Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the aerosolization potential for fungal spores in moldy homes.

UNLABELLED The airborne fungal concentration measured with air samplers during specific time intervals may not adequately represent the indoor air quality because of the sporadic nature of spore release from sources. The conventional source evaluation (e.g. swab and tape sampling) characterizes the mold source but does not relate to the fraction of spores that can be aerosolized from a contaminated material. As an alternative to these methods, we have recently developed and laboratory-tested a novel Fungal Spore Source Strength Tester (FSSST). It allows assessing the potential of aerosolization of fungal spores from contaminated surfaces under the most favorable release conditions. In this study, the FSSST was used to characterize the release of spores from four building materials in mold-problem homes. The spores of different species were efficiently aerosolized by the FSSST, exhibiting a total spore release rate ranging approximately from 10(2) to 10(3) cm2/min. For all tested materials, <2% of the spores on the contaminated surface were released during the tests. The airborne spore concentration estimated from the release rate data was found in most cases to be significantly greater than the concentration actually measured in these environments with simultaneous air sampling. The results suggest that the FSSST can be used for the assessment of maximum potential exposure to airborne spores released from identified sources in homes. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS A recently developed FSSST was found to be suitable to measure the aerosolization potential of indoor fungal sources at the most favorable release conditions. The FSSST generates the data that allows assessing the strength of mold sources in homes with respect to their maximum ability to contaminate indoor air with fungi. The novel approach bridges two conventional methods, the air sampling and the direct source evaluation (e.g. swab sampling), thus providing a better representation of the airborne fungal exposure than these methods individually. The device prototype can be used for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental interventions by taking samples before and after the intervention. As a broader application, the FSSST can be utilized for assessing the release of various hazardous biological and non-biological particles from contaminated surfaces.
Convergence in U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas

In this paper, the convergence of income per capita across U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (metros) are examined over the period between 1969 and 2011. We initiate the analysis with multivariate tests for stability, and the existence of unit roots. The analysis is complemented by the use of the panel stationarity test accounting for structural changes, as proposed by Carrion-i-Silvestre et al. (2005). The study of convergence is important for both economists, as a means to test growth theories and distinguish between different models, as well as policy makers who seek to maximize the utility of their constituents by making use of all information available to them. We find that that in the 384 U.S. metros there is a divergence of per capita income, which is dissimilar to other empirical literature that has dealt with convergence using older time periods and data.
Effect of polyethylenimine on recombinant adeno‐associated virus mediated insulin gene therapy

Recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) is becoming a promising vector for gene therapy for type I diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporation of polyethylenimine (PEI) on rAAV‐mediated insulin gene therapy in vitro and in vivo.
An efficient family‐based association test using multiple markers

In genetic association studies, multiple markers are usually employed to cover a genomic region of interest for localizing a trait locus. In this report, we propose a novel multi‐marker family‐based association test (TLC) that linearly combines the single‐marker test statistics using data‐driven weights. We examine the type‐I error rate in a numerical study and compare its power to identify a common trait locus using tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the same haplotype block that the trait locus resides with three competing tests including a global haplotype test (TH), a multi‐marker test similar to the Hotelling‐T2 test for the population‐based data (TMM), and a single‐marker test with Bonferroni's correction for multiple testing (TB). The type‐I error rate of TLC is well maintained in our numeric study. In all the scenarios we examined, TLC is the most powerful, followed by TB. TMM and TH are the poorest. TH and TMM have essentially the same power when parents are available. However, when both parents are missing, TMM is substantially more powerful than TH. We also apply this new test on a data set from a previous association study on nicotine dependence. Genet. Epidemiol. 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Depression and anxiety among coronary heart disease patients: can affect dimensions and theory inform diagnostic disorder-based screening?

OBJECTIVES To examine the association between low positive affect, somatic anxiety and general distress with affective disorders, anxious misery, and visceral fear among coronary heart disease patients. PARTICIPANTS Patients awaiting a coronary revascularization procedure (N = 158; 20.9% female; median age = 65, interquartile range 58-73) underwent structured interview with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Patients completed a brief version of the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (i.e., Anxiety Depression Distress Inventory-27) and a measure of Type D personality. RESULTS Somatic anxiety scores yielded an area under the curve (AUC) = . 784 and 75.0% sensitivity and 68.5% specificity in relation to panic disorder. Low positive affect yielded AUC = . 811 and 70.4% sensitivity and 77.1% specificity for major depression. General distress yielded AUC = . 795 and 75.0% sensitivity and 72.5% specificity for generalized anxiety disorder. No affective dimension was optimally associated with the anxious misery or visceral fear cluster. Trait negative affect was not a suitable screener for any disorder. CONCLUSIONS The Anxiety Depression Distress Inventory-27 dimensions of low positive affect and somatic anxiety provided optimal detection of depression and panic disorder, respectively, as hypothesized, supporting discriminant validity.
Population-based incidence and patterns of cancer in Kamrup Urban Cancer Registry, India.

BACKGROUND Cancer is not a notifiable disease in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiated the National Cancer Registry Programme in 1982 to measure the burden and pattern of cancer in India. However, no data were available from the northeastern region till 2001 when a WHO- sponsored, ICMR project showed a relatively high frequency of microscopically diagnosed cases of cancer in the region. A population-based cancer registry was established in January 2003 in Guwahati to cover the Kamrup Urban district in the northeastern region of India. We report the data generated in the first 6 years of the registry (2003-08). METHODS Information on cancer was obtained by voluntary participation of different sources including major hospitals, diagnostic centres, state referral board and birth and death registry centres within the registry area. A total of 6608 cases were registered during the 6-year period (1 January 2003- 31 December 2008); 3927 were men and 2681 women. RESULTS The age-adjusted incidence rates were 167.9 per 100000 among men and 133.8 per 100000 among women. The oesophagus was the leading site of cancer among men, comprising 18.3% of all cancers with an age-adjusted rate of 30.7 per 100000. Among women, the breast followed by the cervix uteri were the leading sites of cancer. These two cancers comprised 30% of all cancers among women. Tobacco-related cancers accounted for 58.2% of cancers among men and 26.9% of cancers among women. CONCLUSION The patterns observed from the analysis of data from the cancer registry at Guwahati provide comprehensive information on occurrence of cancer and can be valuable for planning cancer control programmes in the region.
Contact allergy to colophony. (IV). The sensitizing potency of commercial products. An investigation of French and American modified colophony derivatives.

The sensitizing capacity of 15 commercial colophony products was studied experimentally in guinea pigs. The study included 8 French and 6 American colophony derivatives as well as French tall oil colophony. The results indicate that tall oil colophony is the strongest sensitizing material within the tested group and that the maleic-modified products and the zinc-calcium-resinate are moderate sensitizers. Most of the modified products show a higher sensitizing capacity than the genuine resin acids themselves. Cross-reactions between the resin acids and the derivatives are uncommon. Therefore, patch testing with high concentrations of colophony (e.g., 60%) will not help to detect patients with colophony-derivative allergy.
Doublecortin and doublecortin‐like are expressed in overlapping and non‐overlapping neuronal cell population: Implications for neurogenesis

We have characterized the expression of doublecortin‐like (DCL), a microtubule‐associated protein involved in embryonic neurogenesis that is highly homologous to doublecortin (DCX), in the adult mouse brain. To this end, we developed a DCL‐specific antibody and used this to compare DCL expression with DCX. In the neurogenic regions of the adult brain like the subventricular zone (SVZ), the rostral migratory stream (RMS), the olfactory bulb (OB), and the hippocampus, DCL colocalizes with DCX in immature neuronal cell populations. In contrast to DCX, we also found high DCL expression in three other brain regions with suspected neurogenesis or neuronal plasticity. First, the radial glia‐like, hypothalamic tanycytes show high DCL expression that partly colocalizes with the neural stem cell marker vimentin. Second, DCL expression is found in cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which lacks expression of the adult neuron marker NeuN. Third, a novel region exhibiting DCL expression is part of the olfactory tubercle where DCL is found in the neuropil of the islands of Calleja (ICj). Our findings define DCL as a novel marker for specific aspects of adult neurogenesis, which partly overlap with DCX. In addition, we propose unique roles for DCL in adult neurogenesis and we suggest high levels of neuronal plasticity in tanycytes, SCN, and ICj. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:2805–2823, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
D4-GDI, a Substrate of CPP32, Is Proteolyzed during Fas-induced Apoptosis (*)

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a fundamental process for normal development of multicellular organisms, and is involved in the regulation of the immune system, normal morphogenesis, and maintenance of homeostasis. ICE/CED-3 family cysteine proteases have been implicated directly in apoptosis, but relatively few of the substrates through which their action is mediated have been identified. Here we report that D4-GDI, an abundant hematopoietic cell GDP dissociation inhibitor for the Ras-related Rho family GTPases, is a substrate of the apoptosis protease CPP32/Yama/Apopain. D4-GDI was rapidly truncated to a 23-kDa fragment in Jurkat cells with kinetics that parallel the onset of apoptosis following Fas cross-linking with agonistic antibody or treatment with staurosporine. Fas- and staurosporine-induced apoptosis as well as cleavage of D4-GDI were inhibited by the ICE inhibitor, YVAD-cmk. D4-GDI was cleaved in vitro by recombinant CPP32 expressed in Escherichia coli to form a 23-kDa fragment. The CPP32-mediated cleavage of D4-GDI was completely inhibited by 1 μM DEVD-CHO, a reported selective inhibitor of CPP32. In contrast, the ICE-selective inhibitors, YVAD-CHO or YVAD-cmk, did not inhibit CPP32-mediated D4-GDI cleavage at concentrations up to 50 μM. N-terminal sequencing of the 23-kDa D4-GDI fragment demonstrated that D4-GDI was cleaved between Asp and Ser of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-like cleavage sequence DELDS. These data suggest that regulation by D4-GDI of Rho family GTPases may be disrupted during apoptosis by CPP32-mediated cleavage of the GDI protein.
Mining Behavior of Citizen Sensor Communities to Improve Cooperation with Organizational Actors

Purohit, Hemant. Ph.D., Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Wright State University, 2015. Mining Behavior of Citizen Sensor Communities to Improve Cooperation with Organizational Actors. Web 2.0 (social media) provides a natural platform for dynamic emergence of citizen (as) sensor communities, where the citizens generate content for sharing information and engaging in discussions. Such a citizen sensor community (CSC) has stated or implied goals that are helpful in the work of formal organizations, such as an emergency management unit, for prioritizing their response needs. This research addresses questions related to design of a cooperative system of organizations and citizens in CSC. Prior research by social scientists in a limited offline and online environment has provided a foundation for research on cooperative behavior challenges, including ‘articulation’ and ‘awareness’, but Web 2.0 supported CSC offers new challenges as well as opportunities. A CSC presents information overload for the organizational actors, especially in finding reliable information providers (for awareness), and finding actionable information from the data generated by citizens (for articulation). Also, we note three data level challenges–ambiguity in interpreting unconstrained natural language text, sparsity of user behaviors, and diversity of user demographics. Interdisciplinary research involving social and computer sciences is essential to address these socio-technical issues. I present a novel web information-processing framework, called the Identify-MatchEngage (IME) framework. IME allows operationalizing computation in design problems of awareness and articulation of the cooperative system between citizens and organizations, by addressing data problems of group engagement modeling and intent mining. The IME framework includes: a. ) Identification of cooperation-assistive intent (seeking-offering) from short, unstructured messages using a classification model with declarative, social and contrast pattern knowledge, b. ) Facilitation of coordination modeling using bipartite matching of complementary intent (seeking-offering), and c. ) Identification of user groups to
Impaired colonic motility and reduction in tachykinin signalling in aged mouse

Aging is associated with an increased incidence of constipation in humans. The contribution that the aging process makes to this condition is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of age on fecal output and colonic motility in male C57BL/6J mice and to determine the role that altered tachykininsignaling plays in this process. Total fecal output recorded over a 24 hour period decreased with age due to a reduction in the number of pellets produced and their water content. These changes occurred in the absence of any significant change in food and water intake. There was an increase in the amount of fecal matter stored in the isolated colon with age which caused a proportional increase in colonic length. Analysis of colonic motility using an artificial pellet demonstrated that pellets moved in a stepwise fashion through the colon. There was an age-related increase in pellet transit time due to decreases in the step distance, velocity, and frequency of stepwise movements. These changes were reversed using the neurokinin 2 (NK2) receptor agonist neurokinin A. Addition of the NK2receptor antagonist GR159897 significantly increased transit time in the young animals by decreasing step distance, velocity and frequency, but was without effect in the aged colon. In summary, the aging C57BL/6J mouse shows animpaired motilityphenotype. These effects appear, at least in part, to be due to an attenuation of tachykininsignaling via NK2 receptors.
Factors Influencing the Turnover and Retention of Minnesota's Secondary Career and Technical Education Teachers.

A study was conducted to identify why secondary career and technical education (CTE) teachers, especially in Minnesota, remain in or leave the teaching profession. Research recently reported that nearly 22 percent of all teachers leave the teaching profession within the first three years of teaching. The population for this study was the 258 baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate graduates who obtained a standard or vocational teacher license in one of four vocational service areas between 1995 and 1999 at the University of Minnesota. The graduates were mailed surveys, with responses received from 79 (40 percent of the deliverable surveys) . The study found differences between teachers who leave and those who remain in the teaching profession regarding their perception of the teaching commitment level and first-year teaching experience. Those who remained in the teaching profession were extremely committed to teaching, and they rated their first-year teaching experience as more positive than those who left. Teachers who stayed also rated their skills in organization and planning, functioning within a team environment, and practical experience higher than those who left. Those who left most often cited job-related stress as the reason for leaving. Recommendations were made for further research concerning the teaching environment and how it can be modified in order to encourage more CTE teachers to remain in the profession. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/KC) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Factors Influencing the Turnover and Retention of Minnesota's Secondary Career and Technical Education Teachers PERMISSION TO REPRODUCEAND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
An extended data function and its generalized backprojection for image reconstruction in helical cone-beam CT

We have recently proposed a general formula (i.e., equations (9) to (11) in Zou and Pan (2004a Phys. Med. Biol. 49 941–59)) for image reconstruction from helical cone-beam data. On the basis of the formula, we have also developed two reconstruction algorithms, which are referred to as the backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm (Zou and Pan 2004a) and the filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm (Zou and Pan 2004b Phys. Med. Biol. 49 2717–31), respectively. The two algorithms have been implemented and evaluated in numerical studies. In this note, however, we point out that the data function previously used for proving the general formula in Zou and Pan (2004a) is incomplete and that, instead, an extended data function and its generalized backprojection, which are described in this note, should be used to complete the proof of the general formula. On the other hand, we also demonstrate in this note that the additional term in the extended data function has no effect on the previously developed BPF and FBP algorithms. The results can also be extended to general, smooth trajectories.
Influence of Retinoic Acid on Adhesion Complexes in Human Hepatoma Cells: A Clue to Its Antiproliferative Effects

Retinoic acid exerts antiproliferative and differentiative effects in normal and transformed in vitro hepatocytes. In order to verify whether these effects are related to a modulation of adhesion molecules, we used Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy to investigate the E-cadherin/β-catenin complex, the main system of adherens junctions, and the occludin/ZO-1 complex present in the tight junctions in HepG2 cells cultured in the presence or absence of retinoic acid. Results showed that retinoic acid treatment increases the amount of β-catenin bound to E-cadherin by decreasing its tyrosine-phosphorylation level. Similar results were obtained with the tight junction system, in which the amount of occludin/ZO-1 complex is increased by a similar mechanism that reduced the level of ZO-1 phosphorylation on tyrosine. Immunofluorescence images also confirm these results, showing the localization on the cell surface of both adhesion complexes. Their insertion into the plasma membrane could be suggestive of an optimal reassembly and function of adherens and tight junctions in hepatoma cells, indicating that retinoic acid, besides inhibiting cell proliferation, improves cell-cell adhesion, sustaining or inducing the expression of a more differentiated phenotype.
B-type natriuretic peptide: Issues for the intensivist and pulmonologist

Objective:B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), although promising as biomarkers for heart failure, are affected by multiple confounders. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the utility of BNP and NT-proBNP as biomarkers, with a focus on their role in critical illness and pulmonary diseases. Data Source:Published articles on BNP and NT-proBNP. Data Analysis:Multiple disorders in the intensive care unit cause elevated BNP and NT-proBNP levels, including cardiac diseases, shock, pulmonary hypertension, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure, and other conditions. Conclusions:Intensivists and pulmonologists should understand that BNP and NT-proBNP levels might be raised to different degrees not only in heart failure but also in critical illness and various pulmonary diseases; in these situations, BNP and NT-proBNP may also serve as markers of severity and prognosis.
Three-Dimensional Porous Nitrogen-Doped NiO Nanostructures as Highly Sensitive NO2 Sensors

Nickel oxide has been widely used in chemical sensing applications, because it has an excellent p-type semiconducting property with high chemical stability. Here, we present a novel technique of fabricating three-dimensional porous nitrogen-doped nickel oxide nanosheets as a highly sensitive NO2 sensor. The elaborate nanostructure was prepared by a simple and effective hydrothermal synthesis method. Subsequently, nitrogen doping was achieved by thermal treatment with ammonia gas. When the p-type dopant, i.e., nitrogen atoms, was introduced in the three-dimensional nanostructures, the nickel-oxide-nanosheet-based sensor showed considerable NO2 sensing ability with two-fold higher responsivity and sensitivity compared to non-doped nickel-oxide-based sensors.