Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Describing Ethnicity in Health Research

Commentators have criticised the terminology used for the classification of ethnic and racialised groups in health research for a number of years. The shortcomings of fixed-response categories include the reproduction of racialised categorisations, overemphasis of homogeneity within groups and contrast between them, and failure to offer terms with which people identify and which can express complex identities. The historical injustices against black and minority groups are reflected in terminology and explicitly recognised when discussing 'race' as a social construction. The exaggeration of homogeneity within groups and contrast between them is a racialising effect of fixed classifications. Self-assigned ethnic group avoids some of these difficulties by allowing multiple affiliations to be described, but introduces the costs of processing free text. The context-dependent nature of individual ethnic identity makes comparison problematic. Researcher-assigned ethnicity can increase comparability and consistency but may be at odds with self-identity. The complexity of ethnicity itself and of its relationship with socio-economic group and racism makes proxy measures inevitably inadequate. If researchers continue to try to capture the complex and contextual detail of ethnicity, it may become clear that the general concept of ethnicity covers such a wide and specific range of experiences as to render it of limited use in making comparisons through time or across cultures.
Inhibitor tolerance and flocculation of a yeast strain suitable for second generation bioethanol production

Background: Robust second generation bioethanol processes require microorganisms able to ferment inhibitory lignocellullosic hydrolysates. In this study, the inhibitor tolerance and flocculation characteristics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCUG53310 were evaluated in comparison with S. cerevisiae CBS8066. Results: The flocculating strain CCUG53310 could rapidly ferment all hexoses in dilute acid spruce hydrolysate, while CBS8066 was strongly inhibited in this medium. In synthetic inhibitory media, CCUG53310 was more tolerant to carboxylic acids and furan aldehydes, but more sensitive than CBS8066 to phenolic compounds. Despite the higher tolerance, the increase in expression of the YAP1, ATR1 and FLR1 genes, known to confer resistance to lignocellulose-derived inhibitors, was generally smaller in CCUG53310 than in CBS8066 in inhibitory media. The flocculation of CCUG53310 was linked to the expression of FLO8, FLO10 and one or more of FLO1, FLO5 or FLO9. Flocculation depended on cell wall proteins and Ca2+ ions, but was almost unaffected by other compounds and pH values typical for lignocellulosic media. Conclusions: S. cerevisiae CCUG53310 can be characterised as being very robust, with great potential for industrial fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates relatively low in phenolic inhibitors.
Rapid identification of Campylobacter pylori (C. pyloridis) by preformed enzymes

Campylobacter pylori (C. pyloridis) is a fastidious organism found in the gastric mucosa associated with histological gastritis and peptic ulceration. A rapid identification scheme that detects the presence of preformed enzymes (Rosco Diagnostica, Taastrup, Denmark) was applied to clinical isolates of C. pylori. The isolates tested were a very homogeneous group. They all produced oxidase, catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl aminopeptidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and DNase. None produced any of 44 other enzymes tested. No other campylobacter strains produced gamma-glutamyl aminopeptidase, except the six strains of Campylobacter jejuni biotype 2. Different results were obtained with similar substrates produced by other manufacturers, probably due to small substrate differences. These tests are useful for the rapid identification of C. pylori but would be unhelpful in any biotyping scheme. They can also be used to help differentiate other groups within the genus Campylobacter.
Hybrid male sterility in crosses between field and laboratory strains of Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae).

Hybridization experiments involving matings between nine geographic strains and a laboratory strain (ORL) of Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Say) revealed the existence of two genetically distinct forms of this species. Matings between some individuals (designated type A) of each of the geographic strains produced normal, fertile progeny. However, a second type (designated type B), which was genetically incompatible to the ORL strain, was found in three natural populations. Crosses between type B males and ORL females resulted in high mortality of male progeny in the pupal stage, and all surviving adult male progeny were sterile. The reciprocal cross produced a normal 1:1 sex ratio, and all of the hybrid male progeny were sterile. Female progeny of type B × ORL matings (in both directions) were semisterile. Hybrid females, when backcrossed to either type A or type B males, produced egg batches with lower percent hatch than in the F1 crosses. Male sterility persisted in the backcross progeny. It is concluded, on the basis of mating compatibility to the ORL strain, that type A and type B individuals are genetically incompatible and that populations of each type are reproductively isolated. Samples of adult males collected from two of the three sites were found to be fertile, suggesting that hybridization in nature occurs rarely, if at all. These results and the results of concurrent studies on allozymes and chromosomes led to the conclusion that type A and type B represent sympatrically occurring sibling species, tentatively designated A. quadrimaculatus species A and A. quadrimaculatus species B.
RSA algorithm with a new approach encryption and decryption message text by ascii

In many research works, there has been an orientation to studying and developing many of the applications of public-key cryptography to secure the data while transmitting in the systems, In this paper we present an approach to encrypt and decrypt the message text according to the ASCII(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and RSA algorithm by converting the message text into binary representation and dividing this representation to bytes(8s of 0s and 1s) and applying a bijective function between the group of those bytes and the group of characters of ASCII and then using this mechanism to be compatible with using RSA algorithm, finally, Java application was built to apply this approach directly.
Synesthesia and mapping of subjective sensory dimensions

The word “synesthesia” comes from the Greek “syn, ” meaning union, and “aisthesis, ” meaning sensation. Found predominantly in women, synesthesia is a rare condition in which stimulation of 1 sense produces an involuntary perception in another sense. While synesthesia can combine any or all of the 5 senses, the most common is sight with sound, or “colored hearing. ” This occurs when sounds such as music, voices, or environmental noises cause the synesthete to see moving colors and shapes externally projected. For synesthetes, the phrase, “I see what you’re saying,” could be taken literally. For example: What first strikes me is the color of someone’s voice. [Name] has a crumbly, yellow voice, like a h e with protruding fibers. Sometimes I get so interested in the voice, I can’t understand what’s being said.
Activation-induced CD4+ T cell death in HIV-positive individuals correlates with Fas susceptibility, CD4+ T cell count, and HIV plasma viral copy number.

The relevance of activation-induced cell death (AICD) of CD4+ T cells to AIDS pathogenesis is unknown. The present study investigates the relationship of AICD to a defined molecular mechanism regulating peripheral T cell homeostasis, Fas-mediated apoptosis, and clinical correlates of the pathogenesis of AIDS. Increased pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced AICD (22.8 versus 4.4%, p = 0.006) and Fas-mediated apoptosis (27.7 versus 12.0%, p = 0.002) of CD4+ T cells were observed in HIV+ versus HIV- individuals. Similarly, increased PWM-mediated AICD (16.2 versus 2.2%, p < 0.001) and Fas-mediated apoptosis (25.8 versus 7.6%, p = 0.005) were noted in CD8+ T cells from HIV+ versus HIV- individuals. PWM-induced AICD of CD4+ T cells was blocked (83% median specific inhibition) by Fas-blocking antibodies, whereas PWM-induced AICD of CD8+ T cells was Fas independent. Comparison between PWM- and anti-CD3-mediated AICD of CD4+ T cells indicated that PWM- and not CD3-induced AICD is Fas dependent. HIV+ individuals with an HIV RNA copy number of <30,000 copies/ml had lower PWM-induced AICD of CD4+ T cells than did those with an HIV RNA copy number of >30,000 copies/ml (5.7 versus 22.1%, p = 0.034), and PWM-induced AICD inversely correlated with CD4+ T cell count (R = -0.567, p = 0.043). Initiation of HAART decreased PWM-induced CD4+ T cell AICD from 24.4 to 9.4% posttreatment (p = 0.035). These results demonstrate that PWM-induced AICD of CD4+ T cells from HIV+ individuals is mediated by Fas/FasL, parallels the in vivo susceptibility of the CD4+ T cell to Fas-mediated apoptosis, and correlates with clinical markers of AIDS pathogenesis and response to HAART.
Impulsive resistance force generated using pulsive damping brake of DC motor

We developed a method to present an impulsive resistance force by using the passive damping brake of a DC motor. The rapid pulsive change in the resistance forces preceding the main brake increased the perceived resistance of the brake. In a ranking task involving five naive participants, a damping brake with two preceding pulsive resistances was reported to deliver a resistance larger than that due to a simple stepwise brake that achieves the maximum physical braking force. This finding indicates that perceptually effective impulsive resistances are different from the physically optimal resistance. Our technique enhances the abilities of passive force displays, which are inherently safe human-machine interfaces.
Lactate Dehydrogenase‐Elevating Agent Is Responsible for Interferon Induction and Enhancement of Natural Killer Cell Activity by Inoculation of Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells into Mice

Inoculation of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EAC) into the peritoneal cavities of outbred ddY mice induced interferon (IFN) in the circulation. The maximum titer (1,280 U) was obtained at 24 hr after inoculation. This induced IFN had the characteristics of type I IFN, i.e., stability at pH 2 and lability at 56 C. An increase in natural killer cell (NK) activity was also observed for the first 3 days after inoculation. In addition, plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was elevated in these mice. Inoculation of ascitic fluid or serum of EAC‐bearing mice into normal mice increased plasma LDH activity six‐ to sevenfold over normal levels and elevated activities persisted throughout the life of the mice. These results suggest that the LDH‐elevating agent was responsible for IFN induction and for enhancing NK activity. Because lactate dehydrogenase‐elevating virus (LDV) can be eliminated from tumor cells by passage in vitro, we attempted to grow EAC in tissue culture for several months and re‐examined whether the inoculation of such cells could elevate plasma LDH activity, induce IFN and enhance NK activity. The results showed that inoculation of the passaged cells had no effect on these activities in normal mice. Therefore, we concluded that the IFN inducer was LDV which contaminated the EAC and then enhanced the NK activity. N‐tropic murine leukemia virus also contaminated EAC, but this virus was not responsible because cultured cells of EAC still shed this virus.
STAT3 Acts as a Co-activator of Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling*

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and glucocorticoids are important mediators of inflammatory and immunological responses. Glucocorticoids are known to synergistically enhance IL-6-mediated cellular responses. We now show that IL-6 also has a synergistic effect upon glucocorticoid signaling. In particular, IL-6-activated STAT3 associates with ligand-bound glucocorticoid receptor to form a transactivating/signaling complex, which can function through either an IL-6-responsive element or a glucocorticoid-responsive element. These findings reveal a new level of interaction between these two crucial signaling cascades and indicate that activated STAT3 can also act as a transcriptional co-activator without direct association with its DNA binding motif.
Bacteria isolated from 25 hydatid cysts in sheep, cattle and goats

Bacteria were isolated from 12 of 25 hydatid cysts collected from the lungs and livers of cattle, sheep and goats slaughtered in the province of Messina, Sicily, Italy. Citrobacter freundii was isolated from seven of the cysts, Aeromonas hydrophila from three, Staphylococcus species from two, Salmonella species from two and Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris from one.
Deletion of lynx1 reduces the function of α6* nicotinic receptors

The α6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit is an attractive drug target for treating nicotine addiction because it is present at limited sites in the brain including the reward pathway. Lynx1 modulates several nAChR subtypes; lynx1-nAChR interaction sites could possibly provide drug targets. We found that dopaminergic cells from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) express lynx1 mRNA transcripts and, as assessed by co-immunoprecipitation, α6 receptors form stable complexes with lynx1 protein, although co-transfection with lynx1 did not affect nicotine-induced currents from cell lines transfected with α6 and β2. To test whether lynx1 is important for the function of α6 nAChRs in vivo, we bred transgenic mice carrying a hypersensitive mutation in the α6 nAChR subunit (α6L9′S) with lynx1 knockout mice, providing a selective probe of the effects of lynx1 on α6* nAChRs. Lynx1 removal reduced the α6 component of nicotine-mediated rubidium efflux and dopamine (DA) release from synaptosomal preparations with no effect on numbers of α6β2 binding sites, indicating that lynx1 is functionally important for α6* nAChR activity. No effects of lynx1 removal were detected on nicotine-induced currents in slices from SNc, suggesting that lynx1 affects presynaptic α6* nAChR function more than somatic function. In the absence of agonist, lynx1 removal did not alter DA release in dorsal striatum as measured by fast scan cyclic voltammetry. Lynx1 removal affected some behaviors, including a novel-environment assay and nicotine-stimulated locomotion. Trends in 24-hour home-cage behavior were also suggestive of an effect of lynx1 removal. Conditioned place preference for nicotine was not affected by lynx1 removal. The results show that some functional and behavioral aspects of α6-nAChRs are modulated by lynx1.
Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections in the Three Pygmy Groups in Cameroon

ABSTRACT A high (11.8%) level of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was found among 524 Pygmies in Cameroon, whereas the extent of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the same population was low (0.6%). Phylogenetic analyses showed cocirculation of two HBV genotypes, HBV-A3 and -E. Taken together, our results suggest different epidemiological scenarios concerning HBV and HCV infections in this population.
Comparison of two biological internal fixation techniques in the treatment of adult femur shaft fractures (plate-screws and locked intramedullary nail).

BACKGROUND We aimed to compare two (plate-screws and locked intramedullary nail) biological internal fixation techniques in the treatment of adult femur shaft fractures. METHODS Group I included 28 patients operated with biological internal fixation with plate and screws. Group II consisted of 31 patients operated with locked intramedullary nailing technique. During the follow-up period in Group I, 1 patient died and 3 patients dropped out of the study, so the results of 24 patients were evaluated. During the follow-up period in Group II, 2 patients died and 3 patients dropped out of the study, so the results of 26 patients were evaluated in this group. RESULTS Age, sex, injury mechanism, fracture type, time to operation, duration of operation, amount of bleeding, fluoroscopy usage time, early and late complications, duration of hospitalization, fracture union time, and functional results of all patients were comparatively evaluated. CONCLUSION According to our results, no superiority of either technique was demonstrated with respect to fracture union time, complication rate and functional results. Biological internal fixation with plate and screws is an alternative technique to locked intramedullary nailing in patients with multi-trauma or compromised pulmonary or cardiac function, or in complex comminuted or segmented diaphyseal or metaphyseal fractures.
Effect of DIC Spatial Resolution, Noise and Interpolation Error on Identification Results with the VFM

The use of experimental tests that involve full‐field measurements to characterize mechanical material properties is becoming more widespread within the engineering community. In particular digital image correlation (DIC) on white light speckles is one of the most used tools, thanks to the relatively low cost of the equipment and the availability of dedicated software. Nonetheless the impact of measurement errors on the identified parameters is still not completely understood. To this purpose, in this paper, a simulator able to numerically simulate an experimental test, which involves DIC is presented. The chosen test is the Unnotched Iosipescu test used to identify the orthotropic elastic parameters of composites. Synthetic images are generated and then analysed by DIC. Eventually the obtained strain maps are used to identify the elastic parameters with the Virtual Fields Method (VFM). The numerical errors propagating through the simulation procedure are carefully characterized. Besides, the simulator is used to compare the performances of DIC and the grid method in the identification process with the VFM. Finally, the influence of DIC settings on the identification error is studied as a function of the camera digital noise level, in order to find the best testing configuration.
State of the art: VANETs applications and their RFID-based systems

With the technological advance and software improvement, Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks have made a huge and impressive development in the recent years. This literature surveys different aspects of VANETs. The aim of the paper is to give an overview of the applications and systems embedded within VANETs. After a historical view of the main aspects of intelligent vehicles, various VANETs applications are to be presented mainly safety, commercial, comfort, productive and efficiency applications. The embedded systems in VANETs based on the RFID technology are to be described, as well.
Estimation of a Benchmark Dose in the Presence or Absence of Hormesis Using Posterior Averaging

U.S. Environment Protection Agency benchmark doses for dichotomous cancer responses are often estimated using a multistage model based on a monotonic dose‐response assumption. To account for model uncertainty in the estimation process, several model averaging methods have been proposed for risk assessment. In this article, we extend the usual parameter space in the multistage model for monotonicity to allow for the possibility of a hormetic dose‐response relationship. Bayesian model averaging is used to estimate the benchmark dose and to provide posterior probabilities for monotonicity versus hormesis. Simulation studies show that the newly proposed method provides robust point and interval estimation of a benchmark dose in the presence or absence of hormesis. We also apply the method to two data sets on carcinogenic response of rats to 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin.
The predictive value of five different urinary LH kits in detecting the LH surge in regularly menstruating women.

OBJECTIVES To compare the predictive value of five different urinary LH kits at detecting the LH surge in regularly menstruating, reproductive-age women. DESIGN Single center, prospective study. SETTING University of Tennessee, Obstetrics and Gynecology department. INTERVENTION Eleven regularly menstruating women collected urine daily from cycle days 10 through 18. Urinary LH was quantitated by radioimmunoassay. Transvaginal sonography was performed to document ovulation. Three different lots of Clear Plan Easy, OvuKit, OvuQuick, Sure Step, and EZ LH were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Correlation of urinary LH test kit results with urine LH value determined by RIA. RESULTS Peak urinary LH values by RIA ranged from 13.5 mIU/mL to 73.0 mIU/mL. The lowest level detected as positive by LH kits ranged from 25.5 mIU/mL to 48.7 mIU/mL. Lot-to-lot variations were rare. Follicular collapse occurred within 24 hours of the urinary LH peak in 8 of 10 (80%) and by 48 hours in the remaining 2 subjects. CONCLUSIONS The percentage of LH surges detected by urinary LH kits ranged from 50% to 100%. The lowest LH value detected as positive varied almost twofold between different kits. Manufacturers should indicate the detection limit of their kits in mIU/mL.
Comparison of instruments addressing quality of life in patients with ALS and their caregivers

Most quality of life (QoL) instruments for ALS focus on function. An open instrument, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life–Direct Weight (SEIQoL-DW) that asks subjects to nominate and rate QoL areas important at the time of evaluation, was given to patients and caregiver spouses. Patients also completed function-based instruments. Correlations were poor between SEIQoL-DW and function-based instruments. SEIQoL-DW scores were worse for caregivers than for patients, probably explained by shifts in patient expectations with disease progression.
HHsvm: fast and accurate classification of profile-profile matches identified by HHsearch

MOTIVATION Recently developed profile-profile methods rival structural comparisons in their ability to detect homology between distantly related proteins. Despite this tremendous progress, many genuine relationships between protein families cannot be recognized as comparisons of their profiles result in scores that are statistically insignificant. RESULTS Using known evolutionary relationships among protein superfamilies in SCOP database, support vector machines were trained on four sets of discriminatory features derived from the output of HHsearch. Upon validation, it was shown that the automatic classification of all profile-profile matches was superior to fixed threshold-based annotation in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated by annotating several domains of unknown function from the Pfam database. AVAILABILITY Programs and scripts implementing the methods described in this manuscript are freely available from http://hhsvm.dlakiclab. org/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.