Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Causes and Patterns of Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Pup Mortality at Smith Island, Washington, 2004–2010

Abstract Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) are the most common and widely distributed pinniped in Washington State coastal waters. Serving as sentinels of marine ecosystem health, stranded animals are useful in detecting environmental disease and contaminant levels. From 2004 to 2010, we examined mortality rates and causes of death of Harbor Seal pups at Smith Island, a principal haulout site in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, conducting 21 site surveys during the pupping season (June through August). We documented and externally examined 245 dead pups and of these, 72 were deemed suitable for more detailed internal examination and were collected for necropsy to determine cause of death. Minimum estimated neonatal mortality varied widely by year and ranged from 3 to 25%. The highest number of dead pups, nearly half of the total for the study, were found in 2005; this was also the year with the highest estimate of pups born and highest proportion of pups born that were documented dying. Infection was the leading primary cause of death in most years including 2005, when 40% of the pups died from an infectious process. The 2nd leading cause of death was malnutrition; other causes included prematurity and dystocia. This study documents some of the major annual differences that can occur in both mortality rates and causes of death in Harbor Seals.
A Broad Evaluation of Techniques for Automatic Acquisition of Multiword Expressions

Several approaches have been proposed for the automatic acquisition of multiword expressions from corpora. However, there is no agreement about which of them presents the best cost-benefit ratio, as they have been evaluated on distinct datasets and/or languages. To address this issue, we investigate these techniques analysing the following dimensions: expression type (compound nouns, phrasal verbs), language (English, French) and corpus size. Results show that these techniques tend to extract similar candidate lists with high recall (~ 80%) for nominals and high precision (~ 70%) for verbals. The use of association measures for candidate filtering is useful but some of them are more onerous and not significantly better than raw counts. We finish with an evaluation of flexibility and an indication of which technique is recommended for each language-type-size context.
Prenatal exposure to mite and pet allergens and total serum IgE at birth in high‐risk children

To examine the relationship between prenatal exposure to mite, cat and dog allergens and total serum IgE at birth in newborns at high risk of asthma. In the homes of 221 newborns with at least one first‐degree relative with asthma, concentrations (ng/g dust) of allergens of house dust mite (mite), cat and dog were measured at the fourth to sixth month of pregnancy in dust samples from the maternal mattress and living room. At day 3–5 after birth, total IgE was measured in capillary heel blood. A total number of 174 blood samples were available (11 mothers refused newborn's blood sampling, and in 36 cases the blood sample was too small for analysis). In 24% of the newborns, total IgE was elevated (cut‐off value 0.5 IU/ml). A significant dose response relationship was found between increasing mite allergen levels [divided in quartiles ng/g dust (qrt)] and the percentage of elevated IgE: first qrt (0–85 ng/g) 13%; second qrt (86–381) 19%; third qrt (382–2371) 26%; fourth qrt (≥2372) 42%, respectively, p = 0.01. This relationship remained significant after adjusting for passive smoking, maternal and paternal mite allergy, socio‐demographic factors, birth characteristics and (breast) feeding practice in the first week of life. In high‐risk newborns, prenatal exposure to mite allergens, but not to cat and dog allergens from dust of the living room and of the maternal mattress was associated with total serum IgE at birth.
A Romanian population isolate with high frequency of vitiligo and associated autoimmune diseases.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the epidemiology and genetics of vitiligo and associated autoimmune diseases in a population isolate in Romania in which there is a high frequency of these diseases. DESIGN Prospective and retrospective ascertainment of all patients and extended families with these disorders in the study community. SETTING A geographically isolated community in the mountains of northern Romania. Patients Fifty-one affected individuals and their close relatives from 35 nuclear families in an extended kindred that effectively constitutes the entire community population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Demographic, phenotypic, and genetic aspects of vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases in the extended kindred. RESULTS The frequencies of vitiligo and several other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease, adult-onset autoimmune diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis, are greatly elevated. The age of vitiligo onset in this village is relatively delayed, suggesting that the causes of vitiligo in this community may be somewhat atypical. Genetic segregation analysis is most consistent with a single major locus recessive model, although incomplete penetrance and heritability suggest that other genes and nongenetic factors likely influence occurrence of disease in homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS The high frequency of vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases in this isolated inbred community and an unusual aspect of the vitiligo phenotype suggest that susceptibility to these disorders in this "special population" may be unusual, likely involving a major recessive gene. Whereas disease susceptibility seems to involve a major genetic component, actual onset of vitiligo in genetically susceptible individuals seems to require exposure to environmental triggers.
Epstein-Barr Viruses That Express a CD21 Antibody Provide Evidence that gp350's Functions Extend beyond B-Cell Surface Binding

ABSTRACT The gp350 glycoprotein encoded by BLLF1 is crucial for efficient Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of resting B cells. Gp350 binds to CD21, but whether this interaction sums up its functions remains unknown. We generated gp350-null EBVs that display CD19-, CD21-, or CD22-specific antibodies at their surface (designated as ΔBLLF1-Ab). Gp350-complemented (ΔBLLF1-C) and ΔBLLF1-Ab were found to bind equally well to B cells. Surprisingly, ΔBLLF1 binding was reduced only 1.7-fold relative to its complemented counterparts. Furthermore, B cells exposed to ΔBLLF1-Ab or ΔBLLF1 viruses presented structural antigens with comparable efficiency and achieved 25 to 80% of the T-cell activation elicited by ΔBLLF1-C. These findings show that the gp350-CD21 interaction pair plays only a modest role during virus transfer to the endosomal compartment. However, primary B cells or Raji B cells infected with ΔBLLF1-C viruses displayed a 35- to 70-fold higher infection rates than those exposed to ΔBLLF1, ΔBLLF1-CD22Ab, or ΔBLLF1-CD19Ab viruses. Complementation of the gp350 knockout phenotype with CD21Ab substantially enhanced infection rates relative to ΔBLLF1 but remained sevenfold (Raji B-cell line) to sixfold (primary B cells) less efficient than with gp350. We therefore infer that gp350 mainly exerts its functions after the internalization step, presumably during release of the viral capsid from the endosomal compartment, and that CD21-dependent but also CD21-independent molecular mechanisms are involved in this process. The latter appear to be characteristic of B-cell infection since transfection of CD21 in 293 cells improved the infection rates with both ΔBLLF1-CD21Ab and ΔBLLF1-C to a similar extent.
Girls' and boys' pathways to norm-breaking behavior: A critical review of an old issue

OREBRO UNIVERSITYDepartment of Behavioral, Social and Legal SciencesEducation of Social Work, C-thesis in Social Work, 41-60pFall Semester 2005Asa Magnusson & Lina NyqvistGirls’ and boys’ pathways to norm-breaking behavior: A critical review of an old issueABSTRACTHistorically, youths have always been engaged in norm-breaking behavior (NBB), with adolescents being the most criminal active group in society. The behavior, however, seems to differ in aspects of gender. This study investigates the pathways to NBB, emphasizing the influence of interpersonal relationships. The aim is also to examine what characterizes gender-specific treatment in literature, and furthermore to bring a critical feminist view on reviewed research results. The study is based on a literature review design to enable a whole picture of the topic. In the review different pathways to NBB is described, followed by the role of interpersonal relationships and characteristics of gender specific treatment. In essence, evidence seems to show that the pathway to NBB is a process where several different factors contribute jointly in shaping such behavior. However, interpersonal relationships seem to play an important role in influencing the behavior of the adolescent, though the influence appears to differ in aspects of gender due to the socialization process where girls and boys are brought up differently, which in turn is reflected in gender-specific treatment. Research indicates that treatment in general is based on stereotyped gender assumptions, which might be disadvantageous for both girls and boys.Keywords: juvenile, gender theory, norm-breaking behavior, interpersonal relationships
Coronary calcium measurement improves prediction of cardiovascular events in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes: the PREDICT study.

AIMS The PREDICT Study is a prospective cohort study designed to evaluate coronary artery calcification score (CACS) as a predictor of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 589 patients with no history of cardiovascular disease and with established T2DM had CACS measured, as well as risk factors, including plasma lipoprotein, apolipoprotein, homocysteine and C-reactive protein concentrations, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and urine albumin creatinine ratio. Participants were followed for a median of 4 years and first coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke events were identified as primary endpoints. There were 66 first cardiovascular events (including 10 strokes). CACS was a highly significant, independent predictor of events (P < 0.001), with a doubling in CACS being associated with a 32% increase in risk of events (29% after adjustment). Hazard ratios relative to CACS in the range 0-10 Agatston units (AU) were: CACS 11-100 AU, 5.4 (P = 0.02); 101-400 AU 10.5 (P = 0.001); 401-1000 AU, 11.9 (P = 0.001), and >1000 AU, 19.8 (P < 0.001). Only HOMA-IR predicted primary endpoints independently of CACS (P = 0.01). The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve for United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) risk engine primary endpoint risk and for UKPDS risk plus CACS were 0.63 and 0.73, respectively (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION Measurement of CACS is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular events in asymptomatic patients with T2DM and can further enhance prediction provided by established risk models.
FlrA, a σ54-Dependent Transcriptional Activator in Vibrio fischeri, Is Required for Motility and Symbiotic Light-Organ Colonization

ABSTRACT Flagellum-mediated motility of Vibrio fischeri is an essential factor in the bacterium's ability to colonize its host, the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes. To begin characterizing the nature of the flagellar regulon, we have cloned a gene, designated flrA, from V. fischeri that encodes a putative σ54-dependent transcriptional activator. Genetic arrangement of the flrA locus in V. fischeri is similar to motility master-regulator operons of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In addition, examination of regulatory regions of a number of flagellar operons in V. fischeri revealed apparent σ54 recognition motifs, suggesting that the flagellar regulatory hierarchy is controlled by a similar mechanism to that described in V. cholerae. However, in contrast to its closest known relatives, flrA mutant strains of V. fischeri ES114 were completely abolished in swimming capability. Although flrA provided in trans restored motility to the flrA mutant, the complemented strain was unable to reach wild-type levels of symbiotic colonization in juvenile squid, suggesting a possible role for the proper expression of FlrA in regulating symbiotic colonization factors in addition to those required for motility. Comparative RNA arbitrarily primed PCR analysis of the flrA mutant and its wild-type parent revealed several differentially expressed transcripts. These results define a regulon that includes both flagellar structural genes and other genes apparently not involved in flagellum elaboration or function. Thus, the transcriptional activator FlrA plays an essential role in regulating motility, and apparently in modulating other symbiotic functions, in V. fischeri.
Changes in volatile compounds of peanut oil during the roasting process for production of aromatic roasted peanut oil.

UNLABELLED The changes in volatile compounds composition of peanut oil during the roasting process of aromatic roasted peanut oil (ARPO) production were investigated. The analyses were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Among the volatiles identified in ARPO, the N-heterocyclic chemical class possessed the highest relative percentage area (RPA) 61.68%, followed by O-heterocyclic group with an RPA of 24.57%. Twenty pyrazines were considered to be the key contributors to the intense nutty/roasty flavor typical of ARPO. Compounds that increased significantly in concentration during the roasting process were mainly Maillard reaction products, as well as compounds derived from Strecker degradation and lipid peroxidation. The results clearly showed that the roasting process was necessary to obtain the typical nutty/roasty aroma of ARPO. PRACTICAL APPLICATION ARPO is the traditional edible oil in China that possesses a characteristic strong nutty and roasty flavor that distinguishes it from other edible vegetable oils. During the production, the roasting process is the crucial factor for the formation of the typical roasted peanut aroma that plays an important role in sensory quality of peanut oil. In our investigation, not only the volatile changes of peanut oil pressed from relevant peanut seeds roasted at different roasting time were determined, but also the contributions of identified volatiles on the typical nutty/roasty flavor of ARPO were discussed. Our work clearly demonstrated the significant effect of roasting process on the typical flavor formation of ARPO. The results are valuable as scientific guidance for the roasting process that better satisfy demands of the peanut oil industries for better flavor.
Sports practice among adolescents with chronic health conditions.

OBJECTIVES To compare the level of sports practice between adolescents with chronic health conditions (CHCs) and control peers and to examine the reasons given by adolescents with CHCs for not practicing any sports in comparison with the control group. DESIGN School survey. SETTING Postmandatory schools. PARTICIPANTS A total of 6790 students (3275 females) aged 16 to 20 years, grouped as adolescents with CHCs (355 females, 354 males) and control peers (2920 females, 3161 males). MAIN EXPOSURE Chronic health condition was defined using a noncategorical approach including adolescents with a chronic disease and/or a physical handicap. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sports practice, barriers to sports practice among individuals not practicing any sports, and biological, psychological, socioeducative, and physical activity characteristics. RESULTS Males with CHCs were less likely than control males to practice sports, whereas no significant difference was observed for females. Chronically ill youth were significantly more likely to report having a CHC as a barrier for not practicing sports. However, the most frequently reported barrier was preference for other activities for males with CHCs and lack of time for control males and for females with and without CHCs. CONCLUSIONS Having a CHC seems to influence sports practice among males but not females. We recommend that practitioners dealing with adolescents remember to take into account sports practice as part of the care of young patients with CHCs.
Early Visual Processing is Affected by Clinical Subtype in Patients with Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Magnetoencephalography Study

Objective: To determine whether visual evoked magnetic fields (VEFs) elicited by right and left hemifield stimulation differ in patients with unilateral spatial neglect (USN) that results from cerebrovascular accident. Methods: Pattern-reversal stimulation of the right and left hemifield was performed in three patients with left USN. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was recorded using a 160-channel system, and VEFs were quantified in the 400 ms after each stimulus. The presence or absence of VEF components at around 100 ms (P100m component) and 145 ms (N145m component) after stimulus onset was determined. The source of the VEF was determined using a single equivalent current dipole model for spherical volume conduction. All patients were evaluated using the behavioral inattention test (BIT). Results: In response to right hemifield stimulation, the P100m and N145m components of the VEF were evident in all three patients. In response to left hemifield stimulation, both components were evident in Patient 3, whereas only the P100m component was evident in Patient 1 and only the N145m component was evident in Patient 2. Patient 1 exhibited impairments on the line bisection and cancelation tasks of the BIT, Patient 2 exhibited impairments on the copying, drawing and cancelation tasks of the BIT, and Patient 3 exhibited impairments on the cancelation task of the BIT. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that early VEFs are disrupted in patients with USN and support the concept that deficits in visual processing differ according to the clinical subtype of USN and the lesion location. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of using MEG to explore subtypes of neglect.
Analysis and Decoupling Design of a 30 MHz Resonant SEPIC Converter

This paper presents the analysis and design of a 30 MHz resonant SEPIC converter. With the conventional design method, tuning the amplitude and phase of the fundamental input voltage and current of the rectifier stage affect each other so that the design procedure is coupled seriously. Based on the circuit duality theory, an improved design method is proposed by redividing the resonant SEPIC topology to realize the independent tuning of the amplitude and phase. The implementation and loss analysis of the SEPIC with the new design are provided in details. Moreover, a novel structure of the PCB embedded inductors is introduced and the comparison among the discrete inductor, the planar spiral inductor and the four-layered solenoid PCB inductor is given in terms of the loss. A 15 V input, 25 W/28 V output/30 MHz SEPIC converter was built to verify the proposed design method and the benefit of the new structure of the PCB embedded inductors. The power density of the power stage is realized over 200 W/in3 and the efficiency is 82.5% at the rated output. The temperature of the proposed PCB embedded inductor is reduced from 102.6 °C (the discrete inductor) to 64.8 °C (a reduction of 37%) and the efficiency is improved 2% over the discrete solution at the full load.
Climate and season: the effects on ophthalmic diseases

Seasonal changes and climate have a significant impact on human health. Diseases influenced by temperature and climate conditions are likely to undergo dynamic pattern shifts with consequent impact on human health. A number of infectious and non‐infectious ophthalmic diseases are influenced by temperature and seasonality. Awareness of this is important from public and global health perspective in addition to resource allocation strategies. We examine the evidence for a seasonal pattern to ophthalmic diseases and assess the possible impact of climate change.
Comparison of Different Primer Sets for Use in Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis of Complex Bacterial Communities

ABSTRACT ITSF and ITSReub, constituting a new primer set designed for the amplification of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacers, have been compared with primer sets consisting of 1406F and 23Sr (M. M. Fisher and E. W. Triplett, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:4630-4636, 1999) and S-D-Bact-1522-b-S-20 and L-D-Bact-132-a-A-18 (L. Ranjard et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:4479-4487, 2001), previously proposed for automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) of complex bacterial communities. An agricultural soil and a polluted soil, maize silage, goat milk, a small marble sample from the façade of the Certosa of Pavia (Pavia, Italy), and brine from a deep hypersaline anoxic basin in the Mediterranean Sea were analyzed with the three primer sets. The number of peaks in the ARISA profiles, the range of peak size (width of the profile), and the reproducibility of results were used as indices to evaluate the efficiency of the three primer sets. The overall data showed that ITSF and ITSReub generated the most informative (in term of peak number) and reproducible profiles and yielded a wider range of spacer sizes (134 to 1,387) than the other primer sets, which were limited in detecting long fragments. The minimum amount of DNA template and sensitivity in detection of minor DNA populations were evaluated with artificial mixtures of defined bacterial species. ITSF and ITSReub amplified all the bacteria at DNA template concentrations from 280 to 0.14 ng μl−1, while the other primer sets failed to detect the spacers of one or more bacterial strains. Although the primer set consisting of ITSF and ITSReub and that of S-D-Bact-1522-b-S-20 and L-D-Bact-132-a-A-18 showed similar sensitivities for the DNA of Allorhizobium undicula mixed with the DNA of other species, the S-D-Bact-1522-b-S-20 and L-D-Bact-132-a-A-18 primer set failed to detect the DNA of Pseudomonas stutzeri.
Dynamics of one-state downhill protein folding

The small helical protein BBL has been shown to fold and unfold in the absence of a free energy barrier according to a battery of quantitative criteria in equilibrium experiments, including probe-dependent equilibrium unfolding, complex coupling between denaturing agents, characteristic DSC thermogram, gradual melting of secondary structure, and heterogeneous atom-by-atom unfolding behaviors spanning the entire unfolding process. Here, we present the results of nanosecond T-jump experiments probing backbone structure by IR and end-to-end distance by FRET. The folding dynamics observed with these two probes are both exponential with common relaxation times but have large differences in amplitude following their probe-dependent equilibrium unfolding. The quantitative analysis of amplitude and relaxation time data for both probes shows that BBL folding dynamics are fully consistent with the one-state folding scenario and incompatible with alternative models involving one or several barrier crossing events. At 333 K, the relaxation time for BBL is 1.3 μs, in agreement with previous folding speed limit estimates. However, late folding events at room temperature are an order of magnitude slower (20 μs), indicating a relatively rough underlying energy landscape. Our results in BBL expose the dynamic features of one-state folding and chart the intrinsic time-scales for conformational motions along the folding process. Interestingly, the simple self-averaging folding dynamics of BBL are the exact dynamic properties required in molecular rheostats, thus supporting a biological role for one-state folding.