Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population genetic structure and intraspecific genetic distance of Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers

Abstract The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is a globally invasive pest that can cause significant economic loss and threaten human health. Although it is abundant and lives in close proximity to humans, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of P. americana. Our study analyzed 1,053 P. americana and other Periplaneta species' samples from different locations in China and the United States. A traditional tree‐based method using 17 unique mitochondrial COI haplotypes of P. americana and 20 haplotypes of the other Periplaneta species accurately identified P. americana with a barcoding threshold of 5.1%. To identify the population genetic structure of P. americana, we investigated wingless gene and pooled them with obtained mtDNA data for a combined analysis. Although the genetic diversity of the USA group was relatively higher than the China group, the number of haplotypes and alleles of both groups was small. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), intraspecific phylogeny, and haplotype networks indicated that P. americana had very little global genetic differentiation. The weak geographic genetic structure might reflect the human‐mediated dispersal of P. americana. Despite no apparent phylogeographic assignment of mtDNA and nuclear lineages was observed in both BI trees, the integrated COI sequence data identified four distinct P. americana haplotype groups, showing four ancient maternal lineages of P. americana in China and the United States.
Reducing Risks: Drug Users' views of Accessing and Disposing of Injecting Equipment

In response to identified gaps in existing knowledge, this paper examines drug users' views of accessing and disposing of injecting equipment. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 124 illicit drug users and a number of findings emerged. Many respondents felt that the existing provision of injecting equipment was insufficient to meet demand. Additionally, drug users adopted diverse strategies for accessing and disposing of equipment, but unsafe practices persisted. Information about local outlets dealing with injecting equipment was found to be limited and the use of return rates to evaluate exchange services was shown to be problematic. Finally, whilst pharmacists could do much more to encourage safe disposal, it was evident that no single agency could meet the needs and preferences of all injectors. The paper concludes by suggesting various practical strategies for further reducing high risk drug-related behaviour.
Multi-target Prediction Methods for Bioinformatics: Approaches for Protein Function Prediction and Candidate Discovery for Gene Regulatory Network Expansion

Biology is experiencing a paradigm shift since the advent of next generation sequencing technologies. The retrieved data largely exceeds the capability of biologists to investigate all possibilities in the laboratories, hence predictive tools able to guide the research are now a fundamental component of their workflow. Given the central role of proteins in living organisms, in this thesis we focus on their functional analysis and the intrinsic multi-target nature of this task. To this end, we propose different predictive methods, specifically developed to exploit side knowledge among target variables and examples. As a first contribution we face the task of protein-function prediction and more in general of hierarchical-multilabel classification (HMC). We present Ocelot a predictive pipeline for genome-wide protein characterization. It relies on a statistical-relational-learning tool, where the knowledge on the input examples is coded by the combination of multiple kernel matrices, while relations among target variables are expressed as logical constraints. Both, the mislabeling of examples and the infringement of logical rules are penalized by the loss function, but Ocelot do not forces hierarchical consistency. To overcome this limitation, we present AWX, a neural-networks output-layer that guarantees the formal consistency of HMC predictions. The second contribution is VSC, a binary classifier designed to incorporate the concepts of subsampling and locality in the definition of features to be used as the input of a perceptron. A locality-based confidence measure is used to weight the contribution of maximum-margin hyper-planes built by subsampling pairs of examples of opposite class. The rationale is that local methods can be exploited when a multi-target task is expected, but not reflected in the annotation space. The third and last contribution are NES2RA and OneGenE, two approaches for finding candidates to expand known gene regulatory networks. NES2RA adopts variable-subsetting strategies, enabled by volunteer distributed computing, and the PC algorithm to discover candidate causal relationships within each subset of variables. Then, ranking aggregators combine the partial results into a single ranked candidate genes list. OneGenE overcomes the main limitation of NES2RA, i.e. latency, by precomputing candidate expansion lists for each transcript of an organism that are then aggregated on-demand.
Scholars Research Library

The aim of my study is to note the incidence of Pse udomonas species in urinary tract infection . A tot al of 1160 samples of urine were received from January 2010 to December 2013 from the inpatient & outpatient depa rtments. They were cultured and 140 were positive for bacte rial growth.Out of which 8 samples Pseudomonas spec ies was isolated. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these patients was also studied which revealed that tare sensitive to Amikacin, Cefotaxime, Levofloxacin, Ni trofurantoin, Gentamycin.
Prevalence and associated factors of non-uptake of human immunodeficiency virus testing of tuberculosis patients in Thailand

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and associated factors ofnon-uptake of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing by tuberculosis hospital patients in Thailand. In 2014, a cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 425 TB patients across 42 hospitals, two province, in all four regions in Thailand. All new TB and new retreatment patients were consecutively interviewed within one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment. The outcome was self-reported HIV testing after TB diagnosis, validated using clinic registers. Results indicate that 38.4% of the 425 participants had not undergone HIV testing. Multivariate analysis found 61 years and older and being a migrant worker was significantly associated with associated with “Not tested for HIV”, while other socio-demographic factors, geolocality, TB diagnosis characteristics, TB treatment status, TB knowledge substance use and TB-AIDS stigma were not significantly associated with associated with “Not tested for HIV”. In conclusion, the level of HIV testing among TB hospital patients was suboptimal, and the Ministry of Public Health should continue to scale-up HIV testing and other collaborative TB-HIV services at health facilities.
Applied Pathology for Interventions of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion

Elevated serum phosphorus has emerged as a key risk factor for pathologic calcification of cardiovascular structures, or vascular calcification (VC). To prevent the formation of calciumphosphate deposits (CPD), the body uses adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP) to synthesize inhibitors of calcification, including proteins and inhibitors of low molecular weight. Extracellular pyrophosphate (PPi) is a potent inhibitor of VC, which is produced during extracellular hydrolysis of ATP. Loss of function in the enzymes and transporters that are involved in the cycle of extracellular ATP, including Pi transporters, leads to excessive deposition of calcium-phosphate salts. Treatment of hyperphosphatemia with Pi-binders and Injection of exogenous PPi are the effective treatments to prevent CPD in the aortic wall. The role of sodium phosphate cotransporters in ectopic calcification is contradictory and not well defined, but their important role in the control of intracellular Pi levels and the synthesis of ATP make them an important target to study.
DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN AND PRESCRIPTION ERROR IN ELDERLY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF INPATIENT RECORD Research Article

Background: Older people are potentially at greater risk of medication error. Gaining insight into the physicians prescribing pattern in order to identify prescribing problem is the fundamental step in improving the quality of prescription and patient care. Objectives: To analyze drug use pattern and study elderly inpatient file for prevalence and frequency of occurrence of some predetermined prescribing errors. Method: A retrospective study of elderly (65 years and older) inpatient record was conducted from April to June, 2010. WHO core drug prescribing indicator was used to evaluate prescription pattern. Prescription errors were categorized as errors in prescription writing and errors of commission (ignoring drug interactions, use of potentially inappropriate medication). Results: A total of 305 medical files were studied. 211 were male and 204 were younger elderly (65- 74 years). 2985 drugs were prescribed (average exposure/ patient: 9.8). 84% of drugs were prescribed by generic name. Percentages of drugs prescribed from National essential drug list and WHO list were 75% and 55 % respectively. 1233 errors in prescription writing were identified. Route, ending date of therapy, and signature of prescribing doctor were most missed items (missing in 10.2%, 7%, and 12% of drug prescribed respectively). 5% of drugs names were written with unacceptable abbreviations while use of error prone abbreviations, symbols and dose designations was 0.27% per prescribed items. 145 patients were prescribed at least one potential inappropriate medication as determined by Beer’s criteria. Medication prescribed to 88 elderly patients had at least one potential chance for drug-drug interaction. Conclusion: Frequency of occurrence of prescription errors found during the study can be rated high. The prescription pattern and the prescription errors have indicated the need to establish proper system of recording and analyzing therapy before writing a prescription in order to promote rational drug therapy in elderly. Further comprehensive studies on medication error are necessary to anticipate the scale of problem and their economic impact.
Mentorship Developments in the Primary Phase of Initial Teacher Education at the University of Reading

This paper seeks to describe and explore some of the concepts underpinning the development of Mentorship at the University of Reading in relation to Primary Initial Teacher Education (PITE). The research and development phase of this project has been carried out over the past three years and the first set of pilot studies have just been concluded. The current phase of research and development involves an entire cohort of students in the second year of their BA(Ed) degree who will be in school in the Summer term of 1994. Preparation activities and events have been organised with university tutors and teachers in associated schools — all teachers in associated schools; a key and distinctive feature of this scheme. The first part of the paper discusses the particular features of the Reading Primary Mentorship programme and some of the hazards faced when developing such an extensive scheme. The second part of the paper analyses some of the difficulties faced within Higher Education Institutions, for whom, it .
N ov 2 01 9 THE GAUSS – GREEN THEOREM IN STRATIFIED GROUPS

We lay the foundations for a theory of divergence-measure fields in noncommutative stratified nilpotent Lie groups. Such vector fields form a new family of function spaces, which generalize in a sense the BV fields. They provide the most general setting to establish Gauss–Green formulas for vector fields of low regularity on sets of finite perimeter. We show several properties of divergence-measure fields in stratified groups, ultimately achieving the related Gauss–Green theorem. Dedicated to the memory of William P. Ziemer (1934–2017)
Tapani Hirvonen A Wide Spectral Range Imaging System-Applications in Wood Industry

In this study a wide spectral range (200–2500 nm) imaging system with photoluminescence imaging capability is introduced. The setup is developed from three different line spectral cameras by merging them to operate simultaneously in order to achieve savings in measuring time and sample handling. The system is benchmarked to obtain knowledge about an appropriate operational range and performance. Findings indicate that the developed system has the most significant challenges in the ultraviolet region. The system is then used to obtain a public spectral image database from Nordic sawn timber for research purposes. The selected wood species are birch (Betula sp.), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). In all, 107 samples including several different surface features (e.g. knots and decay) are measured in frozen, melted and room–dried conditions to correspond to real production circumstances in sawmills across seasons. This results in the final database containing approximately 44 million spectra in which the potential is demonstrated with an analysis example of fluorescent area extraction, retrieval of the spatial distribution of aromatic lignin and simplified MC detection. According to the results, the spectral image database offers a possibility to observe spatial distributions of different wood properties. Finally, the imaging system is applied to develop a practical, non–contact and non–destructive method for the layer thickness measurement of freshly applied water–dilutable compounds, for example, adhesives used in the production of glued wood. The absorption peaks of water are associated with the layer thickness of the compounds under examination. From these key wavelengths a method is derived which requires the observation of only two wavelengths. Universal Decimal Classification: 535.33, 535.37, 543.42, 681.785, 620.179. 1, 691.11 Library of Congress Subject Headings: Optical measurements; Spectral imaging; Spectrum analysis; Spectral reflectance; Fluorescence; Photoluminescence; Nondestructive testing; Thickness measurement; Wood; Laminated wood; Timber; Quality control; Engineering inspection Yleinen suomalainen asiasanasto: spektrikuvaus; spektrianalyysi; fluoresenssi; fotoluminesenssi; rikkomaton aineenkoetus; puuteollisuus; sahatavara; liimapuu; laadunarviointi; laadunvalvonta
How does polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis regulate T‐lymphocyte function?

mpaired regulation of immune function characterised by chronic inflammation together with a declining protective immune response is a major challenge to healthy ageing. It is therefore important to understand the mechanisms that regulate immune function and the impact of ageing upon such processes. Appropriate induction and resolution of the immune response requires adequate availability of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for incorporation into cell membranes. However, humans are unable to synthesise PUFAs de novo and are dependent upon dietary intake for pre-formed PUFAs or synthesis by the liver from the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (aLNA, 18:3n-3). We have shown that activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) 37 increases PUFA biosynthesis from essential fatty acids via a mechanism that involves altered epigenetic regulation of a key gene in the pathway. Moreover, induction of PUFA synthesis is directly involved in the regulation of lymphocyte activation and proliferation. The aim of the BBSRC responsive mode award ‘How does polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis regulate T lymphocyte function? ’ is to determine how PUFA biosynthesis regulates T cell function and the effect of ageing on this process. The project will identify points of regulation in the biosynthetic pathway and how these might influence the capacity for up-regulation of PUFA synthesis in older individuals. We will use stable isotope tracers of LA and aLNA to determine whether newly synthesised PUFAs are preferential substrates for synthesis of lipid mediators and whether they are involved in formation of membrane microdomains that mediate cell signalling.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Adolescents: Consensus Statement

The International Consensus Conference on Physical Activity Guidelines for Adolescents convened to review the effects of physical activity on the health of adolescents, to establish age-appropriate physical activity guidelines, and to consider how these guidelines might be implemented in primary health care settings. Thirty-four invited experts and representatives of scientific, medical, and governmental organizations established two main guidelines. First, all adolescents should be physically active daily or nearly every day as part of their lifestyles. Second, adolescents should engage in three or more sessions per week of activities that last 20 min or more and that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion. Available data suggest that the vast majority of U.S. adolescents meet the first guideline, but only about two thirds of boys and one half of girls meet the second guideline. Physical activity has important effects on the health of adolescents, and the promotion of regular physical activity s.
Non-Destructive Soluble Solids Content Determination for ‘Rocha’ Pear Based on VIS-SWNIR Spectroscopy under ‘Real World’ Sorting Facility Conditions

In this paper we report a method to determine the soluble solids content (SSC) of ‘Rocha’ pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. Rocha) based on their short-wave NIR reflectance spectra (500–1100 nm) measured in conditions similar to those found in packinghouse fruit sorting facilities. We obtained 3300 reflectance spectra from pears acquired from different lots, producers and with diverse storage times and ripening stages. The macroscopic properties of the pears, such as size, temperature and SSC were measured under controlled laboratory conditions. For the spectral analysis, we implemented a computational pipeline that incorporates multiple pre-processing techniques including a feature selection procedure, various multivariate regression models and three different validation strategies. This benchmark allowed us to find the best model/preproccesing procedure for SSC prediction from our data. From the several calibration models tested, we have found that Support Vector Machines provides the best predictions metrics with an RMSEP of around 0.82 ∘Brix and 1.09 ∘Brix for internal and external validation strategies respectively. The latter validation was implemented to assess the prediction accuracy of this calibration method under more ‘real world-like’ conditions. We also show that incorporating information about the fruit temperature and size to the calibration models improves SSC predictability. Our results indicate that the methodology presented here could be implemented in existing packinghouse facilities for single fruit SSC characterization.
B cells rapidly target antigen and surface-derived MHCII into peripheral degradative compartments

ABSTRACT In order to mount high-affinity antibody responses, B cells internalise specific antigens and process them into peptides loaded onto MHCII for presentation to T helper cells (TH cells). While the biochemical principles of antigen processing and MHCII loading have been well dissected, how the endosomal vesicle system is wired to enable these specific functions remains much less studied. Here, we performed a systematic microscopy-based analysis of antigen trafficking in B cells to reveal its route to the MHCII peptide-loading compartment (MIIC). Surprisingly, we detected fast targeting of internalised antigen into peripheral acidic compartments that possessed the hallmarks of the MIIC and also showed degradative capacity. In these vesicles, internalised antigen converged rapidly with membrane-derived MHCII and partially overlapped with cathepsin-S and H2-M, both required for peptide loading. These early compartments appeared heterogenous and atypical as they contained a mixture of both early and late endosomal markers, indicating a specialized endosomal route. Together, our data suggest that, in addition to in the previously reported perinuclear late endosomal MIICs, antigen processing and peptide loading could have already started in these specialized early peripheral acidic vesicles (eMIIC) to support fast peptide–MHCII presentation. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: B cells rapidly target antigen and surface-derived MHCII into peripheral MHCII compartments compatible with fast antigen processing right after internalisation.
Etiología y caracterización epidemiológica del síndrome febril no palúdico en tres municipios del Urabá antioqueño, Colombia

Introduccion. La region de Uraba es endemica para varias enfermedades febriles agudas de origen infeccioso. Sin embargo, solo los pacientes con malaria pueden acceder a un diagnostico oportuno y rapido, motivo por el cual muchos sindromes febriles no paludicos quedan sin diagnostico etiologico claro. Objetivo. Establecer la etiologia, describir las manifestaciones clinicas y explorar algunos posibles factores de riesgo relacionados con los sindromes febriles agudos no paludicos en pacientes procedentes de los municipios de Necocli, Turbo y Apartado. Materiales y metodos. Se tomaron muestras de suero en fase aguda y de convalecencia de 220 pacientes febriles negativos para malaria, provenientes de zonas rurales y urbanas de Necocli, Turbo y Apartado en los anos 2007 y 2008. Se practicaron pruebas para diagnostico de dengue (deteccionde anticuerpos IgM por ELISA), leptospirosis (deteccion de anticuerpos IgM e IgG por IFI), rickettsiosis (deteccion de anticuerpos IgG por IFI), hantavirus y arenavirus (deteccion de anticuerpos IgG porELISA). Resultados. Se encontraron frecuencias de dengue, leptospirosis, rickettsiosis y arenavirus de 37,3 %,14,1 %, 2,7 % y 0,5 %, respectivamente. Se presentaron 12 casos de coinfeccion de leptospirosis-denguey uno de leptospirosis-rickettsiosis-dengue. El sexo masculino y la humedad relativa media,fueron factores de riesgo para dengue. El inicio de signos clinicos en febrero de 2008, se asocio tanto con la infeccion por dengue como por leptospirosis. Conclusion. Se reafirma la importancia del virus del dengue, Rickettsia spp. y Leptospira spp. , como agentes causantes del sindrome febril en la region del Uraba. doi: http://dx.doi. org/ 10.7705/biomedica.v33i0. 734