Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EXAMINING SEXUAL CORRELATES OF NEONATAL CIRCUMCISION IN ADULT MEN

ii! Co-Authorship . iv! Acknowledgements . v! List of Figures . xii! List of Tables . xiii! Chapter 1 General Introduction . 1! References . 5! Chapter 2: A review of the current state of the male circumcision literature . 8! Introduction . 8! Aims . 9! Method . 9! Health Correlates . 9! Sexual Functioning . 19! Objective Measures of Penile Sensitivity . 30! Other Areas Requiring Additional Research . 33! Concluding Remarks . 36! References . 38! Chapter 3: Does neonatal circumcision impact penile sensitivity in adult men? Examining penile sensitivity in circumcised and intact men using quantitative sensory testing . 50! Introduction . 50! Method . 54! Participants . 54! Psychological Measures . 55!
Interleukin-5 Supports the Expansion of Fas Ligand-Expressing Killer B Cells that Induce Antigen-Specific Apoptosis of CD4+ T Cells and Secrete Interleukin-10

Beyond their critical role in humoral immunity, B lymphocytes can employ a variety of immunomodulatory mechanisms including expression of the apoptosis-inducing molecule Fas ligand (FasL; CD178). Here, we extensively characterized the surface phenotype of FasL+ killer B cells, showing they are enriched in the IgMhighCD5+CD1dhigh B cell subset previously reported to contain a higher frequency of B cells producing interleukin-10 (IL-10). A rare population of B cells expressing IL-10 was present among FasL+ B cells, but most FasL+ B cells did not produce IL-10. We also identify interleukin-5 (IL-5) as a novel inducer of killer B cell function. Constitutively FasL+ B cells expressed higher levels of the IL-5 receptor, and treating B cells with IL-5 and CD40L resulted in the expansion of a B cell population enriched for FasL+ cells. B cells stimulated with IL-5 and CD40L were potent inducers of apoptosis in activated primary CD4+ T cells, and this killing function was antigen-specific and dependent upon FasL. IL-5 also enhanced IL-10 secretion in B cells stimulated with CD40L. Taken together these findings elucidate the relationship of FasL+ B cells and IL-10-producing B cells and demonstrate that IL-5 can induce or enhance both killer B cell activity and IL-10 secretion in B cells. Finally, we found that the killer B cell activity induced by IL-5 was completely blocked by IL-4, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown antagonistic relationship between these type-2 cytokines in modulating the activity of killer B cells. Targeting this IL-5/IL-4 signaling axis may therefore represent a novel area of drug discovery in inflammatory disorders.
“Like a Family but Better Because You Can Actually Trust Each Other”

Expect Respect, a teen dating violence prevention program, was among four programs selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to participate in an empowerment evaluation project. As one aspect of this project, a qualitative study was designed to investigate the effects of Expect Respect support groups for at-risk youth. The goal was to understand the “how and why” of the program's impact on participants. Group interviews were conducted with five boys' and five girls' support groups after completion of the program. Settings included public middle and high schools and alternative schools in juvenile detention. Participants were asked to describe significant learning experiences in support groups as well as changes in their relationships resulting from program participation. Youths across all groups reported learning new skills including improved communication, anger control, and alternatives to violence. They reported increased knowledge about healthy relationships and warning signs of dating violence and expanded awareness of their own and others' abusive behaviors. Changed relationship norms were uniquely expressed by a boys' group in juvenile detention. Findings indicate that the experience of emotional safety in groups and positive relationships among group members were instrumental in the learning process.
Pharmacokinetics of engineered human monomeric and dimeric CH2 domains

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies have several advantages over small molecule drugs and small proteins and peptides, including a long serum half-life. The long serum half-life of IgG is due, in part, to its molecular weight (150kDa) and its ability to bind FcRn. Both the CH2 and CH3 domains of Fc are involved in FcRn binding. Antibody fragments and antibody-like scaffolds have improved penetration into tissues due to their small size, yet suffer from a short serum half-life of less than one hour. The human CH2 domain (CH2D) of IgG1 retains a portion of the FcRn binding site, is amenable to modification for target binding, and may represent the smallest antibody-like scaffold retaining a relatively long serum half-life. Here we describe the generation of a dimeric CH2D (dCH2D) and determination of its pharmacokinetics (PK), as well as the PK of wild-type monomeric CH2D (mCH2D) and a short stabilized CH2D variant (ssCH2D) in normal B6 mice, human FcRn transgenic mice and cynomolgus macaques. The elimination half-life of dCH2D was 9.9, 10.4 and 11.2 hours, and that of ssCH2D was 13.1, 9.9 and 11.4 hours, in B6 mice, hFcRn mice and cynomolgus macaques, respectively. These half-lives were slightly longer than that of mCH2D (6.9 and 8.8 hours) in B6 and hFcRn mice, respectively. These data demonstrate that engineered CH2D-based variants have relatively long serum half-lives, making them a unique scaffold suitable for development of targeted therapeutics.
Diagnosis of "fizz-gas" And Gas Reservoirs In Deep-water Environment

Figure 1 shows that modulus of gas-water mixture at isostress condition is calculated with Reuss bound (Wood, 1955) and mainly controlled by pressure. At low pressure (shallow depth < 2000 m), gas modulus is much less than 0.1 GPa. Even few percent volume fraction of gas can drastically reduce the modulus of gas-water mixture. However, at a high pressure condition, modulus of gaswater mixture shows progressive decrease with increasing gas saturation and results in differentiable DHI attribute. Fluid modulus depends on composition, distribution and reservoir conditions, which are a result of complicated geological processes which form a reservoir. Introduction
Mass Spectrometry-Based Targeted Proteomics as a Tool to Elucidate the Expression and Function of Intestinal Drug Transporters

Intestinal transporter proteins affect the oral bioavailability of many drugs in a significant manner. In order to estimate or predict their impact on oral drug absorption, data on their intestinal expression levels are needed. So far, predominantly mRNA expression data are available which are not necessarily correlated with the respective protein content. All available protein data were assessed by immunoblotting techniques such as Western blotting which both possess a number of limitations for reliable protein quantification. In contrast to this, mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics may represent a promising alternative method to provide comprehensive protein expression data. In this review, we will summarize so far available intestinal mRNA and protein expression data for relevant human multidrug transporters. Moreover, recently observed mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomic data will be presented and discussed with respect to potential functional consequences. Associated to this, we will provide a short tutorial how to set up these methods and emphasize critical aspects in method development. Finally, potential limitations and pitfalls of this emerging technique will be discussed. From our perspective, LC-MS/MS-based targeted proteomics represents a valuable new method to comprehensively analyse the intestinal expression of transporter proteins. The resulting expression data are expected to improve our understanding about the intestinal processing of drugs.
Atopic Dermatitis Susceptibility Variants in Filaggrin Hitchhike Hornerin Selective Sweep

Human skin has evolved rapidly, leaving evolutionary signatures in the genome. The filaggrin (FLG) gene is widely studied for its skin-barrier function in humans. The extensive genetic variation in this gene, especially common loss-of-function (LoF) mutations, has been established as primary risk factors for atopic dermatitis. To investigate the evolution of this gene, we analyzed 2,504 human genomes and genotyped the copy number variation of filaggrin repeats within FLG in 126 individuals from diverse ancestral backgrounds. We were unable to replicate a recent study claiming that LoF of FLG is adaptive in northern latitudes with lower ultraviolet light exposure. Instead, we present multiple lines of evidence suggesting that FLG genetic variation, including LoF variants, have little or no effect on fitness in modern humans. Haplotype-level scrutinization of the locus revealed signatures of a recent selective sweep in Asia, which increased the allele frequency of a haplotype group (Huxian haplogroup) in Asian populations. Functionally, we found that the Huxian haplogroup carries dozens of functional variants in FLG and hornerin (HRNR) genes, including those that are associated with atopic dermatitis susceptibility, HRNR expression levels and microbiome diversity on the skin. Our results suggest that the target of the adaptive sweep is HRNR gene function, and the functional FLG variants that involve susceptibility to atopic dermatitis, seem to hitchhike the selective sweep on HRNR. Our study presents a novel case of a locus that harbors clinically relevant common genetic variation with complex evolutionary trajectories.
Effects of different intensities of physical exercise on insulin sensitivity and protein kinase B/Akt activity in skeletal muscle of obese mice

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the effects of different intensities of acute exercise on insulin sensitivity and protein kinase B/Akt activity in skeletal muscle of obese mice. Methods: Swiss mice were randomly divided into four groups, and fed either a standard diet (control group) or high fat diet (obese sedentary group and obese exercise group 1 and 2) for 12 weeks. Two different exercise protocols were used: swimming for 1 hour with or without an overload of 5% body weight. The insulin tolerance test was performed to estimate whole-body sensitivity. Western blot technique was used to determine protein levels of protein kinase B/Akt and phosphorylation by protein Kinase B/Akt in mice skeletal muscle. Results: A single bout of exercise inhibited the high fat diet-induced insulin resistance. There was increase in phosphorylation by protein kinase B/Akt serine, improve in insulin signaling and reduce of fasting glucose in mice that swam for 1 hour without overload and mice that swan for 1 hour with overload of 5%. However, no significant differences were seen between exercised groups. Conclusion: Regardless of intensity, aerobic exercise was able to improve insulin sensitivity and phosphorylation by protein kinase B/Ak, and proved to be a good form of treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Estimating Corneal Surface Topography in Videokeratoscopy in the Presence of Strong Signal Interference

Videokeratoscopy techniques rely on a number of factors in order to achieve accurate estimates of corneal surface topography. Good tear film quality, minimal reflections from eyelashes, and minimal eye movements are essential for corneal topography estimates to be reliable. However, in practice, these ideal conditions may not always be fulfilled, especially in cases of subjects diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, having narrow palpebral apertures, long eyelashes, or nystagmus (uncontrolled eye movements). Such nonoptimal conditions of image acquisition result in poorer estimates of corneal topography. The aim of this paper was to devise a technique that would provide more accurate estimation of corneal topography in such situations and particularly when the source of signal interference is strong. This was achieved by developing a set of algorithms that extract the interference from the acquired raw videokeratoscopic image and filter the topography according to the interference location. The experiments carried out with test surfaces and real corneas showed that this new technique leads to a significant improvement in the topography estimator. Additionally, it is an interference indication procedure that, in the future, could be used for the purpose of tear film quality estimation.
The Japanese MCI Screen for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders in Japan is increasingly important. The Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen (MCIS)—derived from the National Institute of Aging CERAD neuropsychologic battery—differentiates normal aging from MCI and mild dementia with 97.3% and 99% accuracy, respectively. The Japanese MCIS (JMCIS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), quantitative SPECT (qSP), and quantitative MRI (qMRI) were used to classify 63 outpatients at Fukuoka University Hospital who were either normal or had MCI based on Clinical Dementia Rating scores of 0 and 0.5, respectively. Performance statistics for the JMCIS, MMSE, qSP, and qMRI were, respectively: (1) accuracy = 0.964, 0.768, 0.722, 0.733; (2) sensitivity = 0.958, 0.792, 0.688, 0.700; (3) specificity = 1.000, 0.625, 1.000, 1.000; and (4) κ validity = 0.813, 0.420, 0.296, 0.308. This initial study shows negligible differences between the English and Japanese MCIS, supporting its potential use for early detection in Japan.
The dark side of online participation: exploring non-, passive and negative participation

ABSTRACT Studies on the ‘second-level digital divide’ explore the socio-economic antecedents and effects of (a lack of) user participation on the Internet. At the same time, some have criticized a normatively affirmative bias in online participation research as well as a one-sided focus on observable user activity. This contribution addresses the ensuing call for a more nuanced understanding of online participation in general, and online political participation in particular. We differentiate the online participation concept based on a focus group study among 96 Internet users from a broad range of social backgrounds in Germany. We derive a framework of eight types of online (non-)participation along three conceptual axes: activity, agency, and social valence. Taking user experiences and terminology into account, we differentiate participation from non-participation, active from passive and positive from negative (non-)participation. The proposed typology allows for a more balanced evaluation and more focused exploration of phenomena such as destructive or involuntary online participation as well as online abstention, boycotts, self-censorship, lurking, or digital exclusion.
Polytropic neutron star – black hole merger simulations with a Paczyński-Wiita potential

Context. Mergers of neutron stars (NS) and black holes (BH) are among the strongest sources of gravitational waves and are potential central engines for short gamma-ray bursts. Aims. We aim to compare the general relativistic (GR) results of other groups with Newtonian calculations of models with equivalent parameters. We vary the mass ratio of the NS to BH and the compactness of the NS. The mass of the NS is 1.4 M� . We compare the dynamics in the parameter-space regions where the NS is expected to reach the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) before being tidally disrupted (mass shedding, MS), and vice versa. Methods. The hydrodynamics is evolved by a Newtonian PPM scheme with four levels of nested grids. We use a polytropic EoS ( Γ= 2), as adopted in the GR simulations. However, instead of full GR we use a Newtonian potential supplemented by a Paczy´ nskiWiita-Artemova potential for the BH, both disregarding and including rotation of the BH. Results. If the NS is compact (C = 0.18), it is accreted by the BH more quickly, and only a small amount of mass remains outside the BH. If the mass ratio is small (Q = 2 or 3) or the NS is less compact (C = 0.16 or less), the NS is tidally torn apart before being
A limit on the number density of bright z ≈ 7 galaxies

We present a survey of bright optical dropout sources in two deep, multiwavelength surveys comprising 11 widely separated fields, aimed at constraining the galaxy luminosity function at z≈ 7 for sources at 5–10 L* (z= 6). Our combined survey area is 225 arcmin2 to a depth of JAB= 24.2 (3σ) and 135 arcmin2 to J= 25.3 (4σ). We find that infrared data longwards of 2 μm are essential for classifying optical dropout sources, and in particular for identifying cool Galactic star contaminants. Our limits on the number density of high-redshift sources are consistent with current estimates of the Lyman break galaxy luminosity function at z= 6.
Common Proper Motion Companions to Nearby Stars: Ages and Evolution

A set of 41 nearby stars (closer than 25 pc) is investigated which have very wide binary and common proper motion (CPM) companions at projected separations between 1000 and 200,000 AU. These companions are identified by astrometric positions and proper motions from the NOMAD catalog. Based mainly on measures of chromospheric and X-ray activity, age estimation is obtained for most of 85 identified companions. Color-absolute magnitude diagrams are constructed to test whether CPM companions are physically related to the primary nearby stars and have the same age. Our carefully selected sample includes three remote white dwarf companions to main-sequence stars and two systems (55 Cnc and GJ 777A) of multiple planets and distant stellar companions. Ten new CPM companions, including three of extreme separations, are found. Multiple hierarchical systems are abundant; more than 25% of CPM components are spectroscopic or astrometric binaries or multiples themselves. Two new astrometric binaries are discovered among nearby CPM companions, GJ 264 and HIP 59000, and preliminary orbital solutions are presented. The Hyades kinematic group (or stream) is presented broadly in the sample, but we find few possible thick-disk objects and no halo stars. It follows from our investigation that moderately young (age ≲ 1 Gyr) thin-disk dwarfs are the dominating species in the near CPM systems, in general agreement with the premises of the dynamical survival paradigm.
Identification of inhibitors of the transmembrane protease FlaK of Methanococcus maripaludis

GxGD‐type intramembrane cleaving proteases (I‐CLiPs) form a family of proteolytic enzymes that feature an aspartate‐based catalytic mechanism. Yet, they structurally and functionally largely differ from the classical pepsin‐like aspartic proteases. Among them are the archaeal enzyme FlaK, processing its substrate FlaB2 during the formation of flagella and γ‐secretase, which is centrally involved in the etiology of the neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease. We developed an optimized activity assay for FlaK and based on screening of a small in‐house library and chemical synthesis, we identified compound 9 as the first inhibitor of this enzyme. Our results show that this intramembrane protease differs from classical pepsin‐like aspartic proteases and give insights into the substrate recognition of this enzyme. By providing the needed tools to further study the enzymatic cycle of FlaK, our results also enable further studies towards a functional understanding of other GxGD‐type I‐CLiPs.
Sport experience of undergraduate students

Two samples of 2280 female and 468 male students of different subjects at Faculty of Philosophy, aged 18 to 30 years, were given the questionaire concerning their previous and present sport engagement and sport achievement. Students' present sport and recreational engagement is notably less frequent than in the past. Only 8.7% of female and 16% of male students are presently engaged in sport or exercise regularly, notably less when compared with more than 60% who had some sport experience in the past. Less than 20% of female students and less than 40% of male students were ever engaged in some sport team of any level. Almost the same proportions of male and female students were engaged in school teams, but at regional and higher levels, male students are predominant.
Toward a Shared Understanding of Important Consequences of Personality

The assumption that personality makes a difference in people's everyday lives is probably the main reason why investigating personality seems worthwhile at all. Although the number of empirical studies addressing the everyday consequences of personality is considerable, an overarching conceptual framework is missing. We present such a framework, using a version of the SORKC model from cognitive-behavioral therapy. Our version of the model incorporates a full account of how personality may influence the ways in which people perceive and respond to situations, which may ultimately have important consequences for them and others. However, not everything that formally qualifies as a consequence of personality is equally relevant. In choosing criterion variables for their own research, researchers interested in personality consequences seem to have strongly relied on implicit assumptions regarding a “good life. ” We review a sample of recent studies from the personality literature, using our own conceptualization of important personality consequences to assess the current state of the field, and deduce recommendations for future research.
Effects of software programs stimulating regular breaks and exercises on work-related neck and upper-limb disorders.

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the effects on work-related neck and upper-limb disorders among computer workers stimulated (by a software program) to take regular breaks and perform physical exercises. Possible effects on sick leave and productivity were studied as well. A randomized controlled design was used with cluster randomization. Altogether 268 computer workers with complaints in the neck or an upper limb from 22 office locations were randomized into a control group, one intervention group stimulated to take extra breaks and one intervention group stimulated to perform exercises during the extra breaks during an 8-weekperiod. Questionnaires were administered before andafter the intervention, and questions were generated by the software during the intervention period. Computer usage was recorded online. RESULTS The data on self-reported recovery suggested a favorable effect; more subjects in the intervention groups than in the control group reported recovery (55% versus 34%) from their complaints and fewer reported deterioration (4% versus 20%). However, a comparison between the reported pre- and postintervention scores on the severity and frequency of the complaints showed no significant differences in the change among the three groups. No effects on sick leave were observed. The subjects in the intervention groups showed higher productivity. CONCLUSIONS The use of a software program stimulating workers to take regular breaks contributes to perceived recovery from neck or upper-limb complaints. There seems to be no additional effects from performing physical exercises during these breaks.