Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alphavirus Entry and Membrane Fusion

The study of enveloped animal viruses has greatly advanced our understanding of the general properties of membrane fusion and of the specific pathways that viruses use to infect the host cell. The membrane fusion proteins of the alphaviruses and flaviviruses have many similarities in structure and function. As reviewed here, alphaviruses use receptor-mediated endocytic uptake and low pH-triggered membrane fusion to deliver their RNA genomes into the cytoplasm. Recent advances in understanding the biochemistry and structure of the alphavirus membrane fusion protein provide a clearer picture of this fusion reaction, including the protein’s conformational changes during fusion and the identification of key domains. These insights into the alphavirus fusion mechanism suggest new areas for experimental investigation and potential inhibitor strategies for anti-viral therapy.
Agar Underlay Method for Recovery of Sublethally Heat-Injured Bacteria

ABSTRACT A method of recovering sublethally heat-injured bacteria was developed. The procedure (termed the agar underlay method) uses a nonselective agar underlaid with a selective medium. In a two-chambered petri dish, the Lutri plate (LP), a nonselective agar is inoculated with a population of sublethally heat-injured bacteria. After a 2-h repair incubation period, selective agar is added to the bottom chamber of the LP and incubated. By diffusing through the nonselective top agar, selective agents from the underlay medium impart selectivity to the system. By the agar underlay method, recovery rates of the heat-injured food-borne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium were not different (P > 0.05) from recovery rates determined with nonselective media. Sublethally heat-injured cells (60°C for 1.5 min in buffer or 80°C for 30 s on meat surfaces) grew and produced a typical colony morphology and color reaction when the agar underlay procedure was used with the appropriate respective selective agars. Unlike agar overlay methods for injury repair, the agar underlay procedure allows the typical selective-medium colony morphology to develop and allows colonies to be more easily picked for further characterization. Higher recovery rates of heat-injured fecal enterococci from bovine fecal samples and total coliforms from animal waste lagoons were obtained by the agar underlay method with selective agars than by direct plating on the respective selective media.
Charting Scores in Precision Teaching for Skill Acquisition

This study examines the practice of charting scores in precision teaching for skill acquisition. Two separate studies were conducted, one comparing the effect of recording daily scores on a linear graph with that of keeping daily raw score data, the other comparing use of semilog charts with use of raw scores. In each study the group was divided in half and received each of two treatments (charting on linear or semilog graphs and keeping raw scores) for a 2 week period. Average raw score gains for each test condition were then compared. Results of the first study showed gains made while charting daily scores on a linear graph to be significantly greater than gains made while recording raw scores. Results of the second study indicated no significant difference between gains made while charting daily scores on semilog graphs and gains made while recording raw scores.
Regulated increase in folding capacity prevents unfolded protein stress in the ER

Stimulation of thyrocytes with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) leads to a morphological change and a massive increase in thyroglobulin (Tg) production. Although Tg is a demanding client of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), its increase did not result in significant accumulation of unfolded protein in the ER. Instead, ER chaperones and folding enzymes reached maximum synthesis rates immediately after TSH stimulation, before significant upregulation of Tg synthesis. The resulting increase in folding capacity before client protein production prevented cellular unfolded-protein stress, confirmed by the silence of the most conserved branch of the unfolded protein response. Thyrocytes set an example of physiological adaptation of cells to a future potentially stress-causing situation, which suggests a general strategy for both non-secretory and specialized secretory cells.
Comparative evaluation of turmeric gel with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate gel for treatment of plaque induced gingivitis: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Introduction: Ayurveda is regarded as most ancient traditional system of medicine originated in India having its root back in the Vedas. Medicinal herbs have been long employed to improve the oral health by means of frequently used therapeutic procedures Kavala (gargling) and Gandusha (holding of medicated liquids in the mouth). Gingivitis is most common ailment that results in bleeding gums and halitosis. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of turmeric gel as an anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis agent compared to chlorhexidine gel. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with plaque-induced gingivitis were divided into two groups, Group A was given turmeric gel and Group B was given chlorhexidine gel for 21 days in vaccupress trays. Plaque and gingival index were taken at baseline, 14 days and 21 days. Subjective and objective criteria were evaluated at 14 and 21 days. Results: On comparison of Group A and Group B, statistically insignificant difference was observed at 14 and 21 days. Reduction in plaque index at 0 and 21 days was 60.81% and 60.21% for turmeric and chlorhexidine group, respectively. Reduction in the gingival index at 0 and 21 days was 71.79% and 71.20% for turmeric and chlorhexidine group, respectively. Conclusion: Both groups reported a comparable reduction in plaque and gingival index. Turmeric gel reported better acceptance due to pleasant odor and no staining of teeth in comparison to chlorhexidine gel that reported a bitter taste and staining of teeth.
Sami Rights and Sami Challenges

In this article the authors analyse the conflict in contemporary Sami politics in Sweden. To understand this conflict a historical perspective is necessary, and the authors reconstruct the ideas and beliefs in the public debate that has legitimized a system of Sami rights over more than a century, and analyze the challenges to these by the Sami movement. Two parallel themes are discussed: the first deals with the continuity and change of the Swedish Sami policy, where the authors show how ideas and beliefs concerning the Sami have limited the possibilities of political action. The second theme focuses on the political mobilization of the Sami in Sweden and their challenges of the established view of the Sami in official policy. One of the conclusions made is that it is of importance to grant indigenous peoples, like the Sami, some kind of secure political platform from which they could participate in the democratic procedure and legitimately counter‐act the power of the nation states in which they live.
Gifted Girls and Science: Revisiting the Issues

Possible reasons for the underparticipation of gifted girls in science fields are discussed in terms of (a) disparity in cognitive abilities, (b) personality characteristics, (c) attitudes toward science, (d) differences between in-school and out-of-school learning experiences, (e) gender differences in mathematics preparation, and (f) socialization factors. Suggestions for encouraging gifted girls to keep their options open by continuing to pursue advanced coursework in the sciences are given for teachers and counselors who work with them.
Spatial Adjacency Maps for Translucency Simulation under General Illumination

Rendering translucent materials in real time is usually done by using surface diffusion and/or (translucent) shadow maps. The downsides of these approaches are, that surface diffusion cannot handle translucency effects that show up when rendering thin objects, and that translucent shadow maps are only available for point light sources. Furthermore, translucent shadow maps introduce limitations to shadow mapping techniques exploiting the same maps. In this paper we present a novel approach for rendering translucent materials at interactive frame rates. Our approach allows for an efficient calculation of translucency with native support for general illumination conditions, especially area and environment lighting, at high accuracy. The proposed technique's only parameter is the used diffusion profile, and thus it works out of the box without any parameter tuning. Furthermore, it can be used in combination with any existing surface diffusion techniques to add translucency effects. Our approach introduces Spatial Adjacency Maps that depend on precalculations to be done for fixed meshes. We show that these maps can be updated in real time to also handle deforming meshes and that our results are of superior quality as compared to other well known real‐time techniques for rendering translucency.
FLMF: Fractional least mean fourth algorithm for channel estimation in non-Gaussian environment

As the communication systems have been increasingly complex, the problem of channel estimation for such complex communication systems has also emerged as an equally challenging task. To solve this problem, various schemes based on Least Mean Square (LMS) and its improved variants have been proposed. This paper presents an adaptive algorithm for channel estimation in non-Gaussian environment. The proposed algorithm named as fractional least mean fourth (FLMF) is derived using the concept of fractional order calculus (FOC) and least mean fourth (LMF). The proposed algorithm is a convex combination of conventional and fractional order gradient descent method and by removing the computationally expensive Gamma function from fractional gradient it become not only computationally inexpensive but also achieves the high convergence rate with low steady state error. The proposed algorithm is evaluated for the channel estimation problem in multiple configurations and it achieves better results compared to both the fractional least mean square (FLMS) and the least mean fourth (LMF) algorithms.
Experiential learning in sociology: service learning and other community-based learning initiatives

Despite increased popularity and a strong pedagogical tradition, the literature on community-based learning (CBL) initiatives and service learning evidences a certain conceptual imprecision. In the hopes of clarifying definitional ambiguities, we critically review the CBL literature, identifying six distinct types of CBL options and their characteristics. The result is a hierarchy of community-based learning, which while not proposed as a definitive conceptualization, is likely to be useful in terms of curricular development. Using a hypothetical sociology class, the community-based learning options identified (i.e., out-of-class activities, volunteering, service add-ons, internships, service learning, and service learning advocacy) are discussed in terms of their pedagogical differences and associated curricular benefits
Continuous glucose monitoring in 2013.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in the pediatric population with type 1 diabetes (T1D) was somewhat infamously described as “satisfaction without success” (1); success with CGM is strongly related to its use, and children and adolescents in some countries seem to be particularly reluctant to use CGM devices regularly as the behavioral changes these devices force on them may not be desirable. However, the SWITCH randomized clinical trial clearly demonstrated that CGM can be as successful in adolescents as in adults with T1D. Despite this fact, the reimbursement for CGM in Europe is still far from universal (2) but growing steadily as data on its benefits accumulate. The use of retrospective (professional) CGM has expanded far beyond its initial indications. Also, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is becoming an important focus for both retrospective and real-time CGM. Finally, an important study demonstrated that the home use of threshold insulin suspend based on sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy in T1D can reduce and prevent hypoglycemia.
Aerobic endurance training program improves exercise performance in lung transplant recipients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether an aerobic endurance training program (AET) in comparison to normal daily activities improves exercise capacity in lung transplant recipients. PATIENTS AND STUDY DESIGN Nine lung transplant recipients (12+/-6 months after transplant) were examined. All patients underwent incremental bicycle ergometry with the work rate increased in increments of 20 W every 3 min. Identical exercise tests were performed after 11+/-5 weeks of normal daily activities and then after a 6-week AET. The weekly aerobic training time increased from 60 min at the beginning to 120 min during the last week. Training intensity ranged from 30 to 60% of the maximum heart rate reserve. RESULTS Normal daily activities had no effect on exercise performance. The AET induced a significant decrease in resting minute ventilation from 14+/-5 to 11+/-3 L/min. At an identical, submaximal level of exercise, a significant decrease in minute ventilation from 47+/-14 L/min to 39+/-13 L/min and heart rate from 144+/-12 to 133+/-17 beats/min, before and after the AET, was noted. The increase in peak oxygen uptake after AET was statistically significant (1.13+/-0.32 to 1.26+/-0.27 L/min). CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that normal daily activities do not affect exercise performance in lung transplant recipients > or = 6 months after lung transplantation. An AET improves submaximal and peak exercise performance significantly.
Grounding cultural syndromes: Body comportment and values in honor and dignity cultures.

The body is a carrier of relatively complex cultural values. Three experiments examined links between body comportment and honor (a cultural syndrome prizing female chastity, familial loyalty, and reputation). We put participants from nonhonor (Anglo-Americans; Experiment 1) and honor (Latinos; Experiment 2) cultures in upright versus slouched postures and primed them with honor versus control words. In our third experiment, we surveyed participants from nonhonor (native Dutch) and honor (Arab and Turkish Dutch) cultures about their attitudes toward honor-related violence and then measured posture change. Concerns with honor were embodied by men from honor cultures bi-directionally. For persons from nonhonor cultures, body posture can be connected to honor concerns, if participants are appropriately primed. However, with all else equal, the rejection of honor in such cultures is embodied in much the same way that men from honor cultures embody honor. Links between body comportment and values are not arbitrary but not simple either. The ways embodiments are conditioned by culture and gender are discussed.
Imagining an interdisciplinary doctoral pedagogy

There has been a great deal of discussion about the need for interdisciplinary, applied research to service the needs of the knowledge economy and to solve the broader complex theoretical problems of the twenty-first century. This is known as ‘Mode 2’ knowledge production. Yet, university research higher degree programs continue to be largely disciplinary-based. While there has been a rise in the number of research students working on industry-related, applied projects, very few research students gain exposure to interdisciplinary research processes. This paper explores several examples of interdisciplinary doctoral programs based in North America and Australia and seeks to draw upon examples of undergraduate interdisciplinary learning and epistemology. In reviewing this theoretical work and a number of strategies implemented at an Australian university, the paper begins to imagine an interdisciplinary doctoral pedagogy.
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Tale of Three Studies

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors have been touted as promising antihyperglycemic agents due to their beneficial effects on glycemia without inducing hypoglycemia or body weight gain and their good tolerability. Beyond their glucose-lowering effects, numerous clinical trials and experimental studies have suggested that DPP4 inhibitors may exert cardioprotective effects through their pleiotropic actions via glucagon-like peptide 1-dependent mechanisms or involving other substrates. Since 2008, regulatory agencies have required an assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) safety for the approval of all new anti-hyperglycemic agents, including incretin-based therapies. Three large prospective DPP4 inhibitor trials with cardiovascular (CV) outcomes have recently been published. According to the Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (SAVOR-TIMI 53) and EXamination of cArdiovascular outcoMes with alogliptIN versus standard of carE in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndrome (EXAMINE) trials, DPP4 inhibitors, including saxagliptin and alogliptin, did not appear to increase the risk of CV events in patients with type 2 diabetes and established CVD or high risk factors. Unexpectedly, saxagliptin significantly increased the risk of hospitalization for heart failure by 27%, a finding that has not been explained and that requires further exploration. More recently, the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes with Sitagliptin (TECOS) trial demonstrated the CV safety of sitagliptin, including assessments of the primary composite CV endpoint and hospitalization for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes and established CVD. The CV outcomes of an ongoing linagliptin trial are expected to provide new evidence about the CV effects of a DPP4-inhibitor in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Multichannel Communications in Wireless Automation: Interdependencies between Communication and Control Parameters

Exploitation of wireless communications in various automation applications brings indisputable benefits, which has proliferated research efforts in the field during the recent years. However, underlying wireless communication systems introduce problems to the wireless control systems, such as variable delays, information loss, and limited throughput. By using multiple frequency bands simultaneously, the performance of a wireless network can be enhanced. Since many control applications have strict requirements on delay and delay variations, it is important to understand the impact of communication systems on the performance of wireless automation systems with respect to delay. Hence, in this paper, we study how different communication parameters, such as packet arrival rate, number of channels, and packet size, affect the performance of control systems. We also derive bound on control system performance given the network properties. Our results show the tradeoff between the performance of the wireless multichannel communication system and the automation system. These results can, for example, be further exploited in system design to find out the maximum packet arrival rate with given control parameters.
Children making sense of physical phenomena

This thesis concerns the activity of expressing understanding with words. The overall aim is to explore, analyse and describe how 64 children aged 6, 10 and 14 expressed their understanding of certain physical phenomena in reflective dialogues. In the dialogues, the children were asked to reflect over expressions which they had used to explain their conception of the problem. Four studies were conducted that concern different aspects of the activity of expressing understanding with words. Different parts of the interplay between language use and knowledge formation were analysed and described. The results indicate that the children used the same expressions with a number of meanings. They dealt with the ambiguity of meaning in different ways, as well as displaying varying degrees of awareness of how they used language to make sense. A variation also appeared in the ways that the children used language to approach content matter. In order to make sense of content matter and reflect over the function of language use, certain conditions appeared to be more critical than others. Drawing on the results of the investigation, implications for pedagogical practice are discussed. (Less)
Nothing like Good Old Frequency: Studying Context Filters for Distributional Thesauri

Much attention has been given to the impact of informativeness and similarity measures on distributional thesauri. We investigate the effects of context filters on thesaurus quality and propose the use of cooccurrence frequency as a simple and inexpensive criterion. For evaluation, we measure thesaurus agreement with WordNet and performance in answering TOEFL-like questions. Results illustrate the sensitivity of distributional thesauri to filters.
Sirt3 deficiency does not affect venous thrombosis or NETosis despite mild elevation of intracellular ROS in platelets and neutrophils in mice

Inflammation is a common denominator in chronic diseases of aging. Yet, how inflammation fuels these diseases remains unknown. Neutrophils are the primary leukocytes involved in the early phase of innate immunity and inflammation. As part of their anti-microbial defense, neutrophils form extracellular traps (NETs) by releasing decondensed chromatin lined with cytotoxic proteins. NETs have been shown to induce tissue injury and thrombosis. Here, we demonstrated that Sirt3, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylase, an enzyme linked to human longevity, was expressed in mouse neutrophils and platelets. Using Sirt3-/- mice as a model of accelerated aging, we investigated the effects of Sirt3 deficiency on NETosis and platelet function, aiming to detect enhancement of thrombosis. More mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in neutrophils and platelets of Sirt3-/- mice compared to WT, when stimulated with a low concentration of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and a high concentration of thrombin, respectively. There were no differences in in vitro NETosis, with or without stimulation. Platelet aggregation was mildly augmented in Sirt3-/- mice compared to WT mice, when stimulated with a low concentration of collagen. The effect of Sirt3 deficiency on platelet and neutrophil activation in vivo was examined by the venous thrombosis model of inferior vena cava stenosis. Elevation of plasma DNA concentration was observed after stenosis in both genotypes, but no difference was shown between the two genotypes. The systemic response to thrombosis was enhanced in Sirt3-/- mice with significantly elevated neutrophil count and reduced platelet count. However, no differences were observed in incidence of thrombus formation, thrombus weight and thrombin-antithrombin complex generation between WT and Sirt3-/- mice. We conclude that Sirt3 does not considerably impact NET formation, platelet function, or venous thrombosis in healthy young mice.