Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selenazolinium Salts as “Small Molecule Catalysts” with High Potency against ESKAPE Bacterial Pathogens

In view of the pressing need to identify new antibacterial agents able to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, we investigated a series of fused selenazolinium derivatives (1–8) regarding their in vitro antimicrobial activities against 25 ESKAPE-pathogen strains. Ebselen was used as reference compound. Most of the selenocompounds demonstrated an excellent in vitro activity against all S. aureus strains, with activities comparable to or even exceeding the one of ebselen. In contrast to ebselen, some selenazolinium derivatives (1, 3, and 7) even displayed significant actions against all Gram-negative pathogens tested. The 3-bromo-2-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)[1,2]selenazolo[2,3-a]pyridinium chloride (1) was particularly active (minimum inhibitory concentrations, MICs: 0.31–1.24 µg/mL for MRSA, and 0.31–2.48 µg/mL for Gram-negative bacteria) and devoid of any significant mutagenicity in the Ames assay. Our preliminary mechanistic studies in cell culture indicated that their mode of action is likely to be associated with an alteration of intracellular levels of glutathione and cysteine thiols of different proteins in the bacterial cells, hence supporting the idea that such compounds interact with the intracellular thiolstat. This alteration of pivotal cysteine residues is most likely the result of a direct or catalytic oxidative modification of such residues by the highly reactive selenium species (RSeS) employed.
The Content of News Photos: Women's and Men's Roles

b Stung by charges of sexism,' some editors are beginning to revise their formulas for photo coverage of women. Increasingly aware that women occupy roles other than those of beauty queen, socialite and bride, these editors appear to be making genuine efforts to redefine the concept of newsworthiness, and portray women in a broader range of roles.2 But how extensive is this range? Several recent analyses of mass media portrayals of female and male roles suggest that U.S. TV content is dominated by male characters, and that television and other media assign women primarily to the roles of housewife, advice taker and kitchen-bathroom authority figure. ' However, these studies have been confined to the range of roles presented in entertainment. None has examined the range of roles in news. Morris focused on the role of women as activist, comparing coverage of the women's liberation movement in two US. and 12 British newspapers with the actual occurrence of events. She found that all newspapers tended to underreport women's rights activities.4 The pres-
Arginine Esterase in Cystic Fibrosis of the Pancreas

Extract: Arginine esterase activity in chloroform-ellagic acid-treated plasma from 11 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and 12 age-matched control subjects has been resolved into its component fractions by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex and electrofocusing on polyacrylamide gels. The activity can be resolved into two fractions by chromatography, one of which is inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) and the other of which is not inhibited by STI. In plasma of CF patients, the fraction of activity inhibited by STI is reduced to approximately 30% of the corresponding fraction in control plasma. In contrast, the fraction of activity resistant to inhibition by STI did not show any significant quantitative differences between control and CF plasma samples.Analysis of the plasma samples by electrofocusing on 5% polyacrylamide gels in the range of pH 5.0–8.0 and subsequent staining for arginine esterase activity showed qualitative differences between control and CF plasma samples. Six activity bands could be detected in control samples, whereas five bands were detected in CF samples. Eight samples had one type of band missing, two had another type of band missing, and one had yet another type of band missing. All of these bands were restricted to a narrow pH zone in the center of the gel.These data are consistent with and extend our earlier reports of differences in arginine esterase activity between plasma samples of CF patients and control subjects. The demonstration of the absence of a single band of arginine esterase activity is consistent with the absence of a specific arginine esterase isoenzyme in patients with CF.Speculation: The deficiency of arginine esterase in patients with cystic fibrosis may account for the presence of “factors” in saliva, plasma, and fibroblasts of these patients and consequently for the clinical manifestations of the disease.
Antimicrobial and Phytochemical Screening of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Spikes of Pinusroxburghii

A total seventeen endophytic fungi isolated from spikes of the Pinus roxburghii from Pauri, Garhwal region of Uttrakhand. Among seventeen endophytic fungi, only four distinct fungal morphotype were cultured to examine their antimicrobial properties and phytochemical analysis. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated for crude ethyl acetate extracts against pathogenic microorganism such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Candida albicans, Rhizoctonia solani, Cladosporium herbarum using an agar diffusion assay. The fungal crude extract did not show any activity against fungal pathogen such as R. solani, C. herbarum. A preliminary qualitative phytochemical analysis of fungal crude extracts revealed the presence of constituents such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids in endophytic fungi. Secondary phytochemical screening was also conducted on the fungal extract using standard quantitative procedures that revealed the presence of phenols and flavonoids. In which crude extract of Penicillium frequentans showed maximum flavonoid and phenol content. Total phenolic and flavonoid content for P. frequentans was 288.34 (mg/g) and 17.48 (mg/g) respectively. This finding shows that Penicillium frequentans isolated from Pinus roxburghii could be an alternative source for producing antimicrobial agents. The generated data has provided the basis for its application in pharmaceutical industry in the form of traditional and folk medicine.
Peer tutoring in higher education

ABSTRACT Peer tutoring between students involves more advanced learners helping less advanced learners with their studies. The present paper argues that a number of recent developments and initiatives within higher education offer much encouragement to the establishment of peer tutoring systems within colleges. One particular institution, Nottingham Polytechnic, has explored such activity over the past 5 years. The findings are reviewed and a critique is offered of this valuable initiative.
A systematic approach to modeling impedances and current distribution in planar magnetics

Planar magnetic components using printed-circuit-board windings are attractive due to their high repeatability, good thermal performance and usefulness for realizing intricate winding patterns. To enable higher system integration at high switching frequency, more sophisticated methods that can rapidly and accurately model planar magnetics are needed. This paper develops a lumped circuit model that captures the impact of skin and proximity effects on current distribution and electromagnetic fields in planar magnetics. This enables accurate predictions of impedances, losses, stored reactive energy and current sharing among parallel windings. This lumped model is also a circuit domain representation of electromagnetic interactions. It can be used to simulate circuits incorporating planar magnetics, to visualize the electromagnetic fields, and to extract parameters for magnetic models by simulations. The modeling results match with previous theories and finite-element-modeling results. A group of planar magnetic devices, including transformers and inductors with various winding patterns, are prototyped and measured to validate the proposed approach.
Falling Behind: How Rising Inequality Harms the Middle Class

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Recent Changes in Income and Wealth Inequality 3. Inequality, Happiness, and Health 4. Envy or Context? 5. The Rising Cost of Adequate 6. Why Do We Care about Rank? 7. What Types of Consumption Are Most Sensitive to Context? 8. How Can Middle-Class Families Afford to Keep Up? 9. Smart for One, Dumb for All 10. Looking Ahead 11. Lessons for Public Policy 12. Reflections Notes References Index
A study of the effects of participation in a course to support the teaching of Geography in the primary school

Abstract This article is based upon an investigation into a course which aimed to improve primary teachers' knowledge and understanding of geography. The course has been in action for four years, initially as a 20-day course, but more recently as a 10-day course. Rather than focus on one cohort of course members, all the participants were contacted either through a questionnaire or an interview and school visit. The evidence suggests that the course contributed to the improvement of geography in course members' schools and the effects were sustained over time. There was also evidence of the effects in other areas of the curriculum and for whole school planning. This is significant as it appears the primary curriculum is being progressively narrowed to focus on Literacy and Numeracy. The evidence presented here suggests that a broad balanced curriculum, which includes geography, is fundamentally important for the citizens of the future. There is also evidence of the most effective way of organizing teacher.
Current targeted therapies in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer: a review

Treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients have undergone dramatic changes in the past decade and despite improved patient outcomes, there still exist areas for continued development. The introduction of targeted agents has provided clinicians with additional treatment options in mCRC, however, results have been mixed at best. These novel therapies were designed to interfere with specific molecules involved in the cellular carcinogenesis pathway and ultimately deliver a more focused treatment. Currently, their use in mCRC has been limited primarily as an adjunct to conventional chemotherapy regimens. This review explores the relevant cell-signaling networks in colorectal cancer, provides focus on the current targeted agent armamentarium approved for use in mCRC and explores the usefulness of predictive mCRC biomarkers.
nMIBAS: A Novel Multi-Receiver ID-Based Anonymous Signcryption with Decryption Fairness

Based on the ring signature technology, the multi-receiver ID-based anonymous signcryption (MIBAS) is proposed, and its goal is to protect the privacy of the sender or so-called signer. In an MIBAS scheme, every receiver can verify whether the sender is a member of a trusted group and thus ensure the reliability of the message source, but he could not get the real sender. However, MIBAS paid no attention to privacy of the receivers and has not taken the privacy of the receivers into account during its design. Our analyses show that there widely exist the receiver privacy exposure and decryption unfairness problems in the existing multi-receiver ID-based signcryption schemes. Motivated by these concerns, a new multi-receiver ID-based anonymous signcryption (nMIBAS) is proposed to protect the identity of the receivers. The nMIBAS scheme can not only solve the problem that the existing schemes cannot protect the privacy of receivers, but also meet the fairness of decryption to prevent the possible cheating behavior of the sender effectively. Analysis shows that this scheme is a secure and effective signcryption scheme.
MEASUREMENTS BY DNA RENATURATION OF THE GENETIC BASIS OF PARASITIC REDUCTION

It has been suggested that parasitic organisms have a simpler genome than their free-living counterparts. Measurements by reciprocal DNA hybridizations in vitro have shown that the parasitic plant Cuscuta californica has a smaller genome than several closely related autotrophic plants (Searcy, 1970). These studies have the shortcoming of detecting only the hybridization of the highly repetitive sequences of DNA; the non-repetitive sequences react too slowly to hybridize significantly under the conditions used (Melli and Bishop, 1969; Britten and Kohne, 1968). The size of the genome may also be determined by DNA renaturation. Denatured DNA fragments can be made to renature in vitro, forming a specifically base-paired structure as in native DNA (Marmur and Doty, 1961). As predicted theoretically, and as confirmed empirically, the rate of renaturation is inversely related to the molecular weight of the entire DNA molecule of phages and bacteria (Marmur and Doty, 1961; Bolton et al., 1965; Britten and Kohne, 1968; Wetmur and Davidson, 1968). The DNA of higher organisms renatures faster than would be predicted from the haploid complement of DNA because of the presence of highly repetitive DNA sequences (Waring and Britten, 1966; Britten and Kohne, 1968). However, the rate of renaturation of the slowest reacting components can be used to measure the "kinetic complexity" of an organism, which is a measure of the total number of different sequences in the DNA of an organism (Wetmur and Davidson, 1968).
Transcription factor B cell lineage-specific activator protein regulates the gene for human X-box binding protein 1

The transcription factor human X-box binding protein 1 (hXBP-1) is a basic region-leucine zipper protein implicated in the regulation of major histocompatibility complex class II gene expression as well as in exocrine gland and skeletal development. Multiple regulatory elements in the hXBP-1 promoter lie 3' to the transcription start site, including the hX2 site, whose core sequence is an AP-1-like element identical to the hXBP-1 target sequence in the HLA-DRA promoter. One complex identified by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), complex 3, was previously shown to protect the hX2 site and more 3' bases. Sequence analysis now shows that this region contains a consensus binding site for transcription factor BSAP (B cell lineage- specific activator protein). Complex 3 and BSAP have identical cell- type specificities, as they are found only in pre-B and mature B cell lines. In EMSAs, BSAP antibody specifically recognized complex 3, and in vitro translated BSAP could bind to an hXBP promoter fragment. Cotransfections using an hXBP-1 reporter construct indicated that BSAP downregulates the hXBP-1 promoter. The highest levels of hXBP-1 mRNA were found when BSAP was not expressed, in pre-Pro-B cells and in plasma cell lines. In addition, hXBP-1 and BSAP levels were inversely correlated along the early stages of B cell development. In the regulation of the hXBP-1 promoter, a strong positive transcriptional influence at the hX2 site is opposed by the downregulatory actions of BSAP.
Glycemic variability: Clinical implications

Glycemic control and its benefits in preventing microvascular diabetic complications are convincingly proved by various prospective trials. Diabetes control and complications trial (DCCT) had reported variable glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) as a cause of increased microvascular complications in conventional glycemic control group versus intensive one. However, in spite of several indirect evidences, its link with cardiovascular events or macrovascular complications is still not proved. Glycemic variability (GV) is one more tool to explain relation between hyperglycemia and increased cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients. In fact GV along with fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, HbA1C, and quality of life has been proposed to form glycemic pentad, which needs to be considered in diabetes management. Postprandial spikes in blood glucose as well as hypoglycemic events, both are blamed for increased cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetics. GV includes both these events and hence minimizing GV can prevent future cardiovascular events. Modern diabetes management modalities including improved sulfonylureas, glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based therapy, newer basal insulins, and modern insulin pumps address the issue of GV effectively. This article highlights mechanism, clinical implications, and measures to control GV in clinical practice.
Meaningfulness and Hedonic Value of Paintings: Effects of Titles

The effects of presenting titles along with abstract and semi-abstract paintings was examined in two experiments. In the first, subjects rated twenty paintings for meaningfulness, pleasingness, interestingness, abstractness or complexity, in a between-subjects design, and either with or without titles. The titles increased rated meaningfulness and decreased rated abstractness but had no effect upon pleasingness (hedonic value) and the other measures. In the second experiment, it was shown that only the paintings' actual titles, and not bogus ones, increased their meaningfulness. The results are discussed in terms of the notion that titles are an aid to meaningful interpretation of paintings. The finding that titles increased meaningfulness but did not affect hedonic value is inconsistent with the theory that the hedonic value of paintings is linked to cognitive processes associated with the interpretation of their meaning.
Cancer incidence in a population-based cohort of patients hospitalized with diabetes mellitus in Denmark.

BACKGROUND Diabetes has been associated with an increased risk of several cancers, notably cancers of the pancreas, liver, endometrium, and kidney. Since most previous studies have involved a limited sample size or focused on specific cancer sites, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the risk of cancer in a nationwide cohort of diabetics in Denmark. METHODS Discharge records of 109581 individuals hospitalized with a diagnosis of diabetes from 1977 through 1989 were linked with national cancer registry records through 1993. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for specific cancer sites. RESULTS The SIRs for primary liver cancer were 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.5-4.6) in males and 2.1 (95% CI = 1.6-2.7) in females. These SIRs remained elevated with increasing years of follow-up and after exclusion of patients with reported risk factors (e.g., cirrhosis and hepatitis) or patients whose cancers were diagnosed at autopsy. Kidney cancer risk was also elevated, with SIRs of 1.4 (95% CI = 1.2-1.6) in males and 1.7 (95% CI = 1.4-1.9) in females. For both sexes combined, the SIR for pancreatic cancer was 2.1 (95% CI = 1.9-2.4), with a follow-up time of 1-4 years; this SIR declined to 1.3 (95% CI = 1.1-1.6) after 5-9 years of follow-up. Excess risks were also observed for biliary tract and endometrial cancers. The SIRs for kidney and endometrial cancers declined somewhat after exclusion of diabetics with reported obesity. CONCLUSIONS Patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of diabetes appear to be at higher risk of developing cancers of the liver, biliary tract, pancreas, endometrium, and kidney. The elevated risks of endometrial and kidney cancers, however, may be confounded by obesity.
Glucocorticoid receptor regulation of action selection and prefrontal cortical dendritic spines

We recently reported that prolonged exposure to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand corticosterone impairs decision-making that is dependent on the predictive relationship between an action and its outcome (Gourley et al.; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012). Additionally, acute GR blockade, when paired with action-outcome conditioning, also blocks new learning. We then showed that dendritic spines in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex remodeled under both conditions. Nonetheless, the relationship between deep-layer dendritic spines and outcome-based decision-making remains opaque. We report here that a history of prolonged corticosterone exposure increases dendritic spine density in deep-layer prelimbic cortex. When spines are imaged simultaneously with corticosteroid exposure (i.e., without a washout period), dendritic spine densities are, however, reduced. Thus, the morphological response of deep-layer prelimbic cortical neurons to prolonged corticosteroid exposure may be quite dynamic, with spine elimination during a period of chronic exposure and spine proliferation during a subsequent washout period. We provide evidence, using a Rho-kinase inhibitor, that GR-mediated dendritic spine remodeling is causally related to complex decision-making. Finally, we conclude this report with evidence that a history of early-life (adolescent) GR blockade, unlike acute blockade in adulthood, enhances subsequent outcome-based decision-making. Together, our findings suggest that physiological levels of GR binding enable an organism to learn about the predictive relationship between an action and its outcome, but a history of GR blockade may, under some circumstances, also have beneficial consequences.
Nonaqueous Li-air batteries: a status report.

Alan C. Luntz*,† and Bryan D. McCloskey‡,§ †SUNCAT, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States ‡Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
View and scale insensitive action representation and recognition

In this paper a view and scale insensitive action representation VSI-Surf is proposed. Scale invariant shape descriptor R-transform is used to extract compact 1D feature from view insensitive posture representation “Envelop shape” which uses only two orthogonal cameras without accurate calibration. Considering action is a posture sequence, to integrate temporal information, 1D posture feature is then extended in time dimension. Then we get an action representation insensitive to viewpoint and scale, which is called VSI-Surf. Actions recognition is processed in a hierarchical framework, in which body actions and gestures are recognized in different level. Encouraging recognition results have been demonstrated on the multi-view IXMAS action dataset.
The effects of organizational communication on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in a land ambulance service and the mediating role of communication satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide further insight into the relationship between internal communication practices, communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. It is centered in the emergency services sector in general, and on land ambulance services in particular. The focus organization is a large urban land ambulance service with an operating budget of approximately $50 million and 468 employees.Design/methodology/approach – Only paramedics were eligible to participate in the study. In total, 91 (32.5 per cent) of the organization's 280 paramedics participated. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising pre‐existing work‐related psychometric measures. The measures included the Communication Audit Survey, the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Affective Organizational Commitment Scale. Only quantitative data were collected.Findings – The data showed that internal communication practices explai.