Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Honey bee colonies act as reservoirs for two Spiroplasma facultative symbionts and incur complex, multiyear infection dynamics

Two species of Spiroplasma (Mollicutes) bacteria were isolated from and described as pathogens of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, ~30 years ago but recent information on them is lacking despite global concern to understand bee population declines. Here we provide a comprehensive survey for the prevalence of these two Spiroplasma species in current populations of honey bees using improved molecular diagnostic techniques to assay multiyear colony samples from North America (U.S.A.) and South America (Brazil). Significant annual and seasonal fluctuations of Spiroplasma apis and Spiroplasma melliferum prevalence in colonies from the U.S.A. (n = 616) and Brazil (n = 139) occurred during surveys from 2011 through 2013. Overall, 33% of U.S.A. colonies and 54% of Brazil colonies were infected by Spiroplasma spp. , where S. melliferum predominated over S. apis in both countries (25% vs. 14% and 44% vs. 38% frequency, respectively). Colonies were co‐infected by both species more frequently than expected in both countries and at a much higher rate in Brazil (52%) compared to the U.S.A. (16.5%). U.S.A. samples showed that both species were prevalent not only during spring, as expected from prior research, but also during other seasons. These findings demonstrate that the model of honey bee spiroplasmas as springtime‐restricted pathogens needs to be broadened and their role as occasional pathogens considered in current contexts.
Mentally disordered offenders in England and Wales and the parole process.

This paper examines the plight of mentally disordered offenders who are considered by the parole board. Offenders with mental health problems are often regarded with trepidation, fear and stereotypical judgments. Such offenders are also subjected to media sensationalism, which influences public policy and legislation. This research arose out of the increased focus by the public, government and professions, in England and Wales, on whether parole board decisions, and the risk assessments that inform those decisions, protected the public sufficiently, in the light of a number of inquiries into serious further offences.
The spatial evolution of fluctuations in a self-propelled wake compared to a patch of turbulence

The primary focus of this study is to contrast the influence of the mean velocity profile with that of the initial turbulence on the subsequent evolution of velocity and density fluctuations in a stratified wake. Direct numerical simulation is used to simulate the following cases: (a) a self-propelled momentumless turbulent wake, case SP50 with a canonical mean velocity profile, (b) a patch of turbulence, case TP1 with the same initial energy spectrum as (a), and (c) a patch of turbulence, case TP2 with a different initial energy spectrum with higher small-scale content. The evolution of the fluctuations is found to be strongly dependent on the initial energy spectrum, e.g., in case TP2, the kinetic energy is substantially smaller, and the late-wake vortices are less organized. The effect of the mean velocity field is negligible for mean kinetic energy (MKE) of the order 10% of the total kinetic energy and the evolution in this case is similar to a turbulent patch with the same initial energy spectrum. In.
APPLYING ITEM RESPONSE THEORY METHODS TO COMPLEX SURVEY DATA

Item response theory (IRT) offers many advantages to researchers who need to quantify children's reading and writing abilities, and for this reason, IRT methods have been adopted in Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey for Children and Youth. IRT methods have a long history in the field of psychometrics, and provide a model based method for characterizing both test items and subject abilities, and for generating predictions of individual abilities. For the most part, IRT methods implicitly assume independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) observations, so that the application of these methods to complex surveys raises a number of issues. The paper will review basic IRT theory and provide a rationale for its use in complex surveys. NLSCY data will be used to illustrate various IRT issues, including point and variance estimates of item parameters, the potential for bias due to ignoring survey weights, biases in the distribution of ability predictors, and the dependence of this bias on test length.
Evidence of a decrease of kHz quasi-periodic oscillation peak separation towards low frequencies in 4U 1728-34 (GX 354-0)

We have produced the colour‐colour diagram of all the observations of 4U 1728‐34 available in the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer public archive (from 1996 to 2002) and found observations filling in a previously reported ‘gap’ between the island and the banana X-ray states. We have made timing analysis of these gap observations and found, in one observation, two simultaneous kHz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). The timing parameters of these kHz QPOs fit in the overall trend of the source. The ‘lower’ kHz QPO has a centroid frequency of ∼308 Hz. This is the lowest ‘lower’ kHz QPO frequency ever observed in 4U 1728‐34. The peak frequency separation between the ‘upper’ and the ‘lower’ kHz QPO is �ν = 274 ± 11 Hz, significantly smaller than the constant value of �ν ∼ 350 Hz found when the ‘lower’ kHz QPO frequency is between ∼500 and 800 Hz. This is the first indication in this source for a significant decrease of kHz QPO peak separation towards low frequencies. We compare the result briefly to theoretical models for kHz QPO production.
QUANTITATIVE MICROFLUORIMETRIC STUDIES ON FORMALDEHYDE-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE IN THE PINEAL GLAND OF THE RAT

The formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF) of pineal sections of the rat was measured quantitatively under instrumental conditions causing minimal photodecomposition. Fluorescence measurements on different sections of one pineal gland showed only little variation. Also the difference between animal variation was small, which enabled us to use groups of five to six animals for appropriate determinations. The similarity in emission spectra obtained from the pineal gland and a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-containing protein model and the results of pharmacologic specificity tests indicated that pineal FIF is derived from 5-HT. Pineal 5-HT seemed to be stored in two compartments: the pinealocytes and the sympathetic nerve fibers. Reserpine, a drug depleting the neuronal 5-HT pool selectively, induced about 30% decrease in chemically detectable 5-HT content, indicating that 30% of total pineal 5-HT content was stored in the nerve fibers, and 70% was stored in the pinealocytes. FIF was not affected by reserpine, suggesting that FIF measurements were largely independent of the neuronal 5-HT store. The relationship between pineal FIF and chemically detectable 5-HT content was investigated in groups of rats treated with drugs increasing or decreasing pineal 5-HT content. From each group, five pineal glands were prepared for microfluorimetrical studies; the remaining pineal glands were used for chemical determinations of 5-HT and protein content. The linearity of this relationship demonstrated that concentration-dependent quenching did not occur in the fluorescence measured. Therefore it was concluded that FIF might be used as a quantitative parameter for 5-HT stored in the pinealocytes.
Nuclear Factor-Kappa B and Alzheimer Disease, Unifying Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors from Cell to Humans

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, an eversible, progressive disease that causes problems with memory, thinking, language, planning, and behavior. There are a number of risk factors associated with developing AD but the exact cause remains unknown. The predominant theory is that excessive build-up of amyloid protein leads to cell death, brain atrophy, and cognitive and functional decline. However, the amyloid hypothesis has not led to a single successful treatment. The recent failure of Solanezumab, a monoclonal antibody to amyloid, in a large phase III trial was emblematic of the repeated failure of anti-amyloid therapeutics. New disease targets are urgently needed. The innate immune system is increasingly being implicated in the pathology of number of chronic diseases. This focused review will summarize the role of transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), a key regulator of innate immunity, in the major genetic and environmental risk factors in cellular, invertebrate and vertebrate models of AD. The paper will also explore the relationship between NF-κB and emerging environmental risk factors in an attempt to assess the potential for this transcription factor to be targeted for disease prevention.
Breadth-first tree search MIMO signal detector design and VLSI implementation

Efficient VLSI implementation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signal detectors plays an important role in the real-life MIMO communication systems. This paper presents a nonlinear MIMO detector design solution, called relaxed K-best detector, which can support efficient VLSI implementation, while maintaining good detection performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first nonlinear detector ever reported in the open literature, capable of supporting 4times4 MIMO transmission with 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). A soft-output relaxed K-best detector has been designed and synthesized using Synopsys with 0.18 mum CMOS technology. With the silicon area of 20 mm2, the detector can achieve up to 50 Mbps throughput for 4times4 MIMO with 64-QAM modulation. The detector can achieve almost the same performance as the detectors using the sphere decoding algorithm
Key aspects of successful rehabilitation after repeated or serious driving offenses

ABSTRACT Objective: In Germany, license restoration after serious or repeated offenses requires a positive medical psychological assessment (MPA), a test to determine the driver's aptitude. Fulfilling the conditions necessary for a positive MPA often takes longer than the period of license revocation, which is perhaps due to the involvement of different personal, organizational, and environmental factors. To optimize the rehabilitation process, the present study analyzed the key aspects of successful rehabilitation after repeated or serious driving offenses. Methods: After participating in the MPA, 1,631 subjects completed a questionnaire about rehabilitation efforts. The selection of items for this questionnaire was made according to our own prior research, interviews with problem drivers, and the diagnostic criteria for the MPA. Participants were asked when and from whom they obtained certain information and how relevant this information was for their success. In contrast to other studies, which used reoffense rates as a criterion for successful rehabilitation, we used a positive MPA result (positive, negative, or training) as the criterion for success. Results: Just over half (52%) of the participants considered themselves optimally informed about the rehabilitation process. The others (47.4% of participants) judged the adequacy of information received as less than satisfactory. Offenders who did not partake in counseling before the MPA achieved a successful result only about half as often (37.1%) as those who did (70%) and were around 3 times as likely to have additional courses imposed upon them (21 vs. 7.6%). Of the offenders who received crucial and helpful information at an early stage, 62.4% attained a positive MPA at the first attempt (regardless of having attended any training courses). The success rate for the first attempt rose to 81% for offenders who were well informed at an early stage and participated in counseling before their first MPA. Conclusion: The results clearly indicate that the provision of relevant information at an early stage combined with counseling has a beneficial influence on success rates for the rehabilitation process (an increase from 37.1 to 81%). As such, we recommend the introduction of obligatory license consultations, offered by MPA experts, involving a status assessment to customize offenders' rehabilitation and thereby provide more or less intensive guidance or coaching depending on offenders' characteristics throughout their progression through the MPA system.
Price Search, Consumption Inequality and Expenditure Inequality over the Life Cycle

In this paper, we incorporate a price search decision into a life cycle model and differentiate consumption from expenditure. Consumers with low wealth and bad income shocks search more for cheaper prices and pay less, which makes their consumption higher than in a model without search option. A plausibly calibrated version of our model predicts that the cross-sectional variance of consumption is about 17% smaller than the cross-sectional variance of expenditure throughout the life cycle. Price search has an alternative productive activity role for lower-income people to increase their consumption levels. We discuss other implications of price search over the life cycle as well.
Comparative Mapping and Candidate Gene Analysis of SSIIa Associated with Grain Amylopectin Content in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Amylopectin concentration in barley endosperm has important effects on grain quality and end-use. In this study, quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis together with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed to identify markers linked to grain amylopectin content respectively using a doubled haploid (DH) population of 178 lines and a collection of 185 diverse barley germplasms both genotyped by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). A stable QTL on chromosome 7H and 11 associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. In the co-localized region, the SSIIa (SSII-3) gene was predicted as the candidate gene. Then we isolated and characterized biparental SSIIa alleles of the DH population, investigated the expression pattern by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and revealed that a 33-bp deletion in exon 2 is responsible for reducing SSIIa transcript, thus resulting in a reduced amylopectin content. A sequence-based molecular marker was developed for the SSIIa allele and validated the effectivity, which would provide help for barley breeding.
Results of Judet Quadricepsplasty

Summary: Eleven patients (with 12 supracondylar femur fractures) with knee extension contractures were followed for an average of 24.8 months (range 12-45) after Judet quadricepsplasty. An increase in motion of 53° with active postoperative flexion of 91° was noted. There was an average loss of 14° of flexion from maximum intraoperative correction. One patient had an extensor lag of 30°, which did not improve after quadricepsplasty, but no other patients developed an extensor lag, infection, or skin breakdown after the procedure.
Quercetin Induces Necrosis and Apoptosis in SCC-9 Oral Cancer Cells

Abstract: Evidence has accumulated that dietary polyphenols, in particular, flavonoids, have protective effects against oral cancer. In this study, we have examined the effects of quercetin, a major dietary flavonoid, on cell growth and necrosis/apoptosis and cell cycle regulation in human oral squamous carcinoma SCC-9 cells. Quercetin induced dose- and time-dependent, irreversible inhibition of cell growth and cellular DNA synthesis. Light microscopy and lactate dehydrogenase measurements showed modifications in the morphology and membrane integrity of these cells after quercetin treatment. Propidium iodide/annexin V staining showed that quercetin induced necrosis at 24 h and 48 h, whereas at 72 h cells underwent apoptosis, correlating with caspase-3 activation. Flow cytometry studies of the cell cycle distribution showed that quercetin induced mainly S-phase arrest. Thymidylate synthase (TS), a key S-phase enzyme, was inhibited in a time- and dose-dependent fashion by quercetin at the protein level. A lack of effect on TS mRNA suggested that TS down-regulation occurred at the translational level. In conclusion, our data support a view that quercetin initially induces a stress response, resulting in necrosis of these oral epithelial cells. Prolonged exposure of the surviving cells to quercetin causes apoptosis, presumably mediated by inhibition of TS protein.
Analysis of Polarization Rotator Based on Nematic Liquid Crystal Photonic Crystal Fiber

In this paper, the performance of high-tunable polarization rotator (PR) based on nematic liquid crystal (NLC) photonic crystal fiber is reported. The tunability of the proposed PR results from the change of the optical properties of the NLC with the temperature and external electric field. The influence of the different structure geometrical parameters, rotation angle of the director of the NLC, temperature and operating wavelength on the PR performance is investigated. The numerical results reveal that the suggested PR can provide a strong polarization conversion ratio of 99.81% with a device length of 1072 ¿m. It is expected that over the 1.53-1.6 ¿ m wavelength range, polarization conversion would be more than 99%. The simulation results are evaluated using the full-vectorial finite-difference method and confirmed by the full-vectorial finite-difference beam-propagation method.
Interleukin 8 production and interleukin 8 receptor expression in human myometrium and leiomyoma.

OBJECTIVE Interleukin 8 is a potent chemoattractant cytokine that is expressed in a variety of human tumors and is known to induce mitogenesis. We aimed to investigate the production of interleukin 8 and the expression of its receptor in myometrium and leiomyoma, in which we hypothesized that interleukin 8 may contribute to cellular proliferation. STUDY DESIGN Myometrial and leiomyoma tissue pairs (n = 14) were obtained from human uteri after hysterectomy conducted for leiomyomatous uterus. Expression of interleukin 8 and interleukin 8 receptor type A was identified in the leiomyomatous myometrium by means of specific antibodies directed against interleukin 8 and interleukin 8 receptor type A for immunohistochemical detection. Interleukin 8 production by cultured cells was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The regulation of interleukin 8 messenger ribonucleic acid expression was assessed by means of the Northern blot analysis after treatment of myometrial cells with interleukin 1alpha and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Myometrial cell proliferation was determined by means of colorimetric assay after cells were treated with interleukin 8 and antihuman interleukin 8 neutralizing antibody. RESULTS Immunostaining for both interleukin 8 and interleukin 8 receptor type A was stronger in the myometrium adjacent to leiomyoma compared with leiomyoma itself (2-fold, P <.05). Compared with samples from nonusers, samples from patients who had used gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists revealed a trend for decreased staining for both interleukin 8 and interleukin 8 receptor type A. Interleukin 1alpha and tumor necrosis factor alpha caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in interleukin 8 production by myometrial cells (P <.001). There was a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation with antihuman interleukin 8 antibody to 55% of the control (P <.001). CONCLUSION Our demonstration of high levels of interleukin 8 and its receptor in myometrium immediately surrounding leiomyoma and the inhibition of cell proliferation when interleukin 8 is blocked by a neutralizing antibody suggest a potential role for interleukin 8 in the growth of myometrial tissue surrounding leiomyomatous tissue. This study could lead to a better understanding of potential involvement of cytokines in leiomyoma growth and in gonadatropin-releasing hormone agonist-induced regression.
Coral Reefs at the Northernmost Tip of Borneo: An Assessment of Scleractinian Species Richness Patterns and Benthic Reef Assemblages

The coral reefs at the northernmost tip of Sabah, Borneo will be established under a marine protected area: the Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) by the end of 2015. This area is a passage where the Sulu Sea meets the South China Sea and it is situated at the border of the area of maximum marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle. The TMP includes fringing and patch reefs established on a relatively shallow sea floor. Surveys were carried out to examine features of the coral reefs in terms of scleractinian species richness, and benthic reef assemblages following the Reef Check substrate categories, with emphasis on hard coral cover. Variation in scleractinian diversity was based on the species composition of coral families Fungiidae (n = 39), Agariciidae (n = 30) and Euphylliidae (n = 15). The number of coral species was highest at reefs with a larger depth gradient i.e. at the periphery of the study area and in the deep South Banggi Channel. Average live hard coral cover across the sites was 49%. Only 7% of the examined reefs had > 75% hard coral cover, while the majority of the reef sites were rated fair (51%) and good (38%). Sites with low coral cover and high rubble fragments are evidence of blast fishing, although the observed damage appeared old. Depth was a dominant factor in influencing the coral species composition and benthic reef communities in the TMP. Besides filling in the information gaps regarding species richness and benthic cover for reef areas that were previously without any data, the results of this study together with information that is already available on the coral reefs of TMP will be used to make informed decisions on zoning plans for conservation priorities in the proposed park.
Disorganizing Experiences in Second- and Third-Generation Holocaust Survivors

Second-generation Holocaust survivors might not show direct symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or attachment disorganization, but are at risk for developing high levels of psychological distress. We present themes of difficult experiences of second-generation Holocaust survivors, arguing that some of these aversive experiences might have disorganizing qualities even though they do not qualify as traumatic. Based on in-depth interviews with 196 second-generation parents and their adolescent children, three themes of disorganizing experiences carried across generations were identified: focus on survival issues, lack of emotional resources, and coercion to please the parents and satisfy their needs. These themes reflect the frustration of three basic needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy, and this frustration becomes disorganizing when it involves stability, potency, incomprehensibility, and helplessness. The findings shed light on the effect of trauma over the generations and, as such, equip therapists with a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved.
The Anticoagulant Effects of the Hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum: Observations on Human and Dog Blood In Vitro and Infected Dogs In Vivo

Summary Extracts of adult Ancylostoma ceylanicum prolonged the prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time with kaolin (PPTK) of both human and dog plasmas in vitro. Excret-ory/secretory (E/S) products of these worms had similar effects while larval extract prolonged the PTTK only. Thus, the anticoagulant activities of this parasite are dependent upon the stage of the worm’s life cycle. Collagen- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation were inhibited by adult and larval extracts. When the peripheral blood and bleeding times of dogs with varying worm burdens were examined, the only abnormality was shortening of the PTTK in the most heavily infected animals. Homogenates of dog small bowel subjacent to adult hookworms prolonged the PT of dog plasma and electron microscopical examination of this tissue revealed aggregation of platelets in blood venules without fibrin deposition. Thus, this study provides evidence that the anticoagulant properties of hookworms may have biological significance in infected animals.