Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Early-Phase Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Urinary Tract Infections

Neutrophils have an important role in the antimicrobial defense and resolution of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our research suggests that a mechanism known as neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is a defense strategy to combat pathogens that have invaded the urinary tract. A set of human urine specimens with very high neutrophil counts had microscopic evidence of cellular aggregation and lysis. Deoxyribonuclease I (DNase) treatment resulted in disaggregation of such structures, release of DNA fragments and a proteome enriched in histones and azurophilic granule effectors whose quantitative composition was similar to that of previously described in vitro-formed NETs. The effector proteins were further enriched in DNA-protein complexes isolated in native PAGE gels. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a flattened morphology of neutrophils associated with decondensed chromatin, remnants of granules in the cell periphery, and myeloperoxidase co-localized with extracellular DNA, features consistent with early-phase NETs. Nuclear staining revealed that a considerable fraction of bacterial cells in these structures were dead. The proteomes of two pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, were indicative of adaptive responses to early-phase NETs, specifically the release of virulence factors and arrest of ribosomal protein synthesis. Finally, we discovered patterns of proteolysis consistent with widespread cleavage of proteins by neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3 and cathepsin G and evidence of citrullination in many nuclear proteins.
Avatar Idealization in Video Games

Video games have become ubiquitous as both entertainment and computer-mediated social interaction, and due to their interactivity may be more influential than films, television, and other electronic media. Games have even become part of children’s development and therefore may have heavy influence on skill and character development of the future generation. Since developers have complete control over the virtual worlds they create and have the power to change them, it is important that we understand and control the effects games have on their players. A deep study of video games can provide insights into what makes games enjoyable and why people play them, which could aid developers in making new games and possibly even creating games that can help develop social skills. Understanding the motivations people have for playing games can also researchers determine the effects video games have on the mind, such as their effects on violent behavior. Games have been the subject of many studies recently; however, the majority of these focus on violent content in games and the possible effects on youth [16] [14] [20]. The studies show correlations between violent video game play and increased aggressive behavior and desensitization to violent actions. While this is an important factor to study, there are many other interesting questions that can offer insight into how virtual environments affect our behavior and how designers can create games to be more inclusive, educational, and enjoyable. One of these questions is “Why do we choose to play particular characters in a game? ” It is meaningful to understand the choices we make in games, but more importantly, the identities that we take on. A recent article in Communications of the ACM revealed the prevalence of alternate identities and deception in online social media sites, showing that individuals use computer-mediated communication to be someone they are not
Global Transcriptome Analysis of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Exposed to Different Terminal Electron Acceptors

ABSTRACT To gain insight into the complex structure of the energy-generating networks in the dissimilatory metal reducer Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, global mRNA patterns were examined in cells exposed to a wide range of metal and non-metal electron acceptors. Gene expression patterns were similar irrespective of which metal ion was used as electron acceptor, with 60% of the differentially expressed genes showing similar induction or repression relative to fumarate-respiring conditions. Several groups of genes exhibited elevated expression levels in the presence of metals, including those encoding putative multidrug efflux transporters, detoxification proteins, extracytoplasmic sigma factors and PAS-domain regulators. Only one of the 42 predicted c-type cytochromes in MR-1, SO3300, displayed significantly elevated transcript levels across all metal-reducing conditions. Genes encoding decaheme cytochromes MtrC and MtrA that were previously linked to the reduction of different forms of Fe(III) and Mn(IV), exhibited only slight decreases in relative mRNA abundances under metal-reducing conditions. In contrast, specific transcriptome responses were displayed to individual non-metal electron acceptors resulting in the identification of unique groups of nitrate-, thiosulfate- and TMAO-induced genes including previously uncharacterized multi-cytochrome gene clusters. Collectively, the gene expression results reflect the fundamental differences between metal and non-metal respiratory pathways of S. oneidensis MR-1, where the coordinate induction of detoxification and stress response genes play a key role in adaptation of this organism under metal-reducing conditions. Moreover, the relative paucity and/or the constitutive nature of genes involved in electron transfer to metals is likely due to the low-specificity and the opportunistic nature of the metal-reducing electron transport pathways.
GALAXY CLUSTERING IN THE NEWFIRM MEDIUM BAND SURVEY: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STELLAR MASS AND DARK MATTER HALO MASS AT 1 < z < 2

We present an analysis of the clustering of galaxies as a function of their stellar mass at 1 < z < 2 using data from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey (NMBS). The precise photometric redshifts and stellar masses that the NMBS produces allow us to define a series of stellar mass limited samples of galaxies more massive than 7 × 109 M☉, 1 × 1010 M☉, and 3 × 1010 M☉ in three redshift intervals centered on z = 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9, respectively. In each redshift interval, we show that there exists a strong dependence of clustering strength on the stellar mass limit of the sample, with more massive galaxies showing a higher clustering amplitude on all scales. We further interpret our clustering measurements in the ΛCDM cosmological context using the halo model of galaxy clustering. We show that the typical halo mass of both central and satellite galaxies increases with stellar mass, whereas the satellite fraction decreases with stellar mass, qualitatively the same as is seen at z < 1. We see little evidence of any redshift dependence in the relationship between stellar mass and halo mass over our narrow redshift range. However, when we compare our measurements with similar ones at z ≃ 0, we see clear evidence for a change in this relation. If we assume a universal baryon fraction, the ratio of stellar mass to halo mass reveals the fraction of baryons that have been converted to stars. We see that the peak in this star formation efficiency for central galaxies shifts to higher halo masses at higher redshift, moving from ≃7 × 1011 h−1 M☉ at z ≃ 0 to ≃3 × 1012 h−1 M☉ at z ≃ 1.5, revealing evidence of “halo downsizing. ” Finally, we show that for highly biased galaxy populations at z>1 there may be a discrepancy between the space density and clustering predicted by the halo model and the measured clustering and space density. This could imply that there is a problem with one or more ingredient of the halo model at these redshifts, for instance, the halo bias relation may not yet be precisely calibrated at high halo masses or galaxies may not be distributed within halos following a Navarro–Frenk–White profile.
A delay-minimizing routing strategy for wireless multi-hop networks

We consider a network where each route comprises a backlogged source, a number of relays and a destination at a finite distance. The locations of the sources and the relays are realizations of independent Poisson point processes. Given that the nodes observe a TDMA/ALOHA MAC protocol, our objective is to determine the number of relays and their placement such that the mean end-to-end delay in a typical route of the network is minimized.We first study an idealistic network model where all routes have the same number of hops, the same distance per hop and their own dedicated relays. Combining tools from queueing theory and stochastic geometry, we provide a precise characterization of the mean end-to-end delay. We find that the delay is minimized if the first hop is much longer than the remaining hops and that the optimal number of hops scales sublinearly with the source-destination distance. Simulating the original network scenario reveals that the analytical results are accurate, provided that the density of the relay process is sufficiently large. We conclude that, given the considered MAC protocol, our analysis provides a delay-minimizing routing strategy for random, multihop networks involving a small number of hops.
Consumers' understanding and expectations of a community-based recovery-oriented mental health rehabilitation unit: a pragmatic grounded theory analysis

Aims. Incorporating consumer perspectives into mental health services design is important in working to deliver recovery-oriented care. One of the challenges faced in mental health rehabilitation services is limited consumer engagement with the available support. Listening to consumers’ expectations of mental health services, and what they hope to achieve, provides an opportunity to examine the alignment between existing services and the priorities and preferences of the people who use them. We explored consumer understandings and expectations of three recovery-oriented community-based residential mental-health rehabilitation units using semi-structured interviews; two of these units were trialling a staffing model integrating peer support with clinical care. Methods. Twenty-four consumers completed semi-structured interviews with an independent interviewer during the first 6 weeks of their stay at the rehabilitation unit. Most participants had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder (87%). A pragmatic approach to grounded theory guided the analysis, facilitating identification of content and themes, and the development of an overarching conceptual map. Results. The rehabilitation units were considered to provide a transformational space and a transitional place. The most common reason given for engagement was housing insecurity or homelessness rather than the opportunity for rehabilitation engagement. Differences in expectations did not emerge between consumers entering the clinical and integrated staffing model sites. Conclusions. Consumers understand the function of the rehabilitation service they are entering. However, receiving rehabilitation support may not be the key driver of their attendance. This finding has implications for promoting consumer engagement with rehabilitation services. The absence of differences between the integrated and clinical staffing models may reflect the novelty of the rehabilitation context. The study highlights the need for staff to find better ways to increase consumer awareness of the potential relevance of evidence-based rehabilitation support to facilitating their recovery.
Haptic Identification of Rotated Letters Using the Left or Right Hand

The present study investigated the effects of the use of the left and right hands on haptic identification of letters which were presented in either a normal (0° rotation), downward (90° clockwise rotation), upside down (180° rotation), or facing upward (270° rotation) position. Each of the 80 right-handed subjects was given five series of randomly ordered presentations of sets of 8 letters of the alphabet. The subjects were asked to feel and then name each letter correctly as quickly but as accurately as possible. Times showed no effect of hand, but significant effects were found for different sets of letters, degree of rotation and a significant decrease in identification time was observed across the five series. Interactions occurred between hand and rotation as well as set and rotation. Errors showed a significant interaction of hand with degree of rotation; the right was superior at 0° but the left was superior at 90°. The results were discussed in terms of hypotheses of hemisphere function, mental rotation, and stimulus familiarity.
Results and complications after extracapsular cataract extraction in eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

Abstract. Postoperative results and complications in 136 eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome were compared to 744 eyes without pseudoexfoliation syndrome in a consecutive study. The patients were followed for 4 months postoperatively. Excluding cases with glaucoma, 81.4% of the pseudoexfoliation eyes and 83.0% of the eyes without pseudoexfoliation achieved a corrected visual acuity of 5/8.5 or better. IOL malposition was rare in both groups (1.5% in the pseudoexfoliation group and 1.6% in the group without pseudoexfoliation). IOP elevation the first day postoperatively occurred most often in the pseudoexfoliation eyes. In the pseudoexfoliation eyes, postoperative iritis and cellular precipitates were demonstrated in 16.2% and 11.0%, respectively, compared to 3.8% and 3.2% in the eyes without pseudoexfoliation (p < 0.001). The frequency of an inflammatory reaction was highly correlated to small pupil size during operation in both groups.
Normal production of human chorionic gonadotropin in menopause.

To the Editor: A positive test for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) before menopause is an indication of pregnancy.1 A positive hCG test in menopausal women poses a diagnostic challenge, despite available guidance in the literature.1,2 Erroneous assumptions regarding the presence of cancer have led to costly diagnostic testing, delays in necessary treatment, and even the initiation of toxic cancer treatments. Pituitary production of hCG was first demonstrated 30 years ago, and many contemporary reports indicate that the pituitary produces hCG.1–4 Low levels of hCG accompany the midcycle preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone,1–4 and pituitary .
Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects Triggered by Grape Seed Extract (GSE) versus Epigallocatechin and Procyanidins on Colon Cancer Cell Lines

Grape seed extract has been proven to exert anticancer effects on different tumors. These effects are mainly ascribed to catechin and procyanidin content. Analytical studies demonstrated that grape seed extract composition is complex and it is likely other components could exert biological activities. Using cell count and flow cytometry assays, we evaluated the cytostatic and apoptotic effects produced by three different grape seed extracts from Italia, Palieri and Red Globe cultivars, on Caco2 and HCT-8 colon cancer cells. These effects were compared to those induced by epigallocatechin and procyanidins, alone or in association, on the same cell lines. All the extracts induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in Caco2 and HCT-8 cells, along the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. On both cell lines, growth inhibition induced by Italia and Palieri grape seed extracts was significantly higher than that it has been recorded with epigallocatechin, procyanidins and their association. In Caco2 cells, the extract from Red Globe cultivar was less effective in inducing growth inhibition than procyanidins alone and in association with epigallocatechin, whereas, in HCT-8 cells, only the association of epigallocatechin and procyanidins triggers a significant proliferation decrease. On both cell lines, apoptosis induced by Italia, Palieri and Red Globe grape seed extracts was considerably higher than has been recorded with epigallocatechin, procyanidins and their association. These data support the hypothesis by which other compounds, present in the grape seed extracts, are likely to enhance the anticancer effects.
A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Korean and American Social Network Sites: Exploring Cultural Differences in Social Relationships and Self-Presentation.

National culture is being challenged as societies evolve from their homogeneous origins. The theoretical base of this study uses two cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism (Hofstede, 2001) and high-and low-context cultures (Hall, 1976), to unpack the effects of national culture on social network sites (SNSs). This study explores cultural differences in SNS usage patterns employing multiple methods, a paper-and-pencil survey and a content analysis of SNS profiles of survey respondents. The final analyses include a survey with 602 SNS users (361 college students in the United States and 241 college students in Korea) and a content analysis of 151 online profiles (58 Facebook and 93 Cyworld profiles). The survey findings revealed that SNS relationship patterns replicated those of face-to-face, while reflecting users' cultural orientations. In the survey findings, members of collectivistic cultures maintained SNS relationships more tightly and narrowly. While indicating such closed SNS relationships, they also exhibited lower levels of amount of self-disclosure, higher levels of intimate and vulnerable self-disclosure, and a greater willingness of privacy sharing than members of individualistic cultures. More visually anonymous online profiles also led to their closed SNS relationships by requiring random visitors, including old friends, to attain supplementary information to identify the user. As interdependent entities, members of collectivistic cultures paid more attention to self-presentation behaviors than members of individualistic cultures. The effect of individuals' cultural attitudes on SNS usage was mostly reconfirmed in the comparison by nationality while providing evidence of the effect of national culture. In the findings of the content analysis, Cyworld users from high-context cultures adopted more indirect communication styles that represent high-context cultures than Facebook users who adopted more direct communication styles that represent low-context cultures. The evident influence of national cultures on SNSs suggests revisiting the cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism and high-and low-context cultures, to explore how they may explain patterns specific to particular cultures. The findings also suggest that international versions of SNS services that may be developed with the assumption of homogenous global populations of users need to be designed with the consideration of how culture influences use and shapes SNS behaviors. %%%%
Effect of Alkalinity Type and Concentration on Nitrifying Biofilm Activity

The effect of alkalinity on nitrifying biofilm activity was determined by collecting 21‐day‐old biofilm samples from the top of a full‐scale nitrifying trickling filter and evaluating bench‐scale nitrate plus nitrite generation rates at (1) various initial carbonate alkalinity concentrations and (2) with four types of available alkalinity: carbonate only, phosphate only, phosphate plus hydroxide, and phosphate plus carbonate. Initial carbonate alkalinity concentrations were varied between 308and 20 mg/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations were measured at time zero, 90 minutes, 180 minutes, and 270 minutes. Generation rates in grams of nitrogen per square meter per day were calculated for each time period and normalized against dry‐weight biomass. Generation rates were impaired at initial carbonate alkalinity concentrations of 40 mg/L and lower (as CaCO3) and were unaffected at concentrations of 45 mg/L and greater. For reactor runs with different alkalinity types, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations were measured at time zero and at 375 minutes. The type of alkalinity, carbonate versus phosphate, affected nitrification rates. When the carbonate alkalinity was less than 45 mg/L, nitrification rates were impaired regardless of the total alkalinity concentration. This effect seems to be independent of pH for the range of 6.92 to 7.99 evaluated here. This suggests that in addition to neutralizing the acid generated by the nitrification process, a minimum level of carbonate alkalinity is necessary to meet the ammonia‐oxidizer's inorganic carbon requirement for cellular synthesis and growth.
Focus Group meets Nominal Group Technique: an effective combination for student evaluation?

In Higher Education Focus Groups and Nominal Group Technique are two well-established methods for obtaining student feedback about their learning experience. These methods are regularly used for the enhancement and quality assurance. Based on small-scale research of educational developers’ practice in curriculum development, this study presents the use of a combined approach that potentially offers more benefits than the use of Focus Groups alone. It proposes a combined method, ‘Nominal Focus Group’, which includes the benefits of in-depth discussion of a Focus Group and the prioritising of results of Nominal Group Technique. These benefits include questions for further exploration, initial data analysis and increased ownership of the process by students. In practice, the method gave rise to rich data and actionable outcomes that were used to make informed curriculum enhancements for the programme teams.
WEBT multiwavelength monitoring and XMM-Newton observations of BL Lacertae in 2007-2008 Unveiling different emission components

In 2007-2008 we carried out a new multiwavelength campaign of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) on BL Lacertae, involving three pointings by the XMM-Newton satellite, to study its emission properties. The source was monitored in the optical-to-radio bands by 37 telescopes. The brightness level was relatively low. Some episodes of very fast variability were detected in the optical bands. The X-ray spectra are well fitted by a power law with photon index of about 2 and photoelectric absorption exceeding the Galactic value. However, when taking into account the presence of a molecular cloud on the line of sight, the data are best fitted by a double power law, implying a concave X-ray spectrum. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) built with simultaneous radio-to-X-ray data at the epochs of the XMM-Newton observations suggest that the peak of the synchrotron emission lies in the near-IR band, and show a prominent UV excess, besides a slight soft-X-ray excess. A comparison with the SEDs corresponding to previous observations with X-ray satellites shows that the X-ray spectrum is extremely variable. We ascribe the UV excess to thermal emission from the accretion disc, and the other broad-band spectral features to the presence of two synchrotron components, with their related SSC emission. We fit the thermal emission with a black body law and the non-thermal components by means of a helical jet model. The fit indicates a disc temperature greater than 20000 K and a luminosity greater than 6 x 10^44 erg/s.
Closing the Gap Between Research and Clinical Practice

Abstract Evidence-based practice and the application of research findings to practice is a major focus of attention in health care today. The quantification of variations in service delivery and the economic implications of these variations contribute to the pressure on clinicians to provide evidence-based care whenever possible. Awareness of the development of evidence-based practice (EBP), the need for EBP, factors that affect EBP, the methods used to translate research into practice, EBP quality indicators, barriers to EBP, and benefits of EBP will assist clinicians in the effective use of evidence-based information in the care of their patients.