Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte-Specific Antibody Profiling Reveals Boosting through Natural Infection and Identifies Potential Markers of Gametocyte Exposure

ABSTRACT Malaria elimination efforts would benefit from vaccines that block transmission of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes from humans to mosquitoes. A clear understanding of gametocyte-specific antibody responses in exposed populations could help determine whether transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) would be boosted by natural gametocyte exposure, and also inform the development of serologic tools to monitor gametocyte exposure in populations targeted for malaria elimination. To this end, plasma was collected from Malian children and adults before and after the 6-month malaria season and probed against a microarray containing 1,204 P. falciparum proteins. Using publicly available proteomic data, we classified 91 proteins as gametocyte specific and 69 as proteins not expressed by gametocytes. The overall breadth and magnitude of gametocyte-specific IgG responses increased during the malaria season, although they were consistently lower than IgG responses to nongametocyte antigens. Notably, IgG specific for the TBV candidates Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 increased during the malaria season. In addition, IgGs specific for the gametocyte proteins Pfmdv1, Pfs16, PF3D7_1346400, and PF3D7_1024800 were detected in nearly all subjects, suggesting that seroconversion to these proteins may be a sensitive indicator of gametocyte exposure, although further studies are needed to determine the specificity and kinetics of these potential serologic markers. These findings suggest that TBV-induced immunity would be boosted through natural gametocyte exposure, and that antibody responses to particular antigens may reliably indicate gametocyte exposure.
An acidic microenvironment sets the humoral pattern recognition molecule PTX3 in a tissue repair mode

Doni et al. use four tissue damage models in mice and find that the fluid phase pattern recognition molecule pentraxin 3 (PTX3) plays a role in tissue remodeling and repair. PTX3 binds fibrinogen/fibrin and plasminogen at an acidic pH within tissues. Mice deficient in PTX3 present defects in fibrin deposition, clot formation, collagen deposition, and macrophage-mediated fibrinolysis.
Emerging Technologies and Distributed Learning

1 The development of high performance computing and communications is creating new media, such as the WorldWide Web and virtual realities. In turn, these new media enable new types of messages and experiences; for example, interpersonal interactions across network channels lead to the formation of virtual communities. The innovative kinds of pedagogy empowered by these emerging media, messages, and experiences make possible an evolution of synchronous, group, presentation-centered forms of distance education—which replicate traditional " teaching by telling " across barriers of distance and time—into an alternative instructional paradigm: distributed learning. In particular, advances in computer-supported collaborative learning, multimedia/hypermedia, and experiential simulation offer the potential to create shared " learning-through-doing environments " available anyplace, any time, on demand. This article speculates about how emerging technologies may reshape both face-to-face and distance education. Its purpose is to delineate a three-part conceptual framework (knowledge webs, virtual communities, and shared synthetic environments) for understanding the new types of instructional messages that enable distributed learning. Although this study cites leading edge scholarship to reinforce its claims, it is a position/discussion piece rather than an inclusive review of all relevant distance education or educational technology research. As such, the emphasis is on expanding the reader's conceptualization of " distance education " rather than on proving the validity of specific pedagogical practices. Because the technologies discussed are still swiftly evolving, case studies and formative evaluations are the predominant types of scholarship available. Moreover, both instructional technology and distance education lack extensive quantitative research on pedagogical strategies and designs. This potentially constrains the generalizability of the evaluative studies described and places the ideas presented in the realm of informed surmise rather than proven fact. However, these limitations are intrinsic in any attempt to depict the future of a field. At a time when the technologies, economics, and public policies underlying all forms of schooling are rapidly shifting, distance educators cannot afford to wait until this evolving situation is fully understood and some standardized recipe for innovation can be constructed. By sketching emerging opportunities and assessing their potential implications, this position paper seeks to draw its readers into a dialogue on how the field of distance education should invent its future by rethinking its fundamental assumptions about teaching and learning. What does the evolution of new media mean for distance educators? A medium is in part a channel for conveying content; new media such as the Internet mean …
The clinical and epidemiological profile of tick-borne encephalitis in southern Germany 1994-98: a prospective study of 656 patients.

Seven hundred and nine patients fell ill in southern Germany (Baden-Württemberg) after infection with the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus between 1994 and 1998. Detailed clinical and epidemiological data on TBE were available for 656 patients. A biphasic course of the disease occurred in 485 patients (74%). TBE presented as meningitis in 320 patients (49%), as meningoencephalitis in 270 (41%) and as meningoencephalomyelitis in 66 (10%). Eight of the patients (1.2%) died from TBE. Four hundred and forty-five patients (68%) had noticed a tick bite and the first symptoms occurred, on average, 7 days later. The most frequent neurological symptoms were impairment of consciousness (31%), ataxia (18%) and paresis of the extremities (15%) and cranial nerves (11%). Laboratory investigations revealed leucocytosis in the peripheral blood in 224 out of 392 patients (74%), elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 223 out of 245 (91%), increased C-reactive protein in 127 out of 155 (82%), pleocytosis in the CSF of all patients tested, damage of the blood-CSF barrier in 255 out of 322 (79%), abnormalities in EEG in 165 out of 214 (77%) and abnormalities in MRI in 18 out of 102 (18%). In general, adolescents up to 14 years of age had a more favourable course of the disease than adults. Of 230 patients who were re-examined at a later time, 53 (23%) had moderate or severe sequelae. Patients with sequelae presented more frequently (P < 0.001) with impaired consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale < 7), ataxia, pareses of the extremities or cranial nerves, a need for assisted ventilation, abnormal findings in MRI, pleocytosis > 300 cells/microl and impairment of the blood-CSF barrier (total protein > 600 mg/l). In view of the severity of the illness and the high frequency of sequelae, active immunization against TBE is recommended for all subjects living in and travelling to areas of risk. Prevention of TBE by post-exposure prophylaxis with hyperimmunoglobulins is less effective and therefore should be performed only when absolutely necessary.
High Energy Fluxes from a Non-Scaling Cosmic String Network

Topological defects, particularly cosmic strings, can provide a mechanism to produce particles with energies of the order 10^21 eV and higher. Here, we report on order of magnitude calculations of fluxes from a cosmic string network which evolves according to a new scenario according to which the main channel for energy loss is the particle production rather than gravitational radiation. We compare the predicted fluxes for protons (anti-protons) and neutrinos (anti-neutrinos) with observations of extremely high energy cosmic rays.
Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography as an adjunct to carcinoembryonic antigen in the management of patients with presumed recurrent colorectal cancer and nondiagnostic radiologic workup.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the role of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) in localizing disease in patients with colorectal cancer with radiologically occult symptomatology or increases in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. METHODS Two hundred seventy-seven patients with colorectal cancer underwent PET scanning between November 1998 and September 2000 prompted by (1) increasing CEA level and nondiagnostic imaging or (2) symptoms with normal CEA level and nondiagnostic imaging. PET results were correlated with operative findings/histology, clinical follow-up data, and CEA level to determine PET's accuracy in determining the source of symptoms or CEA. RESULTS Fifteen patients had increasing CEA levels, and 14 had abnormal PET. Two of these 14 were denied exploration because PET suggested widely metastatic disease. Nine patients underwent exploration with curative intent. In 1 patient, recurrence was not pathologically confirmed (false-positive rate, 8%). Two had disease beyond that predicted by PET, and 6 underwent complete resection and normalized their CEA levels. Four symptomatic patients with normal CEA levels and negative x-rays had abnormal PET; at exploration, 3 had no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS PET imaging can often accurately localize the source of radiologically occult increases in CEA level and select that subset of patients eligible for therapeutic laparotomy. Symptomatic, PET-positive patients with normal CEA levels frequently undergo nontherapeutic laparotomy, and PET findings should be interpreted with caution in these patients.
Biofortification of wheat grain with iron and zinc: integrating novel genomic resources and knowledge from model crops

Wheat, like many other staple cereals, contains low levels of the essential micronutrients iron and zinc. Up to two billion people worldwide suffer from iron and zinc deficiencies, particularly in regions with predominantly cereal-based diets. Although wheat flour is commonly fortified during processing, an attractive and more sustainable solution is biofortification, which requires developing new varieties of wheat with inherently higher iron and zinc content in their grains. Until now most studies aimed at increasing iron and zinc content in wheat grains have focused on discovering natural variation in progenitor or related species. However, recent developments in genomics and transformation have led to a step change in targeted research on wheat at a molecular level. We discuss promising approaches to improve iron and zinc content in wheat using knowledge gained in model grasses. We explore how the latest resources developed in wheat, including sequenced genomes and mutant populations, can be exploited for biofortification. We also highlight the key research and practical challenges that remain in improving iron and zinc content in wheat.
“The Kids Still Come First”

This qualitative study examined the nature of partnerships among 28 rural low-income mothers who experienced partnership transitions across three waves of annual interviews. Guided by lens of uncertainty and boundary ambiguity theory, the authors specifically explored (a) how low-income mothers in rural communities experience partnership transitions over time and (b) how rural, low-income mothers create stability for themselves and their children in the midst of partnership transitions. The narratives of rural, low-income mothers not only featured the uncertainty, unreliability, and instability of their lives but also underscored their resilience and ability to adapt to an impoverished environment. Their decisions to enter into, stay, and leave partnerships, in most cases, were part of their flexible responses to the structural constraints imposed by unemployment, lack of resources, and rural contexts.
When is Market Incompleteness Irrelevant for the Price of Aggregate Risk (and When is it Not)?

In a standard incomplete markets model with a continuum of households that have constant relative risk aversion (CRRA) preferences, the absence of insurance markets for idiosyncratic labor income risk has no effect on the premium for aggregate risk if the distribution of idiosyncratic risk is independent of aggregate shocks and aggregate consumption growth is independent over time. In equilibrium, households only use the stock market to smooth consumption; the bond market is inoperative. Furthermore, the cross-sectional distributions of wealth and consumption are not affected by aggregate shocks. These results hold regardless of the persistence of idiosyncratic shocks, even when households face tight solvency constraints. A weaker irrelevance result survives when we allow for predictability in aggregate consumption growth.
Amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA genes of autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria demonstrates the ubiquity of nitrosospiras in the environment.

Oligonucleotide sequences selected from the 16S rRNA genes of various species of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were evaluated as specific PCR amplification primers and probes. The specificities of primer pairs for eubacterial, Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas rRNA genes were established with sequence databases, and the primer pairs were used to amplify DNA from laboratory cultures and environmental samples. Eubacterial rRNA genes amplified from samples of soil and activated sludge hybridized with an oligonucleotide probe specific for Nitrosospira spp. , but not with a Nitrosomonas-specific probe. Lakewater and sediment samples were analysed using a nested PCR technique in which eubacterial rRNA genes were subjected to a secondary amplification with Nitrosomonas or Nitrosospira specific primers. Again, the presence of Nitrosospira DNA, but not Nitrosomonas DNA, was detected and this was confirmed by hybridization of the amplified DNA with an internal oligonucleotide probe. Enrichments of lakewater and sediment samples, incubated for two weeks in the presence of ammonium, produced nitrite and were found to contain DNA from both Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas as determined by nested PCR amplification and probing of 16S rRNA genes. This demonstrates that Nitrosospira spp. are widespread in the environment. The implications of the detection of Nitrosomonas DNA only after enrichment culture are discussed.
Binary partition trees-based robust adaptive hyperspectral RX anomaly detection

The Reed-Xiaoli (RX) is considered as the benchmark algorithm in multidimensional anomaly detection (AD). However, the RX detector performance decreases when the statistical parameters estimation is poor. This could happen when the background is non-homogeneous or the noise independence assumption is not fulfilled. For a better performance, the statistical parameters are estimated locally using a sliding window approach. In this approach, called adaptive RX, a window is centered over the pixel under the test (PUT), so the background mean and covariance statistics are estimated using the data samples lying inside the window's spatial support, named the secondary data. Sometimes, a smaller guard window prevents those pixels close to the PUT to be used, in order to avoid the presence of outliers in the statistical estimation. The size of the window is chosen large enough to ensure the invertibility of the covariance matrix and small enough to justify both spatial and spectral homogeneity. We present here an alternative methodology to select the secondary data for a PUT by means of a binary partition tree (BPT) representation of the image. We test the proposed BPT-based adaptive hyperspectral RX AD algorithm using a real dataset provided by the Target Detection Blind Test project.
Vascular Epiphyte Diversity Differs with Host Crown Zone and Diameter, but Not Orientation in a Tropical Cloud Forest

Vascular epiphytes are important components of biological diversity in tropical forests. We measured the species richness and abundance of vascular epiphytes along four vertical crown zones and five horizontal orientations on 376 trees, as well as the diameter at breast height (DBH) of host trees in tropical cloud forests in Bawangling, Hainan, China. The relationship between vascular epiphyte species richness and host tree DBH was assessed using a generalized linear model. There were 1,453 vascular individual epiphytes attributed to 9 families, 24 genera and 35 species, with orchids and pteridophytes dominating. Both the species richness and abundance of epiphytes significantly differed among the four crown zones for all collections and each host tree, suggesting that vertical microhabitats contribute to the distribution of epiphytes on host trees. Neither epiphyte abundance nor species richness differed among the eastern, southern, western, and northern orientations for all host trees; however, both richness and abundance were significantly higher for epiphytes that encircled host tree trunks. This suggests that morphological and physiological characteristics of the tree, but not microclimates probably contribute to the distribution of epiphytes on host trees. Epiphyte species richness was positively correlated with tree DBH across the six host tree species studied, with increases in DBH among smaller trees resulting in larger increases in richness, while increases in DBH among larger host trees resulting in more modest increases in ephiphyte richness. Our findings contribute support for a positive relationship between epiphyte species richness and host tree DBH and provide important guidance for future surveys of epiphyte community development.
Principles of conduction and hydrophobic gating in K+ channels

We present the first atomic-resolution observations of permeation and gating in a K+ channel, based on molecular dynamics simulations of the Kv1.2 pore domain. Analysis of hundreds of simulated permeation events revealed a detailed conduction mechanism, resembling the Hodgkin–Keynes “knock-on” model, in which translocation of two selectivity filter–bound ions is driven by a third ion; formation of this knock-on intermediate is rate determining. In addition, at reverse or zero voltages, we observed pore closure by a novel “hydrophobic gating” mechanism: A dewetting transition of the hydrophobic pore cavity—fastest when K+ was not bound in selectivity filter sites nearest the cavity—caused the open, conducting pore to collapse into a closed, nonconducting conformation. Such pore closure corroborates the idea that voltage sensors can act to prevent pore collapse into the intrinsically more stable, closed conformation, and it further suggests that molecular-scale dewetting facilitates a specific biological function: K+ channel gating. Existing experimental data support our hypothesis that hydrophobic gating may be a fundamental principle underlying the gating of voltage-sensitive K+ channels. We suggest that hydrophobic gating explains, in part, why diverse ion channels conserve hydrophobic pore cavities, and we speculate that modulation of cavity hydration could enable structural determination of both open and closed channels.
Address interleaving for low-cost NoCs

New generations of NoC-based platforms incorporate address interleaving, which enables balancing transactions between the memory nodes. The memory space is distributed in different nodes of the NoC, and accessed alternately by each on-chip initiator. A memory node is accessed depending on the transaction request address through a memory map. Interleaving can allow for efficient use of NoC bandwidth and congestion reduction, and we study whether its gains scale over system size. In this work we concentrate on an instance of a customizable point-to-point interconnect from STMicroelectronics called STNoC. We first evaluate a setup with 4 CPU initiators and 4 memories, and show that interleaving relieves the NoC from congestion and permits higher packet injection rates. We also show that this depends on the number of packets sent per transaction by an initiator prior to changing destination memory node; this is called interleaving step. We then enriched the setup with several DMA engines, which is in accordance with industry roadmap. We experimented with MPSoCs having up to 32-nodes and for various link-widths of the STNoC. When link-width was 32 Bytes, the aggregate throughput gain from address interleaving was 20.8%, but when we set it 8 Bytes the throughput gain reached 69.64%. This implies silicon savings in SoCs, as it is not always necessary to configure NoCs with wide link-widths.
The Discourse of Fat Lives. Review of Fat Lives: A Feminist Psychological Exploration, by Irmgard Tischner

on their body and bodily sensations entirely. This does mean that there are no demonstrations of activities or exercises, though Blank describes many in detail. The Unapologetic Fat Girl’s Guide is a more general read suited for a broader audience, who may be unfamiliar with fat politics or Health at Every Size. It also focuses entirely on guiding the reader toward “body practice” and self-care. It’s a guide to making sense of one’s own body and navigating the inner and outer worlds of physical activity. Great Shape also encourages the reader to develop bodily awareness and competency, but focuses much more on debunking myths, describing fat positive experiences, and addressing particular kinds of physical activities. Both books offer resources in the appendices, and although they were at one time the most up to date, the resources in Great Shape are now outdated. However, the Health at Every Size arguments in Great Shape are the same arguments advocated by scholars and activists today. Michaela A. Nowell University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac Fond du Lac, WI
Improving Trace Generation and Analysis for Medical Devices

A new generation of medical devices emerges to supportincreasingly more complex medical decisions and procedures.These Medical Devices (MD) combine data fromnovel sensors and existing modalities like scanners withelaborate software processing to assist caregivers in the sameway Flight Management Systems help a pilot flying planes.For instance, Blue Ortho’s MD allows performing TotalKnee Arthroplasty (TKA, i.e. the placement of a femoraland tibial knee prosthesis) more precisely, potentially dividingthe number of revisions by two [1]. Unfortunately,innovation and safety of such MD is hindered by the currentsoftware verification practices of the MD industry. Someformal methods have demonstrated their effectiveness fordecades in the most safety-critical industries (defense, air,space, railways, nuclear power plants), but they failed togain broader adoption.
DIVERGENT STRESS COPING STYLES AND SINGING BEHAVIOR IN THE SHORT-TAILED SINGING MOUSE

in recognition of their contributions to my early enthusiasm for research and animal behavior 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank my chair, Dr. Steve Phelps, and supervisory committee for their mentoring and guidance that made this project possible. Additionally, I thank Drs. thank Karen Patterson and Vitrel Sherif for their tireless patience and assistance with tedious logistics and paperwork. Finally, I thank my wonderful friends and fellow graduate students whose intellectual contributions helped to inspire this work and, more importantly, who helped make this a fun and enjoyable experience.
Workplace Engagement and Generational Differences in Values

This article summarizes literature on workplace engagement, an issue that affects organizations’ financial results and individuals’ personal lives. The newest of the four generations in the workplace, Millennials, were recently shown to have different values than the other two prevalent generations. Surveys taken by 16,000 high school seniors of three generations on intrinsic, extrinsic, social, leisure, and altruistic values at work show only the altruistic value is not statistically different. When aggregated, these generational differences have noticeable practical impact. In the classroom, engagement is essential to learning. Examples of engaging activities that address the Millennials’ values are provided.