Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Contributions to Regional Variability in Human Brain Structure: Methods and Preliminary Results

Twin studies provide one approach for investigating and partitioning genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variability in human brain structure. Previous twin studies have found that cerebral volume, hemispheric volume, ventricular volume, and cortical gyral pattern variability were heritable. We investigated the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to both global (brain volume and lateral ventricular volume) and regional (parcellated gray matter) variability in brain structure. We examined MR images from 10 pairs of healthy monozygotic and 10 pairs of same-sex dizygotic twins. Regional gray matter volume was estimated by automated image segmentation, transformation to standard space, and parcellation using a digital atlas. Heritability was estimated by path analysis. Estimated heritability for brain volume variability was high (0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.17, 1.0) but the major effects on lateral ventricular volume variability were common and unique environmental factors. We constructed a map of regional brain heritability and found large genetic effects shared in common between several bilateral brain regions, particularly paralimbic structures and temporal-parietal neocortex. We tested three specific hypotheses with regard to the genetic control of brain variability: (i) that the strength of the genetic effect is related to gyral ontogenesis, (ii) that there is greater genetic control of left than of right hemisphere variability, and (iii) that random or fluctuating asymmetry in bilateral structures is not heritable. We found no evidence in support of the first two hypotheses, but our results were consistent with the third hypothesis. Finally, we used principal component (PC) analysis of the genetic correlation matrix, to identify systems of anatomically distributed gray matter regions which shared major genetic effects in common. Frontal and parietal neocortical areas loaded positively on the first PC; some paralimbic and limbic areas loaded negatively. Bilateral insula, some frontal regions, and temporal neocortical regions functionally specialized for audition and language loaded strongly on the second PC. We conclude that large samples are required for powerful investigation of genetic effects in imaging data from twins. However, these preliminary re. sults suggest that genetic effects on structure of the human brain are regionally variable and predominantly symmetric in paralimbic structures and lateral temporal cortex.
Patulin influences the expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines by activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells through depletion of intracellular glutathione

Patulin is a mold toxin secreted mainly by fungi of the Penicillium species. Exposure generally results from consumption of moldy fruits and fruit products. Since recent studies identified mold exposure as a risk factor for allergic diseases, we examined the effects of patulin on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) prepared from buffy coats of healthy donors. Cells were stimulated with CD3‐ and CD28‐specific antibodies in the presence or absence of patulin. Effects of patulin on PBMCs were evaluated by proliferation, viability assays, and cytokine ELISAs. The presence of 50 ng/mL patulin strongly decreased the amounts of several cytokines in the supernatant of stimulated PBMCs. This decrease in cytokine secretion was not due to cytotoxic effects of patulin. Moreover, the extent of the reduction of cytokine amounts was cytokine specific, affecting some (IL‐4, IL‐13, IFNγ, and IL‐10), but not others (IL‐8, IL‐5). We show that all effects could be abolished by adding thiol containing compounds. A depletion of intracellular GSH could be measured after incubation of cells with patulin. Taken together, our data indicate that patulin modulates the functional activation of PBMCs with respect to proliferation and cytokine secretion patterns by depletion of intracellular GSH. The depletion of intracellular glutathione may influence the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells and have implications for allergic diseases. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008.
Actinomycetes: Source, Identification, and Their Applications

During 1914 to 1939, Selman A. Waksman had been consistently systematically screening soil bacteria and fungi to find an antibiotic for tuberculosis. In 1939, he discovers the effect of certain fungi specially actinomycetes on bacterial growth. In 1940, he was able to isolate an effective T.B. antibiotic, actinomycin and for this he got success in 1944, with the discovery of Spectromycin.For all this work in 1952, he got the Noble prize in physiological & medicine. ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 2 (2014) pp. 801-832 http://www.ijcmas. com
Erythema Chronicum Migrans and Lyme Arthritis: The Enlarging Clinical Spectrum

: Thirty-two patients with the onset of erythema chronicum migrans, Lyme arthritis, or both in mid-1976 were studied prospectively. The skin lesion (24 patients) typically lasted about 3 weeks, beginning as a red macule or papule that expanded to form a large ring with central clearing. Associated symptoms ranged from none to malaise, fatigue, chills and fever, headache, stiff neck, backache, myalgias, nausea, vomiting, and sore throat. Three patients had been bitten by ticks at the site of the initial lesion 4 to 20 days before its onset. Nineteen patients suddenly developed a monoarticular or oligoarticular arthritis 4 days to 22 weeks (median, 4 weeks) after onset of the skin lesion; eight developed arthritis without a preceding skin lesion. Seven of these 27 experienced migratory joint pains. Arthritis attacks, most commonly in the knee, were typically short (median, 8 days) but sometimes persisted for months. Other manifestations included neurologic abnormalties, myocardial conduction abnormalities, serum cryoprecipitates, elevated serum IgM levels, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates. The diagnostic marker is the skin lesion; without it, geographic clustering is the most important clue.
The broadly neutralizing HIV-1 IgG 2F5 elicits gp41-specific antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in a FcγRI-dependent manner

Objective:A role for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in controlling initial development of HIV-1 infection is supported by a growing number of studies. 2F5, a broadly HIV-1-neutralizing IgG specific for HIV-1 envelope gp41, has been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo for its neutralizing and transcytosis-blocking activities. In the present paper, we have studied the in vitro ADCC potential of 2F5. Design:We have developed an ADCC model based on either monocytic cell line THP1 or monocytes, both FcγRI+ FcγRIII- as effector cells, and natural killer resistant-CEM (NKr-CEM) either coated with HIV envelope subunit, or stably expressing an X4 tropic HIV-1 envelope as target cells. Finally, in order to better simulate the in vivo situation, we used R5-tropic JR-CSF HIV-1-infected NKr-CEM as targets. Methods:ADCC was monitored using a fluorescently based, nonradioactive, easy to use assay. Results:2F5 triggered ADCC of HIV-1 envelope subunit coated cells. Remarkably, 2F5 at ng/ml concentration elicited ADCC of both X4-tropic HIV-1 envelope-expressing cells, and R5-HIV-infected cells. ADCC relied on binding to the FcγRI on effector cell and was abolished by preincubation of 2F5 with its cognate epitope ELDKWA. Conclusion:The capacity of the broadly neutralizing 2F5 to elicit ADCC, and thereby linking adaptive and innate immunity, expands its prophylactic potential. Raising antibodies to the membrane proximal region of HIV-1 envelope with similar ADCC properties, in addition to neutralization, should be taken into account in HIV-1 vaccine design.
Ephemeral: Lightweight pseudonyms for 6LoWPAN MAC addresses

Privacy is a major issue for 6L0WPAN networks and the use of persistent identifiers (MAC addresses) in the core mechanism is particularly challenging. Indeed, nodes use the SLAAC protocol to auto generate their IPv6 addresses based on their MAC addresses. Persistent addresses simplify the routing in the network but allow an adversary to analyze the traffic and recover sensitive information. We propose Ephemeral, a MAC pseudonym scheme compliant with SLAAC. It provides dynamic pseudonyms cryptographically generated without the need to reconstruct the routing tables when the pseudonyms change. Our simulation based on CONTIKI 3.0 and WSNET shows that Ephemeral improves MT6D, a previous MAC pseudonyms scheme, by 16% in term of application packet delivery.
Postoperative Evaluation of Skin Incision in External Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose: To evaluate the appearance of the skin incision in external dacryocystorhinostomy 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Methods: A prospective, interventional, noncomparative case series of consecutive cases of external dacryocystorhinostomy was performed by 3 surgeons. At 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery, patients were asked to grade their incision, and standardized photographs were evaluated by 3 blinded observers. Results: Thirty-four consecutive patients were admitted and followed for 6 months. Six weeks after surgery, 9 of 34 patients could not see their incision site (26%), 13 of 34 graded it as minimally visible (38%), 9 of 34 (26%) graded it as moderately visible, and 3 of 34 patients (9%) graded it as very visible (grade 3). Two of 34 patients (6%) were not satisfied with the appearance of the incision. Six months after surgery, 15 of 34 patients (44%) could not see their incision site (grade 0), 16 of 34 (47%) graded it as minimally visible, 3 of 34 patients (9%) graded it as moderately visible, and no patient graded it as very visible. All patients were satisfied with the appearance of their incision. Photographic evaluation of patients 6 weeks after surgery by the 3 observers showed an average score of 1.12, 1.18, and 1.24. There was not a statistically significant difference between the observers (p = 0.95). At 6 months after surgery, the average scores were 0.56, 0.74, and 0.79. There was not a statistically significant difference between the observers (p = 0.43). The change in appearance of the incision at 6 weeks and at 6 months was statistically significant (p < 0.044), as evaluated by patients and observers (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The skin incision in external dacryocystorhinostomy is satisfactory to most patients. Its appearance is improved with time; 86% of the incisions were graded invisible or minimally visible by observers and 91% by patients after 6 months.
Approximate Query Processing: Taming the TeraBytes

2 Garofalakis & Gibbons, VLDB 2001 # Outline • Intro & Approximate Query Answering Overview – Synopses, System architecture, Commercial offerings • One-Dimensional Synopses – Histograms, Samples, Wavelets • Multi-Dimensional Synopses and Joins – Multi-D Histograms, Join synopses, Wavelets • Set-Valued Queries – Using Histograms, Samples, Wavelets • Advanced Techniques & Future Directions – Streaming Data, Dependency-based, Work-load tuned • Conclusions Approximate Query Processing: Taming the Terabytes Garofalakis, Gibbons
The role of a relative age effect in the first winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012

Background Owing to the separation into age groups at the first winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), athletes differed in age by up to two years, leading to a potential relative age effect (RAE). Objective The purpose of this study was to define the role of the RAE in the first winter YOG with regard to sex, type of sport and performance. Methods The birth dates and anthropometric data of all 1021 athletes (557 male, 464 female, 14–19 years old) participating in 15 sports were analysed. A χ2 test was used to assess the difference between the observed and expected birth distributions. ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Kruskal−Wallis analyses were used to investigate differences in anthropometrics. Results The birth date distribution of the overall sample was significantly different from an equal distribution, with an over-representation of athletes born shortly after the cut-off date (χ2=284.7, p<0.001). A significant RAE was found in both male (χ2=245.1, p<0.001) and female competitors (χ2=74.6, p<0.001). An analysis based on the type of sport showed an RAE in all categories (strength—χ2=229.9, p<0.001, endurance—χ2=60.4, p<0.001 and technique-related sports χ2=25.2, p=0.001). Relatively older competitors were also over-represented among medal winners (χ2=47.9, p<0.001). Relatively older male competitors were significantly taller (p=0.005) and heavier (p<0.001) than younger competitors. No differences were found in female competitors. Conclusions The results suggest that relative age had a highly significant influence on participation in various sports regardless of sex. A possible strategy to reduce the RAE would be a fixed quota for each birth year within the two-year age group across events.
Microdontia and hypodontia of premolars and permanent molars in childhood cancer survivors after chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND Adverse long-term general and dental health effects of cancer and cancer therapy during childhood have been reported. AIM To examine the association between chemotherapy before the age of 8 years and (1): microdontia; (2): hypodontia of premolars and permanent molars. MATERIAL AND METHODS In The Danish Registry of Childhood Cancer (DBCR), we identified 203 children who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) age below 8 years at the start of treatment; (2) age between 12 to 18 years upon dental examination; (3) had received chemotherapy The exclusion criterion was radiotherapy to the head and neck. A total of 150 children fulfilled the inclusion criteria. As controls, a random sample of 193 age-matched unexposed children was included. RESULTS Microdontia was found in a total of 88 teeth in 29 (19.3%) of the 150 children who had been exposed to chemotherapy, while none of the controls had microdontia of premolars or permanent molars (difference: 19.3%; 95% CL: 13.5%; 26.4%). The earlier the exposure, the more frequent was microdontia. We found a total of 27 missing premolars and permanent molars in 14 (9.3%) of the exposed children and a total of 18 missing premolars and permanent molars in 8 (4.1%) of the controls (difference: 5.2%; 95% CL: -0.1%; 11.3%). CONCLUSION The present study confirms findings from previous studies that chemotherapy, especially in very young children, causes microdontia and hypodontia of premolars and permanent molars.
A modification of the masson trichrome technique for routine laboratory purposes.

Trichrome methods are rapidly replacing the ancent hematoxylin-eosin technique so largely used in pathology. With their use diagnosis becomes easier as a result of the topographical delimitation of the connective tissue, and the reactions of this tissue itself, such as sderosis and the like, become at once apparent. There is no lack of good trichrome techniques in our armamentarium, but for rapid results the routine worker can but very rarely have recourse to such stains as Mallory's excellent phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin method, which necessitates treatment with iodine and bleaching with sodium thiosulphate, and a subsequent oxidation and reduction with potassium permanganate and oxalic acid. Furthermore, sections so treated only begin to show a rich color and good detail after some 6 to 12 hours of staining. Domagk has devised a striking modification of Mallory's connective tissue stain (at the laboratories of the I. G. Farbenindustrie in Eberfeld-Leverkusen) by replacing fuchsin with a stable and exclusively nudear stain (Kernechtrot) which is a very brilliant carmine. One does not, however, obtain the full tinctorial effects on the nuclei for some 30 minutes and, often enough, differentiation is found to be necessary. The method, excellent in itself, cannot conveniently be utilized in laboratories where there is much routine work and a need for the rapid mass production of sections. There are other modifications of the Mallory trichrome methodthe gallein-orange-aniline blue and the acid alizarin blue (proposed by Petersen 1) among them, but they are unsuited to rapid work. Masson's 2.3 trichrome method remains one of the best, combining as it does the most precise of hematoxylins (Heidenhain's iron hematoxylin) with a reliable cytoplasmic stain that gives a wealth of detail (acid fuchsin with ponceau de xylidine), and a very selective stain for connective tissue (light green or aniline blue). This
Customer-Based Brand Equity: The Evidence from China

Branding is one of the most dominant trends in the global hotel industry. This research aims to focus on customer-based brand equity, and examines whether brand equity influences customers’ repurchase intention in the hotel industry in Zhuhai, China. A sample of 193 valid responses was received through face-to-face surveys of customers who had experienced staying in high-star hotels. The results of the survey were analysed using a linear regression model, and the preliminary results indicate that there was a positive and meaningful relationship between brand equity and repurchase intention. Furthermore, this research contributes both applied and theoretical outcomes with empirical evidence. The paper also outlines the limitations and directions for future research.
Bedside Gastric Ultrasonography in Term Pregnant Women Before Elective Cesarean Delivery: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND:Bedside gastric ultrasound can reliably assess gastric contents in the perioperative period. We aimed to describe the qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of the gastric antrum in fasted pregnant women at term. METHODS:Pregnant women were examined after a minimum period of overnight fasting (solid food, 6 hours; clear liquids, 2 hours) before their scheduled cesarean delivery. A standardized ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum was performed. Based on the qualitative assessment in the supine and right lateral decubitus positions, women were classified using a 3-point grading system (grade 0, no fluid; grade 1, fluid seen in right lateral decubitus position only; and grade 2, fluid seen in the both supine and right lateral decubitus positions). A quantitative assessment of the antral cross-sectional area (CSA) was performed using still images in the right lateral decubitus position. RESULTS:One hundred three women were included in the study; 53 of 103 exhibited grade 0 and 49 of 103 exhibited grade 1 antrum. One woman presented a grade 2 antrum (1/103 = 0.97%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05%–6.06%). Overall, 95% of fasting subjects presented with an antral CSA ⩽9.6 cm2 (95% CI, 8.6–10.3 cm2) in the right lateral decubitus position (median [interquartile range] = 4.5 [3.2] cm2), corresponding to an estimated gastric volume of ⩽117 mL (95% CI, 108–127 mL) or ⩽1.5 mL/kg (95% CI, 1.3–1.7 mL/kg). CONCLUSIONS:All women but one presented with antral CSA compatible with residual gastric fluid. The qualitative 3-point grading system may be used to assess individual risk of perioperative gastric content aspiration. Our results suggest that an antral CSA of 10.3 cm2 in the right lateral decubitus position more accurately describes the upper limit of normal findings in the fasted pregnant patient at term.
Hydrocarbon Contamination and the Swimming Behavior of the Estuarine Copepod Eurytemora affinis

Rivers and estuaries have allowed and sustained human settlement and related activities for thousands of years (e.g. Morhange et al., 2005). These water bodies have been used for activities such as irrigation, industry, transportation, fisheries, tourism and the related development of industrial and recreational facilities, and have subsequently been polluted by waste discharges, intentional and accidental spills, urban, industrial and agricultural runoffs (McLusky and Elliott, 2004; Shannon et al., 2011). These various sources of pollution all carry a wide range of inorganic and organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic and monoaromatic hydrocarbons (Vane et al., 2011), heavy metals (Jose et al., 2011), radioactive compounds (Villa et al., 2011) and a range of pharmaceuticals and pesticides (Arias et al., 2011; Munaron et al., 2011) that accumulate in water, sediment and living organisms (Whaltham et al., 2011; Schnitzer et al., 2011; Barua et al., 2011). Consequences have been observed from the molecular to the ecosystem level through e.g. immunological, cellular, reproductive and developmental impairments, and teratogenic effects that have widely been reported for a wide range of aquatic species (Noaksson et al., 2005; Thompson et al., 2007; Galante-Oliveira et al., 2009; Yang et al., 2010).
An Exploratory Study of the Kinematics of Girls with Turner Syndrome in a Visuo-motor Task

In this paper a study is reported in which a group of children with Turner Syndrome (TS) is compared on motor performance tests and real-time kinematic data with a control group. The objective of this study was to identify possible kinematic variables that characterize the movement patterns utilized by this group of children in achieving their optimal performance. The underlying idea is that by comparing test results and movement kinematics one might gain more insight into the movement production of children than by just looking at the test results or by just using clinical movement observation. The children performed a pen and paper task, the flower trail (one of the sub-tests of the Movement ABC) (Henderson and Sugden, 1992), on an XY-tablet. We explored kinematic variables, such as trajectory length, movement time, velocity and pen pressure. It was found that, although girls with TS have a severe motor deficit, they are able to draw a line accurately between two narrow boundaries just as well as the control children (no significant difference in mean number of spatial errors). However, quantitative analysis revealed that girls with TS made a large amount of deviations from the optimal path such that their trajectory length increased with more than 10% per flower trail compared to the control group children. They also made more pen lifts and more changes in velocity. The study showed that children from the two groups may reach the same basic accuracy performance level by using very different strategies. Kinematic registration of fine motor tasks holds promise in gaining more
Anti-androgenic activity of furanodiene isolated from Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb . extract

a Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand b Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand *Corresponding Author. E-mail address: k_ingkaninan@yahoo.com (K. Ingkaninan)
Acoustical description of syllabic nuclei: an interpretation in terms of a dynamic model of articulation.

Measurements of formant frequencies throughout the vocalic portions of a number of phonemically symmetric consonant‐vowel‐consonant utterances have been performed using spectrum‐matching techniques implemented on a digital computer. The contours representing the first two formants as a function of time are described in terms of several parameters, including initial and final frequencies, midpoint frequencies, durations, and measures of curvature. The data illustrate the manner in which each of these parameters is influenced by the features of the vowel and by place of articulation of the adjacent consonants. The results provide evidence that diffuse tense vowels in English are characterized by diphthongal asymmetric articulatory motions, whereas nondiffuse vowels are not, and that the influence of the consonantal environment on the articulation of the vowel is greater for lax vowels than for tense vowels. Some general statements are made concerning the extent to which contiguous vowels and consonants infl.