Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Vaccination Strategies to Mitigate Pandemic Influenza: Mexico as a Case Study

Background We explore vaccination strategies against pandemic influenza in Mexico using an age-structured transmission model calibrated against local epidemiological data from the Spring 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic. Methods and Findings In the context of limited vaccine supplies, we evaluate age-targeted allocation strategies that either prioritize youngest children and persons over 65 years of age, as for seasonal influenza, or adaptively prioritize age groups based on the age patterns of hospitalization and death monitored in real-time during the early stages of the pandemic. Overall the adaptive vaccination strategy outperformed the seasonal influenza vaccination allocation strategy for a wide range of disease and vaccine coverage parameters. Conclusions This modeling approach could inform policies for Mexico and other countries with similar demographic features and vaccine resources issues, with regard to the mitigation of the S-OIV pandemic. We also discuss logistical issues associated with the implementation of adaptive vaccination strategies in the context of past and future influenza pandemics.
Why place matters: imaginative geography and international student mobility

This paper develops and extends the recent work on international student mobility by expanding beyond the traditional push–pull factors of migration to show that students are influenced by more than the economic in their decision of where to study. It uses original data collected through interviews and focus groups with 38 higher education international students at three UK universities located in Aberdeen, Belfast and Nottingham to show that when students choose to study overseas they are influenced by diverse perceptions of place that they have constructed over long periods of time. These imaginative geographies are the direct result of exposure to a range of different media, as well as stories relayed to them from members of their social networks. This paper demonstrates that students studying in Scotland and Northern Ireland appear to have highly developed imaginative geographies in relation to their chosen study sites. By contrast, international students studying in England tended to have little conception of their chosen place of study. In this case the powerful imaginative geographies that had been instilled within them focused on London, overshadowing their understanding of their chosen study site.
We do not live to buy: Why subcultures are different from brand communities and the meaning for marketing discourse

Purpose – The purpose is to investigate the concepts of subculture, subculture of consumption and brand community with a view to better understanding these three groups and their distinct differences.Design/methodology/approach – The method relies on a literature review and a case study of sporting subculture. Using commentary from the surfing community as an example of subcultural groups we see how they define themselves against consumption oriented groups.Findings – Subcultures are completely different from brand communities (or subcultures of consumption) and while they can be said to share certain common traits the broad philosophical foci of these two groups are vastly incommensurate with one another.Practical implications – Marketing discourse has perpetually conflated subculture with forms of consumption, i.e. brand communities, yet they are different. By acknowledging and interrogating the key differences marketers may better apprehend the needs, character and activities of subcultural participant.
Universal description of the resonant facilitation of the inter-separatrix chaos onset

We have developed a universal asymptotic description of the strong resonance-mediated facilitation of the onset of the inter-separatrix chaotic transport (IST) - a remarkable phenomenon discovered a decade ago and being relevant to a vast variety of systems. Apart from a fundamental importance, our results are of a big practical use: our explicit formulas allow us to immediately predict a coarse-grained line in the parameters plane marking the facilitated onset of the IST while computer simulations, conventionally used to accomplish this task, take a large time. We illustrate the efficiency of our general results at the example of the cross-jet transport in a meandering flow.
Divided They Tweet: The Network Structure of Political Microbloggers and Discussion Topics

In the context of a national election, this study explores more than 69,000 Twitter messages containing mentions of political parties and about 2,500 related user profiles to investigate the network structure of political microbloggers with respect to, first, their party preference and, second, the topics they discuss. We find that political microbloggers tend to follow like-minded peers. Microbloggers in a cohesive group tend to have the same political preferences. In addition, we conduct a content analysis of the political debate on Twitter to explore which topics and politicians are discussed and whether this debate reflects an ideological divide among participating users. While there are some discussion topics that are dominated by politically like-minded microbloggers, the majority of topics is discussed by a diverse group of microbloggers with various political preferences.
PSD-95 and PSD-93 Play Critical But Distinct Roles in Synaptic Scaling Up and Down

Synaptic scaling stabilizes neuronal firing through the homeostatic regulation of postsynaptic strength, but the mechanisms by which chronic changes in activity lead to bidirectional adjustments in synaptic AMPA receptor (AMPAR) abundance are incompletely understood. Furthermore, it remains unclear to what extent scaling up and scaling down use distinct molecular machinery. PSD-95 is a scaffold protein proposed to serve as a binding “slot” that determines synaptic AMPAR content, and synaptic PSD-95 abundance is regulated by activity, raising the possibility that activity-dependent changes in the synaptic abundance of PSD-95 or other membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) drives the bidirectional changes in AMPAR accumulation during synaptic scaling. We found that synaptic PSD-95 and SAP102 (but not PSD-93) abundance were bidirectionally regulated by activity, but these changes were not sufficient to drive homeostatic changes in synaptic strength. Although not sufficient, the PSD-95 MAGUKs were necessary for synaptic scaling, but scaling up and down were differentially dependent on PSD-95 and PSD-93. Scaling down was completely blocked by reduced or enhanced PSD-95, through a mechanism that depended on the PDZ1/2 domains. In contrast, scaling up could be supported by either PSD-95 or PSD-93 in a manner that depended on neuronal age and was unaffected by a superabundance of PSD-95. Together, our data suggest that scaling up and down of quantal amplitude is not driven by changes in synaptic abundance of PSD-95 MAGUKs, but rather that the PSD-95 MAGUKs serve as critical synaptic organizers that use distinct protein–protein interactions to mediate homeostatic accumulation and loss of synaptic AMPAR.
Lytic Viral Replication as a Contributor to theDetection of Epstein-Barr Virus in BreastCancer

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has an accepted association with the epithelial malignancy nasopharyngeal carcinoma and has also been reported in other more controversial carcinoma settings. Evaluation of EBV association with epithelial carcinomas such as breast cancer would benefit from a better understanding of the outcome of EBV infection of these cells. Cell-free preparations of a green fluorescent protein-expressing virus, BX1, were used to infect breast cancer cell lines, which were then examined for EBV gene expression and viral genome copy number. Reverse transcription-PCR analyses revealed that the cells supported a mixture of latency II and lytic EBV gene expression. Lytic Zta and BMRF1 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, and DNA PCR analyses estimated an EBV copy number of 300 to 600 genomes per infected cell. Evidence for lytic EBV expression was also found in breast tissue, where reverse transcription-PCR analyses detected lytic Zta transcripts in 7 of 10 breast carcinoma tissues and 4 of 10 normal tissues from the same patients. Scattered cells immunoreactive for Zta protein were also detectable in breast carcinoma. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of EBV-positive breast carcinoma tissues suggested that less than 0.1% of the cells contained viral genomes. We suggest that sporadic lytic EBV infection may contribute to PCR-based detection of EBV in traditionally nonvirally associated epithelial malignancies.
Using Eye Movements to Investigate Word Frequency Effects in Children's Sentence Reading

Abstract. Although eye movements have been used widely to investigate how skilled adult readers process written language, relatively little research has used this methodology with children. This is unfortunate as, as we discuss here, eye-movement studies have significant potential to inform our understanding of children's reading development. We consider some of the empirical and theoretical issues that arise when using this methodology with children, illustrating our points with data from an experiment examining word frequency effects in 8-year-old children's sentence reading. Children showed significantly longer gaze durations to low- than high-frequency words, demonstrating that linguistic characteristics of text drive children's eye movements as they read. We discuss these findings within the broader context of how eye-movement studies can inform our understanding of children's reading, and can assist with the development of appropriately targeted interventions to support children as they learn to read.
Impaired EDHF‐mediated vasodilatation in adult offspring of rats exposed to a fat‐rich diet in pregnancy

We recently reported vascular dysfunction in adult offspring of rats fed a fat‐rich (animal lard) diet in pregnancy. This study reports further characterization of constrictor and dilator function in mesenteric and caudal femoral arteries from 180‐day‐old offspring of dams fed the high fat diet (OHF). Endothelium‐dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine (10−9–10−5m) was impaired in mesenteric small arteries from male and female OHF compared with offspring of dams fed normal chow (males (maximum percentage relaxation): OHF 67.92 ± 2.89, n= 8 versus control 92.08 ± 2.19, n= 8, P < 0.01). Substantial relaxation in response to acetycholine in control mesenteric arteries remained after inhibition of nitric oxide synthase, soluble guanylate cyclase and cyclo‐oxygenase but was blocked by 25 mm potassium. This component of relaxation, attributed to EDHF, was significantly reduced in OHF mesenteric arteries compared with controls. However, EDHF played a minor role in acetylcholine‐induced relaxation in both control and OHF femoral caudal arteries (male and female). In these arteries, in contrast to mesenteric vessels, acetylcholine‐induced relaxation was significantly enhanced in OHF but only in males (ACh (maximum percentage relaxation): OHF 58.40 ± 4.39, n= 8 versus male controls 32.18 ± 6.36, P < 0.05). This was attributable to enhanced nitric oxide‐mediated relaxation. In conclusion, reduced endothelium‐dependent relaxation in OHF mesenteric arteries is due to impaired EDHF‐mediated relaxation. This defect was not apparent in femoral arteries in which EDHF has a less prominent role.
Applications of UKF and EnKF to estimation of contraction ratio of McKibben pneumatic artificial muscles

This study applies the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to estimate a contraction ratio of the McKibben pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) and to present that the UKF is more effective than the EnKF in estimating the PAM length. Both filters were applied for a commercial PAM, FESTO DMSP-20-200N, to validate them. The estimation was conducted offline under three types of sinusoidal control signals, which are a voltage inputted to a proportional directional control valve. The inner pressure in those cases travels in low, high, and whole ranges between 0.2 and 0.7 [MPa] respectively. An alternative technique of measuring the length using a sensor device is important in making full use of the PAM's merit.
Spatial Normalization of Lesioned HMPAO-SPECT Images

We investigated the effect of nonlinear alignment on SPECT images with lesions. Linear alignment produces reliable results but the introduction of nonlinear methods can improve matching by accounting for global brain shape. We examined the hypothesis that nonlinear alignment can introduce unwanted image distortions when lesions are present. We set out to quantify possible distortions by constructing artificial lesions in order to obtain images with controllable characteristics. We examined the use of basis functions (in SPM96 and SPM99) and other nonlinear models (in AIR3.08) designed to achieve optimum alignment between image and template. We found that the use of models with high degrees of nonlinearity will result in unwanted deformations and that the safest way to align images with lesions is to use 12-point linear affine transformations. Masking was examined as a remedy to distortions caused by nonlinear methodologies and produced significantly improved results.
Active Motor Neurons Potentiate Their Own Sensory Inputs via Glutamate-Induced Long-Term Potentiation

Adaptive motor control is based mainly on the processing and integration of proprioceptive feedback information. In crayfish walking leg, many of these operations are performed directly by the motor neurons (MNs), which are connected monosynaptically by sensory afferents (CBTs) originating from a chordotonal organ that encodes vertical limb movements. An in vitro preparation of the crayfish CNS was used to investigate a new control mechanism exerted directly by motor neurons on the sensory inputs themselves. Paired intracellular recordings demonstrated that, in the absence of any presynaptic sensory firing, the spiking activity of a leg MN is able long-lastingly to enhance the efficacy of the CBT–MN synapses. Moreover, this effect is specific to the activated MN because no changes were induced at the afferent synapses of a neighboring silent MN. We report evidence that long-term potentiation (LTP) of the monosynaptic EPSP involves a retrograde system of glutamate transmission from the postsynaptic MN, which induces the activation of a metabotropic glutamate receptor located presynaptically on the CBTs. We demonstrate that LTP at crayfish sensory–motor synapses results exclusively from the long-lasting enhancement of release of acetylcholine from presynaptic sensory afferent terminals, without inducing any modifications in postsynaptic MN properties. Our data indicate that this positive feedback control represents a functional mechanism that may play a key role in the auto-organization of sensory–motor networks.
Pulsed optical parametric generation, amplification, and oscillation in monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate crystals

We conducted a series of passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped optical parametric generation, amplification, and oscillation experiments in monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystals. Double-pass optical parametric generation with an effective gain length of 10 cm in a PPLN crystal was performed in comparison with single-pass operation in the same crystal. By seeding a PPLN optical parametric amplifier with a distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser, we produced 200-ps transform-limited laser pulses at 1549.6 nm and observed parametric gain competition at different pump levels. For optical parametric oscillations, we first demonstrated 22% power efficiency from a 2.4-cm intrinsic-cavity PPLN optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 4.2-ns, 10-kW passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Preliminary studies on DFB optical parametric oscillators in PPLN are mentioned. The temporal and spectral properties of these optical parametric generators, amplifiers, and oscillators are characterized and discussed.
Current Trends in Rapid Diagnostics for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococcus Species

Hospital-acquired (HA) infections are an increasing global problem. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus (GRE) are multidrugresistant organisms and are particularly frequent causes of HA infections that often prove difficult and expensive to treat. Major sources of MRSA and GRE causing infections are either the patient’s own floras (endogenous infection), those acquired from another person (cross-infection), or those from substances recently contaminated by a human source (environmental infection). Active surveillance cultures from patients for carriage of MRSA and GRE facilitate an early contact isolation (and even treatment), thus preventing spread in the hospital and reducing costs (42). However, the time to result with conventional cultures is 2 to 3 days, which allows these organisms a sizeable time window for potential spread prior to the institution of contact precautions. Recently, several “rapid” diagnostic tests have been introduced that would be very beneficial in decreasing the time to detection, therefore reducing the risk of nosocomial transmission and infections, especially in high-risk patients. This review discusses the current state of the art on rapid and direct detection methods for MRSA and GRE from patient material and hopes to facilitate the infectious disease specialist or microbiologist in choosing an appropriate diagnostic test.
Extreme-Scale Phase Field Simulations of Coarsening Dynamics on the Sunway TaihuLight Supercomputer

Many important properties of materials such as strength, ductility, hardness and conductivity are determined by the microstructures of the material. During the formation of these microstructures, grain coarsening plays an important role. The Cahn-Hilliard equation has been applied extensively to simulate the coarsening kinetics of a two-phase microstructure. It is well accepted that the limited capabilities in conducting large scale, long time simulations constitute bottlenecks in predicting microstructure evolution based on the phase field approach. We present here a scalable time integration algorithm with large stepsizes and its efficient implementation on the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer. The highly nonlinear and severely stiff Cahn-Hilliard equations with degenerate mobility for microstructure evolution are solved at extreme scale, demonstrating that the latest advent of high performance computing platform and the new advances in algorithm design are now offering us the possibility to simulate the coarsening dynamics accurately at unprecedented spatial and time scales.
Do ketogenic diets really suppress appetite? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Very‐low‐energy diets (VLEDs) and ketogenic low‐carbohydrate diets (KLCDs) are two dietary strategies that have been associated with a suppression of appetite. However, the results of clinical trials investigating the effect of ketogenic diets on appetite are inconsistent. To evaluate quantitatively the effect of ketogenic diets on subjective appetite ratings, we conducted a systematic literature search and meta‐analysis of studies that assessed appetite with visual analogue scales before (in energy balance) and during (while in ketosis) adherence to VLED or KLCD. Individuals were less hungry and exhibited greater fullness/satiety while adhering to VLED, and individuals adhering to KLCD were less hungry and had a reduced desire to eat. Although these absolute changes in appetite were small, they occurred within the context of energy restriction, which is known to increase appetite in obese people. Thus, the clinical benefit of a ketogenic diet is in preventing an increase in appetite, despite weight loss, although individuals may indeed feel slightly less hungry (or more full or satisfied). Ketosis appears to provide a plausible explanation for this suppression of appetite. Future studies should investigate the minimum level of ketosis required to achieve appetite suppression during ketogenic weight loss diets, as this could enable inclusion of a greater variety of healthy carbohydrate‐containing foods into the diet.
Enhanced Tonic Gaba Current in Normotopic and Hilar Ectopic Dentate Granule Cells after Pilocarpine-induced Status Epilepticus Pilocarpine-induced Status Epilepticus

Zhan R-Z, Nadler JV. Enhanced tonic GABA current in normotopic and hilar ectopic dentate granule cells after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. In temporal lobe epilepsy, loss of inhibitory neurons and circuit changes in the dentate gyrus promote hyperexcitability. This hyperexcitability is compensated to the point that dentate granule cells exhibit normal or even subnormal excitabil-ity under some conditions. This study explored the possibility that compensation involves enhanced tonic GABA inhibition. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were made from normotopic granule cells in hippocampal slices from control rats and from both normotopic and hilar ectopic granule cells in slices from rats subjected to pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. After status epilepticus, tonic GABA current was an order of magnitude greater than control in normotopic granule cells and was significantly greater in hilar ectopic than in normotopic granule cells. These differences could be observed whether or not the extracellular GABA concentration was increased by adding GABA to the superfusion medium or blocking plasma membrane transport. The enhanced tonic GABA current had both action potential– dependent and action potential–independent components. Pharmacological studies suggested that the small tonic GABA current of granule cells in control rats was mediated largely by high-affinity ␣ 4 ␤ x ␦ GABA A receptors but that the much larger current recorded after status epilepticus was mediated largely by the lower-affinity ␣ 5 ␤ x ␥ 2 GABA A receptors. A large ␣ 5 ␤ x ␥ 2-mediated tonic current could be recorded from controls only when the extracellular GABA concentration was increased. Status epilepticus seemed not to impair the control of extracellular GABA concentration by plasma membrane transport substantially. Upregulated tonic GABA inhibition may account for the unexpectedly modest excitability of the dentate gyrus in epileptic brain. Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of epilepsy in the adult population. Most cases are believed to develop after a lesion of the brain. The most consistent region of neuronal loss is the hilus of the dentate gyrus. Dentate granule cells regulate the propagation of seizures from the highly excitable entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus (Nadler 2003, 2009; Nadler and Zhan 2009). In lesional temporal lobe epilepsy, dentate gyrus circuitry is expected to become more excitable because of the loss of hilar GABA neurons (Buck-master and Jongen-Rêlo 1999; Obenaus et al. 1993; Sun et al. 2007; Sundstrom et al. 2001) and the marked increase of monosynaptic recurrent excitatory connections (Nadler 2003). In addition, seizures …