Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Please Scroll down for Article Language and Cognitive Processes Logic and Conversation Revisited: Evidence for a Division between Semantic and Pragmatic Content in Real-time Language Comprehension

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Biological and molecular characterisation of potential biocontrol strains of Trichoderma

Thirty‐four strains of seven species of Trichoderma isolated from various fungal sources were compared for direct mycoparasitic activity (MPA), chitinase production and antibiotic activity (ANA) in order to choose the most appropriate partners for a strain‐breeding programme. Within species genetic differences were also assesses in T. hamatum, T. harzianum and T. viride by means of random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Endochitinase activities of the Trichoderma strains ranged between 20.4 and 1264.5 units/g dry weight of mycelium. The correlation between MPA and chitinase activity was not unambiguous and no correlation existed between MPA and ANA. The RAPD patterns of T. viride strains were highly variable, while isolates of T. harzianum proved to be more uniform; T. hamatum revealed remarkable intraspecific divergence. All these three comprised certain pairs of strains that are promising participants of a strain‐improving programme, since their strong genetic affinities offer good changes for combining their contrasted biocontrol traits.
Developing the evidence base for accreditation of healthcare organisations: a call for transparency and innovation

Why has so little evidence of the efficacy of accreditation programmes been published in the peer-reviewed literature? Since its introduction in the 1970s accreditation has spread across the world to become an established part of healthcare systems in over 70 countries and there is an associated international body.1 It is a textbook case of Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of innovation , whereby an idea whose time has come is adopted first by early proponents, then is received by the majority, and then becomes normal practice.2 However, the empirical evidence base for accreditation programmes is substantially undeveloped. It is not as if the challenge to publish evidence has been missing. There have been many calls in the international literature for research into accreditation.3–6 So while it is accepted that accreditation programmes have been an important driver to improve quality and safety in healthcare organisations, …
Stereological estimates of nuclear number in human ventricular cardiomyocytes before and after birth obtained using physical disectors

Design‐based stereology is employed to estimate total numbers of myocyte nuclei and mean myocyte volume per nucleus in ventricles of fetal and early postnatal human hearts. Organs were collected postmortem from subjects varying in age from 16 gestational wk to 40 postnatal wk. Numbers of myocyte nuclei per unit volume of ventricle were estimated using physical disectors (parallel pairs of sections). Absolute numbers were calculated by multiplying nuclear packing densities by ventricular volumes estimated from ventricular mass and tissue density. Volumes per nucleus were obtained via estimates of the combined volumes of all myocytes (or of the myocardium as a whole) and the numbers of myocyte nuclei. The findings showed that numbers of myocyte nuclei increase linearly from 16 wk towards term. They were also consistent with the notion that hyperplasia ceases abruptly at birth or soon afterwards. The net rate of production of myocyte nuclei was about 38×107/wk (2.3 million nuclei/h). The total volume of myocytes continued to expand in the same way from 16 wk to at least 35 wk of gestation. Published studies on the incidence of binucleate myocytes during early postnatal growth of the ventricles of rats suggest that the volume of a myocyte doubles prior to nuclear division. Prenatal growth in the human heart is consistent with this mechanism. Myocardial hypertrophy after birth must occur by cellular hypertrophy without karyokinesis.
Surface-emitting laser technology and its application to the space radiation environment

Present and future space-based applications such as sensors, low-weight and low-power data links for satellites, communication between electromagnetically-shielded modules, and short-distance cross-links within satellite constellations may benefit from the inclusion of small, low-power, and high-efficiency lasers such as the recently-developed Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL). Many factors influence the application of these devices to space. Temperature response, operational lifetime and reliability, and power consumption are all important considerations for space applications. In addition, the space radiation environments must be considered. In this work, the effects of ionizing radiation on VCSELs are studied with an emphasis on proton damage, and with comparisons to related neutron and gamma-induced phenomena. The influence of proton irradiation is studied in-depth for selected VCSEL structures by the use of an ion microbeam. The experiments indicate that VCSELs exhibit much less threshold current shift for a given radiation dose, compared to the more traditional edge-emitting semiconductor lasers, but that self-heating is a more important consideration for VCSELs. The high current densities associated with VCSELs also lead to a strong influence from forward-bias annealing. These effects are common to various VCSEL types (780 nm and 850 nm) and their magnitude at a given dose is strongly dependent on device size. This indicates that, while VCSELs appear to be very insensitive to ionizing radiation when compared with alternative technologies, there are a number of factors that must be taken into account when optimizing for the space environment.
Investigation of Factors That Have Impacts on Usage Increase and Decrease  of Mobile Data Service

This study is to investigate factors that affect usage change in mobile data service (MDS). The central claim of this paper is that influencing forces of usage increase in MDS are different from those of usage decrease. We propose that information quality as the motivator (forces of usage increase) and system quality as the demotivator (forces of usage decrease) of MDS. A research model is proposed and subsequent hypotheses are empirically tested with partial least square (PLS) based on 478 responses from the users of mobile data service. We have found that information quality (as a motivator) is positively associated with usage increase in mobile data service, but system quality (as a demotivator) is not. Also, system quality is negatively associated with usage decrease, but information quality is not. Despite the recognized limitations, our study highlights the potential value of the two-factor theory in explaining user behaviors associated with mobile data services.
A variational principle for graphical models

Graphical models bring together graph theory and probability theory in a powerful formalism for multivariate statistical modeling. In statistical signal processing— as well as in related fields such as communication theory, control theory and bioinformatics—statistical models have long been formulated in terms of graphs, and algorithms for computing basic statistical quantities such as likelihoods and marginal probabilities have often been expressed in terms of recursions operating on these graphs. Examples include hidden Markov models, Markov random fields, the forward-backward algorithm and Kalman filtering [ Rabiner and Juang (1993); Pearl (1988); Kailath et al. (2000)]. These ideas can be understood, unified and generalized within the formalism of graphical models. Indeed, graphical models provide a natural framework for formulating variations on these classical architectures, and for exploring entirely new families of statistical models. The recursive algorithms cited above are all instances of a general recursive algorithm known as the junction tree algorithm [ Lauritzen and Spiegelhalter, 1988]. The junction tree algorithm takes advantage of factorization properties of the joint probability distribution that are encoded by the pattern of missing edges in a graphical model. For suitably sparse graphs, the junction tree algorithm provides a systematic and practical solution to the general problem of computing likelihoods and other statistical quantities associated with a graphical model. Unfortunately, many graphical models of practical interest are not " suitably sparse, " so that the junction tree algorithm no longer provides a viable computational solution to the problem of computing marginal probabilities and other expectations. One popular source of methods for attempting to cope with such cases is the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework, and indeed there is a significant literature on
Prevalence of BRCA Mutations and Founder Effect in High-Risk Hispanic Families

Approximately 12% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, with the majority residing in urban centers such as Los Angeles. The prevalence of BRCA mutations among high-risk Hispanic families is unknown. Methods: One hundred and ten unrelated probands ofHispanicorigin, with a personal or family history of breast and/orovarian cancer, presented for genetic cancer risk assessment, were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board–approved registry and underwent BRCA testing. Haplotype analyseswere done if BRCA mutations were observed in two or more unrelated probands. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 37 years (range = 23-59) for the 89 (81%) probands with invasive breast cancer. Overall, 34 (30.9%) had deleterious mutations (25 in BRCA1, 9 in BRCA2), 25 (22.7%) had one or more unclassified variants, and 51 (46.4%) had negative results. The mean pretest mutation probability using the Couch model, Myriad model, and BRCAPro was 19.6% (range = 4-77%). The combined average mutation probability was 32.8% for carriers, 15.5% for noncarriers, and 12.9% for variant carriers (P < 0.0001). The most common deleterious mutation was 185delAG (4 of 34, 11.8%). The Hispanic 185delAG carrier families share the same haplotype from D17s1320 through BRCA1, as do two reference Ashkenazi Jewish families. Haplotype analyses ofadditional recurrent BRCA1 mutations [IVS5+1G>A (n=2),S955X (n = 3), R1443X (n = 3), and 2552delC (n = 2)] also suggest founder effects, with four of six mutations seenalmost exclusively in families with Latin American/Caribbean or Spanish ancestry. Conclusion: This is the largest study to date of high-risk Hispanic families in the United States. Six recurrent mutations accounted for 47% (16 of 34) of the deleterious mutations in this cohort. The BRCA1185delAG mutation wasprevalent (3.6%) in this clinic-based cohort of predominantly Mexican descent, and shared the Ashkenazi Jewishfounder haplotype.
Epidemiological Study of pap Genes among Diarrheagenic or Septicemic Escherichia coli Strains Producing CS31A and F17 Adhesins and Characterization of Pap31AFimbriae

ABSTRACT The association of the pap operon with the CS31A and F17 adhesins was studied with 255 Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves, lambs, or humans with diarrhea. The three classes of PapG adhesin with different receptor binding preferences were also screened. The pap operon was associated with 50 and 36% of human strains that produced CS31A and ovine strains that produced F17, respectively. Among the bovine isolates, the pap operon was detected in 61% of the CS31A-positive isolates and 72% of the strains that produce both CS31A and F17. The class II adhesin gene was present in bovine (20%) and ovine (71%) isolates. Both class II and III adhesins were genetically associated with 36% of the human strains. The highest prevalence of the pap operon was observed amongE. coli strains that produce additional adhesins involved in the binding of bacteria to intestinal cells. Among the bovine isolates, the reference strain for CS31A and F17c was found to be positive for the pap operon. Phenotypic and genotypic characterizations were undertaken. Pap31A appeared as fine and flexible fimbriae surrounding the bacteria but did not mediate adhesion to calf intestinal villi. Pap31A production was optimal with bacteria cultured on minimal growth media and repressed by addition of exogenous leucine. The deduced amino acid sequence of the PapA31A structural subunit showed 57 to 97% identity with the different P-related structural subunits produced by E. coli strains isolated from pigs with septicemia or humans with urinary tract infections. None of the three papG allelic variants was detected, but a homologous papG gene was present in the chromosome of strain 31A.
Type 7 Adenylyl Cyclase-Mediated Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responsiveness: Influence of Ethanol and Sex

Although ethanol has been considered to be an anxiolytic agent, consumption of ethanol has also been shown to increase plasma adrenocorticotropin and glucocorticoids. The corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor 1α (CRF-R1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that activates adenylyl cyclase (AC), leading to adrenocorticotropin (and subsequently glucocorticoid) release into the circulation. There are nine members of the membrane-bound AC family, and the type 7 AC (AC7) is most sensitive to ethanol, which enhances the responsiveness of AC7 to G protein-coupled receptor activation. We determined the time course of ethanol's effect on plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone levels in male and female AC7 transgenic (Adcy7huTG) mice (in which AC7 is overexpressed in neural tissue) and AC7 heterozygous knockdown [Adcy7(+/−)] mice (in which AC7 is underexpressed in neural tissue), and their respective littermate controls [wild type (WT)]. CRF-R1 mRNA and mRNA and protein for different forms of ACs were measured by using gene expression arrays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblotting in pituitaries of all animals. Our results demonstrated increased levels of AC7 in pituitary of Adcy7huTG mice and decreased levels in pituitary of Adcy7(+/−) mice compared with WT animals. Male and female Adcy7huTG mice displayed higher plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone levels than WT and/or Adcy7(+/−) mice after ethanol injection. Female mice displayed higher adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone levels after ethanol injection than males, regardless of genotype. The data provide evidence for an integral role of AC7 in the increase of plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone levels during alcohol intoxication.
A Grammar-Based Semantic Similarity Algorithm for Natural Language Sentences

This paper presents a grammar and semantic corpus based similarity algorithm for natural language sentences. Natural language, in opposition to “artificial language”, such as computer programming languages, is the language used by the general public for daily communication. Traditional information retrieval approaches, such as vector models, LSA, HAL, or even the ontology-based approaches that extend to include concept similarity comparison instead of cooccurrence terms/words, may not always determine the perfect matching while there is no obvious relation or concept overlap between two natural language sentences. This paper proposes a sentence similarity algorithm that takes advantage of corpus-based ontology and grammatical rules to overcome the addressed problems. Experiments on two famous benchmarks demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has a significant performance improvement in sentences/short-texts with arbitrary syntax and structure.
Enhancement-mode GaN hybrid MOS-HFETs on Si substrates with Over 70 A operation

We report on the demonstration of enhancement-mode n-channel GaN-based hybrid MOS-HFETs realized on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure on silicon substrates with a large drain current operation. The GaN-based hybrid MOS HFETs realized the threshold voltage of 2.8 V, the maximum drain current of over 70 A with the channel width of 340 mm. This is the best value for an enhancement-mode GaN-based FET. The specific on-state resistance was 16.5 mΩcm2. The breakdown voltage was over 500 V. These results suggest that this structure is a good candidate for power switching applications.
Foundations of Declarative Data Analysis Using Limit Datalog Programs

Motivated by applications in declarative data analysis, we study $\mathit{Datalog}_{\mathbb{Z}}$---an extension of positive Datalog with arithmetic functions over integers. This language is known to be undecidable, so we propose two fragments. In $\mathit{limit}~\mathit{Datalog}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ predicates are axiomatised to keep minimal/maximal numeric values, allowing us to show that fact entailment is coNExpTime-complete in combined, and coNP-complete in data complexity. Moreover, an additional $\mathit{stability}$ requirement causes the complexity to drop to ExpTime and PTime, respectively. Finally, we show that stable $\mathit{Datalog}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ can express many useful data analysis tasks, and so our results provide a sound foundation for the development of advanced information systems.
Immunity to herpes simplex virus type 2: recurrent lesions are associated with the induction of suppressor cells and soluble suppressor factors

Cell-mediated immunity to herpes simplex virus type 2 was investigated in infected inbred strain 13/N guinea pigs with (45%), and without, a history of recurrent herpetic disease (A. D. Donnenberg, E. Chaikof, and L. Aurelian, Infect. Immun. 30:99-109, 1980). Induction of suppressor cells capable of reducing the proliferative response of herpes simplex virus type 2-stimulated immune lymphoid cells was demonstrated in spleen cells from animals with a history of recurrent disease at recrudescence and convalescence but not in spleen cells from quiescent animals or from animals without a history of recurrent herpetic disease (seropositive controls). Suppressor cells were also detected in the peripheral blood but only from three of seven studied animals, and only at recrudescence. In addition to inhibitory cell-cell interactions, the herpes simplex virus type 2-activated regulatory cells of animals with recrudescent herpetic lesions elaborated soluble suppressor factors affecting lymphocyte proliferation. Suppression mediated by suppressor factors was observed only when suppressor factors were added at an early stage of in vitro culture and was reversed by medium exchange throughout the 6 days of culture. Sephadex chromatography revealed the presence of factors capable of differentially modulating the proliferative response of herpes simplex virus-stimulated immune cells and concanavalin A-stimulated normal lymphoid cells.
Mapping a New Spontaneous Preterm Birth Susceptibility Gene, IGF1R, Using Linkage, Haplotype Sharing, and Association Analysis

Preterm birth is the major cause of neonatal death and serious morbidity. Most preterm births are due to spontaneous onset of labor without a known cause or effective prevention. Both maternal and fetal genomes influence the predisposition to spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB), but the susceptibility loci remain to be defined. We utilized a combination of unique population structures, family-based linkage analysis, and subsequent case-control association to identify a susceptibility haplotype for SPTB. Clinically well-characterized SPTB families from northern Finland, a subisolate founded by a relatively small founder population that has subsequently experienced a number of bottlenecks, were selected for the initial discovery sample. Genome-wide linkage analysis using a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array in seven large northern Finnish non-consanginous families identified a locus on 15q26.3 (HLOD 4.68). This region contains the IGF1R gene, which encodes the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor IGF-1R. Haplotype segregation analysis revealed that a 55 kb 12-SNP core segment within the IGF1R gene was shared identical-by-state (IBS) in five families. A follow-up case-control study in an independent sample representing the more general Finnish population showed an association of a 6-SNP IGF1R haplotype with SPTB in the fetuses, providing further evidence for IGF1R as a SPTB predisposition gene (frequency in cases versus controls 0.11 versus 0.05, P = 0.001, odds ratio 2.3). This study demonstrates the identification of a predisposing, low-frequency haplotype in a multifactorial trait using a well-characterized population and a combination of family and case-control designs. Our findings support the identification of the novel susceptibility gene IGF1R for predisposition by the fetal genome to being born preterm.
Impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics on medication adherence and clinical, functional, and economic outcomes of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a debilitating chronic disease that requires lifelong medical care and supervision. Even with treatment, the majority of patients relapse within 5 years, and suicide may occur in up to 10% of patients. Poor adherence to oral antipsychotics is the most common cause of relapse. The discontinuation rate for oral antipsychotics in schizophrenia ranges from 26% to 44%, and as many as two-thirds of patients are at least partially nonadherent, resulting in increased risk of hospitalization. A very helpful approach to improve adherence in schizophrenia is the use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, although only a minority of patients receive these. Reasons for underutilization may include negative attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of both patients and health care professionals. Research shows, however, significant improvements in adherence with LAIs compared with oral drugs, and this is accompanied by lower rates of discontinuation, relapse, and hospitalization. In addition, LAIs are associated with better functioning, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. A need exists to encourage broader LAI use, especially among patients with a history of nonadherence with oral antipsychotics. This paper reviews the impact of nonadherence with antipsychotic drug therapy overall, as well as specific outcomes of the schizophrenia patient, and highlights the potential benefits of LAIs.
Expression and functions of galectin-7 in ovarian cancer

There is a critical need to develop effective new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. In the present work, we investigated the expression of galectin-7 (gal-7) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells and studied its functional relevance. Immunohistochemical analysis of gal-7 expression in tissue microarrays showed that while gal-7 was not detected in normal ovarian tissues, positive cytoplasmic staining of gal-7 was detected in epithelial cells in all EOC histological subtypes but was more frequent in high grade tumors and metastatic samples. Gal-7 expression correlated with a significant difference in the overall survival of patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. Furthermore, using human EOC cell lines, we found that gal-7 expression was induced by mutant p53. Mechanistically, Matrigel invasion assays and live cell imaging showed that gal-7 increased the invasive behavior of ovarian cancer cells by inducing MMP-9 and increasing cell motility. EOC cells can also secrete gal-7. Recombinant human gal-7 kills Jurkat T cells and human peripheral T cells, suggesting that gal-7 also has immunosuppressive properties. Taken together, our study validates the clinical significance of gal-7 overexpression in ovarian cancer and provides a rationale for targeting gal-7 to improve the outcome of patients with this disease.