Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recruitment Times, Proliferation, and Apoptosis Rates during the CD8+ T-Cell Response to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

ABSTRACT The specific CD8+ T-cell response during acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection of mice is characterized by a rapid proliferation phase, followed by a rapid death phase and long-term memory. In BALB/c mice the immunodominant and subdominant CD8+ responses are directed against the NP118 and GP283 epitopes. These responses differ mainly in the magnitude of the epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell expansion. Using mathematical models together with a nonlinear parameter estimation procedure, we estimate the parameters describing the rates of change during the three phases and thereby establish the differences between the responses to the two epitopes. We find that CD8+ cell proliferation begins 1 to 2 days after infection and occurs at an average rate of 3 day−1, reaching the maximum population size between days 5 and 6 after immunization. The 10-fold difference in expansion to the NP118 and GP283 epitopes can be accounted for in our model by a 3.5-fold difference in the antigen concentration of these epitopes at which T-cell stimulation is half-maximal. As a consequence of this 3.5-fold difference in the epitope concentration needed for T-cell stimulation, the rates of activation and proliferation of T cells specific for the two epitopes differ during the response and in combination can account for the large difference in the magnitude of the response. After the peak, during the death phase, the population declines at a rate of 0.5 day−1, i.e., cells have an average life time of 2 days. The model accounts for a memory cell population of 5% of the peak population size by a reversal to memory of 1 to 2% of the activated cells per day during the death phase.
Distribution patterns of mucosally applied particles and characterization of the antigen presenting cells

Mucosal application is the most common route of vaccination to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases like Newcastle disease virus (NDV). To gain more knowledge about distribution and uptake of a vaccine after mucosal vaccination, we studied the distribution pattern of antigens after different mucosal routes of administration. Chickens were intranasally (i.n.), intratracheally (i.t.) or intraocularly (i.o.) inoculated with fluorescent beads and presence of beads in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT), Harderian gland (HG), conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue (CALT), trachea, lungs, air sacs, oesophagus and blood was characterized. The distribution patterns differed significantly between the three inoculation routes. After i.t. inoculation, the beads were mainly retrieved from trachea, NALT and lung. I.n. inoculation resulted in beads found mainly in NALT but detectable in all organs sampled. Finally, after i.o. inoculation, the beads were detected in NALT, CALT, HG and trachea. The highest number of beads was retrieved after i.n. inoculation. Development of novel vaccines requires a comprehensive knowledge of the mucosal immune system in birds in order to target vaccines appropriately and to provide efficient adjuvants. The NALT is likely important for the induction of mucosal immune responses. We therefore studied the phenotype of antigen-presenting cells isolated from NALT after i.n. inoculation with uncoated beads or with NDV-coated beads. Both types of beads were efficiently taken up and low numbers of bead+ cells were detected in all organs sampled. Inoculation with NDV-coated beads resulted in a preferential uptake by NALT antigen-presenting cells as indicated by high percentages of KUL01+-, MHC II+ and CD40+ bead+ cells.
Propagation Models for Body-Area Networks: A Survey and New Outlook

This article is a review of wireless body-area network (BAN) channel models, with observations about the selection of the best channel model in terms of both first- and second-order statistics. Particular insight into the dominant factors that affect propagation for body-area networks is given. Important second-order statistical measures are discussed, where coherence times and fade durations are of particular interest. The IEEE 802.15. 6 standard is used as a basis for the review, with observations and insights given about body-area networks. In this context, narrowband and ultra-wideband (UWB) models are summarized for different measurement environments and carrier frequencies. On-body, in-body, and off-body propagation models are discussed where appropriate. In general, lognormal fading or gamma fading models of the body-area network channel are most applicable. A goodness-of-fit criterion that directly trades off model error and complexity is presented, which gives a new outlook for channel modeling. By this new outlook it is demonstrated that through significant simplification of individual link propagation models for body-area networks, it is possible to combine link models with only a few parameters. Common misconceptions regarding the appropriateness of applying traditional path-loss measures to these short-range networks are then exposed. Finally, the use of relays, which is an option in IEEE 802.15. 6, is shown to be important for maintaining reliability in various body-area-network propagation scenarios.
Cyril Burt: Fraud or framed?

1. IQ and science: the mysterious Burt affair 2. Burt and the early history of factor analysis 3. Twins and other kinship correlations 4. Intelligence and social mobility 5. Declining educational standards 6. Burt as hero and anti-hero: a Greek tragedy 7. Does it matter? The scientific and political impact of Burt's work
Predictive models for music

Modelling long-term dependencies in time series has proved very difficult to achieve with traditional machine-learning methods. This problem occurs when considering music data. In this paper, we introduce predictive models for melodies. We decompose melodic modelling into two subtasks. We first propose a rhythm model based on the distributions of distances between subsequences. Then, we define a generative model for melodies given chords and rhythms based on modelling sequences of Narmour features. The rhythm model consistently outperforms a standard hidden markov model (HMM) in terms of conditional prediction accuracy on two different music databases. Using a similar evaluation procedure, the proposed melodic model consistently outperforms an input/output HMM. Furthermore, these models are able to generate realistic melodies given appropriate musical contexts.
Cell and tissue dynamics during Tribolium embryogenesis revealed by versatile fluorescence labeling approaches

Studies on new arthropod models such as the beetle Tribolium castaneum are shifting our knowledge of embryonic patterning and morphogenesis beyond the Drosophila paradigm. In contrast to Drosophila, Tribolium embryos exhibit the short-germ type of development and become enveloped by extensive extra-embryonic membranes, the amnion and serosa. The genetic basis of these processes has been the focus of active research. Here, we complement genetic approaches with live fluorescence imaging of Tribolium embryos to make the link between gene function and morphogenetic cell behaviors during blastoderm formation and differentiation, germband condensation and elongation, and extra-embryonic development. We first show that transient labeling methods result in strong, homogeneous and persistent expression of fluorescent markers in Tribolium embryos, labeling the chromatin, membrane, cytoskeleton or combinations thereof. We then use co-injection of fluorescent markers with dsRNA for live imaging of embryos with disrupted caudal gene function caused by RNA interference. Using these approaches, we describe and compare cell and tissue dynamics in Tribolium embryos with wild-type and altered fate maps. We find that Tribolium germband condensation is effected by cell contraction and intercalation, with the latter being dependent on the anterior-posterior patterning system. We propose that germband condensation drives initiation of amnion folding, whereas expansion of the amniotic fold and closure of the amniotic cavity are likely driven by contraction of an actomyosin cable at the boundary between the amnion and serosa. Our methodology provides a comprehensive framework for testing quantitative models of patterning, growth and morphogenetic mechanisms in Tribolium and other arthropod species.
Optimizing the Reliability and Performance of Service Composition Applications with Fault Tolerance in Wireless Sensor Networks

The services composition technology provides flexible methods for building service composition applications (SCAs) in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The high reliability and high performance of SCAs help services composition technology promote the practical application of WSNs. The optimization methods for reliability and performance used for traditional software systems are mostly based on the instantiations of software components, which are inapplicable and inefficient in the ever-changing SCAs in WSNs. In this paper, we consider the SCAs with fault tolerance in WSNs. Based on a Universal Generating Function (UGF) we propose a reliability and performance model of SCAs in WSNs, which generalizes a redundancy optimization problem to a multi-state system. Based on this model, an efficient optimization algorithm for reliability and performance of SCAs in WSNs is developed based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to find the optimal structure of SCAs with fault-tolerance in WSNs. In order to examine the feasibility of our algorithm, we have evaluated the performance. Furthermore, the interrelationships between the reliability, performance and cost are investigated. In addition, a distinct approach to determine the most suitable parameters in the suggested algorithm is proposed.
TritonSort: A Balanced Large-Scale Sorting System

We present TritonSort, a highly efficient, scalable sorting system. It is designed to process large datasets, and has been evaluated against as much as 100 TB of input data spread across 832 disks in 52 nodes at a rate of 0.916 TB/min. When evaluated against the annual Indy GraySort sorting benchmark, TritonSort is 60% better in absolute performance and has over six times the per-node efficiency of the previous record holder. In this paper, we describe the hardware and software architecture necessary to operate TritonSort at this level of efficiency. Through careful management of system resources to ensure cross-resource balance, we are able to sort data at approximately 80% of the disks' aggregate sequential write speed. We believe the work holds a number of lessons for balanced system design and for scale-out architectures in general. While many interesting systems are able to scale linearly with additional servers, per-server performance can lag behind per-server capacity by more than an order of magnitude. Bridging the gap between high scalability and high performance would enable either significantly cheaper systems that are able to do the same work or provide the ability to address significantly larger problem sets with the same infrastructure.
Phytochrome control of specific mRNA levels in developing pea buds : the presence of both very low fluence and low fluence responses.

We have examined phytochrome regulated changes in transcript abundance for 11 different light regulated mRNAs in developing pea buds. Fluence-response curves were measured for changes in transcript abundance in response to red light pulses in both the low and very low fluence ranges. Most transcripts show only low fluence responses, with a threshold of approximately 10 micromoles per square meter. All of the low fluence responses are reversible by far red light. One transcript shows a very low fluence response, with a threshold of approximately 10(-4) micromoles per square meter. As expected, the very low fluence response is not far red reversible and in fact can be induced by far red light.Various fluences of red light were also used as pretreatments before transferring seedlings to continuous white light. One transcript responds to pretreatments in the very low fluence range, several respond to pretreatments in the low fluence range (including chlorophyll a/b binding protein RNA and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase RNA), and several show no response to the red light under these conditions. The threshold of these low fluence responses is approximately 10(2) micromoles per square meter, one order of magnitude greater than the threshold of the low fluence responses to red light alone.The transcripts may also be grouped by their responses to white light treatment alone. Three of the clones correspond to transcripts whose abundance decreases after a 24 hour white light treatment. The remainder of the mRNAs increase between 2- and 10-fold in response to the 24 hour white light.
Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor by oxygen in a model of retinopathy of prematurity.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of the first phase of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to examine the mechanism by which supplemental oxygen therapy might inhibit neovascularization in the second phase of ROP. METHODS A novel combination of fluorescein-dextran perfusion and colorimetric whole-retina in situ hybridization was used to evaluate the expression of VEGF messenger RNA in relationship to the location of blood vessels in retinas from neonatal mice that were exposed to hyperoxia. Northern blot and immunoblot analyses were used to quantify the changes in VEGF messenger RNA and protein expression caused by hyperoxia. The ability of VEGF to prevent hyperoxia-induced vaso-obliteration was evaluated by injecting exogenous VEGF into the vitreous cavity prior to oxygen exposure. RESULTS Vascular endothelial growth factor messenger RNA was produced in a reticular pattern just anterior to the developing blood vessels in normal retina on postnatal day 7. The expression of VEGF in the peripheral retina was down-regulated by hyperoxia in conjunction with the arrest of growth and the loss of some of the developing vasculature. Total VEGF messenger RNA and protein levels in retinas from animals on postnatal day 7 were decreased 55% and 85%, respectively, after 6 hours in 75% oxygen. Vaso-obliteration was inhibited 57% by pretreatment of animals with exogenous VEGF. In animals with retinal ischemia secondary to loss of vasculature, treatment with supplemental oxygen therapy decreased stimulated retinal VEGF levels by approximately 70%. CONCLUSIONS Down-regulation of VEGF expression by hyperoxia may be partly responsible for the vaso-obliteration and cessation of normal retinal blood vessel growth observed in premature infants in whom ROP develops. Hyperoxia also has the potential to be used therapeutically to down-regulate VEGF expression in hypoxic retina in the hope of limiting the neovascular complications of ROP. Based on these findings about the regulation of VEGF expression in the retina, an explanation of the pathogenesis of ROP is proposed.
Academic Perseverance, Class Attendance, and Performance in the College Classroom.

Although college faculty often complain about class attendance, little data are available on why students miss classes and especially why absences are more common late in the semester. To explore this phenomenon, students' abilities to persevere in an academic setting and relate that to their actual attendance and performance in a college class were examined. Whether or not this type of motivation is intrinsic to the individual and her/his self-concept, or is it more situation specific was also explored. Students (N.140) in undergraduate college courses completed a questionnaire about academic perseverance and self-efficacy. Their responses were correlated with both attendance and performance in these classes. Analysis of the data indicated a significant correlation between class attendance and final grade in the course. Correlations among academic perseverance, self-efficacy, class attendance, and course grades were all fairly low. The low correlations could have been affected by range restrictions (in higher level courses there is typically little variation in either grades or attendance behavior). Since motivation may be a multiplicative relationship between self-efficacy and value, students may only be motivated if they feel competent to complete a task successfully. Suggestions for future studies are offered. The Academic Perseverance questionnaire is included. Contains 13 references. (RJM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Academic Perseverance, Class Attendance, and Performance in the College Classroom Malcolm L. Van Blerkom, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Educational Psychology University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown 114 Biddle Hall Johnstown, PA 15904 (814) 269-7015 mvanbler@upj.pitt. edu Sunday August 11, 1996 8:00 AM "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). " U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Presented at the 104th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, CANADA, August, 1996 CD 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Van Blerkom Academic Perseverance
Dual frame motion compensation with uneven quality assignment

Video codecs that use motion compensation have shown PSNR gains from the use of multiple frame prediction, in which more than one past reference frame is available for motion estimation. In dual frame motion compensation, one short-term reference frame and one long-term reference frame are available for prediction. In this paper, we propose a dual frame motion compensation technique that allocates bits unevenly among frames to periodically create a high-quality frame that serves as the long-term reference frame for some time. By modifying an MPEG-4 encoder to use this technique on a set of video sequences, we show that it outperforms a normal dual frame motion compensation scheme in which the long-term reference frames are regular frames that are not allocated any extra rate.
Functional significance of white blood cells in the male and female reproductive tract.

The functional significance of white blood cells in the modulation of an anti-sperm antibody response, prevention of infection (including HIV) sperm transport/storage and sperm function is extensively discussed. A critical review of the existing literature is presented with future experimental lines of investigation outlined. A lack of controlled clinical studies in the human to validate data from animal species--for example--the involvement of white blood cells in the transport and storage of sperm in the female tract and the possible adverse effect of pathology (i.e. endometriosis) on these functions are presented. In conclusion, with the advent of modern techniques, e.g. monoclonal antibodies and sophisticated sperm function tests, many of the questions raised should be answered in the near future.
Efficient Inference of a Subclass of Even Linear Languages

Importance of grammatical inference field is growing as it is finding wider acceptance in many practical fields. Since it is established that the family of even-linear languages is not inferable from positive data alone, researchers have proposed several approximation algorithms to infer by the way of defining new subfamilies of even-linear languages. In this work a polynomial time method is proposed to infer a subclass of even linear languages, Terminal Distinguishable Even Linear Languages(TDELL), using positive samples only. The inference method for TDELL is based on UNION-FIND algorithm. We make some considerations about the performance of the proposed method in identifying TDELL in the limit and we provide the complexity analysis of the proposed method. Suitability of the proposed algorithm to the practical applications is also discussed.
Tall tales about the Mind and Brain

This paper argues for the scientific utility of the concept “intelligence”. In the first section three common arguments against the validity of general intelligence are discussed and dismissed. The second section presents the evidence in favour of the proposition that individual differences in IQ may be based on differences in speed of information processing. However, the third section shows that executive functions, particularly inhibitory processes, represent a more likely basis for the development of intelligence. The theory of the minimal cognitive architecture underlying intelligence and development (Anderson, 1992a) shows how speed and executive functioning might represent two dimensions to g—one an individual differences (within age) dimension based on speed and the other a developmental dimension based on changing executive functioning. In the fourth section this theory is used to generate new insights on the nature of intellectual disability and specific cognitive deficits and to make practical suggestions for educational intervention for low-IQ children.
Ticks and Tick‐Borne Rickettsiae Surveillance in Montesinho Natural Park, Portugal

Abstract: This study constitutes the first contribution to the knowledge of tick dynamics and its implication in the epidemiology of rickettsial diseases in Montesinho Natural Park (MNP), Bragança district of Portugal. Of 76 ticks collected, 12 (15.8%) were Dermacentor (D.) marginatus, 36 (47.4%) D. reticulatus, and 28 (36.8%) Rhipicephalus (R.) sanguineus. Isolation assays were performed by shell‐vial technique on 41 ticks. Israeli spotted fever strain was an isolate from R. sanguineus, and three isolates of Rickettsia slovaca were obtained from D. reticulatus. All 76 ticks were screened by PCR for Rickettsia sp. , Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis, and Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum. Rickettsia RpA4 strain DNA was detected in 10 D. marginatus and 2 D. reticulatus, and Israeli spotted fever strain in 1 R. sanguineus. No E. chaffeensis or A. phagocytophilum infection was detected. New host records are provided for D. reticulatus. Also described for the first time in Portugal is the isolation of R. slovaca from D. reticulatus and the isolation of Israeli spotted fever strain from R. sanguineus. This confirms the association of the last rickettsiae strain with the same vector tick as previously described in Israel and Sicily.
Optimal Sparsification for Some Binary CSPs Using Low-Degree Polynomials

This article analyzes to what extent it is possible to efficiently reduce the number of clauses in NP-hard satisfiability problems without changing the answer. Upper and lower bounds are established using the concept of kernelization. Existing results show that if NP ⊈ coNP/poly, no efficient preprocessing algorithm can reduce n-variable instances of cnf-sat with d literals per clause to equivalent instances with O(nd−ε ) bits for any ε > 0. For the Not-All-Equal sat problem, a compression to size Õ(nd−1) exists. We put these results in a common framework by analyzing the compressibility of CSPs with a binary domain. We characterize constraint types based on the minimum degree of multivariate polynomials whose roots correspond to the satisfying assignments, obtaining (nearly) matching upper and lower bounds in several settings. Our lower bounds show that not just the number of constraints, but also the encoding size of individual constraints plays an important role. For example, for Exact Satisfiability with unbounded clause length it is possible to efficiently reduce the number of constraints to n+1, yet no polynomial-time algorithm can reduce to an equivalent instance with O(n2−ε ) bits for any ε > 0, unless NP ⊆ coNP/poly.