Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Protective effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide on immunological liver injury induced by concanavalin A in mice].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide on immunological liver injury induced by concanavalin A (ConA). METHODS Sixty NIH mice were randomly divided into 6 groups as normal group, model group, biphenyl group, Angelica sinensis polysaccharide high does group, Angelica sinensis polysaccharide middle dose group and Angelica sinensis polysaccharide low dose group. Immunological liver injury in mice was induced by ConA (20 mg/kg) by injection via tail vein, the control group received saline alone. In the treatment groups, each group was administrated via gavage daily. The control group was given equal volume of saline. Liver index, thymus index and spleen index, contents of serum ALT, AST, TB and NO in serum and TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, ITN-gamma in liver homogenate were measured. RESULTS Angelica sinensis polysaccharide remarkably increased the levels of liver index, thymus index and spleen index, decreased the contents ALT, AST, TB and NO levels in serum, and TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, ITN-gamma in liver homogenate (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Angelica simesis polysaccharide haride can obviously protect immunological injury liver in mice and between the dose range of 30-120 mg/kg in a dose-dependent manner. Its mechanism may be relate to inhibiting T lymphocyte activity and ITN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, NO release.
Structure and stress in the phonology of Russian

This thesis investigates the interaction between phonology and morphology in the stress system of Russian. Russian has an accent-based stress system, in which morphemes are characterized by two accentual properties: [+accented, ±dominant]. Dominant morphemes trigger deaccentuation of the stem to which they attach. Words surface with one stress, regardless of whether they contain zero or several lexically accented morphemes. I show that the stress rule in Russian applies cyclically, assigning stress to the leftmost accented vowel, Words with accented roots have stress fixed on the root. In the inflectional paradigm of words with unaccented roots, stress alternates between the initial and final vowels, depending on the accentual property of the inflectional suffix. I refer to this as mobile stress. In Chapter One I observe an important correlation between stress and the derivational status of words. The generalization is the following: mobile stress occurs only in nonderived words or words derived from a nonsyllabic derivational suffix. To account for this fact, I show that it is crucial to assume not only that the stress rule is cyclic, but that all suffixes are cyclic. My analysis poses a challenge to theories which argue that morphemes which delete previously assigned metrical structure are necessarily cyclic while those which preserve previously assigned structure are noncyclic. I adopt the framework of autosegmental phonology, whereby segmental, syllabification, and metrical processes operate on independent planes linked to a series of timing slots. Since vowels are the only stressable elements in Russian, they are the only elements represented on the
A keratinocytes–melanocytes coculture system for the evaluation of active ingredients' effects on UV‐induced melanogenesis

A new experimental design, more reliable for in vitro testing of active ingredients' effect on ultraviolet (UV)‐induced melanogenesis has been carried out. It uses a bicompartmental coculture system where cell communication between keratinocytes and melanocytes can take place. Thus, this experimental situation enables to monitor the effect of biological agents released by both cell types on melanogenesis and the interference of tested compounds with this ‘paracrine linkage’. Experiments with UVB‐irradiated cocultures show the importance of cell communication in the melanogenic response. In this model, the endogenous mediator, nitric oxide (NO), increased melanin production. Different compounds were tested in the coculture system, and comparison with data obtained from irradiated monocultures of melanocytes enables to distinguish a specific effect on cell communication. In addition, this more close‐to‐reality experimental model proved to provide a valuable first approach for the assessment of the ‘bioavailability’ of the tested substances. Finally, the effect of an innovative photoprotective agent capable of ‘boosting’ UV‐induced melanogenic cell communication is presented.
Toxicity of industrial wastewater treated by Fenton's reagent

Toxicity of four types of industrial wastewater, treated by Fenton’s reagent, was analyzed. Toxicity was measured using bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri NRRL B-11177. Application of Fenton’s reagent was a efficient method for treatment of this wastewater. Nevertheless, high efficiency of organic components degradation was not always followed by reduction of toxicity to a very low level. In all cases, in order to achieve total reduction of toxicity, it was necessary to increase both the H2O2 dose and reaction time. It was concluded that optimization of Fenton’s reaction should be performed assuming toxicity changes in the examined wastewater. Reduction in toxicity should be a critical measure of the success of this method. Such an approach should be general practice in relation to all hazardous industrial wastewater.
Dyslexia and learning style: a note of caution

In a recent issue of BJSE, Sioned Exley published the outcomes of her school-based research into effective teaching strategies for students with dyslexia ‘based on their preferred learning styles’. She reported improvements in performance and attainment in spelling and recommended a more wide-scale adoption of approaches focused on learning styles. In this article, Tilly Mortimore, author of a recent book on dyslexia and learning style, and lecturer in inclusion at the University of Southampton, argues for caution. She suggests that practitioners need to look more closely into recent research into learning style and dyslexia before committing themselves to dramatic shifts in their ways of working. She presents here a review of the research context for learning styles and some reflections on Exley's selection of a research focus. While welcoming practitioner research, Tilly Mortimore suggests ways in which the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of small-scale enquiries could be strengthened in order to increase their impact upon policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Cell counting based on local intensity maxima grouping for in-situ microscopy

In this contribution, a new algorithm to estimate the cell count from an intensity image of Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cells captured by an in-situ microscope is proposed. Given that the local intensity maxima inside a cell share similar location and intensity values, it is proposed to find all the intensity maxima inside each cell cluster present in the image, and then group those who share similar location and intensity values. The total number of cells present in an image is estimated as the sum of the number of groups found in each cluster. The experimental results show that the average cell count improved by 79%, and that the average image processing time improved by 42%.
A Nanorobotics-The Changing Face of Dentistry

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on the molecular and atomic levels. It has the potential to bring enormous changes into the fields of medicine and dentistry. A day may soon come when nanodentistry will succeed in maintaining near-perfect oral health through the aid of nanorobotics, nanomaterials and biotechnology. However, as with all developments, it may also pose a risk for misuse. Time, economical and technical resources, and human needs will determine the direction this revolutionizing development may take. This article reviews the current status and the potential clinical applications of nanotechnology, nanaomedicine
[Judgment of fitness for work in employees with a history of malignant neoplastic disease and exposed to ionizing radiations: evaluation criteria and their application in a case-series study].

INTRODUCTION The increase in working age has many epidemiological consequences, one of which is an increased incidence of neoplastic diseases among the working population. Therefore it is more frequent than in the past that the Approved Physician ("Autorizzato" according to Italian legislation) have to judge working fitness in employees suffering from cancer and at the same time exposed to ionizing sources. AIMS In this study we give suggestions for the decision if a worker, who have previously suffered from malignant tumors, is ready to go or not to go back to work. METHODS Though we believe in the preventive theory of the linear correlation without threshold for stochastic effects ("Linear No Threshold" LNT), we considered data from the literature that highlight how very low doses of radiation exposure do not increase the risk of stochastic effects and how the potential occupational exposure to low doses does not introduce a significant additional risk of cancer in subjects with a history of malignant tumor. RESULTS We identify "objective" elements of judgment related to the neoplastic disease of the worker and his activity, but we emphasize the importance of the psychological condition of the worker, as well as his professional interest and his career opportunities. CONCLUSIONS The criteria we recommend were applied to a group of workers suffering from cancer and with different working activities at risk of exposure to ionizing radiations. The evaluation process is a first rational approach to the assessment of their suitability in worker suffering from neoplastic disease, with the need for custom handling for each individual.
Measurement of water in rhyolitic glasses; calibration of an infrared spectroscopic technique

A series of natural rhyolitic obsidians were analyzed for their total water contents by a vacuum extraction technique. The grain size of the crushed samples can significantly affect these analyses. Coarse powders must be used in order to avoid surface-correlated water. These analyses were used to calibrate infrared spectroscopic measurements of water in glass using several infrared and near-infrared absorption bands. We demonstrate that infrared spectroscopy can yield precise determinations of not only total dissolved water contents, but also the concentrations of individual H-bearing species in natural and synthetic rhyolitic glasses on spots as small as a few tens of micrometers in diameter.
Gemcitabine and cisplatin as induction regimen for patients with biopsy-proven stage IIIA N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase II study of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Cooperative Group (EORTC 08955).

PURPOSE Our objective was to better define the activity/feasibility of gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC) as induction chemotherapy in patients with stage IIIA N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) followed by surgery or radiotherapy within a large, ongoing comparative study (EORTC 08941). PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-seven chemotherapy-naive patients with NSCLC, median age of 58 years, stage IIIA N2 disease, World Health Organization performance status of 0 or 1, and the ability to tolerate a pneumonectomy received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15 and cisplatin 100 mg/m(2) on day 2, every 4 weeks. Patients received induction chemotherapy (three cycles) before re-evaluation and randomization to surgery or radiotherapy. RESULTS Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia, the main hematologic toxicity, occurred in 60% of patients but was not associated with bleeding. Full-dose gemcitabine was given in 48% of the courses. Severe nonhematologic toxicity was uncommon. Two patients with preexisting, autoimmune pulmonary fibrosis had deterioration of pulmonary function after radiotherapy. Thirty-three (70.2%; 95% confidence interval, 55.1% to 82.7%) of the 47 eligible patients had objective responses (three complete responses and 30 partial responses). Mediastinal nodes were tumor-free after induction therapy in 53% of cases. Resections were considered complete in 71% of the patients who underwent thoracotomy after induction therapy. Median survival for all recruited patients (N = 53) was 18.9 months, with an estimated 1-year survival rate of 69%. CONCLUSION In patients with N2 stage IIIA NSCLC, GC is a highly active and well-tolerated induction regimen. GC should be explored in combination with surgery or radiotherapy in stage I and II patients.
Increased mRNA levels for components of the lysosomal, Ca2+-activated, and ATP-ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathways in skeletal muscle from head trauma patients.

The cellular mechanisms responsible for enhanced muscle protein breakdown in hospitalized patients, which frequently results in lean body wasting, are unknown. To determine whether the lysosomal, Ca2+-activated, and ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathways are activated, we measured mRNA levels for components of these processes in muscle biopsies from severe head trauma patients. These patients exhibited negative nitrogen balance and increased rates of whole-body protein breakdown (assessed by [13C]leucine infusion) and of myofibrillar protein breakdown (assessed by 3-methylhistidine urinary excretion). Increased muscle mRNA levels for cathepsin D, m-calpain, and critical components of the ubiquitin proteolytic pathway (i.e., ubiquitin, the 14-kDa ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, and proteasome subunits) paralleled these metabolic adaptations. The data clearly support a role for multiple proteolytic processes in increased muscle proteolysis. The ubiquitin proteolytic pathway could be activated by altered glucocorticoid production and/or increased circulating levels of interleukin 1beta and interleukin 6 observed in head trauma patients and account for the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins, as was recently reported in animal studies.
Pendidikan Karakter: Konsep dan Aktualisasinya dalam Sistem Pendidikan Islam

Islam highly emphasizes character that becomes the substance of the religi on. The character used as the basis of the education system in Islam. Character education is an attempt to make influence the soul of the students to inculcate morals, to shape the human personality and virtuous in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Character education becomes essential for life. Characters are formed by at least covers: religious, honest, tolerant, disciplined, hard-working, creative, independent spirit of nationalism, patriotism, recognize excellence, friendship/communicative, love peace, love reading, environmental care, social care and responsibility. These values are a form of social piety which must be actualized in the education system so that they can ward off the crisis and stem the multidimensional towards the formation of personal morality. The characters must be actualized in the education system so as to form a virtuous man. Abstrak Islam sangat mengedepankan karakter sehingga menjadi substansi ajaran agamanya. Karakter dijadikan dasar sistem pendidikan dalam Islam. Pendidikan karakter merupakan usaha mempengaruhi jiwa anak didik untuk menanamkan akhlak sehingga terbentuklah manusia yang berkepribadian dan berbudi luhur sesuai dengan ajaran Islam. Pendidikan karakter menjadi penting bagi kehidupan. Karakter yang dibentuk minimal mencakup: religius, jujur,toleran, disiplin, kerja keras, kreatif, mandiri, Semangat kebangsaan, cinta tanah air, menghargai Prestasi, bersahabat/komunikatif, cinta damai, gemar membaca, peduli lingkungan, peduli sosial dan tanggung jawab. Nilai-nilai ini merupakan bentuk kesalehan sosial yang harus diaktualisasikan dalam sistem pendidikan sehingga mampu menepis dan membendung krisis multidimensi menuju terbentuknya pribadi yang berakhlak mulia. Karakter harus diaktualisasikan dalam sistem pendidikan sehingga terbentuk manusia yang berbudi luhur.
A model for steady-state photoconductivity in amorphous selenium

The photoconductivity of amorphous selenium varies linearly with light intensity. This result cannot be interpreted by the classical mechanism of electron-hole pair generation followed by recombination through gap states. We assume that the incident photons create photoinduced defects whose structure is IVAP-like. The optical of thermal excitation of those defects yields the photoconductivity. In this model, the theoretical photocurrent is proportional to light intensity as observed Proposition d'un modele pour expliquer la variation lineaire de la photoconductivite avec l'intensite lumineuse: les photons incidents produisent des defauts de structure semblable aux paires proches a valence alternee, et l'excitation optique ou thermique de ces defauts provoque la photoconductivite
SPLICE: Fully Tractable Hierarchical Extension of ICA with Pooling

We present a novel probabilistic framework for a hierarchical extension of independent component analysis (ICA), with a particular motivation in neuroscientific data analysis and modeling. The framework incorporates a general subspace pooling with linear ICA-like layers stacked recursively. Unlike related previous models, our generative model is fully tractable: both the likelihood and the posterior estimates of latent variables can readily be computed with analytically simple formulae. The model is particularly simple in the case of complex-valued data since the pooling can be reduced to taking the modulus of complex numbers. Experiments on electroencephalography (EEG) and natural images demonstrate the validity of the method.
The Value of Cell Proliferation and Angiogenesis in the Prognostic Assessment of Ovarian Granulosa cell Tumors

Objectives Most cases of granulosa cell tumors (GCT) of the ovary are characterized by a relatively good outcome. However, some tumors behave aggressively and some tend to recur many years after the initial diagnosis. Tumor growth depends on cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Thus, proliferative indices and microvessel density were studied to determine possible valuable methods to assess the GCT patient's outcome. Methods and study design Paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were available for 60 patients with primary GCT and were investigated by immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies against PCNA, Ki-67 and factor VIII-related antigen. The follow-up was available for 51 patients and ranged from 25 to 206 months. A clinical follow-up distribution of patients was made: 8 patients with recurrence (group I); 6 patients who lived with no evidence of recurrence for 100 months or more (group II), and 37 patients alive with no evidence of recurrence in the follow-up period of less than 100 months (group III). Results There was a statistical correlation between PCNA and Ki-67 proliferative indices. A significant increase (P «0.05) of mean PCNA and Ki-67 proliferative indices and mean tumor size was seen in patients of Group I compared to those of Group II. The mean PCNA proliferative index positively correlated with the mean Ki-67 proliferative index for Groups I and II. Mean microvessel density showed a positive correlation with mean PCNA and Ki-67 proliferative indices and with mean tumor size for Group I, whereas it was negatively correlated with PCNA proliferative index and tumor size for Group II. A positive correlation was found between mean mitotic count and both proliferative indices only for Group II. The following features were indicative of a relatively poor prognosis: GCT measuring >9 cm in diameter, PCNA >4.0%, Ki-67 >1.2%, and diffuse, insular and sarcomatoid histologic patterns. Conclusions The findings support the importance of proliferative factors, tumor size and histologic patterns as possible prognostic indicators for estimating the biologic behavior of patients with GCT. Unfortunately, angiogenesis did not seem to be a useful determinant parameter of a possible aggressive behavior. However, a longer follow-up period with larger series may be required to assess the value of the parameters in prediction of patient survival.
Short-term balance training with computer-based feedback in children with cerebral palsy: A feasibility and pilot randomized trial

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the feasibility of using short-term balance training with computer-based visual feedback (BTVF) and its effect on standing balance in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP). Methods: Out of the fourteen children with BSCP (mean age = 10.31 years), seven children received four sessions of BTVF (two such sessions/day, each session = 15 min) in comparison to the control group that received standard care. Feasibility was measured as percentages of recruitment, retention and safety and balance was measured using a posturography machine as sway velocity (m/s) and velocity moment (m/s2) during quiet standing. Results: No serious adverse events occurred in either group. There were no differences in the retention percentages and in any clinical outcome measure between both groups. Conclusion: Use of BTVF is feasible in children with BSCP but further investigation is required to estimate a dose–effect relationship.
Family Businesses: The Extensiveness of Succession Problems and Possible Solutions

Family businesses are an important group of enterprises within the small and medium-sized (SME) sector; many of the world’s large enterprises are also family businesses. Although no statistics are complete enough to map the presence of family businesses throughout the world, many studies conducted in different countries have confirmed the weight these businesses carry in national economies (Astrachan & Shanker, 2003; IFERA, 2003; Mandl, 2008). In the past, family businesses were often perceived to be the weakest type of enterprises; if they were successful, it was concluded that such success was despite their family character (Mandl, 2008, 7). Nowadays, family businesses are gaining in importance in public and policy discussions, which is especially true for the European Union (EU). The most recent proof of the acknowledged important role of family businesses for the employment growth and economic prosperity of the EU economy is the Small Business Act (2008), in which special attention is given to family-owned enterprises and the issue of business succession (first principle of the Small Business Act).
WOMEN AND HEART TRANSPLANTATION: AN ISSUE OF GENDER EQUITY?

Heart transplantation (HT) is increasingly commonplace in countries with advanced health care systems. A review of the family and HT literature points to a gender inequity in the field: Men are more likely to be heart transplant recipients; women are more likely to contribute as their caregivers. In this critique, we argue that there are not only physiological but also social and economic issues that contribute to inequitable access to HT for women. Further, we point out that another invisible inequity in the heart transplant field is the lack of acknowledgment of, and support for, women whose contributions as family caregivers to the heart transplant process often ensure the success of heart transplant procedures. The authors call for recognition of these inequities and the development of policies that have the potential to ensure that women have equitable access to cardiovascular care in general and HT in particular, and that woman are recognized for, and supported in, their role as caregivers.