Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Requirement of CCL17 for CCR7- and CXCR4-dependent migration of cutaneous dendritic cells

Chemokines are known to regulate the steady-state and inflammatory migration of cutaneous dendritic cells (DCs). The β-chemokine CCL17, a ligand of CCR4, is inducibly expressed in a subset of DCs and is strongly up-regulated in atopic diseases. Using an atopic dermatitis model, we show that CCL17-deficient mice develop acanthosis as WT mice, whereas dermal inflammation, T helper 2-type cytokine production, and the allergen-specific humoral immune response are significantly decreased. Notably, CCL17-deficient mice retained Langerhans cells (LCs) in the lesional skin after chronic allergen exposure, whereas most LCs emigrated from the epidermis of allergen-treated WT controls into draining lymph nodes (LNs). Moreover, CCL17-deficient LCs showed impaired emigration from the skin after exposure to a contact sensitizer. In contrast, the absence of CCR4 had no effect on cutaneous DC migration and development of atopic dermatitis symptoms. As an explanation for the major migratory defect of CCL17-deficient DCs in vivo, we demonstrate impaired mobility of CCL17-deficient DCs to CCL19/21 in 3D in vitro migration assays and a blockade of intracellular calcium release in response to CCR7 ligands. In addition, responsiveness of CCL17-deficient DCs to CXCL12 was impaired as well. We demonstrate that the inducible chemokine CCL17 sensitizes DCs for CCR7- and CXCR4-dependent migration to LN-associated homeostatic chemokines under inflammatory conditions and thus plays an important role in cutaneous DC migration.
Weakly Supervised Models of Aspect-Sentiment for Online Course Discussion Forums

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are redefining the education system and transcending boundaries posed by traditional courses. With the increase in popularity of online courses, there is a corresponding increase in the need to understand and interpret the communications of the course participants. Identifying topics or aspects of conversation and inferring sentiment in online course forum posts can enable instructor interventions to meet the needs of the students, rapidly address course-related issues, and increase student retention. Labeled aspect-sentiment data for MOOCs are expensive to obtain and may not be transferable between courses, suggesting the need for approaches that do not require labeled data. We develop a weakly supervised joint model for aspectsentiment in online courses, modeling the dependencies between various aspects and sentiment using a recently developed scalable class of statistical relational models called hinge-loss Markov random fields. We validate our models on posts sampled from twelve online courses, each containing an average of 10,000 posts, and demonstrate that jointly modeling aspect with sentiment improves the prediction accuracy for both aspect and sentiment.
The magnitude of the plasma hepcidin response to oral iron supplements depends on the iron dosage

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency without anaemia is a common health problem, especially in young menstruating women. The efficacy of the usually recommended oral iron supplementation is limited due to increased plasma hepcidin concentration, which reduces iron absorption and leads to side effects such as intestinal irritation. This observation raises the question of how low-dose iron therapy may affect plasma hepcidin levels and whether oral iron intake dose-dependently affects plasma hepcidin production. METHODS: Fifteen non-anaemic women with iron deficiency (serum ferritin ≤30 ng/ml) received a single dose of 0, 6, 30, or 60 mg of elemental oral iron as ferrous sulfate on different days. Plasma hepcidin was measured before and seven hours after each dose. RESULTS: Subjects had an average age of 23 (standard deviation = 3.0) years and serum ferritin of 24 ng/ml (interquartile range = 16–27). The highest mean change in plasma hepcidin levels was measured after ingesting 60 mg of iron, increasing from 2.1 ng/ml (interquartile range = 1.6–2.9) to 4.1 ng/ml (interquartile range = 2.5–6.9; p < 0.001). Iron had a significant dose-dependent effect on the absolute change in plasma hepcidin (p = 0.008), where lower iron dose supplementation resulted in lower plasma hepcidin levels. Serum ferritin levels were significantly correlated with fasting plasma hepcidin levels (R2 = 0.504, p = 0.003) and the change in plasma hepcidin concentration after iron intake (R2 = 0.529, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: We found a dose-dependent effect of iron supplementation on plasma hepcidin levels. Lower iron dosage results in a smaller increase in hepcidin and might thus lead to more efficient intestinal iron absorption and fewer side effects. The effectiveness and side effects of low-dose iron treatment in women with iron deficiency should be further investigated. This study was registered at the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (2021-00312) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04735848).
Capturing the Mesoarchean Emergence of Continental Crust in the Coorg Block, Southern India

The emergence of Earth's continental crust above sea level is debated. To assess whether emergence can be observed at a regional scale, we present zircon U‐Pb‐Hf‐O isotope data from magmatic rocks of the Coorg Block, southern India. A 3.5‐Ga granodiorite records the earliest felsic crust in the region. Younger phases of magmatism at 3.37–3.27 and 3.19–3.14 Ga, comprising both reworked crust and juvenile material, record successive crustal maturation. We interpret an elevation in δ18O through time as an increase in both the amount of sediment recycling and hence, crustal thickening, as well as an increase in the emerged area of continental crust available for weathering. Geochemical signatures do not point to any apparent change in geodynamic regime. We interpret the isotopic evolution of these rocks as solely reflecting regional emergence and thickening of the continental crust, assisted by the increasing strength of the lithosphere.
Influence of Irrigation Depths in the Growth of Chrysanthemum Puritan Cultivar, Cultivated in Pots, under Open Field Conditions, in the Northwest Region of Espírito Santo

The present work aimed to evaluate the productive performance of chrysanthemum cultivated in an open field under different irrigation depths. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, consisting of 6 treatments with 20 repetitions each. The treatments consisted of different levels of irrigation, with daily replacement of 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 175% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The ETc was determined daily by drainage lysimeters installed at the base of six pots, used as reference (100% ETc). For the application of the treatments an auto compensating trickle irrigation system was used, with a dripper per pot flowing 1.3 liters per hour. The evaluations were made at 90 days after planting, when measurements of fresh mass of shoot Original Research Article Posse et al.; JEAI, 30(2): 1-8, 2019; Article no.JEAI. 46465 2 system, dry mass of shoot system, fresh mass of the root system, dry mass of the root system, fresh mass of the flower, dry mass of the flower, plant height, stem diameter and flower diameter. The 175% ETc depth, which corresponded to an average daily depth of 10.69 mm, presented the best results for the analyzed characteristics, however, the plants did not present the quality standard necessary for commercialization due to the negative interference of the incident climatic conditions in open field plants.
Technology-Limited and Patient-Derived Versus Audibility-Derived Fittings in Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid Users: A Validation Study

Objectives: Current approaches to fit bone-anchored hearing aid (Baha) rely heavily on patient feedback of “loudness” and “sound quality. ” Audiologists are limited to this approach for two reasons: (1) the technology in current models of Baha does not allow for much fine-tuning of frequency response or maximum output on an individual basis and (2) there has not been a valid approach to verify the frequency response or maximum output on an individual basis. The objectives of this study are to (1) describe an alternative approach to fit Baha, an “audibility-derived (AD)” fitting, and (2) test whether outcomes improve with this new fitting compared with the current “patient-derived (PD)” fitting. Design: This study used a repeated measures design where each subject experienced both the AD and PD fittings in random order. Subjects were tested on a variety of outcome measures including output levels of aided speech, hearing in noise test (quiet and in noise), consonant recognition in noise, aided loudness, and subjective percentage of words understood. Results: Electromechanical testing revealed significantly higher aided output with the AD fitting, especially in the high frequencies. Subjects performed significantly better in all outcome measures with the AD fitting approach except when testing aided loudness and subjective perception for which the differences were nonsignificant. When the input levels to the Baha were soft, advantages for the AD fitting were emerging on these tests, but they did not reach significance. Conclusions: This study presents a more objective, fitting approach for Baha that leads to better outcomes in the laboratory. The next steps will be to test these fittings in the real world and to make the approach generally available to clinicians fitting Bahas.
ATTACHMENT AND CULTURE OF DISSOCIATED CELLS FROM RAT EMBRYO CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES ON POLYLYSINE-COATED SURFACE

INTRODUCTION hemispheres from 16 to 18-day old rat embryo were treated with a solution of 0 . 125% (wt/vol) trypsin for 5 min, and the resulting cell suspension was aspirated through a Pasteur pipette to complete the dissociation . The cells were centrifuged at 400 g for 5 min and the supernate was discarded . The pellet was then resuspended in the growth medium (13), and the suspension was centrifuged for I min at 200 g . The supernate containing the dissociated single cells was transferred to a sterile bottle, final cell concentration was adjusted to 0 . 1 0 . 3 x 106 cells per I ml medium, and 3 ml of the above suspension was placed into polylysine-coated Petri dishes . After 30 min incubation at 37uC in an atmosphere of 95% air, 5% CO 2 , the medium containing the nonadhered cells was removed and replaced by fresh medium which was then changed every 3-4 days, depending on its acidity . Phase-contrast microscopy was employed for observation of cultures during their growth period . Cultivation of neural tissue in vitro has been employed in the recent years for studying brain metabolism, isolated from influence by the whole organism. The complex intercellular relationship of the heterogeneous cell types present in the neural tissue have led to the use of several experimental approaches such as tissue explants (I 3) or dissociated single cells prepared by either enzymatic or mechanical means (4-6) . The rationale behind the latter approach is based upon the ability of cells to reassociate and to form well organized aggregates which may acquire some of the characteristics of the original neural tissue (7-10) . However, one of the major disadvantages of the dissociation technique is possible selection for cell types. This could be due either to the dissociation treatment itself or to the inability of certain cell types to attach to the surface when monolayer cultures are employed (11, 12) . In a previous publication (13) we reported that reaggregation of cells from rat cerebral hemispheres occurs before the attachment process . A high percentage of cells which fail to aggregate and to adhere to the plastic surface will then be eliminated operationally at the first change of medium . In this report we present a method for circumventing this selection problem by allowing the majority of cells to adhere . This is achieved by the use of a polylysine pretreated surface, and it is based upon previous observations on the electrostatic interaction of the polycation with the negative charges of the cell membrane (14) .
Data-driven suggestions for portrait posing

Next to lighting, posing is the most challenging aspect of portrait photography. A commonly adopted solution is to learn by example, which is beneficial for both trained photographers and novice users, especially when subjects have no clue about how to pose themselves. A collection of portrait images by professionals (e.g., [Perkins 2009]) provides a resource for photographers seeking inspiration for their own work. Such handful posing references (e.g., Posing App) have also been made available to smartphone platforms, which offer the unique possibility of directly overlaying camera view with a reference pose as visual guidance.
Application of Low-cost Color Sensor Technology in Soil Data Collection and Soil Science Education

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) is important for soil management, precision agriculture, soil mapping and carbon dynamics research. Inexpensive sensor technologies offer the potential for rapid quantification of SOC in laboratory samples as well as in the field. The objective of this study was to use a commercially-available color sensor to develop SOC prediction models for both dry and moist soils from the Piedmont region of South Carolina. Thirty-one soil samples were analyzed for lightness to darkness, redness to greenness, and yellowness to blueness (CIEL*a*b*) color using a Nix ProTM color sensor. Soil color was measured under both dry and moist soil conditions and the depth of each soil sample was also recorded. Using L*, a*, b* and soil depth for each sample as initial predictors, regression analyses were conducted to develop SOC prediction models for dry and moist soils. The resulting residual plots, root mean squared errors (RMSE), and coefficients of determination (R) were used to assess model fits for predicting the SOC content of soil. Cross validation was conducted to determine the efficiency of the predictive models and the mean squared prediction error (MSPE) was calculated. The final models included soil depth, L*, and a* as independent variables (dry soils R = 0.7978 and MSPE = 0.0819, moist soils R = 0.7254 and MSPE = 0.1536). The results suggest that soil color sensors have potential for rapid SOC determination, and soil depth and color are useful in predicting SOC content in soils.
Everydayness of Peace and War

The article examines everydayness as an integrative sphere of society, which is dominant for a person since it is at the micro level that an individual forms his or her social reality. Dialectical relationships between the individual and the general can be traced in everydayness, a semantic content is formed, which makes it possible to understand what happens every day in the everyday life of a person. Therefore, everyday life acts as one of the mechanisms of formation of values, socialization and a source of formation of social capital at the micro-, meso-, and macro levels. On the basis of empirical data, it is shown that social capital accumulates in the everyday sphere, which is strong and can withstand external aggressive manifestations, such as Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian society can withstand full-scale military aggression due to solidarity ties, dense network communications, and social trust at the level of horizontal relationships. In this way, everyday life has a latent effect on the functioning of social institutions at the level of the city and the state which are the field of implementation of people's everyday routines.
Translation, advertising and identity in Galicia(n): an analysis of the websites of companies certified by the brand Galicia Calidade

Advertisements vary in format and purpose, but they all share an ultimate goal: to convince a particular target audience. Language plays a crucial role in triggering a cognitive reaction that influences the audience. In the context of diglossic communities, the choice of words is as relevant as the choice of language. Focusing on Galicia, a diglossic community in north-western Spain, the asymmetrical relationship between Galician and Castilian is reflected in the dynamics of advertising and translation. Translators need to bridge the gaps between the cognitive values of audiences from different cultural backgrounds to prompt the same reaction. A bad quality translation will damage the image of the company and the brand Galicia. Galician advertisements contain cultural representations that can be easily decoded by the audience, but also reinforce existing stereotypes. These images play an influential role in the construction of the Galician identity. This study analyses advertising samples from websites of companies that bear the guarantee of “Galicia Calidade” and revolves around three strands: which language is preferred for advertising and in which context? What linguistic resources are used to advertise Galician products and how are they translated? Does advertising contribute to the construction and projection of the Galician identity?
Protein Kinase C Delta (PKCδ) Affects Proliferation of Insulin-Secreting Cells by Promoting Nuclear Extrusion of the Cell Cycle Inhibitor p21Cip1/WAF1

Background High fat diet-induced hyperglycemia and palmitate-stimulated apoptosis was prevented by specific inhibition of protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) in β-cells. To understand the role of PKCδ in more detail the impact of changes in PKCδ activity on proliferation and survival of insulin-secreting cells was analyzed under stress-free conditions. Methodology and Principal Findings Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, the effect of reduced and increased PKCδ activity on proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle regulation of insulin secreting cells was examined. Proteins were analyzed by Western blotting and by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Increased expression of wild type PKCδ (PKCδWT) significantly stimulated proliferation of INS-1E cells with concomitant reduced expression and cytosolic retraction of the cell cycle inhibitor p21Cip1/WAF1. This nuclear extrusion was mediated by PKCδ-dependent phosphorylation of p21Cip1/WAF1 at Ser146. In kinase dead PKCδ (PKCδKN) overexpressing cells and after inhibition of endogenous PKCδ activity by rottlerin or RNA interference phosphorylation of p21Cip1/WAF1 was reduced, which favored its nuclear accumulation and apoptotic cell death of INS-1E cells. Human and mouse islet cells express p21Cip1/WAF1 with strong nuclear accumulation, while in islet cells of PKCδWT transgenic mice the inhibitor resides cytosolic. Conclusions and Significance These observations disclose PKCδ as negative regulator of p21Cip1/WAF1, which facilitates proliferation of insulin secreting cells under stress-free conditions and suggest that additional stress-induced changes push PKCδ into its known pro-apoptotic role.
Interesting Starter Culture Strains for Controlled Cocoa Bean Fermentation Revealed by Simulated Cocoa Pulp Fermentations of Cocoa-Specific Lactic Acid Bacteria

ABSTRACT Among various lactic acid bacterial strains tested, cocoa-specific strains of Lactobacillus fermentum were best adapted to the cocoa pulp ecosystem. They fermented glucose to lactic acid and acetic acid, reduced fructose to mannitol, and converted citric acid into lactic acid and 2,3-butanediol.
A Model-Based Approach to Support Validation of Medical Cyber-Physical Systems

Medical Cyber-Physical Systems (MCPS) are context-aware, life-critical systems with patient safety as the main concern, demanding rigorous processes for validation to guarantee user requirement compliance and specification-oriented correctness. In this article, we propose a model-based approach for early validation of MCPS, focusing on promoting reusability and productivity. It enables system developers to build MCPS formal models based on a library of patient and medical device models, and simulate the MCPS to identify undesirable behaviors at design time. Our approach has been applied to three different clinical scenarios to evaluate its reusability potential for different contexts. We have also validated our approach through an empirical evaluation with developers to assess productivity and reusability. Finally, our models have been formally verified considering functional and safety requirements and model coverage.
Impairments of Lexical-Semantic Processing in Aphasia: Evidence from the Processing of Lexical Ambiguities

Broca's and Wernicke's aphasics performed speeded lexical decisions on the third member of auditorily presented triplets consisting of two word primes followed by either a word or a nonword. In three of the four priming conditions, the second prime was a homonym with two unrelated meanings. The relation of the first prime and the target with the two meanings of the homonym was manipulated in the different priming conditions. The two readings of the ambiguous words either shared their grammatical form class (noun-noun ambiguities) or not (noun-verb ambiguities). The silent intervals between the members of the triplets were varied between 100, 500, and 1250 msec. Priming at the shortest interval is mainly attributed to automatic lexical processing, and priming at the longest interval is mainly due to forms of controlled lexical processing. For both Broca's and Wernicke's aphasics overall priming effects were obtained at ISIs of 100 and 500 msec, but not at an ISI of 1250 msec. This pattern of results is consistent with the view that both types of aphasics can automatically access the semantic lexicon, but might be impaired in integrating lexical-semantic information into the context. Broca's aphasics showed a specific impairment in selecting the contextually appropriate reading of noun-verb ambiguities, which is suggested to result from a failure either in the on-line morphological parsing of complex word forms into a stem and an inflection or in the on-line exploitation of the syntactic implications of the inflectional suffix. In a final experiment patients were asked to explicitly judge the semantic relations between a subset of the primes that were used in the lexical decision study. Wernicke's aphasics performed worse than both Broca's aphasics and normal controls, indicating a specific impairment for these patients in consciously operating on automatically accessed lexical-semantic information.
Preparation of Parenchymal and Non-Parenchymal Cells from Adult Human Liver — Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics

By perfusion of the isolated human liver with collagenase and hyaluronidase a mixed suspension of various cell types was obtained. Pure parenchymal cells were prepared by differential centrifugation, pure non-parenchymal cells by the use of pronase and subsequent isopycnic centrifugation on metrizamide gradients (50-300 g/l). About 90% of the parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells were viable as judged by trypan blue staining. Non-parenchymal cells were not capable fo gluconeogenesis but at high rates. Parenchymal cells retained their ability to form glucose and to accumulate glycogen from fructose greater than lactate/pyruvate greater than alanine. Studies on binding of 125I-labelled insulin by isolated parenchymal cells were performed at 30 degrees C. The binding data may fit with a minimum of two classes of binding sites: (a) high affinity--low capacity sties (Kd approximately 6.6 nmol/l, capacity approximately 16 000 insulin molecules per cell) and (b) low affinity-high capacity sites (Kd approsimately 0.37 mumol/l, capacity approximately 646 000 molecules per cell).