Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunotherapy of allergic diseases using probiotics or recombinant probiotics

Allergic diseases affect up to 30% of the western population, and their prevalence is increasing. Probiotics are able to modulate the mucosal immune response, and clinical trials demonstrated that specific strains, especially lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ones, reduce allergic symptoms. Moreover, the use of recombinant probiotics has been evaluated as possible strategies for the immunotherapy of allergic diseases. The production and delivery of allergens by recombinant LAB in concert with their ability to induce a Th1‐type immune response have been shown to be a promising mucosal vaccination strategy in mouse model. The aim of this article is to review the applications of probiotics in allergy immunotherapy with a special focus on recombinant LAB delivering proteins or DNA.
TLR8 gene polymorphism and association in bacterial load in southern Punjab of Pakistan: an association study with pulmonary tuberculosis

Only 5–10% of people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop active tuberculosis which suggests a role of genetic variation in host immunity. Genetic variants in TLRs are potential indicator for host susceptibility and outcome of several diseases. We explored the association of nonsynonymous genetic variants (Met1Val) with Toll‐like receptor 8 in Pakistani population. Genotypic and allelic distribution of TLR8 polymorphism (rs3764880) in patients with TB and healthy donors from different areas of southern Punjab, Pakistan, was determined. Results provide that our population is highly influenced by TLR8 Met1Val SNP for TB, and G allele appeared to increase TB susceptibility. Mutant genotype GG or G/− and G allele was significantly higher among all the categories of cases than in controls. Among different levels of bacillary load and genotypes, GG or G/− and G allele significantly supports the incidence of 2 + class for bacterial load.
EVpedia: an integrated database of high-throughput data for systemic analyses of extracellular vesicles

Secretion of extracellular vesicles is a general cellular activity that spans the range from simple unicellular organisms (e.g. archaea; Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) to complex multicellular ones, suggesting that this extracellular vesicle-mediated communication is evolutionarily conserved. Extracellular vesicles are spherical bilayered proteolipids with a mean diameter of 20–1,000 nm, which are known to contain various bioactive molecules including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Here, we present EVpedia, which is an integrated database of high-throughput datasets from prokaryotic and eukaryotic extracellular vesicles. EVpedia provides high-throughput datasets of vesicular components (proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, and lipids) present on prokaryotic, non-mammalian eukaryotic, and mammalian extracellular vesicles. In addition, EVpedia also provides an array of tools, such as the search and browse of vesicular components, Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, network analysis of vesicular proteins and mRNAs, and a comparison of vesicular datasets by ortholog identification. Moreover, publications on extracellular vesicle studies are listed in the database. This free web-based database of EVpedia (http://evpedia.info) might serve as a fundamental repository to stimulate the advancement of extracellular vesicle studies and to elucidate the novel functions of these complex extracellular organelles.
Cigarette butt littering in city streets: a new methodology for studying and results

Objectives The objectives of the present work were to (a) develop a relatively simple single-observer method for data collection on cigarette butt discarding; and (b) quantify cigarette butt discarding behaviour in city streets. Methods A method was developed, piloted and refined (with interobserver assessment). Cigarette butt discarding was systematically observed by a single data collector while walking a continuous circuit of busy downtown streets in a capital city (Wellington, New Zealand). Results The final method appeared feasible in this setting and seemed efficient (at 5.5 discarding events observed per hour). A clear majority (76.7%; 95% CI 70.8 to 82.0%) of the 219 smokers observed littered their cigarette butts. Butt littering was more common for those who did not extinguish their cigarette (94.4% vs 4.5%, p=0.003). Butt littering was more common in the evening versus lunchtime periods of observation (85.8% vs 68.1%, p=0.002, logistic regression analysis). Overall, most smokers (73.5%) did not extinguish their butts and some placed lit butts in bins (constituting a risk of bin fires). The context for this littering was a high density of rubbish bins on this circuit with a mean of 3.5 bins being in view and with a bin every 24 m on average. Conclusions Butt littering behaviour appears to be the norm among smokers in this urban setting, even though rubbish bins were ubiquitous. One solution is stronger enforcement of littering laws. Nevertheless, in a society with a national smokefree goal (by year 2025 for New Zealand), it would probably be more logical and cost effective to move to smokefree policies for major city streets, which are used in a number of jurisdictions internationally.
An Interprofessional Web-Based Resource for Health Professions Preceptors

Objective. To develop a Web-based preceptor education resource for healthcare professionals and evaluate its usefulness. Methods. Using an open source platform, 8 online modules called “E-tips for Practice Education” (E-tips) were developed that focused on topics identified relevant across healthcare disciplines. A cross-sectional survey design was used to evaluate the online resource. Ninety preceptors from 10 health disciplines affiliated with the University of British Columbia evaluated the E-tips. Results. The modules were well received by preceptors, with all participants indicating that they would recommend these modules to their colleagues, over 80% indicating the modules were very to extremely applicable, and over 60% indicating that E-tips had increased their confidence in their ability to teach. Conclusion. Participants reported E-tips to be highly applicable to their teaching role as preceptors. Given their multidisciplinary focus, these modules address a shared language and ideas about clinical teaching among those working in multi-disciplinary settings.
De la place des femmes et de leur corps dans la géographie française: souvenirs et expériences personnels

Les reticences a la montee en puissance des recherches sur le genre et les sexualites ont ete fortes dans la geographie francaise, y compris dans la geographie sociale. Certes les travaux fondateurs en termes d'espace vecu etaient attentifs aux femmes et a leurs espaces, mais c'etait largement sur la base d'une naturalisation des differences entre hommes et femmes qui rendait difficile tout regard critique sur la dimension spatiale des rapports sociaux de sexe. En repartant de souvenirs personnels en tant qu'etudiante puis " jeune chercheure ", ce texte revient sur les conditions qui, selon moi, ont rendu possible la levee du voile sur le genre et le sexe. J'aborde successivement le poids des mots et celui de la classe sociale avant de degager les grandes lignes des changements de regards introduits par les etudes de genre.
Mutations in the β-tubulin binding site for peloruside A confer resistance by targeting a cleft significant in side chain binding

Peloruside A is a microtubule-stabilizing macrolide that binds to beta tubulin at a site distinct from the taxol site. The site was previously identified by H-D exchange mapping and molecular docking as a region close to the outer surface of the microtubule and confined in a cavity surrounded by a continuous loop of protein folded so as to center on Y340. We have isolated a series of peloruside A-resistant lines of the human ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780(1A9) to better characterize this binding site and the consequences of altering residues in it. Four resistant lines (Pel A-D) are described with single-base mutations in class I β-tubulin that result in the following substitutions: R306H, Y340S, N337D, and A296S in various combinations. The mutations are localized to peptides previously identified by Hydrogen-Deuterium exchange mapping, and center on a cleft in which the drug side chain appears to dock. The Pel lines are 10-15-fold resistant to peloruside A and show cross resistance to laulimalide but not to any other microtubule stabilizers. They show no cross-sensitivity to any microtubule destabilizers, nor to two drugs with targets unrelated to microtubules. Peloruside A induces G2/M arrest in the Pel cell lines at concentrations 10-15 times that required in the parental line. The cells show notable changes in morphology compared to the parental line.
Importance of Drug Transporters in Pharmacokinetics and Drug Safety

ABSTRACT The exact role of transporters in the absorption, distribution, and excretion (ADE) of drugs is still being elucidated; however, current evidence suggests that their role in these processes may be significant. In this review, the role of transporters in the ADE, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical drug–drug interactions (DDIs) of drugs will be discussed. The current biological tools to assess this role and practical perspectives for the utilization of knowledge about drug transporters to drug discovery and development will also be discussed. Currently, regulatory agencies are focusing on these potential transporter-mediated DDIs. Therefore, guidance and caution on the investigation of these DDIs will be given.
Classifying the tools of contextualized programming education and forms of media computation

Teachers have used various approaches and tools to introduce computing concepts in motivating contexts. In this article, we review contextualized programming education in general as well as a form of contextualization, media computing, in particular. From a review of the literature, we formulate: 1) A broad-brush overview of the components of contextualized programming education, focusing especially on technological tools; 2) a classification of tools for media computation; and 3) a list of the operations on multimedia that feature in media computation courses. These results can help teachers and educational technologists who are interested in learning about contextualized programming education, building new tools, and positioning their work in relation to the literature.
Alteration of the Chronic Wasting Disease Species Barrier by In Vitro Prion Amplification

ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids now detected in 19 states of the United States, three Canadian provinces, and South Korea. Whether noncervid species can be infected by CWD and thereby serve as reservoirs for the infection is not known. To investigate this issue, we previously used serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) to demonstrate that CWD prions can amplify in brain homogenates from several species sympatric with cervids, including prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and field mice (Peromyscus spp.). Here, we show that prairie voles are susceptible to mule deer CWD prions in vivo and that sPMCA amplification of CWD prions in vole brain enhances the infectivity of CWD for this species. Prairie voles inoculated with sPMCA products developed clinical signs of TSE disease approximately 300 days prior to, and more consistently than, those inoculated with CWD prions from deer brain. Moreover, the deposition patterns and biochemical properties of protease-resistant form of PrP (PrPRES) in the brains of affected voles differed from those in cervidized transgenic (CerPrP) mice infected with CWD. In addition, voles inoculated orally with sPMCA products developed clinical signs of TSE and were positive for PrPRES deposition, whereas those inoculated orally with deer-origin CWD prions did not. These results demonstrate that transspecies sPMCA of CWD prions can enhance the infectivity and adapt the host range of CWD prions and thereby may be useful to assess determinants of prion species barriers.
PCR Detection of Genes Encoding Nitrite Reductase in Denitrifying Bacteria

ABSTRACT Using consensus regions in gene sequences encoding the two forms of nitrite reductase (Nir), a key enzyme in the denitrification pathway, we designed two sets of PCR primers to amplifycd1- and Cu-nir. The primers were evaluated by screening defined denitrifying strains, denitrifying isolates from wastewater treatment plants, and extracts from activated sludge. Sequence relationships ofnir genes were also established. Thecd1 primers were designed to amplify a 778 to 799-bp region of cd1-nir in the six published sequences. Likewise, the Cu primers amplified a 473-bp region in seven of the eight published Cu-nir sequences. Together, the two sets of PCR primers amplified nir genes in nine species within four genera, as well as in four of the seven sludge isolates. The primers did not amplify genes of nondenitrifying strains. The Cu primers amplified the expected fragment in all 13 sludge samples, but cd1-nir fragments were only obtained in five samples. PCR products of the expected sizes were verified as nir genes after hybridization to DNA probes, except in one case. The sequenced nir fragments were related to other nir sequences, demonstrating that the primers amplified the correct gene. The selected primer sites for Cu-nir were conserved, while broad-range primers targeting conserved regions of cd1-nir seem to be difficult to find. We also report on the existence of Cu-nir in Paracoccus denitrificans Pd1222.
How In-Home Technologies Mediate Caregiving Relationships in Later Life

In-home technologies can support older adults' activities of daily living, provide physical safety and security, and connect elders to family and friends. They facilitate aging in place while reducing caregiver burden. One of older adults' primary concerns about in-home technologies is their potential to reduce human contact, particularly from cherished caregivers. In this exploratory in situ study, we provided an ecosystem of networked monitoring technologies to six older adults and their caregivers. We analyzed the amount and content of communication between them. The amount of noncomputer-mediated communication did not decrease through the 6-week study. The content of communication coalesced into four themes: communication about the technologies, communication facilitated by technologies, intrusiveness of technologies, and fun and playfulness with the technologies. Results suggest that in-home technologies, designed with sensitivity to older adults' primary motivations, have the potential to shape and tailor important relationships in later life.
Analysis of the evolution of granule associated serine proteases of immune defence (GASPIDs) suggests a revised nomenclature

Abstract GASPIDs (granule associated serine protease of immune defence) are a family of serine proteases intimately involved with the function of the vertebrate immune system. With the availability of a large and growing set of assembled genomes, we undertook an evolutionary analysis to plot the development of this protein family from a single precursor to the modern mammalian cohort of 12 genes, in an attempt to define and systematically classify subgroups or clades within this family, which are implied by the conventional gene designations. We identified a primordial GASPID gene as either GzmA or GzmK in cartilaginous fish and reconstructed an evolutionary path through to humans. Apart from historic value, the current sub-designations (granzymes, mast cell proteases and neutrophil serine proteases) serve no useful purpose and are increasingly misleading. We therefore used our phylogenetic and point mutation analyses to separate GASPIDs into three clades. These could form the basis of a simple nomenclature that allows effective classification of GASPIDs without implying functional roles.
Prognostic value of an index for serum globulin compensation in colon and breast cancers.

INTRODUCTION Decreased serum albumin (SA) levels have been used extensively as prognostic indicators in many chronic debilitating diseases. The decrease may be partly compensated by globular proteins. The failure of globulins to compensate may reflect advanced disease. We examined the prognostic value of the level of serum globulins in colorectal and breast cancers. METHODS Data of 80 patients with advanced colon and breast cancers were analysed. Of these, 46 patients died within six months of measurement of their serum proteins, and the rest were followed-up for more than six months after measurements of their serum proteins were taken. A mathematical formula, representing the globulin compensation index (GCI), was recently developed from the measured SA levels and globulins. Patients were then classified into three categories: negative GCI and negative compensation; GCI of 0 to less than 1.0 with partial compensation; and GCI equal or greater than 1.0 with full compensation. RESULTS Among the deceased patients, 45.7 percent had negative GCI, compared to 26.5 percent of patients in the survivors group. For partial compensation, 30.4 percent of patients were from the deceased group, and 32.4 percent were from the survivors group. For full compensation (elevated GCI), 23.9 percent of patients were from the deceased group, compared to 41.1 percent from the survivors group (p-value equals 0.031). CONCLUSION Patients with low GCI are more likely to have bad prognoses, whereas those with higher GCI have more favourable prognoses. Globulin compensation may be a reliable prognostic factor in advanced colorectal and breast cancers, and possibly in other chronic illnesses. The GCI may serve as a useful tool in the measurement of this compensation.
Optimum design of power MOSFET's

We present a model for the on-state resistance of power vertical, double-diffused MOS (VDMOS) transistors with emphasis on cell layout optimization and supporting experimental data. Essentially the same minimum Roncan be achieved using any of six different cellular cell geometries including square and hexagonal cells. Specifically, the on-resistances of all cellular designs are essentially identical if they have the same p-well width and the same ratio of well area to cell area. Cellular designs yield lower on-resistance than linear-cell designs unless the latter, through clever layout perhaps, allows at least 1.6 times smaller well width than the former. Design examples and experiments illustrate a simple optimization procedure, which starts with choosing the minimum p-well width and depth compatible with production technology and then finding the optimum spacing between the p-wells.
Odin observations of Antarctic nighttime NO densities in the mesosphere–lower thermosphere and observations of a lower NO layer

The Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) on the Odin satellite currently has an eight‐year dataset of nighttime Antarctic nitric oxide densities, [NO], in the mesosphere–lower thermosphere (MLT) region. In this work, the OSIRIS data are compared with a similar data set from the Sub‐Millimeter Radiometer (SMR), also on the Odin satellite. Both of the Odin data sets are compared with twilight [NO] from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment–Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE‐FTS) on the SciSat‐I satellite. Direct comparisons of OSIRIS and SMR profiles show large differences, indicating that the individual [NO] profiles of one or both data sets may not be valid. However, when comparing averaged [NO], variations on timescales of weeks‐years in all three data sets are in good agreement and correspond to the 27 day and 11 year solar cycles. The averaged OSIRIS values are typically 10% greater than SMR and 30% greater than ACE‐FTS, which are within the estimated OSIRIS systematic uncertainties. These results suggest that the satellite‐derived data sets can be used for determining polar‐mean NO climatology and variations on timescales of weeks‐years. The OSIRIS and SMR nighttime data sets show that the [NO] peak height in the MLT decreases throughout the autumn, from an altitude near or above 100 km to a minimum altitude ranging from 90 to 95 km around winter solstice. A similar decrease in [NO] peak height is observed in modeled NO climatology from the Specified Dynamics–Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD‐WACCM), although the SD‐WACCM climatology exhibits a decrease throughout autumn from 107 km down to 102 km. The results suggest that global climate models require more sophisticated auroral forcing simulations in order to reproduce observed NO variations in this region.
An Energy-Efficient Implantable Transponder for Biomedical Piezo-Resistance Pressure Sensors

An implantable transponder with wireless link for biomedical applications is presented. The application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is energy optimized for a Wheatstone configured piezoresistive pressure sensor. The system takes advantage of an extremely low duty cycle reducing significantly the energy consumption. A net differential input swing voltage is obtained from only a single resistive sensor branch by interchanging the sensor supply polarity alternately. The ASIC was fabricated in TSMC 90 nm CMOS process with an area of 0.37 mm2. The transponder is powered by a 13.56 MHz radio frequency signal and performs sensor signal amplification, analog to digital conversion and uplink data transmission through load shift keying within 96 μs every 5 min. This results in a total energy consumption for the complete system on the implant side of 12.5 nJ per sample for a resolution of 7.03 effective bits.
Controllability and observability of discrete time-varying fractional systems with delays

The article considers discrete time-varying fractional order systems with delays in control signal. The solution of time-varying system and its transition matrix are presented. Moreover, the general formula of solution of difference state equation is used to formulate the necessary and sufficient condition for controllability of the considered system in a given interval [k0, k] with respect to p-delays in control. Additionally, necessary and sufficient conditions for observability of dynamical systems are given. Finally, the illustrative examples are presented.
Evolutionarily reconfigurable cloud-integrated body sensor networks

This paper considers a multi-tier architecture for cloud-integrated body sensor networks (BSNs), called Body-in-the-Cloud (BitC), which is designed for home healthcare with on-body physiological and activity monitoring sensors. This paper formulates an optimization problem to integrate BSNs with a cloud in BitC and approaches the problem with an evolutionary game theoretic algorithm. BitC allows BSNs to adapt their configurations (i.e., sensing intervals) to operational conditions (e.g., data request patterns) with respect to multiple performance objectives such as resource consumption and data yield. BitC theoretically guarantees that each BSN performs an evolutionarily stable configuration strategy, which is an equilibrium solution under given operational conditions. Simulation results verify this theoretical analysis; BSNs seek equilibria to perform adaptive and evolutionarily stable configuration strategies under dynamic changes of operational conditions. BitC outperforms a well-known evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithm, NSGA-III, in optimality, convergence speed and stability.