSA strains with isolates from dog (DG36) and from environmental surface (EV100) respectively. The fact that PFGE revealed close similarity between isolates from humans, a dog and environmental surfaces indicates the possibility for either of them to be the source of MRSA and the potential routes and risks of spread.
Early Social Experience Predicts Referential Communicative Adjustments in Five-Year-Old Children

A large body of work has focused on children’s ability to attribute mental states to other people, and whether these abilities are influenced by the extent and nature of children’s social interactions. However, it remains largely unknown which developmental factors shape children’s ability to influence the mental states of others. Building on the suggestion that collaborative experiences early in life might be crucial for the emergence of mental coordination abilities, here we assess the relative contribution of social exposure to familial and non-familial agents on children’s communicative adjustments to their mental model of an addressee (‘audience design’). During an online interactive game, five-year-olds spontaneously organized their non-verbal communicative behaviors according to their beliefs about an interlocutor. The magnitude of these communicative adjustments was predicted by the time spent at daycare, from birth until four years of age, over and above effects of familial social environment. These results suggest that the degree of non-familial social interaction early in life modulates the influence that children’s beliefs have on their referential communicative behavior.
Phase I Randomized Study of a Tetravalent Dengue Purified Inactivated Vaccine in Healthy Adults from Puerto Rico

Abstract. The safety and immunogenicity of four adjuvanted formulations of an investigational tetravalent dengue purified inactivated vaccine (DPIV) were evaluated in a predominantly dengue-primed population in Puerto Rico. In this placebo-controlled, randomized, observer-blind, phase I trial, 100 healthy adults were randomized 1:1:1:1:1 to receive DPIV at Day (D)0 and D28 (1 μg per dengue virus [DENV] type 1–4 adjuvanted with either alum, AS01E or AS03B, or 4 μg per DENV type adjuvanted with alum) or saline placebo. Functional antibody responses were assessed using a microneutralization assay at D56, Month (M)7, and M13. All DPIV formulations were well tolerated and no safety signals were identified through M13. The M13 according-to-protocol (ATP) immunogenicity cohort included 83 participants. The ATP analysis of immunogenicity was performed only on the 78 subjects seropositive for ≥ 1 DENV type at baseline: 69 tetravalent, three trivalent, two bivalent, and four monovalent. In all DPIV groups, geometric mean antibody titers (GMTs) increased from D0 to D56 and waned modestly through M13, while remaining well above prevaccination levels. The 4 μg + alum and the AS01E- and AS03B-adjuvanted formulations were highly immunogenic, with M13-neutralizing antibody GMTs against all four DENV types above 1,000. M13/D0 GMT ratios were highest in the 1 μg + AS03B group (ranging 3.2–3.7 depending on the DENV type). These results encourage continued clinical development of DPIV (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01702857).
Charge pattern matching as a ‘fuzzy’ mode of molecular recognition for the functional phase separations of intrinsically disordered proteins

Biologically functional liquid–liquid phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is driven by interactions encoded by their amino acid sequences. Little is currently known about the molecular recognition mechanisms for distributing different IDP sequences into various cellular membraneless compartments. Pertinent physics was addressed recently by applying random-phase-approximation (RPA) polymer theory to electrostatics, which is a major energetic component governing IDP phase properties. RPA accounts for charge patterns and thus has advantages over Flory–Huggins (FH) and Overbeek–Voorn mean-field theories. To make progress toward deciphering the phase behaviors of multiple IDP sequences, the RPA formulation for one IDP species plus solvent is hereby extended to treat polyampholyte solutions containing two IDP species plus solvent. The new formulation generally allows for binary coexistence of two phases, each containing a different set of volume fractions ( ϕ 1 , ϕ 2 ) for the two different IDP sequences. The asymmetry between the two predicted coexisting phases with regard to their ϕ 1 / ϕ 2 ratios for the two sequences increases with increasing mismatch between their charge patterns. This finding points to a multivalent, stochastic, ‘fuzzy’ mode of molecular recognition that helps populate various IDP sequences differentially into separate phase compartments. An intuitive illustration of this trend is provided by FH models, whereby a hypothetical case of ternary coexistence is also explored. Augmentations of the present RPA theory with a relative permittivity ϵ r ( ϕ ) that depends on IDP volume fraction ϕ = ϕ 1 + ϕ 2 lead to higher propensities to phase separate, in line with the case with one IDP species we studied previously. Notably, the cooperative, phase-separation-enhancing effects predicted by the prescriptions for ϵ r ( ϕ ) we deem physically plausible are much more prominent than that entailed by common effective medium approximations based on Maxwell Garnett and Bruggeman mixing formulas. Ramifications of our findings on further theoretical development for IDP phase separation are discussed.
Frequency response of sampled-data systems

This paper studies the notion of frequency response for sampled-data systems, and explores some basic properties as well as its computational procedures. It is shown that: 1) by the lifting technique the notion of frequency response can be naturally justified for sampled-data systems in spite of their time-varying characteristics; 2) it represents a frequency domain steady state behavior; and 3) it is also closely related to the original transfer function representation via an integral formula. It is shown that the computation of the frequency response can be reduced to a finite-dimensional eigenvalue problem, and some examples are presented to illustrate the results. <<ETX>>
CT follow-up in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): combined radiation and contrast dose reduction

Background Frequent computed tomography (CT) follow-ups involve significant radiation related risks for patients with low-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Contrast agent (CA) application is essential for diagnostic evidence and has additional risks especially in patients with limited renal function. Purpose To investigate if a combination of dose and contrast agent (CA) reduction affects image quality and diagnostic evidence in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients. Material and Methods A total of 51 NET patients were enrolled in the study and 153 CT scans were analyzed. Patients underwent a baseline CT scan (A = 120 kVp, filtered back projection [FBP]) and two follow-up CTs (B = 120 kVp, adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction [ASIR] 40%; C1 = 100 kVp, ASIR 40%; C2 = 100 kVp, ASIR 60%; the latter two protocols were applied with a 30% reduction in CA volume). We evaluated image quality and applied dose. Results In C1/2, the combination of low kV (100 kVp) with ASIR 40%/60% reduced the mean applied dose significantly by 28% compared to B and by 57% compared to A. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) of tumor to liver/muscle were significantly increased by using C1/2 compared to B and A. With respect to subjective image quality, a slight loss of diagnostic confidence in C1 could be counterbalanced by the higher ASIR blending in C2. Conclusion Combined dose reduction techniques can be used to reduce radiation dose and CA volume without sacrificing image quality and diagnostic confidence in staging CT of NET patients.
The role of puberty in the developing adolescent brain

Adolescence refers to the period of physical and psychological development between childhood and adulthood. The beginning of adolescence is loosely anchored to the onset of puberty, which brings dramatic alterations in hormone levels and a number of consequent physical changes. Puberty onset is also associated with profound changes in drives, motivations, psychology, and social life; these changes continue throughout adolescence. There is an increasing number of neuroimaging studies looking at the development of the brain, both structurally and functionally, during adolescence. Almost all of these studies have defined development by chronological age, which shows a strong—but not unitary—correlation with pubertal stage. Very few neuroimaging studies have associated brain development with pubertal stage, and yet there is tentative evidence to suggest that puberty might play an important role in some aspects of brain and cognitive development. In this paper we describe this research, and we suggest that, in the future, developmental neuroimaging studies of adolescence should consider the role of puberty. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effectiveness of the Viet Nam Produced, Mouse Brain-Derived, Inactivated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine in Northern Viet Nam

Background Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a flaviviral disease of public health concern in many parts of Asia. JE often occurs in large epidemics, has a high case-fatality ratio and, among survivors, frequently causes persistent neurological sequelae and mental disabilities. In 1997, the Vietnamese government initiated immunization campaigns targeting all children aged 1–5 years. Three doses of a locally-produced, mouse brain-derived, inactivated JE vaccine (MBV) were given. This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of Viet Nam's MBV. Methodology A matched case-control study was conducted in Northern Viet Nam. Cases were identified through an ongoing hospital-based surveillance. Each case was matched to four healthy controls for age, gender, and neighborhood. The vaccination history was ascertained through JE immunization logbooks maintained at local health centers. Principal Findings Thirty cases and 120 controls were enrolled. The effectiveness of the JE vaccine was 92.9% [95% CI: 66.6–98.5]. Confounding effects of other risk variables were not observed. Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that the locally-produced JE-MBV given to 1–5 years old Vietnamese children was efficacious.
Viscosity Analysis of a Polymer-Based Drug Delivery System Using Open-Source CFD Methods and High-Pressure Capillary Rheometry

Abstract In this study the viscosity behavior of the polymer-based drug delivery system (Soluplus-Fenofibrate) at high shear rates was investigated using (i) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods and (ii) experimental data acquired with a high-pressure capillary rheometer. The barrel and capillary were rebuilt in the virtual domain by means of finite-volume methods and used for fluid dynamic simulations. Our primary focus was on validating the Carreau-Winter and Yasuda material models in the Open Field Operation and Manipulation program (OpenFOAM) and investigating their usefulness in this type of simulation. First, the models were fitted to experimental data from a well-known system – polystyrene type (145D, BASF). The results showed that the Yasuda model fit must be applied to obtain the correct material properties when simulating a non-Newtonian melt flow in a wide range of shear rates. The Carreau-Winter model was found to be valid only in the zero shear-rate viscosity region. On the basis of these findings, the Soluplus-Fenofibrate system was subsequently characterized and simulated. We observed that Fenofibrate (lipid-regulating agent) acts as a plasticizer in this polymer system and decreases system viscosity at lower shear rates compared to pure the Soluplus (polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer) at the same temperatures. Our results show that the viscosity models can be implemented accurately even for processes with high shear rates, which also involve high temperatures.
Length effect on the tension strength between mechanically graded high- and low-grade Chinese fir lumber.

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the length effect on the parallel-to-grain tensile strength of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) lumber. In all, 473 pieces of mechanically graded lumber were tested at gauge lengths of 150, 200, 250, and 300 cm. The lumber was sorted into matched groups according to the dynamic Young's modulus as measured using the longitudinal vibration method. The averages of the dynamic Young's modulus of high-grade (H) and low-grade (L) specimens were 11.8 and 8.9 GPa, respectively. Using nonparametric estimates, the estimated length effect parameters of H and L were 0.188 and 0.226, respectively, for the 50th percentile and 0.185 and 0.318, respectively, for the 5th percentile. It was then concluded that the different length effect factors between H and L could be used when using the lumber for practical purposes. The effect of increasing length on the tensile strength was a little larger in H but smaller in L for the 50th percentile compared with the 5th percentile. When two-parameter Weibull distribution functions were fitted to the strength data, the estimated shape parameters of the Weibull distribution by the parametric method were almost identical to the inverse of nonparametric parameters. The influence of defects such as knots on the lower tail of the strength distribution in H may be different than that in L.
Image Reconstruction for a Rotating Radiofrequency Coil (RRFC) Using Self-Calibrated Sensitivity From Radial Sampling

The purpose of this study was to develop a practical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scheme for the latest rotating radiofrequency coil (RRFC) design at 9.4 T. The new prototype RRFC was integrated with an optical sensor to facilitate recording of its angular positions relative to the sequence timing. In imaging, the RRFC was used together with radial k-space trajectories. To recover the image, the radial spokes were grouped according to the coil locations. Using an Eigen-decomposition approach, an array of location-dependent sensitivity maps was extracted from the central regions of the segmented k-space, enabling parallel-imaging techniques for image recovery in a straightforward manner. When the RRFC angular velocity is carefully designed and accurately controlled according to the sequence timing, the encoding by means of varying RRFC sensitivity maps can be accurately calibrated for a faithful image recovery. Approximations were made to counteract the variations of the RRFC angular velocity, providing successful image reconstruction at 9.4 T. The current study demonstrated a new and practical imaging scheme for RRFC-MRI. It is able to extract the temporally varying sensitivity maps retrospectively from the k-space acquisition itself, without resorting to electromagnetic simulation or numerical interpolation. The proposed imaging scheme and the supporting engineering solutions of the RRFC prototype enable accurate image reconstructions. These new developments pave the way for routine applications of the RRFC, and bode well for its further development in providing simultaneous multinuclear imaging by incorporating, for example, independent X-nuclear coil elements into the rotating structure.
SecCloudSharing: Secure data sharing in public cloud using ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based proxy re‐encryption with revocation

An efficient cryptography mechanism should enforce an access control policy over the encrypted data to provide flexible, fine‐grained, and secure data access control for secure sharing of data in cloud storage. To make a secure cloud data sharing solution, we propose a ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based proxy re‐encryption scheme. In the proposed scheme, we design an efficient fine‐grained revocation mechanism, which enables not only efficient attribute‐level revocation but also efficient policy‐level revocation to achieve backward secrecy and forward secrecy. Moreover, we use a multiauthority key attribute center in the key generation phase to overcome the single‐point performance bottleneck problem and the key escrow problem. By formal security analysis, we illustrate that our proposed scheme achieves confidentiality, secure key distribution, multiple collusions resistance, and policy‐ or attribute‐revocation security. By comprehensive performance and implementation analysis, we illustrate that our proposed scheme improves the practical efficiency of storage, computation cost, and communication cost compared to the other related schemes.
Multilevel design and role play: experiences in assessing support for neighborhood participation in design

Designing and assessing systems to support neighborhood participation in design is difficult due to the challenges of involving real participants and the fragile nature of early instantiations of technologies aimed at supporting open-ended and ill-structured design tasks. We report on a scenario-based, semi-realistic field trial of two prototypes of the Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory, an environment for supporting community involvement in design activities. By engaging subjects in playing participant roles, we have been able to gain some crucial insights into the facets of the design at multiple levels as part of an ongoing design process.