Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Fused Mycobacterium tuberculosis Immunogens and Adjuvants in Modern Tuberculosis Vaccines

Several approaches have been developed to improve or replace the only available vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), BCG (Bacille Calmette Guerin). The development of subunit protein vaccines is a promising strategy because it combines specificity and safety. In addition, subunit protein vaccines can be designed to have selected immune epitopes associated with immunomodulating components to drive the appropriate immune response. However, the limited antigens present in subunit vaccines reduce their capacity to stimulate a complete immune response compared with vaccines composed of live attenuated or killed microorganisms. This deficiency can be compensated by the incorporation of adjuvants in the vaccine formulation. The fusion of adjuvants with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) proteins or immune epitopes has the potential to become the new frontier in the TB vaccine development field. Researchers have addressed this approach by fusing the immune epitopes of their vaccines with molecules such as interleukins, lipids, lipoproteins, and immune stimulatory peptides, which have the potential to enhance the immune response. The fused molecules are being tested as subunit vaccines alone or within live attenuated vector contexts. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to discuss the association of Mtb fusion proteins with adjuvants; Mtb immunogens fused with adjuvants; and cytokine fusion with Mtb proteins and live recombinant vectors expressing cytokines. The incorporation of adjuvant molecules in a vaccine can be complex, and developing a stable fusion with proteins is a challenging task. Overall, the fusion of adjuvants with Mtb epitopes, despite the limited number of studies, is a promising field in vaccine development.
Uncorking the Bottle: Popular Opposition to European Unification in the Wake of Maastricht

This is a revised version of a paper prepared for the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 1993. The authors would like to thank Susan Scarrow, Robert Rorschneidcr, Michael Gallagher and two anonymous referees for helpful comments, Roland Cayrol. Andrew Appleton and Torben Worre for providing opinion poll results, and Donley Studlar for making it all possible.
At What Age Does Low Back Pain Become a Common Problem?: A Study of 29,424 Individuals Aged 12‐41 Years

Study Design. A cross‐sectional study was performed in a Danish population of individuals 12‐41 years of age. Objectives. To study the lifetime cumulative incidence, the 1‐year period prevalence, and point prevalence of low back pain in the general population and to investigate whether there were any differences in the occurrence of low back pain that were related to age and gender, especially in young individuals. Summary of Background Data. The epidemiologic literature fails to provide a credible estimate of the prevalence of low back pain in children and adolescents compared with that of adults. Methods. A postal questionnaire was sent to 34,076 twins who were born between 1953 and 1982 and listed in the population‐based Danish Twin register. The response rate was 86%. Results. The prevalence of the various definitions of low back pain increased greatly in the early teen years (earlier for girls than for boys), and by the ages of 18 years (girls) and 20 years (boys) more than 50% had experienced at least one low back pain episode. The pattern for the 1‐year period prevalence of low back pain was very similar to that for the lifetime prevalence; both started at 7% (95% confidence interval, 5‐9%) for the 12‐year‐old individuals and reached 56% (95% confidence interval, 53‐59%) and 67% (95% confidence interval, 62‐71%), respectively, for the 41‐year‐old individuals. The pattern for the point prevalence resembled that of the more than 30 days of low back pain reported in the preceding year; the rate increased steadily from 1% (95% confidence interval, 0‐2%) to 17% (95% confidence interval, 14‐20%). There was a general tendency for more women to report low back pain than men, but this difference generally was not statistically significant. Conclusions. The study of the causes and prevention of low back pain needs to be focused on childhood and adolescence.
Accurate image reconstruction from few-views and limited-angle data in divergent-beam CT

In practical applications of tomographic imaging, there are often challenges for image reconstruction due to under-sampling and insufficient data. In computed tomography (CT), for example, image reconstruction from few views would enable rapid scanning with a reduced x-ray dose delivered to the patient. Limited-angle problems are also of practical significance in CT. In this work, we develop and investigate an iterative image reconstruction algorithm based on the minimization of the image total variation (TV) that applies to divergent-beam CT. Numerical demonstrations of our TV algorithm are performed with various insufficient data problems in fan-beam CT. The TV algorithm can be generalized to cone-beam CT as well as other tomographic imaging modalities.
Preventing HIV/AIDS among adolescents. Schools as agents of behavior change.

Although adolescents currently account for less than 1% of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases in the United States, recent data indicate that the rate of adolescent AIDS cases has increased markedly, 1 especially among African-American adolescents. 2 Moreover, given the long latency period between infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and clinical symptoms, reliance on AIDS case surveillance data severely underestimates the serious health threat to adolescents posed by the AIDS epidemic. More relevant indices, such as HIV seroprevalence in selected adolescent populations 2 and the high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual risk behaviors, 3,4 emphasize the need for the urgent development and implementation of programs that effectively reduce HIV-related risk behaviors, particularly unprotected sexual intercourse. See also p 725. Although sexual abstinence is the most effective method to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, many adolescents are sexually active, with the age of
The Protein Kinase SmSnRK2.6 Positively Regulates Phenolic Acid Biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza by Interacting with SmAREB1

Subclass III members of the sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) play essential roles in both the abscisic acid signaling and abiotic stress responses of plants by phosphorylating the downstream ABA-responsive element (ABRE)-binding proteins (AREB/ABFs). This comprehensive study investigated the function of new candidate genes, namely SmSnRK2.3, SmSnRK2.6, and SmAREB1, with a view to breeding novel varieties of Salvia miltiorrhiza with improved stress tolerance stresses and more content of bioactive ingredients. Exogenous ABA strongly induced the expression of these genes. PlantCARE predicted several hormones and stress response cis-elements in their promoters. SmSnRK2.6 and SmAREB1 showed the highest expression levels in the leaves of S. miltiorrhiza seedlings, while SmSnRK2.3 exhibited a steady expression in their roots, stems, and leaves. A subcellular localization assay revealed that both SmSnRK2.3 and SmSnRK2.6 were located in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus, whereas SmAREB1 was exclusive to the nucleus. Overexpressing SmSnRK2.3 did not significantly promote the accumulation of rosmarinic acid (RA) and salvianolic acid B (Sal B) in the transgenic S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. However, overexpressing SmSnRK2.6 and SmAREB1 increased the contents of RA and Sal B, and regulated the expression levels of structural genes participating in the phenolic acid-branched and side-branched pathways, including SmPAL1, SmC4H, Sm4CL1, SmTAT, SmHPPR, SmRAS, SmCHS, SmCCR, SmCOMT, and SmHPPD. Furthermore, SmSnRK2.3 and SmSnRK2.6 interacted physically with SmAREB1. In summary, our results indicate that SmSnRK2.6 is involved in stress responses and can regulate structural gene transcripts to promote greater metabolic flux to the phenolic acid-branched pathway, via its interaction with SmAREB1, a transcription factor. In this way, SmSnRK2.6 contributes to the positive regulation of phenolic acids in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots.
Role of P-Glycoprotein in Region-Specific Gastrointestinal Absorption of Talinolol in Rats

P-Glycoprotein (PGP) is nonuniformly distributed along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract; however, the data regarding regional differences in PGP function in the intestine are controversial. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of PGP efflux in region-specific absorption of talinolol from the GI tract in rats. Plasma talinolol concentrations were measured after several modes of administration, including high (40 mg/kg) and low (4 mg/kg) dose levels, to different segments of the GI tract (stomach versus colon), and codosing with PGP inhibitors (verapamil or cyclosporine). The bioavailability (F) of talinolol after high-dose administration to the stomach was significantly greater than that achieved by the low dose (approximately 18 versus 2%). Coadministration of low-dose talinolol with cyclosporine increased F by approximately 5-fold (p < 0.01). For the high dose, codosing with PGP inhibitors did not increase the extent of absorption. Talinolol demonstrated poor colonic absorption that was significantly increased by coadministration with cyclosporine (F = 0.76 versus 8.1%). Oral verapamil significantly increased systemic clearance and the steady state volume of distribution of intravenous talinolol. A semiphysiological model was developed that successfully captured the pharmacokinetic profiles of talinolol after various modes of administration. PGP-mediated efflux appears to be a major factor responsible for GI region-specific absorption of talinolol in rats, and gastroretentive dosage forms may provide an advantage in the delivery of talinolol and PGP substrate drugs.
On Water-Level Error Propagation in Controlled Irrigation Channels

We consider the propagation of water-level errors in a controlled string of (identical) pools comprising an open-water irrigation channel. It is shown that water-level errors are amplified as they propagate upstream, whenever the feedback control scheme is decentralised and load-disturbance rejection is required in steady-state. Moreover, a design trade-off is identified between local performance, in terms of set-point regulation and load-disturbance rejection, and the error-propagation characteristics. The use of feed-forward/decoupling paths is considered in terms of managing this trade-off. However, the corresponding analysis suggests it is difficult to exploit the extra degree of freedom. Finally, we investigate a so-called distributed generalisation of the decentralised schemes. This leads to an optimal control based framework for dealing with the design trade-off.
The impact of peer and parental norms and behavior on adolescent drinking: The role of drinker prototypes

Research on determinants of adolescents’ images or prototypes of drinking peers has demonstrated that parents and peers can influence the formation of drinker prototypes. It has also been shown that drinker prototypes mediate relations between peer and parental drinking behaviors and norms, and adolescent alcohol use. The current study examined this issue by taking into account the reciprocal relationship between drinker prototypes and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, these issues were studied for adolescents with and without drinking experience. For this purpose, longitudinal data were gathered among 1956 Dutch adolescents (12–16 years). Structural modeling analyses revealed significant effects of drinker prototypes on future alcohol use among both abstaining and drinking adolescents. Among drinking adolescents, the impact of peer and parental norms on adolescents’ alcohol use was mediated by drinker prototypes. Among adolescents with no drinking experience, drinker prototypes also affected future alcohol use. However, these effects were less important than the direct impact of peer and parental drinking. In sum, the present study revealed that prototypes mediate the influence of peer and parental norms on adolescents’ alcohol use, but only in adolescents who already have drinking experience. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Inhibition of Shigella flexneri by the Normal Intestinal Flora III. Interactions with Bacteroides fragilis Strains in Vitro

Five strains of Bacteroides fragilis isolated from human feces were assayed for their inhibitory activities against Shigella flexneri in vitro. Inhibition was not detected when Shigella and the Bacteroides strains were simultaneously inoculated into a defined liquid medium containing glucose. Inhibition was apparent only when Shigella was inoculated into established Bacteroides cultures. In exponential-phase cultures, the Shigella growth rate was diminished and logarithmic growth was prematurely interrupted. Shigella failed to multiply at all in stationary-phase Bacteroides cultures. An analysis of the stationary-phase cultures revealed that acetic and propionic acids were present in sufficiently high concentrations and the pH of the culture medium was sufficiently low to account for the inhibition of Shigella growth. In glucose-free Bacteroides cultures, Shigella multiplied almost as well as in control cultures, despite the presence of high concentrations of volatile fatty acids. At the high pH levels present in the glucose-free cultures, the acids were not toxic for Shigella. These results reaffirm the importance of the relationship between volatile fatty acids and pH in the inhibition of Shigella growth.
Usage of Sphingosine Kinase Isoforms in Mast Cells Is Species and/or Cell Type Determined

FcεRI engagement in mast cells (MCs) induces the activation of two distinct sphingosine kinase isoforms (SphK1 and SphK2) to produce sphingosine-1-phosphate, a mediator essential for MC responses. Whereas embryonic-derived SphK2-null MCs showed impaired responses to Ag, RNA silencing studies on other MC types indicated a dominant role for SphK1. Given the known functional heterogeneity of MCs, we explored whether the reported differences in SphK1 or SphK2 usage could be reflective of phenotypic differences between MC populations. Using lentiviral-based short hairpin RNA to silence SphK1 or SphK2, we found that SphK2 is required for murine MC degranulation, calcium mobilization, and cytokine and leukotriene production, irrespective of the tissue from which the MC progenitors were derived, the stage of MC granule maturity, or the conditions used for differentiation. This finding was consistent with the lack of a full allergic response in SphK2-null mice challenged to undergo passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. A redundant role for both SphKs was uncovered, however, in chemotaxis toward Ag in all MC types tested and in TNF-α production in certain MC types. In contrast, human MC responses were dependent only on SphK1, associating with a more robust expression of this isoform and a more varied representation of SphK variants relative to murine MCs. The findings show that the function of SphK1 and SphK2 can be interchangeable in MCs; however, an important determinant of SphK isoform usage is the species of origin and an influencing factor, the tissue from which MCs may be derived and/or their differentiation state.
Influence of gender stereotypes on parent and child mathematics attitudes

This study tested the hypothesis that parents' gender stereotypes about mathematically ability interact with the sex of their child to directly influence their beliefs about the child's mathematical ability and likelihood of future success in mathematics and to indirectly influence the child's self-perceptions and mathematics performance. Approximately 400 parents and their 6th- to 11th-grade children responded to questionnaires concerning their beliefs about the child's mathematics achievement and their stereotypes about males' and females' relative abilities in mathematics. Path analyses revealed that parents' gender stereotypes have no direct effect on children's self-perceptions. Instead, parents' stereotypes interact with the sex of their child to directly influence the parents' beliefs about the child's abilities. In turn, parents' beliefs about their child directly influence their child's self-perceptions, and both the parents' stereotypes and the child's self-perceptions influence the child's performance
High resistin and interleukin-6 levels are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus

Resistin is a cysteine-rich adipokine originally described as a molecular link between obesity and insulin resistance in rodents. In this study, we hypothesised that serum resistin concentrations are elevated in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) when compared with pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and related to proinflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other factors conferring insulin resistance. Serum resistin and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 81 women with GDM, 82 women with NGT between 24 and 31 weeks of gestation and 25 healthy non-pregnant women. Resistin concentrations were significantly higher in the GDM (21.9 [17.55–25.40] ng/ml) than in the NGT group (19.03 [15.92–23.91] ng/ml, p = 0.047), as well as in the non-pregnant women (14.8 [13.7–16.6] ng/ml, p < 0.0001). Serum IL-6 levels were elevated in the GDM (1.0 [0.7–1.5] pg/ml) as compared with the NGT group (0.8 [0.5–1.1] pg/ml, p = 0.006) and the non-pregnant controls (0.7 [0.5–1.1] pg/ml, p = 0.04). Multiple regression analysis revealed that in the pregnant women circulating resistin was related to serum IL-6 (β = 0.33, p = 0.0004) but not to insulin or the index of insulin resistance. It is concluded that the finding of high resistin and IL-6 levels in women with gestational diabetes might confirm a role of low-grade inflammation in the pathogenesis of GDM.
The dilemma of Malaysian padi policy

SUMMARY Development of Malaysia's rural sector, especially of the padi growing areas, has been a major strand in national policy for over 30 years. During this period substantial increases have been achieved in both production and productivity, thanks particularly to the expansion of double cropping and the widespread use of high yielding padi varieties and associated chemical inputs. Despite this achievement, the incomes of padi households have been declining relative to national income levels, a phenomenon generally believed to be due to the fact that the average farm is too small to support a household growing padi alone, even when yields are improved. Many padi farmers have abandoned their land so that about 20 per cent of Peninsular Malaysia's padi fields now lie idle. The Malaysian government, in seeking near self‐sufficiency in padi production, has few realistic ways out of this dilemma.
Postinfectious gastrointestinal disorders following norovirus outbreaks.

BACKGROUND The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20.9 million norovirus infections annually in the United States. Although the acute disease burden is sizeable, emerging data suggest norovirus may be associated with chronic gastrointestinal problems. We identified known outbreaks in US military recruits and used the Defense Medical Encounter Database (DMED) to identify the risk of new onset functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS Subjects reporting for care of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a military treatment clinic during 3 known norovirus outbreaks were identified. Each AGE subject was matched with up to 4 subjects with unrelated medical encounters. Medical encounter data were analyzed for the duration of military service time (or a minimum of 1 year) to assess for incident FGD or GERD. Relative risks were calculated using regression models. RESULTS We identified 1718 subjects from 3 outbreaks. After controlling for important demographic covariates, the incidence of constipation, dyspepsia, and GERD was approximately 1.5-old higher (P < .01) in AGE-exposed subjects than matched subjects. We also noted variability in outcome incidence across outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS It appears that the risk of dyspepsia, constipation, and GERD are higher among those who have AGE during a confirmed norovirus outbreak. Although these findings need confirmation, they suggest that dysmotility may result subsequent to these infections. If confirmed, the costs and morbidity associated with the chronic consequences of norovirus should be considered.
Iterative Viterbi A* Algorithm for K-Best Sequential Decoding

Sequential modeling has been widely used in a variety of important applications including named entity recognition and shallow parsing. However, as more and more real time large-scale tagging applications arise, decoding speed has become a bottleneck for existing sequential tagging algorithms. In this paper we propose 1-best A*, 1-best iterative A*, k-best A* and k-best iterative Viterbi A* algorithms for sequential decoding. We show the efficiency of these proposed algorithms for five NLP tagging tasks. In particular, we show that iterative Viterbi A* decoding can be several times or orders of magnitude faster than the state-of-the-art algorithm for tagging tasks with a large number of labels. This algorithm makes real-time large-scale tagging applications with thousands of labels feasible.