Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antigen-specific suppression in genetic responder mice to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). Characterization of conventional and hybridoma-derived factors produced by suppressor T cells from mice injected as neonates with syngeneic GAT macrophages

Spleen cells from C57BL/10 mice injected with syngeneic B10 L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT)-pulsed macrophages (GAT-M phi) within 18 h of birth were unable to respond to soluble GAT, GAT- methylated bovine serum albumin, or B10 GAT-M phi as adults. Spleen cells from these neonatally treated mice responded at control levels to GAT presented in allogeneic M phi and to sheep erythrocytes. Partially purified T cells from these neonatally treated mice suppressed responses by syngeneic virgin, but not primed, spleen cells in an antigen-specific manner and acted during the early phases of the response. These responder GAT-specific suppressor T cells (GAT-TSR) were sensitive to anti-Thy-1 + C and 500-rad irradiation and have the phenotype Ly-1-2+, I-J+; GAT-TSR cells can only suppress responses by spleen cells syngeneic with the GAT-TSR cells at the I-J subregion of H- 2. Restimulation of these Ts cells with syngeneic GAT-M phi induces an antigen-specific suppressor factor within the supernatant fluid. The factor, GAT-TsFR, is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight between 48,000 and 63,000, as determined by gel filtration chromatography using isotonic buffers; it bears serologically detectable determinants encoded by the I-J subregion of the H-2 complex, has an antigen-binding site for GAT and L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50, and shares idiotypic determinants with anti-GAT antibodies. The presence of GAT-TsFR in the first 36 h of in vitro culture is required for significant suppression. Furthermore, only responses by spleen cell syngeneic with the cells producing GAT-TsFR at the I-J subregion are suppressed. The fusion of GAT-TsFR-producing cells with BW5147 resulted in generation of two hybridomas with properties and characteristics identical to those of the conventional GAT-TsFR with one exception: conventional and hybridoma 372.D6. 5 GAT-TsFR only suppress responses by spleen cells of the I-Jb haplotype, whereas suppression mediated by the second hybridoma GAT-TsFR (372.B3.5) is genetically unrestricted. These hybridoma GAT-TsFR are compared with nonresponder GAT-Ts factor (GAT- TsF) and these responder and nonresponder GAT-TsF are considered in the context of suppressor pathways.
Comparison of intranasal midazolam with intravenous diazepam for treating febrile seizures in children: prospective randomised study

Abstract Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of midazolam given intranasally with diazepam given intravenously in the treatment of children with prolonged febrile seizures. Design: Prospective randomised study. Setting: Paediatric emergency department in a general hospital. Subjects: 47 children aged six months to five years with prolonged febrile seizure (at least 10 minutes) during a 12 month period. Interventions: Intranasal midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) and intravenous diazepam (0.3 mg/kg). Main outcome measures: Time from arrival at hospital to starting treatment and cessation of seizures. Results: Intranasal midazolam and intravenous diazepam were equally effective. Overall, 23 of 26 seizures were controlled with midazolam and 24 out of 26 with diazepam. The mean time from arrival at hospital to starting treatment was significantly shorter in the midazolam group (3.5 (SD 1.8) minutes, 95% confidence interval 3.3 to 3.7) than the diazepam group (5.5 (2.0), 5.3 to 5.7). The mean time to control of seizures was significantly sooner (6.1 (3.6), 6.3 to 6.7) in the midazolam group than the diazepam group (8.0 (0.5), 7.9 to 8.3). No significant side effects were observed in either group. Conclusion: Seizures were controlled more quickly with intravenous diazepam than with intranasal midazolam, although midazolam was as safe and effective as diazepam. The overall time to cessation of seizures after arrival at hospital was faster with intranasal midazolam than with intravenous diazepam. The intranasal route can possibly be used not only in medical centres but in general practice and, with appropriate instructions, by families of children with recurrent febrile seizures at home.
Efficiently Computable Datalog∃ Programs

Datalog∃ is the extension of Datalog, allowing existentially quantified variables in rule heads. This language is highly expressive and enables easy and powerful knowledge-modeling, but the presence of existentially quantified variables makes reasoning over Datalog∃ un-decidable, in the general case. The results in this paper enable powerful, yet decidable and efficient reasoning (query answering) on top of Datalog∃ programs. On the theoretical side, we define the class of parsimonious Datalog∃ programs, and show that it allows of decidable and efficiently-computable reasoning. Unfortunately, we can demonstrate that recognizing parsimony is undecidable. However, we single out Shy, an easily recognizable fragment of parsimonious programs, that significantly extends both Datalog and Linear-Datalog∃, while preserving the same (data and combined) complexity of query answering over Datalog, although the addition of existential quantifiers. On the practical side, we implement a bottom-up evaluation strategy for Shy programs inside the DLV system, enhancing the computation by a number of optimization techniques to result in DLV∃ - a powerful system for answering conjunctive queries over Shy programs, which is profitably applicable to ontology-based query answering. Moreover, we carry out an experimental analysis, comparing DLV∃ against a number of state-of-the-art systems for ontology-based query answering. The results confirm the effectiveness of DLV∃, which outperforms all other systems in the benchmark domain.
Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Challenges and Opportunities for Multidisciplinarity

Migraine and vertigo are two very prevalent conditions in general population. The coexistence of both in the same subject is a significant clinical challenge, since it is not always possible to understand whether they are causally related or associated by chance, requiring different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this review we analyze and summarize the actual knowledge about vestibular migraine (VM), focusing on the new concepts proposed by the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3-beta and by the Bárány Society and also addressing the former concepts, which are still present in clinical practice. We conclude that clinical studies using a multidisciplinary approach are crucial in this field, since different specialists observe the same pathology with different eyes. Clinical presentation of VM is variable in what concerns vestibular symptoms temporal relation with migraine headache, as well as in their accompanying manifestations. Biomarkers, either genomics or functional, and molecular imaging techniques will be helpful to clarify many aspects of the complexity of this entity, helping to define to what extent can VM be considered a separate and independent clinical entity.
Xenophobic attitudes in German police officers

In recent years, the proportion of the population with a migrant background has increased in the Federal Republic of Germany. We investigated whether young German police officers hold xenophobic attitudes at the beginning of their bachelor studies and how intercultural competence and communication training modules affect the development of those attitudes. In a 4-year longitudinal study, we assessed police officers’ xenophobic attitudes at the beginning of the first academic year, after basic study (year 1), after main study (year 2), and within the first year of professional practice (year 4). There was a significant decrease in xenophobic attitudes within the 3 years of professional education, followed by a slight increase within the first year of professional practice. Throughout the 4-year period, xenophobic attitudes decreased significantly, pointing to the effectiveness of the training modules integrated into the bachelor program and to the necessity to continue intercultural training within police departments.
Design and Field Evaluation of a Robotic Apple Harvesting System with a 3D-Printed Soft-Robotic End-Effector

Abstract. Fresh market apple harvesting is a difficult task that relies entirely on manual labor. Much research has been done on the development of mechanical harvesting techniques. Several selective harvesting robots have been developed for research studies, but there are no commercially available robotic systems. This article discusses the design and development of a novel pneumatic 3D-printed soft-robotic end-effector to facilitate apple separation. The end-effector was integrated into a robotic system with five degrees of freedom that was designed to simplify the picking sequence and reduce costs compared to previous versions. Apples were successfully harvested using the low-cost robotic system in a commercial orchard during the fall 2017 harvest. A detachment success rate on attempted apples of 67% was achieved, with an average time of 7.3 s per fruit from separation to storage bin. By conducting this study in an orchard where problematic apples were not removed to increase the detachment success rate, current pruning and thinning practices were assessed to help lay the foundation for future studies and develop strategies for successfully harvesting apples that are difficult to detach. Keywords: Apple catching, Apples, Automated harvesting, Field experimentation, Harvesting robot, Soft-robotic gripper.
Supporting Meaningful Career Paths: Effects of Mentoring and Adulthood Perception on Vocational Outcomes for Emerging Adults

During the transition to adulthood, adolescents are faced with numerous developmental challenges, including increased rates of risk-taking, academic pressure, and greater struggles with low self-esteem. Naturally-occurring mentoring relationships can aid in providing guidance and advice as well as emotional and tangible support during this time (Ahrens et al., 2008). The present study examined how natural mentors during adolescence shape vocational outcomes during early adulthood, and whether this impact of mentoring can be explained by changes in perceived adulthood during the transition to adulthood. Analyses used data from a large, nationally representative sample, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which followed 15,197 youth longitudinally from adolescence through ages 24-32. Results suggested that the presence of a natural mentor predicted vocational outcomes such as pursuing higher levels of education (b = .49, SE = .05, p < .001), more job autonomy (b = .06, SE = .02, p < .05), and having first jobs that better aligned with their career goals (b = -.23, SE = .04, p < .001) even after co-varying for youth age, minority status, gender, and baseline academic performance. Closeness of natural mentors predicted lower levels of education attained (b = -.06, SE = .02, p < .001). In addition, perceived adulthood partially mediated the effects of closeness to mentor on highest education achieved (Sobel = -.002, SE = .001, p < 0.01). These results suggest that naturally-occurring mentoring relationships during adolescence can lead to improved vocational outcomes, and that mentoring is also linked to increased perceptions of one’s adult roles.
Statistical Analysis for Subjective and Objective Evaluations of Dental Drill Sounds

The sound produced by a dental air turbine handpiece (dental drill) can markedly influence the sound environment in a dental clinic. Indeed, many patients report that the sound of a dental drill elicits an unpleasant feeling. Although several manufacturers have attempted to reduce the sound pressure levels produced by dental drills during idling based on ISO 14457, the sound emitted by such drills under active drilling conditions may negatively influence the dental clinic sound environment. The physical metrics related to the unpleasant impressions associated with dental drill sounds have not been determined. In the present study, psychological measurements of dental drill sounds were conducted with the aim of facilitating improvement of the sound environment at dental clinics. Specifically, we examined the impressions elicited by the sounds of 12 types of dental drills in idling and drilling conditions using a semantic differential. The analysis revealed that the impressions of dental drill sounds varied considerably between idling and drilling conditions and among the examined drills. This finding suggests that measuring the sound of a dental drill in idling conditions alone may be insufficient for evaluating the effects of the sound. We related the results of the psychological evaluations to those of measurements of the physical metrics of equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure levels (LAeq) and sharpness. Factor analysis indicated that impressions of the dental drill sounds consisted of two factors: “metallic and unpleasant” and “powerful”. LAeq had a strong relationship with “powerful impression”, calculated sharpness was positively related to “metallic impression”, and “unpleasant impression” was predicted by the combination of both LAeq and calculated sharpness. The present analyses indicate that, in addition to a reduction in sound pressure level, refining the frequency components of dental drill sounds is important for creating a comfortable sound environment in dental clinics.
Validation of the Japanese Version of the Multidimensional Stress Questionnaire for Couples: Factor Structure, Validity and Reliability

We validated the Japanese version of the Multidimensional Stress Questionnaire for Couples (MSQ) and examined construct validity and reliability. We conducted an online longitudinal survey of 300 husbands and 300 wives. The Japanese version of the MSQ (MSQ-J) had a two-factor structure centred on internal and external stressors. The internal-stressor factor showed sufficient validity and reliability, indicating its suitability for measuring marital stressors. The external-stressors factor also showed acceptable validity for both husbands and wives. The findings indicate that the MSQ-J is suitable for both research and clinical practice.
Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Awareness and Utilization of Pap Smear Test among Federal Civil Servants in North Central Nigeria

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in developing countries. A key factor linked to the relatively high levels of cervical cancer in these populations is the lack of awareness and access to preventive methods. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness of cervical cancer and Papanicolaou test (Pap smear test) and factors associated with the utilization of Pap test among female civil servants in Jos. Data was obtained from female workers (n = 388) aged 18–65 years in a Nigerian Federal establishment. Participants were randomly approached and instructed to complete validated questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Chi-square, t-tests and logistic regression analysis to determine if there was an association between variables and identify any predictors of awareness and utilization of the Pap test. Cervical cancer and Pap smear test awareness was 50.9% and 38.6% respectively, with the media as the major source of information. Pap smear test utilization rate was 10.2%, with routine antenatal care (ANC) as the major reason for getting screened. Personal barriers to screening include the lack of awareness, and belief that cervical cancer is not preventable. Opportunistic screening, mass media campaigns and ANC education were suggested as ways of improving awareness and utilization of cervical cancer screening services.
Moving towards adaptive management of cyanotoxin‐impaired water bodies

The cyanobacteria are a phylum of bacteria that have played a key role in shaping the Earth's biosphere due to their pioneering ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis. Throughout their history, cyanobacteria have experienced major biogeochemical changes accompanying Earth's geochemical evolution over the past 2.5+ billion years, including periods of extreme climatic change, hydrologic, nutrient and radiation stress. Today, they remain remarkably successful, exploiting human nutrient over‐enrichment as nuisance “blooms. ” Cyanobacteria produce an array of unique metabolites, the functions and biotic ramifications of which are the subject of diverse ecophysiological studies. These metabolites are relevant from organismal and ecosystem function perspectives because some can be toxic and fatal to diverse biota, including zooplankton and fish consumers of algal biomass, and high‐level consumers of aquatic food sources and drinking water, including humans. Given the long history of environmental extremes and selection pressures that cyanobacteria have experienced, it is likely that that these toxins serve ecophysiological functions aimed at optimizing growth and fitness during periods of environmental stress. Here, we explore the molecular and ecophysiological mechanisms underlying cyanotoxin production, with emphasis on key environmental conditions potentially controlling toxin production. Based on this information, we offer potential management strategies for reducing cyanotoxin potentials in natural waters; for cyanotoxins with no clear drivers yet elucidated, we highlight the data gaps and research questions that are still lacking. We focus on the four major classes of toxins (anatoxins, cylindrospermopsins, microcystins and saxitoxins) that have thus far been identified as relevant from environmental health perspectives, but caution there may be other harmful metabolites waiting to be elucidated.
The epigenetic reprogramming of poorly aggressive melanoma cells by a metastatic microenvironment

A dynamic, complex relationship exists between tumor cells and their microenvironment, which plays a pivotal role in cancer progression, yet remains poorly understood. Particularly perplexing is the finding that aggressive melanoma cells express genes associated with multiple cellular phenotypes, in addition to their ability to form vasculogenic‐like networks in three‐dimensional matrix ‐ called vasculogenic mimicry, which is illustrative of tumor cells plasticity. This study addressed the unique epigenetic effect of the microenvironment of aggressive melanoma cells on the behavior of poorly aggressive melanoma cells exposed to it. The data show significant changes in the global gene expression of the cells exposed to 3‐D matrices preconditioned by aggressive melanoma cells, including the acquisition of a vasculogenic cell phenotype, upregulation of ECM remodeling genes, and increased invasive ability ‐ indicative of an epigenetic, microenvironment‐induced reprogramming of poorly aggressive melanoma cells. However, this epigenetic effect was completely abrogated when a highly cross‐linked collagen matrix was used, which could not be remodeled by the aggressive melanoma cells. These findings offer an unique perspective of the inductive properties associated with an aggressive melanoma microenvironment that might provide new insights into the epigenetic regulation of tumor cell plasticity and differentiation, as well as mechanisms that could be targeted for novel therapeutic strategies.
Coevolving protein residues: maximum likelihood identification and relationship to structure.

The identification of protein sites undergoing correlated evolution (coevolution) is of great interest due to the possibility that these pairs will tend to be adjacent in the three-dimensional structure. Identification of such pairs should provide useful information for understanding the evolutionary process, predicting the effects of site-directed substitution, and potentially for predicting protein structure. Here, we develop and apply a maximum likelihood method with the aim of improving detection of coevolution. Unlike previous methods which have had limited success, this method allows for correlations induced by phylogenetic relationships and for variation in rate of evolution along branches, and does not rely on accurate reconstruction of ancestral nodes. In order to reduce the complexity of coevolutionary relationships and identify the primary component of pairwise coevolution between two sites, we reduce the data to a two-state system at each site, regardless of the actual number of residues observed at that site. Simulations show that this strategy is good at identifying simple correlations and at recognizing cases in which the data are insufficient to distinguish between coevolution and spurious correlations. The new method was tested by using size and charge characteristics to group the residues at each site, and then evaluating coevolution in myoglobin sequences. Grouping based on physicochemical characteristics allows categorization of coevolving sites into positive and negative coevolution, depending on the correlation between equilibrium state frequencies. We detected a striking excess of negative coevolution (corresponding to charge) at sites brought into proximity by the periodicity of the alpha-helix, and there was also a tendency for sites with significant likelihood ratios to be close in the three-dimensional structure. Sites on the surface of the protein appear to coevolve both when they are close in the structure, and when they are distant, implying a role for folding and/or avoidance of quaternary structure in the coevolution process.
Fluid model for a network operating under a fair bandwidth-sharing policy

We consider a model of Internet congestion control that represents the randomly varying number of flows present in a network where bandwidth is shared fairly between document transfers. We study critical fluid models obtained as formal limits under law of large numbers scalings when the average load on at least one resource is equal to its capacity. We establish convergence to equilibria for fluid models and identify the invariant manifold. The form of the invariant manifold gives insight into the phenomenon of entrainment whereby congestion at some resources may prevent other resources from working at their full capacity.