Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Enriched Environment on Viral Encephalitis Outcomes: Behavioral and Neuropathological Changes in Albino Swiss Mice

An enriched environment has previously been described as enhancing natural killer cell activity of recognizing and killing virally infected cells. However, the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral changes in relation to virus clearance and the neuropathology of encephalitis have not been studied in detail. We tested the hypothesis that environmental enrichment leads to less CNS neuroinvasion and/or more rapid viral clearance in association with T cells without neuronal damage. Stereology-based estimates of activated microglia perineuronal nets and neurons in CA3 were correlated with behavioral changes in the Piry rhabdovirus model of encephalitis in the albino Swiss mouse. Two-month-old female mice maintained in impoverished (IE) or enriched environments (EE) for 3 months were behaviorally tested. After the tests, an equal volume of Piry virus (IEPy, EEPy)-infected or normal brain homogenates were nasally instilled. Eight days post-instillation (dpi), when behavioral changes became apparent, brains were fixed and processed to detect viral antigens, activated microglia, perineuronal nets, and T lymphocytes by immuno- or histochemical reactions. At 20 or 40 dpi, the remaining animals were behaviorally tested and processed for the same markers. In IEPy mice, burrowing activity decreased and recovered earlier (8–10 dpi) than open field (20–40 dpi) but remained unaltered in the EEPy group. EEPy mice presented higher T-cell infiltration, less CNS cell infection by the virus and/or faster virus clearance, less microgliosis, and less damage to the extracellular matrix than IEPy. In both EEPy and IEPy animals, CA3 neuronal number remained unaltered. The results suggest that an enriched environment promotes a more effective immune response to clear CNS virus and not at the cost of CNS damage.
A Reservoir Model of Chagas Disease

More than 1 billion people all over the world are infected with neglected tropical diseases, such as Chagas disease in Latin and South America. Like malaria, this disease is passed between infected animals and people by an insect, the reduviid bug. In this paper, an ordinary differential equations model was developed that accounts for the existence of a disease reservoir in mammals, such as domestic livestock. Our results show that the disease free state is not a stable equilibrium, meaning that the introduction of even a small number of insects will lead to an epidemic.
Distribution and Frequency of kdr Mutations within Anopheles gambiae s.l. Populations and First Report of the Ace.1G119S Mutation in Anopheles arabiensis from Burkina Faso (West Africa)

An entomological survey was carried out at 15 sites dispersed throughout the three eco-climatic regions of Burkina Faso (West Africa) in order to assess the current distribution and frequency of mutations that confer resistance to insecticides in An. gambiae s.l. populations in the country. Both knockdown (kdr) resistance mutation variants (L1014F and L1014S), that confer resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, were identified concomitant with the ace-1 G119S mutation confirming the presence of multiple resistance mechanisms in the An. gambiae complex in Burkina Faso. Compared to the last survey, the frequency of the L1014F kdr mutation appears to have remained largely stable and relatively high in all species. In contrast, the distribution and frequency of the L1014S mutation has increased significantly in An. gambiae s.l. across much of the country. Furthermore we report, for the first time, the identification of the ace.1 G116S mutation in An. arabiensis populations collected at 8 sites. This mutation, which confers resistance to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, has been reported previously only in the An. gambiae S and M molecular forms. This finding is significant as organophosphates and carbamates are used in indoor residual sprays (IRS) to control malaria vectors as complementary strategies to the use of pyrethroid impregnated bednets. The occurrence of the three target-site resistance mutations in both An. gambiae molecular forms and now An. arabiensis has significant implications for the control of malaria vector populations in Burkina Faso and for resistance management strategies based on the rotation of insecticides with different modes of action.
f-oscillators and nonlinear coherent states

The notion of f-oscillators generalizing q-oscillators is introduced. For classical and quantum cases, an interpretation of the f-oscillator is provided as corresponding to a special nonlinearity of vibration for which the frequency of oscillation depends on the energy. The f-coherent states (nonlinear coherent states) generalizing q-coherent states are constructed. Applied to quantum optics, photon distribution function, photon number means, and dispersions are calculated for the f-coherent states as well as the Wigner function and Q-function. As an example, it is shown how this nonlinearity may affect the Planck distribution formula.
Spontaneous Local Gamma Oscillation Selectively Enhances Neural Network Responsiveness

Synchronized oscillation is very commonly observed in many neuronal systems and might play an important role in the response properties of the system. We have studied how the spontaneous oscillatory activity affects the responsiveness of a neuronal network, using a neural network model of the visual cortex built from Hodgkin-Huxley type excitatory (E-) and inhibitory (I-) neurons. When the isotropic local E-I and I-E synaptic connections were sufficiently strong, the network commonly generated gamma frequency oscillatory firing patterns in response to random feed-forward (FF) input spikes. This spontaneous oscillatory network activity injects a periodic local current that could amplify a weak synaptic input and enhance the network's responsiveness. When E-E connections were added, we found that the strength of oscillation can be modulated by varying the FF input strength without any changes in single neuron properties or interneuron connectivity. The response modulation is proportional to the oscillation strength, which leads to self-regulation such that the cortical network selectively amplifies various FF inputs according to its strength, without requiring any adaptation mechanism. We show that this selective cortical amplification is controlled by E-E cell interactions. We also found that this response amplification is spatially localized, which suggests that the responsiveness modulation may also be spatially selective. This suggests a generalized mechanism by which neural oscillatory activity can enhance the selectivity of a neural network to FF inputs.
Pervasiveness of the IQ Rise: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis

Background Generational IQ gains in the general population (termed the Flynn effect) show an erratic pattern across different nations as well as across different domains of intelligence (fluid vs crystallized). Gains of fluid intelligence in different countries have been subject to extensive research, but less attention was directed towards gains of crystallized intelligence, probably due to evidence from the Anglo-American sphere suggesting only slight gains on this measure. In the present study, development of crystallized intelligence in the German speaking general population is assessed. Methodology/Principal Findings To investigate whether IQ gains for crystallized intelligence are in progress in German-speaking countries, two independent meta-analyses were performed. By means of a cited reference search in ISI Web of Science, all studies citing test manuals and review articles of two widely-used salient measures of crystallized intelligence were obtained. Additionally, the electronic database for German academic theses was searched to identify unpublished studies employing these tests. All studies reporting participants mean IQ or raw scores of at least one of the two measures were included in the present analyses, yielding over 500 studies (>1,000 samples; >45,000 individuals). We found a significant positive association between years of test performance and intelligence (1971–2007) amounting to about 3.5 IQ points per decade. Conclusions/Significance This study clearly demonstrates that crystallized IQ gains are substantial and of comparable strength as Flynn effects typically observed for measures of fluid intelligence in Central Europe. Since mean IQ was assessed in a large number of small, non-representative samples, our evidence suggests a remarkable robustness of these gains. Moreover, in both meta-analyses strength of gains was virtually identical. On the whole, results of the present study demonstrate a pervasive and generalizing Flynn effect in German-speaking countries.
Association Analysis in African Americans of European-Derived Type 2 Diabetes Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms From Whole-Genome Association Studies

OBJECTIVE— Several whole-genome association studies have reported identification of type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes in various European-derived study populations. Little investigation of these loci has been reported in other ethnic groups, specifically African Americans. Striking differences exist between these populations, suggesting they may not share identical genetic risk factors. Our objective was to examine the influence of type 2 diabetes genes identified in whole-genome association studies in a large African American case-control population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 12 loci (e.g., TCF7L2, IDE/KIF11/HHEX, SLC30A8, CDKAL1, PKN2, IGF2BP2, FLJ39370, and EXT2/ALX4) associated with type 2 diabetes in European-derived populations were genotyped in 993 African American type 2 diabetic and 1,054 African American control subjects. Additionally, 68 ancestry-informative markers were genotyped to account for the impact of admixture on association results. RESULTS— Little evidence of association was observed between SNPs, with the exception of those in TCF7L2, and type 2 diabetes in African Americans. One TCF7L2 SNP (rs7903146) showed compelling evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (admixture-adjusted additive P [Pa] = 1.59 × 10−6). Only the intragenic SNP on 11p12 (rs9300039, dominant P [Pd] = 0.029) was also associated with type 2 diabetes after admixture adjustments. Interestingly, four of the SNPs are monomorphic in the Yoruba population of the HAPMAP project, with only the risk allele from the populations of European descent present. CONCLUSIONS— Results suggest that these variants do not significantly contribute to interindividual susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in African Americans. Consequently, genes contributing to type 2 diabetes in African Americans may, in part, be different from those in European-derived study populations. High frequency of risk alleles in several of these genes may, however, contribute to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in African Americans.
Vitamin A and public health: challenges for the next decade

A considerable amount has been learned since 1980 on the role of vitamin A in mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases. The results of epidemiological studies which have yielded this broad body of data are reviewed. The literature is discussed with regard to vitamin A deficiency and mortality and morbidity in infants aged 6 months and older and young children; the safety and efficacy of vitamin A supplementation in early infancy; the safety and efficacy, in both mother and infant, of vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy; vitamin A and HIV infection; the importance of vitamin A deficiency in older children and adolescents; and the potential of dietary interventions to improve vitamin A status. Seven major public health and nutrition challenges to address in developing countries over the next decade are listed.
Refugee education: Education for an unknowable future

ABSTRACT Conflict and displacement are increasingly protracted, requiring rethinking of refugee education as a long-term endeavour, connected not only to the idea of return but to the ongoing nature of exile. In this essay, I examine how refugees conceptualize education and its role in creating certainty and mending the disjunctures of their trajectories as refugees. Through a portrait of one refugee teacher, the essay explores technical, curricular, and relational dimensions of refugee education that assist refugee students in preparing for unknowable futures.
A common element involved in transcriptional regulation of two DNA alkylation repair genes (MAG and MGT1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae MAG gene encodes a 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase that protects cells from killing by alkylating agents. MAG mRNA levels are induced not only by alkylating agents but also by DNA-damaging agents that do not produce alkylated DNA. We constructed a MAG-lacZ gene fusion to help identify the cis-acting promoter elements involved in regulating MAG expression. Deletion analysis defined the presence of one upstream activating sequence and one upstream repressing sequence (URS) and suggested the presence of a second URS. One of the MAG URS elements matches a decamer consensus sequence present in the promoters of 11 other S. cerevisiae DNA repair and metabolism genes, including the MGT1 gene, which encodes an O6-methylguanine DNA repair methyltransferase. Two proteins of 26 and 39 kDa bind specifically to the MAG and MGT1 URS elements. We suggest that the URS-binding proteins may play an important role in the coordinate regulation of these S. cerevisiae DNA repair genes.
‘Any friend of yours is a friend of mine’: investigating the utilization of an interpreter in an investigative interview

ABSTRACT Premised on a body of literature suggesting target-interviewer rapport is a critical component of successful interviews, we explored the effect of two interpreter-related variables – the physical placement of the interpreter in the room, and the nature of the relationship between the interpreter and the target – on target-interviewer rapport. A total of 125 bilingual (Spanish/English) participants viewed a mock crime video and were then interviewed, via an interpreter (or not). Interpreters either built rapport with the participant immediately prior to the interview or did not, and were either seated beside the interviewer or behind the target, commensurate with recommendations from training manuals. When the interpreter and target engaged in a short rapport-building session prior to an investigative interview, the target rated their interaction with the interviewer less negatively compared to when rapport building did not occur. Furthermore, when the interpreter sat behind the target, the target viewed the interaction more negatively than when the interpreter sat beside the interviewer (triangular configuration). These findings suggest ways in which interpreters can be utilized more effectively, especially in terms of seating configuration, rapport development between a target and interpreter, and importantly, the potential for that target-interpreter rapport to transfer to the target-interviewer relationship.
On the Proof of Dark Matter, the Law of Gravity, and the Mass of Neutrinos

We develop a new method to predict the density associated with weak-lensing maps of (un)relaxed clusters in a range of theories interpolating between general relativity (GR) and modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). We apply it to fit the lensing map of the Bullet merging cluster 1E 0657-56, in order to constrain more robustly the nature and amount of collisionless matter in clusters beyond the usual assumption of spherical equilibrium (Pointecouteau & Silk) and the validity of GR on cluster scales (Clowe et al.). Strengthening the proposal of previous authors, we show that the Bullet Cluster is dominated by a collisionless—most probably nonbaryonic—component in GR as well as in MOND, a result consistent with the dynamics of many X-ray clusters. Our findings add to the number of known pathologies for a purely baryonic MOND, including its inability to fit the latest data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. A plausible resolution of all these issues and standard issues of cold dark matter (CDM) with galaxy rotation curves is the "marriage" of MOND with ordinary hot neutrinos of 2 eV. This prediction is just within the GR-independent maximum of neutrino mass from current β-decay experiments and will be falsifiable by the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment by 2009. Issues of consistency with strong-lensing arcs and the large relative velocity of the two clusters comprising the Bullet Cluster are also addressed.
Multiple sclerosis in twins from continental Italy and Sardinia: A nationwide study

Knowledge about the balance between heritable and nonheritable risk in multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on twin studies in high‐prevalence areas. In a study that avoided ascertainment limitations and directly compared continental Italy (medium‐prevalence) and Sardinia (high‐prevalence), we ascertained 216 pairs from 34,549 patients. This gives a twinning rate of 0.62% among MS patients, significantly less than that of the general population. In continental Italy, probandwise concordance was 14.5% (95% confidence interval, 5.1–23.8) for monozygotic and 4.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.8–7.1) for dizygotic twins. Results in Sardinia resemble those in northern populations but in limited numbers. Monozygotic concordance was 22.2% (95% confidence interval, 0–49.3) probandwise, but no concordant dizygotic pairs were identified. A questionnaire on 80 items possibly related to disease cause was administered to 70 twin pairs, 135 sporadic patients, and 135 healthy volunteers. Variables positively (7) or negatively (2) associated with predisposition and concordance in twins largely overlapped and were mainly linked to infection. If compared with previous studies, our data demonstrate that penetrance in twins appears to correlate with MS prevalence. They highlight the relevance of nonheritable variables in Mediterranean areas. The apparent underrepresentation of MS among Italian twins draws attention to protective factors, shared by twins, that may influence susceptibility. Ann Neurol 2005
Performance analysis of maximum likelihood detection in a MIMO antenna system

We provide an analysis of the performance of maximum likelihood detection (MLD) over flat fading channels in a wireless multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) antenna system. A tight union bound with an asymptotic form on the probability of symbol error rate (SER) for MIMO MLD systems with two-dimensional signal constellations (such as QAM and PSK) is introduced. Using this analytic bound, the performance of the MIMO antenna system is demonstrated quantitatively with respect to channel estimation, constellation size, and antenna configuration.
A Comparison of Unilaterally Hearing‐Impaired Children and Normal‐Hearing Children on a Battery of Standardized Language Tests

A group of 25 normal-hearing children aged 6 to 13 years was compared to a group of 25 children manifesting a unilateral hearing impairment of at least 45 dB HL. The two groups were matched on age, I.Q. , socio-economic status, sex, and race. Thirty-two percent of the hearing-impaired children failed a grade in school, while none of the normal-hearing children failed. This group of children who failed in school exhibited verbal I.Q. s which were significantly lower than those children who succeeded in school. However, few differences were found between the two groups on a battery of standardized language tests.
Magnetic Graphene Oxide: Effect of Preparation Route on Reactive Black 5 Adsorption

In this study, the effect of preparation route of magnetic graphene oxide (mGO) on Reactive Black 5 (RB5) adsorption was investigated. The synthesis of mGO was achieved both with (i) impregnation method (mGOi nanoparticles), and (ii) co-precipitation (mGOp nanoparticles). After synthesis, the full characterization with various techniques (SEM, FTIR, XRD, DTA, DTG, VSM) was achieved revealing many possible interactions/forces of dye-composite system. Effects of initial solution pH, effect of temperature, adsorption isotherms and kinetics were investigated in order to conclude about the aforementioned effect of the preparation method on dye adsorption performance of the magnetic nanocomposites. The adsorption evaluation of the magnetic nanoparticles presented higher adsorption capacity of mGOp derivative (188 mg/g) and lower of mGOi (164 mg/g). Equilibrium experiments are also performed studying the effect of contact time (pseudo-first and -second order equations) and temperature (isotherms at 25, 45 and 65 °C fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich model). A full thermodynamic evaluation was carried out, calculating the parameters of enthalpy, free energy and entropy (ΔH0, ΔG0 and ΔS0).
Why is Group Teaching So Important to Chinese Children's Development?

THIS EMPIRICAL STUDY ON early childhood education (ECE) in China looks into a randomly selected sample of 91 kindergartens and 178 classrooms providing ECE for children aged three to six in Zhejiang Province. Drawing on internationally established theories on ECE and adopting the Chinese Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (CECERS), a measurement instrument specially designed for quality assessment of ECE programs for Chinese children, the researchers have sought to find out how important and effective whole-group teaching is as compared with individual, child-centred free play. Some of the findings may appear alarming to ECE scholars in the west, and this phenomenon, as well as the limitations of this study, indicates fruitful avenues for future research.
Ferroelectric charged domain walls in an applied electric field

The interaction of electric field with charged domain walls in ferroelectrics is theoretically addressed. Ageneral expression for the force acting per unit area of a charged domain wall carrying free charge is derived. It is shown that, in proper ferroelectrics, the free charge carried by the wall is dependent on the size of the adjacent domains. As a result, the mobility of such domain wall (with respect to the applied field) is sensitive to the parameters of the domain pattern containing this wall. The problem of the force acting on a charged planar 180 degrees domain wall normal to the polarization direction in a periodic domain pattern in a proper ferroelectric is analytically solved in terms of Landau theory. In small applied fields (in the linear regime), the force acting on the wall in such pattern increases with decreasing the wall spacing. It is shown that the domain pattern considered is unstable in a defect-free ferroelectric. The poling of a crystal containing such pattern, stabilized by the pinning pressure, is also considered. Except for a special situation, the presence of charge domain walls makes poling more difficult. The results obtained are also applicable to zigzag walls under the condition that the zigzag amplitude is much smaller than the sizes of the neighboring domains.