Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hygienic aspects of the production and agricultural use of animal wastes.

Regarding the hygienic aspects of the production and use of animal wastes, further research on the following aspects is essential: pathogenic agents present in residues of animal production in the context of transmissible multifactorial diseases and the epidemiology of pathogens under different ecological conditions; recycling of toxic agents, e.g., copper, selenium and iodine, in animal wastes in the context of the food chain from soil to humans; hygienic effects of animal wastes on water as regards the standards required by medical authorities; effects of agents used to increase animal production, or used for medicinal purposes, which are present as residues in animal excreta and may be hazardous to public health; effects of animal excreta on microbiological processes in the soil; effects of dust and airborne microbial emissions from animal production, and finally, processes of self-disinfection of manure and livestock slurry during storage as a means of reducing the amounts of chemical disinfectants used, of reducing environmental pollution, and of studying the application of biotechnological methods to disinfect manure and livestock slurry, this study being of particular importance.
Effects of Aggression Replacement Training in Young Offender Institutions

This article reports a study where aggression replacement training (ART), combined with token economy, was compared with relationally oriented treatment at four residential treatment units in a nonrandomized design. In all, 57 adolescents in the ages between 16 and 19 participated. Outcome was measured as weighted indices of sentences and police suspicion reports. The results show no differences between the treatment models. In a separate analysis, the hypotheses were tested that those adolescents would relapse less frequently who admitted their crimes at intake or who could talk about guilt for their criminal acts. These hypotheses were refuted as main effects, but an interaction effect was found that suggests that adolescents with less consciousness of guilt got better results at the ART institutions. Case descriptions suggest that a more individualized approach to treatment, where ART is used for those adolescents who are motivated for it, would give better results.
Users' Information Privacy Concerns and Privacy Protection Behaviors in Social Networks

ABSTRACT The immense popularity of social networks has overshadowed the potential concerns, especially related to information privacy. Despite huge debates among privacy experts in recent times, seminal works have explored information privacy concerns from the perspective of social network users. In response, this research aims to understand the impact of antecedents of users' information privacy concerns (UIPC) on privacy protection behavior (PPB) in social networks. Drawing from the Social Cognitive Theory and Protection Motivation Theory, the research model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The empirical results show that perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, and self-efficacy significantly influences UIPC. However, rewards and response efficacy did not significantly contribute towards UIPC. The linkage between UIPC and PPB was found to be statistically significant. This research article will offer newer insights for conceptual development and assist the social network's providers in redesigning their privacy protection strategies for safeguarding users from privacy threats.
Beyond Worst Case Needs: Measuring the Breadth and Severity of Housing Insecurity Among Urban Renters

ABSTRACT Many indicators of renter household insecurity remain widespread or have shown signs of worsening in the past decade, including unaffordability, poor unit conditions, overcrowding, and evictions. Most research to date has examined each of these conditions as a standalone problem, without examining the extent and severity of simultaneously occurring housing problems. This study closes that gap by examining the suitability of measuring housing insecurity as an index of multiple variables within four identified dimensions: unaffordability, poor conditions, overcrowding, and forced moves. Results show that dimensions of housing insecurity are highly correlated and suitable for measurement as an index. The proposed index shows that housing insecurity is widespread among U.S. renters, but varies greatly in severity and type.
Involvement of the transcription factor PU.1/Spi-1 in myeloid cell-restricted expression of an interferon-inducible gene encoding the human high-affinity Fc gamma receptor

Induction by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) of the gene encoding the human high-affinity Fc gamma receptor (Fc gamma R1) in myeloid cells requires an IFN-gamma response region (GRR) and a myeloid cell-activating transcription element (MATE). GRR and MATE interact with factors to form, respectively, an IFN-gamma-activating complex (GIRE-BP), depending on the phosphorylation of the 91-kDa protein (subunit of ISGF3), and a cell-type-specific complex (MATE-BP). Although GIRE-BP is detected in cells of different origins after IFN-gamma treatment, the presence of MATE-BP was found to be restricted to B- and myeloid cell lines. Sequence analysis of a cDNA encoding a polypeptide recognizing specifically the MATE motif led to the identification of this product as the proto-oncogene PU.1/Spi-1, a transcriptional activator expressed in myeloid and B cells. Expression of this factor in nonhematopoietic cells allowed IFN-gamma-induced expression of a reporter gene under control of the GRR and MATE sequences. The presence of these motifs in other gene promoters indicates that the binding of PU.1/Spi-1 and IFN regulatory proteins to their respective motifs could be part of a general mechanism leading to cell-type-restricted and IFN-induced gene expression.
In Vitro Effects of Fluoroquinolone and Aminoglycoside Antibiotics on Human Keratocytes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the cytotoxic effects of the fluoquinolone ofloxacin and the aminoglycoside netilmicin on stromal human keratocytes in vitro. Methods: Cultured human keratocytes were exposed to various concentrations of ofloxacin or netilmicin (0.16-5.0 mg/mL). Both cell proliferation (MTT assay) and cell morphology (phase-contrast microscopy) were evaluated after 1, 4, 12, and 24 hours of incubation. Measurement of annexin V binding performed in association with the dye exclusion test using propidium iodide (PI) was also performed by FACS analysis after 4 hours of exposure. Results: Both antimicrobials induced dose- and time-dependent morphologic changes in keratocytes, yet the effects of netilmicin were minimal. After 24 hours of exposure, both drugs induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation; however, ofloxacin demonstrated significantly more toxic effects than netilmicin (t test for ED50 values, P < 0.0001). Statistical differences between 2 antibiotics start at concentrations above 1.25 mg/mL (ANOVA with post-hoc test, P < 0.01). Expression of the apoptotic marker annexin V was unaffected by antibiotic exposure, whereas the uptake of the necrotic marker PI was increased by ofloxacin (5 mg/mL) but not by netilmicin (ofloxacin versus netilmicin, ANOVA, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Relative effects of aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones on stromal keratocytes appear to be different: netilmicin was shown to be significantly less toxic than ofloxacin. This finding is particularly relevant in deciding the optimal antibiotic to be applied in clinical situations in which the epithelium is absent or compromised, as after photorefractive keratectomy, alkali burns, or ulcerative keratitis.
Islet cell transplantation for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is estimated to affect at least 16 million individuals in the United States and 135 million persons worldwide. It is a significant cause of morbidity and early mortality. The related expenses are astronomical with at least 15% of healthcare expenditures in the United States being used for the treatment of diabetes and its complications, a figure that approaches US$100 billion annually. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) convincingly showed that intensive glucose management delays the onset and slows the progression of diabetic complications. Numerous studies have shown that pancreas transplantation not only delays the onset and progression of diabetic complications, but in some cases reverses some of the effects of diabetes. Human islet cell transplantation provides an alternative, less invasive alternative to whole organ transplantation. Human islet allotransplantation would only exacerbate the organ shortage, as recipients usually require islets from more than one pancreas. Xenotransplantation of porcine islets is a more attractive option; however, the recipient’s immune response to xenografted tissue would be a formidable obstacle. Microencapsulation of the islets is a method of immunoisolation that would prevent the need for immunosuppressive drugs and the risks associated with their long-term use and have the potential to make xenoislet transplantation a clinical reality.
Ammonia permeability of the aquaglyceroporins from Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii and Trypansoma brucei

Plasmodium falciparum uses amino acids from haemoglobin degradation mainly for protein biosynthesis. Glutamine, however, is mostly oxidized to 2‐oxoglutarate to restore NAD(P)H + H+. In this process two molecules of ammonia are released. We determined an ammonia production of 9 mmol h−1 per litre of infected red blood cells in the early trophozoite stage. External application of ammonia yielded a cytotoxic IC50 concentration of 2.8 mM. As plasmodia cannot metabolize ammonia it must be exported. Yet, no biochemical or genomic evidences exist that plasmodia possess classical ammonium transporters. We expressed the P. falciparum aquaglyceroporin (PfAQP) in Xenopus laevis oocytes and examined whether it may serve as an exit pathway for ammonia. We show that injected oocytes: (i) acidify the medium due to ammonia uptake, (ii) take up [14C]methylamine and [14C]formamide, (iii) swell in solution with formamide and acetamide and (iv) display an ammonia‐induced NH4+‐dependent clamp current. Further, a yeast strain lacking the endogenous aquaglyceroporin (Fps1) is rescued by expression of PfAQP which provides for the efflux of toxic methylamine. Ammonia permeability was similarly established for the aquaglyceroporins from Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma brucei. Apparently, these aquaglyceroporins are important for the release of ammonia derived from amino acid breakdown.
Foam fractionation of binary mixtures of lysozyme and albumin.

A nitrogen gas-based foam fractionation method was employed to separate model proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hen egg white lysozyme, from each other. Fractionation was characterized by the separation ratio and by recovery of proteins in the retentate as a function of the nominal pore size of the gas dispersion frit and solution conditions (pH and ionic strength). For binary mixtures of the proteins at pH 7.4, and ionic strength (mu) of 0.18 M, the recovery of lysozyme and the separation ratio were both dependent on the frit size employed to generate the foam. At low ionic strength (mu = 0.01 M), separation was only somewhat greater with the small pore size frits, although at values significantly lower than those found for high ionic strength. The diminished separations appear to be due to the only slight changes in recoveries observed for BSA and lysozyme. %Separation ratios of lysozyme from BSA in solutions either of high or low ionic strength were maximal at pH values equal to or less than the isoelectric point (pI) of BSA. Separation ratios were lower when foaming was carried out under low compared with high ionic strength. The recovery of lysozyme was enhanced by foaming from solutions of low pH and high ionic strength. Recoveries of BSA were greatest when the molecule was negatively charged. Electrical interactions between the positively charged lysozyme and negatively charged BSA may explain the diminished separation ratios and enhanced recoveries. Enzyme activity studies of lysozyme remaining in the retentate showed no change from prefoam activity.
Dissolved Organic Matter and Heterotrophic Microneuston in the Surface Microlayers of the North Atlantic

Dissolved organic carbon, carbohydrates, and adenosine triphosphate in the size fractions 0.2 to 3 micrometers and 3 to 1000 micrometers are significantly enriched in the upper 150-micrometer surface layer compared to subsurface water, mean enrichment factors being 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.1, respectively. When calculated as a 0.1-micrometer microlayer of wet surfactants, the mean concentration of organic matter was 2.9 grams per liter, of which carbohydrates accounted for 28 percent. The data for plant pigments and particulate adenosine triphosphate indicated that bacterioneuston was enriched at seven of nine stations while phagotrophic protists were enriched at five stations. Instances of enrichment and inhibition were verified by cultural data for bacteria and amoebas. The observations indicate that the surface microlayers are largely heterotrophic microcosms, which can be as rich as laboratory cultures, and that an appreciable part of the dissolved organic carbon is carbohydrate of phytoplankton origin, released and brought to the surface by migrating and excreting phagotrophic protists.
The urban governance of austerity in Europe

The 2008 financial crash and ensuing austerity have brought critical perspectives on political economy into academic debates in democratic theory and public administration. One important area of contention regards “collaborative” and “network” forms of governance. Advocates argue that these comprise an epochal shift that resolves many pitfalls of state and market oriented governance, a consensus that was especially popular during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. This chapter reports research carried out in five cities in Europe (Athens, Barcelona, Dublin, Leicester, Nantes) exploring the impact of austerity politics on the ideology and practice of collaborative governance – would it endure, or be unravelled by, post-crash exposure to austerity and distributional conflict? The chapter concludes that severe austerity erodes the foundations for strong collaborative governance. The inability to survive the return of distributional conflict leads us to conclude that collaborative governance is fully functional only in times of growth.
Socially Responsible Human Resource Management and Employee Perception: The Influence of Manager and Line Managers

The aim of this article is to contribute to understanding the importance of considering the effect of employees’ perceptions of Socially Responsible Human Resource Management (SR-HRM) on employee commitment. Results, applied to different levels of the organization (HR managers, line managers and employees) show, on one hand, that there is a relationship between a SR-HRM and employee commitment, and on the other hand, that employees’ perceptions have an influence on the extent to which these relationships are developed. HR managers and line managers perceived SR-HRM in a similar way and line managers and non-managerial employees generally did too. The frequency with which line managers disagree with employees’ perceptions about socially responsible practices was low. Suggestions for HRM practice and future research are provided.
Knowledge exploration and exploitation in team context

Knowledge exploration and exploitation are themes of interest for researchers, as these processes are able to generate innovation, improvement of processes and products, and competitive advantage. A variety of contributions on the topic indicates that teamwork supports knowledge exploration and exploitation. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning the analysis of the impact of the teamwork characteristics in these two processes. Therefore, this study is based on the recognised input-mediators-output model to collect the characteristics of the teams, in addition to relating them to the processes of knowledge exploration and exploitation. This research is based on a survey involving 252 companies of the capital goods industry. Results show that both processes are supported, especially by factors related to the knowledge integration and the collaborative culture.
Relation Between Intracarotid Amobarbital Memory Asymmetry Scores and Hippocampal Sclerosis in Patients Undergoing Anterior Temporal Lobe Resections

Summary: The intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) is used to evaluate memory function preoperatively in candidates for anterior temporal lobe resections (ATL). We examined IAP memory asymmetry scores in 30 patients undergoing ATL (17 R, 13 L), as a function of the presence (HS+) or absence (HS−) of hippocampal sclerosis. Ictal onset zones were determined by extraoperative recording with subdural strip electrodes in all but 3 patients in whom magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed HS. MRI scans were otherwise normal. All patients were left hemisphere dominant for language except 1, in whom language was represented bilaterally. IAP memory testing involved presentation of eight subjects during anesthesia of each hemisphere, followed by recognition testing after patients recovered from amobarbital effects. A score of 1 was given for each correctly recognized object, and 0.5 was deducted for each false‐positive identification. There were 16 foils. A total asymmetry score was calculated, which was positive if there was agreement between the direction of the symmetry and side of operation and negative if reversed. The mean asymmetry score for HS‐ (n = 8) was 0.9; that for HS+ (n = 22) was 4.1 (p < 0.01). IAP memory performance provided lateralizing information (asymmetry score 2 + or −2) in 73% of cases; among these, the lateralization was correct in 91%. Our data indicate that IAP memory asymmetry predicts both laterality of ictal onset and the presence of HS.
Administration of a modified chemotherapeutic regimen containing vincristine, liposomal doxorubicin and dexamethasone to multiple myeloma patients: preliminary data

Abstract: For elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM), conventional melphalan and prednisone (MP) therapy has been the treatment of choice; the vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (VAD) regimen is preferred for younger patients who also receive high‐dose melphalan in combination with autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Although survival time is similar in both the MP and VAD regimens, the continuous infusion of doxorubicin which the latter treatment entails constitutes a disadvantage along with the 4‐day hospitalization required. Doxorubicin also induces cardiotoxicity, particularly in the elderly. A modified form of VAD therapy includes liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx®) (40 mg/kg for 1 d), oncovin (2 mg for 1 d) and dexamethasone 40 mg for 4 d per os. Doxorubicin encapsulated with liposomes has less cardiotoxicity, is more efficient and has fewer side effects than conventional doxorubicin, and it can be administered on an outpatient basis: dexamethasone can be given orally and vincristine in bolus infusion. In order to estimate its efficacy and tolerability, we administered this regimen to 12 patients (first‐line treatment in 6 patients, salvage therapy in 6 patients). All patients exhibited good tolerance to liposomal doxorubicin with no severe side effects. Eight patients achieved complete hematological remission and three partial response. One patient died before completing the treatment.
Effect of biological therapy on levels of atheroprotective antibodies against phosphorylcholine and apolipoproteins in rheumatoid arthritis - a one year study.

OBJECTIVES To examine how treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonists (anti-TNF) and B-cell targeting rituximab influences novel markers of atherosclerosis and inflammation, such as atheroprotective natural IgM antibodies against phosphorylcholine (anti-PC), oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and apolipoproteins. METHODS In a prospective study 215 patients with RA were enrolled of whom 85.6% were seropositive, aged 57.9 ± 12.4 years, with mean disease duration 8.5 (5-15) years. 162 patients were treated with anti-TNF and 53 with rituximab for one year. The patients were assessed and blood sampled at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months. IgM anti-PC and oxLDL were determined by ELISA and apolipoproteins by immunoturbidimetry. RESULTS IgM anti-PC increased by 26% during anti-TNF treatment, p<0.001, while decreased by 14% on rituximab, p=0.023, after 12 months of treatment. Patients in remission after 12 months, DAS28<2.6, had higher baseline anti-PC levels compared with those not in remission in both anti-TNF, p=0.007, and rituximab-treated subjects, p=0.041. In both treatment groups, levels of oxLDL increased temporarily at three months but apoA1 improved throughout the study. This effect was inversely correlated with changes in disease activity. The apoB and apoB/apoA1-ratio remained stable throughout the whole study period. CONCLUSIONS Anti-TNF treatment demonstrated a favourable long-term effect on anti-PC levels. Low levels of IgM anti-PC may identify immune-deficient state and predict inferior therapy response. Biological therapies increased the level of the anti-atherogenic lipid apoA1. The impact of these effects on future CVD events deserves further studies.
Does higher general trust serve as a psychosocial buffer against social pain? An NIRS study of social exclusion

Social exclusion evokes social pain in excluded individuals. Neuroimaging studies suggest that this social pain is associated with activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), with further regulation of social pain being reflected in activation of the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC). The present study focused on factors that influence activation of the rVLPFC during social exclusion. We conducted a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) experiment to investigate whether two psychosocial resources (general trust and trait self-esteem) increase rVLPFC activity during social exclusion, thereby buffering against social pain. Thirty-seven undergraduates participated in an NIRS session in which they were socially rejected during an online ball-tossing game. Levels of general trust and trait self-esteem were negatively correlated with self-reported social pain in the exclusion conditions. Furthermore, general trust was positively correlated with rVLPFC activity, although there was no such relationship with self-esteem. rVLPFC activity mediated the relationship between general trust levels and social pain. The rVLPFC appears to be critical for the regulation of social pain. Taken together, these findings suggest that general trust and trait self-esteem probably have different impacts at different times over the course of a series of adaptive processes, all geared toward the modulation of social pain.
Access to Infant Immunizations for Poor, Inner-City Families: What is the Impact of Managed Care?

California plans to enroll half of its Medicaid population, 75 percent of which are children, into managed care. To measure the impact of managed care on utilization of preventive services, we surveyed 867 families in two inner-city areas of Los Angeles and assessed the relationship between insurance type, source of care, and access to immunization services. Compared to children in public health clinics, those in private physicians' offices or health maintenance organizations (HMOs) had odds of being up-to-date on immunizations of 0.43 (p<.01) and 0.24 (p<.01), respectively. We conclude that in the absence of meaningful financial incentives to encourage private physicians and HMOs to provide immunizations to inner-city children, managed care is unlikely to improve immunization rates among this vulnerable population.