Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Cations and Anions on the Binding of 3H-Diazepam to Rat Brain

Summary The effects of anions and cations on the specific binding of 3H-diazepam to rat brain were determined. Crude synaptic membranes from whole rat brain were prepared by differential centrifugation followed by hypo-osmotic shock and freezing. The monovalent cations (as their chloride salts) Li+, Na+, K+, and NH4 + produced very slight enhancements of binding whereas Cs+ did not have any effect. The monovalent anions (as their sodium salts) F- and I- were inhibitory whereas Br- produced a very slight enhancement. Divalent cations (as their chloride salts) produced marked enhancements of binding. Ni2+ caused the greatest increase which reached 86% at 5 mM. This increased binding was the result of enhanced affinity for the binding site; the total number of sites was not altered. The rank order of potency for stimulating binding at 0.1 mM cation concentration was Ni2+, Hg2+ > Cu2+, Zn2+ > Co2+ > Ba2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Ni2+ did not affect the specific binding to brain homogenates of 3H-strychnine or of 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate, but inhibited binding of 3H-naloxone.
Combined therapy of colon carcinomas with an oncolytic adenovirus and valproic acid

The anti-tumor potential of oncolytic adenoviruses (CRAds) has been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical studies. While these agents failed to eradicate tumors when used as a monotherapy, they may be more effective if combined with conventional treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. This study seeks to evaluate the combination of a CRAd bearing a ∆24 deletion in E1A with valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, for the treatment of human colon carcinomas. This combination led to a strong inhibition of cell growth both in vitro and in vivo compared to treatment with CRAd or VPA alone. This effect did not stem from a better CRAd replication and production in the presence of VPA. Inhibition of cell proliferation and cell death were induced by the combined treatment. Moreover, whereas cells treated only with CRAd displayed a polyploidy (> 4N population), this phenotype was increased in cells treated with both CRAd and VPA. In addition, the increase in polyploidy triggered by combined treatment with CRAd and VPA was associated with the enhancement of H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX), a hallmark of DNA damage, but also with a decrease of several DNA repair proteins. Finally, viral replication (or E1A expression) was shown to play a key role in the observed effects since no enhancement of polyploidy nor increase in γH2AX were found following cell treatment with a replication-deficient Ad and VPA. Taken together, our results suggest that CRAd and VPA could be used in combination for the treatment of colon carcinomas.
Levels of explanation in category learning

Abstract Multiple‐system accounts of category learning are now entrenched in the cognitive neuroscience literature. This entrenchment sometimes seems impervious to behavioural evidence that contradicts or questions key assumptions of multiple‐systems accounts. In this brief article, I consider relevant sources of evidence (behavioural, neuropsychological, neuro‐imaging) and argue that the evidence from all sources is not as clear‐cut as many multiple‐system theorists often claim. More importantly, the review emphasises that one needs to be sensitive to the desired level of explanation of category learning (psychological, biological, mathematical) when considering the relevance of different types of data and the adequacy of proposed accounts.
Which is the best algorithm for virtual machine placement optimization?

One of the key problems for Infrastructure‐as‐a‐Service providers is finding the optimal allocation of virtual machines on the physical machines available in the provider's data center. Since the allocation has significant impact on operational costs as well as on the performance of the accommodated applications, several algorithms have been proposed for the virtual machine placement problem. So far, no objective comparison of the proposed algorithms has been provided; therefore, it is not known which one works best or what factors influence the performance of the algorithms. In this paper, we present an environment and methodology for such comparisons and compare 7 different algorithms using the proposed environment and methodology. Our results showcase differences of up to 66% between the effectiveness of different algorithms on the same real‐world workload traces, thus underlining the importance of objectively comparing the performance of competing algorithms.
The Roots of Social Work Supervision

ABSTRACT This paper is an historical review which identifies the roots of social work supervision and traces its development in the history of social work practice. The history of social work supervision is classified into five developmental stages with different themes. It was found that the development process of social work supervision has been much influenced by both the external demands of the environment of social welfare and the internal demands of the professionalization of social work. Based on the historical review, there is also a discussion to explain why social work supervision still exits in the 1990s with its own distinct features.
The Opioid Antagonist Naloxone Induces a Shift from Type 2 to Type 1 Cytokine Pattern in Normal and Skin‐Grafted Mice

Abstract: Opioid peptides affect different immune functions. We present evidence that these effects could be mediated by the modulation of TH1/TH2 cytokine production. The acute and chronic treatment with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone decreased the production of IL‐4 by splenocytes of C57BL/6 and BALB/CJ mice, that present a Th1/ Th2 dominance, respectively, immunized with the protein antigen KLH. In contrast, IL‐2 and IFN‐γ levels were increased after naloxone treatment. These results indicate that naloxone increases Th1 and decreases Th2 cytokine production. Moreover in C57BL/6 mice, naloxone treatment was able to accelerate skin‐graft rejection, a Th1‐mediated phenomenon, by increasing Th1 cytokine production. The effect of naloxone could be ascribed to the removal of the regulatory effects exerted by endogenous opioid peptides, which could activate Th2 and suppress Th1 cytokines.
Interferon‐γ expression by Th1 effector T cells mediated by the p38 MAP kinase signaling pathway

Signal transduction via MAP kinase pathways plays a key role in a variety of cellular responses, including growth factor‐induced proliferation, differentiation and cell death. In mammalian cells, p38 MAP kinase can be activated by multiple stimuli, such as pro‐inflammatory cytokines and environmental stress. Although p38 MAP kinase is implicated in the control of inflammatory responses, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Upon activation, CD4+ T cells differentiate into Th2 cells, which potentiate the humoral immune response or pro‐inflammatory Th1 cells. Here, we show that pyridinyl imidazole compounds (specific inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase) block the production of interferon‐γ (IFNγ) by Th1 cells without affecting IL‐4 production by Th2 cells. These drugs also inhibit transcription driven by the IFNγ promoter. In transgenic mice, inhibition of the p38 MAP kinase pathway by the expression of dominant‐negative p38 MAP kinase results in selective impairment of Th1 responses. In contrast, activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway by the expression of constitutivelyactivated MAP kinase kinase 6 in transgenic mice caused increased production of IFNγ during the differentiation and activation of Th1 cells. Together, these data demonstrate that the p38 MAP kinase is relevant for Th1 cells, not Th2 cells, and that inhibition of p38 MAP kinase represents a possible site of therapeutic intervention in diseases where a predominant Th1 immune response leads to a pathological outcome. Moreover, our study provides an additional mechanism by which the p38 MAP kinase pathway controls inflammatory responses.
The permanence of the client under uncertain estimations

Marketing has studied the permanence of a client within an enterprise because it is a key element in the study of the value (economic) of the client (CLV). The research that they have developed is based in deterministic or random models, which allowed estimating the permanence of the client, and the CLV. However, when it is not possible to apply these schemes for not having the panel data that this model requires, the period of time of a client with the enterprise is uncertain data. We consider that the value of the current work is to have an alternative way to estimate the period of time with subjective information proper of the theory of uncertainty. To achieve the above we propose, through a numerical example, a methodology that uses in its first phase the Fuzzy-Delphi method, with a group of experts, to accomplish an estimation of the lifetime period of the client within an enterprise, expressed as a trapezoidal fuzzy number, and to get a better consensus of the previous result, as a second phase, we submit such information to another group, different from the previous ones, obtaining a reduction of the size of the interval defined by the initial trapezoidal fuzzy number.
Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and CNS Stimulant Medication Use in Children with and without ADHD: Analysis of NHANES Data

It is estimated that 2–3% of children in the US have hypertension (HTN) and 8% of children ages 4–17 carry the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The prevalence of HTN and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in children with ADHD on CNS stimulant treatment (stimulants) compared to no treatment and compared to their healthy counterparts is not well described. Using National Health and Nutrition Survey data, we examined demographic, blood pressure (BP) and CV risk factors of 4,907 children aged 12–18 years with and without the diagnosis of ADHD, and further examined the CV risk in a subgroup of ADHD patients on stimulants. Three hundred eighty-three (10.7%) children were reported to have ADHD, of whom 111 (3.4%) were on stimulants. Children with ADHD on stimulants were significantly younger, male, and white compared to those with ADHD not on medication and those without ADHD. Body mass index (BMI), eGFR, cholesterol, the prevalence of albuminuria, and poverty were not significantly different between the three groups. One hundred sixty (2.7%) had BP in the hypertensive and 637 (12.4%) in the pre-hypertensive range. The prevalence of elevated BP (HTN and/or pre-HTN range) was not different between children with ADHD on stimulants compared to ADHD without medication and those without ADHD. Heart rate (HR) was significantly higher in the ADHD group on stimulants vs. the groups ADHD on no stimulants and without ADHD. When the relationship between stimulants and the risk of abnormal BP was examined, there was a significant interaction between having BP in the HTN range and sex. After adjusting for BMI, race, and age, females with ADHD on stimulants tended to be older and had significantly more BP in the hypertensive range. On the other hand, males were more likely to be of a white race and older, but not hypertensive. Children with ADHD on stimulants have significantly higher HR than children with ADHD on no stimulants and children without ADHD. On the other hand, the prevalence of abnormal BP classification is comparable between the three groups.
Adolescent peer crowd affiliation: linkages with health-risk behaviors and close friendships.

OBJECTIVE To examine adolescents' peer crowd affiliation and its linkages with health-risk behaviors, their friends' health-risk behaviors, the presence of close friends in the same peer crowd, and adolescents' social acceptance. METHODS We interviewed 250 high school students and identified six categories: popular, jocks, brains, burnouts, nonconformists, or average/other. Adolescents also reported on their health-risk behaviors (including use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs; risky sexual behaviors; and other risk-taking behaviors), the health-risk behaviors of their friends, the peer crowd affiliation of their closest friends, and their perceived social acceptance. RESULTS Burnouts and nonconformists had the highest levels of health-risk behaviors across the areas assessed, the greatest proportions of close friends who engaged in similar behaviors, and relatively low social acceptance from peers. Brains and their friends engaged in extremely low levels of health-risk behaviors. Jocks and populars also showed evidence of selected areas of health risk; these teens also were more socially accepted than others. In general, adolescents' closest friends were highly nested within the same peer crowds. CONCLUSIONS The findings further our understanding of adolescent behaviors that put them at risk for serious adult onset conditions associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. We discuss the implications of the findings for developing health promotion efforts for adolescents.
Instructional Design for Best Practice in the Synchronous Cyber Classroom

This paper investigates the correlation between the quality of instructional design and learning outcomes for early childhood students in the online synchronous cyber classroom. Today’s generation of e-learners has access to highly engaging and well-designed multi-media synchronous classrooms. However little data exists on what constitutes ‘good practice’ in instructional design for online synchronous cyber lessons. The synchronous cyber classroom outperforms all other modes of instruction in enabling students to simultaneously integrate visual, auditory and kinaesthetic processes. The online synchronous cyber classroom provides learners with more authentic and engaging learning activities enabling higher levels of learning compared to purely asynchronous modes of self-paced learning. During 2001-2007 a group of students aged 5 to 8 years collaborated with their teacher at Brisbane School of Distance Education, Australia in a trial of online synchronous learning. The trial identified ‘best practice’ in the instructional design of synchronous lessons delivered through the Collaborative Cyber Community (3C) learning platform at the National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. A guideline for ‘best practice’ in the instructional design of online synchronous cyber lessons for early childhood students has been developed and discussed.
Trophic and tropic effects of striatal astrocytes on cografted mesencephalic dopamine neurons and their axons

Astrocytes from the ventral mesencephalon and from the striatum respectively promote the dendritic and axonal arborization of dopamine (DA) neurons in vitro. To test this response in vivo, astrocytes in primary cultures from the neonatal cerebral cortex, ventral mesencephalon, or striatum were coimplanted with fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue into the intact or DA‐denervated striatum of adult rats and these cografts examined after 3–6 months by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry (intact recipients) or after 5–6 months by in vitro [H]DA‐uptake autoradiography (DA‐denervated recipients). In contrast with single ventral mesencephalic grafts, all types of cograft displayed a rather uniform distribution of TH‐immunoreactive perikarya. The average size of TH‐immunoreactive cell bodies was not significantly different in cografts containing cortical or mesencephalic astrocytes and in single ventral mesencephalic grafts, but it was significantly larger in cografts containing striatal astrocytes. Nevertheless, the number of [H]DA‐labeled terminals in the DA‐lesioned host striatum was clearly smaller with cografts of striatal astrocytes than with single mesencephalic grafts or with cografts containing cortical astrocytes. On the other hand, cografts of striatal astrocytes contained much higher numbers of [H]DA‐labeled terminals than the other types of graft or cograft. Thus, while cografted astrocytes in general influence the distribution of DA neurons within the graft, astrocytes from the neonatal striatum have a trophic effect on DA perikarya and a tropic effect on DA axons, keeping the latter within the graft.
A comparative study of the cytotoxicity of silver‐based dressings in monolayer cell, tissue explant, and animal models

Over the past decade, a variety of advanced silver‐based dressings have been developed. There are considerable variations in the structure, composition, and silver content of these new preparations. In the present study, we examined five commercially available silver‐based dressings (Acticoat™, Aquacel® Ag, Contreet® Foam, PolyMem® Silver, Urgotul®SSD). We assessed their cytotoxicity in a monolayer cell culture, a tissue explant culture model, and a mouse excisional wound model. The results showed that Acticoat™, Aquacel® Ag, and Contreet® Foam, when pretreated with specific solutes, were likely to produce the most significant cytotoxic effects on both cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts, while PolyMem® Silver and Urgotul®SSD demonstrated the least cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity correlated with the silver released from the dressings as measured by silver concentration in the culture medium. In the tissue explant culture model, in which the epidermal cell proliferation was evaluated, all silver dressings resulted in a significant delay of reepithelialization. In the mouse excisional wound model, Acticoat™ and Contreet® Foam indicated a strong inhibition of wound reepithelialization on the postwounding‐day 7. These findings may, in part, explain the clinical observations of delayed wound healing or inhibition of wound epithelialization after the use of certain topical silver dressings. Caution should be exercised in using silver‐based dressings in clean superficial wounds such as donor sites and superficial burns and also when cultured cells are being applied to wounds.
Yoga Reduces Symptoms of Distress in Tsunami Survivors in the Andaman Islands

A month after the December 2004 tsunami the effect of a 1 week yoga program was evaluated on self rated fear, anxiety, sadness and disturbed sleep in 47 survivors in the Andaman Islands. Polygraph recordings of the heart rate, breath rate and skin resistance were also made. Among the 47 people, 31 were settlers from the mainland (i.e. India, ML group) and 16 were endogenous people (EP group). There was a significant decrease in self rated fear, anxiety, sadness and disturbed sleep in both groups, and in the heart and breath rate in the ML group, and in the breath rate alone in the EP group, following yoga (P < 0.05, t-test). This suggests that yoga practice may be useful in the management of stress following a natural disaster in people with widely differing social, cultural and spiritual beliefs.
Adaptive synergies for the design and control of the Pisa/IIT SoftHand

In this paper we introduce the Pisa/IIT SoftHand, a novel robot hand prototype designed with the purpose of being robust and easy to control as an industrial gripper, while exhibiting high grasping versatility and an aspect similar to that of the human hand. In the paper we briefly review the main theoretical tools used to enable such simplification, i.e. the neuroscience-based notion of soft synergies. A discussion of several possible actuation schemes shows that a straightforward implementation of the soft synergy idea in an effective design is not trivial. The approach proposed in this paper, called adaptive synergy, rests on ideas coming from underactuated hand design. A synthesis method to realize a desired set of soft synergies through the principled design of adaptive synergy is discussed. This approach leads to the design of hands accommodating in principle an arbitrary number of soft synergies, as demonstrated in grasping and manipulation simulations and experiments with a prototype. As a particular instance of application of the synthesis method of adaptive synergies, the Pisa/IIT SoftHand is described in detail. The hand has 19 joints, but only uses 1 actuator to activate its adaptive synergy. Of particular relevance in its design is the very soft and safe, yet powerful and extremely robust structure, obtained through the use of innovative articulations and ligaments replacing conventional joint design. The design and implementation of the prototype hand are shown and its effectiveness demonstrated through grasping experiments, reported also in multimedia extension.
Mature women entrants to teaching : a case study

This is an ethnographic study of student teacher socialization located in a college of higher education. Drawing upon Lacey's research on teacher socialization, the study examines the processes of change and adaptation which a group of twenty-five mature women students underwent during their first year of a four year, B. Ed course. The research approach sits firmly within the qualitative paradigm and employs participant observation, interviews, life history methods and an interactionist perspective to further understanding about how mothers and wives learn to become students. A central feature of the study is the use of the concept of social strategy to explain change, particularly in relation to the way in which the women manage the demands of academic and family responsibilities. The construction of adaptive and coping strategies arise from a tightly interwoven relationship of life history, situational, institutional and structural features. Analyses of the progressive development of strategies revealed that becoming a student teacher was differentially experienced according to material resources, biographical and historical factors. The study offers a holistic analysis of student socialization in which the complexity of adaptation is revealed through the interrelationship of gender, identity, life course, strategies and the negotiation of change. An important part of this change is the emergence of a student teacher and academic identity, both of which are perceived as highly valued, new aspects of self, as well as being a significant part of student teacher socialization. In this hitherto under researched educational and sociological area of inquiry, the way in which biography and structure intersect with gender, reveals the uneasy blend of struggle, contestation, guilt and success which became a daily feature of the women's lives as they strove to reconcile the competing claims on their lives as mothers, wives and full-time students.
Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding the OmpU outer membrane protein of Vibrio cholerae

The OmpU outer membrane protein is a member of the ToxR regulon of Vibrio cholerae and has recently been shown to be a potential adherence factor for this species. Using PCR and degenerate oligonucleotide primers based on internal peptide sequences of purified OmpU, we have cloned and sequenced the gene encoding OmpU. The ompU gene is predicted to encode a 36,646-molecular-weight protein which is present in both cholera toxin-positive and -negative V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains.
“Active flux” orientation vector sensorless control of IPMSM

This paper presents a novel strategy for the vector control of IPMSM, without signal injection. The overall performance of the motion-sensorless control depends strongly on the accuracy of the rotor position and speed estimation. The proposed state observer is based on the concept of the ldquoactive fluxrdquo (or ldquotorque producing fluxrdquo), which ldquoturns all the salient-pole rotor ac machines into nonsalient-pole onesrdquo. As well as giving a detailed explanation of the concept, the paper demonstrates, through a wide range of experimental results, the effectiveness of the active flux observer under half full rated torque operating conditions in 2 rpm-1000 rpm speed range.