Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of a gap junction communication pathway critical in innate immunity

The innate immune system is the first line of host defense, and its ability to propagate antimicrobial and inflammatory signals from the cellular microenvironment to the tissue at-large is critical for survival. In a remarkably complex microenvironment, cells are constantly processing external cues, initiating convoluted intracellular signaling cascades, and interacting with neighboring cells to generate a global, unified response. At the onset of infection or sterile injury, individual cells sense danger or damage signals and elicit innate immune responses that spread from the challenged cells to surrounding cells, thereby establishing an overall inflammatory state. However, little is known about how these dynamic spatiotemporal responses unfold. Through the use GFP reporters, in vitro transplant coculture systems, and in vivo models of infection and sterile injury, this thesis describes identification of a gap junction intercellular communication pathway for amplifying immune and inflammatory responses, and demonstrates its importance in host innate immunity. The first section describes development of stable GFP reporters to study the spatiotemporal activation patterns of two key transcription factors in inflammation and innate immunity: Nuclear factor-KappaB (NFKB) and Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Stimulation of NFKB-GFP reporters resulted in a spatially homogeneous pattern of activation, found to be largely mediated by paracrine action of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFa. In contrast, the activation of IRF3 was spatially heterogeneous, resulting in the formation of multicellular colonies of activated cells in an otherwise latent background. This pattern of activation was demonstrated to be dependent on cell-cell contact mediated communication between neighboring cells, and not on paracrine signaling. The second section describes the discovery of a gap junction intercellular communication pathway responsible for the formation of IRF3 active colonies in response to immune activation. Cell sorting and gene expression profiling revealed that the activated reporter colonies, collectively, serve as the major source of critical antimicrobial and inflammatory cytokines. Using in vitro transplant coculture systems, colony formation was found to be dependent on gap junction communication. Blocking gap junctions with genetic specificity severely compromised the innate immune system's ability to mount antiviral and inflammatory responses. The third section illustrates an application of the gap junction-induced amplification of innate immunity phenomenon in an animal model of sterile injury. Drug-induced liver injury was shown to be dependent on gap junction communication for amplifying sterile inflammatory signals. Mice deficient in hepatic gap junction protein connexin 32 (Cx32) were protected against liver damage, inflammation, and death in response to hepatotoxic drugs. Co-administration of a selective pharmacologic Cx32 inhibitor with hepatotoxic drugs significantly limited hepatocyte damage and sterile…
Studies on Nest-Site Selection and Prey Delivery Patterns to Nestlings by the Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus (Aves: Passeriformes) in Tamil Nadu, South India

The nest-site selection and prey delivery patterns to nestlings by the Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus was studied in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India between December 2002 and March 2003. The various nesting characteristic features between nesting (n=29) and non-nesting trees (n=29) were measured and it indicated that nesting trees had higher values than that of non-nesting trees. The potential habitats such as agricultural lands, water sources and electric line were also closer to the nesting trees. The female Baya Weaver delivered different prey items viz., grasshoppers, caterpillars and unidentified prey items to the nestlings throughout the day. The smaller brood parents delivered prey more frequently than that of bigger brood parents.
Sea turtle hatchling carapace as a source of high quantity and quality DNA

Hatchling DNA provides valuable information on sea turtles. Samples can be obtained from dead hatchlings or embryo, or, when live animal samples are needed, from blood, flipper or carapace. We compared 120 DNA extractions from flipper and carapace tissue of dead and live hatchlings. There were significant differences in DNA yields from the different tissues, but no significant differences in DNA purity. Some flipper samples yielded low amounts of DNA, while the carapace tissue consistently produced high yields of good quality DNA. This suggests that carapace represents the best option for tissue sampling of hatchling sea turtles in genetic research.
Exploring the lives of women smallholder farmers in Papua New Guinea through a collaborative mixed methods approach

Abstract This paper analyzes the design, implementation, and challenges associated with mixing methods within a baseline study involving the collaboration of rural women smallholders and their families in three regions of Papua New Guinea. We first describe the context of the research and how the baseline study was conceptualized as part of a participatory research and development project designed to provide a rich collaborative learning exchange between participants and researchers. We explain how three qualitative participatory techniques used alongside a small-scale quantitative livelihoods survey to gain an understanding of the social, economic, and agricultural factors impacting upon the lives women smallholders and their families. We follow this with a critical discussion of the challenges and benefits of utilizing mixed methods in an international development context
Hearing loss can muddy the waters of otologic disease detection

A few decades ago, there was a strong movement to develop non-invasive physiological measures correlated to the presence of hearing impairment. For simplicity, let us define hearing impairment as difficulty in processing acoustic information. The impetus was identification of hearing loss in infants and children in whom behavioral measures were dif cult to interpret. In the ensuing years, reliable physiological measures correlated to hearing loss of cochlear origin have been developed. We now have physiological measures to screen for hearing loss in infants and children. Currently, we are focused on the clinical refinement of these measures to detect and quantify the degree of hearing impairment more quickly, more easily and with greater accuracy. While a major focus was the detection of hearing impairment in infants and young children, there was parallel development of physiological measures to aid in the diagnosis of hearing problems in adults. However, the focus was not to detect the presence of hearing loss because reliable behavioral measures were available. Rather, the focus was on determining either the presence or the underlying cause of the hearing problem including any neurological problem affecting the auditory central nervous system. Thus, the question is not whether there is hearing impairment, but rather, is the impairment in the cochlea, auditory nerve, or in the higher nervous system? Peripheral hearing impairment (i.e., cochlear insult) is a common manifestation of otologic diseases. However, often in adults, the clinical goal is not simply to establish the presence of this peripheral hearing impairment but to detect objectively the presence of a specific underlying otologic disease. In the search for physiological correlates of a specific otologic disease, we often find that the simple presence of hearing loss confounds the correlated physiological measures and dilutes their diagnostic value. Two obvious solutions to this problem are: (1) determine ways to compensate for the confounding effect of the hearing impairment on the physiological measure, or (2) develop physiological measures that are essentially unaffected by the hearing loss. This paper provides examples of these confounds and solutions when using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) measures. ABRs have been used extensively over the years to assess hearing impairment. For many clinicians, there was high expectation for what ABRs could tell us about auditory function. From this author’s viewpoint, due to the lack of understanding of what ABRs represent, the over-interpretation of these measures, and the inappropriate use has led to disappointment as a reliable and accurate measure for assessing auditory function. However, its proper use, interpretation, and implementation can provide valuable information about the hearing impairment.
The Role of Lipopolysaccharide and O-Antigen of Proteus Mirabilis in Urinary Stones Formation, In-Vitro Study

The ability to induce stone formation in-vitro of Proteus mirabilis isolates was investigated using whole bacterial cell, lipopolysaccharide, and O-antigen of these isolates. The results showed that all three parts have the ability to form crystallization in artificial urine solution, which based on the differences in urease activity and chemical structure of LPS and O-antigen. The whole bacterial cell of isolate No. 6 ( P. mirabilis O18) revealed significant differences ( P ˂ 0.05) in the ability to bind with calcium (251.5 µg/ml) and magnesium (75.4 µg/ml) compared with the whole bacterial cell of isolate No. 14 ( P. mirabilis O3) and isolate No. 3 ( P. mirabilis O16), where the calcium concentrations were 238.77 µg/ml and 227.12 µg/ml, respectively; and magnesium concentrations were 53.34 µg/ml and 37.68 µg/ml for isolates No. 14 and 3, respectively. In contrast, LPS and O-antigen of isolates No. 14 and 3 showed significantly differences ( P ˂ 0.05) in the ability to metal binding with calcium (25.77 µg/ml and 25.06 µg/ml), respectively, and magnesium (6.6 µg/ml and 7.5 µg/ml), respectively, compared with LPS and O-antigen of isolate No. 6, where the calcium and magnesium concentration were 18.03 µg/ml and 3.16 µg/ml, respectively.
Genetic differentiation within the Puccinia polysora population occured on inbred lines of maize in Thailand.

Corn rust disease caused by Puccinia polysora (southern rust), is the air born pathogen that is widespread within and among corn field locations in Thailand The objectives of study were to estimate genetic differentiation of P. polysora populations on Kasetsart inbred line (Ki1-Ki52) which planted in different geographical localities of Thailand and to identify the genotype of P. polysora using ISSR marker. The corn rust disease severity was evaluated on the 52 varieties of inbred lines (Ki1-Ki52) planted in the province Lampang, Nakhon ratchasima, Songkhla and Kanchanaburi of Thailand. The results showed that rust disease occurred on numerous varieties in Lampang, Nakhon ratchasima and Songkhla. While, the rust disease was not found in Lampang. The Ki36 and Ki38 varieties were resistant to rust disease in all evaluated locations, while the rust symptom with highly disease severity was found on Ki25 and Ki26 in Nakhon ratchasima and Songkhla provinces. Genetic differentiation of P. polysora populations on Kasetsart inbred lines (Ki1-Ki52) was analyzed using ISSR markers. The results showed that there were high genetically differentiated within P. polysora populations (GST = 0.1348). Result showed five genotypes among 39 genotypes which found more than one province such as Gen1 Gen14 Gen20 Gen27 and Gen37. Two of them, Gen20 and Gen27 were observed in three provinces. The results supported that there was the migration of urediospores among these provinces.
The effect of problem type on the strategies used by novice designers

Previous research by the author demonstrated that untutored Year 7 students produce a solution to a design-and-make task in ways significantly different to those prescribed by textbooks. However, the strategy used may have been a function of the particular design brief and how it was presented. The follow-up study described here addressed the question: Is the design strategy used by novices dependent on the task? Four Year 7 dyads were video recorded while designing and making a solution to a specific task. Comparisons were made between dyads in the current study, between each dyad and a map of the theoretical model, and between dyads in both studies. Analysis showed no significant difference between dyads in the current study, nor between dyads in the two studies, but confirmed significant differences between dyads' strategies and those described in the literature. Students did not use two-dimensional modelling to explore and communicate a design proposal, nor did they generate multiple solutions. They moved immediately to three-dimensional modelling, but often lacked the requisite skills to develop their ideas. While students used the design process skills identified in theoretical models their strategy was less linear and more iterative.
PITCH LIKE A MAN: GENDER STEREOTYPES AND ENTREPRENEUR PITCH SUCCESS

We explore the question of how gender and related stereotypes might influence investors’ perceptions of early-stage ventures using a novel dataset of 185 videos of one-minute pitches in an elevator pitch competition. Drawing from social role theory we test the impact of perceived gender stereotypes, by examining the entrepreneur’s sex, gendered behaviors (masculine vs. feminine), and gender consistency of these behaviors on the pitch evaluations made by investors. We find that sex alone does not prevent success in moving forward in the process. However, gendered expectations do make a difference as women entrepreneurs who present masculine behaviors are more likely to be evaluated positively than those who do not. Interestingly we find women entrepreneurs have stronger communication skills, but rates of women’s entrepreneurial participation remain weaker than men’s. Our findings raise new and important questions for the role of gender perceptions by investors in women’s entrepreneurship and funding outcomes.
The use of kernel estimators to determine the distribution of groundwater level

in this paper the problem of non-parametric estimation of the probability density function for hydrological data is considered. For a given random sample X1, X2, . , Xn we define an estimator f̂ n of the density function ƒ based on a function K of a real variable – the so-called kernel of a distribution – and a properly chosen number sequence {hn} from the interval (0, ∞). this estimator of density function of a random variable X under more general assumptions is known in the statistical literature as the Parzen-rosenblatt estimator or the kernel estimator. The method of kernel estimation presented in the paper has been applied to determine the probability distribution of the groundwater level based on long-term measurements made in the melioration research carried out at the foothill object Długopole.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications in a Case of Mixed Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) multiple infections can influence the course of the disease, either by boosting hepatocellular injury or by increasing the frequency of exacerbations. Their prevalence ranges from 5% to 39% in individuals with HCV infection, with a higher impact on injection drug users (IDUs), or in prison settings. Case Presentation: The current paper reported a case of dual HCV infection in a 31-year-old female, with a referred vertical transmission of HCV infection and also a history of IDU, who harbored a subtype 4d since youth. Treatment failure, after a 24-week course of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, prompted a reevaluation of present and past HCV status. HCV genotype was determined by INNO-LiPA HCV II kit (LiPA II) (Innogenetics, Ghent, Belgium) and sequencing of NS5B region (nucleotide 8281 8679). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) resistance profile was investigated by NS3/4, NS5A and NS5B sequencing with specific primers. The Sentosa® SQ next generation sequencing (NGS) workflow was further performed in the baseline and failure samples. Unexpectedly, a subtype 4d in the pretreatment sample and a subtype 1a in the posttreatment were identified. No resistance associated mutations (RAS) were detected in the subtype 4d, although the 170AV and 174S in the NS3/4 gene, the 30R in the NS5A gene, and the 444D in the NS5B gene were detected in the subtype 1a virus from the failure sample. Conclusions: Two main hypotheses were raised: a reinfection with a new subtype 1a virus during the treatment with a wild type strain, which developed RAS after infection or with an already mutated virus; and a pretreatment hidden dual subtype 4d plus 1a
Are commonly measured functional traits involved in tropical tree responses to climate

Climate models predict significant rainfall reduction in Amazonia, reducing water availability for trees. We present how functional traits modulate the tree growth response to climate. We used data from 3 years of bimestrial growth measurements for 204 trees of 53 species in the forest of Paracou, French Guiana. We integrated climate variables from an eddy covariance tower and functional trait values describing life history, leaf, and stem economics. Our results indicated that the measured functional traits are to some extent linked to the response of trees to climate but they are poor predictors of the tree climate-induced growth variation. Tree growth was affected by water availability for most of the species with different species growth strategies in drought conditions. These strategies were linked to some functional traits, especially maximum height and wood density. These results suggest that (i) trees seem adapted to the dry season at Paracou but they show different growth responses to drought, (ii) drought response is linked to growth strategy and is partly explained by functional traits, and (iii) the limited part of the variation of tree growth explained by functional traits may be a strong limiting factor for the prediction of tree growth response to climate.
PVDecays in the QCD Factorization Approach

The charmless B c → PP, PV decays (where P and V denote the light pseudoscalar and vector mesons, resp.) can occur only via the weak annihilation diagrams within the Standard Model. In this paper, we study these kinds of decays in the framework of QCD factorization, by adopting two different schemes: scheme I is similar to the method usually adopted in the QCD factorization approach, while scheme II is based on the infrared behavior of gluon propagator and running coupling. For comparison, in our calculation, we adopt three kinds of wave functions for B c meson. The branching ratios based on the two schemes are given. It is found that (a) the predicted branching ratios in scheme I are, however, quite small and almost impossible to be measured at the LHCb experiment and (b) in scheme II, by assigning a dynamical gluonmass to the gluon propagator, we can avoid enhancements of the contribution from soft endpoint region.The strength of annihilation contributions predicted in scheme II is enhanced compared to that obtained in scheme I.
Modifying functionalized-carbon-nanotube capacity to enhance water-vapor adsorption capacity from nitrogen gas

The primary objective of this paper is to enhance the water-vapor-adsorption capacity of multiwall-carbon-nanotube (MWCNT) from nitrogen gas by grafting sulfonic acid groups and doping palladium nanoparticles into the adsorbent. MWCNT has been selected to be modified because of having homogeneous adsorption energy compared to silica gel. As a result, it is capable of creating isotherm having sharp rising zone which is an important feature for gas dehydration application. For this purpose, MWCNT functionalized by hydroxyl groups (MWCNT-OH) was utilized to produce MWCNT functionalized by sulfonic acid groups (MWCNT-OSO3H), MWCNT-OH doped by palladium nanoparticles (MWCNT-OH-Pd) and MWCNT-OSO3H doped by palladium nanoparticles (MWCNT-OSO3H-Pd). Thermal and mass stability, Fourier-transformation infrared and atomic absorption analyses supported the fact that the functional groups and palladium nanoparticles were placed successfully throughout the carbon nanotubes. Then, the water-vapor adsorption isotherms of MWCNT-OH, MWCNT-OSO3H, MWCNT-OH-Pd and MWCNT-OSO3H-Pd were obtained at two temperatures of 15 and 24 oC. The water-vapor adsorption experiments revealed that by substituting sulfonic acid groups for the hydroxyl ones the adsorption of water vapor was enhanced only for higher gas humidity. However, by intercalating palladium nanoparticles into MWCNT-OSO3H the capacity for water-vapor adsorption was improved for lower gas humidity as well. The obtained isotherms followed the isotherms type of V which is prevailing in water-vapor adsorption systems.
The Gender Wage Gap as a Function of Educational Degree Choices in Greece

This study investigates the extent to which differences in the subject of degree studied by male and female university graduates contributes to the gender pay gap in Greece. The case of Greece is interesting as it is an EU country with historically large gender discrepancies in earnings and one of the highest levels of occupational gender segregation among OECD economies. Using micro-data from the most recently available waves (2000-2003) of the Greek Labour Force Survey (LFS), the returns to academic disciplines are firstly estimated by gender. It is found that the subjects in which women are relatively over-represented (e.g. Education, Humanities) are also those with the lowest amortization in terms of wage returns. Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions subsequently imply that gender differences in the type of degree studied can explain an additional 8.4% of the male-female pay gap in Greece. Risk-augmented earnings functions (Hartog, 2006) indicate that Greek women seek for less risky educations that consequently command lower wage premiums in the job market.
Automatic sleep stage identification: difficulties and possible solutions

The diagnosis of many sleep disorders is a labor intensive task that involves the specialised interpretation of numerous signals including brain wave, breath and heart rate captured in overnight polysomnogram sessions. The automation of diagnoses is challenging for data mining algorithms because the data sets are extremely large and noisy, the signals are complex and specialist's analyses vary. This work reports on the adaptation of approaches from four fields; neural networks, mathematical optimisation, financial forecasting and frequency domain analysis to the problem of automatically determining a patient's stage of sleep. Results, though preliminary, are promising and indicate that combined approaches may prove more fruitful than the reliance on a single approach.