Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adrenomedullin--a potential disease activity marker and suppressor of nephritis activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether plasma adrenomedullin (AM) level is elevated in lupus nephritis and to examine if plasma AM level is correlated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity and severity of lupus nephritis after multivariate adjustment. METHODS Consecutive SLE patients and healthy volunteers of age >/=16 were recruited from the rheumatology clinics of two hospitals in Hong Kong. SLE patients with nephritis fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for renal involvement and had percutaneous renal biopsy performed. Subjects were divided into three groups: (i) SLE patients with nephritis, (ii) SLE patients without nephritis and (iii) normal controls. The demographic and clinical variables were compared between these groups of patients and plasma AM level was determined by radioimmunoassay. Factors associated with plasma AM level were explored by regression analysis with adjustment of confounding factors. RESULTS Sixty SLE patients (39 with nephritis and 21 without) and 23 normal subjects were studied. The plasma AM level of SLE patients was significantly higher than that of normal controls. SLE patients with nephritis had significantly higher plasma AM level than those without nephritis and normal controls (P<0.001). In regression analysis, proteinuria was negatively associated with plasma AM level (P=0.006) whereas SLE disease activity index was positively associated with plasma AM level after multivariate adjustment (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS Plasma AM is elevated in lupus nephritis, which correlates with lupus disease activity. It is negatively associated with urine protein excretion although it is unrelated to the type of renal pathology per se. Plasma AM may play a role to suppress the activity of lupus nephritis.
Phytoremediation of Atrazine by Poplar Trees: Toxicity, Uptake, and Transformation

Toxicity, uptake, and transformation of atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] by three species of poplar tree were assessed. Poplar cuttings were grown in sealed flasks with hydrophonic solutions and exposed to various concentrations of atrazine for a period of two weeks. Toxicity effects were evaluated by monitoring transpiration and measuring poplar cutting mass. Exposure to higher atrazine concentrations resulted in decrease of biomass and transpiration accompanied by leaf chlorosis and abscission. However, poplar cuttings exposed to lower concentrations of atrazine grew well and transpired at a constant rate during experiment periods. Poplar cuttings could take up, hydrolyze, and dealkylate atrazine to less toxic metabolites. Metabolism of atrazine occurred in roots, stems, and leaves and became more complete with increased residence time in tissue. These results suggest that phytoremediation is a viable approach to removing atrazine from contaminated water and should be considered for other contaminants.
The juvenile justice system : law and process

-- Uses a systems approach, which covers the juvenile justice system completely -- Problems, stories, and examples give students a feel for the problem -- Unique format actively involves the student with highlighted key terms and concepts, brain exercises, and a mock trial -- Uses edited versions of law cases as a learning tool -- Includes an explanation on how to read law cases. Juvenile Justice System: Law and Process is an introduction to the procedures and law of the entire juvenile system, civil and criminal. It bridges the gap between the introductory juvenile delinquency texts and the law school case-texts.
Therapeutic action in psychoanalytic therapy with toddlers and parents

Psychotherapy with toddlers and parents can focus on promoting attachment, facilitating development and improving interactions. Some techniques provide guidance to the parents, whereas others interpret to them their unconscious fantasies or ‘ghosts’ contributing to the child’s disorder. A recent paper introduced a psychoanalytically oriented technique, which emphasised the therapist’s interaction with the child in the presence of the parent(s). The child was addressed about his/her unconscious motivations in the session and the feelings towards the therapist. Also, the parent’s transference onto the therapist was seen as a vehicle that might further the therapeutic process and was accordingly addressed. The present paper analyses the therapeutic action in such treatments. Whereas work with the parents resembles that of ordinary psychodynamic therapy, therapeutic action is more difficult to conceptualise regarding the toddler, whose understanding of verbal interpretations and the therapist’s dialogues with the parent is more limited than that of an adult. However, a clinical vignette demonstrates a toddler’s precise and swift reactions to communications from mother or therapist. The paper investigates evidence from neuroscience and psychological research as to which communicative channels – beyond words – toddlers might perceive and comprehend. In addition, it is claimed that the countertransference is key to explaining how the therapist understands such communication.
Design and Characterization of Bioengineered Cancer-Like Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cancer cells responsible for maintenance and progression of several types of cancer. Isolation, propagation, and the differentiation of CSCs in the proper stem niches expose the intrinsic difficulties for further studies. Here we show that induced cancer like stem cells (iCLSCs) can be generated by in vitro oncogenic manipulation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) with well-defined oncogenic elements; SV40 LTg and HrasV12 by using a mouse stem virus long terminal repeat (MSCV-LTR)-based retroviral system. The reprogrammed mESCs using both oncogenes were characterized through their oncogenic gene expression, the enhancement of proliferation, and unhampered maintenance of stem properties in vitro and in vivo. In addition, these transformed cells resulted in the formation of malignant, immature ovarian teratomas in vivo. To successfully further expand these properties to other organs and species, more research needs to be done to fully understand the role of a tumor- favorable microenvironment. Our current study has provided a novel approach to generate induced cancer like stem cells through in vitro oncogenic reprogramming and successfully initiated organ-specific malignant tumor formation in an orthotopic small animal cancer model.
The Role of Menthol in Skin Penetration from Topical Formulations of Ibuprofen 5% in vivo

In vivo plasma profiles from formulations containing 5% ibuprofen were compared after a single topical application in a randomised, double-blind, cross-over trial. IbuleveTM gel (Dermal Laboratories, UK) contained only ibuprofen whilst Deep ReliefTM gel (Mentholatum, UK) also contained 3% menthol. In contrast to results obtained when these products were compared under in vitro conditions, there was no statistically significant difference in vivo between delivery of ibuprofen. Estimated relative bioavailability fraction (Deep Relief gel/Ibuleve gel) from log-transformed AUC(0–24h) was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.94–1.04), estimated Cmax ratio was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.91–1.00) and estimated tmax ratio was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.81–1.20). Menthol produces local vasodilation, which reduces skin barrier function, and these data demonstrate that it is inappropriate to extrapolate from in vitro data where formulation components produce biologically-mediated enhancement of permeation which cannot be modelled ex vivo. In clinical use, these products deliver comparable amounts of ibuprofen, but only Deep Reliefgel provides the secondary immediate benefit of the direct analgesic action of menthol.
Motion estimation in the frequency domain using fuzzy c-planes clustering

A recent work explicitly models the discontinuous motion estimation problem in the frequency domain where the motion parameters are estimated using a harmonic retrieval approach. The vertical and horizontal components of the motion are independently estimated from the locations of the peaks of respective periodogram analyses and they are paired to obtain the motion vectors using a procedure proposed. In this paper, we present a more efficient method that replaces the motion component pairing task and hence eliminates the problems of the pairing method described. The method described in this paper uses the fuzzy c-planes (FCP) clustering approach to fit planes to three-dimensional (3-D) frequency domain data obtained from the peaks of the periodograms. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The gradient adaptive split lattice algorithm

A new algorithm for adaptive filtering of autoregressive processes is presented. The new algorithm is based on a three-term recurrence that replaces, but is mathematically equivalent to, the lattice equations of the gradient adaptive lattice (GAL) algorithm of Griffiths (1977). This three-term recurrence requires only half as many multiplications per recursion as do the lattice equations. A single-stage convergence analysis of the new algorithm is presented, and some numerical examples comparing it to the GAL are given. The new algorithm performs similarly to the GAL, but requires only 2/3 as many multiplications. <<ETX>>
Big Gods, historical explanation, and the value of integrating the history of religion into the broader academy

This article discusses critiques raised by historians of religion concerning Ara Norenzayan's Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013), offering some defense of Norenzayan's position, but also discussing in detail the more substantive challenges. It concludes with some reflections on the current position of the history of religion within the Academy, and an argument for why large-scale explanatory projects and interdisciplinary collaboration should be part of the future of our field.
The Increased Risk of High Drivers

We build and estimate a multinomial model of fatal car accidents involving two drivers using data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System. We estimate that high drivers are 2.83 times more likely to cause a fatal accident than sober drivers. We also estimate that, on average, 1.6% of nighttime drivers have cannabis in their system. These estimates differ substantially from recent estimates based on roadside surveys. Our model also estimates the relative risk of drunk drivers as 5.94, a value consistent with previous literature. 3
The Role of Personality Factors in the Dynamics of Context and Psychological Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to determine personality factors that mediate between context and psychological well-being. A convenience sample of 514 mutlicultural participants from Potchefstroom (n=384) and Mafikeng (n=130) comprising mainly of black and white students was drawn. The participants completed measures on extraversion and agreeableness and psychological well-being in a cross-sectional survey. Context was defined in terms of differentials pertaining to race, socioeconomic differentials and infrastructural resources. Regression analyses indicated the viability of relationships among context, personality and psychological well-being. Structural equation models showed that both extraversion and agreeableness mediate the relationship between context and psychological well-being. Future research using longitudinal designs may study the importance of social context, personality factors and psychological well-being within and between groups.
Selective Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms Targeting for Atrial Fibrillation Study (SELECT AF): A Multicenter, Randomized Trial

Background—This study compared generalized complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) ablation versus a selective CFAE ablation strategy targeting areas of continuous electric activity. Methods and Results—Subjects with symptomatic, persistent/high-burden paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were enrolled at 6 centers (n=86) and randomized to 1 of 2 arms. For group I, all CFAE regions with an interval confidence level >7 were ablated followed by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). For group II, only CFAE sites with continuous electric activity were ablated followed by PVI. For PVI, all 4 PV antra were isolated with confirmed entrance block. Subjects were followed for 1 year with a visit, ECG, and 48-hour Holter every 3 months. Symptoms were confirmed by loop recording. The primary end point was freedom from arrhythmia >30 seconds at 1 year. For both group I and II, CFAE ablation prolonged AF cycle length (25±33 versus 23±33 ms; P=0.78) and resulted in similar rates of AF termination (37% versus 28%; P=0.42). Radiofrequency duration during CFAE ablation was significantly less in group II (23±20 versus 38±20 minutes; P=0.002). At 1-year follow-up, freedom from AF/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia recurrence was significantly higher in group I versus group II after 1 procedure (50% versus 28%; P=0.03). There were also significantly fewer repeat procedures in group I (13% versus 36%; P=0.021). Conclusions—Continuous electric activity ablation+PVI result in a similar incidence of acute AF termination with significantly less radiofrequency time. However, incidence of repeat procedures and long-term recurrence of AF/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia are significantly lower using generalized CFAE ablation+PVI. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00926783
Examining Impacts of Allergic Diseases on Psychological Problems and Tobacco Use in Korean Adolescents: The 2008–2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose Asthma during adolescence can induce social, psychological, and behavioral problems. We examined the impact of asthma and other allergic diseases on psychological symptoms and health risk behaviors among South Korean adolescents. Methods In this population-based cross-sectional study, 3192 adolescents (10–18 years of age) participating in the 2008–2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were enrolled. Psychological problems associated with clinically diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis were assessed using questionnaires and surveys. Data was analyzed using logistic regression to determine the association of depression with allergic disease while controlling for age, sex, body mass index, smoking experience, and alcohol use. Results Asthma and atopic dermatitis were associated with a higher prevalence of depression (17.2% and 13%, respectively). After adjusting for the covariates, asthma patients were approximately two times as likely to have depression as non-allergic participants (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.22–2.68). Psychosocial stress significantly increased in the following order: no allergy, any allergy without asthma, asthma only, and asthma with any allergy (p for linear trend = 0.01). The asthma without other allergies group showed the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking (p = 0.007). Conclusions In this study, asthma with or without other allergies was significantly related to increases in depression, psychosocial stress, and smoking experience. Thus, care should be taken to adjust treatment to account for the psychological symptoms and health risk behaviors common among asthmatic adolescents.
On the Computing of the Minimum Distance of Linear Block Codes by Heuristic Methods

The evaluation of the minimum distance of linear block codes remains an open problem in coding theory, and it is not easy to determine its true value by classical methods, for this reason the problem has been solved in the literature with heuristic techniques such as genetic algorithms and local search algorithms. In this paper we propose two approaches to attack the hardness of this problem. The first approach is based on genetic algorithms and it yield to good results comparing to another work based also on genetic algorithms. The second approach is based on a new randomized algorithm which we call “Multiple Impulse Method (MIM)”, where the principle is to search codewords locally around the all-zero codeword perturbed by a minimum level of noise, anticipating that the resultant nearest nonzero codewords will most likely contain the minimum Hamming-weight codeword whose Hamming weight is equal to the minimum distance of the linear code.
Learning sharable models for robust background subtraction

Background modeling and subtraction is a classical topic in compute vision. Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM) is a popular choice for its capability of adaptation to background variations. Lots of improvements have been made to enhance the robustness by considering spatial consistency and temporal correlation. In this paper, we propose a sharable GMM based background subtraction approach. Firstly, a sharable mechanism is presented to model the many-to-one relationship between pixels and models. Each pixel dynamically searches the best matched model in the neighborhood. This kind of space-sharing way is robust to camera jitter, dynamic background, etc. Secondly, the sharable models are built for both background and foreground. The noises resulted by local small movements could be effectively eliminated through the background sharable models, while the integrity of moving objects is enhanced by the foreground sharable models, especially for small objects. Finally, each sharable model is updated through randomly selecting a pixel which matches this model. And a flexible mechanism is added for switching between background and foreground models. Experiments on ChangeDetection benchmark dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Environmental justice at the heart of social work practice: Greening the profession

Social workers face many contemporary challenges. Alongside the difficulties of upholding human rights, social justice and active citizenship, are those of affirming environmental justice and care for planet earth in and through social work practice and addressing climate change and other disasters. I call for social workers to take action that addresses these issues as a strong, united profession that works alongside dispossessed and marginalised people who do not get their share of global resources, despite their limited ecological footprint. I suggest a new paradigm for practice rooted in environmental justice that enhances the well-being of people, the flora, fauna and the ecosystem that sustains and supports us all – green social work, for practitioners supporting life in one interdependent world.
Microwave imaging via iterated virtual experiments

The solution of inverse scattering problems is tackled by means of a novel iterative approach that relies on the emerging virtual scattering experiments' paradigm. In the virtual experiments framework, inverse scattering problems can be solved within a linear framework even for non-weak targets, thanks to the behavior of the fields enforced through proper rearrangements of the scattered field data. Such a concept is herein exploited within an iterative scheme, in which the virtual experiments are recast on the basis of intermediate results and the relevant Green's function updated at each iteration step. Examples dealing with both numerical and experimental data are provided to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method and to show that it overcomes the well-known Distorted Born iterative method, while preserving its flexibility and simplicity. As such, these results demonstrate that the virtual experiment framework can promote the exploitation of microwave imaging in real world applications.
Untouchability in Rural India

Foreword Babu Mathew Preface Harsh Mander Introduction: Caste, Untouchability and Dalits in Rural India 'Unclean Occupations': Savaged by Tradition Dalit Women and the Practice of Untouchability Violence against Dalits Demanding Rights, Equality and Dignity Conclusion Appendices Glossary References Index
United we stand, or else?

The purpose of this paper is to explore the control of emotions in organizations. An analysis of stories collected from members of different organizations who experienced the events of September 11, 2001 (when the USA was attacked by terrorists killing thousands of people) in their workplaces seems to validate previous findings that organizations respond to the expression of strong emotion with equally strong controls. However, organizations seem to differ by the types of emotional control they use and the reactions these controls elicit in their members. All four of Ashforth and Humphrey's organizational control behaviors were used. While buffering, prescribing and normalizing employee emotions seemed to have a somewhat positive effect on employee morale, the use of neutralizing controls seemed to be damaging to employee commitment. A contingency model of organizational control of emotional expression is developed.
Amyloid Beta Inhibits Olfactory Bulb Activity and the Ability to Smell

Early olfactory dysfunction has been consistently reported in both Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in transgenic mice that reproduce some features of this disease. In AD transgenic mice, alteration in olfaction has been associated with increased levels of soluble amyloid beta protein (Aβ) as well as with alterations in the oscillatory network activity recorded in the olfactory bulb (OB) and in the piriform cortex. However, since AD is a multifactorial disease and transgenic mice suffer a variety of adaptive changes, it is still unknown if soluble Aβ, by itself, is responsible for OB dysfunction both at electrophysiological and behavioral levels. Thus, here we tested whether or not Aβ directly affects OB network activity in vitro in slices obtained from mice and rats and if it affects olfactory ability in these rodents. Our results show that Aβ decreases, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, the network activity of OB slices at clinically relevant concentrations (low nM) and in a reversible manner. Moreover, we found that intrabulbar injection of Aβ decreases the olfactory ability of rodents two weeks after application, an effect that is not related to alterations in motor performance or motivation to seek food and that correlates with the presence of Aβ deposits. Our results indicate that Aβ disrupts, at clinically relevant concentrations, the network activity of the OB in vitro and can trigger a disruption in olfaction. These findings open the possibility of exploring the cellular mechanisms involved in early pathological AD as an approach to reduce or halt its progress.
Combined Effect of Rebamipide and Ecabet Sodium on Helicobacter pylori Adhesion to Gastric Epithelial Cells

Helicobacter pylori is a major etiological agent in gastroduodenal disorders. The adhesion of H. pylori to gastric epithelial cells is the initial step of H. pylori infection. Inhibition of H. pylori adhesion is thus a therapeutic target in the prevention of H. pylori infection. We have reported that rebamipide and ecabet sodium, mucoprotective antiulcer agents, independently inhibit H. pylori adhesion. However, the antiadhesion activity of each antiulcer agent was incomplete. Experiments were performed to evaluate the combined effect of rebamipide and ecabet sodium on H. pylori adhesion to gastric epithelial cells. MKN‐28 and MKN‐45 cells, derived from human gastric carcinomas, were used as target cells. Twelve clinical isolates of H. pylori were used in this study. We evaluated the effects of rebamipide and ecabet sodium, individually and in combination, on H. pylori adhesion to target cells quantitatively using our previously established enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Rebamipide and ecabet sodium each partially inhibited H. pylori adhesion. In contrast, adhesion was almost completely inhibited by pretreating target cells and H. pylori with the combination of rebamipide and ecabet sodium. Our studies suggest that the synergistic antiadhesion activity of rebamipide and ecabet sodium is greater than that of each antiulcer agent alone.