Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defective Cross-Presentation of Viral Antigens in GILT-Free Mice

Not GILT-Free Processing CD8+ T cells respond to infections by recognizing peptide antigens bound to major histocompatability complex class I (MHC class I) protein expressed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Because MHC class I can only present intracellular antigens, antigen cross-presentation is important for responses to viruses that do not directly infect APCs. Antigen cross-presentation occurs when APCs acquire antigens by phagocytosis of dying virally infected cells and present them to CD8+ T cells. After internalization, antigens must enter the cytosol for processing by the proteasome. Singh and Cresswell (p. 1394) now show that GILT (gamma-interferon–inducible lysosomal thiolreductase) is required for cross-presentation in mice of disulfide-containing viral antigens. In mice lacking GILT, the CD8+ T cell response to antigens derived from disulfide-rich proteins was substantially impaired after influenza A or herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Thus, cross-presentation of some antigens requires an early processing step prior to proteasomal degradation in the cytosol and subsequent MHC class I loading. Thiol reductase in dendritic cells processes disulfide-containing viral proteins for recognition by killer T cells. Gamma-interferon–inducible lysosomal thiolreductase (GILT) promotes major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II–restricted presentation of exogenous antigens containing disulfide bonds. Here, we show that GILT also facilitates MHC class I–restricted recognition of such antigens by CD8+ T cells, or cross-presentation. GILT is essential for cross-presentation of a CD8+ T cell epitope of glycoprotein B (gB) from herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) but not for its presentation by infected cells. Initiation of the gB-specific CD8+ T cell response during HSV-1 infection, or cross-priming, is highly GILT-dependent, as is initiation of the response to the envelope glycoproteins of influenza A virus. Efficient cross-presentation of disulfide-rich antigens requires a complex pathway involving GILT-mediated reduction, unfolding, and partial proteolysis, followed by translocation into the cytosol for proteasomal processing.
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 and rheumatoid arthritis: a puzzling association.

their study does not represent a comprehensive assessment of sympathetic, parasympathetic, or enteric function in primary SS. Their conclusion would be strengthened by additional sensitive tests such as the quantitative sudo-motor axon reflex test and pupillometry, together with a validated instrument to assess autonomic symptoms. Further, their study neglects the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems, whose functions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. We have shown that IgG from patients with SS inhibits cholinergic neurotransmission in smooth muscle of both gut and bladder by blocking M3-muscarinic receptors 2,3 . Impaired esophageal motor function is frequently observed in SS patients 4 and these patients have a significantly increased severity of lower urinary tract symptoms 5 .
Social Support and Happiness in Immigrant Women in Spain

The association between perceived social support and happiness was investigated in women who are members of various associations in Malaga (Spain) that work with immigrant women. Based on the Social Convoy model, the association between sources of support, frequency of support, satisfaction with support, and happiness reported by women were examined. The main social support predictor of happiness was satisfaction with the support received. Thus, the best predictors of happiness were emotional support from the family and instrumental support from the indigenous population and associations. The best predictor of frequency of support was the frequency of informational support received from social services. These results may prove useful for developing lines of action or interventions centred on the social network and the functions that social support can fulfil among immigrant women.
Okulöncesi Eğitimi Öğretmen Adaylarının Kaynaştırmaya İlişkin Görüşlerinin Belirlenmesi

Bu arastirmanin amaci, okuloncesi egitimi ogretmen adaylarinin kaynastirmaya iliskin goruslerinin belirlenmesidir. Arastirma evrenini 2008–2009 ogretim yilinda Mehmet Akif Ersoy Universitesi Burdur Egitim Fakultesi birinci ve ikinci ogretime devam eden 265 okuloncesi egitimi ogretmen adayi olusturmaktadir. Arastirmada tum evrene ulasildigindan orneklem alinmamistir. Arastirma verileri Antonak ve Larivee (1995) tarafindan gelistirilen ve Turkce’ye uyarlama calismalari Kircaali-Iftar (1996) tarafindan yapilan “Kaynastirmaya Iliskin Gorusler Olcegi” ile toplanmistir. Arastirmaya katilan okuloncesi ogretmen adaylarinin kaynastirmaya iliskin gorusleri parametrik testlerle karsilastirilmistir. Arastirmanin sonucunda arastirmaya katilan okuloncesi ogretmen adaylarinin kaynastirmaya iliskin goruslerinin toplam puanlarinin cinsiyete, egitim gordukleri sinifa, mezun olduklari okula ve ozel egitim dersi alip almamalarina gore anlamli bir sekilde farklilasmadigi bulunmustur.
Compensating characteristics of voltage sag compensator utilizing single-phase matrix converter

By using simulation, compensating characteristics of a voltage sag compensator utilizing single-phase matrix converter is examined. System configuration is described and mathematical model of single-phase matrix converter is derived by using the state space averaging method. In addition, the single-phase matrix converter is stabilized by phase-lead compensation. Finally, compensating characteristics of the compensator is investigated for 500W R-L load and it is demonstrated that the compensator can operate correctly for loads for the range of power factor 0.6 (lagging) - 0.8 (leading) and for up to 50% voltage sag.
The initial value problem as it relates to numerical relativity

Spacetime is foliated by spatial hypersurfaces in the 3+1 split of general relativity. The initial value problem then consists of specifying initial data for all fields on one such a spatial hypersurface, such that the subsequent evolution forward in time is fully determined. On each hypersurface the 3-metric and extrinsic curvature describe the geometry. Together with matter fields such as fluid velocity, energy density and rest mass density, the 3-metric and extrinsic curvature then constitute the initial data. There is a lot of freedom in choosing such initial data. This freedom corresponds to the physical state of the system at the initial time. At the same time the initial data have to satisfy the Hamiltonian and momentum constraint equations of general relativity and can thus not be chosen completely freely. We discuss the conformal transverse traceless and conformal thin sandwich decompositions that are commonly used in the construction of constraint satisfying initial data. These decompositions allow us to specify certain free data that describe the physical nature of the system. The remaining metric fields are then determined by solving elliptic equations derived from the constraint equations. We describe initial data for single black holes and single neutron stars, and how we can use conformal decompositions to construct initial data for binaries made up of black holes or neutron stars. Orbiting binaries will emit gravitational radiation and thus lose energy. Since the emitted radiation tends to circularize the orbits over time, one can thus expect that the objects in a typical binary move on almost circular orbits with slowly shrinking radii. This leads us to the concept of quasi-equilibrium, which essentially assumes that time derivatives are negligible in corotating coordinates for binaries on almost circular orbits. We review how quasi-equilibrium assumptions can be used to make physically well motivated approximations that simplify the elliptic equations we have to solve.
A Study on Chinese Spelling Check Using Confusion Sets and?N-gram Statistics

This paper proposes an automatic method to build a Chinese spelling check system. Confusion sets were expanded by using two language resources, Shuowen Jiezi and the Four-Corner codes, which improved the coverages of the confusion sets. Nine scoring functions which utilize the frequency data in the Google Ngram Datasets were proposed, where the idea of smoothing was also adopted. Thresholds were also decided in an automatic way. The final system achieved far better than our baseline system in CSC 2013 Evaluation Task.
Focus group insights assist trial design for stroke telerehabilitation: a qualitative study

Abstract The objective of the study was to draw on the insights of people with stroke to assist in the development of a telerehabilitation program, using easily accessible technology to deliver an intervention. A qualitative study was conducted with four focus groups of people who were at least 12 months post-stroke and who had completed their rehabilitation. All focus groups were conducted in community facilities and used a semi-structured approach. Fifteen people took part in the focus groups. Three main themes emerged from the data in response to questions about use of technology and important aspects of physiotherapy. The first theme expressed the participants’ perspective that the technology really helped with “keeping connected”. The second theme indicated “what we need from therapists” in order to gain the most from therapy; and the third theme highlighted aspects of a physiotherapy program they considered important, “what we would like from therapy”. The themes helped us gain insight into how participants viewed the use of technology to augment rehabilitation and also what they needed from therapists to make the gains they viewed as important. These themes informed the development of a telerehabilitation program using readily accessible technology.
A SystemC-based platform for assertion-based verification and mutation analysis in systems biology

Boolean models are gaining an increasing interest for reproducing dynamic behaviours, understanding processes, and predicting emerging properties of cellular signalling networks through in-silico experiments. They are emerging as a valid alternative to the quantitative approaches (i.e., based on ordinary differential equations) for exploratory modelling when little is known about reaction kinetics or equilibrium constants in the context of gene expression or signalling. Even though several approaches and software have been recently proposed for logic modelling of biological systems, they are limited to specific modelling contexts and they lack of automation in analysing biological properties such as complex attractors, molecule vulnerability, dose response. This paper presents a design and verification platform based on SystemC that applies methodologies and tools well established in the electronic-design automation (EDA) field such as assertion-based verification (ABV) and mutation analysis, which allow complex attractors (i.e., protein oscillations) and robustness/sensitivity of the signalling networks to be simulated and analysed. The paper reports the results obtained by applying such verification techniques for the analysis of the intracellular signalling network controlling integrin activation mediating leukocyte recruitment from the blood into the tissues.
An implementation for algorithmic game solving and its applications in system synthesis

We present our efforts in bringing algorithmic game solving from theoretical results towards concrete applications. We first create the tool GAVS+ which collects most types of games having practical interests with various winning conditions. GAVS+ is the first library which summarizes existing efforts in such a comprehensive way. With the library in hand, we bridge games in theory and concrete applications in synthesis; new algorithms are introduced when required.
The Optimal pedestrian detection algorithm based on dynamic adaptive region convolution model

The traditional target detection and identification algorithm is difficult to adapt to the massive data. And the expression of the method it relies on is designed by means of manual, which is not only very time-consuming, but also very dependence for professional knowledge and data itself. Aiming at the problem of pedestrian detection in complex environment, a pedestrian detection algorithm based on dynamic adaptive region convolution model is proposed. The detection results on INRIA pedestrian data set show the improved detection performance. And the proposed method can detect pedestrians successfully in most complex background.
Defect in expression of heat-shock proteins at high temperature in xthA mutants

Escherichia coli mutants lacking exonuclease III (xthA) are defective in the induction of heat-shock proteins upon severe heat-shock treatment (upshift from 30 to 50 degrees C) but not mild heat-shock treatment (upshift from 30 to 42 degrees C). We show that this defect is due to the xthA mutation by complementation. Furthermore, increasing the gene dosage of xthA+ prolongs the synthesis of heat shock proteins seen after a shift to 42 degrees C. Increasing the gene dosage of htpR+ partially suppresses the defect of xthA mutants in the synthesis of heat-shock proteins at 50 degrees C. When an xthA strain was incubated at 42 degrees C before a shift to 50 degrees C, it was then able to carry out the synthesis of heat-shock proteins at 50 degrees C.
Neonatal Sepsis Caused by Gram-negative Bacteria in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Six Years Analysis

Objective: To analyse the Gram-negative bacteriological profile of nosocomial sepsis and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods: Neonates clinically diagnosed with sepsis and whose blood cultures tested positive for Gram-negative microorganisms from 2002 to 2008, retrospectively. Results: 143 cases of neonatal sepsis caused by Gram-negative microorganisms were identified. Eighty-one percent (n=116) of these had nosocomial sepsis. In nosocomial sepsis, the most common isolated Gram- negative micro- organism was Serratia marcescens (16.4%). Levofloxacin (97.4%), meropenem (97.1%), imipenem (95.6%), ciprofloxacin (95.4%) and amikacin (94.8) were the most sensitive antibiotics to Gram-negative micro-organisms. Sepsis-related mortality rate was 16% (n=23) in nosocomial sepsis caused by Gram- negative microorganisms. Conclusions: Carbapenem seems to be the best option for nosocomial sepsis caused by Gram-negative micro-organisms in our neonatal intensive care unit. Every unit must evaluate causative agents and antimicrobial susceptibilities in order to select the appropriate empirical therapy for nosocomial sepsis.
The Impact of Ignoring Population Heterogeneity when Markov Models are Used in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Many factors related to the spread and progression of diseases vary throughout a population. This heterogeneity is frequently ignored in cost-effectiveness analyses by using aver-age or representative values or by considering multiple risk groups. The author explores the impact that such simplifying assumptions may have on the results and interpretation of cost-effectiveness analyses when Markov models are used to calculate the costs and health impact of interventions. A discrete-time Markov model for a disease is defined, and 5 potential interventions are considered. Health benefits, costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios are calculated for each intervention. It is assumed that the population is heterogeneous with respect to the probability of becoming sick. Ignoring this heterogeneity may lead to optimistic or pessimistic estimates of cost-effectiveness ratios, depending on the intervention and, in some cases, the parameter values. Implications are discussed of this finding on the use of league tables and on comparisons of cost-effectiveness ratios versus commonly accepted threshold values.
Librarians as Part of Cross-Disciplinary, Multi-institutional Team Projects: Experiences from the VIVO Collaboration

Cross-disciplinary, team-based collaboration is essential for addressing today's complex research questions, and librarians are increasingly entering into such collaborations. This study identifies skills needed as librarians integrate into cross-disciplinary teams, based on the experiences of librarians involved in the development and implementation of VIVO, a research discovery and collaboration platform. Participants discussed the challenges, skills gained, and lessons learned throughout the project. Their responses were analyzed in the light of the science of team science literature, and factors affecting collaboration on the VIVO team were identified. Skills in inclusive thinking, communication, perseverance, adaptability, and leadership were found to be essential.
Unilateral Cochlear Nerve Deficiency in Children

Objective Cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) is increasingly diagnosed in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). We sought to determine the prevalence of CND, its imaging characteristics, and correlations with audiologic phenotype in children with unilateral SNHL. Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary pediatric hospital. Subjects/Methods In 128 consecutive children with unilateral SNHL who underwent high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, the diameters, area, and signal intensity of the cochlear nerve (CN) were measured and normalized to the ipsilateral facial nerve. Presence of CND was determined by comparison to normative data. Relationships among hearing loss severity, progression, and nerve size were investigated. Results Cochlear nerve deficiency was present in 26% of children with unilateral SNHL. Its prevalence was higher (48%) in severe to profound SNHL, especially when in infants (100%). Width of the bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) correlated strongly with relative CN diameter, density, and area (R = 0.5); furthermore, a narrow BCNC (<1.7 mm) strongly predicted CND. Severity of hearing loss modestly correlated with nerve size, although significant variability was observed. Progression never occurred unless there were other inner ear malformations, whereas in the non-CND group, it occurred in 22%. Ophthalmologic abnormalities were very common (67%) in CND children, particularly oculomotor disturbances. Conclusion Cochlear nerve deficiency is a common cause of unilateral SNHL, particularly in congenital unilateral deafness. Width of the BCNC effectively predicts CND, a finding useful when only computed tomography imaging is available. In an ear with CND, hearing can be expected to remain stable over time. Diagnosis should prompt evaluation by an ophthalmologist.
Development of Shear Deformable Laminated Shell Element and Its Application to ANCF Tire Model

Abstract : In this investigation, a continuum mechanics based shear deformable shell element of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is generalized to a laminated shell element for application to the modeling of fiber-reinforced rubber (FRR) structure of the physics-based ANCF tire model. The complex deformation coupling exhibited in fiber-reinforced composite materials can be automatically considered in the shear deformable laminated shell element using the continuum mechanics approach, and the element lockings are systematically eliminated by the assumed natural strain and enhanced strain approaches, thereby leading to a locking-free shear deformation ANCF laminated shell element. Furthermore, various nonlinear material models can be considered for each layer in a way same as solid elements. Using the ANCF laminated shell element developed, a physics-based ANCF tire model is developed by considering the detailed tire geometry and material properties. The experimental validation of the tire model is conducted for the load-deflection curve to ensure that the fundamental structural tire properties can be correctly captured in the ANCF tire model.
On the OFDM multiuser downlink capacity

We characterize the OFDM multiuser downlink capacity region under a sum power constraint and perfect channel knowledge at the base station. This serves as a fundamental limit for all transmission strategies (Tse, D.N.C. and Hanly, S.V., IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol.44, no.7, p.2796-815, 1998). We derive the corresponding power control strategy and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for both the single user and the frequency division multiple access (FDMA) optimality range. It is shown that, unlike the sum capacity case, FDMA is not always optimal and power control is complex (Ohno, S. et al., Proc. Int. Conf. on Commun., vol.3, p.1656-60, 2002). On the other hand, the solution can be simplified in the single user and FDMA region by applying a modified weighted water-filling over the selected subcarriers.
Estimation and determinants of Chinese banks’ total factor efficiency: a new vision based on unbalanced development of Chinese banks and their overall risk

The paper estimates banks’ total factor efficiency (TFE) as well as TFE of each production factor by incorporating banks’ overall risk endogenously into bank’s production process as undesirable by-product in a Global-SMB Model. Our results show that, compared with a model incorporated with banks’ overall risk, a model considering only on-balance-sheet risk may over-estimate the integrated TFE (TFIE) and under-estimate TFE volatility. Significant heterogeneities of bank TFIE and TFE of each production factor exist among banks of different types and regions, as a result of still prominent unbalanced development of Chinese commercial banks. Based on the estimated TFIE, the paper further investigates the determinants of bank efficiency, and finds that shadow banking, bank size, NPL ratio, loan to deposit ratio, fiscal surplus to GDP ratio and banking sector concentration are significant determinants of bank efficiency. Besides, a model with risk-weighted assets as undesirable outputs can better capture the impact of shadow banking involvement.
Critical fluctuations in strongly type-II quasi-two-dimensional superconductors.

The critical fluctuations near {ital H}{sub {ital c}2}({ital T}) in the mixed phase of layered type-II superconductors are related to an equivalent system of classical particles with many-body gauge'' interactions. The scale invariance of this dense vortex plasma leads to a universal character of the vortex solid-liquid melting line where the transition to the superconducting state occurs. The relation to experimental situation in high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} and other layered superconductors and superconducting thin films is discussed.
Protective effects of polyamines against UV-A and UV-B illumination in Physcia semipinnata thalli

The damage to DNA induced by UV-A and UV-B and protective effects of the polyamines putrescine (put), spermidine (spd) and spermine (spm) were investigated on the lichen Physcia semipinnata in the present study. Our results suggest that significant alterations of the photosynthetic quantum yield ratio occurred in response to increased UV-A and UV-B exposure time. The photosynthetic quantum yield ratio gradually decreased in P. semipinnata following exposure to UV-A and UV-B. Physcia semipinnata thalli which were treated with a polyamine in a concentration of 1 mM were not affected by UV-A exposure for 72 h. In the case of UV-B treatment, the protective polyamine dosage was 0.25 mM. We also used the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to detect DNA damage. The main changes observed in the RAPD profiles, which were obtained using 12 RAPD primers, were the appearance or disappearance of different bands and variation of their intensities. The use of at least three different primers allowed detection of specific band patterns in both UV-Aand UV-B-exposed samples treated with polyamines as compared to untreated ones.