Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vivo persistence of CD8 polarized T cell subsets producing type 1 or type 2 cytokines.

Naive CD8 T cells can be polarized into effectors producing the type 1 cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-2 or the type 2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10, respectively. To study whether the polarized cytokine phenotype of the effectors is stable, we generated highly cytotoxic hemagglutinin (HA) peptide-specific CD8 Tc1 and Tc2 (cytotoxic CD8 T cells producing type 1 or type 2 cytokines) effectors from Clone-4 TCR-transgenic mice, which were adoptively transferred into syngeneic adult thymectomized irradiated and bone marrow-reconstituted recipients. The highly activated blast-size, CD25+ Tc1 and Tc2 effectors gave rise to homogeneous resting CD25- CD44(high) Ly6C(high) Ag-specific populations, which persisted for at least 13 wk after adoptive transfer. These memory CD8 T cells, recovered 13 wk after transfer of Tc1 or Tc2 effectors, still produced either the type 1 or type 2 cytokines, i.e., IFN-gamma, or IL-4 and IL-5, respectively, upon restimulation with APCs loaded with the HA peptide, but not in the absence of Ag. The amounts of IL-2 detected in the supernatants of Tc1 and Tc2 memory populations were comparable to that in memory CD4 cells, and both Tc1 and Tc2 memory cells became cytotoxic upon restimulation. Thus, cytokine-polarized CD8 memory T cells are a source of a variety of cytokines, which were classically considered helper cytokines, opening new perspectives on their function as regulatory cells in an immune response.
Cultural Characteristics, Virulence and In-vitro Chemical Control of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli of Bush bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

An experiment was conducted at Microbiology Laboratory of Plant Pathology Department, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) during 2007 to determine the virulence and variation in symptom development by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli isolates at different growth stages such as emergence and early vegetative stage, branching and rapid vegetative growth stage and early flowering stage of Bush bean, and in-vitro control of the pathogen with the selected fungicides. Eight isolates of this pathogen were collected from different pathology laboratory of BARI, BAU and BSMRAU. IS3 isolate collected from Bushbean seeds were found most virulent in pathogenicity test such as pre-emergence mortality, root rot, root lesion, leaf yellowing and wilting when this isolate was inoculated at different growth stages of bush bean. Four fungicides such as Vitavax, Rovral, Cupravit and Aimcozim were evaluated invitro to test the efficacy against isolate IS3. Aimcozim at different concentration (50-400 ppm) was found most effective in in-vitro evaluation.
Challenging the superficial similarities superiority account for analogical retrieval

The predominant view concerning determinants of analogical retrieval is that it is preferentially guided by superficial cues. In order to test the cognitive plausibility of a structural similarities-based retrieval, we constructed a story-recall task in which life-like scenarios shared structural correspondences. In Experiment 1, we showed that such structural similarities induce retrievals when the participant had several source candidate situations sharing superficial similarities with the target cue. Experiment 2 was designed to test whether the encoding was sufficiently oriented on structural similarities to drive retrievals, even if the participants possess only one source candidate situation with superficial matches in memory. The results of the two present experiments lead us to conclude that in some contexts, abstract encoding induces a superiority of structural similarities over superficial ones in retrieval. Further implications for analogical retrieval approaches are discussed.
Left-Handed Women have Earlier Age of Menopause

Association between handedness and age of menopause was assessed. A significant difference in the mean age of menopause was found between left-handed and right-handed women. There was a significant correlation between age at menopause and hand preference in right-handed women. These findings suggest that earlier age of menopause in left-handed women may be due to a more active and effective immune system in left-handers.
Q-Band InAlGaN/GaN LNA using current reuse topology

A 33 to 41-GHz Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) with a 3-dB Noise Figure (NF) using 0.12-μm InAlGaN/GaN HEMT was developed. The LNA consists of a two-stage common-gate amplifier with current reuse topology in order to obtain a high gain with low power consumption. The developed LNA achieved 15-dB gain, and an input return loss of less than -10 dB. The measured NF was 3 dB, and the power consumption was 280 mW. The measured OIP3 and OP1dB were 24 dBm and 13 dBm at 38 GHz under a supply voltage of 20 V. The chip size of the LNA is 1 × 0.7 mm2.
Coordination of velopharyngeal muscle activity during positioning of the soft palate.

The relative contributions of the levator veli palatini, palatoglossus, and palatopharyngeus muscles were assessed relative to a range of positions of the velopharynx during production of the vowels [a] and [i] by four normal adult speakers. The results indicate that velopharyngeal positioning is determined by the relative contributions of the levator veli palatini, palatoglossus, and palatopharyngeus muscles. There was an increase in coefficients of determination (i.e., amount of closure level variability explained) when activity levels of all three muscles are included in the statistical model compared to activity in any one muscle analyzed independently. Both consistent and inconsistent relations among activity levels in the three velopharyngeal muscles studied were observed across speaker and vowel produced.
Long-Term Infection of Mongolian Gerbils with Helicobacter pylori: Microbiological, Histopathological, and Serological Analyses

ABSTRACT The effects of long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori on the gastric mucosa of Mongolian gerbils were examined. Colonization by H. pylori was evaluated by both microaerobic cultivation and real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Persistent infection with H. pylori in gastric mucosa was detected by real-time RT-PCR during 6 months after infection, but no H. pylori was isolated 4 months after infection by cultivation. Infiltration with neutrophils and mononuclear cells was observed from 2 months after infection. Both intestinal metaplasia and gastric atrophy were also detected from 2 months after infection. The results by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that antibody titers against whole H. pylori antigens, H. pylori heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), and Escherichia coli GroEL were significantly higher in the infected gerbils than in noninfected gerbils. After long-term infection with H. pylori for 18 months, marked atrophy of gastric mucosa and multiple cysts in the submucosa were observed in the glandular stomach of the infected gerbils. In addition, squamous cell papilloma with hyperkeratosis was observed in cardia of all the infected gerbils. These results indicate that evaluation of bacterial colonization during long-term infection can be done by real-time RT-PCR and that mucosal damage might be induced by host immune response against whole H. pylori antigen.
A descriptive analysis on the personality of child physical abuse victims

This paper discusses on the personality development of physically abused children from region in Malaysia. A total of 106 children from five protection homes and shelters were as respondents for this study. A quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to appraise respondent’s personality, using a personality questionnaire and a projective human figure drawing techniques. Respondents’ personality development was measured based on their personal and social adjustment subscales. Analysis on the personality subscales showed that the overall level for respondents’ personality adjustment was rather low, with mean of 71.3% and 70.8% simultaneously. Similarly, qualitative analysis on respondents’ drawings also indicated problems in their personality development, with majority of them showed anxiety (84.2%), impulsive (73.3%), aggression (65.3%) and insecurity (55.5%) characteristics. The study demonstrated that experience of abusive treatment leave an impact on victims personality development, specifically on their emotional adjustment, which may further influence their future wellbeing.
Impact of Early Environment on Children's Mental Health: Lessons From DNA Methylation Studies With Monozygotic Twins

Over the past decade, epigenetic analyses have made important contributions to our understanding of healthy development and a wide variety of adverse conditions such as cancer and psychopathology. There is increasing evidence that DNA methylation is a mechanism by which environmental factors influence gene transcription and, ultimately, phenotype. However, differentiating the effects of the environment from those of genetics on DNA methylation profiles remains a significant challenge. Monozygotic (MZ) twin study designs are unique in their ability to control for genetic differences because each pair of MZ twins shares essentially the same genetic sequence with the exception of a small number of de novo mutations and copy number variations. Thus, differences within twin pairs in gene expression and phenotype, including behavior, can be attributed in the majority of cases to environmental effects rather than genetic influence. In this article, we review the literature showing how MZ twin designs can be used to study basic epigenetic principles, contributing to understanding the role of early in utero and postnatal environmental factors on the development of psychopathology. We also highlight the importance of initiating longitudinal and experimental studies with MZ twins during pregnancy. This approach is especially important to identify: (1) critical time periods during which the early environment can impact brain and mental health development, and (2) the specific mechanisms through which early environmental effects may be mediated. These studies may inform the optimum timing and design for early preventive interventions aimed at reducing risk for psychopathology.
Shape optimization of flexible PCB slotless windings in BLDC machines

Windings printed on flexible circuit board (Flex-PCB) offers the opportunity to improve significantly the performance of slotless BLDC motors since, compared with windings made from copper wire, they may have more complex shapes in addition to a variable conductor cross-section along the winding loops. This paper focuses on the shape optimization of windings printed on FlexPCB using a genetic algorithm. It shows that a gain of about 15% on the motor performance can be reached with windings presenting an elaborated shape compared to windings with a basic shape, similar to that encountered in conventional wire windings.
Bayesian Versus Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Term Structure Models Driven by Latent Diffusions

This paper provides an econometric analysis of parameter estimation for continuous-time affine term structure models that are driven by latent diffusions. Simulating an affine two factor short rate model where one process is Gaussian and the other factor is square root we perform a comparison between Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and maximum likelihood (ML) estimation. To cope with the discrepancy between a continuous-time formulation and data only available in discrete time, we use closed-form expansions of the transition densities. In order to find reasonable starting values for both MCMC and ML estimation we employ genetic algorithms with penalty functions for the parameter restrictions. For ML estimation we employ both simplex and gradient based solvers. We find that with only a few exceptions the MCMC estimates reveal the true parameters and are in general more consistent within different estimation procedures than maximum likelihood estimation. For both estimation methodologies we observe negative correlation between the estimates of the factor loadings and the estimates of the unconditional mean of the square root process. Finally we find that both methodologies identify time series of latent state variables that are more likely than the data generating process itself.
The Incidence of and Factors Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency in Newly Diagnosed Children with Cancer

ABSTRACT This retrospective chart review study aimed to assess vitamin D status and identify risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency and bone parameters in children with cancer at admission. The data of 86 (50 males and 36 females) patients between April 2013 and June 2015 were analyzed. Calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 25(OH)D, age, gender, diagnostic category, body mass index, duration of complaints, and season of blood sampling were recorded. Median age was 7.17 years (range 0.31—17.40) in 29 hematological malignancy and 57 solid tumor patients. According to cut-off level of 20 ng/ml, 63% of children with cancer had vitamin D deficiency at diagnosis with a median 25(OH)D of 16.75 ng/ml. The mean vitamin D value of children >10 years was significantly low in comparison to that observed in younger children [11.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = = 8.85—14.81 ng/ml vs. 19.81, 95% CI = = 17.02—22.60 ng/ml]. Vitamin D measurement between November and May was a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency (P < 0.05). The frequency of hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia was not different between two groups of vitamin D. Further longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether monitoring vitamin D status and supplementation in children with cancer might prevent future complications related to vitamin D deficiency.
Quality Enhancing the Continued Use of E-Government Web Sites: Evidence from E-Citizens of Thailand

This study empirically examines Web site quality toward the enhancement of the continued use of e-government Web sites by citizens. The web site quality under examination includes three main aspects, which are information quality, system quality, and service quality. The participants were 614 country-wide e-citizens of Thailand. The data were collected by means of a web-based survey and analyzed by using multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that the three quality aspects enhanced the continued use of egovernment Web sites, with system quality providing the greatest enhancement, followed by service quality and information quality.
Opisthobranchs from the western Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species and ten new records (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

Abstract Seventy species of opisthobranchs are described in this work based on collections from the Persian Gulf, Socotra, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, La Réunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Ten species are newly recorded from the western Indian Ocean and four species are recorded in the scientific literature for the first time since their original descriptions. Two species are described as new: Cyerce bourbonica sp. n. from La Réunion and Doriopsilla nigrocerasp. n. from the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. Chromodoris cavae is removed from its synonymy with Chromodoris tennentana and redescribed from specimens from La Réunion, while several new synonyms are proposed for some commonly occurring species. Risbecia bullockii is recorded for the second time from the Indian Ocean and assigned to its correct genus.
On model selection and model misspecification in causal inference

Standard variable selection procedures, primarily developed for the construction of outcome prediction models, are routinely applied when assessing exposure effects in observational studies. We argue that this tradition is sub-optimal and prone to yield bias in exposure effect estimators as well as their corresponding uncertainty estimators. We weigh the pros and cons of confounder-selection procedures and propose a procedure directly targeting the quality of the exposure effect estimator. We further demonstrate that certain strategies for inferring causal effects have the desirable features (a) of producing (approximately) valid confidence intervals, even when the confounder-selection process is ignored, and (b) of being robust against certain forms of misspecification of the association of confounders with both exposure and outcome.
SH3 Binding Motif 1 in Influenza A Virus NS1 Protein Is Essential for PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Activation

ABSTRACT Recent studies have demonstrated that influenza A virus infection activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway by binding of influenza NS1 protein to the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K. Our previous study proposed that two polyproline motifs in NS1 (amino acids 164 to 167 [PXXP], SH3 binding motif 1, and amino acids 213 to 216 [PPXXP], SH3 binding motif 2) may mediate binding to the p85 subunit of PI3K. Here we performed individual mutational analyses on these two motifs and demonstrated that SH3 binding motif 1 contributes to the interactions of NS1 with p85β, whereas SH3 binding motif 2 is not required for this process. Mutant viruses carrying NS1 with mutations in SH3 binding motif 1 failed to interact with p85β and induce the subsequent activation of PI3K/Akt pathway. Mutant virus bearing mutations in SH3 binding motif 2 exhibited similar phenotype as the wild-type (WT) virus. Furthermore, viruses with mutations in SH3 binding motif 1 induced more severe apoptosis than did the WT virus. Our data suggest that SH3 binding motif 1 in NS1 protein is required for NS1-p85β interaction and PI3K/Akt activation. Activation of PI3K/Akt pathway is beneficial for virus replication by inhibiting virus induced apoptosis through phosphorylation of caspase-9.
Community Patterns in Source‐Sink Metacommunities

We present a model of a source‐sink competitive metacommunity, defined as a regional set of communities in which local diversity is maintained by dispersal. Although the conditions of local and regional coexistence have been well defined in such systems, no study has attempted to provide clear predictions of classical community‐wide patterns. Here we provide predictions for species richness, species relative abundances, and community‐level functional properties (productivity and space occupation) at the local and regional scales as functions of the proportion of dispersal between communities. Local (α) diversity is maximal at an intermediate level of dispersal, whereas between‐community (β) and regional (γ) diversity decline as dispersal increases because of increased homogenization of the metacommunity. The relationships between local and regional species richness and the species rank abundance distributions are strongly affected by the level of dispersal. Local productivity and space occupation tend to decline as dispersal increases, resulting in either a hump‐shaped or a positive relationship between species richness and productivity, depending on the scale considered (local or regional). These effects of dispersal are buffered by decreasing species dispersal success. Our results provide a niche‐based alternative to the recent neutral‐metacommunity model and have important implications for conservation biology and landscape management.
Mortality and morbidity among older adults with intellectual disability: health services considerations.

PURPOSE Described is a study of the mortality and morbidity characteristics of 2752 adults with intellectual disability, age 40 and older, who died over a 10 year period in one American state. RESULTS The main finding was that although individuals in the current generation of older adults with intellectual disability still generally die at an earlier age than do adults in the general population (average age at death: 66.1 years), many adults with intellectual disability live as long as their age peers in the general population. The results suggest that the longevity of adults with intellectual disability, whose aetiology is not attributable to organic causes, is progressively increasing. The results also confirm an increased longevity for adults with Down syndrome (average age at death: 55.8 years). Findings also showed that the causes of death for the study cohort were similar to those of the general older population, with cardiovascular, respiratory and neoplastic diseases among the most prominent causes of death. CONCLUSIONS It was proposed that clinical and prophylactic health practices could have significant social and health care consequences for delaying the onset or minimizing the occurrence of life threatening diseases (and thus prolonging life) in adults with intellectual disability. It was suggested that clinical practices could be implemented that deter the onset and lessen the impact and burden of older age-related diseases and secondary conditions and that greater attention needs to be given to training of health care professionals in the area of geriatric medicine and intellectual disability.
Factorial structure and psychometric properties of a brief version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale with Chinese older adults

Objective: The current study aims to examine the factorial structure and psychometric properties of a brief version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 14-item assessment tool of reminiscence functions, with Chinese older adults.Method: The scale, covering four reminiscence functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, problem solving, and identity) was translated from English into Chinese and administered to older adults (N = 675). Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to examine its factorial structure, and its psychometric properties and criterion validity were examined.Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supports a second-order model comprising one second-order factor and four first-order factors of RFS. The Cronbach's alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.75 to 0.90. Conclusion: The brief RFS contains a second-order factorial structure. Its psychometric properties support it as a sound instrument for measuring reminiscence functions among Chinese older adults.
Iodine concentrations in milk of dairy cattle fed various amounts of iodine as ethylenediamine dihydroiodide.

Due to concerns about high I in milk, the dairy industry has proposed a voluntary standard of 500 micrograms of I/L as the maximum allowable I in milk sold for processing and human consumption. This study was undertaken to determine the amount of ethylenediamine dihydroiodide that could be fed to dairy cattle without exceeding this standard. Various amounts (0 to 45 mg/head per d) of the I compound were fed to a commercial dairy herd for 50 wk. Individual and bulk milk samples were analyzed for total iodine. Milk I in herd bulk milk was directly correlated (r = .92) with the amounts fed. However, the correlation of milk I of individual cows was not as high (r = .66), indicating some individual variation in metabolism and secretion of the I into the mammary gland. Milk production and number of lactations did not correlate with I in milk. Regression analysis indicated that 25 to 30 mg of ethylenediamine dihydroiodide per day can be fed to dairy cattle receiving a diet otherwise low in I without exceeding a 500 micrograms concentration in milk.