Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developing skills of entering first year science students : focused first year seminar

Concern at the failure rate of first year Science, Health Sciences and Engineering students is challenging first year lectures to interrogate the knowledge and skills gap of entering students. Underprepared students have entered higher education for centuries but the problems in transition from school to university seem to be increasing from year to year. Every cohort enter universities with high expectations and good school results and then they are confronted with challenges of transition, new content and an uninviting environment. The Faculty of Science has been presenting an academic First Year Orientation seminar since 2005 and refined the format of the current programme which is a two week (six hours per day) credit-bearing module, the First Year Seminar (FYS). The programme consists of a 10 hour Language course, a 6 hour Laboratory skills and 10 hour Problem Solving skills for 10 hours. These modules are presented by dedicated academics and support staff in the faculty, and student mentors (senior students) take responsibility to get to know the students better as they work with them on a daily basis. This study reports on research conducted to determine the influence and success of the FYS on the academic preparation of firstyear students in 2014. The data set contains school results, biographical and personality profiles, results from a survey completed after the FYS and perceptions after interviews with students, mentors and lecturers. Appropriate inferential statistics were employed in the analysis of the survey response and interviews as indicators of the value added by the FYS. The results will indicate how the FYS enhanced the existing knowledge and skills of entering first year students in order to place diverse students on an equal platform when official lectures and practical sessions commence during the semester.
TLR2 Promotes Th2/Th17 Responses via TLR4 and TLR7/8 by Abrogating the Type I IFN Amplification Loop1

TLR2 plays an important role in the removal of Gram-positive bacteria; contrastingly, it also appears to have important protective effects against unrestrained inflammation and subsequent organ injury during infection and autoimmunity. We hypothesized that TLR2 tunes the phenotype of dendritic cells (DCs) activated through other TLRs, thereby fulfilling a crucial role in the modulation of the immune response. TLR2 potently inhibited TLR4- and TLR7/8-induced cytokine production by human DCs. The inhibitory effect of TLR2 on the release of TNF-α but not of IL-12p70 was mediated by PI3K. TLR2 inhibits the production of IL-12p70 by dampening the type 1 IFN amplification loop. When DCs were triggered with the potent synergistic combination of LPS (TLR4) and R848 (TLR7/8) in conjunction with a TLR2 ligand, a clear shift to more Th2- and Th17-prone responses in the naive and memory T cell subpopulations was observed. This shift in T cell responses was inherent to the inability of TLR2-stimulated DCs to produce IL-12p70 and was dependent on the production of IL-1 and IL-6.
Neuronal IκB Kinase β Protects Mice from Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Mediating Neuroprotective and Immunosuppressive Effects in the Central Nervous System1

Some aspects of CNS-directed autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis are modeled in mice by immunization with myelin Ags where tissue damage is driven by myelin-reactive Th1 and Th17 effector lymphocytes. Whether the CNS plays an active role in controlling such autoimmune diseases is unknown. We used mice in which IκB kinase β was deleted from Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase IIα-expressing neurons (nIKKβKO) to investigate the contribution of neuronal NF-κB to the development of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35–55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We show that nIKKβKO mice developed a severe, nonresolving disease with increased axon loss compared with controls and this was associated with significantly reduced CNS production of neuroprotective factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, CSF1-R, and FLIP) and increased production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF, IL-12, IL-17, and CD30L) and chemokines. The isolation of CNS-infiltrating monocytes revealed greater numbers of CD4+ T cells, reduced numbers of NK1.1+ cells, and a selective accumulation of Th1 cells in nIKKβKO CNS from early in the disease. Our results show that neurons play an important role in determining the quality and outcome of CNS immune responses, specifically that neuronal IκB kinase β is required for neuroprotection, suppression of inflammation, limitation of Th1 lymphocyte accumulation, and enhancement of NK cell recruitment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis-affected CNS and stress the importance of neuroprotective strategies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Low dose of hydroxyethyl starch impairs clot formation as assessed by viscoelastic devices

Abstract Objective. High doses of the synthetic colloid hydroxyethyl starch (HES) used for plasma expansion have been associated with impaired haemostasis and hypocoagulation. Less is known about effects on clot formation in the low haemodilutional range (< 40%). This study evaluated the effects of low haemodilution with HES and albumin on coagulation using two different viscoelastic methods. Methods. Clot formation was studied in vitro in healthy donor blood after 10% and 30% haemodilution with 60 g/L HES 130/0.4 or 50 g/L albumin with free oscillation rheometry (FOR) and rotational thromboelastography. Results. Clotting time was not significantly affected at 10% haemodilution but was prolonged with both substances at 30% dilution (p < 0.01–0.001). The effect was significantly more pronounced with HES than with albumin. The elasticity of the clot was slightly reduced at 10% dilution with albumin, more pronounced at 10% dilution with HES (p < 0.05), further reduced at 30% dilution with albumin and to a still greater extent at 30% dilution with HES (p < 0.05). With albumin the functional activity of fibrinogen was not reduced in excess of the dilutional effect. HES in contrast produced a further reduction in clot elasticity than caused by mere dilution at both 10% and 30% dilutions (p < 0.001). Conclusions. There is an adverse effect on clot formation even at low grade haemodilution with both albumin and HES. The effect on coagulation is significantly more pronounced with HES than with albumin.
Cupressaceae Pollen Grains Modulate Dendritic Cell Response and Exhibit IgE-Inducing Adjuvant Activity In Vivo1

Pollen is considered a source of not only allergens but also immunomodulatory substances, which could play crucial roles in sensitization and/or the exacerbation of allergies. We investigated how allergenic pollens from different plant species (Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, which belong to the Cupressaceae family, and birch, ragweed, and grass) modulate murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (DC) responses and examined the effect of Cupressaceae pollen in vivo using mice. DCs were stimulated with pollen extracts or grains in the presence or absence of LPS. Cell maturation and cytokine production in DCs were analyzed by flow cytometry, ELISA, and/or quantitative PCR. Pollen extracts suppressed LPS-induced IL-12 production and the effect was greatest for birch and grass. Without LPS, pollen grains induced DC maturation and cytokine production without IL-12 secretion and the response, for which TLR 4 was dispensable, was greatest for the Cupressaceae family. Intranasal administration of Cupressaceae pollen in mice induced an elevation of serum IgE levels and airway eosinophil infiltration. Coadministration of ovalbumin with Cupressaceae pollen grains induced ovalbumin-specific IgE responses associated with eosinophil infiltration. The results suggest that modulation of DC responses by pollen differs among the plant families via (1) the promotion of DC maturation and cytokine production by direct contact and/or (2) the inhibition of IL-12 production by soluble factors. The strong DC stimulatory activity in vitro and IgE-inducing activity in mice support the clinical relevance of Cupressaceae pollen to allergies in humans.
Broad Volume Distributions Indicate Nonsynchronized Growth and Suggest Sudden Collapses of Germinal Center B Cell Populations

Immunization with a T cell-dependent Ag leads to the formation of several hundred germinal centers (GCs) within secondary lymphoid organs, a key process in the maturation of the immune response. Although prevailing perceptions about affinity maturation intuitively assume simultaneous seeding, growth, and decay of GCs, our previous mathematical simulations led us to hypothesize that their growth might be nonsynchronized. To investigate this, we performed computer-aided three-dimensional reconstructions of splenic GCs to measure size distributions at consecutive time points following immunization of BALB/c mice with a conjugate of 2-phenyl-oxazolone and chicken serum albumin. Our analysis reveals a broad volume distribution of GCs, indicating that individual GCs certainly do not obey the average time course of the GC volumes and that their growth is nonsynchronized. To address the cause and implications of this behavior, we compared our empirical data with simulations of a stochastic mathematical model that allows for frequent and sudden collapses of GCs. Strikingly, this model succeeds in reproducing the empirical average kinetics of GC volumes as well as the underlying broad size distributions. Possible causes of GC B cell population collapses are discussed in the context of the affinity-maturation process.
Both &bgr;2- and &bgr;1-Adrenergic Receptors Mediate Hastened Relaxation and Phosphorylation of Phospholamban and Troponin I in Ventricular Myocardium of Fallot Infants, Consistent With Selective Coupling of &bgr;2-Adrenergic Receptors to Gs-Protein

BackgroundIn adult human heart, both &bgr;1- and &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors mediate hastening of relaxation; however, it is unknown whether this also occurs in infant heart. We compared the effects of stimulation of &bgr;1- and &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors on relaxation and phosphorylation of phospholamban and troponin I in ventricle obtained from infants with tetralogy of Fallot. Methods and ResultsMyocardium dissected from the right ventricular outflow tract of 27 infants (age range 21/2 to 35 months) with tetralogy of Fallot was set up to contract 60 times per minute. Selective stimulation of &bgr;1-adrenergic receptors with (−)-norepinephrine (NE) and &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors with (−)-epinephrine (EPI) evoked phosphorylation of phospholamban (at serine-16 and threonine-17) and troponin I and caused concentration-dependent increases in contractile force (−log EC50 [mol/L] NE 5.5±0.1, n=12; EPI 5.6±0.1, n=13 patients), hastening of the time to reach peak force (−log EC50 [mol/L] NE 5.8±0.2; EPI 5.8±0.2) and 50% relaxation (−log EC50 [mol/L] NE 5.7±0.2; EPI 5.8±0.1). Ventricular membranes from Fallot infants, labeled with (−)-[125I]-cyanopindolol, revealed a greater percentage of &bgr;1- (71%) than &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors (29%). Binding of (−)-epinephrine to &bgr;2-receptors underwent greater GTP shifts than binding of (−)-norepinephrine to &bgr;1-receptors. ConclusionsDespite their low density, &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors are nearly as effective as &bgr;1-adrenergic receptors of infant Fallot ventricle in enhancing contraction, relaxation, and phosphorylation of phospholamban and troponin I, consistent with selective coupling to Gs-protein.
Constitutive Activation of Wnt Signaling Favors Generation of Memory CD8 T Cells

T cell factor-1 (TCF-1) and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1, the effector transcription factors of the canonical Wnt pathway, are known to be critical for normal thymocyte development. However, it is largely unknown if it has a role in regulating mature T cell activation and T cell-mediated immune responses. In this study, we demonstrate that, like IL-7Rα and CD62L, TCF-1 and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 exhibit dynamic expression changes during T cell responses, being highly expressed in naive T cells, downregulated in effector T cells, and upregulated again in memory T cells. Enforced expression of a p45 TCF-1 isoform limited the expansion of Ag-specific CD8 T cells in response to Listeria monocytogenes infection. However, when the p45 transgene was coupled with ectopic expression of stabilized β-catenin, more Ag-specific memory CD8 T cells were generated, with enhanced ability to produce IL-2. Moreover, these memory CD8 T cells expanded to a larger number of secondary effectors and cleared bacteria faster when the immunized mice were rechallenged with virulent L. monocytogenes. Furthermore, in response to vaccinia virus or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, more Ag-specific memory CD8 T cells were generated in the presence of p45 and stabilized β-catenin transgenes. Although activated Wnt signaling also resulted in larger numbers of Ag-specific memory CD4 T cells, their functional attributes and expansion after the secondary infection were not improved. Thus, constitutive activation of the canonical Wnt pathway favors memory CD8 T cell formation during initial immunization, resulting in enhanced immunity upon second encounter with the same pathogen.
Prevalence of anatomical variations of cystic artery in South Indian cadavers

Background: The knowledge of variations in the origin and course of cystic artery is important for the surgeons as uncontrolled bleeding from the cystic artery and its branches can be fatal during cholecystectomy. Intra operative bleeding can result in an increase in the risk of intra operative injury to vital vascular and biliary structures. Keeping in view the clinical significance and applied importance of the cystic artery anatomy and to add some more knowledge to the existing ones, the present study was undertaken, to know in detail the level of origin, length, and variations in the course and relation of the cystic artery. Methods: The present study was performed on 100 human liver specimens with intact gallbladder and extrahepatic duct system, obtained after dissection from the cadavers in the Department of Anatomy and from post-mortem cases from the Department of Forensic Medicine, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysore, over a period of 18 months. Results: Most common source of origin of the cystic artery was the right hepatic artery in 92 cases (92%) followed by aberrant right hepatic artery in 4 cases (4%) and the least common sources observed were the left hepatic artery in 1 case (1%) and the gastroduodenal artery in 1 case (1%). Mean length of the cystic artery was 17.6 mm and ranged between 3.7 mm to 42 mm. Out of the 100 dissected specimens, in 65 (65%) the cystic artery was found inside the Calot’s triangle and in 35 (35%) outside the triangle. Conclusion: This study provides details of the normal as well as the variant anatomy of the cystic artery, knowledge of which is very essential for the surgeons to minimize the risk of injury to the blood vessels and the biliary apparatus during cholecystectomy.
Quality of Life in Assisted Living Facilities: Viewpoints of Residents

Assisted living facilities are nonmedical, residential settings that provide housing, food service, personal services, and watchful oversight to frail elders and other persons with physical and mental disabilities. This study presents results of research on residents' views of quality of life and is based on data from interviews with 55 residents in 17 assisted living facilities in three suburban counties in Georgia. The authors identified 14 domains of quality based on the combined values expressed by residents in interview data. Domains included aspects specifically related to quality of care as well as components of the broader concept, quality of life, such as independence and autonomy, social relationships, and meaningful ways to spend time. A key to quality was an individualized approach to care and goodness of fit between a person's unique needs and the ability of a facility to meet them.
Simultaneous detection of IgA and IgG antibodies against tissue transglutaminase: The preferred pre-biopsy test in childhood celiac disease

Abstract Objectives IgA antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (anti-TG2) is a reliable marker of celiac disease (CD). However, IgA-deficient patients are not identified and young children may lack IgA anti-TG2. Combined detection of IgA and IgG (IgA/IgG) against deamidated gliadin peptides (DGP) has shown a high diagnostic performance for untreated CD. Here we examined the utility of IgA/IgG anti-TG2, IgA/IgG anti-DGP and IgA/IgG against a mix of TG2 and DGP (anti-TG2/DGP) in finding CD among children. Methods Serum antibodies against TG2, DGP, and TG2/DGP were determined with ELISA in 242 children referred to a paediatric gastroenterologist. Fifty had untreated CD verified by an intestinal biopsy and 192/242 children had other diseases than CD. Results Forty-eight untreated CD children had increased IgA/IgG anti-TG2, 47/50 had increased IgA/IgG anti-DGP and 46/50 had increased IgA/IgG anti-TG2/DGP. One control subject had increased IgA/IgG anti-TG2 and IgA/IgG anti-TG2/DGP, whereas 7/192 control subjects had increased IgA/IgG anti-DGP. The IgA/IgG anti-TG2 assay had the best performance with a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 99.5% and the area under the ROC-curve was 0.996 (95% CI 0.992–1, p < 0.0001). Conclusions Detection of one antibody is not sufficient when screening for untreated CD among children due to cases of IgA deficiency. The inclusion of DGP antigens in the IgA/IgG combination assays seems to affect the sensitivity and specificity negatively, whereas detection of IgA/IgG anti-TG2 has the potential of finding most untreated CD patients, including those with IgA deficiency.
Study on rock-drilling using PDC bits for the prediction of torque and rate of penetration

This paper presents mathematical models for estimating torque, Rate of Penetration (ROP) as functions of cutting speed, flow rate, weight on bit and type of formation using factorial design of experiment technique for rock-drilling using Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) bits. The four factors corresponding to design parameters have been analysed simultaneously by main effects with two factor interactions. The developed model is tested for its adequacy using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The predicted results and trends of the factor interactions between the variables are presented, and found to be in good agreement with the results reported earlier.
Joint analysis of m6A and mRNA expression profiles in the testes of idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia patients

Background Growing evidence has indicated that epigenetic factors might be associated with the pathophysiology of idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia (iNOA). As the most common RNA modification, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation has recently attracted more attention in the regulation of spermatogenesis; however, its role in the mechanisms of iNOA is still unclear. Objective To determine the differential expression of mRNA and m6A methylation status in the testes of iNOA patients. Methods Testes tissues from diagnosed iNOA and controlled obstructive azoospermia (OA) patients were collected and grouped according to the histological examinations. Total RNA was isolated and quantified by an m6A RNA Methylation Quantification Kit. The expression level of mRNAs was detected by qRT-PCR analysis. Differentially expressed m6A genes were analyzed using the human ArrayStar m6A epitranscriptomic microarray, and bioinformatics analyses were applied. Results A total of 36 iNOA and 8 controlled patients were included. The global expression of m6A in the iNOA group was significantly decreased. A dosage relationship was observed between the m6A decline and the degree of impaired spermatogenesis, with the successive process of normal spermatogeneis, hypospermatogenesis (HP), maturation arrest (MA), and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SO). Four down-expressed genes (BDNF, TMEM38B, RPL3L, and C22orf42) displayed significantly lower expression of m6A methylation. Additionally, they also showed a gradually down-expressed tendency in the three groups (OA, HP, SO/MA groups). Moreover, m6A reader EIF3A was approved to have differential expression through microarrays analysis, which was consistent with the result from the qRT-PCR test. Conclusions The m6A expression was gradually downregulated in the testes tissue from iNOA patients in accordance with the degree of spermatogenic dysfunction. The determined differential expression of mRNA and m6A methylation status may represent potentially novel molecular targets for the mechanism study of iNOA in the epigenetic level, which could benefit the understanding of the pathophysiology of iNOA.
The effect of anxiety on working memory and language abilities in elementary schoolchildren with and without Additional Health and Developmental Needs

Although excessive childhood anxiety is recognised as a significant public health, education and socioeconomic concern, the specific effects of such anxiety on language development and working memory, particularly visual working memory, are relatively unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine parent-reported trait anxiety, parent-reported functional language (daily communication skills) and clinical measures of non-verbal intelligence, receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness, and visual and auditory-verbal short-term and working memory in elementary schoolchildren. The final sample included 41 children categorised as Additional Health and Developmental Needs (AHDN) due to medical, neurodevelopmental or educational concerns and 41 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical (NT) children, aged 5- to 9-years. Results showed that 26% of all children in our entire sample (AHDN and NT) experienced moderate, sub-clinical anxiety (as reported by parents), and that AHDN children were 10.5 times more likely to experience high anxiety than the NT group (odds ratio). Parents of AHDN children reported lower functional language in their children than parents of NT children. Cognitive testing indicated that the AHDN group also had poorer visual and auditory-verbal working memory than the NT group. Further, High Anxiety children (drawn from both AHDN and NT groups) showed poorer parent-reported functional language skills, and lower visual and auditory-verbal working memory capacities. Our findings are amongst the first to confirm that the presence of high parent-rated trait anxiety is associated with reduced visual working memory in children, which is consistent with biological and theoretical expectations of the impact of anxiety on visually driven, goal-directed attention and working memory. Our results regarding the high prevalence of sub-clinical anxiety in both ADHD and neurotypical children highlight the need for early assessment of anxiety in all schoolchildren, especially those classified as AHDN.