Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tissue-Specific Adherent Enterococcus faecalis Strains That Show Highly Efficient Adhesion to Human Bladder Carcinoma T24 Cells Also Adhere to Extracellular Matrix Proteins

ABSTRACT The ability of Enterococcus faecalis clinical isolates to adhere to immobilized extracellular matrixes (ECMs) coating the walls of microtiter plates was examined by microscopy. The ECMs consisted of fibronectin, laminin, collagen types I, II, IV, and V, fibrinogen, and lactoferrin. With the exception of fibrinogen, each isolate showed a different level of adherence to each of the ECMs. No significant level of adherence to fibrinogen was observed for any isolate. The tissue-specific adhesive strains AS11, AS12, AS14, AS15, HT11, and HT12, which showed highly efficient adherence to human bladder carcinoma T24 cells and human bladder epithelial cells, showed strong adherence to fibronectin, laminin, and collagen type I, II, IV, and V ECMs, and the levels were greater than 104 cells/mm2 of well surface coated by ECM. None of the isolates that showed little adherence to human bladder carcinoma T24 cells showed efficient adherence to all the ECMs. The levels of adherence of gelatinase-producing isolates to the collagens were lower than the levels of adherence of gelatinase-negative isolates. When tissue-specific adhesive strains that adhered strongly to each ECM were preincubated with fibronectin, the adherence of the strains to fibronectin was inhibited, but the adherence of the strains to collagen type IV was not inhibited. Likewise, preincubation with collagen type IV inhibited adherence to collagen type IV but not adherence to fibronectin. All of the E. faecalis isolates were shown to carry the ace gene by PCR analysis performed with specific primers for collagen binding domain A of ace. The ace gene encodes Ace (adhesin of collagen from enterococci). The prtF gene of group A streptococci, which encodes the fibronectin binding protein of group A streptococci, was not detected in the tissue-specific adhesive strains by Southern analysis performed with the prtF probe of the Streptococcus pyogenes JRS4 strain. Mutants with altered collagen binding were isolated by insertion of Tn916 into the chromosome of tissue-specific adhesive strain AS14. The number of mutant adhesive bacterial cells that adhered to collagen and also to laminin was 1 or 2 orders lower than the number observed for the wild-type strain, but the level of adherence to fibronectin remained the same as that of the wild-type strain.
The Geography and Importance of Localness in Geotagged Social Media

Geotagged tweets and other forms of social media volunteered geographic information (VGI) are becoming increasingly critical to many applications and scientific studies. An important assumption underlying much of this research is that social media VGI is "local", or that its geotags correspond closely with the general home locations of its contributors. We demonstrate through a study on three separate social media communities (Twitter, Flickr, Swarm) that this localness assumption holds in only about 75% of cases. In addition, we show that the geographic contours of localness follow important sociodemographic trends, with social media in, for instance, rural areas and older areas, being substantially less local in character (when controlling for other demographics). We demonstrate through a case study that failure to account for non-local social media VGI can lead to misrepresentative results in social media VGI-based studies. Finally, we compare the methods for determining localness, finding substantial disagreement in certain cases, and highlight new best practices for social media VGI-based studies and systems.
Quasi-synchronization for delayed systems with parameter mismatches via aperiodically intermittent control

Quasi-synchronization is an important type of synchronization because of the parameter mismatches in the real world, so we will investigate it for a delayed network, which is master-slave coupled. By applying the aperiodically and nonlinearly intermittent control on the network, and assuming the time delay is varying, we will present some useful criteria for exponential quasi-synchronization. The main difference of this paper with previous works is that the intermittent mode is aperiodic while that in previous works is periodic. Finally, simulations are also given to show its validity.
Isolation of a Tarantula Toxin Specific for a Class of Proton-gated Na+ Channels*

Acid sensing is associated with nociception, taste transduction, and perception of extracellular pH fluctuations in the brain. Acid sensing is carried out by the simplest class of ligand-gated channels, the family of H+-gated Na+ channels. These channels have recently been cloned and belong to the acid-sensitive ion channel (ASIC) family. Toxins from animal venoms have been essential for studies of voltage-sensitive and ligand-gated ion channels. This paper describes a novel 40-amino acid toxin from tarantula venom, which potently blocks (IC50 = 0.9 nm) a particular subclass of ASIC channels that are highly expressed in both central nervous system neurons and sensory neurons from dorsal root ganglia. This channel type has properties identical to those described for the homomultimeric assembly of ASIC1a. Homomultimeric assemblies of other members of the ASIC family and heteromultimeric assemblies of ASIC1a with other ASIC subunits are insensitive to the toxin. The new toxin is the first high affinity and highly selective pharmacological agent for this novel class of ionic channels. It will be important for future studies of their physiological and physio-pathological roles.
Codes Correcting a Burst of Deletions or Insertions

This paper studies codes that correct a burst of deletions or insertions. Namely, a code will be called a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b$ </tex-math></inline-formula><italic>-burst-deletion/insertion-correcting code</italic> if it can correct a burst of deletions/insertions of any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b$ </tex-math></inline-formula> consecutive bits. While the lower bound on the redundancy of such codes was shown by Levenshtein to be asymptotically <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\log (n)+b-1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the redundancy of the best code construction by Cheng <italic>et al.</italic> is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b(\log (n/b+1))$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. In this paper, we close on this gap and provide codes with redundancy at most <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\log (n) + (b-1)\log (\log (n)) +b -\log (b)$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. We first show that the models of insertions and deletions are equivalent and thus it is enough to study codes correcting a burst of deletions. We then derive a non-asymptotic upper bound on the size of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-burst-deletion-correcting codes and extend the burst deletion model to two more cases: 1) a deletion burst of at most <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b$ </tex-math></inline-formula> consecutive bits and 2) a deletion burst of size at most <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (not necessarily consecutive). We extend our code construction for the first case and study the second case for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b=3,4$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for children with autism – theory and research

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that is a life-long disability. Although autism is called an “enigma” because many questions still remain unresolved, more than 50 years of treatment research resulted in a substantial body of knowledge on effective methods of therapy. Scholarly work shows that Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) can lead to significant and clinically important changes in an autistic child’s cognitive, social and emotional functioning. In the present article, we will describe tenets of behavioral approach to autism, characterize therapy based on applied behavior analysis, summarize research on EIBI, and conclude with guidelines for health care providers as well as a list of institutions in Poland that offer behavioral intervention to children with autism.
Bridging Networks, Social Capital, and Racial Segregation in America

Recent work on social capital has underlined the importance of networks and other ties among socially dissimilar persons (bridging ties). The resources stored in such ties are thought to play a uniquely vital role in the social, economic, and political life of diverse societies, expanding identities, opening up insular communities of interest, containing ethnic and other inter-group conflicts, and reducing inter-group status inequalities, e.g., by widening access to valuable information and social endorsements. In the U.S, interracial ties are particularly significant and worth strengthening because of the country’s long-standing racial divide, the increased ethnic diversity associated with rapid immigration, and the tendency for racial and socio-economic divisions to correlate. Yet little up-to-date empirical evidence exists on the array of factors that shape interracial bridging—or, conversely, racial isolation—in Americans’ personal networks or formal associations. Using a phone survey of 29 communities matched with census data, this study analyzes effects of individual, associational, and spatial factors. A path model is specified. While higher educational attainment, non-religious organizational involvement, and socializing with co-workers are robust and encouraging predictors of interracial bridging for all groups, effects of religious involvement vary. Notably, the great civic generation of older Americans is also the most racially insular in the case of whites. There is some evidence that residential segregation exerts direct or indirect inhibiting effects on bridging, at a minimum through selection effects of residential choice. Finally, low-income, less educated minorities who report having at least one white friend are also much more likely to have friends with comparatively higher status and influence.
Mapping the mind: Essentialist beliefs in children: The acquisition of concepts and theories

In their first few years of life, children are making sense of the world at two levels at once: at the fine-grained level of everyday object categories (deciding which things are trees and which are dogs and which are cookies), and at a broader level that some have called commonsense “theories. ” Both are remarkable achievements. First, consider categorization. If children's vocabulary is any indication, by the age of 6 they have carved up the world into thousands of distinct categories (Carey, 1978). Many children undergo a vocabulary “explosion” at roughly 18 months of age (Halliday, 1975; McShane, 1980; Nelson, 1973), when the rate of acquisition suddenly rises exponentially. One child studied in detail by Dromi (1987) produced as many as 44 new words in one week, and roughly 340 new words in her first 7 months of speech. No other species acquires symbolic communication at this rate. Even studies that successfully teach apes to acquire sizeable vocabularies in sign language are incomparable, with no noticeable vocabulary explosion (e.g., after more than 4 years of exposure to sign language, Washoe acquired only about 132 signs; Gardner & Gardner, 1989). At around the same time that children learn to classify individual entities and undergo rapid vocabulary growth, they are developing broad systems of belief about the world. Not only do children learn to identify certain objects as “dogs,” but they also learn that dogs belong to the class of animals, and that animals engage in characteristic biological processes such as growth, inheritance, and self-generated movement. Children are learning about physical laws such as gravity, mental states such as dreams, and social relationships within units such as families.
Underachievement among Gifted Minority Students: Problems and Promises. ERIC Digest E544.

The majority of articles and studies on gifted minority students have focused on issues of identification, primarily because some minority groups of gifted learners, particularly Black, Hispanic American, and Native American, have been underrepresented in gifted programs. These students may be underrepresented by as much as 30 to 70%, with an average of 50% (Ross et al., 1993). While there is a clear need to increase the participation of minority students in gifted education programs, there is an equally important need to focus on issues of achievement and underachievement. This digest discusses factors affecting the achievement of gifted minority students, with particular attention to Black students. Problems associated with underachievement definitions and the influence of social, cultural, and psychological factors on student achievement are discussed. Suggestions and recommendations for reversing underachievement among gifted minority students are presented.
Is There an 'Iron Law of Happiness?'

Contrary to the setpoint model of some psychologists, individual happiness does not tend to fluctuate around a constant level. Although the personality and genetic factors emphasized by setpoint theorists are important in explaining individual differences in happiness at a point in time, survey evidence demonstrates that over the life cycle economic circumstances, family life, health, and work are important in determining the course of happiness. However, life events do not necessarily dominate life cycle satisfaction in different domains, and economic theories of well-being would benefit from following psychologists’ lead by incorporating goals and adaptation.
A quantitative analysis of eye movement characteristics during the cover test

The cover test is probably the most widely used clinical test of oculomotor status. It is surprising therefore, that there has been only one previous study which has attempted to provide a quantitative analysis of the eye movements during the test. There is also a dearth of information concerning the relationship between eye movements during the cover test and symptomatology and the correlation between cover test results and the outcome of other tests of binocular function. For the investigations described in this thesis, apparatus was developed to provide precise measurements of eye movements during a computer-controlled cover test, with subjects fixating a distant (3.4m) and near (0.4m) target. In the first study, this apparatus was employed to assess a group of asymptomatic emmetropes aged between 18 and 35 years (n = 100). The pattern of eye movements recorded was more complex than is often assumed. Eye movements during dissociation followed various patterns, with some subjects reaching a position of equilibrium within a few seconds while 20% had not reached a stable position at the end of the 10 s occlusion period. It was concluded that the 'standard' procedure of occluding an eye during the cover test for only about 2s is not adequate. The mean phoria after 10 s occlusion was 0.000 for distance fixation and -1.38° (exo) for near fixation. The pattern of eye movements during the recovery phase consisted of a variety of saccadic and vergence movements. There was a statistical difference between exophores and esophores for frequencies of initiating saccades and vergence eye movements (p < 0.001) with esophores more commonly commencing recovery with a saccade and exophores with a vergence eye movement. Recovery movements were often associated with movements of the "fixating" eye. There was a poor correlation between phoria amplitude and recovery time. In the second study, the relationship between the nature of eye movements during the cover test and the results of other common tests of binocular function was investigated. There was very little correlation between any aspect of the eye movements and the results of the other tests, or indeed between any of the tests of binocular function. In the third study, a group of symptomatic individuals were characterised using the automated cover test and a battery of other tests of binocular function. In the fourth study, the association between eye movement characteristics during the cover test and symptomatology was investigated. Results gave some support to the long-held view that a slow multi-stage recovery tends to be associated with a symptomatic binocular vision problem. In the fifth study, various aspects of binocular function were monitored throughout the course of orthoptic therapy. Not all subjects responded to treatment and none of the clinical tests assessed were found to be good discriminators of subjects who were likely to benefit. While several aspects of binocular function were found to parallel the amelioration of symptoms, the results were very variable.
The (re‐)configuration of production and consumption in empty nest households/families

In this paper we examine how the complex relationship between consumption and production evolves in empty nest households as individuals reconstruct their sense of self during periods of major household change and role status transitions. Specifically, we seek to understand the “lived experience” of mothers as they negotiate the role status transition on entering the empty nest stage of family life, and thus to provide glimpses of how women manage production and consumption in order to create family life across a variety of diffused sites as their children move away from home. The main themes to emerge from the data are: the distress associated with this role status transition as women re‐evaluate their definition of the self and their mothering role; and the evolving role of enacting love and mothering as the emphasis changes, in many cases, from production‐led tasks to consumption‐based activities.
Discovery of the Porosome: revealing the molecular mechanism of secretion and membrane fusion in cells

Secretion and membrane fusion are fundamental cellular processes involved in the physiology of health and disease. Studies within the past decade reveal the molecular mechanism of secretion and membrane fusion in cells. Studies reveal that membrane‐bound secretory vesicles dock and fuse at porosomes, which are specialized plasma membrane structures. Swelling of secretory vesicles result in a build‐up of intravesicular pressure, which allows expulsion of vesicular contents. The discovery of the porosome, its isolation, its structure and dynamics at nm resolution and in real time, its biochemical composition and functional reconstitution, are discussed. The molecular mechanism of secretory vesicle fusion at the base of porosomes, and vesicle swelling, have been resolved. With these findings a new understanding of cell secretion has emerged and confirmed by a number of laboratories.
Dream Interpretation: A New Approach

author gives numerous examples from Adler's writings and from her own experience to illustrate the ramification of the Adlerian viewpoint. The chapter on the inferiority complex reminds us of Adler's remark, "to be a human being means to feel oneself inferior". It is obvious in babyhood and childhood. In Adler's opinion, the inferiority complex develops from three sources, organ inferiority, spoiling and neglect. Adler's personal life style is reviewed, and this discussion illustrates the striving to overcome inferiorities from which stem his eventual success. Whilst Hertha Orgler has written her own autobiography interwoven with the Adler biography, it does not detract from the main theme. Adler is revealed as a warm-hearted psychiatrist with an intuitive understanding of interpersonal problems and social responsibilities. Viewed in this light, the book has a value for medical students and practitioners. The text is written in simple terms understandable to a layman. The concluding chapter, on how an " incurable" burglar was cured, is entirely new material, cited as an example of success in therapy by Adler. It reveals his slant on criminology. The roots are in the" life style". An inferiority complex is involved. The key to treatment is an understanding of the individual. Whilst the critical reader will realize that one case history is not conclusive, this autobiography of a burglar viewed in its context warrants an epitaph, "Well done ".
Normative Passing in the Lesbian Community

Abstract For the lesbian community, “passing” behaviors once accepted as necessary, protective and resilient have been receiving less support. This study explores the context for “passing” behaviors and challenges the negative assumptions currently associated with it, asking whether passing is viewed as normative or as an indication of unresolved identity. A sample of 40 adult, white study participants were interviewed about their identity management strategies and the contexts in which they used them. All had “passed” at some time in their lives, and the overwhelming majority (73%) viewed passing as perfectly understandable in specific circumstances in our heterosexist, homophobic society. Implications of the findings for social work practice are discussed.
The Effects of Systemic Phenylephrine and Epinephrine on Pedicle Artery and Microvascular Perfusion in a Pig Model of Myoadipocutaneous Rotational Flaps

Background: Anesthesiologists and reconstructive surgeons have differing views regarding the control of rotational flap perfusion. Anesthesiologists view the entire body as having flow that is dependent on systemic perfusion pressure, whereas plastic surgeons conjure that systemic administration of vasoactive agents causes vasoconstriction of the pedicle artery and the microvasculature. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of systemically administered phenylephrine and epinephrine on rotational myocutaneous flap perfusion. Methods: After institutional animal care and use committee approval, seven vertical rectus abdominal myocutaneous (VRAM) flaps were created in six pigs. Under 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration isoflurane anesthesia, pedicle artery blood flow (transit time flow probe) and microvascular perfusion (laser Doppler flow probe) were recorded at baseline and after achieving steady hemodynamics with the systemic intravenous administration of phenylephrine (20, 40, and 80 &mgr;g/minute) and epinephrine (0.5, 1, and 2 &mgr;g/kg/minute). Results: Under stable physiologic conditions, phenylephrine consistently decreased the pedicle artery blood flow and the microvascular perfusion of porcine VRAM rotational flaps, whereas epinephrine consistently increased both flows across the entire dose range studied. Furthermore, epinephrine-induced increases in cardiac output correlated well with the observed increases in pedicle artery blood flow and microvascular perfusion. Conclusions: With the systemic delivery of phenylephrine, rotational myocutaneous flaps react in a manner described by the surgeon. In contrast, the anesthesiologist’s model of the hemodynamics is correct for low to moderate doses of epinephrine. Therefore, epinephrine may be the vasoactive agent of choice for treating perioperative hypotension without harming the rotational flap blood flow.