Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diet-Induced Obesity Does Not Impact the Generation and Maintenance of Primary Memory CD8 T Cells

The extent to which obesity compromises the differentiation and maintenance of protective memory CD8 T cell responses and renders obese individuals susceptible to infection remains unknown. In this study, we show that diet-induced obesity did not impact the maintenance of pre-existing memory CD8 T cells, including acquisition of a long-term memory phenotype (i.e., CD27hi, CD62Lhi, KLRG1lo) and function (i.e., cytokine production, secondary expansion, and memory CD8 T cell–mediated protection). Additionally, obesity did not influence the differentiation and maintenance of newly evoked memory CD8 T cell responses in inbred and outbred hosts generated in response to different types of systemic (LCMV, L. monocytogenes) and/or localized (influenza virus) infections. Interestingly, the rate of naive-to-memory CD8 T cell differentiation after a peptide-coated dendritic cell immunization was similar in lean and obese hosts, suggesting that obesity-associated inflammation, unlike pathogen- or adjuvant-induced inflammation, did not influence the development of endogenous memory CD8 T cell responses. Therefore, our studies reveal that the obese environment does not influence the development or maintenance of memory CD8 T cell responses that are either primed before or after obesity is established, a surprising notion with important implications for future studies aiming to elucidate the role obesity plays in host susceptibility to infections.
Communicating sustainability through a destination’s website: a checklist to inform, motivate, and engage stakeholders

ABSTRACT This study investigated sustainability communication through destination websites. In particular, it suggested an online sustainability communication checklist (OSC-Checklist) that informs, motivates, and engages stakeholders to contribute towards the development of environmental, sociocultural, and economic sustainability. The OSC-Checklist was applied to the official websites of the top 50 competitive destinations with the aim of evaluating the extent to which each destination communicates sustainability on its website. The results indicated that the sample destinations lack an appropriate online approach to communicate sustainability. The results also revealed that the less developed and competitive destinations scored higher in terms of communicating sustainability than other more competitive developed destinations. Theoretical and practical implications are also provided.
B022 High Speed Machining of Stainless Steel Using Low-Pressure Jet Coolant

This paper presents the result of an experimental study about low-pressure jet coolant, with the primary focus on the influence of the flow speed and the flow rate upon the tool life in cutting stainless steel. Low-pressure jet coolant is generally preferable to flood coolant from the aspect of the tool life, because the former can attain higher jet speeds even at lower flow rates, owing to the fact that the nozzle can be installed in the close vicinity of the tool tip. In the experiments of the present study, type 304 stainless steel was turned with low pressured jet coolant, in view of extending the tool life of coated carbide inserts, with two different nozzles at two different cutting speeds. It was transpired that the low-pressure coolant method exhibits nearly the same ability as the air jet assisted machining method in extending the tool life. The results indicate that, unlike the air jet assisted machining method, the flow rate plays a crucial role as well as the flow speed in the low-pressure jet coolant method.
On Representatives of Subsets

Let a set S of mn things be divided into m classes of n things each in two distinct ways, (a) and (b); so that there are m (a)-classes and m (b)-classes. Then it is always possible to find a set R of m things of S which is at one and the same time a C.S. R. (= complete system of rcpresentatives) for the (a)-classes, and also a C.S. R. for the (b)-classes.
Red cell volume expansion at altitude: a meta-analysis and Monte Carlo simulation.

INTRODUCTION Altitude acclimatization is associated with a rapid increase in hematocrit. The time course and the contribution of the red cell volume expansion are not clear. The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to explore how much altitude exposure is required to induce polycythemia in healthy lowlanders. METHODS A systematic review was performed of 66 published articles (including 447 volunteers) identified through literature search. We performed a mixed-model random-effects meta-analysis and a Monte Carlo simulation on the extracted data. RESULTS The following results were obtained in this study: 1) the red cell volume expansion for a given duration of exposure is dependent on altitude (P < 0.0001), that is, that the increase in red cell volume was accelerated at higher altitudes; and 2) the extent of the erythropoietic response depends on the initial red cell volume (P < 0.0001). It seems that exposure time must exceed 2 wk at an altitude of more than 4000 m to exert a statistically significant effect. At lower altitudes, longer exposure times are needed with altitudes lower than 3000 m not yielding an increase within 4 wk. CONCLUSIONS Red cell volume response to hypoxia is generally slow, although it accelerates with increasing altitude. This, in combination with a dependency on initial red cell volume, suggests that, for example, athletes may need to spend more time at altitude to see an effect on red cell volume than commonly recommended.
High-speed pulsed mixing with high-frequency switching of micropump driving and its application to nanoparticle synthesis

In this study, we proposed a novel mixing method using alternate pulsed flows from three inlet channels with piezoelectric valveless micropumps. It was experimentally and analytically confirmed that the proposed pulsed mixing of two solutions increased mixing speed with increasing the switching frequency of up to 400 Hz. The mixing time of 3.6 ms for 90 % mixing ratio of two solutions was achieved experimentally at the switching frequency of 400 Hz. The further increase in the mixing speed up to 800 Hz was analytically confirmed. As its application, gold nanoparticle was synthesized using the proposed method and the uniformity of particle sizes increased with the mixing speed.
Teacher Roles in Primary School Mathematics Curricula of the Republican Period

Accepted: 20.09. 2016 This study aims to examine the teacher roles in primary school mathematics curricula employed during the Republican period. We identified ten official primary school mathematics curricula documents issued between the period of 1924 and 2015. All the documents are put to examination through the content analysis method in order to identify the roles assigned to the teachers. For the analysis of the data, reliability study was performed. The analysis revealed ten different categories of roles defined for teachers. These categories are related to the development of (mathematical) thinking skills, remediation of student deficiencies, supporting affective qualities, creating effective teaching environments and to the issue of equity. Our analysis suggests an historical perspective to understand the teacher roles that have and/or have not changed during the Republican period. Hence this study provides an opportunity to evaluate the teacher roles assumed in the official curricula documents for teaching mathematics during the Republican Period from a historical perspective.
Regulation of nitric oxide production in snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) defence cells: a role for PKC and ERK signalling pathways

Background information. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important molecule in innate immune responses. In molluscs NO is produced by mobile defence cells called haemocytes; however, the molecular mechanisms that regulate NO production in these cells is poorly understood. The present study focused on the role of cell signalling pathways in NO production by primary haemocytes from the snail Lymnaea stagnalis.
Identification and functionality prediction of pathogenesis‐related protein 1 from legume family

The production and accumulation of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins in plants is one of the important responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Large number of identified PR proteins has been categorized into 17 functional families based on their structure, phylogenetics, and biological activities. However, they are not widely studied in legume crops. Using 29 PR1 proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, as query, here we have predicted 92 candidate PR1 proteins through the PSI‐BLAST and HMMER programs. These candidate proteins were comprehensively analyzed with, multiple sequence alignment, domain architecture studies, signal peptide, and motif extraction followed by phylogenetic analysis. Further, response of two candidate PR1 proteins from chickpea against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri attack was validated using qRT‐PCR followed by their 3D structure prediction. To decipher mode of action for PR1s, docking of pathogen extracellular matrix components along with fungal elicitors was performed with two chickpea PR1 proteins. Based on these findings, we propose carbohydrate to be the unique pathogen‐recognition feature for PR1 proteins and β‐glucanase activity via β‐glucan binding or modification.
Input-Admittance Calculation and Shaping for Controlled Voltage-Source Converters

A controlled power electronic converter can cause local instabilities when interacting with other dynamic subsystems in a power system. Oscillations at a certain frequency cannot, however, build up if the converter differential input admittance has a positive conductance (real part) at that frequency, since power is then dissipated. In this paper, input-admittance expressions for a voltage-source converter are derived. It is seen how the admittance can be shaped in order to get a positive real part in the desired frequency regions by adjusting the controller parameters.
Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) and the Transmission of Ross River Virus in Brisbane, Australia

Abstract This study aimed to identify the major mosquito vectors of Ross River virus (family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, RRV) and to explore the threshold of mosquito abundance necessary for RRV transmission in Brisbane, Australia. Data on the monthly counts of RRV cases by statistical local areas from the Queensland Health and the monthly mosquito abundance in Brisbane between November 1998 and December 2001 from the Brisbane City Council were used to assess the pairwise relationship between mosquito abundance and the incidence of RRV disease over a range of time lags using cross-correlations. We used time series Poisson regression models to identify major mosquito species associated with incidence of RRV after adjusting for overdispersion, maximum temperature, autocorrelation, and seasonality. Our results show that Aedes vigilax (Skuse) (relative risk [RR] = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.01–1.74 per 100 mosquitoes per trap) and Culex annulirostris (Skuse) (RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04–1.24 per 100 mosquitoes per trap) were most strongly associated with RRV transmission at a lag of 1 mo. Classification and regression tree (CART) analyses indicate that the occurrence of RRV was associated with an average monthly mosquito abundance of Aedes vigilax above 72 and Cx. annulirostris above 52. The validation analyses indicate that the crude agreement between predicted values and actual observations was 76% (sensitivity, 61%; specificity, 80%). The results may have applications as a decision support tool in planning disease control and risk-management programs.
Mitogenic Effects of Cytokines on Smooth Muscle Are Critically Dependent on Protein Kinase A and Are Unmasked by Steroids and Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors

Excessive smooth muscle growth occurs within the context of inflammation associated with certain vascular and airway diseases. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been shown previously to inhibit mitogen-stimulated smooth muscle growth through a mechanism presumed to be dependent on the induction of cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandins, and activation of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Using both molecular and pharmacological strategies, we demonstrate that the mitogenic effects of IL-1β and TNF-α on cultured human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells are tightly regulated by PKA activity. Suppression of induced PKA activity by either corticosteroids or cyclooxygenase inhibitors converts the cytokines from inhibitors to enhancers of mitogen-stimulated ASM growth, and biological variability in the capacity to activate PKA influences the modulatory effect of cytokines. Promitogenic effects of IL-1β are associated with delayed increases in p42/p44 and phosphoinositide-3 kinase activities, suggesting a role for induced autocrine factors. These findings suggest a mechanism by which mainstream therapies such as corticosteroids or cyclooxygenase inhibitors could fail to address or exacerbate the pathogenic smooth muscle growth that occurs in obstructive airway and cardiovascular diseases.
The Sandusky Child Sexual Abuse Scandal: The Implications for Athletic Department Procedures, Training, Policy, and Child Welfare System Interactions

The following is a narrative and critique of the Gerald A. Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Using a convenience sample of regional and national media accounts, this manuscript summarizes the confirmed events of the Penn State sexual abuse controversy. This case study focuses on a) the child sexual abuse of three victims, b) the Penn State athletic department and university responses, and c) the interactions between Penn State and state and local child welfare systems. Next, the manuscript will present conceptual and analytical considerations related to the Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal including the perpetrators profile and grooming strategies as well as coaches power and morality. The practical implications for sport managers are presented and include recommendations for procedures, training, policy development, and interactions with child welfare systems.
Mediating role of job stress between work-family conflict, work-leisure conflict, and employees' perception of service quality in the hotel industry in France

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationships among work-family conflict (WFC), work-leisure conflict (WLC), job stress, and quality of service. This study examines the mediating role of WLC between WFC and job stress. Also, it tests the mediator effect of job stress between WFC, WLC, and quality of service. Data were collected from employees in interaction with customers (648) in the hotel industry in France. The results indicate that WFC and WLC have a positive influence on job stress. The analyses of indirect effects tests based on a bootstrap analysis (Preacher & Hayes, 2004) showed an indirect effect between WFC and job stress. Similarly, the results demonstrated that job stress mediates the relationship between WFC, WLC, and quality of service. The results of the study provide implications for managing employees in the hospitality and tourism industries.
Deep Detection of People and their Mobility Aids for a Hospital Robot

Robots operating in populated environments encounter many different types of people, some of whom might have an advanced need for cautious interaction, because of physical impairments or their advanced age. Robots therefore need to recognize such advanced demands to provide appropriate assistance, guidance or other forms of support. In this paper, we propose a depth-based perception pipeline that estimates the position and velocity of people in the environment and categorizes them according to the mobility aids they use: pedestrian, person in wheelchair, person in a wheelchair with a person pushing them, person with crutches and person using a walker. We present a fast region proposal method that feeds a Region-based Convolutional Network (Fast R- CNN [1]). With this, we speed up the object detection process by a factor of seven compared to a dense sliding window approach. We furthermore propose a probabilistic position, velocity and class estimator to smooth the CNN's detections and account for occlusions and misclassifications. In addition, we introduce a new hospital dataset with over 17,000 annotated RGB-D images. Extensive experiments confirm that our pipeline successfully keeps track of people and their mobility aids, even in challenging situations with multiple people from different categories and frequent occlusions.
A 6-year Cohort Study on Relationship between Functional Fitness and Impairment of ADL in Community-dwelling Older Persons

We measured functional fitness in older subjects and performed a follow-up survey for 6 years to clarify whether the level of functional fitness at a given point contributes to prediction of the subsequent occurrence of impairment of functions necessary for independent living. The longitudinal data were obtained for 391 persons aged 60 years or over, who were independently living in the community. Four items of functional fitness, i.e. the ability to perform standing/sitting movements, ability to perform traveling movements, ability to perform housekeeping movements, and ability to perform personal grooming activities, were assessed. The relationship between functional fitness and the risk of the occurrence of impairment of independence in daily living was evaluated using a binomial logistic regression model. In males, all the 4 items of functional fitness were significantly related to the risk of impairment of activities of daily living (ADL). In females, however, none of the items was significantly related to the risk of ADL impairment. In conclusion, functional fitness appears to be valid as a predictive parameter of future occurrence of ADL impairment in relatively healthy and independent elderly males. However, its validity in elderly females needs further evaluation.
Effects of muscular fatigue on knee joint laxity and neuromuscular characteristics of male and female athletes.

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the effects of muscular fatigue on knee joint laxity and the neuromuscular characteristics of male and female athletes. We were particularly interested in determining whether such effects would be more pronounced in female athletes than in males participating in the same sport. DESIGN AND SETTING Subjects were assessed on 4 dependent variables during a rested and an isokinetically induced muscular fatigue state. We ensured that posttesting measurements were obtained in the fatigued state by testing only 2 dependent variables after each exercise bout. SUBJECTS We recruited male (n = 17) and female (n = 17) subjects from a population of healthy collegiate basketball and soccer players. MEASUREMENTS MEASURED DEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE AS FOLLOWS: anterior tibial translation, kinesthesia determined by assessing the threshold to detection of passive motion moving into knee flexion and extension; lower extremity balance ability quantified through a stability index value; and the electromyography-measured muscle activity of 6 knee-stabilizing muscles. RESULTS In response to muscular fatigue, subjects demonstrated an overall decrease in the ability to detect joint motion moving into the direction of extension, an increase in the onset of contraction time for the medial hamstring and lateral gastrocnemius muscles, and an increase in the first contraction area of the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis muscles. Additionally, the increase in area of the vastus lateralis was greater for the males compared with the females. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that both male and female athletes exhibit decrements in proprioceptive ability and alterations in muscular activity subsequent to muscular fatigue.
Gambling disorders among homeless persons with substance use disorders seeking treatment at a community center.

OBJECTIVES Epidemiological research suggests that homelessness is a risk factor for elevated levels of psychiatric comorbidity and other health risks. This study examined the prevalence of disordered gambling and its association with treatment of psychiatric and substance use disorders among a cohort of homeless people seeking treatment at a community services program. METHODS Between 1998 and 2000, intake workers evaluated the level of gambling disorder among 171 consecutive homeless persons with substance use disorders who sought treatment at the Moving Ahead Program in Boston. Program staff administered the DSM-IV subscale of the Massachusetts Gambling Screen at intake. RESULTS The prevalence rates of level 2 and level 3 gambling disorders were 12.8 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively. These rates are higher than that of the general adult population but comparable to those of other patients with substance use disorders and psychiatric diagnoses. Program participants with level 3 gambling disorders had been homeless more often and at a younger age and had had less substance abuse treatment and more psychiatric treatment than participants with level 1 or level 2 gambling disorders. Participants with level 2 gambling disorders had been homeless more often and for a longer duration than participants without gambling disorders. CONCLUSIONS These findings should encourage clinicians working with homeless people to screen for gambling-related problems and disorders.
Graph Classification by Means of Lipschitz Embedding

In pattern recognition and related fields, graph-based representations offer a versatile alternative to the widely used feature vectors. Therefore, an emerging trend of representing objects by graphs can be observed. This trend is intensified by the development of novel approaches in graph-based machine learning, such as graph kernels or graph-embedding techniques. These procedures overcome a major drawback of graphs, which consists of a serious lack of algorithms for classification. This paper is inspired by the idea of representing graphs through dissimilarities and extends our previous work to the more general setting of Lipschitz embeddings. In an experimental evaluation, we empirically confirm that classifiers that rely on the original graph distances can be outperformed by a classification system using the Lipschitz embedded graphs.
The Pricing of Jump Propagation: Evidence from Spot and Options Markets

This paper examines the joint time series of the S&P 500 index and its options with a two-factor Hawkes jump-diffusion model that captures jump propagation (i.e., the phenomenon in which the strike of one jump substantially raises the probability for more to follow). The propagation effect uncovered from the joint data is severe but short lived. On average, this component takes up more than two-thirds of the total jump risks. Our jump specification proves crucial not only in reconciling the dynamics implied from the joint data, but also in explaining the time series of option-implied volatility skew. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017. 2885. This paper was accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance.
Heterotopic Abdominal Rat Heart Transplantation as a Model to Investigate Volume Dependency of Myocardial Remodeling

Abstract Heterotopic abdominal rat heart transplantation has been extensively used to investigate ischemic-reperfusion injury, immunological consequences during heart transplantations and also to study remodeling of the myocardium due to volume unloading. We provide a unique review on the latter and present a summary of the experimental studies on rat heart transplantation to illustrate changes that occur to the myocardium due to volume unloading. We divided the literature based on whether normal or failing rat heart models were used. This analysis may provide a basis to understand the physiological effects of mechanical circulatory support therapy.