Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE ENHANCING EFFECT OF THE MICROBIAL FLORA ON MACROPHAGE FUNCTION AND THE IMMUNE RESPONSE

The immune response to bacteria and to a soluble protein was compared in germfree and conventionalized mice. Sixty germfree and 59 conventionalized mice received a suspension of killed Serratia marcescens into one front foot-pad and sterile horse ferritin into the other and were sacrificed in groups from 2 hr to 14 days after inoculation. All mice had no pre-existing antibody to either antigen and the flora of the conventionalized mice never contained Serratia. Lymphatic tissue changes and the fate of the antigens were followed in axillary lymph nodes and the spleens by histologic, fluorescent antibody, and autoradiographic techniques after tritiated thymidine injection. Individual serum antibody titers for both antigens were determined at each time period. The cellular and serologic responses were slightly delayed in the germfree mice but later equaled and sometimes exceeded those of the conventional animals. In all animals, lymph nodes draining the site of Serratia injection showed a more vigorous response than those on the ferritin-injected side but the reaction was qualitatively the same for both antigens. All lymph nodes contained the antigens by 2 hr after foot-pad injection. With time, both antigens lost their particulate nature sooner in conventionalized than in germfree macrophages. In the latter, both antigens persisted throughout the study while no longer demonstrable with fluoresceinated antiserum in conventional macrophages after the first week. While phagocytosis is equal in germfree and conventional mice, a greater digestive capacity of macrophages for antigens seems to result from the continuous exposure of conventional animals to the immunologic effects of the microbial flora. Conversely, the lack of substantial antigenic stimulation of lymphatic tissue in germfree animals fails to develop these macrophage functions beyond their basic ability to degrade foreign substances. Although the onset of the immune response is delayed in germfree mice, the relatively prolonged antigen digestion and the presumably slower release of immunogenic antigen fragments result in a more sustained and sometimes greater response than in conventional animals. This modifying effect of the microflora on the function of macrophages during the immune response is independent of previous experience with, or the nature of, the antigen.
Should stimulation parameters be individualized to stop seizures: Evidence in support of this approach

Deep‐brain electrical stimulation (DBS) is a treatment modality being explored for many neurologic diseases and is a potentially potent means of disrupting the aberrant rhythms that arise during the epileptic seizures that afflict >1% of the population. However, current DBS protocols typically employed are formulated a priori and do not reflect the electrophysiologic dynamics within the brain as seizures arise, which may underlie their limited efficacy. This study investigates how the efficacy of DBS could be improved using endogenous dynamics to inform stimulation protocols.
Improving Sequential Single-Item Auctions

We study how to improve sequential single-item auctions that assign targets to robots for exploration tasks such as environmental clean-up, space-exploration, and search and rescue missions. We exploit the insight that the resulting travel distances are small if the bidding and winner-determination rules are designed to result in hillclimbing, namely to assign an additional target to a robot in each round of the sequential single-item auction so that the team cost increases the least. We study the impact of increasing the lookahead of hillclimbing and using roll-outs to improve the evaluation of partial target assignments. We describe the bidding and winner-determination rules of the resulting sequential single-item auctions and evaluate them experimentally, with surprising results: larger lookaheads do not improve sequential single-item auctions reliably while only a small number of roll-outs in early rounds already improve them substantially
Ribozyme‐mediated inhibition of PKCα sensitizes androgen‐independent human prostate cancer cells to cisplatin‐induced apoptosis

Therapeutic strategies to target the molecular basis of hormone and drug resistance of prostate cancer cells are needed. Since protein kinase Cα (PKCα) is thought to have a role in the development of the androgen‐independent phenotype of prostate cancer cells and in apoptosis suppression, the objective of the present study was to test whether specific inhibition of PKCα by a hammerhead ribozyme was able to sensitize androgen‐independent prostate cancer cells the effects of apoptosis‐inducing anticancer drugs.
Rotary router: an efficient architecture for CMP interconnection networks

The trend towards increasing the number of processor cores and cache capacity in future Chip-Multiprocessors (CMPs), will require scalable packet-switched interconnection networks adapted to the restrictions imposed by the CMP environment. This paper presents an innovative router design, which successfully addresses CMP cost/performance constraints. The router structure is based on two independent rings, which force packets to circulate either clockwise or anti-clockwise, traveling through every port of the router. It uses a completely decentralized scheduling scheme, which allows the design to: (1) take advantage of wide links, (2) reduce Head of Line blocking, (3) use adaptive routing, (4) be topology agnostic, (5) scale with network degree, and (6) have reasonable power consumption and implementation cost. A thorough comparative performance analysis against competitive conventional routers shows an advantage for our proposal of up to 50 % in terms of raw performance and nearly 60 % in terms of energy-delay product.
Effect of Educational Guidelines on Nurses' Performance for patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

Background: Chronic pancreatitis is complex conditions that are requiring multi-faceted care with a range of interventions from a variety of specialists. Aim: This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing educational guidelines on nurse's performance for patients with chronic pancreatitis. Subjects and Method: A quasi-experimental research design was used with a purposive sample of nurses (50) of both sexes, who directly caring for pancreatic patient in medical department at Tanta University. Tools : Tool (I) Nurses knowledge assessment questionnaire sheet, it was be divided into two part: part (A) sociodemographic characteristics of nurses , part (B) nurses' knowledge questionnaire Tool (II) nurses practice observational checklist, and Tool (III) the comprehensive pain assessment tool (full COMPAT questionnaire). Results: The results revealed highly significant differences were observed in the mean score of nurses' knowledge, and practice in relation to nursing management throughout periods of the study since P=<0.001. according to the nurse total practice score throughout period of study, this result reveals that more than half (58%) had unsatisfactory score of practice about chronic pancreatitis care in the pre-program implementation compared with the majority (88%) of nurses had satisfactory practice score immediately and respectively (84%) after one month of program. Also, it was observed that the mean score increased immediately after program compared to pre-program and decreased gradually after one month of the study. Conclusion and Recommendations: it can be concluded that majority studied nurses had a high level of practice and good knowledge immediately and one month after program than pre implementation of educational program.
Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Screening in Patients with Fever and Flu-Like Symptoms in a Tertiary Hospital in an Area with Confirmed Cases

Novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus was isolated in fatal patients in Yangtze River Delta of China in March 2013. We aimed to screen the virus in febrile patients in a tertiary hospital in an area with confirmed cases. Throat-swab specimens collected from consecutive patients with fever (≥38°C) and flu-like symptoms from April 15 to April 25, 2013 were subjected to detect novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus with real-time PCR. The clinical outcomes in the patients and close contacts were followed up. Of total 200 patients screened, one (0.5%) was positive for avian influenza A(H7N9) virus and 199 others were negative. The infected patient experienced respiratory failure and had diffuse infiltrates in the right lower lobe in chest CT images. He received symptomatic and antibacterial treatments as well as oseltamivir. His condition was substantially improved within three days after admission; avian influenza A(H7N9) virus was not detected after 5 days' antiviral therapy. The hemagglutinin inhibition test showed that the serum titers against avian influenza A(H7N9) virus increased from <1∶20 at the early phase to 1∶80 at the convalescent phase. Follow-up of 23 close contacts showed that none of them developed fever and other symptoms within two weeks. Our findings suggest that although the infection rate of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in patients with fever and flu-like symptoms is rare, the screening is valuable to rapidly define the infection, which will be critical to improve the clinical outcomes.
On the Cyclic Replicator Equation and the Dynamics of Semelparous Populations

A semelparous organism reproduces only once in its life and dies thereafter. If there is only one opportunity for reproduction per year, and all individuals born in a certain year reproduce $k$ years later, then the population can be divided into year classes according to the year of birth modulo $k$. The dynamics is described by a discrete-time nonlinear Leslie matrix model, where the nonlinearity enters through the density dependent fertility and mortality rates. When the reproduction ratio is close to one, the full-life-cycle-map can be approximated by the solution of a differential equation of Lotka–Volterra type, which inherits the cyclic symmetry that is present in the full-life-cycle-map. The Lotka–Volterra equation can next be reduced to the replicator equation on the $(k-1)$-dimensional simplex. In this paper we classify the repertoire of dynamical behavior for $k=2,3$ and derive an almost complete picture for $k=4$, with some open problems identified. We pay special attention to the single year class (SYC) state (all but one year class are absent), multiple year class patterns (with several but not all year classes present), heteroclinic cycles, and periodic orbits.
Lysosomal integral membrane protein 2 is a novel component of the cardiac intercalated disc and vital for load-induced cardiac myocyte hypertrophy

The intercalated disc (ID) of cardiac myocytes is emerging as a crucial structure in the heart. Loss of ID proteins like N-cadherin causes lethal cardiac abnormalities, and mutations in ID proteins cause human cardiomyopathy. A comprehensive screen for novel mechanisms in failing hearts demonstrated that expression of the lysosomal integral membrane protein 2 (LIMP-2) is increased in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in both rat and human myocardium. Complete loss of LIMP-2 in genetically engineered mice did not affect cardiac development; however, these LIMP-2 null mice failed to mount a hypertrophic response to increased blood pressure but developed cardiomyopathy. Disturbed cadherin localization in these hearts suggested that LIMP-2 has important functions outside lysosomes. Indeed, we also find LIMP-2 in the ID, where it associates with cadherin. RNAi-mediated knockdown of LIMP-2 decreases the binding of phosphorylated β-catenin to cadherin, whereas overexpression of LIMP-2 has the opposite effect. Collectively, our data show that LIMP-2 is crucial to mount the adaptive hypertrophic response to cardiac loading. We demonstrate a novel role for LIMP-2 as an important mediator of the ID.
User-tailored web accessibility evaluations

This paper presents a framework and system to evaluate the accessibility of web pages according to the individual requirements of users with disabilities. These requirements not only consist of users' abilities, but also users' assistive technologies and the delivery context. In order to ascertain interoperability with other software components, user requirements are specified taking advantage of the extensibility of the W3C CC/PP recommendation and other feature-specification vocabularies. An evaluation tool capable of understanding these specifications generates evaluation reports that are tailored to the user's individual needs. Quantitative accessibility measures resulting from personalized evaluation reports can be used to improve the web browsing experience for users with disabilities, such as through adaptive navigation support and by sorting the results of search engines according to users' personal requirements. In addition, developers benefit from personalized evaluations when developing websites for specific audiences.
Influence of the forest caterpillar hunter Calosoma sycophanta on the transmission of microsporidia in larvae of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar

1 The behaviour of predators can be an important factor in the transmission success of an insect pathogen. We studied how Calosoma sycophanta influences the interaction between its prey [Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae)] and two microsporidian pathogens [Nosema lymantriae (Microsporidia, Nosematidae) and Vairimorpha disparis (Microsporidia, Burellenidae)] infecting the prey. 2 Using laboratory experiments, C. sycophanta was allowed to forage on infected and uninfected L. dispar larvae and to disseminate microsporidian spores when preying or afterwards with faeces. 3 The beetle disseminated spores of N. lymantriae and V. disparis when preying upon infected larvae, as well as after feeding on such prey. Between 45% and 69% of test larvae became infected when C. sycophanta was allowed to disseminate spores of either microsporidium. 4 Laboratory choice experiments showed that C. sycophanta did not discriminate between Nosema‐infected and uninfected gypsy moth larvae. Calosoma sycophanta preferred Vairimorpha‐infected over uninfected gypsy moth larvae and significantly influenced transmission. 5 When C. sycophanta was allowed to forage during the latent period on infected and uninfected larvae reared together on caged, potted oak saplings, the percentage of V. disparis infection among test larvae increased by more than 70%. The transmission of N. lymantriae was not affected significantly in these experiments. 6 Beetles never became infected with either microsporidian species after feeding on infected prey. 7 We conclude that the transmission of N. lymantriae is not affected. Because no V. disparis spores are released from living larvae, feeding on infected larvae might enhance transmission by reducing the time to death and therefore the latent period.
The Mnd1 Protein Forms a Complex with Hop2 To Promote Homologous Chromosome Pairing and Meiotic Double-Strand Break Repair

ABSTRACT The hop2 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae arrests in meiosis with extensive synaptonemal complex (SC) formation between nonhomologous chromosomes. A screen for multicopy suppressors of a hop2-ts allele identified the MND1 gene. The mnd1-null mutant arrests in meiotic prophase, with most double-strand breaks (DSBs) unrepaired. A low level of mature recombinants is produced, and the Rad51 protein accumulates at numerous foci along chromosomes. SC formation is incomplete, and homolog pairing is severely reduced. The Mnd1 protein localizes to chromatin throughout meiotic prophase, and this localization requires Hop2. Unlike recombination enzymes such as Rad51, Mnd1 localizes to chromosomes even in mutants that fail to initiate meiotic recombination. The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins coimmunoprecipitate from meiotic cell extracts. These results suggest that Hop2 and Mnd1 work as a complex to promote meiotic chromosome pairing and DSB repair. The identification of Hop2 and Mnd1 homologs in other organisms suggests that the function of this complex is conserved among eukaryotes.
Response of the Cerebral Circulation to Hypocarbia in Postasphyxia Newborn Lambs

Respiratory alkalosis is used in the treatment of newborn infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension. Many of these infants have suffered a prior asphyxial insult. Previous studies in a newborn lamb postasphyxia model have demonstrated abnormalities in the response of the cerebral circulation to hypoxia and to changes in blood pressure. Although vasodilation in response to these stimuli was impaired, the ability of the brain to extract oxygen was not. Therefore, because the principal response of the cerebral circulation to lowering arterial carbon dioxide tension is vasoconstriction with a compensatory increase in oxygen extraction, it was hypothesized that the postasphyxia response of the cerebral circulation to decreases in carbon dioxide tension would be intact. Ten newborn lambs were subjected to an asphyxial insult. Postasphyxia whole brain and regional blood flows were measured at three to four different levels of arterial carbon dioxide tension using the radiolabeled microsphere technique. In addition, arterial and venous oxygen content and blood gases were measured in the brachiocephalic artery and the sagittal sinus. The response of whole brain cerebral blood flow (CBF) to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) is described by ln CBF = 0.031 PaCO2 + 3.15 (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). Responses of individual brain regions did not differ from whole brain flow. Cerebral oxygen consumption remained stable, and fractional O2 extraction (E) increased according to the relationship ln (1 - E) = −0.023 PaCO2 - 1.35 (r = 0.89, p <0.001). No significant differences in responses of cerebral hemodynamics to hypocarbia were found in comparison of data from this study with previous work in nonasphyxiated lambs. Thus, the response of the cerebral circulation to hypocarbia is not affected by a prior asphyxial insult in the newborn lamb.
Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus.

The book highlights the dramatic rise of Type 2 diabetes in children, adolescents and the elderly throughout the world. One new section features prevention and screening of both Type1 and Type 2 diabetes. Other new chapters cover the epidemiology of obesity and the impact of nutrition, and review available guidelines for better worldwide glycemic control. Future challenges, including the effects of antipsychotic treatment and HIV infection and therapy on diabetes, are also addressed.
Patterns of forest loss in one of Africa’s last remaining wilderness areas: Niassa National Reserve (Northern Mozambique)

Niassa National Reserve (NNR) supports Mozambique's largest populations of endangered fauna and sustains the livelihoods of > 40,000 people who utilise its natural resources. Accurately monitoring finescale spatial and temporal trends in land-use and tree-cover is increasingly used for monitoring the ecological state of conservation areas. Here we provide essential information on land-use changes in NNR to support ongoing conservation efforts in the region. We examined patterns of forest and woodland loss in NNR between 2001 and 2014 using high resolution maps of global tree-cover change, and compared this with changes in the wider region. We found that NNR lost 108 km of forest (0.9 per cent of its 11,970 km aggregated forest extent), with the majority (89 km) of forest loss occurring due to expanding agriculture around settlements and along main roads. Although this loss was substantial, it was lower than changes in the surrounding region, with the adjacent districts and Provinces losing 200 km (3.2 per cent) and 6,594 km (5.7 per cent) of their respective forest extents. We found NNR's diverse Miombo ecosystems are still intact and could support large mega-faunal assemblages, investment in ensuring the long-term success of NNR is an obvious global conservation priority.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Earthquake Stress Drop on Gofar Transform Fault, East Pacific Rise: Implications for Fault Strength

On Gofar Transform Fault on the East Pacific Rise, the largest earthquakes (6.0 ≤ MW ≤ 6.2) have repeatedly ruptured the same portion of the fault, while intervening fault segments host swarms of microearthquakes. These long‐term patterns in earthquake occurrence suggest that heterogeneous fault zone properties control earthquake behavior. Using waveforms from ocean bottom seismometers that recorded seismicity before and after an anticipated 2008 MW 6.0 mainshock, we investigate the role that differences in material properties have on earthquake rupture at Gofar. We determine stress drop for 138 earthquakes (2.3 ≤ MW ≤ 4.0) that occurred within and between the rupture areas of large earthquakes. Stress drops are calculated from corner frequencies derived using an empirical Green's function spectral ratio method, and seismic moments are obtained by fitting the omega‐square source model to the low frequency amplitude of the displacement spectrum. Our analysis yields stress drops from 0.04 to 3.2 MPa with statistically significant spatial variation, including ~2 times higher average stress drop in fault segments where large earthquakes also occur compared to fault segments that host earthquake swarms. We find an inverse correlation between stress drop and P wave velocity reduction, which we interpret as the effect of fault zone damage on the ability of the fault to store strain energy that leads to our spatial variations in stress drop. Additionally, we observe lower stress drops following the MW 6.0 mainshock, consistent with increased damage and decreased fault strength after a large earthquake.
The Sense of Agency Scale: A Measure of Consciously Perceived Control over One's Mind, Body, and the Immediate Environment

The sense of agency (SoA) is defined as “the registration that I am the initiator of my actions. ” Both “direct” and “indirect” measurement of SoA has focused on specific contextualized perceptual events, however it has also been demonstrated that “higher level” cognitions seemingly affect the SoA. We designed a measure of person's general, context-free beliefs about having core agency—the Sense of Agency Scale (SoAS). An exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses on samples of 236 (Study 1) and 408 (Study 2) participants yielded two correlated factors we labeled Sense of Positive Agency (SoPA) and Sense of Negative Agency (SoNA). The construct validity of SoAS is demonstrated by its low-to-moderate correlations with conceptually relevant tools and by the moderate-strong relationship between the SoNA subscale and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms (r = 0.35). We conclude that the SoAS seems to isolate people's general beliefs in their agency from their perceived success in obtaining outcomes.
INNOVATION WORK BEHAVIOR: NEW MODEL TO SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATION

This study aims to explore Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) within the educational context, focusing on the contributions of individuals and organizations to the innovation processes within educational institutions. In the face of the complex dynamics heightened by the challenges of the pandemic, the role of innovation has become increasingly crucial to ensure the quality of learning and the achievement of high educational standards. Educators, as primary subjects in this context, are expected to cultivate creative thinking abilities, explore emerging technologies, and advocate for innovative ideas to drive positive change in the education sector. The recent model proposed by Demircioglu et al underscores the critical role of network behavior in shaping IWB, emphasizing the significance of an innovative climate and knowledge sharing as key factors stimulating IWB. The research methodology involves a comprehensive and integrative literature review, providing an in-depth analysis of relevant literature. The study concludes by highlighting the necessity of collaboration among governments, school administrators, educators, educational staff, and the community to create an innovative and responsive educational environment.