Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ionizing Radiation as a Phytosanitary Treatment Against Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae): Efficacy in Naturally Versus Artificially Infested Fruit

ABSTRACT Some phytosanitary irradiation treatment research against tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) has used artificially infested fruit with the unstated and untested assumption that the method adequately simulated a natural situation. We compare grapefruit, Citrus paradisi Macfayden, naturally infested by Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), via oviposition until larvae reached the late third instar versus insertion of diet-reared third instars into holes made in grapefruits 24 h before irradiation; the latter technique has been used in other studies. Both infestation techniques resulted in statistically indistinguishable results, indicating that insertion of diet-reared third instar Mexican fruit fly into holes bored into grapefruit and subsequently sealed 24 h before irradiation would adequately represent natural infestation and could be used to develop a radiation phytosanitary treatment of the insect in grapefruit when prevention of adult emergence is used as the measure of efficacy. Nevertheless, it may not be advisable to extend this conclusion to other fruit fly/fruit combinations without doing appropriate comparison studies. Dissection of puparia from nonirradiated control insects that failed to emerge as adults showed a relatively even distribution of mortality among the developmental stages within the puparium. In contrast, dissection of puparia from irradiated third instars that did not emerge as adults revealed a sharp attenuation in development from cryptocephalic to phanerocephalic pupae demonstrating this transition to be the developmental step most affected by radiation.
Initial rotor position estimation and sensorless direct torque control of surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motors considering saturation saliency

For a practical direct torque-controlled (DTC) permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system, the information of the initial rotor position, which is usually obtained by a mechanical position sensor, is essential for starting under the full load. To avoid the disadvantages of using mechanical position sensors, great efforts have been made on the development of sensorless control schemes. An initial rotor position estimation strategy is presented for a DTC PMSM drive based on a nonlinear model of PMSM incorporating both structural and saturation saliencies. In the new scheme, specially designed high-voltage pulses are applied to amplify the saturation saliencies. The peak currents corresponding to the voltage pulses are used, in combination with the inductance patterns, to determine the d-axis position and the polarity of the rotor. The presented initial rotor position identification strategy has been implemented in a sensorless DTC drive for a surface-mounted PMSM. Experiments are conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the method and the performance of the drive system.
Advanced Glycation End Product Receptor‐Mediated Cellular Dysfunction

Abstract: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), S100/calgranulins, and HMGB1 proteins supposedly play a pivotal role in diabetes mellitus and other chronic inflammatory diseases by promoting cellular dysfunction via binding to cellular surface receptors. Particularly, engagement of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) has gained major attention because it converts short‐lasting cellular activation in sustained cellular dysfunction. Consistently, blockade of ligand‐RAGE interaction with soluble RAGE (sRAGE) suppresses chronic cellular activation and dysfunction in animal models of chronic diseases. RAGE−/− mice, however, demonstrate that the protection conferred by RAGE deficiency is lower than that mediated by sRAGE. Furthermore, RAGE−/− mice can be protected by sRAGE in certain settings of the adaptive immune response. This finding implies that abounding RAGE ligands overworking the RAGE pathway might also activate other receptors.
Functional Analysis of the CAAT Box in the Major Late Promoter of the Subgroup C Human Adenoviruses

ABSTRACT Comparisons among sequences predicted to encode the major late promoter (MLP) of adenoviruses from a wide variety of host species show that an inverted CAAT box is among the most highly conserved transcription elements found in the putative MLPs. The high degree of conservation suggests that the CAAT box plays an important role in the function of the MLP in vivo, an idea supported by a previous mutational analysis of the core CCAAT sequence. To address the importance of the CAAT box, in terms both of quantitative levels of transcription and of specificity, a further set of mutations was created and examined in the context of the viral genome. One mutation, CAAT5, contains individual changes at five positions, four of which correspond to invariant residues in a CAAT box consensus derived either by computer analysis or empirically. The CAAT5 mutation had no discernible phenotype by itself but when coupled with the previously described USF0 mutation, which disrupts binding of the upstream stimulating factor (USF) but is otherwise phenotypically silent, gave rise to virus with a severe replication deficiency. Nuclear run-on assays showed that transcription initiation at the mutant MLP was significantly reduced compared with that of the wild type or the virus containing CAAT5 alone. Replication of the double mutant was lower than that of the previously described USF0::CCCAT virus, suggesting that the additional mutations in the CAAT box had further lowered the binding of transcription factor CP1 (also called CBF, NF-Y). Replacement of the CAAT box by an ATF binding site or an OCT1 binding site had no phenotypic effect in an otherwise wild-type background, but replacement in a USF0::CCCAT background led to only partial restoration of the wild-type phenotype. The failure to restore the functional redundancy normally exhibited by the CAAT box and the proximal upstream activating element is consistent with the idea that in the adenovirus MLP the CAAT box is preferred over others as the distal transcriptional element.
thE EffEcts of constrUal lEvEls on asymmEtric tEmPtation-goal cognitivE associations

Self-control benefits from an asymmetric pattern of cognitive associations whereby temptations facilitate the activation of goals, but goals interfere with the activation of temptations (Fishbach, Friedman, & Kruglanski, 2003). The present research examines how these cognitive associations are dependent on people's subjective construals of events. Drawing from past work demonstrating that abstract, goal-relevant (higher level) rather than concrete, goal-incidental (lower level) construals promote self-control (Fujita, Trope et al., 2006), three experiments tested the hypothesis that higher level construals promote asymmetric temptation-goal associations. Results confirmed that asymmetric temptation-goal associations are construal-dependent: higher level construals enhanced the tendency for temptations to facilitate activation of goals (Studies 1 and 2), and for goals to interfere with the activation of temptation (Study 3).
Privacy and Public Health in the Information Age: Electronic Health Records and the Minnesota Health Records Act

In 2004 President George W. Bush announced a new federal initiative to develop electronic health records (“EHR”) for every American by 2014 because of their tremendous promise to reduce medical errors, reduce administrative costs in the health care system, and improve public health research.1 In response to President Bush’s announcement, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, in 2005, supported a statewide mandate that every health care provider in Minnesota would have EHRs by 2015.2 One of the first pieces of legislation Minnesota passed to meet the 2015 mandate was the Minnesota Health Records Act (“MHRA”), which was hailed as creating an “electronic superhighway for medical records. ”3
Haematological, blood biochemical and histopathological effects of sublethal cadmium and lead concentrations in common carp

The present research aimed at examining the effects of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposure to sublethal concentrations of two non-essential heavy metals: cadmium (Cd: 8.4 mg/L) and lead (Pb: 6.2 mg/L) for 15 days to evaluate occurring biochemical and haematological effects. The examined parameters included haematocrit (Hct), haemoglobin (Hb), lymphocytes (Lym), neutrophils (Neu), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), immunoglobulin M (IgM), glucose, red and white blood cells counts (RBC & WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Exposure to both metals significantly (P<0.05) reduced the amounts of WBC and MCHC. MCV values decreased (P<0.05) after the Pb treatment but MCV estimates with Cd exposure showed no differences. MCH levels increased in both treatments (P<0.05) whereas Hct, Hb, RBC, Lym, and Neu following both metal exposures were almost similar to those in the control. IgM values were elevated in fish contaminated with both Pb and Cd (P<0.05). The exposed fish showed fusion of gill lamellae, vessel dilatation, hyperaemia, and hyperplasia of gill epithelial cells whereas muscle histology remained unchanged. The observed responses can be secondary to low heavy metals concentrations reflecting the trigger of stress reactions in affected fish.
Acute Toxic Effects of Formalin on First Year MBBS Students during Dissection In Gross Anatomy Laboratory

Formalin is used as a preservative for human cadavers. The present study was conducted on 150 first year MBBS students to find out and quantify the acute toxic effects of formalin in gross anatomy laboratory. In our study 88.1% students have reported watering of eyes and also felt that it was the first symptom to develop(74.8%) and was the most irritating and troublesome symptom(62%) as well. Other symptoms reported were running nose with tingling sensation(30.7%), redness of eyes(20%), irritation of throat(11.2%), skin problems(10.8%),cough(12%),headache(6.4%), difficulty in breathing(1.1%) and others like lack of concentration(31.2%). Even though formaldehyde concentrations were relatively low, medical students, instructors and cadaver related workers should wear protective devices to reduce the effects of gaseous formaldehyde exposure during gross anatomy laboratory or contact cadaver.
A study of medico social profile of under five children suffering from diarrhoeal diseases.

In India, 76 of 290 children (26.2%) under five admitted to the pediatric wards of Command Hospital Pune during April-October 1986 suffered from various diarrheal diseases. Boys were more likely to be afflicted with a diarrheal disease than girls (63.16% vs. 36.84%). Health workers made home visits after hospital discharge. Diarrheal illness was more frequent among the lower socioeconomic classes than the upper classes (65.81% for social class III and 22.37% for social class IV vs. 3.94-7.88 for social classes I-II; p 0.001). The incidence of diarrhea was inversely proportional to maternal literacy status (42.1% for illiteracy, 32.89% for primary school, 10.53% for middle school, 9.21% for secondary school, and 5.27% for higher education). A family size of no more than 4 was associated with a higher incidence of diarrhea than larger family sizes (72.36% vs. 25% for 5-6; 2.64% for 6; p 0.05). Yet, diarrhea was more common in overcrowded households than in non-crowded households (73.68% vs. 26.32%; p 0.05). The most common signs and symptoms in children with diarrheal diseases were dehydration (78.95%), fever (75%), and vomiting (73.68%). Children younger than 24 months who were exclusively breast fed made up a smaller proportion of diarrhea cases than their counterparts who were not exclusively breast fed (20.75% vs. 79.25%). Most diarrheal disease cases (67-92%) suffered from various grades of malnutrition. Laboratory personnel isolated pathogenic organisms from only 36.84% of cases. The most common pathogens were Ascaris lumbricoides (10.54% of all cases), Giardia lamblia (7.89%), and Campylobacter jejuni (5.26%). 50% of mothers did not know anything about oral rehydration therapy (ORT). Of the mothers who did know about it, only 26.32% were using ORT. These findings highlight the great need for health education on ORT for mothers.
Determination of Contraction-Induced Changes in Elbow Flexor Cross-Sectional Area for Evaluating Muscle Size-Strength Relationship During Contraction

Abstract Akagi, R, Iwanuma, S, Hashizume, S, Kanehisa, H, Fukunaga, T, and Kawakami, Y. Determination of contraction-induced changes in elbow flexor cross-sectional area for evaluating muscle size-strength relationship during contraction. J Strength Cond Res 29(6): 1741–1747, 2015—The aims of this study were to determine contraction-induced changes in the elbow flexor cross-sectional area (CSA) and to examine whether the maximal CSA during a high-intensity contraction is more closely related to the strength than that at rest in the elbow flexors. Fourteen young male subjects participated in this study. The elbow flexor CSAs were measured at sites from 1 cm proximal to 6 cm distal to the reference site (60% of the upper arm length from the acromial process of the scapula to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus) (every 1 cm; 8 sampling sites) using magnetic resonance imaging, at rest and during 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of isometric elbow flexion. The elbow flexor CSA changed greatly during low-intensity contractions, and this contraction-induced change was small over 60%MVC. Compared with at rest, greater CSA around the muscle belly and smaller CSA in the distal portion of the elbow flexors were found in contracted conditions. The MVC strength was significantly correlated with the maximal CSAs at rest and each contraction level, but stepwise multiple regression analysis selected only that during 80%MVC as a significant contributor for estimating the MVC strength. These results suggest that, in the elbow flexors, the contraction-induced change in the CSA reaches its peak under high contractile level and that the maximal CSA during 80%MVC is more closely related to the MVC strength than that at rest.
Sources Used by Education Students to Conceptualize Learning Disabilities

An earlier investigation indicated that the education students in this sample gave estimates of the prevalence of learning disabilities that were 4 times greater than those given by experts. In the present study, we identified the sources of information these students used to conceptualize and estimate the prevalence of these disabilities. These 140 first-year education students cited direct contact with persons identified as learning disabled as the primary individual source and personal experience as the primary type of source they used to form conceptions of learning disabilities. These findings raise questions about the effects exposure to possible stereotypes of learning disabilities and their resolution may have on the practices of educators. Faculty must present research to students so stereotypical views of pupils who have difficulty learning in school and the solutions to their problems are questioned.
Magnitude of Functional CD8+ T-Cell Responses to the Gag Protein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Correlates Inversely with Viral Load in Plasma

ABSTRACT The importance of CD8+ T-cell responses in the control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection has been demonstrated, yet few studies have been able to correlate these responses with markers of HIV-1 disease progression. This study measured cell-mediated immune responses using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from 27 patients with chronic HIV-1 infection, the majority of whom were off antiretroviral therapy. The ELISPOT assay was used to detect gamma interferon-secreting PBMC after stimulation with overlapping HIV-1 peptides spanning the Gag, Pol, Env, and Nef proteins in addition to the baculovirus-derived p24 and gp160 proteins. All volunteers had responses to at least one HIV-1-specific peptide. All but one of the subjects (96%) responded to the Gag peptide pool, and 86% responded to the Pol and/or Nef peptide pools. The magnitude and the breadth of T-cell responses directed to either the Gag or p24 peptide pools correlated inversely with viral load in plasma (r = −0.60, P < 0.001 and r = −0.52, P < 0.005, respectively) and directly with absolute CD4+ T-cell counts (r = 0.54, P < 0.01 and r = 0.39, P < 0.05, respectively) using the Spearman rank correlation test. Responses to the Pol and integrase peptide pools also correlated with absolute CD4+ T-cell counts (r = 0.45, P < 0.05 and r = 0.49, P < 0.01, respectively). No correlation with markers of disease progression was seen with specific T-cell responses directed toward the Env or Nef peptides. These data serve as strong evidence that major histocompatibility complex class I presentation of Gag peptides is an essential feature for any HIV-1 vaccine designed to elicit optimal CD8+ T-cell responses.
RAMI4PILPS: An intercomparison of formulations for the partitioning of solar radiation in land surface models

[1] Remotely sensed, multiannual data sets of shortwave radiative surface fluxes are now available for assimilation into land surface schemes (LSSs) of climate and/or numerical weather prediction models. The RAMI4PILPS suite of virtual experiments assesses the accuracy and consistency of the radiative transfer formulations that provide the magnitudes of absorbed, reflected, and transmitted shortwave radiative fluxes in LSSs. RAMI4PILPS evaluates models under perfectly controlled experimental conditions in order to eliminate uncertainties arising from an incomplete or erroneous knowledge of the structural, spectral and illumination related canopy characteristics typical for model comparison with in situ observations. More specifically, the shortwave radiation is separated into a visible and near-infrared spectral region, and the quality of the simulated radiative fluxes is evaluated by direct comparison with a 3-D Monte Carlo reference model identified during the third phase of the Radiation transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) exercise. The RAMI4PILPS setup thus allows to focus in particular on the numerical accuracy of shortwave radiative transfer formulations and to pinpoint to areas where future model improvements should concentrate. The impact of increasing degrees of structural and spectral subgrid variability on the simulated fluxes is documented and the relevance of any thus emerging biases with respect to gross primary production estimates and shortwave radiative forcings due to snow and fire events are investigated.
A Review on Alternative Gold Recovery Re-agents to Cyanide

The importance of gold recovery from low grade ores and flotation tailings is continuously increasing due to raising gold demand and thereby high gold prices. However, due to raising social awareness of the ecological impacts of cyanidic gold extraction and environ-mental specifications, the development and the implementation of alternative hydrometallurgical extraction processes have been a focus for many research institutions in last decades. Present work gives a comparison between compatible extraction reagents, with focus on less harmful processes. The target of this review is to point out the best cyanide-free processes of following methods and reagents: Bioleaching, Chlorination, Aqua Regia, Bromine, Thiocyanate, Thiosulfate and Thiourea leaching. For this propose, the gold leaching reagents are described and discussed in terms of their environmental and economical points of view. As result of this comparison, thiourea stands out as the most promising alternative gold leaching reagent to cyanide.
Ruptures found up to 60km south of the major fault zone after 14 Nov 2001 Kunlun earthquake using Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery

−The results of an Imageodesy study of the 14 November, Ms 8.1 Kunlun earthquake indicate average leftlateral displacements along the Kunlun fault of 4-5m with the southern side of the fault being the active block having moved towards the ESE against a largely stable northern block. Intriguing patterns of X-shift displacement south of the Kunlun fault have prompted a thorough visual interpretation of this region using preand post-earthquake Landsat-7 ETM+ Pan imagery. The results indicate the presence of significant and previously unreported surface rupturing in two broad swathes sub-parallel to the main fault but ~20 and ~60km farther south. Pre-existing lineations and subtle tectonic geomorphological features associated with these ruptures suggest that earthquaketriggered displacement occurred along pre-existing faults.
Factors determining Profitability: A Study of Selected Manufacturing Companies listed on Colombo Stock Exchange in Sri Lanka

This paper aims to investigate whether factors such as c apital structure, working capital, firm size, non-debt tax shield and growth rate, determining profitability have any impact on profitability of selected manufacturing companies listed on Colombo stock exchange, Sri Lanka over a period of five years from 2008 to 2012. This study employs multiple regression analysis to measure relationship among variables, individual and overall impact on profitability and to test the operational hypotheses. The results revealed that whereas all independent variables explain 76.6% and 84.7% of the variance on ROA and ROE respectively where significant is at 5% levels, the overall model has a significant impact on profitability at the rate of 80.5 % (Adjusted R 2 = 80.5%, P 0.05). Keywords : Profitability, Determinants of Profitability, Colombo Stock Exchange
HIV-1 epitopes presented by MHC class I types associated with superior immune containment of viremia have highly constrained fitness landscapes

Certain Major Histocompatibility-I (MHC-I) types are associated with superior immune containment of HIV-1 infection by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), but the mechanisms mediating this containment are difficult to elucidate in vivo. Here we provide controlled assessments of fitness landscapes and CTL-imposed constraints for immunodominant epitopes presented by two protective (B*57 and B*27) and one non-protective (A*02) MHC-I types. Libraries of HIV-1 with saturation mutagenesis of CTL epitopes are propagated with and without CTL selective pressure to define the fitness landscapes for epitope mutation and escape from CTLs via deep sequencing. Immunodominant B*57- and B*27- present epitopes are highly limited in options for fit mutations, with most viable variants recognizable by CTLs, whereas an immunodominant A*02 epitope-presented is highly permissive for mutation, with many options for CTL evasion without loss of viability. Generally, options for evasion overlap considerably between CTL clones despite highly distinct T cell receptors. Finally, patterns of variant recognition suggest population-wide CTL selection for the A*02-presented epitope. Overall, these findings indicate that these protective MHC-I types yield CTL targeting of highly constrained epitopes, and underscore the importance of blocking public escape pathways for CTL-based interventions against HIV-1.
Eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction in adolescents: Cross‐cultural study

Aims: Sociocultural factors are thought to be important in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. However, there have been few studies comparing eating behavior among various cultural populations. The aim of the present study is to compare attitudes towards bodyweight and shape, and desire for thinness in Japanese male and female subjects with those in people from other countries and of different ethnic origin.