Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of exosome-like vesicles derived from Cysticercus pisiformis and their immunoregulatory role on macrophages

Background: Taenia pisiformis is one of the most common intestinal parasites in canines, and leads to serious economic losses in the rabbit breeding industry. Exosome-like vesicles from parasites play crucial roles in host-parasite interactions by transferring cargo from parasites to host cells and by modulating host immunological response through inducing production of host-derived cytokines. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which exosome-like vesicles from Cysticercus pisiformis regulate macrophage immune response remains unknown. Methods: Using ultracentrifugation, we isolated exosome-like vesicles from excretory/secretory products (ESP) of C. pisiformis. The morphology and size of purified vesicles were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The components of proteins and miRNA within these vesicles were identified by proteomic analysis and high-throughput small RNA sequencing. The biological function of targets of exosomal miRNAs was predicted by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Moreover, the expression of Th1- and Th2-type immune response associated cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages were evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA. We found that exosome-like vesicles were typical cup-shaped vesicles with diameters from 30 to 150 nm. A total of 87 proteins were identified by proteomic analysis, including proteins prominently associated with exosome-like vesicles biogenesis and vesicle trafficking. 41 known miRNAs and 18 novel miRNAs were identified in the exosome-like vesicles. 11 selected miRNAs, including 7 known miRNAs (miR-71-5p, miR-10a-5p, miR-let-7-5p, miR-745-3p, miR-219-5p, miR-124-3p, and miR-4989-3p) and 4 novel miRNAs (novel-mir-3, novel-mir-7, novel-mir-8, and novel-mir-11) were validated to exist in metacestiodes and exosome-like vesicles of C. pisiformis by qRT-PCR. The functions of most targets of exosomal miRNAs were mainly associated with signal transduction and the immune system. Additionally, C. pisiformis-derived vesicles induced the production of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 and Arg-1, but downregulated the expression of IL-12, IFN-γ and iNOS in RAW264.7 macrophages.Conclusions: We demonstrated that proteins and miRNAs enclosed within exosome-like vesicles from C. pisiformis have immunomodulatory functions. Furthermore, exosome-like vesicles were shown to induce the macrophage Th2-type immune response in vitro. Our study suggests that exosome-like vesicles play an important role in the interaction between cysticerci and their hosts.
Engineering Board Examination Results: A Measure of the Predictive Influence of the General Education and Professional Subjects

The study aimed to describe the proficiency level of the engineering graduates in their general education subjects, professional subjects, and board examination and to determine the degree of influence of these subjects to the board examination results. It used the descriptive research design employing universal sampling technique. All the engineering graduates of the University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) who took the Civil Engineering (CE) and Electronics Engineering (ECE) Board Examinations from 2005 to 2009 were considered. There were 47 cases for CE and 176 cases for ECE graduates. Statistical tests used were the mean, variance and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson-r, and multiple regressions. It was found that general education grades are significantly related to the board examination ratings of the engineering graduates as supported by Pearson coefficient of 0.209 (p<0.05). Also, the professional subject grades are significantly related to the board examination ratings of the engineering graduates as supported by Pearson coefficient of 0.190 (p< 0.05). The academic performance grades are significantly related to the board examination ratings of the engineering graduates as supported by Pearson coefficient of 0.218 (p< 0.05).
Factors affecting clinical outcomes in women with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

OBJECTIVE The clinical presentation of non-gastric GISTs might mimic adnexal cancer, and non-gastric GIST might be managed and treated by gynecologists. Knowledge of the clinical outcomes of women with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is important. Our aim is to elucidate the factors affecting the clinical outcomes of women with non-gastric GISTs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between January 2000 and October 2019, all consecutive women with non-gastric GISTs who underwent surgery in a tertiary referral center were reviewed. RESULTS Twenty-six women were reviewed. Eight (31%) women experienced recurrence. The probabilities of recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 60 and 120 months were 65.2% and 55.9%, respectively. The probabilities of overall survival (OS) at 60 and 120 months were 71.1% and 63.9%, respectively. Cancer stage was the only independent predictor of RFS (hazard ratio = 6.00, p = 0.007) and OS (hazard ratio = 3.88, p = 0.04). However, excluding cancer stage, metastasis (hazard ratio = 8.74) was the only independent predictor of RFS, and tumor size (hazard ratio = 1.20) and metastasis (hazard ratio = 6.03) were independent predictors of OS. Tumor size ≥13.9 cm was the optimum cut-off value to predict death and had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75 (95% confidence interval = 0.53 to 0.98). Among the above 5 women with non-gastric GISTs admitted to the Gynecology Department, optimal debulking surgery was performed in two women, and small bowel resection was performed in three women; and all five women remained alive without disease. CONCLUSION Non-gastric GISTs may mimic gynecologic tumors. Metastasis was an independent predictor of PFS. In addition, metastasis and large tumor size (especially ≥13.9 cm) were independent predictors of OS in women with non-gastric GISTs.
The Lived Experience Of Correctional Nurses Working In Two Ontario Detention Centres : A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

This thesis presents a descriptive phenomenological inquiry of the lived experience of correctional nursing in a Canadian context. Seven in-depth interviews with correctional nurses were conducted. Data analysis was guided by Giorgi's description of the descriptive phenomenological psychological method. Fourteen essential structures were identified. These essential structures described participants' experiences related to: discovering correctional nursing: their physical workspaces; their working relationships; and caring for inmate clients. Implications for policy and administration include suggestions for reviewing the service delivery model of healthcare services within corrections and improving the recruitment and retention of correctional nurses. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research are also discussed.
Statistik över cyklisters olyckor: faktaunderlag till gemensam strategi för säker cykling

Under aren 2007−2012 har 153 cyklister omkommit och fler an 44 000 skadat sig sa illa i trafiken att de uppsokt akut sjukvard. Av de skadade cyklisterna har 8 400 skadats allvarligt och 1 100 mycke .
LABORATORY FLEXURAL-FATIGUE TESTING OF ASPHALT-CONCRETE WITH EMPHASIS ON COMPOUND-LOADING TESTS

THAT ASPHALT-CONCRETE PAVEMENT SURFACES CAN EXHIBIT FATIGUE DISTRESS IN SERVICE, HAS PROMPTED THE INVESTIGATION OF SEVERAL LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNED WITH THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF ASPHALT-CONCRETE TEST SPECIMENS. IN THIS INVESTIGATION EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE COMPOUND-LOADING FATIGUE BEHAVIOR, THAT IS, THE FATIGUE BEHAVIOR DERIVED FROM THE APPLICATION OF MORE THAN ONE STRESS LEVEL TO ANY PARTICULAR SPECIMEN. SUCH MULTILEVEL LOADING IS MEANT TO SIMULATE TO A LIMITED EXTENT THE DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF VEHICULAR STRESSES APPLIED TO A POINT IN THE PAVEMENT SURFACE. LABORATORY EQUIPMENT WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH WHICH SEQUENCE, REPEATED-BLOCK, AND RANDOM LOAD HISTORIES CAN BE APPLIED TO BEAM SPECIMENS. A MODIFICATION OF THE LINEAR SUMMATION OF CYCLE RATIOS HYPOTHESIS /MINERS HYPOTHESIS/ WAS FOUND TO BE APPLICABLE FOR PREDICTING THE ARITHMETIC-MEAN FRACTURE LIVES OF THE TEST SPECIMENS FOR BOTH REPEATED-BLOCK AND RANDOM LOADING. /AUTHOR/
Predictors of dietary diversity among adults on antiretroviral therapy in Debre Tabor Hospital, northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Diversified diet to improve better tolerates human immunodeficiency virus drugs, enhance antiretroviral therapy adherence and maintain a healthy weight to reduce mortality and morbidity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess dietary diversity and associated factors among adult human immunodeficiency virus positive patients who were on antiretroviral therapy at Debre Tabor Hospital northwest EthiopiaMethods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Tabor Hospital and participants selected by the systematic random sampling techniques. Data collection was done by using a structured interview questionnaire. Dietary diversity was computed from all food and drink list consumed in the 24 hours preceding the survey. A variable having p- value < 0.2 in the bivariate logistic regression was entered into the multivariable logistic regression, and independent variables having p-value < 0.05 was considered as significantly associated. Results: Of the total 341 adults on antiretroviral therapy 336 participants gave a complete response with a response rate of 98.50%. Among the participants 336 [32.4% (95% CI: 27.4, 37.1)] had adequate dietary diversity and 22.9% were BMI <18.5kg/m2. Government employment [AOR= 2.5; 95%CI: 1.28, 4.98) and diploma and above educational status [AOR=2.3; 95% CI: 1.01, 5.31) were factors for adequate dietary diversity. Conclusions: In this study the magnitude of adequate dietary diversity was low. Employment and educational status were significantly associated with dietary diversity among people living with HIV/AIDS. Hence, improving education status as well as income generation activities are highly recommended strategy to improve the dietary diversity of patients on antiretroviral therapy.
Anchoring effect

An assimilation of an estimate towards a previously considered standard is defined as judgmental anchoring. Anchoring constitutes a ubiquitous phenomenon that occurs in a variety of laboratory and real-world settings. Anchoring effects are remarkably robust. They may occur even if the anchor values are clearly uninformative or implausibly extreme, are sometimes independent of participants’ motivation and expertise, and may persist over long periods of time. Different underlying mechanisms may contribute to the generation of anchoring effects. Specifically, anchoring may result from insufficient adjustment, from the use of conversational inferences, from selective accessibility of information consistent with an anchor, or from the distortion of a response scale.
TOLERANCE TO THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

This paper reivews the literature concerning the phenomenon of tolerance to alcohol. The experimental evidence of reporting effects of alcohol tolerance on the signs of drunkenness as well as on the performance of psychomotor tasks is described. The review is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 examines the extent and effect of tolerance at what might be termed 'social' levels of alcohol use. Part 2 examines the small, but unquantified proportion of the population who exhibit a very high degree of alcohol tolerance. This review is therefore complimentary to the paper by Biecheler-Fretel and Choquet (1991) which appeared in the journal.
Relationship Between Speed and Lateral Position On Curves

Inappropriate speed selection and the inability to maintain lane position are both known to contribute to driver errors on curves. This article examines the relationship between speed and lateral position as it relates to curve negotiation. The odds of a near lane crossing for vehicles traveling 5 or more mph over the advisory speed were compared to those of vehicles traveling below 5 mph. The study's results demonstrate a relationship between speed and lateral position. These findings are useful in evaluating the effectiveness of roadway-based countermeasures.
The use of thermography for assessment of high-intensity laser therapy in racehorses: Pilot study

The aim of the pilot study was to perform a thermographic assessment of temperature changes on the surface of the fetlock joint of clinically healthy racehorses after high-intensity laser therapy (HILT). The study was conducted on 16 clinically healthy Thoroughbred racehorses aged 3-4 years, trained for racing. Temperature measurements of the left forelimb fetlock joint were taken from a lateral aspect before and after HILT. Temperature was measured with a Vario-Cam HR® InfraTec thermographic camera with a resolution of 640 × 480. A measuring region of the fetlock joint was determined for each thermographic image to calculate the average temperature. The non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis. The study results indicate a statistically significant increase in the average surface temperature of the fetlock joint (by an average of 3.0°C) after HILT. Thermography offers a simple and precise assessment of temperature changes in the treated region. The results of this pilot study may prove valuable in future research on the use of thermography in monitoring changes as well as short-term and long-term effects of HILT to determine the most effective and optimal parameters of this therapy.
Distinct element method analysis and field experiment of soil resistance applied on the subsoiler.

Since the design of the subsoiler is a complex work, the interaction between the subsoiler and soil was investigated by using Distinct Element Method (DEM) in this study. Based on the traditional discrete element theory, the 3D model of soil particles and the subsoiler were established after considering the liquid bridge force between soil particles. The operating resistance curves of the subsoiler were achieved after the DEM simulation at a speed of 1 m/s, and three depths of 180 mm, 220 mm and 260 mm, respectively. The simulation curves agreed well with the field experimental results based on relative errors of 2.96%, 14.95% and 7.15%, respectively, at three depths. All these data proved that it was feasible and favorable to analyze the performance of the subsoiler by using the DEM and it is of important significance for studying and further optimizing the structure of the subsoiler.
Reliability in the face of variability in nanometer embedded memories

In this thesis, we have investigated the impact of parametric variations on the behaviour of one performance-critical processor structure - embedded memories. As variations manifest as a spread in power and performance, as a first step, we propose a novel modeling methodology that helps evaluate the impact of circuit-level optimizations on architecture-level design choices. Choices made at the design-stage ensure conflicting requirements from higher-levels are decoupled. We then complement such design-time optimizations with a runtime mechanism that takes advantage of adaptive body-biasing to lower power whilst improving performance in the presence of variability. Our proposal uses a novel fully-digital variation tracking hardware using embedded DRAM (eDRAM) cells to monitor run-time changes in cache latency and leakage. A special fine-grain body-bias generator uses the measurements to generate an optimal body-bias that is needed to meet the required yield targets. A novel variation-tolerant and soft-error hardened eDRAM cell is also proposed as an alternate candidate for replacing existing SRAM-based designs in latency critical memory structures. In the ultra low-power domain where reliable operation is limited by the minimum voltage of operation (Vddmin), we analyse the impact of failures on cache functional margin and functional yield. Towards this end, we have developed a fully automated tool (INFORMER) capable of estimating memory-wide metrics such as power, performance and yield accurately and rapidly. Using the developed tool, we then evaluate the #effectiveness of a new class of hybrid techniques in improving cache yield through failure prevention and correction. Having a holistic perspective of memory-wide metrics helps us arrive at design-choices optimized simultaneously for multiple metrics needed for maintaining lifetime requirements.
Beyond the Black Box: Talk-In-Interaction in the Airline Cockpit

The workplace as social interaction. Part I: 'I'll Take Climb Power. ' Accomplishing Cockpit Identities Through Pronominal Language: Accomplishing cockpit identities: (1) prescribed pronominal forms Accomplishing cockpit identities: (2) non-prescribed pronominal forms. Part II: 'That's Set. ' Coordinating Talk and Non-Talk Activity: Accomplishing takeoff tasks Managing tasks in flight. Part III: 'He Said Final Approach Speed. ' Integrating Talk-In-Interaction Within and Beyond The Cockpit: Talking with controllers: (1) pilot-pilot talk occasioned by talk with controllers Talking with controllers: (2) abstaining from pilot-pilot talk about talk with controllers Conclusion and implications References Index.
Taxonomic composition and diversity of the gut microbiota in relation to habitual diet in Korean adults

Background: Little is known of the relationship between the Korean habitual diet and gut microbiota composition. We investigated associations of habitual dietary intake of foods and nutrients with the taxonomic composition and diversity of gut microbiota in 222 Korean adults aged 18-58 years in a cross-sectional study. Gut microbial taxonomic composition and diversity data were obtained by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterial DNA extracted from fecal samples. Habitual diet for the previous year was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Correlations between intakes of food and nutrients and gut microbial taxonomic composition were examined with adjustment for sex, age, body mass index, dietary supplement, smoking status, and sample batch. Specific dietary patterns associated with α-diversity were identified by reduced rank regression. Enterotypes of gut microbiota were explored by principal coordinate analysis based on β-diversity.Results: The intakes of vegetables, fermented legumes, and potatoes were positively associated with the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, while the intakes of noodle products and non-alcoholic beverages were inversely related to the F/B ratio (all P<0.05). A dietary pattern associated with higher α-diversity (HiαDP) was characterized by greater intakes of fermented legumes, vegetables, potatoes, tea, and fruit/fruit juice and lower intakes of non-alcoholic beverages. Among three different enterotypes identified based on the β-diversity, the Ruminococcus enterotype had higher scores of the HiαDP and was more strongly associated with intakes of vegetables and nuts/seeds, compared to the two other enterotypes. Conclusions: We conclude that the habitual diet in Korean adults was associated with gut microbial taxonomic composition and diversity. A higher intake of plant-based and fermented foods was associated with distinct gut microbial enterotypes in Korean adults.
Effects of udder stimulation, stage of lactation and parity on milk yield in West African Dwarf (Wad) Sheep

Twelve (12) matured lactating ewes weighting between 16 and 25kg live weight were used to investigate the effect of udder stimulation, stage of lactation, and parity on milk yield in West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep in a semi intensive system of management. For udder stimulation, the animals were divided into 2; 6 animals were stimulated by massaging, clearing and drying the udder for about 2 minutes before milking and while the other 6 were not stimulated, the udder were just milked. Stage of lactation was divided into 4; early, mid, late, very late respectively with 3weeks interval. The animals were on first and second parity. The animals were allowed to graze on an established paddock consisting of Stylosanthas hamate, Panicum maximum,Pennisetum purpurcum etc for about 5 hours and then supplemented with concentrate(17%CP at 6% body weight). The animals were hand milked Each quarter were hand milked separately once daily at 8.00am for 12 weeks. Their lambs were removed 5 pm each day until after milking the following days when they were released to suckle the dam. The 15 hour milk yield was divided by 15 and multiplied by 24 to obtain the 24 hour milk yield. The milk yield obtained were recorded in mass (g) and volume (cm) respectively, The result of the study showed that udder stimulation, stage of lactation and parity significantly affected milk yield in WAD sheep Therefore it is recommended that sheep udder be stimulated and for purpose that requires dense milk, milk collection should be done at very late of lactation which is about 8 weeks from the commencement of lactation.
What Might Books Be Teaching Young Children About Gender?

We investigated how gender is represented in children’s books using a novel 200,000-word corpus comprising 247 popular, contemporary books for young children. Using adult human judgments and word co-occurrence data, we quantified gender biases of words in individual books and in the whole corpus. We found that children’s books contain many words that adults judge as gendered. Semantic analyses based on co-occurrence data yielded word clusters related to gender stereotypes (e.g., feminine: emotions; masculine: tools). Co-occurrence data also indicated that many books instantiate gender stereotypes identified in other research (e.g., girls are better at reading, and boys are better at math). Finally, we used large-scale data to estimate the gender distribution of the audience for individual books, and we found that children are more often exposed to stereotypes for their own gender. Together, the data suggest that children’s books may be an early source of gender associations and stereotypes.
Feasibility Assessment of an EVA Glove Sensing Platform to Evaluate Potential Hand Injury Risk Factors

Injuries to the hands are common among astronauts who train for extravehicular activity (EVA). When the gloves are pressurized, they restrict movement and create pressure points during tasks, sometimes resulting in pain, muscle fatigue, abrasions, and occasionally more severe injuries such as onycholysis. A brief review of the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health’s injury database reveals that 58% of total astronaut hand and arm injuries from NBL training between 1993 and 2010 occurred either to the fingernail, MCP, or fingertip. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of using small sensors to measure force acting on the fingers and hand within pressurized gloves and other variables such as blood perfusion, skin temperature, humidity, fingernail strain, skin moisture, among others. Tasks were performed gloved and ungloved in a pressurizable glove box. The test demonstrated that fingernails saw greater transverse strain levels for tension or compression than for longitudinal strain, even during axial fingertip loading. Blood perfusion peaked and dropped as the finger deformed during finger presses, indicating an initial dispersion and decrease of blood perfusion levels. Force sensitive resistors to force plate comparisons showed similar force curve patterns as fingers were depressed, indicating suitable functionality for future testing. Strategies for proper placement and protection of these sensors for ideal data collection and longevity through the test session were developed and will be implemented going forward for future testing. Nomenclature