Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD40 Expression Levels Modulate Regulatory T Cells in Leishmania donovani Infection

Dendritic cell (DC)-expressed CD40 is shown to play crucial roles in eliciting effector T cell responses, primarily the proinflammatory CD4+ Th subsets and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that eliminate various infections and tumors, respectively. In contrast, DCs are also implied in the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) that counteract the functions of the proinflammatory Th subsets and exacerbate infections. However, the role of DC-expressed CD40 in the generation of Tregs is unknown. In this study, we generated bone marrow-derived DCs from mice (on a BALB/c background) expressing different levels of CD40 and tested their relative efficiency in generating Tregs. We observed that low levels of CD40 expression were required for efficient Treg generation. DCs expressing low levels of CD40 induced Tregs, whereas DCs expressing high levels of CD40 induced effector T cells, possibly CD8+CD40+ T cells with a contraregulatory activity; the adoptive transfer of the former DC exacerbated whereas the latter significantly reduced Leishmania donovani infection in BALB/c mice. Similarly, priming of mice with leishmanial Ag-pulsed DCs expressing high levels of CD40 induced host protection against L. donovani challenge infection. In contrast, priming with the low CD40-expressing DC resulted in aggravated infection as compared with the control mice. The results establish that CD40 can play differential roles in Treg differentiation and determine the course of infection. We demonstrate that the knowledge can be efficiently used in adoptive cell transfer therapy against an infectious disease.
In Vivo Multi-Tissue Efficacy of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Therapy on Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Rats

To identify the disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus, we examined the interaction and contribution of multiple tissues (liver, heart, muscle, and brown adipose tissue) and monitored the effects of the Peroxisome Proliferator‐Activated Receptor‐γ (PPARγ) agonist rosiglitazone (RGZ) on metabolism in these tissues.
Complicated Spiritual Grief I: Relation to Complicated Grief Symptomatology Following Violent Death Bereavement

Losing a loved one to violent death has been associated with poor mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and complicated grief (CG), a protracted, debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening reaction to loss. In addition, recent research suggests that traumatic loss can violate mourners' basic assumptive worldviews, and can precipitate a spiritual crisis following loss, also known as complicated spiritual grief (CSG). The present cross-sectional study investigated these multidimensional outcomes in a diverse sample of 150 grievers. The authors found that (a) violently bereaved individuals reported greater CG and CSG than did individuals bereaved by natural death; (b) CG and CSG were correlated across the larger sample, and yet are theoretically different constructs; and (c) specific cause of death (natural anticipated, natural sudden, homicide, suicide, or fatal accident) differentially predicted levels of CG and CSG. Implications of these findings for a clearer understanding of spiritual coping in the wake of troubling loss are noted, as well as for intervention with mourners struggling with clinical complications.
p53-dependent antiviral RNA-interference facilitates tumor-selective viral replication

RNA-interference (RNAi) is a potent tool for specific gene silencing. In this study, we developed an adenovirus for conditional replication in p53-dysfunctional tumor cells that uses p53-selective expression of a microRNA-network directed against essential adenoviral genes. Compared to a control virus that expressed a scrambled microRNA-network, antiviral RNAi selectively attenuated viral replication in cells with transcriptionally active p53, but not in p53-dysfunctional tumor cells where both viruses replicated equivalently. Since these results were confirmed by an in vivo comparison of both viruses after infection of p53-knockout and normal mice, we could demonstrate that attenuated replication was indeed a result of p53-selective exhibition of antiviral RNAi. Addressing the therapeutic applicability, we could show that the application of RNAi-controlled virus efficiently lysed p53-dysfunctional tumors in vitro and in vivo but resulted in drastically reduced load of virus-DNA in the liver of treated mice. We have generated a broadly applicable adenovirus for selective destruction of p53-dysfunctional tumors and thereby demonstrate that virus-encoded RNAi-networks represent an efficient and versatile tool to modify viral functions. RNAi-networks can be applied to all transcriptionally regulated DNA-viruses to remodulate viral tropism and thus provide means to generate specifically replicating vectors for clinical applications.
The Dialectic of Labor: Beyond Causality and Teleology

Marx says the following concerning the essence of labor: “We presuppose labour in a form that stamps it as exclusively human. A spider conducts operations that resemble those of a weaver, and a bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality. At the end of every labour-process, we get a result that already existed in the imagination of the labourer at its commencement. He not only effects a change of form in the material on which he works, but he also realises a purpose of its own that gives the law to his modus operandi, and to which he must subordinate his will. ”
A 900W, 300V to 50V Dc-dc Power Converter with a 30MHz Switching Frequency

Designers of power conversion circuits are under relentless pressure to increase power density while maintaining high efficiency. A primary path to higher power density is the use of increased switching frequency. In this paper it is argued that the use of switching frequencies in the VHF band (30MHz-300MHz) are a viable path to the achievement of substantive gains in power density. Evidence for this viewpoint is presented in the form of an unregulated 900W prototype dc-dc converter with a 30MHz switching frequency, an input voltage range of 270VDC to 330VDC, and an output voltage of 50VDC. This converter uses a quad module architecture with series input and parallel output to provide acceptable efficiency with the specified input voltage range. This converter operates with peak output power of 1kW at 330VDC input, and has an efficiency of ≫ 78% under nominal conditions, with maximum efficiency near 80%.
Remote Sensing Image Classification Based on a Modified Self-organizing Neural Network with a Priori Knowledge

To improve the accuracy of remote sensing image classification based on a self-organizing competitive neural network, this paper firstly uses principal component analysis to reduce redundancy of the multi-spectral remote sensing image data, and then takes the earth surface structure information in horizontal and vertical directions of the target area as a prior knowledge. The self-organizing competitive neural network is modified to contain both structured and unstructured methods. A classifier based on this network, which has been trained by sample data, classifies the remote sensing data from the Landsat TM satellite. The classification results are compared with that from the maximum likelihood estimation classification. The experiment shows that the self-organizing competitive neural network method can improve the accuracy of classification in complex earth surface regions. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient are 89.1 % and 0.873, respectively, which outperform the maximum likelihood method by 18.5 % and 0.227. This result illustrates that the proposed method is much better than the maximum likelihood method. Copyright © 2013 IFSA.
A Theoretical Model of Flow Disruptions for the Anesthesia Team During Cardiovascular Surgery

Objectives This investigation explores flow disruptions observed during cardiothoracic surgery and how they serve to disconnect anesthesia providers from their primary task. We can improve our understanding of this disengagement by exploring what we call the error space or the accumulated time required to resolve disruptions. Methods Trained human factors students observed 10 cardiac procedures for disruptions impacting the anesthesia team and recorded the time required to resolve these events. Observations were classified using a human factors taxonomy. Results Of 301 disruptions observed, interruptions (e.g., those events related to alerts, distractions, searching activity, spilling/dropping, teaching moment, and task deviations) accounted for the greatest frequency of events (39.20%). The average amount of time needed for each disruption to be resolved was 48 seconds. Across 49.87 hours of observation, more than 4 hours were spent resolving disruptions to the anesthesia team’s work flow. Conclusions By defining a calculable error space associated with these disruptions, this research provides a conceptual metric that can serve in the identification and design of targeted interventions. This method serves as a proactive approach for recognizing systemic threats, affording healthcare workers the opportunity to mitigate the development and incidence of preventable errors precedently.
The respiratory development of Atlantic salmon. II. Partitioning of oxygen uptake among gills, yolk sac and body surfaces

During post-hatch development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), O2 uptake partitioning changes from primarily cutaneous to primarily branchial. Over 80 % of post-hatch O2 uptake was cutaneous, with the yolk sac responsible for 33 % of total O2 uptake. The well-vascularized yolk sac was a less effective gas exchanger than the unperfused skin of the body, suggesting that oxygen delivery is by direct diffusion to the tissues. Branchial O2 uptake increased quickly as gill lamellae developed, contributing 60 % of total O2 uptake before the completion of yolk resorption (body mass 0.2 g) and increasing to 69­81 % in fish weighing over 0.3 g. The area-specific O2 uptake of the skin decreased through development as skin thickness increased, while that of the gills increased from 0.10 µg h-1 mm-2 to 0.23 µg h-1 mm-2. Partitioning of O2 uptake of the skin and gills changed in concert with changes in the partitioning of the anatomical diffusion factor (ADF, mass-specific surface area per unit diffusion distance) between skin and gills, which changed from more than 95 % to less than 10 % cutaneous; thus, ADF is a useful rough indicator of oxygen uptake potential. Caution should be used in predicting oxygen uptake potential from ADF, however, because O2 uptake per unit diffusion barrier of the yolk sac was less than half that of the general body surface, and O2 uptake per unit diffusion barrier of the gills changed dramatically over development.
Chromosome replication, cell growth, division and shape: a personal perspective

The origins of Molecular Biology and Bacterial Physiology are reviewed, from our personal standpoints, emphasizing the coupling between bacterial growth, chromosome replication and cell division, dimensions and shape. Current knowledge is discussed with historical perspective, summarizing past and present achievements and enlightening ideas for future studies. An interactive simulation program of the bacterial cell division cycle (BCD), described as “The Central Dogma in Bacteriology,” is briefly represented. The coupled process of transcription/translation of genes encoding membrane proteins and insertion into the membrane (so-called transertion) is invoked as the functional relationship between the only two unique macromolecules in the cell, DNA and peptidoglycan embodying the nucleoid and the sacculus respectively. We envision that the total amount of DNA associated with the replication terminus, so called “nucleoid complexity,” is directly related to cell size and shape through the transertion process. Accordingly, the primary signal for cell division transmitted by DNA dynamics (replication, transcription and segregation) to the peptidoglycan biosynthetic machinery is of a physico-chemical nature, e.g., stress in the plasma membrane, relieving nucleoid occlusion in the cell’s center hence enabling the divisome to assemble and function between segregated daughter nucleoids.
Gaussian Process Modeling of EEG for the Detection of Neonatal Seizures

Gaussian process (GP) probabilistic models have attractive advantages over parametric and neural network modeling approaches. They have a small number of tuneable parameters, can be trained on relatively small training sets, and provide a measure of prediction certainty. In this paper, these properties are exploited to develop two methods of highlighting the presence of neonatal seizures from electroencephalograph (EEG) signals. In the first method, the certainty of the GP model prediction is used to indicate the presence of seizures. In the second approach, the hyperparameters of the GP model are used. Tests are carried out with a feature set of ten EEG measures developed from various signal processing techniques. Features are evaluated using a neural network classifier on 51 h of real neonatal EEG. The GP measures, in particular, the prediction certainty approach, produce a high level of performance compared to other modeling methods and methods currently in clinical use for EEG analysis, indicating that they are an important and useful tool for the real-time detection of neonatal seizures.
Endoreplication Controls Cell Fate Maintenance

Cell-fate specification is typically thought to precede and determine cell-cycle regulation during differentiation. Here we show that endoreplication, also known as endoreduplication, a specialized cell-cycle variant often associated with cell differentiation but also frequently occurring in malignant cells, plays a role in maintaining cell fate. For our study we have used Arabidopsis trichomes as a model system and have manipulated endoreplication levels via mutants of cell-cycle regulators and overexpression of cell-cycle inhibitors under a trichome-specific promoter. Strikingly, a reduction of endoreplication resulted in reduced trichome numbers and caused trichomes to lose their identity. Live observations of young Arabidopsis leaves revealed that dedifferentiating trichomes re-entered mitosis and were re-integrated into the epidermal pavement-cell layer, acquiring the typical characteristics of the surrounding epidermal cells. Conversely, when we promoted endoreplication in glabrous patterning mutants, trichome fate could be restored, demonstrating that endoreplication is an important determinant of cell identity. Our data lead to a new model of cell-fate control and tissue integrity during development by revealing a cell-fate quality control system at the tissue level.
Asset Pricing Implications of Liquidity and Its Volatility

This paper evaluates the asset pricing implications of liquidity and volatility of liquidity in a linear factor framework. Using factors derived from liquidity and its volatility, I assess the extent to which these two contain information relevant for pricing the cross section of asset returns. There are three striking results. First, portfolios sorted on exposure to liquidity are hard to price by conventional models. Second, standard factors SMB and HML lose their explanatory power in the presence of liquidity and its volatility. Third, and perhaps most importantly, there is a significant negative premium for volatility of liquidity. This significance is robust to a variety of linear factor specifications. These results suggest that asset pricing models should incorporate a role not only for liquidity but also for volatility of liquidity.
ß-Glucan contents of groats of different oat cultivars in official variety, in organic cultivation, and in nitrogen fertilization trials in Finland

s-Glucan is a beneficial chemical compound in the diet of humans by decreasing the levels of serum cholesterol and blood glucose. The s-glucan contents of oat groats were studied in official variety trials (1997-1999), nitrogen fertilization trials (1997-1999) and organic variety trials (1997-1998) in Finland. Eight cultivars were studied in the organic variety trials. Two of them, cultivars Puhti and Veli, were cultivated also with a conventional method at the same fields. The years 1997 and 1999 were very warm and dry and 1998 very cool and rainy. The effects of year and cultivar on s-glucan content were significant in all three trial series. The Kolbu oat cultivar had a significantly lower s- glucan content than other cultivars in all trials. N fertilization did not increase the s-glucan contents of oats in Finland. The effect of cultivation method (traditional vr organic cultivation) had no significant effect on the s-glucan content. The year x cultivar interaction significantly affected the s-glucan contents of oat groats in N fertilization trials. The reaction of different cultivars to weather conditions was different. Kolbu oat cultivar had significantly lower s-glucan contents in 1998 than in warm years in all three trial series.
Analysis of Gifted Students' Interest Areas Using Data Mining Techniques *

The purpose of this study is to predict interest areas of gifted students and discover relationships between these areas by using educational data mining methods. The sample of the research included gifted students who are studying in Yasemin Karakaya Science and Art Center and 12 years old or older. Data are collected from Academic Self Concept Scale outputs, Spare Time Activities Survey answers, Parental Information Retrieval Form answers, and Basic Capabilities Test 7-11 and WISC-R results of students. To predict interest areas of students, 10 classification algorithms are selected. Test results of these algorithms are compared and the most suitable algorithm for prediction is identified. By making use of the Apriori association algorithm, area pairs in which gifted students are frequently interested together are detected. Results obtained from this study will provide many benefits to science and art centers such as giving differentiated instruction by meeting individual needs, organizing course programs more effectively.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who is the Happiest of Them All?

This paper turns Snow-White? s magic mirror onto recent economics Nobel Prize winners, top economists and happiness researchers, and through the eyes of the ? man in the street? seeks to determine who the happiest academic is. The study not only provides a clear answer to this question but also unveils who is the ladies? man and who is the sweetheart of the aged. It also explores the extent to which information matters and whether individuals? self-reported happiness affects their perceptions about the happiness of these superstars in economics.
The effects of perinatal tebuconazole exposure on adult neurological, immunological, and reproductive function in rats.

*Neurotoxicology Division and†Environmental Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; ‡Reproductive Toxicology Group, National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and §ASI, Inc., Durham, North Carolina
Narratives of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ and Urban Transformations in Oslo

Abstract This paper discusses the increasing attractiveness of inner-city areas of eastern Oslo as residential areas for middle-class members of the majority population. In previous research, affordability and the preference for urban lifestyles were regarded as the predominant factors explaining such urban transformations. The present paper shows that it is also necessary to look more closely at the impacts of ethnic identification and categorisation on the attractiveness of neighbourhoods. It is argued that the increase in the affluent members of the majority population in this part of the city can be linked to the emerging perception of these areas as becoming ‘less dominated’ by ethnic minority populations (more ‘mixed’).
Cosmic ray astrophysics

Cosmic rays (CRs) below 10 15 eV are thought to be Fermi accelerated in supernova remnant shocks, but the origin of CRs above that and up to the 'GZK' limit Esiml10 20 eV is debated. A steepening of the diffuse spectrum attributed to the GZK process (interaction with CMB photons) has been observed by the Auger observatory [2], so the sources appear to be inside R GZK < ∼ 50 − 100Mpc, and a spatial correlation analysis of arrival directions [1] indicated a weak correlation with certain AGNs and a much firmer correlation with galaxy large scale structures inside that radius. These observations strongly favor an astrophysical, as opposed to a 'new physics', origin and the question is what are these sources. AGNs, in particular luminous radio-loud (jetted) AGNs have long been considered candidates [3], but there are only a few of these inside R GZK. A more promising possibility is that acceleration occurs in radio-quiet AGNs, [4], which may provide acceleration sites with the right properties in large enough numbers. GRB are the other main candidates [5, 6, 7]. These are transient, and taking into account diffusion time delays, they occur at a sufficient rate inside R GZK [8]. The maximum energy of protons achievable, both in AGNs and GRBs, is the GZK value E p < ∼ β s ZeBR ∼ 10 20.5 eV. (1) In GRB the number spectrum expected has slope-2, which is suitable for explaining the diffuse CR flux in the 10 19 − 10 21 eV range. Proof, however, is difficult. Neutrinos from pγ at these energies would have E ν ∼ 10 18 eV, which requires larger instruments than, e.g., ANITA. Secondary photon emission from pγ cascades, however, may appear at GeV energies, providing potential CR signatures [15], and Fermi observations of GRB 090510 at GeV energies are indeed compatible with such hadronic GRB models [10]. If GRB indeed accelerate the observed GZK CRs, the supernova remnants of their progenitors could be sites of the late decay of neutrons (produced originally by pγ interactions) back into protons and positrons, the latter leading to synchrotron-IC photon cascades which could be detectable with GeV and/or TeV telescopes [11]. At lower energies the-2 spectrum is flatter than the observed-2.7, and either nearby GRB [9] or other sources must be invoked. The latter may be hypernovae, supernovae with semi-relativistic ejecta, which can accelerate protons up to 10 …
Hybrid Collaborative Filtering Based on Probabilistic Prototype

Collaborative filtering recommender systems-recommend items by identifying other users with similar taste and use their opinions for recommendation. In this paper the concepts of Content-Boosted Collaborative Filtering algorithm is discussed and proposed for modification in the existing approach using probabilistic measures to improve the performance. The methodology using Probabilistic Prototype used for predictions have been discussed. The Formulas that were used to implement these models including Bayes conditional probability, rating, Significance Weighting Factor, Harmonic Mean Weighting and Self-Weighting and Prediction. The measured Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of the proposed model is compared with available models from literature and finally the performance analysis is done based on parameter MAE.