Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A case study-based investigation of students’ experiences with social software tools

The term “social software” covers a range of tools which allow users to interact and share data with other users, primarily via the web. Blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networking websites are some of the tools that are being used in educational, social and business contexts. We have examined the use of social software in the UK further and higher education to collect evidence of the effective use of social software in student learning and engagement. We applied case study methodology involving educators and students from 26 initiatives. In this paper, we focus on the student experience: educational goals of using social software; benefits to the students; and the challenges they experience. Our investigations have shown that social software supports a variety of ways of learning: sharing of resources; collaborative learning; problem-based and inquiry-based learning; and reflective learning. Students gain transferable skills of team working, negotiation, communication and managing digital identities. Although these tools enhance a student's sense of community, the need to share and collaborate brings in additional responsibility and workload, which some students find inflexible and “forced”. Our findings show that students have concerns about usability, privacy and the public nature of social software tools for academic activities.
Scaling up Routine HIV Testing at Specialty Clinics: Assessing the Effectiveness of an Academic Detailing Approach

Introduction:Scaling up routine HIV testing represents a key component of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Barriers to routine HIV testing have limited widespread adoption. Although many patients visit specialty care providers, few efforts to increase routine HIV testing in specialty care settings have been made. We report on use of a survey of barriers to routine testing coupled with academic detailing-type educational sessions to increase routine testing at specialty clinics in Chicago's main safety-net health system. Methods:We devised a survey to assess specialty provider knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to routine HIV testing. We administered this at 3 specialty clinics. Each clinic's survey responses informed content for academic detailing-type presentations to each clinic's medical providers. We provide descriptive statistics summarizing survey responses. We report changes in the HIV testing rates and use logistic regression to examine associations between time period and odds of testing at each clinic. Results:Specialty clinic providers demonstrated varying knowledge regarding routine HIV testing guidelines—with trauma providers having the least knowledge. Concerns regarding arranging follow-up for patients with positive results was the most cited barrier to testing. Two of the 3 specialty clinics experienced significant increases in routine HIV testing, whereas the third specialty service, which uses more rotating residents, had downtrending routine testing rates. Discussion:The increase in routine HIV testing in 2 of 3 specialty services suggests that academic detailing-type interventions can improve routine testing uptake in public safety-net specialty care settings and may represent a useful component to incorporate into system-wide scale-up efforts.
Declining p53 function in the aging process: A possible mechanism for the increased tumor incidence in older populations

Cancer is a disease of aging. The accumulation of mutations in individual cells over a lifetime is thought to be the reason. In this work, we explored an additional hypothesis: could p53 function decline with age, which would contribute to an enhanced mutation frequency and tumorigenesis in the aging process? The efficiency of the p53 response to γ-irradiation was found to decline significantly in various tissues of aging mice from several inbred strains, including lower p53 transcriptional activity and p53-dependent apoptosis. This decline resulted from a decreased stabilization of the p53 protein after stress. The function of the Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase declined significantly with age, which may then be responsible for the decline of the p53 response to radiation. Declining p53 responses to other stresses were also observed in the cultured splenocytes from aging mice. Interestingly, the time of onset of this decreased p53 response correlated with the life span of mice; mice that live longer delay their onset of decreased p53 activity with time. These results suggest an enhanced fixation of mutations in older individuals because of the declining fidelity of p53-mediated apoptosis or senescence in response to stress, and they suggest a plausible explanation for the correlation between tumorigenesis and the aging process.
Treatment and prevention of enterococcal infections – alternative and experimental approaches

Enterococci are one of the leading types of organisms isolated from infections of hospitalised patients and the third most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections. They contribute significantly to patient mortality and morbidity, as well as healthcare costs. The emergence of resistance against virtually all clinically available antibiotics and the ability to transfer these resistance determinants to other pathogens demonstrates the urgency for an improved understanding of enterococcal virulence mechanisms, and the development of alternative treatment and prevention options. This article reviews new antimicrobials, vaccine targets, bacteriophage therapy, as well as treatments targeting virulence factors and biofilm, for their potential to treat and/or prevent enterococcal infections. Although clinical isolates often cause serious infections, so-called ‘non-pathogenic’ strains are used as therapeutics in the form of probiotics. Understanding the differences between true pathogens and beneficial commensals may help to evaluate future treatment and prophylactic options.
Decalcifying effect of EDTA-T, 10% citric acid, and 17% EDTA on root canal dentin.

OBJECTIVE An in vitro study was conducted to determine the efficacy of 17% EDTA plus 1.25% sodium lauryl ether sulfate (EDTA-T), 10% citric acid, and 17% EDTA with respect to Ca(++) extraction. STUDY DESIGN The root canals of 90 extracted human canines were instrumented by using the step-back technique. The teeth were randomly divided into 9 groups of 10 teeth each according to the solution and time intervals involved (ie, 3, 10, and 15 minutes). The Ca(++) concentration of the solution was determined by using atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS At 3 minutes, there was no significant difference between Ca(++) extraction by 10% citric acid and 17% EDTA (P >.05). EDTA-T had the least efficacy for Ca(++) extraction (P <.05). At 10 minutes and 15 minutes, there were no significant differences between 10% citric acid and 17% EDTA or between EDTA-T and 17% EDTA (P >.05). However, 10% citric acid was significantly better than EDTA-T in terms of Ca(++) extraction (P <.05). CONCLUSION Both 10% citric acid and 17% EDTA are good decalcifying agents when the step-back technique is used.
Measurement of fecal calprotectin improves monitoring and detection of recurrence of Crohn's disease after surgery.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Crohn's disease (CD) usually recurs after intestinal resection; postoperative endoscopic monitoring and tailored treatment can reduce the chance of recurrence. We investigated whether monitoring levels of fecal calprotectin (FC) can substitute for endoscopic analysis of the mucosa. METHODS We analyzed data collected from 135 participants in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial, performed at 17 hospitals in Australia and 1 hospital in New Zealand, that assessed the ability of endoscopic evaluations and step-up treatment to prevent CD recurrence after surgery. Levels of FC, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), and Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) scores were measured before surgery and then at 6, 12, and 18 months after resection of all macroscopic Crohn's disease. Ileocolonoscopies were performed at 6 months after surgery in 90 patients and at 18 months after surgery in all patients. RESULTS Levels of FC were measured in 319 samples from 135 patients. The median FC level decreased from 1347 μg/g before surgery to 166 μg/g at 6 months after surgery, but was higher in patients with disease recurrence (based on endoscopic analysis; Rutgeerts score, ≥i2) than in patients in remission (275 vs 72 μg/g, respectively; P < .001). Combined 6- and 18-month levels of FC correlated with the presence (r = 0.42; P < .001) and severity (r = 0.44; P < .001) of CD recurrence, but the CRP level and CDAI score did not. Levels of FC greater than 100 μg/g indicated endoscopic recurrence with 89% sensitivity and 58% specificity, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 91%; this means that colonoscopy could have been avoided in 47% of patients. Six months after surgery, FC levels less than 51 μg/g in patients in endoscopic remission predicted maintenance of remission (NPV, 79%). In patients with endoscopic recurrence at 6 months who stepped-up treatment, FC levels decreased from 324 μg/g at 6 months to 180 μg/g at 12 months and 109 μg/g at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS In this analysis of data from a prospective clinical trial, FC measurement has sufficient sensitivity and NPV values to monitor for CD recurrence after intestinal resection. Its predictive value might be used to identify patients most likely to relapse. After treatment for recurrence, the FC level can be used to monitor response to treatment. It predicts which patients will have disease recurrence with greater accuracy than CRP level or CDAI score.
RELEASE FROM SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM / Fafc / aro and Fabiato

Calcium that induces contraction by interacting with the contractile proteins of muscle cells may be derived from different sources: extracellular space including the basement membrane, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and, under certain circumstances, mitochondria. " Among these sources of Ca for excitation-contraction coupling the contribution of the SR varies between different types of muscles: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth. ' ~ An unresolved question concerns the nature of these variations: Are they only quantitative or also qualitative, consisting of fundamentally different mechanisms for the release of Ca from the SR? This review tries to answer that question. The greatest attention is placed on the mechanism of Ca release from the SR of cardiac muscle and this is compared to release in skeletal muscle. Not much space is devoted to smooth muscle, simply because little is known of the mechanisms of Ca release from the SR in this tissue. Studies concerning the sources of Ca other than the SR" and the mechanisms of Ca transport by the SR which are not directly related to the release processes will not be discussed. The first event in excitation-contraction coupling is the action potential. It is generally admitted that some Ca crosses the surface membrane of the cardiac cell during the action potential, whereas little or no Ca crosses the surface membrane of skeletal muscle cells. " Two processes have been proposed as possible links between the action potential of the sarcolemma and the release of Ca from the SR: the Ca-induced release of Ca and the "depolarization-induced" release of Ca: Ca-Induced Release of Ca. According to this hypothesis, the small amount of Ca that crosses the sarcolemma during the action potential is insufficient by itself to activate the myofilaments but induces a release of Ca from the SR sufficient for activation. " "Depolarization-Induced" Release of Ca. According to this hypothesis, the action potential traveling in the transverse tubules induces a modification of the SR membrane that increases its permeability to Ca and thereby results in a release of Ca from the SR." However, it is
Excitatory amino acid receptors in Xenopus embryo spinal cord and their role in the activation of swimming.

Bath application of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA), kainate or quisqualate to Xenopus embryos depolarized spinal cord motoneurones and reduced their input resistance in both normal salines and salines containing 20 mM‐Mn2+ and 0.5 mM‐Ca2+, or 2 X 10(‐6) M‐tetrodotoxin. This suggests that motoneurones possess all three types of excitatory amino acid receptor. These receptors have similar specificities to excitatory amino acid antagonists as those occurring in adult frog and cat spinal cords. Application of 30‐40 microM‐NMDA or 5‐6.5 microM‐kainate to the medium bathing spinalized embryos can cause a sustained patterned motor output similar to that of swimming evoked by natural stimulation of intact animals. At these concentrations NMDA and kainate depolarized motoneurones by 19.0 +/‐ 1.80 (mean +/‐ S.E. of mean) and 18.0 +/‐ 2.00 mV respectively and decreased their input resistance by 23.0 +/‐ 2.82% and 24.0 +/‐ 3.46%. These changes are similar to those associated with the tonic excitation which motoneurones receive during naturally evoked swimming. Bath application of 5‐8 microM‐quisqualate to spinal embryos can also cause a sustained motor output. However, this was different to that evoked by NMDA and kainate and was inappropriate for swimming. When applied to intact animals during swimming both 2‐3 mM‐cis‐2,3‐piperidine dicarboxylic acid (PDA) and 0.5 mM‐gamma‐D‐glutamylglycine (DGG) selectively blocked the tonic excitation of motoneurones and in doing so abolished the motor output of the spinal cord. 50‐200 microM‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovaleric acid reduced the tonic excitation but to a lesser extent than either PDA or DGG. The tonic excitation of motoneurones which occurs during swimming therefore appears to be mediated via an endogenous excitatory amino acid transmitter which acts on NMDA and kainate receptors.
DOES KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY AND MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HIV STATUS AND FERTILITY PREFERENCES AND CONTRACEPTIVE USE? NEW EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA AND ZAMBIA

Summary The increasing availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and drug regimens to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) has probably changed the context of childbearing for people living with HIV. Using data from 2009–2010 community-based surveys in Nigeria and Zambia, this study explores whether women's knowledge about ART and PMTCT influences the relationship between HIV status and fertility preferences and contraceptive behaviour. The findings show that women living with HIV are more likely to want more children in Nigeria and to want to limit childbearing in Zambia compared with HIV-negative women. While there is no significant difference in contraceptive use by women's HIV status in the two countries, women who did not know their HIV status are less likely to use contraceptives relative to women who are HIV-negative. Knowledge about ART reduces the childbearing desires of HIV-positive women in Nigeria and knowledge about PMTCT increases desire for more children among HIV-positive women in Zambia, as well as contraceptive use among women who do not know their HIV status. The findings indicate that knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment services changes how living with HIV affects childbearing desires and, at least in Zambia, pregnancy prevention, and highlight the importance of access to accurate knowledge about ART and PMTCT services to assist women and men to make informed childbearing decisions. Knowledge about ART and PMTCT should be promoted not only through HIV treatment and maternal and newborn care facilities but also through family planning centres and the mass media.
Umbilical cord blood CD45+/CD34+ cells coexpression in preterm and full-term neonates: a pilot study

Objective. Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) is rich in stem cells. The CD45+/CD34+ coexpression in hUCB is a marker of hemopoietic progenitor cells. The objective of this study is to compare the coexpression of hUCB CD45+/CD34+ cells in preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) neonates. Methods. We studied the coexpression of hUCB CD45+/CD34+ cells in PT and FT neonates. The study included 25 PT (29–36 weeks gestation) and 25 FT (37–41) neonates delivered at Ain Shams University, Maternity Hospital. Absolute mononuclear layer cord blood CD45+/CD34+ cell count were measured by flow cytometry. Morbidity was assessed for 12 of the studied 25 PT infants, using Morbidity Assessment Index for Newborns score. Results. The absolute CD45+/CD34+ count did not differ between PT and FT infants: Z = −0.485, p = 0.63. There was no correlation between absolute cell count and GA (r = 0.013, p = 0.9) for all 50 neonates. Mode of delivery did not affect the absolute count in the PT infants: Z = –0.6, p = 0.57. There was no correlation between the degree of morbidity and absolute cell count in PT neonates; r = 0.13, p = 0.69. Conclusion. The absolute cell count is not affected by gestational age and did not relate to morbidity scores in the studied PT infants. Further, wide-scale work will be needed to study CD45+/CD34+ count in hUCB in sick PT neonates.
Clinical significance of cell population data (CPD) on Sysmex XN-9000 in septic patients with our without liver impairment.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the clinical significance of cell population data (CPD) parameters obtained on Sysmex XN-9000 in septic patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and stratified according to liver function. METHODS The study population consisted in 84 patients, 44 of whom did not develop sepsis (NS), whereas the remaining 40 developed sepsis (SE) (n=24) or septic shock (SS) (n=16). Two hundred ostensibly healthy blood donors [healthy subjects (HS)], undergoing routine blood testing before a regular blood donation, were studied. RESULTS Except for neutrophils and lymphocytes cell size (NE-FCS and LY-Z), all other CPD values were significantly different in ICU patients compared to HS. Neutrophils and monocytes fluorescence intensity (NE-SFL and MO-X) values were significantly higher in SS compared to sepsis and not develop sepsis patients. The value of many parameters was also different according to liver function. Overall, MO-X and neutrophils fluorescence intensity (NE-SFL) exhibited the best performance for diagnosing sepsis in all patients (AUC, 0.75 and 0.72), as well as in those with (AUC, 0.95 and 0.89) or without (AUC, 0.72 for both) liver impairment. These parameters were also significantly correlated with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that some novel CPD parameters (namely NE-SFL and MO-X) may provide useful information for diagnosis and management of sepsis.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Subchorionic Hematoma

Background: The role of subchorionic hematoma (SCH) in the first trimester of pregnancy remains open for discussion. Some authors claim that SCH does not affect the pregnancy; others have found that it is a serious risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome. The objective of the present study was to explore the outcomes of pregnancy in patients with SCH diagnosed in the first trimester. Methods and Results: The study involved 194 pregnant women who were in terms of 6 to 12 weeks: 115 women with SCH (Group 1) and 79 apparently healthy pregnant women (Group 2). A missed miscarriage was observed in 27/23% women of Group 1 and in 4/5% of Group 2 (P<0.001), recurrent threat of miscarriage in 27/23% and in 4/5% (P<0.001), recurrent bleeding in 14/12% and 2/3% (P<0.02), and the short cervix syndrome in 22/19% and 5/6% (P<0.03) women, respectively. Conclusion: The results of our study show that the presence of SCH adversely affects the first half of pregnancy, leading to recurrent threatened abortion, recurrent threat of miscarriage, missed miscarriage until 12 weeks of gestation, and the short cervix syndrome. (Int I Biomed. 2015;5(3):137-140. )
Dynamics of DNA‐tracking by two sliding‐clamp proteins.

Bacteriophage T4 gene 45 protein (gp45) and Escherichia coli beta are DNA‐tracking sliding‐clamp proteins that increase processivity by tethering their conjugate DNA polymerases to DNA. gp45 also activates T4 late transcription. DNA loading of gp45 and beta requires ATP or dATP hydrolysis; efficient loading at primer‐template junctions is assisted by single‐stranded DNA‐binding proteins. The kinetics of gp45 loading and tracking have been examined by DNase I footprinting of linear DNA with one blunt end, one primer‐template junction, and binding sites for proteins that block gp45 tracking. DNA loading of gp45 can also be interrupted by adding the non‐hydrolyzable ATP analog ATP‐gamma‐S. At saturation, DNA is very closely packed with gp45 or beta. When gp45 loading is interrupted, or when a segment of the track is blocked off, the gp45 footprint dissipates within seconds, but the DNA‐tracking state of beta is much more stable. The stability of the tracking state of gp45 is, however, increased by the macromolecular crowding agent polyethylene glycol. We suggest that labile gp45 catenation directly generates the coupling of late transcription to DNA replication during bacteriophage T4 multiplication.
The universality of DP: A view from Russian*

This article argues in favor of the Universal-DP Hypothesis, namely the view that the structure of noun phrases is universal, regardless of the presence/absence of overt articles in a language. In particular, it is claimed that the Universal-DP Hypothesis makes better predictions for Russian (an articleless language) than its alternative, the Parameterized-DP Hypothesis. First, it is shown that adjectives in Russian are as rigidly ordered as they are in English, suggesting their placement in ordered functional projections rather than by free adjunction. Second, it is shown that ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ adjectives behave differently in Russian, as well as in languages with overt articles, suggesting head- vs. phrasal status, rather than uniform phrasal adjunction. Third, the so-called ‘pre-modifiers’ (i.e., numerals, demonstratives and possessives) are argued to be hosted by functional projections, different from those hosting adjectives. Overall, it is argued that the absence of overt articles in Russian does not affect the syntax of other prenominal elements in any major way.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Modulates Fibroblast Apoptosis, PMN Recruitment, and Osteoclast Formation in Response to P. gingivalis Infection

P. gingivalis is an important oral pathogen, which has been closely linked to periodontal disease as well as lesions of endodontic origin. Both infections are associated with a decrease in fibroblast numbers, formation of an inflammatory infiltrate, and bone resorption. The goal of this study was to investigate the role that the host response plays in the capacity of P. gingivalis to stimulate fibroblast apoptosis, PMN recruitment, and osteoclastogenesis. This was accomplished by the use of an in vivo calvarial model in mice with targeted deletion of TNF receptors p55 and p75 and matched wild-type mice. The results indicate that P. gingivalis induces fibroblast apoptosis in vivo and establish for the first time that this involves the stimulation of a host response. Moreover, bacteria-stimulated PMN recruitment and osteoclastogenesis were also dependent upon the host response. The results suggest that much of the damage caused by P. gingivalis infection, including fibroblast apoptosis, at least under some circumstances, results from stimulation of the host response rather than the direct effect of bacterial products. Furthermore, this may represent a more general mechanism by which bacterial challenge induces apoptosis of matrix-producing cells through the induction of TNF.