Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunization of Newborn Mice Accelerates the Architectural Maturation of Lymph Nodes, But AID-Dependent IgG Responses Are Still Delayed Compared to the Adult

Lymph nodes (LNs) have evolved to maximize antigen (Ag) collection and presentation as well as lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation—processes that are spatially regulated by stromal cell subsets, including fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs). Here, we showed that naïve neonatal mice have poorly organized LNs with few B and T cells and undetectable FDCs, whereas adult LNs have numerous B cells and large FDC networks. Interestingly, immunization on the day of birth accelerated B cell accumulation and T cell recruitment into follicles as well as FDC maturation and FRC organization in neonatal LNs. However, compared to adults, the formation of germinal centers was both delayed and reduced following immunization of neonatal mice. Although immunized neonates poorly expressed activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), they were able to produce Ag-specific IgGs, but with lower titers than adults. Interestingly, the Ag-specific IgM response in neonates was similar to that in adults. These results suggest that despite an accelerated structural maturation of LNs in neonates following vaccination, the B cell response is still delayed and reduced in its ability to isotype switch most likely due to poor AID expression. Of note, naïve pups born to Ag-immunized mothers had high titers of Ag-specific IgGs from day 0 (at birth). These transferred antibodies confirm a mother-derived coverage to neonates for Ags to which mothers (and most likely neonates) are exposed, thus protecting the neonates while they produce their own antibodies. Finally, the type of Ag used in this study and the results obtained also indicate that T cell help would be operating at this stage of life. Thus, neonatal immune system might not be intrinsically immature but rather evolutionary adapted to cope with Ags at birth.
Comparing the Effects of Immersion Service Learning and Local Service Learning in Pre-Licensure Health Care Students’ Transcultural Self-Efficacy

Local and immersion service learning methods prepare pre-licensure health care professionals to deliver culturally competent care to diverse populationsan important need because of the rapid racial and ethnic diversity growth in the U.S. A mixed-methods approach compared the effect of local and immersion service learning methods on multiple disciplines of pre-licensure health care students’ confidence in delivering care to diverse populations. Guided by Jeffreys (2016) CCC Model, the Transcultural Self Efficacy Tool (TSET) was used to compare pre-licensure health care students’ (n=34) transcultural self-efficacy perceptions following local or immersion service learning experiences. Secondary source, qualitative data obtained from post-immersion trip surveys from pre-licensure health care students’ (n=13) was utilized to further examine quantitative data results, and name themes that arose from students’ immersion service learning experience. Preand posttest TSET scores were analyzed based on total scores and subscale (cognitive, practical, and affective) scores. A paired samples t-test compared post-test scores of the local and immersion service learning groups. An open coding strategy was utilized on qualitative data. A significant increase was demonstrated in the post-test scores of both local and immersion service learning groups. The local group demonstrated a significant increase in the practical and affective subscales, and the immersion group demonstrated a significant increase in the cognitive and practical subscales. Qualitative data yielded the major concept of “cultural competence” with the themes of “comprehension”, “compounded experiential learning”, “skill development”, “interaction”, and “affective”. Local and immersion service learning methods are effective in improving the transcultural self-efficacy in pre-licensure health care students and SCHOLARLY PROJECT REPORT 3 produce outcomes that meet the national and professional goals for providing culturally competent health care to diverse populations.
Receptor I-Associated lyn-Dependent Phosphorylation of Fc g Receptor IIB During Negative Regulation of Mast Cell Activation 1

FcgRIIB are low-affinity receptors for IgG whose intracytoplasmic domain contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM). Fc gRIIB inhibit cell activation triggered by receptors that signal via immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. This inhibition requires ITIM tyrosyl phosphorylation and is correlated with the binding of SH2 domain-containing phosphatases that may mediate the inhibitory signal. In the present work, we investigated the mechanism of Fc gRIIB phosphorylation and its consequences in mast cells. We demonstrate that the phosphorylation of Fc gRIIB requires coaggregation with FceRI and that, once phosphorylated, FcgRIIB selectively recruit the inositol polyphosphate 5 phosphatase SHIP, in vivo. In vitro, however, the phosphorylated FcgRIIB ITIM binds not only SHIP, but also the two protein tyrosine phosphatases, SHP-1 and SHP-2. We show that the coaggregation of Fc gRIIB with Fc eRI does not prevent FceRI-mediated activation of lyn and syk. Both kinases can phosphorylate Fc gRIIB in vitro. However, when coaggregated with FceRI, FcgRIIB was in vivo phosphorylated in syk-deficient mast cells, but not inlyn-deficient mast cells. When Fc eRI are coaggregated with FcgRIIB by immune complexes, FceRI-associatedlyn may thus phosphorylate FcgRIIB. By this mechanism, FceRI initiate ITIM-dependent inhibition of intracellular propagation of their own signals. The Journal of Immunology,1998, 160: 1647–1658.
Context-based microblog browsing for mobile users

Mobile microblog browsing is inconvenient due to the limitations of mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to effectively retrieve relevant and timely microblog content that caters to the information need of mobile users. In this paper, we first present the findings from a large-scale study on the relationship between microblog content and user context. Then, we show a system that detects local microblog topics, estimates user interests and selects user-preferred topics. The system employs user context to detect microblog topics and post-processes the topics for finding user-preferred content. We exploit time, location, browsing history, social relationship and activity as user context. The effectiveness of our approach is evaluated against several baseline algorithms for investigating the impact of user context on the relevance of retrieved topics. According to our experimental results, the approach enhances the relevance of topics by 24%, compared to the baseline approaches. Thus, we expect that the proposed approach is helpful in advancing mobile information retrieval.
A wearable vibration glove for improving hand sensation in persons with Spinal Cord Injury using Passive Haptic Rehabilitation

We define Passive Haptic Rehabilitation (PHR) as an improvement in haptic sensations or abilities using methods which require little or no attention on the part of the user. We present a study that suggests improvement in hand sensation in participants with partial Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in C4-T1 after use of our Mobile Music Touch (MMT) glove. The MMT glove is designed to teach piano melodies passively. It stimulates the participant's fingers repeatedly in the order of notes in the songs to be learned. In a study of ten hands, seven people with incomplete SCI participate in simple piano lessons three times a week for thirty minutes a session for eight weeks. The experimental group also attends these lessons but also wear our Mobile Music Touch (MMT) glove for two hours a day, five times a week to reinforce these lessons passively. Participants were injured over a year before the beginning of the study. The Semmes-Weinstein test is used to measure sensation at eight points on the hand before and after the piano lessons. The mean improvements between the experimental group and control group show a difference that is statistically significant. All hand areas in the experimental group show an improvement in average Semmes-Weinstein scores.
Human CD4+ Memory T Cells Are Preferential Targets for Bystander Activation and Apoptosis1

There is much evidence that T cells may be activated via mechanisms that act independently of direct TCR ligation. Despite this, the question of whether such forms of bystander T cell activation occur during immune responses is hotly debated. To address some outstanding questions, we set up an in vitro system within which to analyze bystander T cell activation in human T cells, in the absence of the possibility for TCR cross-reactivity. In addition, we have investigated the genetic, phenotypic, and functional characteristics of bystander-activated T cells. In this study, we show that bystander T cell activation is, indeed, observed during a specific immune response, and that it occurs preferentially among CD4+ memory T cells. Furthermore, bystander-activated T cells display a distinct gene expression profile. The mechanism for bystander T cell activation involves soluble factors, and the outcome is an elevated level of apoptosis. This may provide an explanation for the attrition of T cell memory pools of heterologous specificity during immune responses to pathogens such as viruses.
H i IMAGING OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERTHIN GALAXIES. II. IC 2233 AND THE BLUE COMPACT DWARF NGC 2537

We have used the Very Large Array to image the H i 21 cm line emission in the edge-on Sd galaxy IC 2233 and the blue compact dwarf NGC 2537. We also present new optical B, R, and Hα imaging of IC 2233 obtained with the WIYN telescope. Despite evidence of localized massive star formation in the form of prominent H ii regions and shells, supergiant stars, and a blue integrated color, IC 2233 is a low surface brightness system with a very low global star formation rate (≲0.05 M⊙ yr−1), and we detect no significant 21 cm radio continuum emission from the galaxy. The H i and ionized gas disks of IC 2233 are clumpy and vertically distended, with scale heights comparable to that of the young stellar disk. Both the stellar and H i disks of IC 2233 appear flared, and we also find a vertically extended, rotationally anomalous component of H i extending to ∼ 2.4d10 kpc from the midplane. The H i disk exhibits a mild lopsidedness as well as a global corrugation pattern with a period of ∼7d10 kpc and an amplitude of ∼150d10 pc. To our knowledge, this is the first time corrugations of the gas disk have been reported in an external galaxy; these undulations may be linked to bending instabilities or to underlying spiral structure and suggest that the disk is largely self-gravitating. Lying at a projected distance of from IC 2233, NGC 2537 has an H i disk with a bright, tilted inner ring and a flocculent, dynamically cold outer region that extends to ∼3.5 times the extent of the stellar light (D25). Although NGC 2537 is rotationally-dominated, we measure H i velocity dispersions as high as km s−1 near its center, indicative of significant turbulent motions. The inner rotation curve rises steeply, implying a strong central mass concentration. Our data indicate that IC 2233 and NGC 2537 do not constitute a bound pair and most likely lie at different distances. We also find no compelling evidence of a recent minor merger in either IC 2233 or NGC 2537, suggesting that both are examples of small disk galaxies evolving in relative isolation.
miR-379 Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Invasion, and Migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Targeting Insulin-Like Factor-1

Purpose MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function. This study investigated the role of miR-379 on proliferation, invasion, and migration of VSMCs and explored underlying mechanisms thereof. Materials and Methods MicroRNA, mRNA, and protein levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. The proliferative, invasive, and migratory abilities of VSMCs were measured by CCK-8, invasion, and wound healing assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the target of miR-379. Results Platelet-derived growth factor-bb was found to promote cell proliferation and suppress miR-379 expression in VSMCs. Functional assays demonstrated that miR-379 inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion, and migration. Flow cytometry results further showed that miR-379 induced apoptosis in VSMCs. TargetScan analysis and luciferase report assay confirmed that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) 3'UTR is a direct target of miR-379, and mRNA and protein levels of miR-379 and IGF-1 were inversely correlated. Rescue experiments showed that enforced expression of IGF-1 sufficiently overcomes the inhibitory effect of miR-379 on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in VSMCs. Conclusion Our results suggest that miR-379 plays an important role in regulating VSMCs proliferation, invasion, and migration by targeting IGF-1.
Analysis of broadband active noise control with multiple harmonic excitation

The well-known broadband active noise control (BANC) system using an FIR filter usually works well when the primary and reference noise signals are periodic in nature. This paper investigates the mean convergence of weight errors of the BANC system in the presence of multiple harmonic excitation. Difference equations governing the mean convergence of the system are derived and discussed in detail. The obtained analytical results enrich our understanding of the BANC operated in an environment with multiple sinusoids. Extensive simulations are conducted to support the analytical findings.
Using Timbre in a Computer-Based Improvisation System

Timbre is an important structural element in nonidiomatic free improvisation [1]. An interactive software system that improvises in such a context should be able to analyze and respond to gestures with rich timbral information. We have been working on a system that improvises with British saxophonist John Butcher, whose complex vocabulary incorporates extended saxophone playing techniques, as well as use of amplification and feedback [19]. Butcher’s rich and diverse saxophone sounds are classified into broad perceptual categories that might be useful for improvisers. The general behavior of our system is influenced by real-time timbral characteristics, as well as other musical parameters. As in contexts involving non-idiomatic free improvisation, the emphasis is on working with abstract sound, gesture, and texture, rather than more traditional parameters such as pitch and harmony.
An Examination of the Mental Health and Negative Life Events of Women Who Killed Their Children

Research on filicide, the killing of a child by a biological or a de facto parent or parents, has largely focused on mothers. However, little is known about how filicidal women compare to filicidal men or whether they differ from women who commit non-filicide murder. The study explores pre-incarceration negative life events and mental health histories of women incarcerated for filicide as compared to men incarcerated for the same offense and women who were incarcerated for non-filicide murder. Extensive gender differences in filicidal parents were found in terms of economic marginalization, physical and sexual abuse, mental health problems. Filicidal women had more mental health problems and lower monthly income than women incarcerated for non-filicide murder, but there were more similarities than differences detected between the two groups of female offenders. The paper concludes with policy recommendations.
The Design and Implementation of a Pipelined Multiplier Associated with a New Pass Transistor Asynchronous Control Unit

Department of Electrical EngineeringTamkang UniversityTaipei, Taiwan, R.O. C. (Received November 23, 1998; Accepted April 12, 1999)ABSTRACTDue to advances in very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) technology, the chip area of integratedcircuits (IC) has increased significantly. However, power efficiency and performance have not propor-tionally improved. The main reason is the very high capacitive load of the global clock. On the otherhand, the asynchronous circuit needs no global clock and it can overcome the difficulties that are metin synchronous circuit design. This paper describes a technique for asynchronous circuit design whichuses a new asynchronous control unit that is composed of pass transistors. This asynchronous controlunit has the advantages of simplicity and ease of implementation. We used the Taiwan SemiconductorManufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.6 µm single-poly double-metal process to design and implement an8−b×8−b pipelined multiplier associated with an asynchronous control unit. HSPICE simulation resultsshow that the feed through rate of the inputs can be as high as 250 MHz.Key Words: asynchronous circuit, Booth decoder, bounded delay model, clock skew, delay insensitive,micropipiline, Muller C-element, pass transistor, pipelined multiplier, quasi delay insensitive
Word Sense Induction with Multilingual Features Representation

The use of word senses in place of surface word forms has been shown to improve performance on many computational tasks, including intelligent web search. In this paper we propose a novel approach to automatic discovery of word senses from raw text, a task referred to as Word Sense Induction (WSI). Almost all the WSI approaches proposed in the literature dealt with monolingual data and only very few proposals incorporate bilingual data. The WSI method we propose is innovative as use multi-lingual data to perform WSI of words in a given language. The experiments show a clear overall improvement of the performance: the single-language setting is outperformed by the multi-language settings on almost all the considered target words. The performance gain, in terms of F-Measure, has an average value of 5% and in some cases it reaches 40%.
Towards Analyzing and Predicting the Experience of Live Performances with Wearable Sensing

We present an approach to interpret the response of audiences to live performances by processing mobile sensor data. We apply our method on three different datasets obtained from three live performances, where each audience member wore a single tri-axial accelerometer and proximity sensor embedded inside a smart sensor pack. Using these sensor data, we developed a novel approach to predict audience members’ self-reported experience of the performances in terms of enjoyment, immersion, willingness to recommend the event to others, and change in mood. The proposed method uses an unsupervised method to identify informative intervals of the event, using the linkage of the audience members’ bodily movements, and uses data from these intervals only to estimate the audience members’ experience. We also analyze how the relative location of members of the audience can affect their experience and present an automatic way of recovering neighborhood information based on proximity sensors. We further show that the linkage of the audience members’ bodily movements is informative of memorable moments which were later reported by the audience.
Way-point autonomous navigation in unstructured environments

– A key component for autonomous navigation is path planning. It determines the manner in which the vehicle will move from its start position to the desired target, based on information supplied by onboard sensors. The results of a path-planning algo-rithm that allows the safe guidance of a skid-steer vehicle evolving in a jungle like terrain are presented. The algorithm uses the modified distance transform plus a vector field histogram for path planning. It takes into account the dynamics of the vehicle and uncertainties in the environment models available from the perception mechanisms. The resulting sys-tem has been implemented on a modified drive-by-wire vehicle and deployed in the jungle at speeds of up to 4 m/s and distances beyond 2 km.
Network Based Detection of Passive Covert Channels in TCP/IP

A new method of covert channel detection in initial sequence number (ISN) of TCP/IP is proposed in the paper. The detection is based on ISN generation model of original OS. Whenever any statistical deviations of ISN network packet from the ISN model are discovered; it is considered that this ISN packet is generated by malicious software, which tries to create a covert channel. The method was tested using experimental data generated by NUSHU covert channel creation tool, which has been developed by Joanna Rutkowska
Designing a Biomechanics Investigation: Choosing the Right Model

Summary: Physical testing is commonly performed to answer important biomechanical questions in the treatment of patients with fractures and other orthopaedic conditions. However, a variety of mistakes that are made in performing such investigations can severely limit their impact. The goal of this article is to discuss important aspects of study design to consider when planning for biomechanical investigations so that the studies can provide maximal benefit to the field. The best mechanical investigations begin with a good research question, one that comes out of patient care experience, is clearly defined, and can be stated concisely. The first practical issue to be considered is often choosing the type of physical specimens to be tested to address the research question. A related issue involves determining how many specimens will be needed to answer the posed mechanical question. Cadavers are generally still the closest to the actual clinical situation, but they are limited by interspecimen variability, which often requires a matched pair design that can address only one question. Simulated bone specimens limit variability and can replicate normal and osteoporotic bone. In planning the physical testing, the critical mechanical variables involved in answering the research question must be identified and due consideration given to deciding how best to measure them. Another important issue that arises relates to whether or not single static loadings will suffice in the testing (eg, to study construct stiffness) or whether cyclic dynamic testing is necessary (eg, to study late failure likely attributable to fatigue). To summarize, experimental design should be carefully planned before initiating mechanical testing. Sample size calculations should be performed to ensure adequate power and that clinically relevant differences can be detected. This pregame analysis can save significant time and cost and greatly increase the likelihood that the results will advance knowledge.
Q-band VCO for 77-GHz in

This paper includes Q-band VCO power injection-locked buffer for 77-GHz FM in 0.13-μm CMOS process. The center frequen VCO is 34.75-GHz with 1.6% tuning range. T noise performance shows -102.43 dBc/Hz frequency. The measured maximum single ou dBm and the ideal differential output power is dBm, owing to the injection-locked buffer w capability. The fabricated chip size is 0.51 × 0.1 consumption of the VCO core and the injection 10.8 mW and 50.4 mW from a 1.2 V supply, r