Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two Modes of Pseudorabies Virus Neuroinvasion and Lethality in Mice

ABSTRACT We describe two distinct modes of neuroinvasion and lethality after murine flank inoculation with virulent and attenuated strains of pseudorabies virus (PRV). Mice infected with virulent (e.g., PRV-Becker, PRV-Kaplan, or PRV-NIA3) strains self-mutilate their flank skin in response to virally induced pruritus, die rapidly with no identifiable symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) infection such as behavioral abnormalities, and have little infectious virus or viral antigen in the brain. In distinct contrast, animals infected with an attenuated PRV vaccine strain (PRV-Bartha) survive approximately three times longer than wild-type PRV-infected animals, exhibit severe CNS abnormalities, and have an abundance of infectious virus in the brain at the time of death. Interestingly, these animals have no skin lesions and do not appear pruritic at any time during infection. The severe pruritus and relatively earlier time until death induced by wild-type PRV infection may reflect the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and immune responses to infection rather than a fatal, virally induced CNS pathology. Based on previously characterized afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) neuronal pathways that innervate the skin, we deduced that wild-type virulent strains transit through the PNS via both afferent and efferent routes, whereas PRV-Bartha travels by only efferent routes in the PNS en route to the brain.
Developing an organic strategy of change to challenge gendered stereotypes around the technological (in)ability of women in architecture

Architecture is characterised by a lack of women in the profession and a significant drop–out after qualification all over Europe, despite decades of policies of inclusion. The practice of architecture requires the use of specialised instruments and technologies that often collide with the social assumptions and stereotypes around the conflicted relationship between women and technology. Women are socially perceived as inadequate users of technology in terms of: knowledge of the specific characteristics of objects, ability to use an instrument other than for its basic outcomes, and capacity to use technology in collaboration with co–workers. What can be done to challenge this widespread social perception? The suggestion offered here is to develop an organic strategy of combined actions able to foster a simultaneous change on different levels: individual, relational, cultural and structural. The paper offers an outline of a possible framework of analysis to be initially applied to the architectural field as a specific case study, with the possibility to subsequently adapt it to other STEM sectors. The framework draws upon the concepts of Technologically Dense Environments and Integral Theory’s AQAL method, used respectively to collect and organise empirical data.
State of the Art Exploration Systems for Linked Data: A Review

The ever-increasing amount of data available on the web is the result of the simplicity of sharing data over the current Web. To retrieve relevant information efficiently from this huge dataspace, a sophisticated search technology, which is further complicated due to the various data formats used, is crucial. Semantic Web (SW) technology has a prominent role in search engines to alleviate this issue by providing a way to understand the contextual meaning of data so as to retrieve relevant, high-quality results. An Exploratory Search System (ESS), is a featured data looking and search approach which helps searchers learn and explore their unclear topics and seeking goals through a set of actions. To retrieve high-quality retrievals for ESSs, Linked Open Data (LOD) is the optimal choice. In this paper, SW technology is reviewed, an overview of the search strategies is provided, and followed by a survey of the state of the art Linked Data Browsers (LDBs) and ESSs based on LOD. Finally, each of the LDBs and ESSs is compared with respect to several features such as algorithms, data presentations, and explanations.
Clinical symptoms and IgE responses to common food proteins and inhalants in the first 7 years of life

A group of eighty‐six children followed from birth to 4 years of age and previously reported was now re‐investigated at the age of 7 years. The prevalence of atopy/allergy was 15%. All of the children with current atopy/allergy had had previous manifestations during their first 4 years of life. No child was allergic to milk at the age of 7 years and only two of the six children with a previous allergy to eggs retained their allergy. No other children had developed allergies to milk or eggs. Only one of the eight children with an elevated level of IgE antibodies to egg white (RAST class I or more) during infancy still had increased concentrations of such antibodies. No child had developed an elevated level of IgE antibodies to egg white or milk after the first year of life. Clinical allergies to inhalants had increased from 1% at 4 years of age to 7% at 7 years. Children with elevated levels of IgE antibodies to inhalants had increased from 7% at 4 years of age to 10% at 7 years. The majority of them had had increased levels of IgE antibodies to egg white during infancy. The specificity of an elevated level of cord blood IgE, i.e. above 0.9 kU/1 for predicting atopy/allergy during the first 7 years of life and for current atopy/allergy at 7 years of age were both 95%. The corresponding figures for presence of elevated levels of IgE antibodies to egg white (positive RAST) during infancy were 98 and 97%, respectively. The sensitivity of the cord blood IgE predictor was 14 and 17%. respectively and for a positive RAST to egg white during infancy 32 and 50%, respectively.
Error exponents for Nakagami-m fading keyhole MIMO channels

Along with the channel capacity, the error exponent is one of the most important information theoretic measures of reliability, as it sets ultimate bounds on the performance of communication systems employing codes of finite complexity. In this paper, we derive the closed-form expressions of Gallager's random coding and expurgated error exponents for Nakagami-m fading keyhole multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels under the assumption that there is no channel-state information (CSI) at the transmitter and perfect CSI at the receiver. From the derived analytical expressions, we get insight into an elementary tradeoff between the communication reliability and information rate of the Nakagami-m fading keyhole MIMO channels. Moreover, we can easily compute the necessary codeword length without the extensive Monte-carlo simulation to achieve predefined error probability at a given rate below the channel capacity. In addition, we derive the exact closed-form expressions for the cutoff rate, critical rate and expurgation rate based on easily computable Meijer G-function. Numerical results are presented and verified via Monte Carlo simulation.
Genetic Advances in the Understanding of Microtia

Abstract Microtia is a genetic condition affecting the external ears and presents clinically along a wide spectrum: minimally affected ears are small with minor shape abnormalities; extremely affected ears lack all identifiable structures, with the most extreme being absence of the entire external ear. Multiple genetic causes have been linked to microtia in both animal models and humans, which are improving our understanding of the condition and may lead to the identification of a unified cause for the condition. Microtia is also a prominent feature of several genetic syndromes, the study of which has provided further insight into the possible causes and genetic mechanisms of the condition. This article reviews our current understanding of microtia including epidemiological characteristics, classification systems, environmental and genetic causative factors leading to microtia. Despite our increased understanding of the genetics of microtia, we do not have a means of preventing the condition and still rely on complex staged, surgical correction.
Functional Analysis of an Established Mouse Vascular Endothelial Cell Line

Background: In vitrostudies using cell lines are useful for the understanding of cellular mechanisms. The purpose of our study is to develop a new immortalized aortic vascular endothelial cell (EC) line that retains endothelial characteristics and can facilitate the study of ECs. Methods: A mouse aortic vascular EC line (MAEC) was established from p53-deficient mouse aorta and cultured for over 100 passages. The expression of endothelial markers was assessed, and the function of this cell line was analyzed by tube formation and binding assays. Results: MAEC retained many endothelial properties such as cobblestone appearance, contact-inhibited growth, active uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein, existence of Weibel-Palade bodies and several EC markers. MAECs exhibited tube formation activity both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, crucially, tumor necrosis factor α, an inflammatory cytokine, promoted lymphocyte adhesion to MAECs, suggesting that MAECs may facilitate the study of atherosclerosis and local inflammatory reactions in vitro. Conclusion: We describe the morphological and cell biological characteristics of MAEC, providing strong evidence that it retained endothelial properties. This novel cell line can be a useful tool for studying the biology of ECs.
NONPARAMETRIC SPECIFICATION TESTING FOR NONLINEAR TIME SERIES WITH NONSTATIONARITY

This paper considers a nonparametric time series regression model with a nonstationary regressor. We construct a nonparametric test for whether the regression is of a known parametric form indexed by a vector of unknown parameters. We establish the asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistic. Both the setting and the results differ from earlier work on nonparametric time series regression with stationarity. In addition, we develop a bootstrap simulation scheme for the selection of suitable bandwidth parameters involved in the kernel test as well as the choice of simulated critical values. An example of implementation is given to show that the proposed test works in practice.
Raman Spectra of Biological Samples: A Study of Preprocessing Methods

In this study preprocessing of Raman spectra of different biological samples has been studied, and their effect on the ability to extract robust and quantitative information has been evaluated. Four data sets of Raman spectra were chosen in order to cover different aspects of biological Raman spectra, and the samples constituted salmon oils, juice samples, salmon meat, and mixtures of fat, protein, and water. A range of frequently used preprocessing methods, as well as combinations of different methods, was evaluated. Different aspects of regression results obtained from partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used as indicators for comparing the effect of different preprocessing methods. The results, as expected, suggest that baseline correction methods should be performed in advance of normalization methods. By performing total intensity normalization after adequate baseline correction, robust calibration models were obtained for all data sets. Combination methods like standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative signal correction (MSC), and extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC) in their basic form were not able to handle the baseline features present in several of the data sets, and these methods thus provide no additional benefits compared to the approach of baseline correction in advance of total intensity normalization. EMSC provides additional possibilities that require further investigation.
Comparison of DPS and PS systems according to DPS weights

In the discriminatory processor-sharing (DPS) system with a single processor and K job classes, all jobs present in the system are served simultaneously with rates controlled by a vector of weights {gj >0; j=1,middotmiddotmiddot, K}. When all gj is equal, the DPS system reduces to the egalitarian processor-sharing (PS) system. In this paper we show how the weights of DPS must be chosen in order to make DPS outperform PS.
Endovascular Treatment for Poorest-grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the Acute Stage: Has the Outcome Been Improved?

OBJECTIVE Patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been considered good candidates for endovascular treatment. The results of treatment of Grade V SAH, the poorest grade, however, have not been fully elucidated. METHODS The clinical characteristics and outcome parameters of 22 World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grade V SAH patients treated endovascularly in the acute stage between 1998 and 2000 are summarized and compared with those of 18 Grade V SAH patients treated conservatively between 1995 and 1997. RESULTS Among the 22 patients treated endovascularly, 8 patients (36.4%) survived. The rate was significantly higher than that of the 18 patients treated conservatively (5.6%), only one of whom survived. The favorable outcome rate, however, was not significantly different between the two groups (4.5% versus 6.0%). Subdivision of both treatment groups according to Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score showed that the improved survival among those treated endovascularly was attributable to the improved survival in those with a preprocedural GCS score of 6 but not of 4 or 5. CONCLUSION Endovascular treatment of the 22 World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grade V SAH patients improved their survival rate but not their favorable outcome rate in comparison with conservative treatment. Further accumulation of clinical data is essential to determine whether endovascular treatment can improve the functional outcome of those with GCS scores of 6 and whether there is no role for endovascular treatment in those with GCS scores of 4 or 5.
Laparoscopic Management of Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Laparoscopy provides an enticing alternative for incontinence and pelvic floor procedures that would otherwise require a laparotomy or that would be difficult vaginally. Despite some data suggesting lower cure rates with the laparoscopic Burch when compared with the open approach or trans-vaginal tape, the safety and relative efficacy of the laparoscopic procedure support its continued use. Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy seems to yield comparable outcomes when compared with the open approach and is associated with a shorter hospitalization. Although laparoscopic paravaginal defect, cystocele, and rectocele repairs are technically feasible and may have a role as a concomitant procedure, a vaginal approach is more appropriate for an isolated operation.
Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis: A Colorful Pathway

Plant carotenoids are a family of pigments that participate in light harvesting and are essential for photoprotection against excess light. Furthermore, they act as precursors for the production of apocarotenoid hormones such as abscisic acid and strigolactones. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the genes and enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway (which is now almost completely elucidated) and on the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. We also discuss the relevance of Arabidopsis as a model system for the study of carotenogenesis and how metabolic engineering approaches in this plant have taught important lessons for carotenoid biotechnology.
Evaluating Engagement to Address Undergraduate First Year Transition - A Case Study

Rapidly changing demands from employers of students of business meant substantial redesign of the first year undergraduate experience whose underlying pedagogy drew on the concept of “high-engagement” learning. This paper focuses on the question of how engagement can be evaluated. It is argued that a variety of “sensors” are needed for evaluation, both quantitative and qualitative. Of particular interest is the use of Moodle logs as an emerging powerful sensor.
Between China and South Asia: A Middle Asian corridor of crop dispersal and agricultural innovation in the Bronze Age

The period from the late third millennium BC to the start of the first millennium AD witnesses the first steps towards food globalization in which a significant number of important crops and animals, independently domesticated within China, India, Africa and West Asia, traversed Central Asia greatly increasing Eurasian agricultural diversity. This paper utilizes an archaeobotanical database (AsCAD), to explore evidence for these crop translocations along southern and northern routes of interaction between east and west. To begin, crop translocations from the Near East across India and Central Asia are examined for wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) from the eighth to the second millennia BC when they reach China. The case of pulses and flax (Linum usitatissimum) that only complete this journey in Han times (206 BC–AD 220), often never fully adopted, is also addressed. The discussion then turns to the Chinese millets, Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica, peaches (Amygdalus persica) and apricots (Armeniaca vulgaris), tracing their movement from the fifth millennium to the second millennium BC when the Panicum miliaceum reaches Europe and Setaria italica Northern India, with peaches and apricots present in Kashmir and Swat. Finally, the translocation of japonica rice from China to India that gave rise to indica rice is considered, possibly dating to the second millennium BC. The routes these crops travelled include those to the north via the Inner Asia Mountain Corridor, across Middle Asia, where there is good evidence for wheat, barley and the Chinese millets. The case for japonica rice, apricots and peaches is less clear, and the northern route is contrasted with that through northeast India, Tibet and west China. Not all these journeys were synchronous, and this paper highlights the selective long-distance transport of crops as an alternative to demic-diffusion of farmers with a defined crop package.
Molecular Structures Shared by Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes Show Signs of Only Analogy and Not Homology

In recent years, a special focus of microbiology research has been on the certain groups of bacteria (such as the superphylum Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae—PVC bacteria) because they exhibit certain characteristics which are unusual for prokaryotes, and which are also shared by eukaryotes. Such characteristics include a nuclear membrane, budding reproduction, sterol biosynthesis, and condensed nucleoids. These characteristics challenge the long-held concept that the presence or absence of a nuclear membrane is enough to differentiate between prokaryotes and eukaryotes and also seemingly support the evolutionary idea of the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes due to seemingly similar structures shared by these two domains of life. However, upon closer examination, many protein sequences which are involved in these structures and processes shared by prokaryotes and eukaryotes show low sequence homology and are similar in structure only. Therefore, these proteins can only be said to be analogous to each other, rather than homologous, which is required for evolutionary descent with modification. Furthermore, PVC bacteria are not thought to be the direct ancestors of eukaryotes, despite their analogous cellular characteristics. Also, even though the a-proteobacteria are thought to be the ancestor of the eukaryotes’ mitochondria, its energetic capabilities are questionable, which are hypothesized to be necessary for the expansion of eukaryotic cell complexity, compared to those of other bacteria, such as that of species in the genus Rhodobacter. Some bacteria have also been discovered that contain energy-producing compartments called the anammoxosome, which contradicts the endosymbiotic theory, which states that energy-producing bacteria became mitochondria, which was necessary to induce eukaryotic cellular complexity.
Chronic exercise training effects on immune function.

PURPOSE This paper reviews the recent literature on the chronic effects of exercise training on immune function in humans. There is a general perception by athletes and other physically active individuals that regular moderate activity enhances, whereas intense exercise suppresses, resistance to minor illnesses such as upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). This perception is supported by epidemiological data in endurance athletes and limited data from intervention studies using moderate exercise in previously untrained individuals. The apparently high incidence of URTI among endurance athletes has prompted interest the relationship between chronic exercise training and immune function. Whereas immune cell number is generally normal during intense exercise training, recent evidence suggests that prolonged periods of intense training may lead to slight impairment in immune parameters such as neutrophil function, serum and mucosal immunoglobulin levels, plasma glutamine concentration, and possibly natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. In contrast. moderate exercise training has either no effect on, or may stimulate, these immune parameters. CONCLUSION Whereas athletes are not clinically immune deficient, it is possible that the combined effects of small changes in several immune parameters may compromise resistance to minor illnesses such as URTI. Strategies to prevent URTI in athletes include avoiding overtraining, providing adequate rest and recovery during the training cycle and after competition, limiting exposure to sources of infection, ensuring adequate nutrition, and possibly vitamin C supplementation. It is uncertain at present whether moderate exercise training is helpful in preventing infectious illness among the wider population.
On-demand Allocation of Multiple Mutual-compensating Resources in Wireless Downlinks: a Multi-server Case

In this paper, we investigate the multi-resource allocation problem, a unique feature of which is that the multiple resources can compensate each other while achieving the desired system performance. In particular, power and time allocations are jointly optimized with the target of energy efficiency under the resource-limited constraints. Different from previous studies on the power-time tradeoff, we consider a multi-server case where the concurrent serving users are quantitatively restricted. Therefore user selection is investigated accompanying the resource allocation, making the power-time tradeoff occur not only between the users in the same server but also in different servers. The complex multivariate optimization problem can be modeled as a variant of 2-Dimension Bin Packing Problem (V2D-BPP), which is a joint non-linear and integer programming problem. Though we use state decomposition model to transform it into a convex optimization problem, the variables are still coupled. Therefore, we propose an Iterative Dual Optimization (IDO) algorithm to obtain its optimal solution. Simulations show that the joint multi-resource allocation algorithm outperforms two existing non-joint algorithms from the perspective of energy efficiency.