Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oesophagostomum dentatum Extract Modulates T Cell-Dependent Immune Responses to Bystander Antigens and Prevents the Development of Allergy in Mice

One third of the human population is currently infected by one or more species of parasitic helminths. Certain helminths establish long-term chronic infections resulting in a modulation of the host’s immune system with attenuated responsiveness to “bystander” antigens such as allergens or vaccines. In this study we investigated whether parasite-derived products suppress the development of allergic inflammation in a mouse model. We show that extract derived from adult male Oesophagostomum dentatum (eMOD) induced Th2 and regulatory responses in BALB/c mice. Stimulation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells induced production of regulatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-beta. In a mouse model of birch pollen allergy, co-administration of eMOD with sensitizing allergen Bet v 1 markedly reduced the production of allergen-specific antibodies in serum as well as IgE-dependent basophil degranulation. Furthermore, eMOD prevented the development of airway inflammation, as demonstrated by attenuation of bronchoalveolar lavages eosinophil influx, peribronchial inflammatory infiltrate, and mucus secretion in lungs and IL-4 and IL-5 levels in lung cell cultures. Reduced secretion of Th2-related cytokines by birch pollen-re-stimulated splenocytes and mesenteric lymph node cells was observed in eMOD-treated/sensitized and challenged mice in comparison to sensitized and challenged controls. The suppressive effects of eMOD were heat-stable. Immunization with model antigens in the presence of eMOD reduced production of antibodies to thymus-dependent but not to thymus-independent antigen, suggesting that suppression of the immune responses by eMOD was mediated by interference with antigen presenting cell or T helper cell function but did not directly suppress B cell function. In conclusion, we have shown that eMOD possesses immunomodulatory properties and that heat-stable factors in eMOD are responsible for the dramatic suppression of allergic responses in a mouse model of type I allergy. The identification and characterization of parasite-derived immune-modulating molecules might have potential for designing novel prophylactic/therapeutic strategies for immune-mediated diseases.
ANALYSING REGIONAL IDENTITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS

Scale-enlargement processes have made people more conscious of the identity of their region. Professionals, or those actors involved professionally in the development of a region, also recognise this impact on popular perception and they use characteristics of regions to fulfil their goals. They play an important role in employing the identity of a region. The extent to which this occurs varies between regions, which mean that some regions have stronger identities than others. In this paper evidence from two case studies in the Netherlands, Waterland and the Noordoostpolder, is used to explore why these differences occur. By counting the occurrence of names of regions, which are thought to be the most important symbols of a region's identity, insight is gained in the embeddedness of a region in social perception. Representations of regions commodified by professionals show that these actors influence the embeddedness of regions and as such regional differences; so professionals have a great impact on the strength of a region's identity. Copyright (c) 2009 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.
Genome-wide Characterization of a Viral Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitope Repertoire*

A genome-wide search using major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I binding and proteosome cleavage site algorithms identified 101 influenza A PR8 virus-derived peptides as potential epitopes for CD8+ T cell recognition in the H-2b mouse. Cytokine-based flow cytometry, ELISPOT, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte assays reveal that 16 are recognized by CD8+ T cells recovered directly ex vivo from infected animals, accounting for greater than 70% of CD8+ T cells recruited to lung after primary infection. Only six of the 22 highest affinity MHC class I binding peptides comprise cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes. The remaining non-immunogenic peptides have equivalent MHC affinity and MHC-peptide complex half-lives, eliciting T cell responses when given in adjuvant and with T cell receptor-ligand avidity comparable with their immunogenic counterparts. As revealed by a novel high sensitivity nanospray tandem mass spectrometry methodology, failure to process those predicted epitopes may contribute significantly to the absent response. These results have important implications for rationale design of CD8+ T cell vaccines.
Dysregulation of melanocyte function by Th17‐related cytokines: significance of Th17 cell infiltration in autoimmune vitiligo vulgaris

The aim of this study was to determine whether CD4+IL‐17A+Th17 cells infiltrate vitiligo skin and to investigate whether the proinflammatory cytokines related to Th17 cell influence melanocyte enzymatic activity and cell fate. An immunohistochemical analysis showed Th17 cell infiltration in 21 of 23 vitiligo skin samples in addition to CD8+ cells on the reticular dermis. An in vitro analysis showed that the expression of MITF and downstream genes was downregulated in melanocytes by treatment with interleukin (IL)‐17A, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α. Treatment with these cytokines also induced morphological shrinking in melanocytes, resulting in decreased melanin production. In terms of local cytokine network in the skin, IL‐17A dramatically induced IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α production in skin‐resident cells such as keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Our results provide evidence of the influence of a complex Th17 cell‐related cytokine environment in local depigmentation in addition to CD8+ cell‐mediated melanocyte destruction in autoimmune vitiligo.
Shroom family proteins regulate γ-tubulin distribution and microtubule architecture during epithelial cell shape change

Cell shape changes require the coordination of actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. The molecular mechanisms by which such coordination is achieved remain obscure, particularly in the context of epithelial cells within developing vertebrate embryos. We have identified a novel role for the actin-binding protein Shroom3 as a regulator of the microtubule cytoskeleton during epithelial morphogenesis. We show that Shroom3 is sufficient and also necessary to induce a redistribution of the microtubule regulatorγ -tubulin. Moreover, this change in γ-tubulin distribution underlies the assembly of aligned arrays of microtubules that drive apicobasal cell elongation. Finally, experiments with the related protein, Shroom1, demonstrate that γ-tubulin regulation is a conserved feature of this protein family. Together, the data demonstrate that Shroom family proteins govern epithelial cell behaviors by coordinating the assembly of both microtubule and actin cytoskeletons.
Blood Cultures in the Evaluation of Children With Cellulitis

Objective. To evaluate the yield of blood cultures obtained from immunocompetent children admitted for cellulitis in the post-Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine era and to determine whether these cultures are cost-effective. Design. Retrospective case series. Setting. Urban pediatric emergency department. Study Population. Patients 2 days to 22 years of age admitted with cellulitis from 1994 through 1995. Measurements and Results. Of 381 patients identified, 266 (70%) had blood cultures and 243 of these children were enrolled. Data recorded include demographics, immunization status, initial clinical appearance, antibiotic pretreatment, preexisting illness, location and precipitating cause of cellulitis, white blood cell count, and band-to-neutrophil ratio (BNR). Blood cultures were categorized as positive, negative, or contaminant. Five cultures (2%) were positive, and 13 (5.4%) were contaminants. The positive blood cultures grew streptococcus and staphylococcus organisms, and none of the children were bacteremic with H influenzae. All patients with group A β-hemolytic streptococcus had active varicella. The mean age was lower (26 vs 75 months) in those with a positive blood culture, and mean BNR was higher (0.32 vs 0.07). Patient management did not change for bacteremic patients with uncomplicated cellulitis. All repeat cultures were negative. The cumulative charge for all blood cultures was $50 986. Conclusions. Blood cultures are not cost-effective and are more frequently contaminated than positive in the evaluation of a patient with uncomplicated cellulitis. Since introduction of theH influenzae type b vaccine, the most common organisms are streptococci. Using a BNR = 0.20 as a threshold for sending blood cultures, we would have missed one positive culture, but would have avoided blood cultures in 213 patients (88%) with an estimated savings of $42 850.
The significance of children fulfilling parental roles: implications for family therapy

This article describes how family therapists can routinely address the important, but often overlooked, issue of how some children may play parental roles in families. In some situations such as inadequate or absent parenting, a child is drawn into the parental subsystem and becomes identified as a ‘little parent’ in a process known as parentification. As well as gaining competence in caring, this experience may also become destructive to children in a number of ways. This includes loss of childhood and, as children are unable to fulfil the parental role adequately, low self-esteem, depression and other symptoms. The concept of family attachment scripts is used to understand the implications of a child crossing adult/child boundaries which can lead to looking after parents and siblings. Family therapy techniques help to redress the role reversal and enable the parents to take appropriate responsibility in the family. Work also focuses on how to prevent transmission of parentification down the generations. Therapists have often been parental children. How this can influence their work is illustrated by a specific case.
The development of a new measure of L2 vocabulary knowledge

With the increasing interest on the part of both researchers and language teaching specialists in the study of vocabulary acquisition by L2 learners, there is a need to have suitable instruments to measure learners' knowledge of words. The purpose of this article is to report on an investigation of a new test format, which was designed to go beyond conventional vocabulary test items - that simply allow for a yes/no judgement on whether a word is known - by providing a practical way of assessing the quality of word knowledge, that is, how well particular words are known.
Public Response To Air Pollution in South Yorkshire, England

The long history of awareness and concern regarding air pollution in Great Britain reflects the changing perceptions and participation of individuals, interest groups, industry, and government. Since the early 1300s, English legislators have reacted against the unpleasant sensory experiences associated with polluted air, but it was not until the nineteenth century that the ills of the industrial revolution brought about the beginnings of modern control legislation. In 1863, the Alkali Inspectorate became responsible for emissions from &dquo;scheduled&dquo; industry, and this organization retains jurisdication over most forms of industrial pollution. The London smogs of the 1950s directed attention to domestic pollution from coalburning fires and, in 1956, the Clean Air Act was passed in an attempt to curb these emissions. The 1956 Clean Air Act was a permissive act. It enabled local authorities to establish smoke control areas in which the burning of bituminous coal in domestic fires is prohibited. The &dquo;reasonable&dquo; cost of converting heating appliances to smokeless systems is shared between the government (40%), the local authority (30%), and the individual householder (30%). The underlying objective of the Clean Air Act was to restrict
A threat in the classroom: Gender stereotype activation and mental-rotation performance in elementary-school children.

Females’ performance in a gender-stereotyped domain is impaired when negative gender stereotypes are activated (Nguyen & Ryan, 2008). “Stereotype threat” affects the gender difference in adults’ mental-rotation performance (e.g., Moe & Pazzaglia, 2006). Our study investigated this effect in fourth graders. Two hundred sixteen males and females solved two mental-rotation tests. In between, a gender-difference instruction was given (“boys better,” “girls better,” “no gender difference”). A significant interaction of time and gender was found in the “girls better”-condition and in the “no gender difference”-condition: As expected, the male performance advantage disappeared after these two instructions, because girls improved and boys deteriorated. Thus, the study suggests that the gender effect in mental rotation is affected by stereotype threat and stereotype lift from the very beginning of its occurrence. Results are discussed within a biopsychosocial framework and seem to play an important role with regar.
Dust Absorption Along the Line of Sight for High-Redshift Objects

We estimate the optical depth distribution of dust present in absorption systems along the line of sight of high-redshift galaxies and the resulting reddening. We characterize the probability distribution of the transmission to a given redshift and the shape of the effective mean extinction law by means of analytical estimates and Monte Carlo simulations. We present our results in a format useful for applications to present samples of high-redshift galaxies and discuss the implications for observations with the James Webb Space Telescope. Our most realistic model takes into account the metallicity evolution of damped Lyα absorbers and predicts that the effects of dust absorption are modest: at redshift z ≳ 5 the transmission is above 0.8 at an emitted wavelength λe = 0.14 μm with probability 90%. Therefore, dust obscuration along the line of sight will affect only marginally observations at very high redshift.
COMPARING THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-REPORTED TEACHING PRACTICES ON THIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS WHOSE HOME LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH

This research was conducted in response to the increased attention given to connecting teacher evaluations to student achievement. The literature review identifies the effective teaching practices and teacher attitudes that are consistently associated with academic achievement. Selfreported teaching practices (SRTP) from the ECLS-K were then tested for similar effects on achievement and for invariance across two language groups: students whose primary home language is English and students who are English language learners (ELLs). Through use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), approximately 13,000 third grade students and their teachers were tested. The findings demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the teachers’ attitude (TA) and their quality of teaching, based upon teachers’ self-reported teaching practices (SRTP). The effect sizes of TA on SRTP was β = . 23 for English-first speakers (approaching strong) and β = . 33 for ELLs (strong); these effects were invariant across groups. Teacher Attitude mediated the influence of working condition’s (WC) on SRTP for both language groups (β = .16 for English and β = .20 for ELLs). The influence of SRTP on achievement (third grade reading scores) was not statistically significant from zero for either language group. Family Background’s (socioeconomic status – SES) influence was non-invariant on both reading results. Its influence on 1 grade reading (previous achievement – PA) was stronger for ELLs (β = .48 vs. β = .41) But SES influence was stronger for English-first students (β = .21 vs. β = .18) in third grade reading. PA mediated the effects of family background (SES) on academic achievement (3 Grade Reading) for both language groups. Working conditions strongly influenced teacher attitude (β = .70/.60) for native English speakers and ELLs, respectively. This study has shown that teachers’ attitude toward themselves and their students
Which Comforting Messages Really Work Best? A Different Perspective on Lemieux and Tighe's “Receiver Perspective”

This article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21, 144–153, 2004) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages.
Comparing Continuous versus Static Measurements in Music Listeners' Preferences

In this investigation, we compared listeners' preferential ratings of art music, derived by conventional static ratings taken through 10-point Likert-type scales, and continuous ratings taken throughout the duration of each excerpt with a Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). Music majors (n = 100) and non-music majors (n − 100) rated twelve excerpts of Western art music, including three substyles (Baroque, Romantic, and 20th-century) and three performance media (strings, keyboard, and winds). Music majors' preference ratings were significantly higher than were nonmusic majors' preference ratings. Although no significant effect was found due to using the CRDI or static rating scale, there was a significant interaction between type of measurement and major. Music majors' static and continuous ratings were similar; however, nonmusic majors' continuous ratings were noticeably higher than were static ratings. Nonmusic majors using the CRDI averaged almost one Likert-scale rating higher than those using the static measure.
Looking at Education through a Deweyan Lens: How Play Could Take Shape in Singapore's Preschools

This article outlines key characteristics of Singapore's national values and the preschool education context, and provides a discussion of what the spirit of play could be like in Singaporean preschools. The article uses Deweyan principles to advocate for socially just curricula in Singaporean preschools that embrace ‘play’ as a vehicle for children's learning.
Glottal stops and Tyneside glottalization: Competing patterns of variation and change in British English

ABSTRACT Glottalization and glottal replacement (particularly of /t/ in British English) have traditionally been assumed to be variants characteristic of male, lower-class speakers. Both phenomena have been heavily stigmatized, but are spreading rapidly. Recent studies in various parts of the British Isles (including Tyneside) have suggested that glottal replacement of /t/ is led by middle-class and/or female speakers. A fuller understanding of the nature of this linguistic change depends on treating glottalization of /p, t, k/ (a more localized Tyneside feature) and glottal replacement as independent phenomena, rather than as points on a lenition scale corresponding to a social continuum (e.g., casual to careful style). The studies of Tyneside glottalization reported here show that, while females lead in the use of glottal replacement, males prefer glottalization. This pattern is interpreted in terms of a preference of males for localized variants, whereas females lead in adopting supra-local norms.
The distance to the Orion Nebula

We have used the Very Long Baseline Array to measure the trigonometric parallax of several member stars of the Orion Nebula Cluster showing non-thermal radio emission. We have determined the distance to the cluster to be 414 ± 7 pc. Our distance determination allows for an improved calibration of luminosities and ages of young stars. We have also measured the proper motions of four cluster stars which, when accurate radial velocities are measured, will put strong constraints on the origin of the cluster.
Pulsed Digital Oscillators for Electrostatic MEMS

This paper introduces a new actuation scheme for implementing Pulsed Digital Oscillators (PDOs) for electrostatic MEMS resonators. In this scheme, the capacitance of the device is biased with a voltage and it is periodically sampled. Short pulses of zero voltage are applied depending on the decisions taken by the oscillator loop. The paper discusses in detail the implementation of such electrostatic PDO (e-PDO) through a prototype and links the e-PDO to the conventional PDO theory. As an example, it is shown that with this actuation scheme it is possible to excite different resonances of the mechanical structure simply by changing the parameters of the feedback filter of the oscillator.
Cannabinoids Inhibit Insulin Receptor Signaling in Pancreatic β-Cells

OBJECTIVE Optimal glucose homeostasis requires exquisitely precise adaptation of the number of insulin-secreting β-cells in the islets of Langerhans. Insulin itself positively regulates β-cell proliferation in an autocrine manner through the insulin receptor (IR) signaling pathway. It is now coming to light that cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) agonism/antagonism influences insulin action in insulin-sensitive tissues. However, the cells on which the CB1Rs are expressed and their function in islets have not been firmly established. We undertook the current study to investigate if intraislet endogenous cannabinoids (ECs) regulate β-cell proliferation and if they influence insulin action. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We measured EC production in isolated human and mouse islets and β-cell line in response to glucose and KCl. We evaluated human and mouse islets, several β-cell lines, and CB1R-null (CB1R−/−) mice for the presence of a fully functioning EC system. We investigated if ECs influence β-cell physiology through regulating insulin action and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of manipulation of the EC system in diabetic (db/db) mice. RESULTS ECs are generated within β-cells, which also express CB1Rs that are fully functioning when activated by ligands. Genetic and pharmacologic blockade of CB1R results in enhanced IR signaling through the insulin receptor substrate 2-AKT pathway in β-cells and leads to increased β-cell proliferation and mass. CB1R antagonism in db/db mice results in reduced blood glucose and increased β-cell proliferation and mass, coupled with enhanced IR signaling in β-cells. Furthermore, CB1R activation impedes insulin-stimulated IR autophosphorylation on β-cells in a Gαi-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide direct evidence for a functional interaction between CB1R and IR signaling involved in the regulation of β-cell proliferation and will serve as a basis for developing new therapeutic interventions to enhance β-cell function and proliferation in diabetes.