Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Associated Changes in Interferon-γ and Interleukin-4 Secretion by Purified Human CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells

Aging is associated with a decline in immune function. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), two important immune deviation-related cytokines, are mainly produced by type 1 and type 2 T cells, respectively. To investigate the age-associated changes in the secretion of these two cytokines, 20 elderly and 20 young subjects fulfilling the SENIEUR protocol were enrolled. The ratios of CD4+ to CD8+ T cells were not different between the two age groups. The CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were purified by a magnetic cell sorting system, and then activated by concurrent anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 stimulation. The released cytokines were determined by ELISA. Both the CD4+ and the CD8+ T cells of the elderly individuals secreted a significantly larger amount of IFN-γ after activation. Profound IL-4 production by CD8+ T cells was observed in the older subjects compared with that of the young subjects. These data suggested that age-associated decrease in immunity may be related to an imbalance in the secretion of immune deviation cytokines. The number of IL-4-secreting CD8+ T cells (T cytotoxic 2) rose significantly in the older individuals. Our design also provided a useful way to differentiate the T cell subsets secreting the same cytokine, such as IFN-γ-producing T helper 1 and T cytotoxic 1 cells.
Hydraulic Conductance and Xylem Structure in Tracheid-Bearing Plants

To understand water flow in tracheary elements, hydraulic conductances per unit length were measured and then compared with theoretical values calculated from xylem anatomical measurements using the Hagen -Poiseuille relation for nine species of pteridophytes, including Psilotum and eight species of ferns. In ferns the water potential gradients were essentially constant from the root tips to the distal portion of the leaf rachises, although somewhat larger gradients were found from the petiolule onward. Although tracheid number and diameter apparently controlled water flow in xylem, estimates of hydraulic conductance per unit length predicted from tracheid numbers and diameters were generally twice those actually measured from plants under steady-state conditions. A model was developed to account for this discrepancy for Pteris vittata, indicating that pit membrane resistances may contribute 70% of the total resistance to water flow in this fern. This may account for the generally observed deviation of tracheid performance from that predicted for ideal capillaries of uniform diameter.
Dexamethasone suppresses interleukin-1β-induced human β-defensin 2 mRNA expression: involvement of p38 MAPK, JNK, MKP-1, and NF-κB transcriptional factor in A549 cells

Human β-defensin (HBD)-2 is an inducible antimicrobial peptide that plays an important role in innate immunity. Glucocorticoids, on the other hand, exert immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions. We have previously reported that interleukin (IL)-1β induces HBD-2 mRNA expression through the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcriptional factor, as well as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/AKT in A549 cells. In this study, we further investigated whether dexamethasone (Dex) controls IL-1β-induced HBD-2 mRNA expression in A549 cells and the molecular mechanism associated with it. Dex suppressed IL-1β-induced HBD-2 mRNA expression, which is mediated by a glucocorticoid receptor, at the transcriptional level. Interestingly, Dex attenuated IL-1β-mediated activation of p38 MAPK and JNK, but not of AKT. Dex increased the expression of MAPK phosphatase (MKP)-1, which dephosphorylated p38 MAPK, but not JNK, by IL-1β. However, although Dex did not inhibit the nuclear translocation of p65 NF-κB in response to IL-1β, it profoundly inhibited NF-κB promoter- and HBD-2 promoter-driven luciferase activities. These results suggest that Dex acts to inhibit IL-1β-induced HBD-2 mRNA expression through blockage of the nuclear transcriptional activation of p65 NF-κB as well as through inactivation of p38 MAPK and JNK. Specifically, Dex-induced MKP-1 expression is responsible for the inactivation of p38 MAPK, but not JNK, in response to IL-1β in A549 cells.
The rise in the numbers of pupils identified by schools with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a comparison of the four countries in the United Kingdom

An annual school census is held in the four countries of the UK in which pupils with ASD are identified. This longitudinal study of the total UK school population compares increases in prevalence rates for pupils with ASD over a nine-year period from 2010/11. Northern Ireland had the highest prevalence throughout, reaching 3.20% by 2018/19 compared to 1.92% in Wales. The prevalence rates were higher in secondary than in primary schools. The increases in prevalence and intra-country variations may be linked to a greater appreciation of ASD occurring alongside other developmental difficulties. Greater reliance on school rather than statutory assessments may also contribute to increases in pupils with ASD. More in-depth research is needed to establish the reason for the variations across years and countries.
Distributed cooperative control for nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot systems

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, the smoothness of the distributed consensus control (DCC) protocols of multi-agent systems (MAS) with inherent nonlinear dynamics is investigated. Different from the traditional consensus protocols where variable structure control is considered for robust control, a continuous DCC is presented to achieve consensus tracking without control chattering. Using certain types of exponential functions, it is shown that different smooth DCC schemes can be constructed to achieve asymptotic consensus tracking with smooth control input for MAS with connected directed/undirected and fixed/switched communication topologies. Second, the formation control problem of nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots (WMR) is solved via the continuous DCC. By converting the formation problem into consensus problem using the agents’ kinematics, the formation speed-control problem in planar motion is formulated and solved. The translational and rotational speeds inputs to the WMR are computed using continuous distributed consensus protocols to reduce chattering in the control inputs of mobile robots. The distinctive feature of the proposed consensus and formation algorithms is the high tracking precision with smooth control input to agents’ dynamics. In simulation studies, different numerical examples are illustrated to demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed DCC.
Searching for the physiological role and therapeutic potential of vascular proteinase‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR2)

The intercellular interactions of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells are interesting to many scientists who seek to develop new drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases. Of particular interest is the regulation of blood flow by the paracrine actions of the endothelium on the underlying vascular smooth muscle cells of blood vessels. The development and further understanding of drugs that mimic or potentiate endothelial‐derived factors, in particular vasodilators such as nitric oxide (NO), have proved to be of therapeutic benefit (e.g., sildenafil, nitroglycerin). On the other hand, endothelial‐derived proinflammatory substances are released in response to tissue insult or during the progression of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Proteinase‐activated receptor 2 (PAR2) represents a novel target for vascular biology because of 1) its unique mechanism of activation by proteinases, 2) questions regarding the identity of the endogenous agonist(s), and 3) its apparent multiple activities in the vasculature. Whether it will be agonists or antagonists of PAR2 that will serve as the basis for a new class of therapeutic agents for the treatment of vascular diseases is an open question for further research and drug development. Drug Dev. Res. 60:14–19, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of PCNA, p53 and Ki-67 in dentinogenic ghost cell tumors and calcifying cystic odontogenic tumors

The aim of this study was to compare the proliferative pattern of dentinogenic ghost cell tumors (DGCT) and unicystic calcifying cystic odontogenic tumors (UCCOT) using antibodies against PCNA, p53 and Ki- 67. Three cases diagnosed as DGCT and ten as UCCOT were retrieved from the fi les of the Surgical Oral Pathology Service at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Immunohistochemistry was performed in formalin- fi xed and paraffi n-embedded tissue specimens. Only nuclear staining was considered specifi c for the three antibodies. Immunoexpression of PCNA, Ki-67 and p53 was analyzed semi-quantitatively and quantitatively. The results showed that PCNA was positive in both lesions, mainly in the basal cells, and p53 showed positivity in all cases. UCCOT showed statistically signifi cantly higher Ki-67 labeling indices than did DGCT. In conclusion, our results do not support the correlation between proliferative activity as shown by these proteins and reported biologic behavior.
Anxious women or complacent men? Anxiety of statistics in a sample of UK sociology undergraduates

ABSTRACT One of the most commonly identified obstacles in the learning-teaching of quantitative material is statistics anxiety. Of the factors analysed in relation to statistics anxiety, age and gender have received a substantial proportion of the research focus. Yet there is limited work that systematically examines the possibility of an interrelationship, or interaction, between age and gender and reported statistics anxiety. This article aims to directly address this gap in the research by examining this interaction. A secondary analysis of data gathered from across 34 institutions in the UK is undertaken. The research presented is the first to examine this issue using a multivariate-modelling framework in a UK context. Although the international literature tends to indicate that women disproportionately experience statistics anxiety, the findings here show women have a moderate likelihood of reporting anxiety. There is a group of unworried young men who are likely to require pedagogical attention. Indeed, it may be that the existence a group of complacent young men have women seem anxious by comparison.
Experimental Community Studies: Time‐Series Tests of Competition between African and Neotropical Bees

Experimental studies of food competition were performed in lowland forest of French Guiana by controlled introduction and removal of a small number of African honey bee colonies, totaling 100000-150000 bees. Trends in brood production and food storage by observation colonies of native social bees, Melipona fillosa and M. fiul'a, were described with linear stochastic statistical models. Data were taken after the introduction of honey bee colonies, and the models were used to construct falsifiable hypotheses that would suggest whether the honey bees disrupted colony growth and resource harvest of native species. During a I-mo introduction of honey bees in the wet season, when floral resources were at low abundance, time-series intervention analyses showed that African Apis had no significant effect on native bee colonies. Repeated-measures ANOVA also showed no treatment effect on bee colonies, and removal of 5-10 honey bee colonies had no effect on brood dynamics and food storage of four nonspecific colonies. All colonies foraged during experiments, yet no competition was recorded. Since the three species are diet generalists and share many of the same resources, competition at flowers was not disproved, although any cumulative effects were negligible. Linear, stochastic integrated autoregression/moving average (ARIMA) models were useful in remov- ing statistical dependence in data series and allowing hypothesis tests, but intracolony variables showed seasonal decline that prevented introduction of deterministic components that would have improved some models. Perturbation of social tropical bee communities by colonizing African Apis is unlikely to become evident within a short time or at relatively low honey bee colony density.
Evaluation of three insitu soil nitrogen availability assays

Three indices of nitrogen (N) availability were compared in the field over a 1-year period in an old-growth and a young-growth mixed-conifer forest. The indices utilized were ion exchange resin (IER) bags, buried bags, and a core-IER method employing intact soil cores enclosed in tubes capped at both ends by IER bags. The results from all three methods indicated that in the surface mineral soil, N availability was higher in the young-growth stand than in the old-growth stand. However, seasonal patterns of N availability were generally not well correlated among the methods (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.32 to 0.62). For a given amount of net N mineralized in buried bags, more N accumulated on IER bags placed in the young-growth stand than in those placed in the old-growth stand. This was the result of greater net nitrification in the young-growth stand coupled with the greater mobility of relative to in soil. Ten-month estimates of net N mineralization measured by the core-IER and buried-bag metho.
Navigating culturally responsive pedagogy through an Indigenous games unit

ABSTRACT Curricula and pedagogies that fail to utilise the cultural resources of students contribute to educational disadvantage. The health and physical education (HPE) learning area is not exempt from these concerns with calls emerging within Australia to include movement forms and ways of knowing of Indigenous and ethnic-minority students. In many respects, these are calls to counter the normativity of Anglo-Saxon middle-class male framings for HPE. This paper engages with these concerns and seeks to contribute through reporting on a case study from Australian-based research into culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP). Utilising Ricoeur’s theorisation of narrative processes we explore a case study which centres on CRP informed pedagogical and curricular redesign in HPE. We engage with discourses of CRP to explore emergent understandings and raise awareness amongst HPE educators about the possibilities of CRP in foregrounding culturally informed movement forms and ways of knowing. We conclude in arguing all HPE educators face an ethical imperative to take up the challenge of adopting CRP and a broader range of culturally defined movement forms.
18O Isotope Exchange Measurements Reveal that Calcium Is Involved in the Binding of One Substrate-Water Molecule to the Oxygen-Evolving Complex in Photosystem II

Direct evidence is presented to show that calcium is inherently involved in the binding of one of the two substrate-water molecules to the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II. Previous rapid (millisecond range) 18O isotope exchange measurements between added H218O and the photogenerated O2 have shown that the two substrate−water molecules bind to separate sites throughout the S-state cycle, as revealed by their kinetically distinct rates of 18O exchange [Hillier, W. , and Wydrzynski, T. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 4399−4405]. Upon extraction of the functionally bound calcium using a either a low-pH/citrate treatment or a NaCl/A23187/EGTA treatment and subsequent reconstitution of activity with strontium, we show for the first time a specific increase in the slow rate of 18O exchange by a factor of 3−4. This increase in the slow rate of exchange is consistently observed across the S1, S2, and S3 states. In contrast, the fast phase of 18O exchange in the S3 state appears to be affected little upon strontiu.
The conception of pre-service chemistry teachers on chemistry contents in the context of conductive glass

The purpose of this study is to obtain the conception of pre-service chemistry teachers related to chemical contents in the context of conductive glass investigated through didactic design. Descriptive research method was chosen as the method in this study and the analysis was carried out quantitatively and qualitatively with 27 participants of the fourth semester at one of the universities in Bandar Lampung. The instrument used were 11 essay questions covered in 7 different discourses. The obtained results will be used as preference to make didactical design in the context of conductive glass. Based on student answers, it is known that 70.4% still have a low understanding on resistivity and semiconductor concepts. The low level of understanding shows that there are still many students who do not understand the chemical contents as basic knowledge for making didactic design to teach chemical contents in the context of conductive glass.
Growth and fruiting of tomato as influenced by elevated carbon dioxide and ozone.

'Tiny Tim' tomato plants were exposed to five CO2 treatments (375 (ambient), 450, 525, 600 or 675 μmol mol-1 ) in combination with 03 (0 or 80 nmol mol-1 . Biomass was evaluated following 3,5,7 and 13 wk exposure. Biomass following 13 wk exposure also included weekly harvests of mature tomato fruit beginning week 8. Carbon dioxide enrichment significantly enhanced total vegetative plant d. wt at each harvest, as well as cumulative yield of mature fruit, whereas O3 significantly suppressed total vegetative plant d. wt at each harvest and reduced total cumulative fruit yield. The magnitude of these changes varied with the development of tomato from early growth to mature fruit yield. Carbon dioxide enrichment reduced the detrimental effects of O3 on total vegetative plant d. wt of tomato following 3, 5, 7 and 13 wk exposure. Final mature fruit yield was 24% higher under enriched GO2 treatments than in ambient CO2 . Ozone suppressed final yield by 31%, following exposure to 80 nmol mol-1 O2 , when compared with exposure to charcoal-filtered (CF) air. The impacts of both CO2 and O3 on yield were, however, dependent upon the presence or absence of the other gas. In the absence of O3 , yields were very similar for the ambient and elevated CO2 treatments, but in the presence of O3 , yields under ambient CO2 were greatly suppressed whereas yields under elevated CO3 were similar to those in the absence of O3 . Thus, enriched CO2 ameliorated most of the suppressive effect of O3 on yield of mature fruit.
Spatial variation in life-history traits of Oithona spp. in a shallow temperate estuarine system (Río de la Plata, south-west Atlantic) during spring

Oithonid species are key components of estuarine zooplankton communities. The spatial distribution of Oithona nana and O. helgolandica (syn. O. similis) and their population dynamics were studied for the first time in a shallow temperate estuarine system in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. Here we estimated the influence of physical (salinity and temperature) and trophic (chlorophyll-a and bacterioplankton concentrations) factors on the life-history traits of O. nana and O. helgolandica. The abundance and biomass of O. nana were higher at the surface salinity front but were not correlated with higher egg production rates, which suggests the presence of some retention mechanism that favours population aggregation. In a spatial context, the high reproductive activity near the La Plata River runoff in comparison with the coastal system nearby, suggests that this system might favour the proliferation of O. nana populations. However, smaller females with fairly few and smaller eggs per sac occurred under estuarine influence, which implies that there is a potential ecological advantage. The extremely low abundance and reproductive activity of O. helgolandica at the Rio de la Plata system indicates that this system might not constitute the best habitat for this cyclopoid.
A comparison of geometric morphometic analyses and cross-breeding as methods to determine relatedness in three Amblyomma species (Acari: Ixodidae)

Abstract Amblyomma gemma (Dönitz, 1909), A. hebraeum (Koch, 1844) and A. variegatum (Fabricius, 1794) and A. are generally accepted as distinct species. The three species, however, correspond in many aspects, overlapping in distribution, altitude and rainfall tolerances, occurring in the same habitat type, preferring the same hosts and using the same predilection sites. Amblyomma variegatum differs from the other two species in appearance. There is, however, a close resemblance in the scutal pattern of the males of the other two species and the females of A. gemma and A hebraeum are almost indistinguishable. The degree of similarities between the three species was therefore investigated through morphological comparison, geometric morphometric analyses and attempts to cross breed. The geometric morphometric analyses based on ventral body shape of the malesand females of the three species indicate that A. variegatum and A. gemma are similar, suggesting that the two ticks might not be distinct species as is presently recognized. The geometric morphometric analyses indicate that A. hebraeum differs in ventral body shape from the other species and that the ventral body shape of the A. gemma - A. hebraeum cross Fl adults shows a greater resemblance to that of A. gemma than to that of A. hebraeum. This is contrary to the outcome of the crossbreeding experiments that suggests that A. variegatum is not genetically compatible to either of the other two species but that the species A. gemma and A. hebraeum are genetically compatible.
Hallazgo de Raillietiella sp. en culebra chilena de cola larga (Philodryas chamissonis) de un Zoológico de la Región Metropolitana

, hasta la fecha tiene unaposicion taxonomica no muy clara. Desde lasprimeras descripciones, su posicion sistematicaaun permanece en discusion, ya que para algunosautores deben ser considerados artropodos,debido a ciertas caracteristicas como eldesprendimiento periodico de la cuticula y a queel aparato perforador de las formas larvarias tienensemejanza con las piezas bucales de losinsectos
Early immunodiagnosis of Ganoderma infecting coconut seedlings and palms by using monospecific polyclonal antibodies

Among the various fungal diseases affecting plantation crops viz., coconut, aracanut, oil palm, etc. in India, basal stem rot (BSR) caused by species of Ganoderma is the most destructive. A limiting factor in controlling the BSR disease is the lack of reliable diagnostic method(s) for early diagnosis. In this study we generated two different types of antiserum for diagnosis of Ganoderma using the purified monospecific protein (62 kDa) (MS) and crude sporophore extract (SE). We also tested the cross-reactivity with the soil-borne and saprophytic fungus collected from different parts of coconut palm. The antiserum developed against the MS and SE showed 1:700 and 1:3000 titre values for the detection of Ganoderma. The MS antisera developed showed very low or almost no cross-reaction when compared to SE antisera of Ganoderma. In the DIBA test, at a 1:10 dilution of antigen, 1:1000 dilution of CMP and ECP antisera, 1:5000 dilution of secondary antibody gave clear distinctions in colour development between healthy and diseased samples. In DIBA test, both types of antisera were used separately for pathogenicity tests. MS antisera showed a positive reaction for purified protein, artificially infected roots and infected field palm. A mild reaction was observed against infected field trunk but a negative reaction was observed for lesions and leaf samples. In the case of SE antisera, a negative reaction was observed for all leaf samples, healthy roots and healthy trunk samples but positive reactions were observed for positive control, artificially inoculated roots, infected field roots, infected trunk and lesions samples. Therefore, both ELISA and DIBA tests may be useful in the detection of infection at the earliest stage of disease development and this will certainly help in the development of management strategies against Ganoderma disease in palm crops in advance.