Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Faces, Old Faces: Counting the Multiracial Population Past and Present

41 M ultiracial Americans have often been heralded as " new people " and in fact have been rediscovered as such more than once in the last century. Charles Chesnutt's 1899 novel The House Behind the Cedars features a mulatto character who uses the phrase to describe himself and others like him; in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, " the new Negro " described a people that was " neither African nor European, but both " (Williamson, 1980, p. 3). More recently, Forbes (1993) has used the term " Neo-Americans " to denote populations combining African, European, and American Indian roots, and a century after Chesnutt's work appeared, numerous articles and books—including this volume—convey the sense of multiraciality's newness in titles such as " Brave New Faces " (Alaya, 2001) or " The New Face of Race " (Meacham, 2000). Yet having populated North America for nearly four centuries, mixed-race people are far from being a recent phenomenon in the United States. Their early presence has been recorded to greater and lesser degrees in legal records, literature, and historical documentation. As far back as the 1630s and 1640s, colonial records attest to the punishment of interracial sexual unions and the regulation of mulattoes' slave status (Williamson, 1980). Dictionaries chart 16th-century English usage of the word mula-tow (Sollors, 2000), although the meaning of this term has varied over time (Forbes, 1993). Finally, mixed-race people have long populated American literature, particularly since the early 19th century (Sollors, 2000). In sum, the multiracial community is not a new, 20th-century phenomenon but rather a long-standing element of American society. By obscuring the historic dimensions of American multiraciality—emphasizing its newness but not its oldness—we may run the risk of ignoring lessons that past racial strati-fication offers for understanding today's outcomes. For one thing, older social norms still make themselves felt in contemporary
Evaluation of Two Novel Antiviral Peptides in a Murine Model of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Keratitis

Purpose. To test the in vivo activity of a peptide derived from the protein transducing domain of the HIV Tat protein, TAT-Cd, in a murine herpes simplex (HSV-1) keratitis model. Method. The efficacy of TAT-Cd was assessed in a post-infection treatment model with 1mg/mL of the peptide in one of four delivery vehicles, artificial tears, PBS, methylcellulose, and aquaphor cream. Viral titers in the tear film were determined by plaque assay. Results. TAT-Cd reduced ocular disease scores in all of the delivery vehicles tested. Peptide in the tears or PBS delivery vehicle had the most significant reduction in disease severity and delayed the onset of vascularization and stromal keratitis. The percentage of mice presenting with disease was also significantly reduced and viral titers were reduced by 1 log at 24 hrs post-infection in mice treated with TAT-Cd. Conclusions. This study shows that TAT-Cd is an effective antiviral against HSV-1 KOS in vivo when applied post-infection and that aqueous based formulations are more suitable. These findings support further development of TAT-Cd for treating HSV-1
Pregnancy As a Risk Factor for Small Bowel Obstruction After Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether pregnancy is associated with increased risk for small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. BACKGROUND Small bowel obstruction is a common and feared long-term complication to laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery that may be more common during pregnancy. It is unclear if the risk truly increases during pregnancy. METHODS Women, 18 to 55 years, operated with a primary laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure from 2010 until 2015 were identified through the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (n = 25,853). Through record-linkage to the Medical Birth Registry, the National Patient Registry, and review of hospital charts, information on pregnancy periods and outcome were obtained. The main outcome was operation due to small bowel obstruction after the laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure. RESULTS Pregnancy was associated with increased risk for small bowel obstruction following laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery (incidence rates 46.5, 95% CI 38.0-56.9/1000 person-years, vs 20.9 95% CI 19.9-22.0; adjusted-HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39-2.12, P < 0.001). While no excess risk was observed during the first trimester, the second (adjusted-HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.17-2.39, P = 0.005) and third (adjusted-HR 2.69, 95% CI 2.02-3.59, P < 0.001) conferred increased risk. The incidence rate of small bowel obstruction during pregnancy was 42.9 (95% CI 32.4-57.0/1000 person-years) among women for whom the mesenteric defects had been closed during the primary procedure, and 53.2 (95% CI 38.9-72.8/1000 person-years) for women in whom they had been left open. CONCLUSION Pregnancy is associated with increased risk for small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery during the second and third trimesters.
Stability of a Dumbbell Micro-Swimmer

A squirmer model achieves propulsion by generating surface squirming velocities. This model has been used to analyze the movement of micro-swimmers, such as microorganisms and Janus particles. Although squirmer motion has been widely investigated, motions of two connected squirmers, i.e., a dumbbell squirmer, remain to be clarified. The stable assembly of multiple micro-swimmers could be a key technology for future micromachine applications. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the swimming behavior and stability of a dumbbell squirmer. We first examined far-field stability through linear stability analysis, and found that stable forward swimming could not be achieved by a dumbbell squirmer in the far field without the addition of external torque. We then investigated the swimming speed of a dumbbell squirmer connected by a short rigid rod using a boundary element method. Finally, we investigated the swimming stability of a dumbbell squirmer connected by a spring. Our results demonstrated that stable side-by-side swimming can be achieved by pullers. When the aft squirmer was a strong pusher, fore and aft swimming were stable and swimming speed increased significantly. The findings of this study will be useful for the future design of assembled micro-swimmers.
Myocardin is Involved in Mesothelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Pleural Mesothelial Cells.

Pleural fibrosis is characterized by severe inflammation of the pleural space, pleural reorganization. Subsequent thickening of visceral pleura contributes to lung stiffness and impaired lung function. Pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs) can become myofibroblasts via mesothelial-mesenchymal transition (MesoMT) and contribute to pleural organization, fibrosis and rind formation. However, mechanisms that underlie MesoMT remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of myocardin in the induction of MesoMT. TGF-β and thrombin induce MesoMT and markedly upregulated myocardin expression but not myocardin related transcription factors (MRTF)-A and -B in human PMCs (HPMCs). TGF-β notably induced the nuclear translocation of myocardin, but not MRTF-A and MRTF-B in HPMCs. Several genes under the control of myocardin were upregulated in cells undergoing MesoMT that was accompanied by a dramatic cytoskeletal reorganization of HPMCs consistent with a migratory phenotype. Myocardin gene silencing blocked TGF-β and thrombin-induced MesoMT without changing MRTF-A and MRTF-B expression. Myocardin, α-SMA, calponin and smooth muscle myosin were notably upregulated in the thickened pleura of carbon-black bleomycin and empyema mouse models of fibrosing pleural injury. Similar results were observed in human nonspecific pleuritis. In a TGF-β mouse model of pleural fibrosis, PMC-specific knockout of myocardin protected against decrements in lung function. Further, TGF-β induced pleural thickening was abolished by PMC specific myocardin knockout, which was accompanied by marked reduction of myocardin, calponin, and α-SMA expression compared to floxed-myocardin controls. These novel results show that myocardin participates in the development of MesoMT in HPMCs and contributes to the pathogenesis of pleural organization and fibrosis.
Induction of Inflammatory Responses in Splenocytes by Exosomes Released from Intestinal Epithelial Cells following Cryptosporidium parvum Infection

Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces in humans and animals, is an important opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and one of the most common enteric pathogens affecting young children in developing regions. This parasite is referred to as a “minimally invasive” mucosal pathogen, and epithelial cells play a central role in activating and orchestrating host immune responses. ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces in humans and animals, is an important opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and one of the most common enteric pathogens affecting young children in developing regions. This parasite is referred to as a “minimally invasive” mucosal pathogen, and epithelial cells play a central role in activating and orchestrating host immune responses. We previously demonstrated that Cryptosporidium parvum infection stimulates host epithelial cells to release exosomes, and these released exosomes shuttle several antimicrobial peptides to carry out anti-C. parvum activity. In this study, we detected the upregulation of inflammatory genes in the liver and spleen following C. parvum intestinal infection in neonatal mice. Interestingly, exosomes released from intestinal epithelial cells following C. parvum infection could activate the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway and trigger inflammatory gene transcription in isolated primary splenocytes. Several epithelial cell-derived proteins and a subset of parasite RNAs were detected in the exosomes released from C. parvum-infected intestinal epithelial cells. Shuttling of these effector molecules, including the high mobility group box 1 protein, was involved in the induction of inflammatory responses in splenocytes induced by the exosomes released from infected cells. Our data indicate that exosomes released from intestinal epithelial cells upon C. parvum infection can activate immune cells by shuttling various effector molecules, a process that may be relevant to host systemic responses to Cryptosporidium infection.
A Prospective Cohort Study of Load and Wellness (Sleep, Fatigue, Soreness, Stress, and Mood) in Elite Junior Australian Football Players.

PURPOSE To investigate associations between load (training and competition) and wellness in elite junior Australian Football players across 1 competitive season. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted during the 2014 playing season in 562 players from 9 teams. Players recorded their training and match intensities according to the session-rating-of-perceived-exertion (sRPE) method. Based on sRPE player loads, a number of load variables were quantified, including cumulative load and the change in load across different periods of time (including the acute-to-chronic load ratio). Wellness was quantified using a wellness index including sleep, fatigue, soreness, stress, and mood on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. RESULTS Players spent an average of 85 (21) min in each match and 65 (31) min per training session. Average match loads were 637 (232) arbitrary units, and average training loads were 352 (233) arbitrary units. Over the 24 wk of the 2014 season, overall wellness had a significant linear negative association with 1-wk load (B = -0.152; 95% confidence interval, -0.261 to -0.043; P = .006) and an inverse U-curve relationship with session load (B = -0.078; 95% confidence interval, 0.143 to 0.014; P = .018). Mood, stress, and soreness were all found to have associations with load. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that load (within a session and across the week) is important in managing the wellness of elite junior Australian Football players. Quantifying loads and wellness at this level will help optimize player management and has the potential to reduce the risk of adverse events such as injury.
Extracellular Fatty Acids Are the Major Contributor to Lipid Synthesis in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer cells exhibit altered cellular metabolism but, notably, not the hallmarks of Warburg metabolism. Prostate cancer cells exhibit increased de novo synthesis of fatty acids (FA); however, little is known about how extracellular FAs, such as those in the circulation, may support prostate cancer progression. Here, we show that increasing FA availability increased intracellular triacylglycerol content in cultured patient-derived tumor explants, LNCaP and C4-2B spheroids, a range of prostate cancer cells (LNCaP, C4-2B, 22Rv1, PC-3), and prostate epithelial cells (PNT1). Extracellular FAs are the major source (∼83%) of carbons to the total lipid pool in all cell lines, compared with glucose (∼13%) and glutamine (∼4%), and FA oxidation rates are greater in prostate cancer cells compared with PNT1 cells, which preferentially partitioned extracellular FAs into triacylglycerols. Because of the higher rates of FA oxidation in C4-2B cells, cells remained viable when challenged by the addition of palmitate to culture media and inhibition of mitochondrial FA oxidation sensitized C4-2B cells to palmitate-induced apoptosis. Whereas in PC-3 cells, palmitate induced apoptosis, which was prevented by pretreatment of PC-3 cells with FAs, and this protective effect required DGAT-1–mediated triacylglycerol synthesis. These outcomes highlight for the first-time heterogeneity of lipid metabolism in prostate cancer cells and the potential influence that obesity-associated dyslipidemia or host circulating has on prostate cancer progression. Implications: Extracellular-derived FAs are primary building blocks for complex lipids and heterogeneity in FA metabolism exists in prostate cancer that can influence tumor cell behavior.
Random Testing for Language Design

Property-based random testing can facilitate formal verification, exposing errors early on in the proving process and guiding users towards correct specifications and implementations. However, effective random testing often requires users to write custom generators for well-distributed random data satisfying complex logical predicates, a task which can be tedious and error prone. In this work, I aim to reduce the cost of property-based testing by making such generators easier to write, read and maintain. I present a domain-specific language, called Luck, in which generators are conveniently expressed by decorating predicates with lightweight annotations to control both the distribution of generated values and the amount of constraint solving that happens before each variable is instantiated. I also aim to increase the applicability of testing to formal verification by bringing advanced random testing techniques to the Coq proof assistant. I describe QuickChick, a QuickCheck clone for Coq, and improve it by incorporating ideas explored in the context of Luck to automatically derive provably correct generators for data constrained by inductive relations. Finally, I evaluate both QuickChick and Luck in a variety of complex case studies from programming languages literature, such as information-flow abstract machines and type systems for lambda calculi. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Computer and Information Science First Advisor Benjamin C. Pierce
Relationships between Vitamin D3 and Metabolic Syndrome

The growing number of overweight and obese individuals is an alarming global problem; these conditions are risk factors for the development of health problems such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies have suggested that vitamin D3 deficiency plays a role in the pathogenesis of MetS. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between MetS and vitamin D3 levels in women. Laboratory analysis demonstrated that only 26.89% of the participants had vitamin D3 levels close to normal, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measurements revealed android obesity in 75.63% of the women. The menstruating women more often suffered from vitamin D3 deficiency, and less often had elevated vitamin D3 levels. The conclusions are as follows: (1) There were no statistically significant relationships between vitamin D3 levels and MetS parameters, namely the level of triglycerides, the levels of low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), the level of total cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP). Vitamin D deficiency was only observed in the women with abdominal obesity. (2) Low vitamin D3 levels were typical of perimenopausal women. Age was a variable correlating with vitamin D. (3) The presence of menstrual cycles was an important contributor to vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common in the menstruating women.
Procedural Clinical Complications, Case-Fatality Risks, and Risk Factors in Endovascular and Neurosurgical Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance The risk of procedural clinical complications and the case-fatality rate (CFR) from preventive treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms varies between studies and may depend on treatment modality and risk factors. Objective To assess current procedural clinical 30-day complications and the CFR from endovascular treatment (EVT) and neurosurgical treatment (NST) of unruptured intracranial aneurysms and risk factors of clinical complications. Data Sources We searched PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and the Cochrane Database for studies published between January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2017. Study Selection Studies reporting on clinical complications, the CFR, and risk factors, including 50 patients or more undergoing EVT or NST for saccular unruptured intracranial aneurysms after January 1, 2000, were eligible. Data Extraction and Synthesis Per treatment modality, we analyzed clinical complication risk and the CFR with mixed-effects logistic regression models for dichotomous data. For studies reporting data on complication risk factors, we obtained risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs and pooled risk estimates with weighted random-effects models. Main Outcomes and Measures Clinical complications within 30 days and the CFR. Results We included 114 studies (106 433 patients with 108 263 aneurysms). For EVT (74 studies), the pooled clinical complication risk was 4.96% (95% CI, 4.00%-6.12%), and the CFR was 0.30% (95% CI, 0.20%-0.40%). Factors associated with complications from EVT were female sex (pooled OR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.01-1.11]), diabetes (OR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.05-3.13]), hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.3-2.37]), cardiac comorbidity (OR, 2.27 [95% CI, 1.53-3.37]), wide aneurysm neck (>4 mm or dome-to-neck ratio >1.5; OR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.38-2.11]), posterior circulation aneurysm (OR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.15-1.74]), stent-assisted coiling (OR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.16-2.85]), and stenting (OR, 3.43 [95% CI, 1.45-8.09]). For NST (54 studies), the pooled complication risk was 8.34% (95% CI, 6.25%-11.10%) and the CFR was 0.10% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.20%). Factors associated with complications from NST were age (OR per year increase, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.02]), female sex (OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.32-0.85]), coagulopathy (OR, 2.14 [95% CI, 1.13-4.06]), use of anticoagulation (OR, 6.36 [95% CI, 2.55-15.85]), smoking (OR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.36-2.79]), hypertension (OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.03-2.03]), diabetes (OR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.54-3.67]), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.71 [95% CI, 1.57-4.69]), posterior aneurysm location (OR, 7.25 [95% CI, 3.70-14.20]), and aneurysm calcification (OR, 2.89 [95% CI, 1.35-6.18]). Conclusions and Relevance This study identifies risk factors for procedural complications. Large data sets with individual patient data are needed to develop and validate prediction scores for absolute complication risks and CFRs from EVT and NST modalities.
Differential Role of Anti-Viral Sensing Pathway for the Production of Type I Interferon β in Dendritic Cells and Macrophages Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus A2 Strain Infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infectious disease in infants and young children. Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages (MACs) are known to play important roles in RSV recognition, and in the production of type I interferons (IFNs) and pro-inflammatory cytokine in RSV infection. Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), and mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) are known to be important for the RSV sensing pathway in DCs and MACs. However, despite the critical roles of type I IFNs in the anti-RSV immune response, the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are required for RSV sensing in DCs and MACs remain unclear. Here, we investigate the pathway activated by RSV A2 strain infection using an IFN-β/YFP reporter mouse model to visualize IFN-β-producing cells and in vitro RSV infection in bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DCs) and macrophages (BM-DMs). We present our finding that MyD88, but not TLR7, are important for RSV recognition and type I IFN and pro-inflammatory production in DCs and MACs. MAVS-deficient BM-DCs and BM-DMs show impaired induction of IFN-β production upon RSV stimulation, and this effect is RSV replication-dependent. Our study provides information on cell type-specific PRR requirements in innate immune responses against RSV infection.
Lignans from Bursera fagaroides Affect In Vivo Cell Behavior by Disturbing the Tubulin Cytoskeleton in Zebrafish Embryos

By using a zebrafish embryo model to guide the chromatographic fractionation of antimitotic secondary metabolites, seven podophyllotoxin-type lignans were isolated from a hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the steam bark of Bursera fagaroides. The compounds were identified as podophyllotoxin (1), β-peltatin-A-methylether (2), 5′-desmethoxy-β-peltatin-A-methylether (3), desmethoxy-yatein (4), desoxypodophyllotoxin (5), burseranin (6), and acetyl podophyllotoxin (7). The biological effects on mitosis, cell migration, and microtubule cytoskeleton remodeling of lignans 1–7 were further evaluated in zebrafish embryos by whole-mount immunolocalization of the mitotic marker phospho-histone H3 and by a tubulin antibody. We found that lignans 1, 2, 4, and 7 induced mitotic arrest, delayed cell migration, and disrupted the microtubule cytoskeleton in zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, microtubule cytoskeleton destabilization was observed also in PC3 cells, except for 7. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the cytotoxic activity of 1, 2, and 4 is mediated by their microtubule-destabilizing activity. In general, the in vivo and in vitro models here used displayed equivalent mitotic effects, which allows us to conclude that the zebrafish model can be a fast and cheap in vivo model that can be used to identify antimitotic natural products through bioassay-guided fractionation.