Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radioprotective Effects on Late Third-Instar Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) Larvae in Low-Oxygen Atmospheres

Simple Summary The oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel is a highly invasive fruit fly that causes extensive damage to many fruits and vegetables. Irradiation treatment is an economically effective and promising treatment measure. However, treatment efficacy is affected by the presence of low oxygen, i.e., mangoes are treated in modified atmosphere package. In order to investigate the reduced (radioprotective) effects on insects and determine its critical O2 level, third-instar B. dorsalis larvae were irradiated by X-rays at the doses of 8 to 64 Gy with intervals of 8 Gy. The treatments were conducted under ambient air or low-oxygen atomospheres (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% O2 and nitrogen). No adult emergence from treatments at 64 Gy in pure nitrogen or 56 Gy under other atmospheres, resulted in significant difference in tolerance. The results from statistical analyses indicate that differences in tolerance to radiation were significant in 0% and 2% O2 but insignificant in 4%, 6%, and 8% O2 environments when compared with radiation in ambient air. Therefore, the critical threshold is an O2 level of ≥4% and <6%, but a maximum radiation dose of 14 Gy can compensate for the radioprotective effects when the oriental fruit fly is treated in low-oxygen atmospheres. Abstract Ionizing radiation creates free radicals, the effect of which is enhanced by the presence of oxygen; a low oxygen level produces radioprotective effects for insects compared with irradiation in ambient air. Modified (controlled) atmosphere packaging is used for maintaining quality and shelf-life extension; therefore, treatment efficacy may be affected, and there is a need to determine the critical O2 levels that may cause radioprotective effects. Late third-instar Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) larvae were irradiated in bags filled with ambient or low-oxygen air (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% O2) and were exposed to radiation doses of 8 to 64 Gy with intervals of 8 Gy. Efficacy was measured by the prevention of adult emergence. Dose–response data on mortality (failure of adult emergence) were analyzed via two-way ANOVA (analysis of variance), ANCOVA (analysis of covariance), and probit regression. The difference in radiotolerance was only significant in 0% O2 atmospheres through two-way ANOVA; therefore, the 95% confidence limits (CLs) of lethal dose ratios at LD99 were used to determine significant differences between treatments at different O2 levels. The differences in radiotolerance were significant in 0% and 2% O2 but insignificant in 4%, 6%, and 8% O2 environments when compared with radiation in ambient air. The critical threshold of radioprotective effects for late third-instar B. dorsalis larvae is an O2 level of ≥4% and <6%, but a maximum radiation dose of 14 Gy can compensate for this effect during phytosanitary irradiation treatment.
Simultaneously defined semiconducting channel layer using electrohydrodynamic jet printing of a passivation layer for oxide thin-film transistors.

A simple fabrication method for homojunction-structured Al-doped indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) using an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet-printed Al2O3 passivation layer with specific line (WAl2O3) is proposed. After EHD jet printing, the specific region of ITO film below the Al2O3 passivation layer changes from a conducting electrode to a semiconducting channel layer simultaneously with the passivation layer formation during thermal annealing. Channel length of the fabricated TFTs is defined by WAl2O3 which can be easily changed with varying EHD jet printing condition, i.e., no need of replacing mask for varying pattern. Accordingly, the drain current and resistance of the fabricated TFTs can be modified as WAl2O3 varies. Using the proposed method, a transparent n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) inverter with an enhancement load can be fabricated; the effective resistance of load and drive TFTs is easily tuned by varying the processing conditions using this simple method. The fabricated NMOS inverter exhibits an output voltage gain of 7.13 with a supply voltage of 10 V. Thus, the proposed approach is promising as a low-cost and flexible manufacturing system for multi-item small-lot-sized production of Internet of Things devices.
Lymph node ratio as a prognostic marker of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a cohort study.

INTRODUCTION Lymph node metastasis is a poor prognostic indicator and is well established in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Based on the current staging system, accurate risk stratification is difficult. There is thus a need to evaluate an alternate method for predicting recurrence and survival. The objective of the study was to evaluate lymph node ratio as a prognostic marker as compared with N-staging for tongue squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study with 56 patients with a lymph node ratio greater than 0.012 (exposed) and 74 patients with a lymph node ratio less than 0.012 (unexposed). Overall five-year survival and disease-free survival were assessed. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyse lymph node ratio as a predictor of outcome, together with other covariates. RESULTS A total of 130 patients were included in the study. Patients with lymph node ratio greater than 0.012 had a poor overall five-year (mean survival time 52.1 months vs 38.1 months) and disease-free survival (mean survival time 53.6 months vs 39.2 months). The hazard of death among patients with a lymph node ratio greater than 0.012 was 3.24 times higher than the hazard of death among patients with a lymph node ratio less than 0.012 (95% confidence interval 1.82-5.77). DISCUSSION Lymph node ratio is a superior prognostic marker compared with the currently used American Joint Committee on Cancer N-staging. Our findings also suggest that the margin status (involved) of the primary tumour resection adversely affects prognosis.
Overview of Quantitative Methodologies to Understand Antimicrobial Resistance via Minimum Inhibitory Concentration

Simple Summary An emerging threat to human and food animal health is the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria associated with food animals. One of the primary tools for assessing resistance levels and monitoring for changes in expressed resistance is the use of minimum inhibitory concentration tests, which expose bacterial isolates to a series of dilutions of an antimicrobial agent to identify the lowest concentration of the antimicrobial that effectively prevents bacterial growth. These tests produce a minimum inhibitory value that falls within a range of concentrations instead of an exact value, a process known as censoring. Analysis of censored data is complex and careful consideration of methods of analysis is necessary. The use of regression methods such as logistic regression that divide the data into two or three categories is relatively easy to implement but may not detect important changes in the distributions of data that occur within the categories. Models that do not simplify the data may be more complex but may detect potentially relevant changes missed when the data is categorized. As a result, the analysis of minimum inhibitory concentration data requires careful consideration to identify the appropriate model for the purpose of the study. Abstract The development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a significant threat to humans and food animals. The use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine may select for resistant bacteria, resulting in increased levels of AMR in these populations. As the threat presented by AMR increases, it becomes critically important to find methods for effectively interpreting minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. Currently, a wide array of techniques for analyzing these data can be found in the literature, but few guidelines for choosing among them exist. Here, we examine several quantitative techniques for analyzing the results of MIC tests and discuss and summarize various ways to model MIC data. The goal of this review is to propose important considerations for appropriate model selection given the purpose and context of the study. Approaches reviewed include mixture models, logistic regression, cumulative logistic regression, and accelerated failure time–frailty models. Important considerations in model selection include the objective of the study (e.g., modeling MIC creep vs. clinical resistance), degree of censoring in the data (e.g., heavily left/right censored vs. primarily interval censored), and consistency of testing parameters (e.g., same range of concentrations tested for a given antibiotic).
Healthy Intimate Relationships and the Adult With Autism

Objective: An adult faces many challenges; however, one experience that is often taken for granted by neurotypical individuals is building intimate relationships. The purpose of this article is to discuss the barriers for healthy intimate relationships for an individual with autism, strategies to overcome these barriers, recommendations for future practice and research, and resources to improve knowledge of this important yet overlooked topic. Method: Data collection was done using research journals and databases such as EBSCO, SAGE Knowledge, MEDLINE, and CINAHL. The reviewed articles were published from 2015 to the present time. During the search process, the following key phrases were used: autism spectrum disorder, intimate relationships, sexuality education, and social skills. In total, 1,400 articles were found with an additional 52 sources found through other sources, of which 31 met inclusion criteria and were subsequently reviewed. Results: Although those with autism have many strengths and talents, deficits in communication and social interaction can affect the formation of healthy adult relationships, including friendships and romantic relationships. In addition to social challenges, a lack of education regarding safe and healthy relationships can put an individual with autism at risk. Conclusions: It is imperative that that individuals with autism, their families, and health care professionals are educated about the barriers and able to access educational resources and specialized curricula on this topic.
Promotion of Leaf Growth and Acceleration of Stem Elongation by Gibberellin

Gibberellin, a metabolic product of Gibberella fujikuroi which causes " Bakanae " symptoms (9), induces abnormal growth of rice plants. Many works have been reported about the physiological actions of gibberellin, using intact or excised materials. The most striking growth stimulation due to treatment with gibberellinn is stem elongation and this effect of gibberellin has been observed on many kinds of plants (1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12). With leaves, however, growth acceleration due to treatment with gibberellin has not always been obtained. Yabuta et al. found that in experiments using treated tobacco and untreated ones as controls , the largest leaff was. always found among treated plants (10), and that the mean of leaf area of once treated tobacco plants was larger than that of untreated one (11). In case of tea, the growth of lower leaves of treated shoot was accelerated by gibberellin, but the growth of upper leaves was never affected (12). Hayashi and Murakami (5) also observed the definite growth accelerating effect of gibberellin on the youngest part of the young leaves of oat and barley. Remarkable promotion of leaf length and decrease of its width in wheat (1) have been observed . It was not clear whether these phenomena caused in plant by gibberellin were due to direct or indirect action. In the present works, the effects of gibberellin on growth of leaf are investigated using excised leaf and intact leaf. Also the mode of action of gibberellin is compared with that of kinetin, reported lately as effective on leaf growth (8). For the study of gibberellin transport, stem growth of intact plant is also observed.
Role of EGFR in the Nervous System

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the first discovered member of the receptor tyrosine kinase superfamily and plays a fundamental role during embryogenesis and in adult tissues, being involved in growth, differentiation, maintenance and repair of various tissues and organs. The role of EGFR in the regulation of tissue development and homeostasis has been thoroughly investigated and it has also been demonstrated that EGFR is a driver of tumorigenesis. In the nervous system, other growth factors, and thus other receptors, are important for growth, differentiation and repair of the tissue, namely neurotrophins and neurotrophins receptors. For this reason, for a long time, the role of EGFR in the nervous system has been underestimated and poorly investigated. However, EGFR is expressed both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and it has been demonstrated to have specific important neurotrophic functions, in particular in the central nervous system. This review discusses the role of EGFR in regulating differentiation and functions of neurons and neuroglia. Furthermore, its involvement in regeneration after injury and in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases is examined.
Particle Filtering for Three-Dimensional TDoA-Based Positioning Using Four Anchor Nodes

In this article, the four-anchor time difference of arrival (TDoA)-based three-dimensional (3D) positioning by particle filtering is addressed. The implemented particle filter uses 1000 particles to represent the probability density function (pdf) of interest, i.e., the posterior pdf of the target node’s state (position). A resampling procedure is used to generate particles in the prediction step, and TDoA measurements are used to determine the importance, i.e., weight, of each particle to enable updating the posterior pdf and estimating the position of the target node. The simulation results show the feasibility of this approach and the possibility to employ it in indoor positioning applications under the assumed working conditions using, e.g., the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology. Therefore, it is possible to enable unmanned air vehicle (UAV) positioning applications, e.g., inventory management in large warehouses, without the need for an excessive number of anchor nodes.
THE CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD: LESSONS FROM THE PAST RELEVANT TODAY

This article analyzes the democratization processes in interwar Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in a refined Rokkanian fashion. My work represents a preliminary effort to explain diverse democratic outcomes in Poland, Lithuania and Czechoslovakia (CSR) through Rokkan’s explicative factors: economy, culture, territory, and politics. First, Why in Poland and Lithuania did the newly-established institutions collapse while in Czechoslovakia they did not? How does the model work with CEE cases? More functionally, is it possible to properly use this working model outside its defined boundaries? I try to answer these questions according to Rokkan’s theoretical traits which define (the timing and the strength of) democratization processes. My findings suggest that some structural characteristics of the polities powerfully impact the chances for democratic survival. In particular, 1) the continuity of representative rule, 2) the style of government of the elites visà-vis the counter-elites, 3) the degree of formal/informal protection for religious, ethnic or linguistic minorities, 4) the religious heritage, and 5) the geopolitical dimension of the country clearly arise as the most fundamental elements of my analysis. My work primarily looks at the interwar period, but to a certain extent calls into cause still open aspects. I assume that an in-depth analysis of the events which characterized the CEE polities in the 1920s-1930s and of their historical sources might well provide a good venture point for a more aware understanding of the recent developments and of the current dynamics in post-Communist Europe.
Golgi Specificity and Development of Autoreactive B Cells

B cell receptors with certain heavy/light chain pairs predominate in the periphery of anti-DNA heavy chain transgenic mice while certain other B cell receptors are absent. We wanted to know why. To answer this, we re-constructed B cell receptors represented in the anti-DNA transgenic mice by cloning them as single chain variable fragments (scFv) to analyze their affinity to dsDNA. scFv representing receptors that were recovered from the spleens of transgenic mice had very little to no affinity to dsDNA. scFv representing receptors that were absent in the spleen had high affinity to dsDNA. We therefore concluded that receptors with low or no affinity to DNA successfully passed central tolerance in the bone marrow while receptors that had high affinity to DNA were likely altered by receptor editing or deleted. We also encountered B cell receptors that did not fit this conclusion. These were receptors that had anti-DNA heavy chains paired with the light chain Vκ38c. They were an exception because, though they were present in the spleen, they bound DNA very well. How did these anti-DNA B cells escape central tolerance? In our effort to answer this puzzle, we discovered that receptors with the Vκ38c light chain may have specificity to a Golgi antigen in addition to DNA. This suggested that such anti-DNA receptors may bind to an intracellular Golgi antigen and remain hidden inside the cell. Thus B cell receptor-cloistering in immature B cells, during development in the bone marrow, may allow the escape of anti-DNA B cells from central tolerance. After escaping from the bone marrow, these B cells become sequestered in the marginal zone of the spleen. Splenic B cells when immortalized as hybridomas show B cell receptor (IgM) accumulation in the Golgi. Receptor accumulates in the Golgi only when the heavy chain is paired with the Vκ38c light chain. The location of B cell receptor accumulation in these hybridomas ranges from the cis-Golgi to medialand trans-Golgi with the bulk of the receptor being concentrated in the medial-Golgi. Fragmenting the Golgi architecture with nocodazole, caused the intracellular IgM accumulation to disperse to the same locations as the Golgi, further confirming the location. A novelty about these B cells is that they have an uncommon way of antibody secretion. Instead of secreting IgM pentamers as B cells normally do, these cells extrude IgM as aggregates of up to 2μm. We named the aggregates “spherons” because of their appearance. The spherons do not have a membrane and are likely composed of the μ heavy chain and the κ light chain. In addition to extruding spherons, the B cells secrete soluble IgM as monomers and hemimers possibly as a consequence of IgM retention in the Golgi. Spherons have a high similarity to immune complexes deposited in kidneys of mice suffering from lupus nephritis. Spherons may be relevant in autoimmune nephritis and immunoglobulin deposition diseases. Understanding the mechanism of production of spherons could help design treatment strategies for patients suffering from autoimmune disease.
University of Birmingham A technique for measuring the frictional torque of articular cartilage and replacement biomaterials

Understanding the tribological behaviour of articular cartilage enables the development of effective replacement biomaterials. This study presents a technique for the investigation of the frictional torque of articular cartilage, for the assessment of replacement biomaterials. A calcium alginate hydrogel was used as the biomaterial for this study. Three different specimen types were examined to include articular cartilage, calcium alginate hydrogel, alone, and in combination with articular cartilage. An axial load, varying from 10 to 100 N, was applied to the specimen and the frictional torque measured whilst an indenter underwent axial rotation from 0° to 2° to 0° for 100 cycles. The resulting frictional torque magnitude was evaluated with a smooth curve fitting function. Linear regression identified a statistically significant relationship between torque magnitude and axial load ( p < 0.05) for all specimen variations. From 10 to 100 N of applied load, mean torque magnitude ranged from 0.08±0.010 to 0.11±0.013 N m, 0.08±0.012 to 0.09±0.016 N m and 0.07±0.017 to 0.09±0.020 N m (mean ± standard deviation), for articular cartilage, calcium alginate separately and in combination with articular cartilage, respectively. This study has established a suitable frictional torque testing protocol for potential cartilage replacement biomaterials
The Binaural Interaction Component of the Auditory Brainstem Response Under Precedence Effect Conditions

The purpose of this study was to measure the binaural interaction component (BIC) derived from click-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) using stimuli configured to elicit the Precedence Effect. The hypothesis was that the contribution of binaural processing to echo suppression can be evidenced by a diminished or absent BIC associated with the echo. Ten normal-hearing young adults provided ABRs generated by sequences of click pairs. Results showed that BICs elicited by diotic clicks in isolation were obliterated when those diotic clicks were preceded by a click pair having an interaural time difference of 400 µs and where the interclick interval was 8.4 ms. The presence of the leading click pair increased the latency of the ABR generated by the lagging diotic click pair but did not decrease its amplitude. The results were interpreted as indicating a contribution of binaural processing at the level of the brainstem to echo suppression, at least for the conditions tested here.
Legacy and Emerging Contaminants in Demersal Fish Species from Southern Norway and Implications for Food Safety

The present study aimed at measuring the levels of legacy and emerging contaminants in fillet samples from four demersal fish caught in two fishing sites from Southern Norway, in order to assess possible implications for food safety. Levels of organochlorine compounds (OCs), organophosphate pesticides (OPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDE), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in fillet from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), lemon sole (Microstomus kitt), and European flounder (Platichthys flesus) specimens. A negligible contamination by all the investigated chemicals was noted in both the fishing sites, as very low levels of OCs, PCBs, and PFASs were noted in a limited number of individuals for each species. Considering the levels of contaminants measured in fillets of the four demersal fish species, negligible risk for human health for Norwegian consumers can be supposed.