Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low‐avidity CD8lo T cells induced by incomplete antigen stimulation in vivo regulate naive higher avidity CD8hi T cell responses to the same antigen

We have previously reported that multiple injections of soluble MHC class I tetramers assembled with wild‐type HY peptide induces unresponsiveness to male skin grafts in naive female C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Induction of unresponsiveness is dependent on a population of unresponsive allospecific CD8lo T cells. Reduced expression of CD8 acts to limit a T cell response to HY peptide by limiting the avidity window of effective signal transduction. We and others have demonstrated that CD8lo T cells are an alternative stable phenotype of CD8αβ+ T cells in vitro and in vivo after antigen stimulation. We show here that CD8lo T cells can suppress naive CD8+ T cell responses to HY antigen in vitro and male skin graft rejection in vivo after adoptive transfer into female recipients. These novel regulatory T cells express surface TGF‐β1 and secrete T cytotoxic 2 cytokines after antigen‐specific stimulation. Anti‐TGF‐β antibody and latency‐associated peptide inhibit the suppressive effects in vitro. We also show that HY‐specific memory CD8+ T cells overcome regulation by CD8lo T cells. These data define a novel peripheral regulatory CD8+ T cell population that arises after repeated antigen encounter in vivo. These cells have implications in the maintenance of tolerance and memory.
Pregnancy outcome in a Spanish population of women beyond age 40 delivered above 32 weeks’ gestation

Objective: To investigate the effect of age and parity on obstetric outcome in a Spanish population of pregnants aged 40 years or older delivered above 32 weeks’gestation. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 16764 singleton pregnancies delivered above 32 weeks’gestation between 2000 and 2007 in a nontertiary community hospital was studied. Obstetric outcomes in women aged 40 years or above (n = 335) were compared to women aged 20–29 years (n = 347) delivered at the same period. Results: During the study period, the prevalence of mothers aged 40 or above increased from 1.6% to 3%. Older pregnants were more likely to be multiparous and to have used assisted reproductive techniques. They were more likely to develop gestational diabetes (OR 7.77, 3.50–17.94) and preeclampsia (OR 2.60, 1.13–6.16) and to have a higher rate of cesarean delivery (OR 2.95, 1.98–4.42). Elective was the most frequent cause of cesarean delivery in this group. Newborns were at higher risk to suffer diabetes-related complications but no differences neither in 5-min Apgar score of <7 nor in the need for admission into special care baby unit were found. No perinatal deaths were registered. Conclusion: Our Spanish population of older mothers showed a higher risk for being delivered by cesarean section and for developing either preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. The overall neonatal outcome was unaffected. These data may be helpfull to counsel patients about their pregnancy expectations and possible outcomes.
Identification of a new C-type lectin, TES-70, secreted by infective larvae of Toxocara canis, which binds to host ligands

Infective larvae of the dog roundworm Toxocara canis survive in the tissues of their hosts for extended periods in a state of developmental arrest, successfully evading immune destruction. This survival strategy is thought to be mediated by T. canis excretory/secretory (TES) products which downregulate or divert the immune response. We purified one of the major TES products, TES-70 and gained amino acid sequence from 4 tryptic peptides. These peptides were matched to a predicted protein from a cDNA that was isolated by expression screening a T. canis cDNA library with mouse anti-TES serum. The predicted protein (Tc-CTL-4) is similar to, but larger than, Tc-CTL-1, a 32-kDa C-type lectin secreted by T. canis larvae. Tc-CTL-4 has a signal peptide, 2 Cys-rich domains and a C-terminal calcium-dependent C-type lectin domain that shares sequence similarity with host immune cell receptors such as macrophage mannose receptor and CD23. The lectin domain was expressed in bacteria and antiserum to the purified recombinant protein was used to confirm that Tc-ctl-4 did encode the native TES-70 glycoprotein. TES-70 selectively bound to ligands on the surface of Madin–Darby Canine Kidney cells in vitro in a calcium-dependent manner, inhibitable by mammalian serum, indicating that a host glycan is the native ligand for this new parasite lectin.
Online Crowdfunding as Academic Grants: a Systematic Literature Review

Funding is one of the main factors for academic researchers to achieve success throughout their academic career. The traditional method of requesting research grants from corporations (through research and development departments) and government (primarily carried out through universities and specialized government agencies) takes a long time to process, and in addition, the competition is fierce. The review is carried out by performing a systematic literature review in order to identify and discover what and how online crowdfunding is being used, and, to recognize its role in any kind of academic grants. Several research questions are designed and multiple of research papers and studies are collected and analyzed. The data collected from the studies were then used to answer the research questions. The findings include, the types of crowdfunding models, advantages and disadvantages of crowdfunding for the research domains, crowdfunding platform evaluation and the crowdfunding scenes in Malaysia. With this review, the data collected and answers from the questions could provide insights into crowdfunding as an alternative for academic grants funding in Malaysia, other than the conventional methods.
Independent coding of absolute duration and distance magnitudes in the prefrontal cortex.

The estimation of space and time can interfere with each other, and neuroimaging studies have shown overlapping activation in the parietal and prefrontal cortical areas. We used duration and distance discrimination tasks to determine whether space and time share resources in prefrontal cortex (PF) neurons. Monkeys were required to report which of two stimuli, a red circle or blue square, presented sequentially, were longer and farther, respectively, in the duration and distance tasks. In a previous study, we showed that relative duration and distance are coded by different populations of neurons and that the only common representation is related to goal coding. Here, we examined the coding of absolute duration and distance. Our results support a model of independent coding of absolute duration and distance metrics by demonstrating that not only relative magnitude but also absolute magnitude are independently coded in the PF. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Human behavioral studies have shown that spatial and duration judgments can interfere with each other. We investigated the neural representation of such magnitudes in the prefrontal cortex. We found that the two magnitudes are independently coded by prefrontal neurons. We suggest that the interference among magnitude judgments might depend on the goal rather than the perceptual resource sharing.
The temporal relationship between plasma levels of FSH and LH in the ram.

Blood samples were collected from adult Soay rams at frequent intervals during the regressed, developing and active phases of the sexual cycle, or after i.v. injections of synthetic LH-RH or standard preparations of ovine FSH and LH, and were assayed for FSH, LH and testosterone. The highest FSH and LH levels occurred during the developing stage of the cycle, and the highest testosterone levels during the active stage. At each phase there were conspicuous short-term fluctuations in the concentrations of all three hormones, and episodic peaks of plasma LH were associated with increases in both FSH and testosterone. Synthetic LH-RH (5 microgram) induced a rise in the plasma values of FSH and LH at all stages and the magnitude and duration of the response could be predicted from a knowledge of the endogenous short-term fluctuations. When 50--250 ng LH-RH were given i.v. plasma LH increased in a way similar to that occurring spontaneously. The ratio of FSH:LH released after LH-RH changed with the stage of the sexual cycle, but the clearance rate of the two hormones was not affected. These findings are consistent with the control of FSH and LH by a single releasing hormone which is secreted in pulses. The different temporal patterns in the circulating FSH and LH result from differences in secretion and clearance.
Resveratrol blocks high glucose–induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production in bovine aortic endothelial cells: role of phase 2 enzyme induction?

Animal and human studies have shown that vascular endothelial cells are an important target of hyperglycaemic damage in diabetes [1]. Recently,mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to activate several signalling cascades involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes including protein kinase C, nuclear factorkappaBand advanced glycation endproducts. Therefore, compounds with mitochondrial antioxidant properties may help to prevent the development and progression of diabetic complications. Resveratrol is a natural phytoalexin found in grape skins and seeds, peanuts and red wine. It has been shown to exhibit awide range of pharmacological activities including cardiovascular protection, cancer prevention and anti-inflammatory effects [2,3]. Despite its weak direct ROS-scavenging capacity, resveratrol has been shown to possess potent antioxidant properties through mechanisms that are unclear [2,3]. In this study, using bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), we examined the effect of resveratrol on high glucose (HG)–induced oxidative stress. Our results show that resveratrol blocks HGinduced ROS production in BAEC by maintenance of cellular glutathione (GSH) levels and upregulation of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity.
The Research of Ownership Structure and the Quality of Accounting Information in GEM Listed Companies

The quality of accounting information is the hot topic nowadays. The accounting information disclosure is a system of corporate governance; ownership structure is the foundation of corporate governance, so ownership structure can give an impact on the quality of accounting information through corporate governance. This paper selects GEM listed companies’ data from 2012 to 2014 and researches the relationship between ownership structure and quality of accounting information from three aspects: ownership properties, ownership concentration and balanced concentrated ownership structure. The results show that the proportion of corporate ownership and the proportion of managerial ownership have positive correlations with the accounting information quality; the state-owned stake, ownership concentration and balanced concentrated ownership structure have not significant relationship with accounting information quality.
Robust approaches to quantitative ratiometric FRET imaging of CFP/YFP fluorophores under confocal microscopy

Ratiometric quantification of CFP/YFP FRET enables live‐cell time‐series detection of molecular interactions, without the need for acceptor photobleaching or specialized equipment for determining fluorescence lifetime. Although popular in widefield applications, its implementation on a confocal microscope, which would enable sub‐cellular resolution, has met with limited success. Here, we characterize sources of optical variability (unique to the confocal context) that diminish the accuracy and reproducibility of ratiometric FRET determination and devise practical remedies. Remarkably, we find that the most popular configuration, which pairs an oil objective with a small pinhole aperture, results in intractable variability that could not be adequately corrected through any calibration procedure. By quantitatively comparing several imaging configurations and calibration procedures, we find that significant improvements can be achieved by combining a water objective and increased pinhole aperture with a uniform‐dye calibration procedure. The combination of these methods permitted remarkably consistent quantification of sub‐cellular FRET in live cells. Notably, this methodology can be readily implemented on a standard confocal instrument, and the dye calibration procedure yields a time savings over traditional live‐cell calibration methods. In all, identification of key technical challenges and practical compensating solutions promise robust sub‐cellular ratiometric FRET imaging under confocal microscopy.
Do-It-Yourself Empowerment as Experienced by Novice Makers with Disabilities

Recent HCI research has highlighted the potential afforded by maker technologies for supporting new forms of DIY Assistive Technology (DIY-AT) for people with disabilities. Furthermore, the popular discourse surrounding both the maker movement and disability is one of democratisation and empowerment. Despite this, critics argue that maker movement membership lacks diversity and that within DIY-AT, it is seldom the people with disabilities who are creating such designs. We conducted a qualitative study that explored how people with disabilities experience the empowering potential of making. We analysed online videos by makers with disabilities and conducted fieldwork at two makerspaces. These informed the design of DIY-Abilities, a series of workshops for people with disabilities in which participants could learn different maker technologies and complete their own maker project. Through analysis of participants' narratives we contribute a new perspective on the specific social and material capacities of accessible maker initiatives.
Hierarchical Structures of Content Items in LMS

Of the many applications enabled by new technologies, the most commonly used in higher education are Learning Management Systems (LMSs), e.g, Moodle, BlackBoard, which enable a wide range of Web-supported courses. LMSs enable the instructors to develop websites for their courses to support face-to-face teaching by means of different tools. Although most of the LMSs offer an enriched environment that goes beyond the usual content management tools (including communication tools and course management modules), these systems are mainly used for transferring information and increasing accessibility of learning materials [1-3]. Usually, the content modules in these systems enable the construction of a hierarchical repository of information items; consequently, the instructor is able to create folders and upload files creating variety of repository structures, which are presented to students in the course site.
A Proposed Model for Measuring Service Quality in the Public Health Care Sector

The measurement of service quality in the Australian public health sector has received little attention, despite a significant body of evidence highlighting its importance. This paper reviews studies of services quality in health care, identifying additional key domains. Of 36 studies reviewed, only three have gone well beyond the SERVQUAL framework and five have adopted an entirely different approach. A model is proposed to specifically include those domains. The independent variables which are postulated to determine perceived service quality in the public health care sector are Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Joint Decision Making, Caring, Risk, Continuity, Collaboration, Outcome, Empathy and Tangibles. Introduction The costs of health care are rising in the western world (Ovretveit, 1992) with demand for service now well exceeding supply. Patient and professional quality expectations have increased along with government pressure to contain service costs (Sewell, 1997). Ovretveit has characterized quality health care as “fully meeting the needs of those who need the service the most at the lowest cost to the organisation, within the limits and directives set by higher authorities and purchasers”. In the Australian public health care sector, the measurement of quality is a topic of great significance, with evidence based medicine providing a means for cost control. Much work has been and is being undertaken to measure the technical components of health care and to improve health outcomes. In this sector there are now three identifiable trends: the emergence of the patient as consumer, the introduction of innovative and complex technologies and a different approach to health care management. Yet there is no unified process for assessing and measuring the various components of health service quality and to date little work has been undertaken on the consumer side of the quality equation. Technical Quality and Health Care In most countries offering a westernized system of medicine, multiple organisations have been established to focus specifically on health quality. In Australia a number of such organisations exist at the national and the state levels. At the national level the two most significant organisations are the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (prior to 2006 it was the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care) and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS). Both have a focus on improving the technical quality and safety of health care, where technical quality is the accuracy of the diagnosis, procedures and therapeutic interventions. This focus is replicated at the state level. Health care quality has traditionally been the responsibility of the service provider. According to Donabedian (1980), quality is purely an attribute that the technical and interpersonal aspects of medical care manifest to varying degrees. Using a framework of structure, process and outcomes, Donabedian developed seven
The effects of herbal teas on drug permeability

Herbal teas such as those made from Houttuynia cordata have been consumed for generations for health promotion. Herbal teas contain many ingredients, and there is concern that herbal teas can affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs. In this study we examined the effect of herbal teas on drug permeability. We used the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2 as a model to study the permeability of two drugs across the intestinal cell membrane. We quantified of the amount of digoxin and verapamil passed from apical to basal membranes of Caco-2 cells with and without extracts (1 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL) of four different teas (Rubus suavissimus S. Lee, Ginkgo biloba, Houttuynia cordata, and Eucommia ulmoides). These extracts were made with hot water and dried. For our experiments, the dried extracts were resuspended in water. Our results showed that extracts from Rubus suavissimus S. Lee, Houttuynia cordata, and Eucommia ulmoides at a concentration of 1 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL did not affect digoxin permeability from apical to basal membranes of Caco-2 cells. However, an extract from Ginkgo biloba at a concentration of 10 mg/ mL significantly increased permeability of digoxin and verapamil. Though this concentration is higher than that of typical tea preparations, Ginkgo biloba extract may exert this effect by inhibiting drug export P-glycoprotein (P-gp) since both digoxin and verapamil are known to be transported by P-gp.
Autonomous navigation for mobile robot based on Tabu search in unknown environment

In order to solve the problem of navigation for mobile robot in unknown environments, a autonomous navigation method is presented using Tabu search algorithm. By analyzing the data collected with laser radar, the visible sub-goal which associated a value by the heuristic function to each sub-goal as a measure for the cost of reaching the end goal via this sub-goal can be identified and the current optimize sub-goal can be determined by Tabu search algorithm. Then the mobile robot can realize the free-obstacle and optimization path based on fuzzy logic control method by gradual way. The algorithm overcomes the shortcoming of repetition visit, local minimum and has the advantages of smoother path and shorter path-length. Simulation results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Identification of famous faces and famous names in early Alzheimer's disease. Relationship to anterograde episodic and general semantic memory.

We assessed remote memory in 33 patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores between 17 and 30, and 30 matched controls using a Famous Faces Test and Famous Names Test designed to assess face recognition, identification and naming, and name recognition and identification, respectively, together with a range of anterograde episodic and semantic memory tests. Patients with DAT were impaired on all components of the remote memory tests, i.e. famous face recognition, identification and naming, and famous name recognition and identification. There was also evidence of a modest temporal gradient, with relatively greater impairment of more recent memory, which may be artefactual resulting from the very insidious onset of their anterograde amnesia. In contrast to the uniform impairment of anterograde memory, there was considerable heterogeneity in performance on remote memory. Although the DAT patient group's performance on remote memory measures was impaired with respect to controls, some patients had significant impairment on all measures, whereas others had intact remote memory. Overall, there was only a weak correlation between dementia severity and remote memory, and no correlation between performance on the Faces and Names tests and measures of anterograde memory. At a cognitive level, the deficit in face and name processing in DAT involved recognition, identification and naming. This would suggest that so called 'face and name recognition units', semantic knowledge of famous persons and post-semantic processing are all affected by the disease. There was also supporting evidence for the concept that recognition of famous faces and names both draw on common sources. Similar results were found for face and name identification. This suggests that face and name recognition units are closely linked, and that identification of a face or name accesses the same central pool of semantic knowledge regarding the famous person. Performance on famous names tests correlated, to a limited degree, with that on general semantic tests, suggesting that knowledge of famous people, at least as accessed by names, is associated with general semantic memory. By contrast, no correlation was found between performance on the famous faces and on other general semantic tasks.
An Unsupervised Road Extraction Algorithm for Very Low-Resolution Satellite Imagery (cid:3)

In this paper, we present a novel approach for the automatic extraction of roads from very low-resolution satellite imagery, such as images found in the SPOT data set. First, the input image is preprocessed to amplify possible road regions, while suppressing the low spatial frequency areas. Then, the road features, which are chosen to be curvilinear structures, are found by evaluating the local responses from a set of nonlinear directional line (cid:12)lters. A mapping from the line domain to the vector domain (LVT) was devised to compute the line strength and orientation for each image point. This transformation enables us to combine the multi-channel data into a single aggregated response. From the line orientations and strengths, the candidate road points are traced and linked in a recursive manner. The iterative process consists of (cid:12)nding the road segments, passing them through the directional line (cid:12)l-ter set and computing new strengths and orientations, and then fusing these values with those obtained in the previous iteration. The tracing results are updated at each iteration, and the process continues until there are no further changes in the roads extracted. Experimental results obtained by processing panchromatic satellite images from the SPOT data set, demonstrate the success of the proposed algorithm.