Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immune repertoire mining for rapid affinity optimization of mouse monoclonal antibodies

ABSTRACT Traditional hybridoma and B cell cloning antibody discovery platforms have inherent limits in immune repertoire sampling depth. One consequence is that monoclonal antibody (mAb) leads often lack the necessary affinity for therapeutic applications, thus requiring labor-intensive and time-consuming affinity in vitro engineering optimization steps. Here, we show that high-affinity variants of mouse-derived mAbs can be rapidly obtained by testing of somatic sequence variants obtained by deep sequencing of antibody variable regions in immune repertories from immunized mice, even with a relatively sparse sampling of sequence variants from large sequence datasets. Affinity improvements can be achieved for mAbs with a wide range of affinities. The optimized antibody variants derived from immune repertoire mining have no detectable in vitro off-target binding and have in vivo clearance comparable to the parental mAbs, essential properties in therapeutic antibody leads. As generation of antibody variants in vitro is replaced by mining of variants generated in vivo, the procedure can be applied to rapidly identify affinity-optimized mAb variants.
Effect of taxifolin on development of retinopathy in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Abstract Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness. In DR patients, antioxidant defence is disrupted, and production of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) increases. Taxifolin has been reported to suppress reactive oxygen species, IL-1β and TNF-α production. The aim of this study is to biochemically and histopathologically examine the protective effect of taxifolin against DR damage induced by alloxan. Materials and methods: Alloxan received rats with a blood glucose level of ≥250 mg/dL were divided into taxifolin-treated (TAX) (n = 6), diabetic control (DC) (n = 6) groups. There were rats received only saline in non-diabetic control (NC) group (n = 6). Taxifolin (50 mg/kg) was orally administered to the TAX group rats. DC and NC rats received the same volume of saline as a solvent. This procedure was repeated once a day for 3 months. At the end of this period, animals were killed by high dose thiopental sodium anaesthesia. Histopathological examinations were then performed on excised rat eyes. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (tGSH), IL-1β and TNF-α levels were measured in obtained blood samples. Results: MDA, IL-1β and TNF-α levels were significantly increased in blood samples of DC group rats with hyperglycemia induced by alloxan compared with NC group (p < 0.0001), and decreased in the TAX group compared with the DC group (p < 0.0001). The levels of tGSH were significantly decreased in blood samples of DC group rats compared with NC group (p < 0.0001), and increased in the TAX group compared with the DC group (p < 0.0001). Histopathologically, retinal ganglion cells of the TAX group had a slightly dilated and congested blood vessel, and severe damage was inflicted to the retinal ganglion cell layer of the DC group. Conclusions: Experimental results suggest that taxifolin may be beneficial in the treatment of DR.
Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form (ETISR-SF): validation of the Swedish translation in clinical and non-clinical samples

Abstract Purpose: Childhood trauma in an important public health concern, and there is a need for brief and easily administered assessment tools. The Early Trauma Inventory (ETI) is one such instrument. The aim of this paper is to test the psychometric properties of the Swedish translation of the short, self-rated version (ETISR-SF), and to further validate the instrument. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 243 psychiatric patients from an open care unit in Sweden and 56 controls were recruited. Participants were interviewed and thereafter completed the ETISR-SF. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and goodness-of-fit was determined. Intra Class Correlation (ICC) was used to calculate test-retest reliability. Discriminant validity between groups was gauged using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: Cronbach’s alpha varied between 0.55 and 0.76, with higher values in clinical samples than in controls. Of the four domains, general trauma showed a lower alpha than the other domains. The CFA confirmed the four-factor model previously seen and showed good to acceptable fit. The ICC value was 0.93, indicating good test–retest reliability. According to the Mann–Whitney U-test, the non-clinical sample differed significantly from the clinical sample, as did those with PTSD or borderline diagnosis from those without these diagnoses. Conclusions: The Swedish translation of the ETISR-SF was found to have similar psychometric properties as both the original version and translations. ETISR-SF scores could also distinguish between different diagnostic groups associated with various degrees of trauma, which supports its discriminant validity.
Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kejadian Hipertensi Esensial Di Desa Kemingking Dalam Kabupaten Muaro Jambi

Meningkatnya prevalensi hipertensi pada umumnya disebabkan karena adanya perubahan gaya hidup, sehingga menyebabkan terjadinya pergeseran pola penyakit dari penyakit-penyakit infeksi bergeser ke penyakit-penyakit chronic degenerative seperti hipertensi. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui faktor yng berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi di Desa Kemingking Dalam Kabupaten Muaro Jambi. Desain penelitian adalah case control . Penelitian dilakukan di Desa Kemingking Dalam pada bulan Agustus 2019. Sampel penelitian adalah penderita hipertensi (kasus) dan bukan penderita hipertensi (kontrol) dengan perbandingan 1:1 sehingga jumlah sampel sebanyak 120 orang. Teknik pengambilan sampel adalah purposive sampling . Pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji chi-square. Hasil penelitian diketahui 50% responden memiliki perilaku tidak merokok, 40% responden tidak mengkonsumsi kopi, 59,2% responden tidak mengalami stres, 63,3% responden memiliki IMT normal, 50% responden tidak mengkonsumsi garam, 48,3% responden jarang menggunakan minyak jelantah. Hasil bivariat menunjukkan tidak ada hubungan antara perilaku merokok (p=0,584), konsumsi kopi (p=0,671), stress (p=1,000), konsumsi garam (p=0,100) dan penggunaan minyak jelantah (p=0,762) dengan kejadian hipertensi. Ada hubungan antara obesitas (p=0,014) dengan kejadian hipertensi. Faktor yang berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi wilayah kerja Puskesmas Kemingking Dalam adalah obesitas. Untuk itu disarankan agar melakukan olah raga secara teratur dan diet seimbang Kata Kunci : Hipertensi, Merokok, Kopi, Stres, IMT, Garam, Minyak Jelantah
Re-evaluating the self-report habit index: the cases of physical activity and snacking habits

Abstract Objectives: The Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) was originally reported as one-dimensional; however, habit has been described as characterised by several features. Moreover, one-dimensional models for the SRHI have demonstrated poor fit. Therefore, we aimed to compare multidimensional models with a one-dimensional model in both snacking and physical activity habits, besides examining further instrument characteristics. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with high school and university students (n = 555). Main outcome measure: The SRHI adapted for physical activity and for snaking habits was applied at one time point. Results: Nested models with one factor, two factors and three factors were compared. Next, a hierarchical second-order model was tested, and further validity issues, as well as invariance between habits, were examined. Three-dimensional models represented a better fit for both habits. However, fit was still inadequate in the snacking version. In addition, discriminant validity concerns emerged for the physical activity SRHI. Moreover, invariance between the snacking and the physical activity versions was not confirmed. Conclusions: Considering the SRHI as composed by the dimensions of ‘lack of awareness’, ‘lack of control’ and ‘history of behavioural repetition’ seems to be more accurate. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that further research is needed.
Effects of Bidens Pilosa (L) Extract on Haematological Parameters of Swiss Albino Rats Orogastrically Dosed with Escherichia coli O157:H7

A large number of medicinal plants and their purified constituents have been shown to have beneficial therapeutic potentials. In this study, ethanolic extract of Bidens pilosa was evaluated for its invivo activity on haematological parameters in Swiss albino rats orogastrically dosed with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Fifteen Swiss albino rats were used for the study. The animals were divided into five groups of three rats each. The first, second and third group of rats were orogastically dosed with 9.1 × 104 cfu/ml of E. coli O157: H7 to induce infection. The first group was treated with 800 mg/kg Body weight (Bw) of the ethanolic extract of B. pilosa, the second group was treated with Ofloxacin (16mg/kg Bw), while the third group was not treated. The fourth group was given only the plant extract, while the fifth group was given sterile distilled water. The results of the haematological assay indicated that: the infected-untreated rats showed lowest mean values of PCV (34.00±2.50a), RBC (6.54±0.45a) and HB (11.50±0.83a); and highest ESR (4.50±0.50c). In the infected-extract-treated group, a significant increase in the PCV (45.00±1.00b) and HB (15.00±0.33b) was observed. The group fed with extract alone had the highest mean values of PCV (51.00±1.00b), RBC (11.10±0.95c) and HB (17.00±0.33b). Similar pattern was observed for the results obtained for the white blood cell differential count. The infected-extract-treated group, and the group to which only extract was administered without infection showed significant increase in lymphocyte count (61.00±1.00ab) and (73.50±2.50c) respectively. Conversely, the infected-untreated group showed a decline in lymphocyte count (54.50±3.50a). The results obtained from this study revealed that ethanolic leaf extract of Bidens pilosa exhibited haematopoietic potential and tends to modulate the values of White Blood Cell differential count in Swiss albino rats.
Conciliation Versus Mediation of Complaints Against Police: Lessons from the Queensland Experience

Since the 1990s, alternative dispute resolution practices for dealing with citizen-initiated complaints against police, such as conciliation, have progressively been trialled and implemented in police services across Australia. The Queensland Police Service was one of the most proactive services in trialling independently facilitated complaints mediation programs – in collaboration with its oversight agency. However, despite repeated positive outcomes, the Service refrained from actively using mediation, preferring instead to use management dominated informal resolution (conciliation). This process, characterised by police investigating police, continues to limit complainant participation by denying them the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the subject officer. Yet the literature cites mediation, especially practices based on restorative principles as beneficial because it brings disputing parties together in dialogue that is educative for both parties, reparatory, and better satisfies complainants’ aspirations for an inclusive and neutral complaints system, while data from mediated complaints can also be used to inform police conduct improvement strategies. Complaints mediation is available upon request within the Queensland Police Service, however, it is not widely promoted, and is internally facilitated. In view of this, an historical account of the application of mediation and conciliation to the Queensland Police Service complaints system is examined in this paper to answer the question why conciliation has become the default approach and mediation continues to be largely ignored. This is done through a qualitative analysis of publicly available documents and semi- structured interviews with key stakeholders. The findings reveal that the 1992 Mediation Pilot was very successful. However, the Queensland Police Service adopted conciliation because it was cheaper and, they claim, better aligned with managing behavioural improvements. Three decades on, there has been little evidence of this, while the literature clearly shows that mediation should be a key component of any police complaints and discipline system.
Comparative effectiveness of purpuragenic 595 nm pulsed dye laser versus sequential emission of 595 nm pulsed dye laser and 1,064 nm Nd:YAG laser: a double-blind randomized controlled study.

INTRODUCTION Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea is a common condition in Caucasians. The most frequently used lasers to treat this condition are pulsed dye laser (PDL) and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser (Nd:YAG). This study compares the treatment efficacy of purpuragenic PDL with that of sequential emission of 595 nm PDL and 1,064 nm Nd:YAG (multiplexed PDL/Nd:YAG). METHODS We performed a prospective, randomized, and controlled split-face study. Both cheeks were treated, with side randomization to receive treatment with PDL or multiplexed PDL/Nd:YAG. Efficacy was evaluated by spectrophotometric measurement, visual photograph evaluation, the Dermatology Quality of Life Index questionnaire, and a post-treatment questionnaire. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients completed the study. Treatment was associated with a statistically significant improvement in quality of life (p < 0.001). PDL and multiplexed PDL/Nd:YAG modalities significantly reduced the erythema index (EI; p < 0.05). When comparing the degree of EI reduction, no differences were observed between the two treatment modalities. PDL was associated with a higher degree of pain and a higher percentage of purpura. Multiplexed PDL/Nd:YAG modality was associated with fewer side effects and greater global satisfaction, and 96.3% of the patients would recommend this treatment to a friend. CONCLUSIONS Both laser modalities are efficacious in the treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. The multiplexed PDL/Nd:YAG modality was preferred by the patients.
Epidemiological investigation of helminth infection of cattle from different districts of Mizoram, India

A study on incidence of helminth parasites of cattle was carried out from eight different districts of Mizoram, India from June 2018 to May 2019. A total of 1153 faecal samples from different age groups of cattle were examined microscopically using salt flotation and sedimentation method. Some positive samples were copro-cultured for proper identification of Strongyle larvae. The overall prevalence of gastro intestinal (GI) helminths was 33.39% (385/1153). The identified species revealed nematodes, cestodes and trematodes with a total of 11 species. The percentage prevalence of various helminthes in descending order include Haemonchus sp (20.25%), Toxocaravitulovum (15.84%), Moniezia sp (13.76%), Strongyloidespapillosus (10.38%), Trichuris sp (8.57%), Oesophagastomum sp (6.75%), Trichostrongylussp (6.75%), Nematodirus sp (5.97%), Fasciolagigantica (5.19%), Paramphistomumsp (3.89%) and Eurytrema sp (2.59%). A total of 225 cattle slaughtered at local abattoirs were also inspected for the presence of any helminth and helminth induced lesions. At post-mortem examination, mixed infection with trematodes of Fasciolagigantica, Paramphistomum sp and nematodes of Haemonchus sp, Oesophagostomum sp and Nematodirus sp were observed. A significant seasonal difference was observed with higher prevalence during monsoon compared to other seasons. Similarly prevalence varied according to age and sex of the animals. Male and young calves were more commonly infected with GI parasites than female and older cattle. The epidemiological data obtained in the present study warranted proper examination of cattle for proper controlling of parasites.
Atypical functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and other brain regions in a rat model of recurrent headache

We explored the atypical functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and other brain areas in rats subjected to repeated meningeal nociception. The rat model was established by infusing an inflammatory soup through supradural catheters in conscious rats. Rats were subdivided according to the frequency of the inflammatory soup infusions. Functional connectivity analysis seeded on the anterior cingulate cortex was performed on rats 21 days after inflammatory soup infusion. Glyceryl trinitrate was injected following baseline scanning in the low-frequency inflammatory soup group and magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired 1 h after the injection. The rats exhibited nociceptive behavior after high-frequency inflammatory soup infusion. The anterior cingulate cortex showed increased functional connectivity with the cerebellum in the inflammatory soup groups. The medulla showed increased functional connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex in the ictal period in the low-frequency inflammatory soup rats. Several areas showed increased functional connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex in the high-frequency inflammatory soup group, including the pontine tegmentum, midbrain, thalamus, corpus callosum, hippocampus, and retrosplenial, visual, sensory, and motor cortices. This study indicated that the medulla participates in the early stage of a migraine attack and may be associated with the initiation of migraine. Sensitization of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway might contribute to the cutaneous allodynia seen in chronic migraine. Brain areas important for memory function may be related to the chronification of migraine. Electrophysiological studies should examine those migraine-related areas and provide new targets for migraine treatment and prevention.
Assessment of Reported Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Key Points Question Which atypical antipsychotic is most beneficial and safe for the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia? Findings In this network meta-analysis of 17 studies (5373 patients), no significant differences were found across measures of effectiveness and safety among aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone, although differences were found for some of these drugs and outcomes compared with placebo. No trials were found for other atypical antipsychotics. Meaning Insufficient evidence exists on which atypical antipsychotic is both safest and most beneficial across several measures for people with dementia, and this study suggests that a single most effective and safe treatment option may not exist.
Is There a Price Premium for Local Food? The Case of the Fresh Lettuce Market in Hawaii

“Buying local״ has become one of the most important trends in food marketing. Despite widespread public attention, the influence of the “local״ attribute on food prices is not well understood. We aim to begin to fill this gap in research by exploring the presence of a price premium for “local״ in actual market transactions. Using scanner data on fresh packaged lettuce in the Honolulu market and hedonic modeling, we investigate consumers’ revealed preferences for the attribute. Contrary to the positive willingness to pay for local food widely reported in previous studies, we find no local premium for fresh lettuce in the Honolulu market.
Fast solution of the Shallow Water Equations using GPU technology

The increasing reliance on 2D flood modelling provides a strong incentive to reduce model run times, especially for studies involving uncertainty analysis or simulation of multiple scenarios. This paper reports a 2D Shallow Water Equation (SWE) flood model that has been developed to run on the graphics card of a desktop PC, exploiting the fast parallel floating point performance of the graphics processing unit (GPU). We give an overview of the Riemann based finite volume scheme and its implementation in serial and parallelised algorithms. We show test results to demonstrate that the scheme produces depth and velocity simulations that compare well with other models widely used in the industry for a realistic urban flood modelling application. We also show that the parallel GPU implementation of our scheme runs significantly faster than the corresponding serial code on a conventional processor. In addition to numerical results from the new SWE model, we report on practical aspects in the use of GPU technology for flood modelling, building on earlier experience with a 2D diffusion wave model. We discuss recent improvements in hardware and software, and the cost-efficiency of the technology for flood risk modelling and research applications.
Using G-skyline to improve Decision-Making

Skyline is an operator that can help users making decisions using a multidimensional data and conflicting criteria. Skyline is based on Pareto dominance relationship, it returns objects that are not dominated by any other object in the database. Recently, the skyline definition was expanded to group decision making to meet complex real life needs encountered in many modern domain applications. We used the groups skyline in our architecture to reinforce the Multi-agent distributed decision support system by integrating the process to the comparison agent. In this paper, we introduce the Skyline operator, Groups skyline and we propose to integrate groups skyline to our internal distributed decision support system architecture.
Implied volatility sentiment: a tale of two tails

We propose a sentiment measure jointly derived from out-of-the-money index puts and single stock calls: implied volatility (IV-) sentiment. In contrast to implied correlations, our measure uses information from the tails of the risk-neutral densities from these two markets rather than across their entire moneyness structures. We find that IV-sentiment measure adds value over and above traditional factors in predicting the equity risk premium out-of-sample. Forecasting results are superior when constrained ensemble models are used vis-à-vis unregularized machine learning techniques. In a mean-reversion strategy, our IV-sentiment measure delivers economically significant results, with limited exposure to a set of cross-sectional equity factors, including Fama and French's five factors, the momentum factor and the low-volatility factor, and seems valuable in preventing momentum crashes. Our novel measure reflects overweight of tail events, which we interpret as a behavioral bias. However, we cannot rule out a risk-compensation rationale.
Comprehensive first-principles studies on phase stability of copper-based halide perovskite derivatives AlCumXn (A = Rb and Cs; X = Cl, Br, and I)

Recently, inorganic copper-based halide perovskites and their derivatives (CHPs) with chemical formulas AlCumXn (A = Rb and Cs; X = Cl, Br and I; l, m, and n are integers.), have received increasing attention in the photoluminescence field, due to their lead-free, cost-effective, earth-abundant and low electronic dimensionality. Ascribed to flexible valence charge of Cu (Cu1+ and Cu2+) and complex competing phases, the crystal structures and phase stabilities of CHPs are complicated and ambiguous, which limits their experimental applications. Via comprehensive first-principles calculations, we have investigated thermodynamic stabilities of possible crystal phases for AlCumXn by considering all the possible secondary phases existing in inorganic crystal structure database (ICSD). Our results are in agreement with existing experiments and further predicted the existence of 10 stable CHPs, i.e. Rb3Cu2Br5, Rb3Cu2I5, RbCu2Cl3, Rb2CuI3, Rb2CuBr4, RbCuBr3, Rb3Cu2Br7, Cs3Cu2Br7, Cs3Cu2Cl7 and Cs4Cu5Cl9, which have not yet been reported in experiments. This work provides a phase and compositional map that may guide experiments to synthesize more novel inorganic CHPs with diverse properties for potential functional applications.