Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Site-specific sensitization in a murine model of allergic rhinitis: role of the upper airway in lower airways disease.

BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common atopic disease with strong links to asthma. We have developed a murine model of AR to study nasal, bronchial, and systemic immune response to local allergen stimulation. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize a murine model of AR. METHODS Six- to 8-week-old BALB/c mice were sensitized by means of intranasal (local) application of ovalbumin (OVA) or systemic intraperitoneal injection. They were then challenged with intranasal OVA, and allergic response was assessed. RESULTS Intranasal particle deposition was found to be exclusively in the nares. All sensitized animals showed increased levels of OVA-specific serum IgE and IgG after challenge, although the timing to maximal response varied with the route and dose of allergen used. Histology of the upper and lower airways showed marked eosinophilic infiltration, and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed increased IL-5 and PMN infiltrates after challenge. CONCLUSION Using exclusive local sensitization and challenge of mouse nares, we were able to demonstrate inflammatory changes in both the upper and lower airways, even though distribution of allergen particles appeared to be only in the nares of these animals. This provides further evidence for the importance of the upper airway in lower airways disease. We have shown that the route of administration greatly affects the characteristics of the subsequent immune responses.
Intraperitoneal Adipose Tissue: Associated Health Risks, Quantification by Advanced Imaging Methods and Future Directions in Children

The prevalence of obesity continues to grow at an alarming rate and currently there are no highly effective long-term treatments for obesity at the population level. Targeting childhood is a critical component of the strategy for fighting the obesity epidemic and there is an important need to understand the relationship among adipose tissue distribution, growth and obesity-related health risks. Growing evidence supports the idea that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is related to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other medical conditions through blood drainage, hormonal factors, inflammation, and adipocytokines. Recent studies suggest that VAT is not a homogenous depot. Intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal adipose tissues (IPAT & EPAT), the two subcomponents of VAT, have different venous blood drainage and may also differ in their associations with metabolic risk. The majority of previous studies have used imaging methods to measure the total amount of VAT. Few studies have established protocols for the analysis IPAT and EPAT and those that have are limited by their approximate nature and relatively large measurement error. To better understand the role of adipose tissue distribution in relation to the health consequences of obesity, accurate methods to separately measure IPAT and EPAT should be developed. Fortunately, children's characteristic VAT distribution permits easier differentiation between IPAT and EPAT than in adults. Future studies need to elaborate the role of regional VAT in growth and obesity with accurate quantification of IPAT and EPAT by advanced magnetic resonance imaging methods. Here we provide an overview of the relationship between health risks and IPAT based on a critical analysis of pre- viously published results. We then examine existing imaging methods for measuring IPAT. Our report explores the importance of investigating IPAT in children and provides suggestions for future research. We believe that understand- ing the relationship between VAT and its growth in early childhood is an important component of the strategy for
Multi-perspective Regression Test Prioritization for Time-Constrained Environments

Test case prioritization techniques are widely used to enable reaching certain performance goals during regression testing faster. A commonly used goal is high fault detection rate, where test cases are ordered in a way that enables detecting faults faster. However, for optimal regression testing, there is a need to take into account multiple performance indicators, as considered by different project stakeholders. In this paper, we introduce a new optimal multi-perspective approach for regression test case prioritization. The approach is designed to optimize regression testing for faster fault detection integrating three different perspectives: business perspective, performance perspective, and technical perspective. The approach has been validated in regression testing of industrial mobile device systems developed in continuous integration. The results show that our proposed framework efficiently prioritizes test cases for faster and more efficient regression fault detection, maximizing the number of executed test cases with high failure frequency, high failure impact, and cross-functional coverage, compared to manual practice.
Interobserver Variability Between Breast Imagers Using the Fifth Edition of the BI-RADS MRI Lexicon.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the interobserver variability of users of the MRI lexicon in the fifth edition of the BI-RADS atlas. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three breast imaging specialists reviewed 280 routine clinical breast MRI findings reported as BI-RADS category 3. Lesions reported as BI-RADS 3 were chosen because variability in the use of BI-RADS descriptors may influence which lesions are classified as probably benign. Each blinded reader reviewed every study and recorded breast features (background parenchymal enhancement) and lesion features (lesion morphology, mass shape, mass margin, mass internal enhancement, nonmass enhancement distribution, nonmass enhancement internal enhancement, enhancement kinetics) according to the fifth edition of the BI-RADS lexicon and provided a final BI-RADS assessment. Interobserver variability was calculated for each breast and lesion feature and for the final BI-RADS assessment. RESULTS Interobserver variability for background parenchymal enhancement was fair (ĸ = 0.28). There was moderate agreement on lesion morphology (ĸ = 0.53). For masses, there was substantial agreement on shape (ĸ = 0.72), margin (ĸ = 0.78), and internal enhancement (ĸ = 0.69). For nonmass enhancement, there was substantial agreement on distribution (ĸ = 0.69) and internal enhancement (ĸ = 0.62). There was slight agreement on lesion kinetics (ĸ = 0.19) and final BI-RADS assessment (ĸ = 0.11). CONCLUSION There is moderate to substantial agreement on most MRI BI-RADS lesion morphology descriptors, particularly mass and nonmass enhancement features, which are important predictors of malignancy. Considerable disagreement remains, however, among experienced readers whether to follow particular findings.
Renal changes in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract Electron dense deposits in mesangial areas and on the glomerular basement membrane, plus the presence of immunoglobulin (IgG) in the same locations, were observed in the kidneys of mice heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni. When examined by light microscopy, these kidneys were within normal limits. It thus seems that with appropriate techniques the mouse model will prove useful for future studies on the problem of renal involvement in schistosomiasis.
Capitalism and Christianity: The Possibility of Christian Personalism

With socialism in eclipse and market economies gaining acceptance worldwide, a new kind of ethics is needed to address social injustice and inequity. Richard C. Bayer debunks the present direction of mainstream social ethical theory by advancing market systems themselves as a means toward promoting justice and meeting human needs. Observing that the primary vehicle for Christian ethics since the New Deal has been the welfare state, Bayer argues instead that market systems can provide a basis for reconciling capitalism and Christianity in both theory and practice. He proposes Christian personalism as an ethical approach that emphasizes the dignity of the human person and promotes the achievement of personal development through participation in a modified market economy. Bayer's work draws on Catholic social thought and orthodox economics, adopting a post-Keynesian approach that deemphasizes the role of the state in the achievement of economic justice. As an example of a personalist economic reform agenda, he describes a "share economy" that advances solidarity among workers, promises greater economic efficiency, and increases employee participation in profit-sharing and decision-making. "Capitalism and Christianity" integrates moral arguments with economic analysis to challenge prevailing thought in contemporary Christian social ethics. By incorporating key insights of liberalism while providing constructive criticism of that perspective, it creatively addresses both personal development and the common good.
Phrase-based language models for speech recognition

Including phrases in the vocabulary list can improve ngram language models used in speech recognition. In this paper, we report results of automatic extraction of phrases from the training text using frequency, likelihood, and correlation criteria. We show how a language model built from a vocabulary that includes useful phrases can systematically improve language model perplexity in a natural language call-routing task and the 20K-Nov92 Wall Street Journal evaluation. We also discuss the impact of such phrase-based language models on recognition word error rate.
Microreview: Regulation of mammalian defensin expression by Toll‐like receptor‐dependent and independent signalling pathways

The immune system consists of innate and adaptive immune responses. The innate immune system confers non‐specific protection against a large number of pathogens, hence, serving as the first line of defence. The innate immune system utilizes Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) to recognize and bind pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Binding of PAMPs leads to TLR activation, which, in turn, initiates MAPK‐ or NF‐κB‐dependent cascades that culminate in a proinflammatory response. This response involves the secretion of cytokines, chemokines and broad‐spectrum antibacterial substances, such as defensins. Increased defensin synthesis is also mediated by the activation of receptors other than TLRs, such as NOD2, IL‐17R and PAR‐2. This review summarizes the recently characterized signalling pathways leading to increased defensin synthesis as well as the pathway by which defensins activate TLRs on immature dendritic and memory T cells. Thus, not only do defensins eliminate pathogens, but they also recruit the adaptive immune system in instances of infection and/or inflammation.
Aggressive Rehabilitation Pathway Targeting Concussion Symptoms: Illustration with a Case Study

We present an aggressive rehabilitation program that addresses specific post-concussion symptoms for patients with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Our pathway is illustrated by our report of a 38-year-old female who was injured during a wind storm as a result of a direct blow to the left temporal area. In the fourth month following her injury, she was diagnosed with a right-sided central and peripheral vestibular neuropathy. She had cognitive difficulties and consistently poor multitasking abilities. After five months of brain rest and incomplete resolution of symptoms, she was referred to our program. A comprehensive rehabilitative program, including patient specific goals, was initiated to address the multiple deficiencies and symptoms to improve her quality of life (QOL). The program utilized a multidisciplinary team approach including instructing the patient on “feel better” and “get better” strategies. The patient’s progress and symptoms were continuously monitored, addressed, and targeted. Progression of activity was based upon achievement of multiple symptom-regulated goals. The program also included training cognitive function under physical stresses to return her to her pre-injury high-level of function and activity. Approximately 11 months following the concussive event she was discharged and placed on a long term maintenance program, as her QOL was essentially normal. As is typical with mTBIs, the recovery in this case was not linear and rehabilitation often evoked symptoms, but the concussion management team closely managed and addressed the symptoms. One particular intervention, the adjustment of visual acuity to 20/30 instead of 20/15, was particularly effective in reducing symptoms triggered by vision corrections. A focused, personalized rehabilitation program that targets the symptoms of a concussion helps identify and resolve concussion symptoms. This philosophy is based on traditional sports medical rehabilitation methods that first assess an injury and then work to strengthen weaknesses.
Combining Priors and Noisy Visual Cues in a Rapid Pointing Task

Statistical decision theory suggests that choosing an ideal action requires taking several factors into account: (1) prior knowledge of the probability of various world states, (2) sensory information concerning the world state, (3) the probability of outcomes given a choice of action, and (4) the loss or gain associated with those outcomes. In previous work, we found that, in many circumstances, humans act like ideal decision makers in planning a reaching movement. They select a movement aim point that maximizes expected gain, thus taking into account outcome uncertainty (motor noise) and the consequences of their actions. Here, we ask whether humans can optimally combine prior knowledge and uncertain sensory information in planning a reach. Subjects rapidly pointed at unseen targets, indicated with dots drawn from a distribution centered on the invisible target location. Target location had a prior distribution, the form of which was known to the subject. We varied the number of dots and hence target spatial uncertainty. An analysis of the sources of uncertainty impacting performance in this task indicated that the optimal strategy was to aim between the mean of the prior (the screen center) and the mean stimulus location (centroid of the dot cloud). With increased target location uncertainty, the aim point should have moved closer to the prior. Subjects used near-optimal strategies, combining stimulus uncertainty and prior information appropriately. Observer behavior was well modeled as having three additional sources of inefficiency originating in the motor system, calculation of centroid location, and calculation of aim points.
Reseaching for Quality: A Case for Action Research in Early Childhood Services

This article argues that improvements in the quality of young children's educational experiences could be assisted by greater use of fourth generation’ action research. A case is built for an increase in research for’ quality improvement in early childhood services as opposed to research ‘about’ quality improvement, through comparing and contrasting the implications for educational practice of the ethical and epistemological underpinnings of positivist, phenomenological and critical social science research traditions. It is argued that action research, informed by the ethics and epistemology of critical social science, offers one way of initiating such research.
Comorbidity of bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorders: results from the National Women's Study.

OBJECTIVE The nature of the relationship between bulimia nervosa (BN) and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence (AA/AD) and the extent to which women with BN+AA differ from women with BN-AA were examined in a national sample of women (N = 3,006). METHOD The sample of was generated by multistage geographic sampling and interviews were conducted by telephone. RESULTS AA was higher in women with BN compared to women without BN or binge eating disorder, only when the influence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was controlled. Prevalence rates of AA and AD were similar in women with BN, MDD, and PTSD. Analyses indicated that the relationship between BN and AA/AD may be indirect and influenced by associations with MDD and PTSD. Women with BN+AA did not differ from those with BN-AA on most variables concerning victimization, family of origin, and disordered eating. DISCUSSION Evaluation of MDD and PTSD in women presenting for treatment of BN and/or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is recommended.
Lifespan Perspectives on the Family and Disability

How do families cope, adapt, and grow through the challenge of living with a child with a disability? How do family members nurture and support the developmental journey to adulthood? When a child has a disability, it affects the parents and other family members as individuals, the family as a system, and the parental role. This book examines the questions above as it focuses on understanding families and addressing communication and collaboration between family members. Topics include: the family as an interactive unit, stress, coping, day-to-day issues, the family within the community, the early childhood years, schools, and more. Parents, educators, and therapists.
Child-Adult Differences in the Recovery from High-Intensity Exercise

Children recover from physical exertion faster than adults, especially, from high-intensity exercise. It is argued that, qualitatively, this is due mainly to dimensional differences but that, predominantly, it is a quantitative difference, stemming from the lower relative power children can generate and from which they need to recover. Children's lesser power capacity is, in turn, likely due to maturation-dependent neuromotor differences.
Stress impacts telomere dynamics

Telomeres are DNA–protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes that control genomic integrity but appear to become shorter with age and stress. To test whether stress causes telomere attrition, we exposed the offspring of wild-caught house mice (Mus musculus) to stressful conditions and examined the changes in telomere length over six months. We found that females exposed to males and reproductive stress (either with or without crowding) had significantly shorter telomeres than controls, and males exposed to crowding stress had shorter telomeres than males that were not crowded. Our results indicate that stress alters telomere dynamics, causing attrition and hindering restoration, and these effects are sex dependent. Telomeres may thus provide a biomarker for assessing an individual's cumulative exposure or ability to cope with stressful conditions.
Anonymous Access Control by SAPA in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is rising as a prevailing information interactive paradigm to understand users’ information remotely hold on in a web cloud server. The present security solutions in the main specialize in the authentication to understand that a user’s privative information can not be unauthorized accessed, however neglect a delicate privacy issue throughout a user difficult the cloud server to request alternative users for information sharing. The challenged access request itself could reveal the user’s privacy regardless of whether or not or not it will acquire the information access permissions. In this paper, we tend to propose a shared authority primarily based privacy-preserving authentication protocol (SAPA) to deal with higher than privacy issue for cloud storage. within the SAPA, 1) shared access authority is achieved by anonymous access request matching mechanism with security and privacy issues (e.g., authentication, information obscurity, user privacy, and forward security); 2) attribute primarily based access management is adopted to understand that the user will solely access its own information fields; 3) proxy re-encryption is applied by the cloud server to produce information sharing among the multiple users. Meanwhile, universal composability (UC) model is engaging for multi-user cooperative cloud applications.
Making Multiracials: State, Family, and Market in the Redrawing of the Color Line

Table of Contents Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Making of a Category Chapter 3: Becoming a Multiracial Entrepreneur Chapter 4: Making Multiracial Families Chapter 5: Creating Multiracial Identity and Community Chapter 6: Consuming Multiracials Chapter 7: Redrawing the Color Line? : The Problems and Possibilities of Multiracial Families and Group Making Appendix A: List of Respondents Appendix B: Methodology Appendix C: Situating Multiracial Groupmaking in the Literature on Social Movements, Race, and the Work of Pierre Bourdieu Bibliography Index
Short-Term Hearing Aid Benefit in a Large Group

Short-term benefit in a very large group (N = 4,584) following hearing aid treatment was estimated using a revised version of the Self-Assessment of Communication (SAC-Hx). A total of 4,584 veterans with adult-onset hearing loss and mean audiometric findings consistent with a mild to severe, sloping, symmetrical, sensorineural hearing impairment were fitted with hearing aids. Responses to the SAC-Hx were gathered prior to and then 6 weeks following hearing aid fitting. Benefit was defined as the difference between the baseline and the posttreatment SAC-Hx scores. Hearing aid treatment resulted in robust and statistically significant benefit in each category of self-perceived communication consequences. Prior experience influenced benefit: New hearing aid users demonstrated the greatest magnitude of benefit, but even previously satisfied and dissatisfied users obtained significant benefit after new hearing aid fitting. Duration of experience did not have a remarkable effect on the magnitude of benefit: All groups with various durations of experience obtained comparable benefit. Severity of the baseline scores paralleled degree of hearing impairment when impairment was defined using a better ear pure tone average at 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 Hz. Also, severity of perceived communication consequences paralleled poorer monosyllabic word recognition. Hearing aid treatment provided a functional, robust, and statistically significant benefit to individuals in all categories of hearing impairment (normal, mild, moderate, severe, and profound). This report demonstrates the feasibility of the SAC-Hx as a tool to efficiently assess outcome domains in hearing aid fitting.