Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Collagen-binding protein, Aegyptin, regulates probing time and blood feeding success in the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Significance Hematophagy is key to mosquito reproductive success and an important link in pathogen transmission cycles. Vertebrate hemostasis, specifically platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction, and coagulation, presents a significant challenge to successful blood feeding. Mosquitoes have been selected to secrete salivary proteins with powerful antihemostatic activities. Aegyptin, a salivary protein from the dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever vector, Aedes aegypti, binds collagen and inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion. A transgene-based, gene-silencing approach elicited a specific and significant reduction in Aegyptin mRNA and protein levels in female salivary glands. The resulting prolonged probing times and reductions in feeding quality and quantity support the conclusion that platelet aggregation inhibition is a vital salivary function and that Aegyptin plays a significant and nonredundant role in successful feeding. Mosquito salivary glands have important roles in blood feeding and pathogen transmission. However, the biological relevance of many salivary components has yet to be determined. Aegyptin, a secreted salivary protein from Aedes aegypti, binds collagen and inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion. We used a transgenic approach to study the relevance of Aegyptin in mosquito blood feeding. Aedes aegypti manipulated genetically to express gene-specific inverted-repeat RNA sequences exhibited significant reductions in Aegyptin mRNA accumulation (85–87%) and protein levels (>80-fold) in female mosquito salivary glands. Transgenic mosquitoes had longer probing times (78–300 s, P < 0.0001) when feeding on mice compared with controls (15–56 s), feeding success was reduced, and those feeding took smaller blood meals. However, no differences in feeding success or blood meal size were found in membrane feeding experiments using defibrinated human blood. Salivary gland extracts from transgenic mosquitoes failed to inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. Reductions of Aegyptin did not affect salivary ADP-induced platelet aggregation inhibition or disturb anticlotting activities. Our results demonstrate the relevance of Aegyptin for A. aegypti blood feeding, providing further support for the hypothesis that platelet aggregation inhibition is a vital salivary function in blood feeding arthropods. It has been suggested that the multiple mosquito salivary components mediating platelet aggregation (i.e., Aegyptin, apyrase, D7) represent functional redundancy. Our findings do not support this hypothesis; instead, they indicate that multiple salivary components work synergistically and are necessary to achieve maximum blood feeding efficiency.
Perspectives Anecdotal, Historical and Critical Commentaries on Genetics The Lesser-Known Mendel: His Experiments on Hieracium

The year 2006 is the 140th anniversary of Mendel’s pathbreaking article. It is appropriate that a journal devoted to genetics begin the year with an article about Mendel and his work. Much has been written about his deep insights and the failure of the biological community to recognize his work. Here, on this anniversary, instead of extolling his success, we present a scholarly account of Mendel’s frustrating attempts to repeat his ﬁndings in another species, which, unbeknownst to him, reproduced apomictically.
The evolving understanding of the construct of intellectual disability

Abstract This article addresses two major areas concerned with the evolving understanding of the construct of intellectual disability. The first part of the article discusses current answers to five critical questions that have revolved around the general question, “What is Intellectual Disability? ” These five are what to call the phenomenon, how to explain the phenomenon, how to define the phenomenon and determine who is a member of the class, how to classify persons so defined and identified, and how to establish public policy regarding such persons. The second part of the article discusses four critical issues that will impact both our future understanding of the construct and the approach taken to persons with intellectual disability. These four critical issues relate to the conceptualisation and measurement of intellectual functioning, the constitutive definition of intellectual disability, the alignment of clinical functions related to diagnosis, classification, and planning supports, and how the field resolves a number of emerging epistemological issues.
Detection of antipituitary and antihypothalamus antibodies to investigate the role of pituitary or hypothalamic autoimmunity in patients with selective idiopathic hypopituitarism

Objective Antipituitary (APA) but not antihypothalamus antibodies (AHA) have been investigated in patients with idiopathic hypopituitarism. This study searched for APA and AHA in some of these patients to investigate whether pituitary or hypothalamic autoimmunity could play a role in their pituitary dysfunction.
Mortality and loss to follow-up in the first year of ART: Malawi national ART programme

Objectives:To analyse mortality, loss to follow-up (LTFU) and retention on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the first year of ART across all age groups in the Malawi national ART programme. Design:Cohort study including all patients who started ART in Malawi's public sector clinics between 2004 and 2007. Methods:ART registers were photographed, information entered into a database and merged with data from clinics with electronic records. Rates per 100 patient-years and cumulative incidence of retention were calculated. Subhazard ratios (sHRs) of outcomes adjusted for patient and clinic-level characteristics were calculated in multivariable analysis, applying competing risk models. Results:A total of 117 945 patients contributed 85 246 person-years: 1.0% were infants below 2 years, 7.4% children 2–14, 7.5% young people 15–24, and 84.2% adults 25 years and above. Sixty percent of patients were female: women outnumbered men from age 14 to 35 years. Mortality and LTFU were higher in men from age 20 years. Infants and young people had the highest rates per 100 person-years for mortality (23.0 and 19.4) and LTFU (24.7 and 19.3), and the highest adjusted relative risks compared to age group 25–34 years: sHRs were 1.37 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–1.60] and 1.17 (95% CI 1.10–1.25) for death and 1.37 (95% CI 1.18–1.59) and 1.27 (95% CI 1.19–1.35) for LTFU, respectively. Conclusion:In this country-wide study patients aged 0–1 and 15–24 years had the highest risk of death and LTFU, and from age 20 men were at higher risk than women. Interventions to improve outcomes in these patient groups are required.
Capacity of a bosonic memory channel with Gauss-Markov noise

We address the classical capacity of a quantum bosonic memory channel with additive noise, subject to an input energy constraint. The memory is modeled by correlated noise emerging from a Gauss-Markov process. Under reasonable assumptions, we show that the optimal modulation results from a “quantum water-filling” solution above a certain input energy threshold, similar to the optimal modulation for parallel classical Gaussian channels. We also derive analytically the optimal multimode input state above this threshold, which enables us to compute the capacity of this memory channel in the limit of an infinite number of modes. The method can also be applied to a more general noise environment which is constructed by a stationary Gauss process. The extension of our results to the case of broadband bosonic channels with colored Gaussian noise should also be straightforward.
The Association Between Chemoradiation-related Lymphopenia and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Objectives:Lymphopenia is a common consequence of chemoradiation therapy yet is seldom addressed clinically. This study was conducted to determine if patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) treated with definitive chemoradiation develop significant lymphopenia and if this affects clinical outcomes. Methods:A retrospective analysis of patients with LAPC treated with chemoradiation at a single institution from 1997 to 2011 was performed. Total lymphocyte counts (TLCs) were recorded at baseline and then monthly during and after chemoradiation. The correlation between treatment-induced lymphopenia, established prognostic factors, and overall survival was analyzed using univariate Cox regression analysis. Important factors identified by univariate analysis were selected as covariates to construct a multivariate proportional hazards model for survival. Results:A total of 101 patients met eligibility criteria. TLCs were normal in 86% before chemoradiation. The mean reduction in TLC per patient was 50.6% (SD, 40.6%) 2 months after starting chemoradiation (P<0.00001), and 46% had TLC<500 cells/mm3. Patients with TLC<500 cells/mm3 2 months after starting chemoradiation had inferior median survival (8.7 vs. 13.3 mo, P=0.03) and PFS (4.9 vs. 9.0 mo, P=0.15). Multivariate analysis revealed TLC<500 cells/mm3 to be an independent predictor of inferior survival (HR=2.879, P=0.001) along with baseline serum albumin (HR=3.584, P=0.0002), BUN (HR=1.060, P=0.02), platelet count (HR=1.004, P=0.005), and radiation planning target volume (HR=1.003, P=0.0006). Conclusions:Severe treatment-related lymphopenia occurs frequently after chemoradiation for LAPC and is an independent predictor of inferior survival.
Targeted testing for acute HIV infection in North Carolina.

BACKGROUND Persons with acute HIV infection contribute disproportionately to HIV transmission. The identification of these persons is a critical public health challenge. We developed targeted approaches for detecting HIV RNA in persons with negative serological tests. METHODS Persons undergoing publicly funded HIV testing in North Carolina between October 2002 and April 2005 were included in this cross-sectional study. We used logistic regression to develop targeted testing approaches. We also assessed simple approaches based on clinic type and geography. Algorithm development used persons with recent HIV infection, determined by a detuned enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Validation used persons with acute HIV infection, identified with an HIV RNA pooling procedure. RESULTS Among 215 528 eligible persons, 232 persons had recent HIV infection and 44 had acute HIV infection. A combination of five indicators (testing site, sexual preference, sex with a person with HIV infection, county HIV incidence, and race) identified 92% of recent infections when testing 50% of the population. In validation among persons with acute HIV infection, this indicator combination had sensitivities of 98% in years 1 and 2 and 88% in year 3. A simple combination of testing site and county performed nearly as well [development (recent infections): sensitivity = 95%; validation (acute infections): sensitivity = 86% in years 1 and 2; 81% in year 3; cut-off established for testing 50% of population. ] CONCLUSION Acute HIV infection can be identified accurately using targeted testing. Simple approaches for identifying the types of clinics and geographical areas where infections are concentrated may be logistically feasible and cost-efficient.
Opportunities and Challenges: Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Secondary Schools, Nairobi, Kenya

This presentation is based on a larger study whose purpose was to explore the various opportunities and challenges influencing integration of ICT in teaching and learning Mathematics in secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study, adopted a descriptive survey design. Three instruments questionnaires', a structured interview schedule and an observation checklist were used to collect data. The study was carried out in twelve public secondary schools in Nairobi County. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings from the study indicated that, teachers face major challenges such as developing their own technological skills and knowledge as well as self-training in the use ICTs in their teaching. This lack of capacity building support was found by the study to contribute to teacher lax in integrating technology in their teaching inspite of the enthusiasm. This study recommends that new frontiers on technology integration be made accessible to both teachers and students for learning purpose to increase access to information and that, capacity building in technology integration be increased for teachers and awareness be built among pre-service teachers trainees integrating ICT in teaching and learning Mathematics.
Super edge-magic labeling of graphs: deficiency and maximality

A graph G of order p and size q is called super edge-magic if there exists a bijective function f from V(G) U E(G) to {1, 2, 3, . , p+q} such that f(x) + f(xy) + f(y) is a constant for every edge $xy \in E(G)$ and f(V(G)) = {1, 2, 3, . , p}. The super edge-magic deficiency of a graph G is either the smallest nonnegative integer n such that G U nK_1 is super edge-magic or +~ if there exists no such integer n. In this paper, we study the super edge-magic deficiency of join product graphs. We found a lower bound of the super edge-magic deficiency of join product of any connected graph with isolated vertices and a better upper bound of the super edge-magic deficiency of join product of super edge-magic graphs with isolated vertices. Also, we provide constructions of some maximal graphs, ie. super edge-magic graphs with maximal number of edges.
SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION BY PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS

Nineteen male and 21 female psychiatric inpatients, aged 15 to 66, on moderate to high daily doses of chlorpromazine or imipramine, were randomly subdivided into four groups of 10 patients each. The groups differed in mode of drug administration. Drugs were self-administered with or without instruction, and were also administered in the traditional manner by nurses with or without instruction. Although the overall incidence of drug defaulting (24 per cent) was consistent with previous reports, patients on self-administration schedules revealed greater evidence of drug defaulting than did nurse-medicated patients. Contrary to expectations, instructions by nursing staff apparently undermined rather than supported patients' attitudes toward and adherence to prescribed medication. Although drugtaking behavior did not change over time, patients showed increasing preference for self-administration. Results are discussed in terms of patient responsibility and the responses of nurses to changes in an important aspect of their traditional role.
Phased array technology for mobile user terminals

This article gives an overview of several phased array frontend topologies used for mobile platforms like cars, ships and trains. Mobility is becoming more and more important in today's communication culture and satellite links will play herein an important role. Such services are well suited for multimedia services on-the-move, require however steerable antenna frontends in order to maintain a communication link with the satellite while in movement. Satellite terminals available on the market today, are often of hybrid design, i.e. they scan in one plane mechanically, and in the other plane electronically. The ultimate goal however is to realise a full electronical solution at an efficient cost. This is the only way to achieve a successful deployment of such a technology on the telecommunication market. The most common way to steer an antenna is based on phased array technology where each antenna element is equipped with a phase shifting device. Such architectures are in general rather complex, involve a large amount of RF-components, and require dedicated designs. IMST has been involved in various projects over the years, all focusing on mobile & nomadic satellite terminals for different services. It has become a major specialisation. Some of these designs & realisations are presented and details discussed.
Perception of dental appearance using Index of Treatment Need (Aesthetic Component) assessments.

OBJECTIVES To compare assessments of malocclusion made by an orthodontist with the perceptions of children and their parents. METHOD A sample of 5,112 Malaysian schoolchildren was selected by a system of stratified random sampling based on state, ethnicity and gender. Each child was first allocated an IOTN (AC) grade by an orthodontist, after which the child and then the parents also recorded a grade. A smaller sub-sample of 720 children was also asked to identify the three worst AC pictures and to give reasons for their choice. RESULTS The orthodontist scored 22.8% of the subjects in AC grades 8-10, 'Definite Need for Treatment' whilst only 5.8% of children and 4.8% of parents recorded these grades. If AC grade 6 is taken as the cut off point the proportions needing treatment would be 41.8%, 9.7% and 9.9% respectively. Similar proportions of boys and girls scored their own teeth in the 8-10 range but more girls than boys scored themselves in grades 1-3, 'No Need for Treatment'. Ethnic origin had no effect upon the perception of malocclusion by the children. Crowding, deep bite and tooth size were the three occlusal features that children liked least. CONCLUSION The IOTN (AC) index appears robust in its reflection of the perception of malocclusion by children and parents respectively. Assessments were little affected by gender or ethnicity. However the scores of children and parents were much lower than those of an orthodontist trained in the use of IOTN.
Conditionally Immortalized, Multipotential and Multifunctional Neural Stem Cell Lines as an Approach to Clinical Transplantation

Experiments are described using rats with two kinds of brain damage and consequent cognitive deficit (in the Morris water maze, three-door runway, and radial maze): 1) ischemic damage to the CA1 hippocampal cell field after four-vessel occlusion (4VO), and 2) damage to the forebrain cholinergic projection system by local injection of excitotoxins to the nuclei of origin or prolonged ethanol administration. Cell suspension grafts derived from primary fetal brain tissue display a stringent requirement for homotypical cell replacement in the 4VO model: cells from the embryonic day (E)18–19 CA1 hippocampal subfield, but not from CA3 or dentate gyrus or from E16 basal forebrain (cholinergic rich) led to recovery of cognitive function. After damage to the cholinergic system, conversely, recovery of function was seen with cell suspension grafts from E16 basal forebrain or cholinergic-rich E14 ventral mesencephalon, but not with implants of hippocampal tissue. These two models therefore provided a test of multifunctionality for a clonal line of conditionally immortalized neural stem cells, MHP36, derived from the E14 “immortomouse” hippocampal anlage. Implanted above the damaged CA1 cell field in 4VO-treated adult rats, these cells (multipotential in vitro) migrated to the damaged area, reconstituted the gross morphology of the CA1 pyramidal layer, took up both neuronal and glial phenotypes, and gave rise to cognitive recovery. Similar recovery of function and restoration of species-typical morphology was observed when MHP36 cells were implanted into marmosets with excitotoxic CA1 damage. MHP36 implants led to recovery of cognitive function also in two experiments with rats with excitotoxic damage to the cholinergic system damage, either unilaterally in the nucleus basalis or bilaterally in both the nucleus basalis and the medial septal area. Thus, MHP36 cells are both multipotent (able to take up multiple cellular phenotypes) and multifunctional (able to repair diverse types of brain damage).
Tool independence for the web accessibility quantitative metric

The Web Accessibility Quantitative Metric (WAQM) aims at accurately measuring the accessibility of web pages. One of the main features of WAQM among others is that it is evaluation tool independent for ranking and accessibility monitoring scenarios. This article proposes a method to attain evaluation tool independence for all foreseeable scenarios. After demonstrating that homepages have a more similar error profile than any other web page in a given web site, 15 homepages were measured with 10,000 different values of WAQM parameters using EvalAccess and LIFT, two automatic evaluation tools for accessibility. A similar procedure was followed with random pages and with several test files obtaining several tuples that minimise the difference between both tools. One thousand four hundred forty-nine web pages from 15 web sites were measured with these tuples and those values that minimised the difference between the tools were selected. Once the WAQM was tuned, the accessibility of 15 web sites was measured with two metrics for web sites, concluding that even if similar values can be produced, obtaining the same scores is undesirable since evaluation tools behave in a different way.
The Impact of Family Communication Patterns on Hospice Family Caregivers: A New Typology

As patients transition to hospice/palliative care, family members face the challenge of engaging in conversations about prognosis and death. Although conversations about death and dying are optimal during hospice care, few families are able to speak openly and candidly about disease and illness and little is known about the impact of family communication patterns on the primary caregiver’s stress and ability to cope. Family Communication Patterns Theory was used as a framework to investigate caregiver concerns related to family roles and responsibilities during hospice care. Audio-recorded discussions were reviewed for caregiver concerns involving 1 or more family members, and thematic coding was used to analyze the data. This study empirically identified 4 types of hospice family caregivers (manager, carrier, partner, and loner) through family communication patterns. With the exception of partner caregiver types, family caregivers deferred to the hierarchical role within the family (conformity) over communication (conversation) during hospice. Conformity in family communication did not equate with family agreement or open communication. Families emphasized communication patterns in line with family hierarchical roles rather than engaging in conversation and disclosure. Caregiver typologies can guide clinicians in using more sculpted and appropriate communication skills and practices to enable care and inclusion of family caregivers.
Prenatal ethanol exposure persistently impairs NMDA receptor‐dependent activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase in the mouse dentate gyrus

The dentate gyrus (DG) is the central input region to the hippocampus and is known to play an important role in learning and memory. Previous studies have shown that prenatal alcohol is associated with hippocampal‐dependent learning deficits and a decreased ability to elicit long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the DG in adult animals. Given that activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling cascade by NMDA receptors is required for various forms of learning and memory, as well as LTP, in hippocampal regions, including the DG, we hypothesized that fetal alcohol‐exposed adult animals would have deficits in hippocampal NMDA receptor‐dependent ERK1/2 activation. We used immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry techniques to detect NMDA‐stimulated ERK1/2 activation in acute hippocampal slices prepared from adult fetal alcohol‐exposed mice. We present the first evidence linking prenatal alcohol exposure to deficits in NMDA receptor‐dependent ERK1/2 activation specifically in the DG of adult offspring. This deficit may account for the LTP deficits previously observed in the DG, as well as the life‐long cognitive deficits, associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.