Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Larvicidal Potential of the Halogenated Sesquiterpene (+)-Obtusol, Isolated from the Alga Laurencia dendroidea J. Agardh (Ceramiales: Rhodomelaceae), against the Dengue Vector Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae)

Dengue is considered a serious public health problem in many tropical regions of the world including Brazil. At the moment, there is no viable alternative to reduce dengue infections other than controlling the insect vector, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus. In the continuing search for new sources of chemicals targeted at vector control, natural products are a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. In our work, we investigated the toxicity of a bioactive compound extracted from the red alga Laurencia dendroidea J. Agardh. The initial results demonstrated that crude extracts, at a concentration of 5 ppm, caused pronounced mortality of second instar A. aegypti larvae. Two molecules, identified as (−)-elatol and (+)-obtusol were subsequently isolated from crude extract and further evaluated. Assays with (−)-elatol showed moderate larvicidal activity, whereas (+)-obtusol presented higher toxic activity than (−)-elatol, with a LC50 value of 3.5 ppm. Histological analysis of the larvae exposed to (+)-obtusol revealed damage to the intestinal epithelium. Moreover, (+)-obtusol-treated larvae incubated with 2 µM CM-H2DCFDA showed the presence of reactive oxygen species, leading us to suggest that epithelial damage might be related to redox imbalance. These results demonstrate the potential of (+)-obtusol as a larvicide for use against A. aegypti and the possible mode of action of this compound.
Amplification and overexpression of the IGF2 regulator PLAG1 in hepatoblastoma

There is evidence that 8q amplification is associated with poor prognosis in hepatoblastoma. A previous comparative genomic hybridization analysis identified a critical region in chromosomal bands 8q11.2–q13. Using restriction landmark genomic scanning in combination with a virtual genome scan, we showed that this region is delineated by sequences within contig NT_008183 of chromosomal subbands 8q11.22–q11.23. A real‐time PCR–based genomic copy number assay of 20 hepatoblastomas revealed gain or amplification in this critical chromosomal region in eight tumors. The expression of four genes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) within this newly defined region was assayed by real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) in four tumors with and six tumors without gain or amplification. The PLAG1 oncogene was found to be highly expressed in all but one tumor compared to normal liver tissue. Furthermore, quantitative RT‐PCR revealed that the expression level of the developmentally regulated transcription factor PLAG1 was 3–12 times greater in hepatoblastoma tumors and cell lines compared to age‐matched normal liver and comparable to the expression in fetal liver tissue. PLAG1 has been shown be a transcriptional activator of IGF2 in other tumor types. Using luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrated that PLAG1 transactivates transcription from the embryonic IGF2 promoter P3, also in hepatoblastoma cell lines. Thus, our results provide evidence that PLAG1 overexpression may be responsible for the frequently observed up‐regulation of IGF2 in hepatoblastoma and therefore may be implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of this childhood neoplasia. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adversarial memory for detecting destructive races

Multithreaded programs are notoriously prone to race conditions, a problem exacerbated by the widespread adoption of multi-core processors with complex memory models and cache coherence protocols. Much prior work has focused on static and dynamic analyses for race detection, but these algorithms typically are unable to distinguish destructive races that cause erroneous behavior from benign races that do not. Performing this classification manually is difficult, time consuming, and error prone. This paper presents a new dynamic analysis technique that uses adversarial memory to classify race conditions as destructive or benign on systems with relaxed memory models. Unlike a typical language implementation, which may only infrequently exhibit non-sequentially consistent behavior, our adversarial memory implementation exploits the full freedom of the memory model to return older, unexpected, or stale values for memory reads whenever possible, in an attempt to crash the target program (that is, to force the program to behave erroneously). A crashing execution provides concrete evidence of a destructive bug, and this bug can be strongly correlated with a specific race condition in the target program. Experimental results with our Jumble prototype for Java demonstrate that adversarial memory is highly effective at identifying destructive race conditions, and in distinguishing them from race conditions that are real but benign. Adversarial memory can also reveal destructive races that would not be detected by traditional testing (even after thousands of runs) or by model checkers that assume sequential consistency.
Cervical human papillomavirus infection in Mexican women with systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis

Cervical human papillomavirus (HPV+) infection is associated with an increased risk of cervical dysplasia. Although the frequency of HPV+ in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been investigated in some races its prevalence in Hispanic women is still unknown. This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of cervical HPV+ in Mexican women with SLE (n = 34) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 43) and in healthy controls (n = 146). These women were interviewed about risk factors for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cytology analysis was performed. HPV+ viral types were identified using PCR: HPV+ was observed in 14.7% of SLE, 27.9% of RA and 30.8% of controls. High-risk HPV types were observed in 11.7% of women with SLE, 27.9% of women with RA, and in 26% of the controls. High-risk viral types 58, 35 and 18 were the most frequently identified in SLE. Two women with SLE had a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and one had cervical cancer. An association was observed between methotrexate utilization, longer duration of therapy with prednisone, and HPV+ in RA or SLE. Thus, there is a high prevalence of cervical HPV infection in Mexican women with SLE or RA, and physicians must be vigilant in preventing the development of cervical dysplasia.
Quantity and Quality: A More Nuanced Look at the Association Between Family Work and Marital Well-Being

ABSTRACT The current study uses family systems and gender theories to look at three forms of family work (housework, emotion work, and child care) and their association with marital satisfaction and burnout. Data were taken from a sample of dual-earner mothers and fathers parenting preschool-age children. First, relationships between the quantity of family work performed and marital well-being were established. Then, measures related to the perceived “quality” of child care provided by a spouse (childcare appraisals and, for wives, maternal gatekeeping) were added to the statistical model. Overall, emotion work was the most influential predictor of women’s marital well-being. For fathers, the perceived quality of care provided by mothers was most significant for marital well-being.
Ubiquity of Putative Type III Secretion Genes among Clinical and Environmental Burkholderia pseudomallei Isolates in Northern Australia

ABSTRACT Horseradish peroxidase-like type III secretion (TTS1) genes were present in all 116 Northern Australian Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates tested but were not detected in other common environmental Burkholderia species. PCR of TTS1 genes may prove valuable as a diagnostic test.
Optimization of SiGe HBT RF Switches for Single-Event Transient Mitigation

Single-event transient (SET)-hardened SiGe HBT RF single-pole single-throw (SPST) switches were designed and fabricated for the first time. TCAD-based heavy-ion simulations and two-photon absorption (TPA) laser-induced beam experiments were used to optimize the switch core configuration for SET mitigation. Among different configurations, the reverse-connected series and shunt device core, where both emitter terminals are connected to the output, exhibits the smallest transient peaks and shortest durations at the output terminal of the switch. Based on this finding, the design considerations for maximizing the RF performance of SiGe HBT SPST RF switches are discussed. In addition, a comparison of the SET response and RF performance of CMOS (nFET) SPST and SiGe HBT SPST switches provides additional information on the trade-offs in the SET mitigation strategy and potential RF capabilities.
Implications of emotion regulation on young children’s emotional wellbeing and educational achievement

Effective regulation of both positive and negative emotions plays a pivotal role in young children’s emotional and cognitive development and later academic achievement. A compelling body of evidence has highlighted the symbiotic relationship between emotion regulation competencies and young children’s emotional health, in particular their mood and self-esteem, the two essential components of emotional wellbeing. However, the latest neuroscientific research has confirmed the powerful role of emotions on children’s cognitive mastery, indicating that emotions can either facilitate or impede children’s learning process. These research findings point to the critical role of emotion regulation on young children’s readiness for school, asserting that children with developed emotion regulation skills are able to focus and maintain their attention on the learning task and follow the teachers’ instructions, which are key contributors to later academic success. Current and emerging research into this field has the potential to advise and guide both education policy and the directions of young children’s upbringing and education in their formative years. As part of a PhD study, this article will outline findings of a critical analysis of the literature addressing the relationship between children’s emotion regulation skills, their emotional health and later educational achievement.
Secretory IgA Induces Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells through SIGNR1 Dampening Autoimmunity in Mice

IgA plays ambivalent roles in the immune system. The balance between inhibitory and activating responses relies on the multimerization status of IgA and interaction with their cognate receptors. In mucosal sites, secretory IgA (SIgA) protects the host through immune-exclusion mechanisms, but its function in the bloodstream remains unknown. Using bone marrow–derived dendritic cells, we found that both human and mouse SIgA induce tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs) following binding to specific ICAM-3 grabbing nonintegrin receptor 1. This interaction was dependent on Ca2+ and mannose residues. SIgA-primed DCs (SIgA-DCs) are resistant to TLR-dependent maturation. Although SIgA-DCs fail to induce efficient proliferation and Th1 differentiation of naive responder T cells, they generate the expansion of regulatory T cells through IL-10 production. SIgA-DCs are highly potent in inhibiting autoimmune responses in mouse models of type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. This discovery may offer new insights about mucosal-derived DC immunoregulation through SIgA opening new therapeutic approaches to autoimmune diseases.
Selective Susceptibility of Human Skin Antigen Presenting Cells to Productive Dengue Virus Infection

Dengue is a growing global concern with 390 million people infected each year. Dengue virus (DENV) is transmitted by mosquitoes, thus host cells in the skin are the first point of contact with the virus. Human skin contains several populations of antigen-presenting cells which could drive the immune response to DENV in vivo: epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs), three populations of dermal dendritic cells (DCs), and macrophages. Using samples of normal human skin we detected productive infection of CD14+ and CD1c+ DCs, LCs and dermal macrophages, which was independent of DC-SIGN expression. LCs produced the highest viral titers and were less sensitive to IFN-β. Nanostring gene expression data showed significant up-regulation of IFN-β, STAT-1 and CCL5 upon viral exposure in susceptible DC populations. In mice infected intra-dermally with DENV we detected parallel populations of infected DCs originating from the dermis and migrating to the skin-draining lymph nodes. Therefore dermal DCs may simultaneously facilitate systemic spread of DENV and initiate the adaptive anti-viral immune response.
Improving Formal Support After Sexual Assault: Recommendations From Survivors Living in Poverty in Canada

Despite the extensive and often long-lasting sequelae of sexual assault, a significant majority of survivors do not seek assistance from formal support sources, such as police, medical or mental health professionals, and community-based agencies. While growing attention has been directed toward understanding the help-seeking barriers faced by sexual assault survivors, few studies have explored the experiences of survivors living in poverty and how help-seeking can be improved for this marginalized population. The present study sought to understand these issues from perspectives of survivors themselves. Women sexual assault survivors who self-identified as living in poverty (n = 15) were recruited from community-based agencies in the Greater Toronto Area, and participated in semistructured interviews focused on their personal decisions around help-seeking and broader views on access to and quality of formal assistance. Two research questions were of interest. First, what can be done to encourage service use among survivors living in poverty? Second, what is needed to improve the quality of assistance they receive? Thematic analysis revealed three key themes around which participants’ recommendations centered: (a) increased accessibility of information, (b) improved training for formal support providers, and (c) greater opportunities for empowerment. Practical implications of these findings improving the service utilization rates and experiences of formal help-seeking among marginalized women survivors of sexual assault are discussed.
Exercise applications and promotion in behavioral medicine: current status and future directions.

The present article summarizes and comments on the clinical applications and promotion of aerobic (endurance) exercise within behavioral medicine. Highlighted applications include cardiovascular risk modification, obesity, diabetes, and smoking. Particular emphasis is placed on the problem of poor adherence to exercise programs in clinical and apparently healthy populations alike, on the identification of the high-risk dropout, and on the modification of exercise adherence. Finally, preliminary findings are summarized, and recommendations are made for future research and exercise program applications and promotion.
Mothers’ and Fathers’ Parental Warmth, Hostility/Rejection/Neglect, and Behavioral Control: Specific and Unique Relations with Parents’ Depression Versus Anxiety Symptoms

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study advanced and tested conceptualizations of parents’ depression and anxiety in relation to parental warmth, hostility/rejection/neglect, and behavioral control, before and after controlling for comorbid symptoms. Design. Two-parent families (N = 119) with girls (aged 8 to 12) completed questionnaires on parents’ and girls’ depression and anxiety and parents’ parenting. Results. Both parents’ depression and anxiety were related to more hostility/rejection/neglect; and the relations with depression remained after controlling for anxiety, yet the relations with anxiety became non-significant after controlling for depression. Mothers’ and fathers’ depression remained significantly and uniquely related to more hostility/rejection/neglect after controlling for their anxiety in addition to parental warmth, family socioeconomic status, parents’ treatment status, and girls’ depression and anxiety symptoms. Both mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety were related to higher behavioral control, before and after controlling for the parent’s depression, hostility/rejection/neglect, and treatment status, as well as family socioeconomic status and girls’ depression and anxiety symptoms. Fathers’ depression was related to lower behavioral control only after controlling for fathers’ anxiety, and remained so after also controlling for fathers’ hostility/rejection/neglect and the other control variables. Fathers’ depression and anxiety also interacted in relation to behavioral control. Conclusions. Mothers’ and fathers’ depression and anxiety symptoms are differentially related to parental warmth, hostility/rejection/neglect, and behavioral control, especially when comorbid symptoms are considered.
Simulation of Potential Measurements Around a Photoemitting Spacecraft in a Flowing Plasma

Plasma measurements by electrostatic probes are influenced by the spacecraft-plasma interaction, including the photoelectrons emitted by the spacecraft. Such effects get particularly important in tenuous plasmas with large Debye lengths. We have used the particle-in-cell code package SPIS to study the close environment of the Rosetta spacecraft, and the impact of the spacecraft-plasma interaction on the electrostatic potential at the position of the Langmuir probes onboard. The simulations show that in the solar wind, photoemission has a bigger impact than wake formation. Spacecraft potential estimates based on Langmuir probe data in the solar wind need to be compensated for these effects when the spacecraft attitude varies. The SPIS simulations are validated by comparison to an independent code.
Accuracy of oxygen delivery by liquid oxygen canisters.

The oxygen flow rate delivered by liquid oxygen canisters may be less than intended, owing to inaccuracies of the set flow rates and/or as a result of the outflow resistance caused by the humidifier, oxygen tubing, delivery or conserving device. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of oxygen delivery by liquid oxygen canisters at different flow rates and levels of outflow resistance. Four stationary and 18 portable liquid oxygen canisters from three manufacturers were tested. All flows were measured using a Timemeter RT 200 Calibration Analyser. An adjustable obstruction was used to calculate the effect of the outflow resistance on the delivered flow rate. The measured and set flow rates of both stationary and portable canisters were strongly correlated. Expressed as a percentage of the set flow rate, the measured flow rate of the canisters varied from 36-128%, with the lowest values at flow rates <1 L x min(-1). Sixty-two (26%) of the measured flow rates differed > or =10% from the set flow rate. A difference of 0.5-1.0 L x min(-1) occurred in 16 (7%) of the measurements, but only at set flow rates >2 L x min(-1). Irrespective of the set flow rate, the measured flow rate was hardly affected by the outflow resistance. We conclude that the accuracy of oxygen delivery by liquid oxygen canisters depends on the inaccuracy of the set flow rates rather than on the outflow resistance, even at high flow rates. Although the differences between the measured and set flow rates were mostly small, they may have clinical significance, particularly in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To prevent inaccuracy, monthly checks of the canisters by the oxygen provider at the patient's home are more important than yearly maintenance.
KLK15 is a prognostic marker for progression‐free survival in patients with radical prostatectomy

In search of biomarkers for prostate cancer, we evaluated the expression of the human kallikrein‐related peptidase KLK15 in samples of prostatic adenocarcinomas from radical prostatectomies. Twenty‐five pairs of cancerous and adjacent normal prostatic tissue were selected by laser capture microdissection. The tissue was used for quantification of KLK15 mRNA by reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemical expression of the KLK15 protein in 193 samples of prostatic adenocarcinoma was analysed in relation to clinicopathological parameters of the patients and disease progression. Expression of KLK15 correlated with the pathological tumour stage and Gleason score of the cases, both at mRNA and at protein level. While mRNA expression in the tumour was elevated, the protein level of KLK15 was reduced compared with adjacent normal tissue and to prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Univariate Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed a significant association of dichotomised KLK15 levels with disease progression defined by prostate‐specific antigen relapse (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis according to the Cox proportional hazards regression model identified dichotomised KLK15 expression, corrected for the patient parameters age, preoperative prostate‐specific antigen level, pathological tumour stage, Gleason score and surgical margin status, as an independent prognostic factor for poor outcome (inclusion model, hazard ratio 1.802, 95% confidence interval 1.037–3.132, p = 0.037). We suggest KLK15 as a new independent tumour marker for patients at risk for disease progression after radical prostatectomy.
VOT productions of word-initial stops in Mandarin and English: A cross-language study

Voice Onset Time (VOT) is considered as one of the best methods for examining the timing of voicing in stop consonants and has been applied in the study of many languages. The present study is designed to examine VOT production for phonetically voiceless stops in Mandarin and English by native Chinese speakers. Thirty-six Taiwanese Chinese speakers recruited from National Cheng Kung University participated in this study. The results indicate the following. 1) Based on the three universal categories proposed by Lisker and Abramson (1964), for phonetically voiceless stops, Mandarin and English occupy the same place along the VOT continuum. 2) The mean VOT value for the apical stop /t/ is slightly lower than the mean value for the labial stop /p/. This does not conform to the general consensus, which states that the further back the place of articulation the longer the VOT. Very similar findings were also observed in previous studies. 3) The difference between the mean VOT values of the English /p/ and /t/ produced by Chinese speakers was subtle, while it reached significance for native English speakers. This suggests that a first language could be a crucial factor in L2 production. Future studies might examine variations in L2 production both for the same persons over time and for different speakers.
Wireless multi-hop throughput: Preliminary results from a simulation-based study

This paper presents preliminary results from a simulation-based study of static, wireless multi-hop networks with linear chain topologies supporting the uni-directional flow of data. Chain lengths of up to 10 nodes have been examined. The effects of varying parameters such as the number of nodes, the MAC data rate, the offered load and the packet size have been investigated. In addition, the influence of RTS/CTS handshaking on the throughput performance of such networks has been analysed.