Collecting Data from Children Ages 9-13

Provides a summary of literature on common methods used to collect data, such as diaries, interviews, observational methods, and surveys. Analyzes age group-specific considerations, advantages, and drawbacks, with tips for improving data quality

CLUSTER HOMOLOG OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-LIKE RECEPTOR GENES IN CHICKEN IMMUNE RESPONSES

This dissertation explores the identity and role of immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) receptors in chickens, with focus on their implications in disease and disease progression. These receptors, wisely expressed across immune cells, interact with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to modulate immune responses in mammals. Due to the insufficient representation of chicken Ig-like receptors in online databases, this study systematically annotates the chicken Cluster Homolog of Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (CHIR) genes using advanced bioinformatic techniques, aligning with the release of the 7th edition of the chicken genome assembly that comprises builds for a broiler and layer chicken. The analysis identifies over 150 CHIR genes, refining functional classifications of activatory (CHIRA), inhibitory (CHIRB), bifunctional (CHIRAB), and CHIR-like (CHIRL) genes through InterProScan, phylogeny and motif searches. Variations in CHIR gene counts across different chicken lines (broiler, N = 124, layer, N = 70) suggest links to selective breeding demands, emphasizing their importance in poultry health and production. Phylogenetically, CHIRs show close relationships with other poultry Ig-like receptors, and structural comparisons indicate analogous roles to Ig-like receptors in the human and rat. As an outcome of the analysis, CHIR genes were renamed with the Chicken Genome Nomenclature Consortium from “chicken homolog of Ig-like receptors” to “cluster homolog of Ig-like receptors”. Reanalyzing next-generation sequencing data reveals CHIR genes are expressed across all tissues of a UCD001 line, with generally higher expression in blood-containing organs. Examination of CHIR gene single nucleotide polymorphisms across various in inbred lines (UCD001, UCD003, Line 0, Line 6, Line 7, Line 15, Line N, Line P, Line C, and Line W) indicates an overall variant rarity and slightly more occurrence in CHIRB genes. Over 1,000 protein-encoding variants are associated with differential resistance and susceptibility to Marek’s disease (P \u3c 0.05). Two in vitro approaches assessed the roles of CHIR molecules in modulating immune responses or targeting pathogens. Re-examination of RNA-sequencing data of MHC-I types B2 and B19 macrophages, temporally stimulated with interferon-gamma, revealed dynamic and opposite CHIR expression trends, with B2s showing an increase and B19s displaying a decrease until returning to basal levels at 24 to 48 hours. These findings suggest nuanced and distinct regulatory patterns of CHIRs in different haplotypes during immune responses. Additionally, CHIR sequences were aligned for the design of small interfering RNA molecules targeting the CHIRB functional group on macrophages retrieved from birds of congenic (UCD331 and UCD335) and mixed (WVU1952) backgrounds. CHIRB silencing was observed to enhance cellular nitrate release and impact H2O2, particularly in specific MHC-I haplotypes and in different genetic backbones, in avian influenza virus infection. While this dissertation enhances our understanding of chicken Ig-like receptors and cellular involvement, it also acknowledges certain limitations, such as variations in gene annotations. Nevertheless, CHIRs merit a sizeable acknowledgment as pivotal contributors to the immune response, particularly in their intricate interactions with the MHC. Future studies integrating this understanding into breeding plans or other interventions becomes a strategic imperative for optimizing poultry health and immunity, ensuring wellbeing, and in turn, a more resilient and sustainable food supply

Attitudes toward mental illness: the effects of electronic media and the social desirability bias

This study examined the effects of mental illness portrayal in film and the social desirability bias on participants\u27 attitudes toward mental illness. Participants watched video clips of a mentally ill character acting either normally or abnormally, and were given either anonymous or confidential questionnaires. Participants who viewed abnormal behavior reported more negative attitudes toward mental illness than participants who watched normal behavior (p \u3c .001) on the Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale (Hirai & Clum, 2000). No difference was found between the anonymous and confidential conditions, and these scores did not vary by the viewed behavior. These results suggest that the electronic media influenced participants\u27 attitudes toward mental illness, but participants were not influenced by the social desirability bias

A Comparison of Methods for Testing for Interaction Effects in Structural Equation Modeling

The current study aimed to determine the best method for estimating latent variable interactions as a function of the size of the interaction effect, sample size, the loadings of the indicators, the size of the relation between the first-order latent variables, and normality. Data were simulated from known population parameters, and data were analyzed using nine latent variable methods of testing for interaction effects. Evaluation criteria used for comparing the methods included proportion of relative bias, the standard deviation of parameter estimates, the mean standard error estimate, a relative ratio of the mean standard error estimate to the standard deviation of parameter estimates, the percent of converged solutions, Type I error rates, and empirical power. It was found that when data were normally distributed and the sample size was 250 or more, the constrained approach results in the least biased estimates of the interaction effect, had the most accurate standard error estimates, high convergence rates, and adequate type I error rates and power. However, when sample sizes were small and the loadings were of adequate size, the latent variable scores approach may be preferable to the constrained approach. When data were severely non-normal, all of the methods were biased, had inaccurate standard error estimates, low power, and high Type I error rates. Thus, when data were non-normal, relative comparisons were made regarding the approaches rather than absolute comparisons. In relative terms, the marginal-maximum likelihood approach performed the least poorly of the methods for estimating the interaction effect, but requires sample sizes of 500 or greater. However, when data were non-normal, the latent moderated structure analysis resulted in the least biased estimates of the first-order effects and had bias similar to that of the marginal-maximum likelihood approach. Recommendations are made for researchers who wish to test for latent variable interaction effects

TRK inhibition in cholangiocarcinoma: Trying to teach an old dog new tricks

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The multifrequency behaviour of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi

This review concentrates on the multifrequency behaviour of RS Ophiuchi and in particular during its latest outburst. Confirmation of the 1945 outburst, bipolar outflows and its possible fate as a Type Ia Supernova are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, in The Golden Age of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects, F. Giovannelli & L. Sabau-Graziati (eds.), Mem. SAIt. 83 N.2 (in press

Chaos in one-dimensional lattices under intense laser fields

A model is investigated where a monochromatic, spatially homogeneous laser field interacts with an electron in a one-dimensional periodic lattice. The classical Hamiltonian is presented and the technique of stroboscopic maps is used to study the dynamical behavior of the model. The electron motion is found to be completely regular only for small field amplitudes, developing a larger chaotic region as the amplitude increases. The quantum counterpart of the classical Hamiltonian is derived. Exact numerical diagonalizations show the existence of universal, random-matrix fluctuations in the electronic energy bands dressed by the laser field. A detailed analysis of the classical phase space is compatible with the statistical spectral analysis of the quantum model. The application of this model to describe transport and optical absorption in semiconductor superlattices submitted to intense infrared laser radiation is proposed.Comment: 9 pages, RevTex 3.0, EPSF (6 figures), to appear in Europhys. J.

A predictive and adaptive control strategy to optimize the management of integrated energy systems in buildings

The management of integrated energy systems in buildings is a challenging task that classical control approaches usually fail to address. The present paper analyzes the effect of the implementation of a reinforcement learning-based control strategy in an office building characterized by integrated energy systems with on-site electricity generation and storage technologies. The objective of the proposed controller is to minimize the operational cost to meet the cooling demand exploiting thermal energy storage and battery system considering a time-of-use electricity price schedule and local PV production. Two control solutions, a Soft-Actor-Critic agent coupled with a rule-based controller, and a fully rule-based control strategy, used as a baseline, are tested and compared considering various configurations of battery energy storage system capacities, and thermal energy storage sizes. Results show that the proposed control strategy leads to a reduction of operational energy costs respect to the fully rule-based control ranging from 39.5% and 84.3% among different configurations. Moreover the advanced control strategy improves the on-site PV utilization leading to an average increasing of self-sufficiency and self-consumption of 40% among different scenarios. The baseline control strategy results more sensitive to the size of storage whereas the proposed control achieves high savings also when smaller capacities of battery energy storage systems and sizes of thermal energy storage are implemented. The outcomes of the work prove the impact of implementation of advanced control as a way to optimize energy costs with a comprehensive view of the whole integrated energy system considering both thermal and electrical energy storage operation

Optical diagnostics for density measurement in high-quality laser-plasma electron accelerators

Implementation of laser-plasma-based acceleration stages in user-oriented facilities requires the definition and deployment of appropriate diagnostic methodologies to monitor and control the acceleration process. An overview is given here of optical diagnostics for density measurement in laser-plasma acceleration stages, with emphasis on well-established and easily implemented approaches. Diagnostics for both neutral gas and free-electron number density are considered, highlighting real-time measurement capabilities. Optical interferometry, in its various configurations, from standard two-arm to more advanced common-path designs, is discussed, along with spectroscopic techniques such as Stark broadening and Raman scattering. A critical analysis of the diagnostics presented is given concerning their implementation in laser-plasma acceleration stages for the production of high-quality GeV electron bunches

Rol del glutamato y del sistema inmune en afecciones agudas y crónicas del SNC

Fil: Rodríguez de Viñas, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: Brandi, A.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médica