Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FUNCTION OF MACROPHAGES IN ANTIGEN RECOGNITION BY GUINEA PIG T LYMPHOCYTES

A number of recent studies have suggested that the main functional role of the product of the immune response (Ir) genes is in the process of antigen recognition by the T lymphocyte. The observation in the accompanying report that the interaction of macrophage-associated antigen with immune T lymphocytes requires that both cells share histocompatibility antigens raised the question as to whether the macrophage played a role in the genetic control of the immune response or even if the macrophage were the primary cell in which the product of the Ir gene is expressed. In the current study, parental macrophages were pulsed with an antigen, the response to which is controlled by an Ir gene lacking in that parent; these macrophages were then mixed with T cells derived from the (nonresponder x responder)F1 and the resultant stimulation was measured. No stimulation was seen when column-purified F1 lymph node lymphocytes were mixed with antigen-pulsed macrophages from the nonresponder parent. However, when the highly reactive peritoneal exudate lymphocyte population was used as the indicator cells, parental macrophages pulsed with an antigen whose Ir gene they lacked were capable of initiating F1 T-cell proliferation. The magnitude of stimulation was approximately 1/10 that seen when macrophages from either the responder parent or the F1 were used. In order to explain this observation, we hypothesize that antigen recognition sites on the T lymphocyte are physically related to a macrophage-binding site and both are linked to the serologically determined histocompatibility antigens. Thus, parental macrophages pulsed with an antigen, whose Ir gene they lack, activate F1 cells poorly because the recognition sites for the antigen are physically related to the macrophage-binding site of the responder parent while the main contacts between the cells are at the nonresponder binding sites. Experiments performed with alloantisera lend support to this hypothesis. Thus, when parental macrophages are pulsed with any antigen and added to F1 T cells, an alloantiserum directed against parental histocompatibility antigens reacts with both the lymphocyte and the macrophage and thereby inhibits macrophage-lymphocyte interaction and abolishes antigen-induced lymphocyte transformation. When the alloantisera are directed at determinants present solely on the T lymphocyte, they only inhibit the recognition of antigens controlled by the Ir gene linked to the histocompatibility antigen against which they are directed. We conclude from these studies that antigen recognition by the T lymphocyte is a complex multicellular event involving more than simple antigen binding to a specific lymphocyte receptor.
Determining the Optimal Regression Model to Estimate Transversal Effective Thermal Conductivity of an Unidirectional Composite

This paper explores the application of pattern recognition and artificial intelligence techniques in the characterization of a multiphase realistic disordered composite and in the design of a multiple regression model to estimate effective thermal conductivity. An image database of computer simulated microstructures was generated. Some descriptors based on boundary and area shapes of Voronoi cells were extracted for each fiber distribution. Several approaches have been used to reduce the high original dimensionality. Selected features can be introduced as inputs in a multiple regression model, alternative to the Finite Element Method for the computation of effective thermal conductivity. Different regression models (classical and neural approaches) have been considered and a randomised resampling procedure has been designed in order to choose the best from a statistical point of view.
ORAL PAPILLOMATOSIS OF RABBITS: A VIRUS DISEASE

Papillomas occur frequently on the oral mucosa of domestic rabbits procured in the metropolitan area of New York. They are small and benign, and are situated mostly on the under side of the tongue. A filtrable virus can be extracted from them with which growths can be reproduced in the oral mucosa of several species of rabbits and hares but which fails to cause lesions when inoculated into other rabbit tissues and into the oral mucosa of other species. The virus differs notably from the Shope virus, which causes cutaneous papillomas in rabbits but proves innocuous to oral mucosa: rabbits solidly immune to the oral papilloma virus are fully susceptible to the Shope virus and vice versa. The oral papillomas are not highly contagious, for susceptible animals kept in individual cages in the same rooms with others carrying the growths, fed the same kind of food, and cared for by the same attendants, do not "catch" them. They are found much more frequently in the offspring of dams that carry the growths than in those of mothers free from them, and the causative virus can be recovered from the mouth washings of rabbits having no growths. The observations indicate that the virus may be spread by transfer from the mother to the young during the period of suckling, and that it may lie latent in the mouth, doing no harm unless the mucous membrane is injured. The slight trauma occurring now and then when coarse foods are chewed may furnish the required tissue nidus under natural conditions, for papillomas occasionally appear after virus has been dropped into the mouths of uninoculated rabbits; but the more extensive injury and healing resulting from experimental tattoo inoculations proves regularly effective in this respect. Tar can also act as an efficient adjuvant to the virus, the incidence of "spontaneous" oral papillomas being much higher in domestic rabbits that had had the opportunity to lick tar from their ears and paws during long periods than in normal control animals. The virus is recoverable in quantity from the oral papillomas of tarred domestic rabbits, and the findings indicate that it is their essential cause, the tar acting merely to prepare the tissue for the virus' action. For the same tar does not elicit oral papillomas in wild cottontail rabbits, which do not carry the causative virus though fully susceptible to it. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Pricing models and pricing schemes of IaaS providers: a comparison study

"Cloud Computing" is one of the most significant advances in information technology since the rise of the global Internet network. The cost effectiveness of the cloud computing is one of the reason for its popularity. The cost can be further reduced by the customer by carefully selecting the cloud service provider, according to his/her requirement. This work is an attempt to list the different pricing models and pricing schemes used by some of the popular IaaS providers and also to understand how the price varies for the same requirement in different IaaS providers. This survey helps the customers to understand the different pricing models and to choose the better IaaS provider depending on his/her requirement.
Broadband quasi-Chebyshev bandpass filters with multimode stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs)

Planar broadband bandpass filters of order up to 9 are synthesized based on the multimode property of stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs). Based on the transmission line theory, the modal frequencies of the SIRs are calculated based on the impedance and length ratios of its hi- and low-Z segments. In the synthesis, the SIR coupling schemes are determined by the split mode graphs. Using one, two, two, three, and three dual- or triple-mode SIRs, quasi-Chebyshev filters with four, six, six, eight, and nine transmission poles, respectively, are synthesized with a fractional bandwidth (BW) Delta=50%. Emphasis is placed not only on designing the I/O coupling structures for matching the external Q (Qext) and the circuit BW, but also on matching the resonant peaks of the circuit with the nominal Chebyshev poles. Measured results of experimental circuits show good agreement with simulated responses
A web based adaptive educational system

In this study, an adaptive educational system based on AHAM reference was introduced to teach stepper motors being an important topic in the vocational education. In the system, a domain model for stepper motors was designed and a user overlay model was created based on the domain model. Naive Bayes Classifier (NBC), commonly used in adaptive educational hypermedia systems, was preferred in the application for modeling students in vocational education. Students were classified using NBC as "beginner", "intermediate" or "advanced" based on their knowledge level about the domain model. The system gathers data from the users (students) on-line as well as updates the user models continuously. Thus, the system got the on-line adaptability. Moreover, the system has such abilities as guiding and serving additional explanations according to the users' preferences and defects in the knowledge domain.
A modified structural method for shape recognition

Shape recognition plays an important role in machine vision applications. The effective recognition algorithm should be less complicated and more accurate. In this paper, a structural descriptor for shape recognition is presented which has less complexity and more accuracy comparing with existing algorithms. Obviously, the boundary of shape is an important property in shape representation and description. In proposed method, the centroid of shape is considered as a basic point. Then, two structural properties such as distance and angles between the centroid and shape contour are calculated. Finally, by combining these two structural features, a new Feature-Space is constructed. The proposed shape descriptor can measure periodical, smoothness and symmetry of shapes and can be used as a modified method for shape recognition.
Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations in Maternal Mid-Pregnancy Serum Samples: Association with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are neurodevelopmental toxicants, but few studies have examined associations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objectives: We aimed to determine whether prenatal exposure to PCBs and OCPs influences offspring risk of ASD and intellectual disability without autism (ID). Methods: We conducted a population-based case–control study among Southern California births, including children with ASD (n = 545) meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and ID (n = 181), as well as general population (GP) controls (n = 418). Concentrations of 11 PCB congeners and 2 OCPs measured in banked second-trimester serum samples were compared between the diagnostic groups. Logistic regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for associations with ASD, and separately for ID, compared with GP controls, by quartiles of analyte concentrations in primary analyses. Results: Geometric mean levels of several PCB congeners were higher in the ASD group than in the ID and GP groups. ASD risk was elevated for a number of PCB congeners, particularly for the highest vs. lowest quartile of PCB138/158 (AOR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.71) and PCB153 (AOR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.02), and for highest deciles of other congeners in secondary analyses. PCB138/158 was also associated with increased ID (AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.18, 4.91), though no trend was suggested. OCPs were not associated with increased risk of ASD in primary analyses, whereas nonmonotonic increases in risk of ID were found with p,p´-DDE. Conclusions: Our results suggest higher levels of some organochlorine compounds during pregnancy are associated with ASD and ID. Citation: Lyall K, Croen LA, Sjödin A, Yoshida CK, Zerbo O, Kharrazi M, Windham GC. 2017. Polychlorinated biphenyl and organochlorine pesticide concentrations in maternal mid-pregnancy serum samples: association with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Environ Health Perspect 125:474–480; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/EHP277
A deep Chandra observation of the cluster environment of the z=1.786 radio galaxy 3C 294

We report the results from a 200-ks Chandra observation of the z = 1.786 radio galaxy 3C 294 and its cluster environment, increasing by ten-fold our earlier observation. The diffuse emission, extending about 100 kpc around the nucleus, has a roughly hourglass shape in the north-south (N-S) direction with surprisingly sharp edges to the N and S. The spectrum of the diffuse emission is well fitted by either a thermal model of temperature 3.5 keV and abundance <0.9 Z O . (2a), or a power law with photon index 2.3. If the emission is due to hot gas then the sharp edges mean that it is probably not in hydrostatic equilibrium. Much of the emission is plausibly due to inverse Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by non-thermal electrons produced earlier by the radio source. The required relativistic electrons would be of much lower energy and older than those responsible for the present radio lobes. This could account for the lack of detailed spatial correspondence between the X-rays and the radio emission, the axis of which is at a position angle of about 45°. Hot gas would still be required to confine the relativistic plasma; the situation could parallel that of the radio bubbles seen as holes in nearby clusters, except that in 3C 294 the bubbles are bright in X-rays owing to the extreme power in the source and the sixty-fold increase in the energy density of the CMB. The X-ray spectrum of the radio nucleus is hard, showing a reflection spectrum and iron line. The source is therefore an obscured radio-loud quasar.
Does a Common Pathway Transduce Symbiotic Signals in Plant–Microbe Interactions?

Recent years have witnessed major advances in our knowledge of plant mutualistic symbioses such as the rhizobium-legume symbiosis (RLS) and arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM). Some of these findings caused the revision of longstanding hypotheses, but one of the most solid theories is that a conserved set of plant proteins rules the transduction of symbiotic signals from beneficial glomeromycetes and rhizobia in a so-called common symbiotic pathway (CSP). Nevertheless, the picture still misses several elements, and a few crucial points remain unclear. How does one common pathway discriminate between – at least – two symbionts? Can we exclude that microbes other than AM fungi and rhizobia also use this pathway to communicate with their host plants? We here discuss the possibility that our current view is biased by a long-lasting focus on legumes, whose ability to develop both AM and RLS is an exception among plants and a recent innovation in their evolution; investigations in non-legumes are starting to place legume symbiotic signaling in a broader perspective. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that CSP proteins act in a wider scenario of symbiotic and non-symbiotic signaling. Overall, evidence is accumulating in favor of distinct activities for CSP proteins in AM and RLS, depending on the molecular and cellular context where they act.
Identification of Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitors of West Nile Virus Infection

ABSTRACT West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the United States and Canada and now annually causes a clinical spectrum of human disease ranging from a self-limiting acute febrile illness to acute flaccid paralysis and lethal encephalitis. No therapy or vaccine is currently approved for use in humans. Using high-throughput screening assays that included a luciferase expressing WNV subgenomic replicon and an NS1 capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we evaluated a chemical library of over 80,000 compounds for their capacity to inhibit WNV replication. We identified 10 compounds with strong inhibitory activity against genetically diverse WNV and Kunjin virus isolates. Many of the inhibitory compounds belonged to a chemical family of secondary sulfonamides and have not been described previously to inhibit WNV or other related or unrelated viruses. Several of these compounds inhibited WNV infection in the submicromolar range, had selectivity indices of greater than 10, and inhibited replication of other flaviviruses, including dengue and yellow fever viruses. One of the most promising compounds, AP30451, specifically blocked translation of a yellow fever virus replicon but not a Sindbis virus replicon or an internal ribosome entry site containing mRNA. Overall, these compounds comprise a novel class of promising inhibitors for therapy against WNV and other flavivirus infections in humans.
ADAM: Administration and deployment of adhoc mesh networks

Costly on-site node repairs in wireless mesh networks (WMNs) can be required due to misconfiguration, corrupt software updates, or unavailability during updates. We propose ADAM as a novel management framework that guarantees accessibility of individual nodes in these situations. ADAM uses a decentralised distribution mechanism and self-healing mechanisms for safe configuration and software updates. In order to implement the ADAM management and self-healing mechanisms, an easy-to-learn and extendable build system for a small footprint embedded Linux distribution for WMNs has been developed. The paper presents the ADAM concept, the build system for the Linux distribution and the management architecture.
A ranking method based on users' contexts for information recommendation

We propose a ranking method using a Support Vector Machine for information recommendation. By using the SVM, a recommendation method can determine suitable items for a user from enormous item sets. However, it can decide based on just two classes: whether the user likes a thing or not. When there is a large number of recommended items, it is not easy for the user to find the best item by herself. To resolve this issue, it is desirable to rank the items based on the user's preferences. Moreover, the user's preferences change depending on the context. Based on the above problem, we propose a context-aware ranking method for information recommendation. Our method considers a user's context when ranking items. Our method consists of the following two steps: (1) Predicting important feature parameters for the user. (2) Calculating a ranking score of each item in recommendation candidates. In this paper, we describe our method and show experimental results.
Force Budget: I. Theory and Numerical Methods

Abstract A practical method is developed for calculating stresses and velocities at depth using field measurements of the geometry and surface velocity of glaciers. To do this, it is convenient to partition full stresses into lithostatic and resistive components. The horizontal gradient in vertically integrated lithostatic stress is the driving stress and it describes the horizontal action of gravity. The horizontal resistive stress gradients describe the reactions. Resistive stresses are simply related to deviatoric stresses and hence to strain-rates through a constitutive relation. A numerical scheme can be used to calculate stresses and velocities from surface velocities and slope, and from ice thickness. There is no mathematical requirement that the variations in these quantities be small.
A unified equation of state of dense matter and neutron star structure

An equation of state (EOS) of neutron star matter, describing both the neutron star crust and the liquid core, is calculated. It is based on the eective nuclear interaction SLy of the Skyrme type, which is particularly suitable for the application to the calculation of the properties of very neutron rich matter (Chabanat et al. 1997, 1998). The structure of the crust, and its EOS, is calculated in the T = 0 approximation, and under the assumption of the ground state composition. The crust-core transition is a very weakly rst-order phase transition, with relative density jump of about one percent. The EOS of the liquid core is calculated assuming (minimal) npe composition. Parameters of static neutron stars are calculated and compared with existing observational data on neutron stars. The minimum and maximum masses of static neutron stars are 0:094 M and 2:05 M, respectively. Eects of rotation on the minimum and the maximum mass of neutron stars are briefly discussed.
Predicting functional decline in at-risk college students

Objective: To determine the predictive value of childhood trauma, a family history of mental illness, resilience, depressive symptoms, and psychotic symptoms on functional decline in a Boston college student population. Methods: This study is an analysis of a subset of cross-sectional and longitudinal questionnaire data from a project entitled “A Multi-Site, Collaborative, University-Based Program for the Prevention of Youth Suicide” conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital Depression and Clinical Research Program. This study analyzes data from screenings at two Universities in the Boston area, at which 475 subjects filled out questionnaires assessing a variety of mental health domains and psychological functioning. Subjects with initial elevated scores on depression, psychosis, and suicidality measures (N=183) were followed over time and completed online questionnaires reassessing these mental-health and functional domains one month and thirteen months later via online questionnaires. Pearson’s Correlations were used to determine correlates of poor functioning at baseline. Additionally, linear regression was used to assess how baseline childhood trauma, a family history of mental illness,
Comparing Burnout Across Emergency Physicians, Nurses, Technicians, and Health Information Technicians Working for the Same Organization

AbstractStudies on the topic of burnout measure the effects of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) (negative or cynical attitudes toward work), and reduced sense of personal accomplishment (PA). While the prevalence of burnout in practicing emergency medicine (EM) professionals has been studied, little is known of the prevalence and factors across physicians, nurses, technicians, and health information technicians working for the same institution. The aim of this study was to assess burnout differences across EM professional types.The total population of 250 EM professionals at 2 public urban hospitals in Turkey were surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and basic social- and work-related demographics. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and additional post hoc tests were computed.Findings show that EE and DP scores were high across all occupational groups, while scores on PA were low. There was a statistically significant difference between nurses and medical technicians (P < 0.05) for EE; and between physicians and both nurses and medical technicians (P < 0.05) for PA; while no group differences were found for DP. Age, gender, economic well-being, and income level were all significant; while patient load and marital status showed no significance.Burnout can be high across occupational groups in the emergency department. Burnout is important for EM administrators to assess across human resources. Statistically significant differences across socio-demographic groups vary across occupational groups. However, differences between occupational groups may not be explained effectively by the demographic factors assessed in this or other prior studies. Rather, the factors associated with burnout are incomplete and require further institutional, cultural, and organizational analyses including differentiating between job tasks carried out by each EM job type.