Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Inhibitory Efficacy of Methylseleninic Acid Against Colon Cancer Xenografts in C57BL/6 Mice

Data indicate that methylselenol is a critical selenium (Se) metabolite for anticancer activity in vivo. We tested the hypothesis that oral dosing methylseleninic acid (MSeA), a methylselenol precursor, inhibits the growth of colon cancer xenografts in C57BL/6 mice fed a Se adequate diet. In this study, MSeA supplementation was given by an oral dose (0, 1, or 3 mg/kg body weight) regimen. MSeA increased Se content of liver, kidney, muscle, stomach (w/intestine) and plasma, and elevated blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. However, MSeA did not change lean/fat body composition, food consumption, levels of plasma leptin/adiponectin, and body weight gain. MSeA (3 mg/kg body weight) inhibited tumor growth up to 61% when compared to the control group, and this inhibition was associated with a reduction of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNFα)/interleukin 6 (IL6) level but elevated blood GPx activities. In addition, MSeA (1 mg/kg body weight) increased the activation of caspase-3, a major apoptotic enzyme, in tumor tissues. Taken together, our MSeA oral dosing regimen was at safe levels; and high blood GPx activities, caspase-3 activities in tumor tissue and a reduction of plasma TNFα/IL6 level, play critical roles in inhibiting colon tumor growth in an immune-competent C57BL/6 mouse model.
Software Defined Applications in Cellular and Optical Networks

Small wireless cells have the potential to overcome bottlenecks in wireless access through the sharing of spectrum resources. A novel access backhaul network architecture based on a Smart Gateway (Sm-GW) between the small cell base stations, e.g., LTE eNBs, and the conventional backhaul gateways, e.g., LTE Servicing/Packet Gateways (S/P-GWs) has been introduced to address the bottleneck. The Sm-GW flexibly schedules uplink transmissions for the eNBs. Based on software defined networking (SDN) a management mechanism that allows multiple operator to flexibly inter-operate via multiple Sm-GWs with a multitude of small cells has been proposed. This dissertation also comprehensively survey the studies that examine the SDN paradigm in optical networks. Along with the PHY functional split improvements, the performance of Distributed Converged Cable Access Platform (DCCAP) in the cable architectures especially for the Remote-PHY and Remote-MACPHY nodes has been evaluated. In the PHY functional split, in addition to the re-use of infrastructure with a common FFT module for multiple technologies, a novel cross functional split interaction to cache the repetitive QAM symbols across time at the remote node to reduce the transmission rate requirement of the fronthaul link has been proposed.
Cutting Edge: NF-κB-Activating Kinase-Associated Protein 1 Participates in TLR3/Toll-IL-1 Homology Domain-Containing Adapter Molecule-1-Mediated IFN Regulatory Factor 3 Activation1

TLRs signal the presence of microbial patterns and activate transcription factors. In TLR3 and TLR4, the adapter Toll-IL-1R homology domain-containing adapter molecule (TICAM-1) (also called Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β (TRIF)) mediates IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) phosphorylation followed by IFN-β production. The regulatory subunit TNFR-associated factor family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK) couples with the kinase complex IκB kinase-related kinase ε/NF-κB-activating kinase (NAK) (TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)) that involveTICAM-1-dependent IFN-β induction. There are several TANK-homologous proteins. We tested whether TICAM-1 binds and coprecipitates with TANK or its family proteins. The results are: 1) the TANK family protein NAK-associated protein 1 (NAP1), but not TANK, coprecipitates withTICAM-1; 2) NAP1 overexpression markedly enhances TBK1-mediated IFN-β promoter activation; 3) a dominant-negative form, NAP (158–270), suppresses IRF3 activation in response to poly(I:C) or LPS; 4) RNA interference targeting of the NAP1 message results in a failure of poly(I:C)-mediated IRF3 polymerization and IFN-β production. Thus, NAP1 is the kinase subunit responsible for TLR3/4-mediated IFN-β induction in the TICAM-1 pathway.
Artist-driven crowd authoring tools

While crowd simulation frameworks can be very powerful for virtual crowd generation, in a VFX context they can also be unwieldy due to their chaotic nature. Small changes on the inputs can produce markedly different results, which can be problematic when attempting to adhere to a director's vision. Artist driven tools allow much more flexibility when constructing scenes, speed up turn-around time and can produce extremely dynamic crowd shots. To generate virtual crowds, Double Negative VFX (Dneg) has recently transitioned from an in-house standalone simulation-based solution to an artist-driven framework integrated into SideFX's Houdini.
Resource management in cellular communication networks with subscriber profile prediction

In this paper, a dynamic resource management and subscriber profile prediction scheme for mobile communication systems is presented. Using this approach, a high level of QoS for both handoff calls and new calls, and better utilization of wireless network resources has been achieved. The simultaneous satisfaction of these two actually conflicting interests is due to two key features. First, it is due to the subscriber profile predicted using subscriber data. This a priori information about possible handoffs is provided by the mobile terminal and subsequently used for reservation requests. This information is based on the cell transition probabilities calculated by the mobile itself using collected information during past operations. Second, it is due to a two-way approach implemented in the radio resource reservation and new call admission processes. The two-way approach controls both the amount of reservation and the new call admission process in a highly dynamic way, depending on the subscriber mobility and network traffic conditions. Simulation and analytical results are presented and they indicate that proposed approach is superior to techniques previously reported
The Making of American Audiences: From Stage to Television 1750-1990

Acknowledgements Introduction: participative public, passive private? 1. Colonial theater, privileged audiences 2. Drama in early Republican audiences 3. The B'hoys in Jacksonian theaters 4. Knowledge and the decline of audience sovereignty 5. Matinee ladies: re-gendering theater audiences 6. Blackface, whiteface 7. Variety, liquor and lust 8. Vaudeville, incorporated 9. 'Legitimate' and 'illegitimate' theater around the turn of the century 10. The celluloid stage: Nickelodeon audiences 11. Storefronts to theaters: seeking the middle class 12. Voices from the ether: early radio listening 13. Radio cabinets and network chains 14. Rural radio: 'we are seldom lonely anymore' 15. Fears and dreams: public discourses about radio 16. The electronic cyclops: fifties television 17. A TV in every home: television 'effects' 18. Home video: viewer autonomy? 19. Conclusion: from effects to resistance and beyond Appendix: availability, affordability, admission price Notes Selected bibliography Index.
A Needs Assessment of National Hypertension Organizations for Hypertension Prevention and Control Programs

From the Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Departments of Medicine, Community Health Sciences and of Physiology and Pharmacology, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Beijing Hypertension League Institute, Fu Wai Hospital, Beijing, China; World Hypertension League, Clancy, MT; and Department of Medicine, Beijing Hypertension League Institute, Beijing, China
Consensus Building in AHP-Group Decision Making: A Bayesian Approach

This paper examines consensus building in AHP-group decision making from a Bayesian perspective. In accordance with the multicriteria procedural rationality paradigm, the methodology employed in this study permits the automatic identification, in a local context, of “agreement” and “disagreement” zones among the actors involved. This approach is based on the analysis of the pairwise comparison matrices provided by the actors themselves. In addition, the study integrates the attitudes of the actors implicated in the decision-making process and puts forward a number of semiautomatic initiatives for establishing consensus. This information is given to the actors as the first step in the negotiation processes. The knowledge obtained will be incorporated into the system via the learning process developed during the resolution of the problem. The proposed methodology, valid for the analysis of incomplete or imprecise pairwise comparison matrices, is illustrated by an example.
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) lymphadenitis-changing trends and management.

BACKGROUND Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination is performed as a part of expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). Suppurative lymphadenitis is the common complication of BCG vaccination. The optimum treatment for this complication is debated. METHODS All cases of BCG lymphadenitis presenting to pediatric surgical service over a 17-year study period were reviewed to determine the optimum treatment for this problem. RESULTS Sixty children were referred for the management of BCG lymphadenitis during the study period. Most patients (n=43) presented during 1988 and 1990. Children were healthy and received BCG (Pasteur strain) vaccination at EPI during first 2 months of life. Initially all the patients received medical treatment with anti-tuberculous drugs for one to nine months. Fifty-two children who presented with large (approximately 3cm) fluctuant lymph nodes, required a surgical procedure to avoid spontaneous rapture and sinus formation (Group A), whereas medical treatment was effective in five out of eight patients presenting with small (approximately 1 cm) nodes (Group B). CONCLUSIONS Medical treatment with antituberculous drugs is not effective to treat BCG lymphadenitis, when the involved lymph nodes are around 3.0 cm and have developed fluctuation and inflammation of over lying skin.
Effects of interventions on use of hearing protectors among farm operators: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three interventions designed to promote hearing protector device (HPD) use. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Study sample: Farm operators (n = 491) were randomly assigned to one of five intervention groups: (1) interactive web-based information with mailed assortment of HPDs; (2) Interactive web-based information only; (3) static web-based information with mailed assortment of HPDs; (4) Static web-based information only; or (5) mailed assortment of HPDs only. Data were analysed using a mixed model approach. Results: HPD use increased among all participants, and increased more among participants receiving the mailed HPDs (with or without information) compared to participants receiving other interventions. Participants receiving the interactive web-based information had comparable increased use of HPDs to those receiving the static web-based information. Participants receiving the mailed HPDs had more positive situational influences scale scores than other participants. Program satisfaction was highest among mailed and web-based information groups. Conclusions: A mailed assortment of hearing protectors was more effective than information. Interactive and static information delivered via web were similarly effective. Programs interested in increasing HPD use among farmers should consider making hearing protectors more available to farmers.
Reduction of Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in the Rat Kidney by FTY720, a Synthetic Derivative of Sphingosine

Background. The current shortage of organ donors has led many centers to use marginal and nonheart-beating donors (NHBDs). Recent research has implicated the infiltration of lymphocytes as an important mediator of ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). FTY720 is an immunosuppressant that promotes lymphocyte sequestration into lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for FTY720 to abrogate IRI when subjected to increasing ischemic times. Methods. Male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent bilateral flank incision with removal of the right kidney and clamping of the left hilum. Groups were divided into ischemia times of 45, 55, and 65min; each group was further divided into a control group (IRI only), IRI+FTY720 (1 mg/kg/d), and IRI+cyclosporine (15 mg/kg/d), n=4 per group. Results. Thre days after 45 min of ischemia, serum creatinine in the ischemia only (477±37 &mgr;mol/L) and cyclosporine groups (698±32 &mgr;mol/L) was significantly increased compared with the FTY720-treated animals (194±66 &mgr;mol/L). The beneficial effect of FTY720 was also observed at 55 and 65 min; indeed, FTY720-treated animals demonstrated signs of recovery from 65 min of ischemia whereas control and cyclosporine-treated animals required sacrifice between days 3 and 5. Treatment with FTY720 reduced renal damage assessed histologically and also reduced apoptosis and increased cell proliferation. Conclusion. Treatment with FTY720 reduced IRI and prevented unrecoverable acute renal failure after significant ischemic injury. This study suggests that FTY720 may help improve the quality of grafts from NHBD and marginal donors by abrogating the IRI insult.
An Australian survey of parent involvement in intervention for childhood speech sound disorders

Abstract Purpose: To investigate how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) report involving parents in intervention for phonology-based speech sound disorders (SSDs), and to describe the home practice that they recommend. Further aims were to describe the training SLPs report providing to parents, to explore SLPs’ beliefs and motivations for involving parents in intervention, and to determine whether SLPs’ characteristics are associated with their self-reported practice. Method: An online survey of 288 SLPs working with SSD in Australia was conducted. Result: The majority of SLPs (96.4%) reported involving parents in intervention, most commonly in providing home practice. On average, these tasks were recommended to be completed five times per week for 10 min. SLPs reported training parents using a range of training methods, most commonly providing opportunities for parents to observe the SLP conduct the intervention. SLPs’ place of work and years of experience were associated with how they involved and trained parents in intervention. Most (95.8%) SLPs agreed or strongly agreed that family involvement is essential for intervention to be effective. Conclusion: Parent involvement and home practice appear to be intricately linked within intervention for phonology-based SSDs in Australia. More high-quality research is needed to understand how to best involve parents within clinical practice.
To Biopsy or Not to Biopsy? Should We Screen the Histology of Stable Renal Grafts?

Chronic allograft dysfunction is currently the main cause of late allograft failure. Recent encouraging evidence suggests that it may be possible to delay the development of graft damages if adequate management is initiated early in the course of the disease. These observations have renewed interest in the performance of protocol biopsies as routine follow-up procedure for the screening of renal transplants. In the present review, we summarize the available data from the literature to determine the pros and cons of protocol renal allograft biopsies. On the basis of this evidence, we discuss the ethical concerns raised by this procedure.
CpG Motifs as Proinflammatory Factors Render Autochthonous Tumors Permissive for Infiltration and Destruction1

In a transgenic mouse model expressing SV40 T Ag (Tag) as a de novo tumor Ag, immune surveillance fails and islet cell carcinomas grow progressively. To develop an anticancer strategy that would be effective in eradicating solid, autochthonously growing tumors, we evaluated the effectiveness of immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) with cytosine-guanine-rich (CpG) motifs (CpG-ODN). In a classical vaccination protocol, Tag was administered with CpG-ODN as adjuvant. The antitumor vaccination, however, was only effective in a prophylactic setting, despite the successful activation of a Tag-specific CTL response in vivo. Histological examination demonstrated that even primed immune cells failed to infiltrate tumors once a malignant environment was established. To ensure that effector cells were not limiting, highly activated tumor Ag-specific T cells were transferred into tumor-bearing mice. However, this treatment also failed to result in tumor infiltration and rejection. Therefore, we further tested the efficacy of CpG-ODN as a proinflammatory agent in combination with the transfer of preactivated Tag-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Indeed, this combination therapy proved to be highly effective, because CpG-ODN rendered insulinomas permissive for massive infiltration and destruction. The opening of tumor tissue correlated with uptake of CpG-ODN by tissue-resident macrophages and a strong up-regulation of adhesion molecules such as ICAM and VCAM on blood vessel endothelia. These data demonstrate that systemic application of proinflammatory reagents drastically enhances extravasation of effector cells into tumor tissue, an observation that is of general importance for immunotherapy of solid tumors in a clinical setting.
Replication ability in vitro and in vivo of equine infectious anemia virus avirulent Japanese strain.

An attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), V26, was previously prepared by 50 passages of the Japanese virulent strain V70 in primary horse macrophage culture. The horses inoculated with this V26 virus were shown to raise neutralizing antibodies against V70 without any viremia. Here, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo replication ability of V26. Comparison of the long-terminal repeat (LTR) sequences between V26 and V70 revealed a large insertion within the LTR U3 hypervariable region of V26. V26 with the mutation in the LTR showed much higher promoter activity in vitro than V70. This is consistent with the much higher replication rate of V26 in horse primary macrophage cultures compared with V70. In sharp contrast, we failed to identify the V26-specific LTR sequence by PCR, at least in sequential samples of plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from three horses until day 62 after V26 inoculation. In contrast, antibody responses to EIAV were observed in all horses. The results suggest that the replication ability of V26 in vivo is extremely low. When one of the horses was subsequently challenged with cell-associated V70, it was found that the horse became PCR positive for EIAV. There was no LTR mutation in EIAV genome in samples periodically prepared from the V70-challenged horse. Thus it was suggested that the LTR mutation in EIAV, which occurs during serial passage in vitro, affects EIAV replication in vitro and in vivo.
Serum Levels of the Chemokine CXCL13, Genetic Variation in CXCL13 and Its Receptor CXCR5, and HIV-Associated Non-Hodgkin B-Cell Lymphoma Risk

Background: CXCL13 and CXCR5 are a chemokine and receptor pair whose interaction is critical for naïve B-cell trafficking and activation within germinal centers. We sought to determine whether CXCL13 levels are elevated before HIV-associated non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (AIDS-NHL), and whether polymorphisms in CXCL13 or CXCR5 are associated with AIDS-NHL risk and CXCL13 levels in a large cohort of HIV-infected men. Methods: CXCL13 levels were measured in sera from 179 AIDS-NHL cases and 179 controls at three time-points. TagSNPs in CXCL13 (n = 16) and CXCR5 (n = 11) were genotyped in 183 AIDS-NHL cases and 533 controls. OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between one unit increase in log CXCL13 levels and AIDS-NHL, as well as tagSNP genotypes and AIDS-NHL, were computed using logistic regression. Mixed linear regression was used to estimate mean ratios (MR) for the association between tagSNPs and CXCL13 levels. Results: CXCL13 levels were elevated for more than 3 years (OR = 3.24; 95% CI = 1.90–5.54), 1 to 3 years (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.94–5.94), and 0 to 1 year (OR = 3.94; 95% CI = 1.98–7.81) before an AIDS-NHL diagnosis. The minor allele of CXCL13 rs355689 was associated with reduced AIDS-NHL risk (ORTCvsTT = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.45–0.96) and reduced CXCL13 levels (MRCCvsTT = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). The minor allele of CXCR5 rs630923 was associated with increased CXCL13 levels (MRAAvsTT = 2.40; 95% CI = 1.43–4.50). Conclusions: CXCL13 levels were elevated preceding an AIDS-NHL diagnosis, genetic variation in CXCL13 may contribute to AIDS-NHL risk, and CXCL13 levels may be associated with genetic variation in CXCL13 and CXCR5. Impact: CXCL13 may serve as a biomarker for early AIDS-NHL detection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 295–307. ©2012 AACR.
High-pressure synthesis, characterization, and equation of state of cubic C-BN solid solutions.

Synthesis of several samples across the cubic C{sub {ital x}}(BN){sub 1{minus}{ital x}} solid solution ({ital x}=0.3--0.33,0.5,0.6) at pressures in excess of 30 GPa and temperatures above 1500 K indicates that they are isostructural with diamond and cubic BN (borazon). Measurement of the lattice parameters of C-BN samples quenched to ambient conditions shows that the solid solution between C (diamond) and cubic BN is nonideal, with unit-cell volumes up to 1% larger than predicted based on ideal mixing (Vegard`s law). In addition, we have measured the zero-pressure, 300-K vibrational spectra for C{sub 0.3}(BN){sub 0.7}. In the midinfrared absorption spectrum, we observe a reststrahlen band ranging from 1000--1120 cm{sup {minus}1}, and the Raman spectrum has a longitudinal optic mode at 1323({plus_minus}2) cm{sup {minus}1}. Based on a comparison of the spectrum with that of diamond and cubic BN, we conclude that the bonding in cubic C-BN is partially ionic. In addition to these measurements on quenched samples, we have measured the isothermal bulk modulus of C{sub 0.33}(BN){sub 0.67} by x-ray diffraction through a diamond cell to over 100 GPa at 300 K. The bulk modulus is 355({plus_minus}19) GPa, which is lower than those of diamond, cubic BN and the value predicted from idealmore » mixing between the end members, but is consistent with the nonideal expansion observed for the cubic C-BN lattice parameters. « less
Analysis of RNA secondary structure in replication of human parainfluenza virus type 3.

The terminal RNA regions of the genomic and antigenomic RNAs of the paramyxoviruses and rhabdoviruses are known to contain sequences essential for RNA replication and transcription. The 3'- and 5'-termini of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3) genomic RNA, termed leader and trailer sequences, respectively, are capable of forming stable stem-loop structures. Additionally, the 17 terminal bases of the leader and trailer are complementary and therefore also capable of forming a helical structure. We investigated the roles of the stem-loop structure and terminal complementarity in HPIV3 RNA replication and transcription in vivo using a minigenome containing all RNA elements necessary for these processes. By mutational analysis, we show that the RNA secondary structure features present at the termini of HPIV3 have no discernible role in replication or transcription. Rather, the primary sequence of these regions is what is critical in promoting replication. Interestingly, a mutation at leader base 24 was found to revert a mutation at leader position 5 but probably not via RNA secondary structure restoration.