Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovery of a Widespread Infestation of Aedes albopictus in the Torres Strait, Australia

ABSTRACT Aedes albopictus is a container-breeding Stegomyia mosquito that has dispersed widely from its origins in Southeast Asia. Because Ae. albopictus is a known dengue vector and a potential vector of a variety of arboviruses and it can tolerate cooler climates than Aedes aegypti, Australian quarantine and health authorities have strategies to detect and eliminate it from international ports. Following the detection of 42 adult Ae. albopictus in BG-Sentinel traps set on Yorke island in the Torres Strait of Australia in April 2005, extensive surveys were conducted to determine the distribution of Ae. albopictus in the Torres Strait and adjoining Cape York Peninsula. A total of 17 islands and the northern peninsula area of Cape York Peninsula were surveyed by collection of larvae and pupae from flooded containers and human bait collections of adult mosquitoes with aspirators and sweep nets. Aedes albopictus was detected on 10 islands and comprised 100% of the day-biting container-breeding mosquitoes on Yorke and Stephens Islands. No Ae. albopictus were detected in the mainland sites on Cape York. Retrospective genetic analysis of larvae collected in April 2004 and April 2005 on Yorke Island indicated that Ae. albopictus was present in low densities in 2004 and that there were 3 genetically distinct mitochondrial haplotypes on Yorke Island in April 2005. Additionally, on Yorke Island there is evidence that Ae. albopictus is displacing Aedes scutellaris.
Silent microbleeds and old hematomas in spontaneous cerebral hemorrhages.

OBJECTIVE The authors studied the risk factors of silent cerebral microbleeds (MBs) and old hematomas (OHs) and their association with concurrent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in the patients of intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs). METHODS From April 2002 to June 2007, we retrospectively studied 234 patients of primary hemorrhagic stroke. All patients were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and 3.0-tesla MR imaging studies within the first week of admission. MBs and OHs were assessed by using T2*-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) MR imaging. The patients were divided into 2 groups, depending on whether or not they had two GRE lesions of chronic hemorrhages. A correlation between MBs and OHs lesions were also statistically tested. Lacunes and white matter and periventricular hyperintensities (WMHs, PVHs) were checked by T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences. Variables on the clinical and laboratory data and MR imaging abnormalities were compared between both groups with or without MBs and OHs. RESULTS MBs were observed in 186 (79.5%) patients and a total of 46 OHs were detected in 45 (19.2%) patients. MBs (39.6%), OHs (80.4%), and ICHs (69.7%) were most commonly located in the ganglionic/thalamic region. Both MBs and OHs groups were more frequently related to chronic hypertension and advanced WMHs and PVHs. The prevalence and number of MBs were more closely associated with OHs groups than non-OH patients. CONCLUSION This study clearly demonstrated the presence of MBs and OHs and their correlation with hypertension and cerebral white matter microangiopathy in the ICHs patients. Topographic correlation between the three lesions (MBs, OHs, and ICHs) was also noted in the deep thalamo-basal location.
Effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor on Tumor Cell Plasma Membrane Permeability

Ehrlich ascites tumor cells incubated with rabbit tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-serum showed a temperature-dependent functional impairment of the plasma membrane as reflected by permeability changes. Trypan blue inclusion and Ca2+-transport were considerably increased at hyperthermia temperature. This characteristic of the TNF-plasma membrane interaction may explain the cytotoxicity of TNF.
Anti-thymus cytotoxicity: identification and isolation of rat thymus-specific membrane antigens and purification of the corresponding antibodies.

Two rat thymus-specific antigens inducing cytotoxic hetero-antibodies are localized in the cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and outer mitochondrial membrane. One is also common to the cell-sap. The two antigens were purified from detergent-solubilized endoplasmic reticulum by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and preparative polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis until single homogeneous electrophoretic protein bands were obtained. Some properties of the unique membrane antigen suggest that it may belong to the group of the structural membrane proteins. The firm binding of the antigens to the membranes permitted absorption and subsequent elution of cytotoxic antibodies from the whole immunoserum previously rendered thymus-specific by absorption with subcellular fractions from different organs. The eluted antibodies were exclusively IgG and retained their activity in vitro and in vivo. The results are considered relevant to the study of the mechanism of the immuno-depressive action of thymus-specific cytotoxic antibodies.
Viral hepatitis in Japan: Update

Viral hepatitis is defined as a hepatitis virus infection in which hepatic inflammation and necrosis lead to a characteristic feature. It is caused by at least five viral agents with specific epidemio‐logical attributes and distinctive immunoserologic findings. The well‐characterized forms are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses. Recent status and the current progress of viral hepatitis in Japan are discussed in the present article.
Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever Serotype 3 Viruses Cocirculation in Cote d'Ivoire in 2008

Aim of study. To describe the emergence of dengue 3 virus in Cote d'Ivoire during a yellow fever outbreak which occurred in 2008. Materials and methods. Sera from suspected cases of yellow fever as well as contacts of yellow fever confirmed cases and imported dengue fever cases were tested for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antiyellow fever virus and anti-dengue virus (for IgM antibodies to yellow fever and dengue viruses) and by a specific real time RT-PCR (Bio- Rad) for yellow fever virus and dengue virus viral RNA detection. Results. Of the 511 sera from suspected cases of yellow fever tested, 21 (4.1%) were confirmed positive for yellow fever virus antibody, while 33 (7.6%) of the 432 sera tested were positive for dengue virus antibody. Thirteen viremic subjects, one for yellow fever virus and 12 for dengue 3 virus, were detected by RT-PCR. The majority of the confirmed cases of yellow fever (85%) and dengue 3 fever (93%) were adults, and resided in the city of Abidjan and its regions. Conclusion. These results indicate the existence of transmission foci of these arboviruses diseases in Cote d'Ivoire and the essential contribution of molecular tests for their diagnosis.
AET-IAA: A Novel Approach to Enhance Azimuth Resolution for ScanSAR Interferometry

Scanning synthetic aperture radar (ScanSAR) obtains wide swath images at the expense of azimuth resolution by sweeping the antenna beam periodically. Interferometric applications benefit from the wide swath of ScanSAR data. As a result, ScanSAR interferometry can efficiently acquire large scale geophysical information. However, the low azimuth resolution of ScanSAR images limits some applications of ScanSAR interferometry in urban areas such as topographic mapping. In this manuscript, an improved azimuth processing algorithm is proposed, which combines linear-prediction-model-based aperture extrapolation technique (AET) with iterative adaptive approach (IAA), entitled as AET-IAA. The AET-IAA can not only enhance the azimuth resolution significantly, but also preserve the phase information of the data. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms conventional algorithms when used in ScanSAR interferometry in urban areas.
Using Genetic Algorithms for Software Testing: Performance Improvement Techniques

One of the fundamental principles of agile software development involves delivering working software on a more frequent basis than traditional software development. To ensure the adequacy of these releases, testing must be undertaken which is capable of exploring and highlighting error-laden regions of software. Automated testing tools can provide support for quality assurance efforts within the context of rapid development cycles. Using genetic algorithms to generate test cases is one such method of automated testing for coverage, and more importantly, long-sequence testing. However, the execution time of such genetic algorithms may make their use somewhat unattractive. This research evaluates three performance techniques with the goal of decreasing execution time while still remaining effective in uncovering errors. Preliminary results suggest sampling provides dramatic efficiency improvements with several other summarization techniques improving performance even more.
Intrauterine exposure to bisphenol A promotes different effects in both neonatal and adult prostate of male and female gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Substances that mimic endogenous hormones may alter the cell signaling that govern prostate development and predispose it to developing lesions in adult and senile life. Bisphenol A is able to mimic estrogens, and studies have demonstrated that low levels of exposure to this compound have caused alterations during prostate development. The aim of this study was to describe the prostate development in both male and female neonatal gerbils in normal conditions and under exposure to BPA during intrauterine life, and also to analyze whether the effects of intrauterine exposure to BPA remain in adulthood. Morphological, stereological, three‐dimensional reconstruction, and immunohistochemical methods were employed. The results demonstrated that in 1‐day‐old normal gerbils, the female paraurethral glands and the male ventral lobe are morphologically similar, although its tissue components—epithelial buds (EB), periurethral mesenchyme (PeM), paraurethral mesenchyme (PaM) or ventral mesenchymal pad (VMP), and smooth muscle (SM)—have presented different immunolabeling pattern for androgen receptor (AR), and for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Moreover, we observed a differential response of male and female prostate to intrauterine BPA exposure. In 1‐day‐old males, the intrauterine exposure to BPA caused a decrease of AR‐positive cells in the PeM and SM, and a decrease of the proliferative status in the EB. In contrast, no morphological alterations were observed in ventral prostate of adult males. In 1‐day‐old females, BPA exposure promoted an increase of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) positive cells in PeM and PaM, a decrease of AR‐positive cells in EB and PeM, besides a reduction of cell proliferation in EB. Additionally, the adult female prostate of BPA‐exposed animals presented an increase of AR‐ and PCNA‐positive cells. These results suggest that the prostate of female gerbils were more susceptible to the intrauterine BPA effects, since they became more proliferative in adult life. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1740–1750, 2016.
SIC-GAN: A SELF-IMPROVING COLLABORATIVE GAN FOR DECODING VARIATIONAL RNNS

Variational RNNs are proposed to output “creative” sequences. Ideally, a collection of sequences produced by a variational RNN should be of both high quality and high variety. However, existing decoders for variational RNNs suffer from a trade-off between quality and variety. In this paper, we seek to learn a variational RNN that decodes high-quality and high-variety sequences. We propose the Self-Improving Collaborative GAN (SIC-GAN), where there are two generators (variational RNNs) collaborating with each other to output a sequence and aiming to trick the discriminator into believing the sequence is of good quality. By deliberately weakening one generator, we can make another stronger in balancing quality and variety. We conduct experiments using the QuickDraw dataset and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of SIC-GAN empirically.
Characterization of an Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel Facility

The Florida State Aeroacoustic Tunnel (FSAT) is an open-circuit anechoic wind tunnel designed for low subsonic aerodynamic noise studies. Nominalow speeds in the test section range from 5-75 m/s and are achieved using a 450-hp centrifugal blower. The test section, with dimensions 0.914 � 1.219 � 3.048 m (HWL), can take the form of an open-jet or closed-wall conguration. A 250 Hz anechoic chamber (2.7 � 4.5 � 4.8 m) surrounds the test section. Flow non-uniformity and turbulence intensity are measured to be <1% and <0.12%, respectively, for both test section congurations at allow speeds. To enhance acoustic quality, an inlet silencer is placed upstream at the entrance of the tunnel, while a metal perforate liner is used over the entire length of the diffuser. Additionally, a swiveling jet collector rotates � 10 degrees for lifting bodies that deect the freestream jet. Depending on frequency, background noise levels are found to scale with Mach number between thefth and eighth power, and are 80 dBA at Mach 0.17. The major noise sources are determined to be therst set of turning vanes, jet collector, and the fan/motor. Reduction techniques of these noise sources are proposed and will be considered in future work.
Transgenic analysis of the medaka mesp‐b enhancer in somitogenesis

Somitogenesis is a critical step during the formation of metameric structures in vertebrates. Recent studies in mouse, chick, zebrafish and Xenopus have revealed that several factors, such as T‐box genes, Notch/Delta, Wnt, retinoic acid and FGF signaling, are involved in the specification of nascent somites. By interacting with these pathways, the Mesp2‐like bHLH transcription factors are transiently expressed in the anterior presomitic mesoderm and play a crucial role in somite formation. The regulatory mechanisms of Mesp2 and its related genes during somitogenesis have been studied in mouse and Xenopus. However, the precise mechanism that regulates the transcriptional activity of Mesp2 has yet to be determined. In our current report, we identify the essential enhancer element of medaka mesp‐b, an orthologue of mouse Mesp2, using transgenic techniques and embryo manipulation. Our results demonstrate that a region of approximately 2.8 kb, upstream of the mesp‐b gene, is responsible for both the initiation and anterior localization of mesp‐b transcription within a somite primordium. Furthermore, putative motifs for both T‐box transcription factors and Notch/Delta signaling are present in this enhancer region and are essential for activity.
IFN-γ release assay: a diagnostic assistance tool of tuberculin skin test in pediatric tuberculosis in China.

BACKGROUND Prompt diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection is an essential step in tuberculosis control and elimination. However, it is often difficult to accurately diagnose pediatric tuberculosis (TB). The tuberculin test (TST) may have a low specificity because of cross-reactivity with antigens present in Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and other mycobacteria, especially in China with a predominantly BCG-vaccinated population. Early-secreted antigenic target 6-kDa protein (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10), stand out as suitable antigens that induce an interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secreting, T-cell-mediated immune response to infection. While, considered the higher costs and complexity of the IFN-γ release assay (TSPOT), we aimed to evaluate the TSPOT and TST test in the clinical diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis and to establish a diagnostic process suitable for China. METHODS The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were evaluated in total seventy four children with active tuberculosis and fifty one nontuberculous children with other disease, and then the results were compared with TST. Logistic regression models were used to identify variables that were associated with positive results for each assay. The independent variables included sex, age, birth place, vaccination history, close contract with an active TB patient. RESULTS The sensitivity of TSPOT was higher than TST in active TB children with or without BCG vaccination, as well as in children with culture-confirmed TB. But the difference was not significant statistically. Combining results of the TSPOT and TST improved the sensitivity to 94.6%. Agreement of the TST and TSPOT was low (77.0%, κ = 0.203) in active TB patients. The difference in specificity between TSPOT and TST test was statistically significant (94.1% vs. 70.6%, P = 0.006). Specificity of the two tests in patients without prior BCG vaccination history was similar (80.0% vs. 60.0%). The concordance between the two tests results in BCG vaccinated subjects was low (71.7%, κ = 0.063). For TSPOT, none of the included risk factors was significantly associated with positive results. For TST, BCG vaccination (OR: 1.78; 95%CI: 1.30 - 2.00) was significantly associated with positive results. CONCLUSIONS Although IFN-γ release assay had relatively high sensitivity and specificity, we also should consider the higher costs and complexity of this test. Therefore, TSPOT could be used as the complementary tool of TST in circumstances when a suspected patient with negative TST results, or to exclude a positive TST result caused by BCG vaccination.
Physiological constrains on Sverdrup's Critical-Depth-Hypothesis: the influences of dark respiration and sinking

Discussions on the controls initiating the onset of the phytoplankton spring bloom in particular in the North Atlantic have since Sverdrup been dominated by the role of physical and biological drivers. Undoubtedly, these drivers play an important role in phytoplankton dynamics and thus the onset of the spring bloom. However, they neglect the cells ability to modify vital rates in response to changes in the external environment. In this study, we use a non-hydrostatic convection model coupled to an Individual-Based-Model to simulate changes phytoplankton cells during the transition from winter conditions as driven by convective mixing, and the onset of thermal stratification resulting in the spring bloom. The comparison between a simulation using a standard fixed rate approach in line with the original Sverdrup hypothesis and a simulation parameterized to include variable respiration and sinking rates showed that the latter approach was able to capture the observed phytoplankton concentration during deep convective mixing, the timing and magnitude of the spring bloom as well as simulating realistic physiological rates. In contrast, the model employing fixed rate parameterizations could only replicate field observations when employing unrealistic parameter values. These results highlight the necessity to consider not only the physical and biological external controls determining phytoplankton dynamics but also the cells ability to modify critical physiological rates in response to external constraints. Understanding these adaptive qualities will be of increasing importance in the future as species assemblages and physical controls change with changing climate.
Kinetic Theory for Bubbly Flow II: Fluid Dynamic Limit

A Vlasov equation for bubbly flow is modified to account for local interactions between bubbles. Fluid equations are deduced in the limit where local interactions cause the system to become locally Maxwellian. The resulting fluid equations are well posed for sufficiently large temperature. We compute void wave speeds that are found to be in agreement, with experiments.In the limit when the temperature is zero, we recover fluid equations previously derived by other investigators. In this limit there are solutions of the equations that blow up in finite time.
Na+-induced structural change of a soil bacterium, S34, and Ca2+ requirement for preserving its original structure

A drastic change in the outer membrane structure of a salt-sensitive soil bacterium, S34, related to the genus Deinococcus was induced by 0.2 to 0.4% (wt/vol) NaCl. The change was relieved by 6 mM CaCl2 and induced by 1 mM EGTA. The results indicate the strong dependence of the organism on calcium.
Glucocorticoid receptors in human airways

Inhaled and intranasal glucocorticoids are the most common and effective drugs for controlling symptoms and airway inflammation in respiratory diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and nasal polyposis. The last few years have seen a growing understanding of the mechanisms of glucocorticoid action and, in particular, the receptor that mediates glucocorticoid actions, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). In this revision we present an update on the GR gene, the expression and regulation of its gene products, namely GRα and GRβ, as well as their alterations in pathological states. GRα is responsible for the induction and repression of target genes, it is expressed in virtually all human cells and tissues, and its expression is known to be downregulated by glucocorticoids. GRβ has been found to act as a dominant negative inhibitor of GRα‐mediated transactivation in in vitro studies with transfected cells, but it does not appear to have a significant inhibitory effect on GRα‐mediated transrepression. In addition, for most tissues the expression of GRβ, at least at the mRNA level, is extremely low compared with that of GRα. Some pro‐inflammatory cytokines appear to upregulate the expression of GRβ, and increased GRβ expression has been reported in diseases associated with glucocorticoid resistance or insensitivity, such as bronchial asthma, nasal polyposis, and ulcerative colitis. However, the possible role of GRβ in modulating glucocorticoid sensitivity and/or resistance in vivo has been highly debated and it is not yet clear.
Competition Policy in a Concentrated and Globalized Retail Industry

Abstract During the last decades the face of retailing has changed as a result of an ongoing concentration process and the emergence of increasingly large-scale retail outlets. Retailers constitute, therefore, “strategic gatekeepers” to final consumer markets providing them with buyer power vis-a-vis their suppliers. By preventing market entry, existing retail regulations have further strengthened the dominant position of retailers. In order to overcome the potential abuse of buyer power and thus to circumvent the induced inefficiencies, competition among retailers has to be encouraged. This gains in importance since the retail sector is also characterized by a strong internationalization process affecting both the worldwide spread of retail companies as well as their procurement strategies. In this regard, downstream competition is the only way to compensate the missing global legislation and jurisdiction.
Applications of Artificial Immune System: A Review

The Biological Immune System is a remarkable information processing and self-learning system that offers stimulation to build Artificial Immune System (AIS). During the last two decades, the field of AIS is progressing slowly and steadily as a branch of Computational Intelligence (CI). At present the AIS algorithms such as Negative Selection Theory, Clonal Selection Theory, Immune Networks Theory, Danger theory and Dendritic Cell Algorithm are widely used to solve many real world problems in a vast range of domain areas such as Network Intrusion Detection (NID), Anomaly Detection, Clustering and classification and Pattern recognition. This review paper critically discusses the theoretical foundation, research methodologies and applications of the AIS.