Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the receivers and the reception of science's uncertain messages

Although much work has been done by scientists in developing communications to non-scientist audiences, much less attention has been given by them to the ways in which those messages are interpreted. Here, I look at the published work that examines the issue. I focus on three contexts in particular: debates over the triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, the impacts of the Soufrière Hills volcano on the inhabitants of the island of Montserrat and the public communication of the results of climate change research. Several common themes emerge. The most important conclusions are that scientists communicating with the public need to develop their methods deliberatively, involving their target audiences; and that they need to avoid undue dependence on traditional media and public authorities for such communication, and to develop multiple channels to those audiences, including Internet-based and more traditional social networks. Their approach to communicating uncertainty should depend on the context but, except in some extreme emergencies, transparency is generally a virtue. Above all, they need to persist in such public engagements even when the going is rough and extends over long periods. They need support in doing so.
Ontology-based access control for social network systems

As the information flowing around in social network systems is mainly related or can be attributed to their users, controlling access to such information by individual users becomes a crucial requirement. The intricate semantic relations among data objects, different users, and between data objects and users further add to the complexity of access control needs. In this paper, we propose an access control model based on semantic web technologies that takes into account the above mentioned complex relations. The proposed model enables expressing much more fine-grained access control policies on a social network knowledge base than the existing models. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach by implementing a proof-of-concept prototype of the proposed access control framework and evaluating its performance.
Phylogenetic Properties of 50 Nuclear Loci in Medicago (Leguminosae) Generated Using Multiplexed Sequence Capture and Next-Generation Sequencing

Next-generation sequencing technology has increased the capacity to generate molecular data for plant biological research, including phylogenetics, and can potentially contribute to resolving complex phylogenetic problems. The evolutionary history of Medicago L. (Leguminosae: Trifoliae) remains unresolved due to incongruence between published phylogenies. Identification of the processes causing this genealogical incongruence is essential for the inference of a correct species phylogeny of the genus and requires that more molecular data, preferably from low-copy nuclear genes, are obtained across different species. Here we report the development of 50 novel LCN markers in Medicago and assess the phylogenetic properties of each marker. We used the genomic resources available for Medicago truncatula Gaertn. , hybridisation-based gene enrichment (sequence capture) techniques and Next-Generation Sequencing to generate sequences. This alternative proves to be a cost-effective approach to amplicon sequencing in phylogenetic studies at the genus or tribe level and allows for an increase in number and size of targeted loci. Substitution rate estimates for each of the 50 loci are provided, and an overview of the variation in substitution rates among a large number of low-copy nuclear genes in plants is presented for the first time. Aligned sequences of major species lineages of Medicago and its sister genus are made available and can be used in further probe development for sequence-capture of the same markers.
Microsatellite polymorphism in the heme oxygenase‐1 gene promoter is not associated with alcoholic liver disease severity

We thank Pesta and Burtscher for their comments on our study. In this article, we have demonstrated, for the first time, that 4 months of resistance (RES) or aerobic (AER) training are equally effective in reducing hepatic fat content among sedentary type 2 diabetes subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was a subproject of the RAED2 Study, a randomized, controlled trial aimed at comparing the metabolic effects of RES and AER training in diabetic patients. Pesta and Burtscher hypothesized that in untrained overweight/ obese subjects with little experience in exercise, RES training would be unable to induce the specific adaptations characteristic of this exercise modality, and that this, in turn, might explain why the results of AER and RES training were similar. We agree that, in untrained subjects, there may be some overlap between the effects of AER and RES training, and that the fullblown effects of these different exercise modalities can be only appreciated when sustained high-intensity training is performed, as occurs in athletes. Nonetheless, the latter would not be an appropriate model for assessing the effects of these training modalities on hepatic fat accumulation of sedentary subjects with type 2 diabetes, which was the aim of our study. Moreover, as reported previously, in our study, peak oxygen uptake improved after training in both groups, but to a greater extent in the AER group, whereas increased strength was found only in the RES group. In addition, lean mass of the limbs significantly increased in the RES group, but not in the AER group. These findings clearly indicate that the stimulus was quite different between the two protocols. These differences were guaranteed through a careful supervision of exercise sessions as well as a progressive increase of workload. In particular, as concerns the RES group, workload was gradually increased to 70%-80% 1-RM, with the weight being adjusted approximately every 2 weeks to match the progress of the subjects. With regard to baseline data, there were not statistically significant differences between groups. Overall, most type 2 diabetes patients are sedentary and have no experience with exercise programs. The clinical message that we were able to give is that exercise alone can provide benefit for NAFLD management in these patients, and that, after 4 months of training, RES exercise is as effective as AER exercise in reducing hepatic fat content in these subjects. Future research should address this important issue in the long term.
Planck2015 results: XXVI. The SecondPlanckCatalogue of Compact Sources

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a catalogue of sources detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions of the Planck compact source catalogues. It consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two sub-catalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these catalogues covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilities than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The PCCS2E contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. The improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80 % reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and ERCSC catalogues.
Modelling the development of defects during composite reinforcements and prepreg forming

Defects in composite materials are created during manufacture to a large extent. To avoid them as much as possible, it is important that process simulations model the onset and the development of these defects. It is then possible to determine the manufacturing conditions that lead to the absence or to the controlled presence of such defects. Three types of defects that may appear during textile composite reinforcement or prepreg forming are analysed and modelled in this paper. Wrinkling is one of the most common flaws that occur during textile composite reinforcement forming processes. The influence of the different rigidities of the textile reinforcement is studied. The concept of ‘locking angle’ is questioned. A second type of unusual behaviour of fibrous composite reinforcements that can be seen as a flaw during their forming process is the onset of peculiar ‘transition zones’ that are directly related to the bending stiffness of the fibres. The ‘transition zones’ are due to the bending stiffness of fibres. The standard continuum mechanics of Cauchy is not sufficient to model these defects. A second gradient approach is presented that allows one to account for such unusual behaviours and to master their onset and development during forming process simulations. Finally, the large slippages that may occur during a preform forming are discussed and simulated with meso finite-element models used for macroscopic forming. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival and Toxicity of Antineoplastic Chemotherapy in a Cohort Study

Objectives: To describe factors associated with survival in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and analyze toxicities induced by cytotoxic chemotherapy and antiretroviral compounds. Design: Retrospective analyses of HIV-infected subjects with NSCLC enrolled in the Dat'Aids cohort. A toxicity substudy included subjects treated by at least one cycle of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Methods: Survival was analyzed using Cox models. In the toxicity substudy, factors associated with grade 4 hematological toxicity of each episode of combination of antiretroviral drugs and cytotoxic chemotherapy were analyzed using marginal logistic regression models. Results: Fifty-two subjects were included in the study: 42 were men, median age was 48 years, 98% were smokers, with a median of 30 pack years, median CD4 was 300 cells/&mgr;l, and median survival time was 12 months. CD4 levels ≥200 cells/&mgr;l at NSCLC diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.10–0.89]), performance status less than 2 (HR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.15–0.68]) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HR = 0.26, 95% CI [0.09–0.74]) were significantly associated with increased survival in the multivariable model. Forty subjects were included in the toxicity substudy, and 14 among 68 different combinations were complicated by a grade 4 hematological toxicity. Protease inhibitor use (odds ratio = 5.22, 95% CI [1.07–25.38]) was significantly associated with grade 4 hematological toxicity in the multivariable analyses. Conclusions: In HIV-infected patients, CD4 levels at NSCLC diagnosis may be a predictive factor of survival. Use of highly active antiretroviral therapy during NSCLC chemotherapy is warranted, but protease inhibitors should be used with caution, as they may enhance severe hematological toxicities.
Cellular Localization of Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptor 1 Expression in the Human Central Nervous System

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a potent lipid mediator, transduces intracellular signals through the activation of S1P receptors (S1PRs). Although S1PRs have been shown to play an important role in the central nervous system (CNS), accurate localization and the function of S1PR1 in the human CNS are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the localization of S1PR1 in the human CNS of postmortem samples, using a rabbit polyclonal antibody, the specificity of which had been well defined. Immunohistochemical investigation of paraffin-embedded sections revealed diffuse granular staining of the gray matter. The signals of the gray matter were much stronger than those of the white matter. The immunohistochemical expression levels correlated well with the results of quantitative real-time RT-PCR-based analysis and Western blotting. Studies using double immunostaining and immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the antigen was strongly expressed in the membrane of the astrocytic foot processes of glia limitans and astrocytes with radial cytoplasm, but not distributed in neurons. In neurological disorders, hypertrophic astrocytes with strong expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein exhibited significantly decreased expression of S1PR1 in contrast to its strong expression in astrocytes forming fibrillary gliosis. These results indicate that S1PR1 is localized in astrocytes, and its expression level may change during the processes that occur after brain damage.
Enumeration of simple random walks and tridiagonal matrices

We present some old and new results in the enumeration of random walks in one dimension, mostly developed in work on enumerative combinatorics. The relation between the trace of the nth power of a tridiagonal matrix and the enumeration of weighted paths of n steps allows an easier combinatorial enumeration of paths. It also seems promising for the theory of tridiagonal random matrices.
Small Organic Compounds Enhance Antigen Loading of Class II Major Histocompatibility Complex Proteins by Targeting the Polymorphic P1 Pocket*♦

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules are a key element of the cellular immune response. Encoded by the MHC they are a family of highly polymorphic peptide receptors presenting peptide antigens for the surveillance by T cells. We have shown that certain organic compounds can amplify immune responses by catalyzing the peptide loading of human class II MHC molecules HLA-DR. Here we show now that they achieve this by interacting with a defined binding site of the HLA-DR peptide receptor. Screening of a compound library revealed a set of adamantane derivatives that strongly accelerated the peptide loading rate. The effect was evident only for an allelic subset and strictly correlated with the presence of glycine at the dimorphic position β86 of the HLA-DR molecule. The residue forms the floor of the conserved pocket P1, located in the peptide binding site of MHC molecule. Apparently, transient occupation of this pocket by the organic compound stabilizes the peptide-receptive conformation permitting rapid antigen loading. This interaction appeared restricted to the larger Glyβ86 pocket and allowed striking enhancements of T cell responses for antigens presented by these “adamantyl-susceptible” MHC molecules. As catalysts of antigen loading, compounds targeting P1 may be useful molecular tools to amplify the immune response. The observation, however, that the ligand repertoire can be affected through polymorphic sites form the outside may also imply that environmental factors could induce allergic or autoimmune reactions in an allele-selective manner.
Voluntary Psychiatric Hospitalization and Patient-Driven Requests for Discharge: A Statutory Review and Analysis of Implications for the Capacity to Consent to Voluntary Hospitalization

AbstractAlong with the advances in civil rights protections for psychiatric patients since the 1970s, so-called voluntary inpatient psychiatric admissions have become common. In most U.S. states, however, these voluntary admissions abridge the rights of patients through legal provisions that limit the conditions under which patients can be discharged upon their request. This phenomenon, including variations in the state laws governing requests for discharge from voluntary psychiatric hospitalization, has received little attention in the psychiatry literature. Using Lexis-Nexis, PubMed, and Web of Science, we conducted a review of state laws regarding patients’ legal rights to request discharge from voluntary hospitalization. Our hypothesis was that most states would have provisions limiting access to immediate discharge for patients whose psychiatric admission had been voluntary. Our findings from the review indicate that 49 of the 51 jurisdictions (50 states plus the District of Columbia) have provisions about patients requesting discharge from voluntary psychiatric admission. The majority of states employ a 72-hour period in which patients can be held following a request for discharge from hospitalization. As a general rule, after this evaluation period, either the patient must be discharged, or the facility must initiate involuntary commitment proceedings. Given these provisions, we explore the range of clinical admission procedures and whether voluntary admissions are truly voluntary. We also discuss the implications of our analysis for assessing the decisional capacity of patients seeking voluntary psychiatric admission.
The occurrence and distribution of bacterial types on flatfish.

SUMMARY: An investigation of the bacterial flora of the representative flatfish, skate and lemon sole, was carried out by direct counts of special groups of bacteria and by the analysis of over 1700 strains of bacteria isolated from the fish. Luminous and agar-digesting bacteria occurred seasonally on fish. Luminous strains occurred mainly in the gut contents. A group of sea-water-loving Pseudomonas spp. which seem to require sea water for growth on initial isolation was present on the flatfish in variable numbers throughout the year. A more or less distinct intestinal flora was present in North Sea flatfish in which a homogeneous group of micro-organisms provisionally labelled Gut Group vibrios predominates; this group includes luminous bacteria. The bacterial populations of skin and gills were similar in both the fish studied and were composed principally of Gram-negative rods of the Pseudomonas and Achromobacter genera. The composition of the bacterial flora of the two flatfish, as calculated from an analysis of strains isolated from sea-water agar plates, was: Lemon sole: Pseudomonas 60%, Achromobacter 14%, Alcaligenes 8%, Flavobacterium 5%, corynebacteria 1%, cocci 1%, Gut Group vibrios 9%, miscellaneous 2%. Skate: Pseudomonas 53%, Achromobacter 13%, Alcaligenes 6%, Flavobacterium 9%, corynebacteria 2%, cocci 3%, Gut Group vibrios 12%, miscellaneous 2%.
Temporal Differences in Granulosa Cell Specification in the Ovary Reflect Distinct Follicle Fates in Mice1

ABSTRACT The embryonic origins of ovarian granulosa cells have been a subject of debate for decades. By tamoxifen-induced lineage tracing of Foxl2-expressing cells, we show that descendants of the bipotential supporting cell precursors in the early gonad contribute granulosa cells to a specific population of follicles in the medulla of the ovary that begin to grow immediately after birth. These precursor cells arise from the proliferative ovarian surface epithelium and enter mitotic arrest prior to upregulating Foxl2. Granulosa cells that populate the cortical primordial follicles activated in adult life derive from the surface epithelium perinatally, and enter mitotic arrest at that stage. Ingression from the surface epithelium dropped to undetectable levels by Postnatal Day 7, when most surviving oocytes were individually encapsulated by granulosa cells. These findings add complexity to the standard model of sex determination in which the Sertoli and granulosa cells of the adult testis and ovary directly stem from the supporting cell precursors of the bipotential gonad.
Evoked prior learning experience and approach to learning as predictors of academic achievement.

BACKGROUND In separate studies and research from different perspectives, five factors are found to be among those related to higher quality outcomes of student learning (academic achievement). Those factors are higher self-efficacy, deeper approaches to learning, higher quality teaching, students' perceptions that their workload is appropriate, and greater learning motivation. University learning improvement strategies have been built on these research results. AIM To investigate how students' evoked prior experience, perceptions of their learning environment, and their approaches to learning collectively contribute to academic achievement. This is the first study to investigate motivation and self-efficacy in the same educational context as conceptions of learning, approaches to learning and perceptions of the learning environment. SAMPLE Undergraduate students (773) from the full range of disciplines were part of a group of over 2,300 students who volunteered to complete a survey of their learning experience. On completing their degrees 6 and 18 months later, their academic achievement was matched with their learning experience survey data. METHOD A 77-item questionnaire was used to gather students' self-report of their evoked prior experience (self-efficacy, learning motivation, and conceptions of learning), perceptions of learning context (teaching quality and appropriate workload), and approaches to learning (deep and surface). Academic achievement was measured using the English honours degree classification system. Analyses were conducted using correlational and multi-variable (structural equation modelling) methods. RESULTS The results from the correlation methods confirmed those found in numerous earlier studies. The results from the multi-variable analyses indicated that surface approach to learning was the strongest predictor of academic achievement, with self-efficacy and motivation also found to be directly related. In contrast to the correlation results, a deep approach to learning was not related to academic achievement, and teaching quality and conceptions of learning were only indirectly related to achievement. CONCLUSIONS Research aimed at understanding how students experience their learning environment and how that experience relates to the quality of their learning needs to be conducted using a wider range of variables and more sophisticated analytical methods. In this study of one context, some of the relations found in earlier bivariate studies, and on which learning intervention strategies have been built, are not confirmed when more holistic teaching-learning contexts are analysed using multi-variable methods.
Early cytotoxic effects induced by bis‐chloroethyl sulphide (sulphur mustard): [Ca2+]i rise and time‐dependent inhibition of B77 fibroblast serum response

Early cytotoxic events were studied on B77 fibroblasts. Cells were treated with sulphur mustard (SM) in short‐term experiments in which cell viability was unchanged, as evaluated by the neutral red cytotoxicity test. This treatment was correlated to two early signs of cytotoxicity. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+ ]i level in SM‐treated Fura‐2‐loaded fibroblasts showed a significant dose‐dependent increase. This observed rise was sustained, in contrast to the Ca2+ signal induced by serum, and was already visible 5–10 min after the addition of SM to cell suspensions in vitro. Modification of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration in the medium had no effect on the cytosolic calcium rise caused by SM, suggesting release from intracellular Ca2+ pools. Furthermore, a time‐dependent inhibition of the [Ca2+ ]i transient increase induced by growthfactors (as evaluated by the fetal calf serum (FCS) response) was observed within the first hour of exposure. These latter results suggest that early alterations of calcium distribution induced by SM could be one of the earliest markers of SM intoxication.