Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disruption of the murine interleukin-4 gene inhibits disease progression during Leishmania mexicana infection but does not increase control of Leishmania donovani infection

The growths of both cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania donovani, respectively, were measured in interleukin-4 (IL-4) knockout mice (IL-4-/-) and compared with those of similarly infected wild-type (IL-4+/+) control mice. While large, nonhealing, cutaneous lesions containing large numbers of parasites developed in IL-4+/+ mice subcutaneously infected with 5 x 10(6) L. mexicana amastigotes in the shaven rump, in IL-4-/- mice no lesions whatsoever developed and parasites were difficult to detect. Systemic spread and metastasis were also noted in IL-4+/+ but not IL-4-/- mice. In contrast, IL-4-/- mice infected intravenously with 10(7) L. donovani amastigotes were found to have consistently higher parasite burdens in their livers throughout infection than did their wild-type counterparts. However, these differences were only significant at 15 days postinfection. While the results reported here pertaining to L. donovani largely support previous studies, those related to L. mexicana provide new observations. The immunological responses of IL-4-/- and IL-4+/+ mice infected with L. mexicana were, therefore, examined both in vivo and in vitro. Although neither IL-4-/- nor IL-4+/+ mice infected with L. mexicana produced parasite-specific immunoglobulin G2a antibodies, IL-4+/+ mice, unlike IL-4-/- mice, developed significant immunoglobulin G1 antibody titers as infection progressed, indicating a Th2-influenced response in wild-type mice. In addition, IL-4-/- mice, unlike IL-4+/+ mice, developed a significant delayed-type hypersensitivity response, indicating a Th1-influenced response in IL-4-/- mice. Following in vitro stimulation, splenocytes from IL-4+/+ mice infected with L. mexicana displayed significantly higher antigen-specific proliferative responses than did IL-4-/- mice. However, gamma interferon production as measured from the supernatants of the in vitro splenocyte cultures of IL-4-/- mice was significantly higher than that from IL-4+/+ mice. This again would indicate a predominantly Th1-influenced response in the absence of a Th2 response in IL-4-/- mice infected with L. mexicana. On the other hand, at the same time point, draining lymph node cells from IL-4+/+ mice produced significantly higher quantities of IL-5 than did those from IL-4-/- mice following in vitro antigenic stimulation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Explaining the Key Elements of Information Systems-Based Supply-Chain Strategy That Are Necessary for Business-to-Business Electronic Marketplace Survival

Business-to-business electronic marketplaces (EMs) were hyped as the future of efficient supply chains and as essential to the growth of e-commerce, but in spite of this promise, many EMs failed in the first few years after 2000. Although numerous studies have involved EMs, little research has focused on the degree to which an EM’s automated supply- chain strategy contributed to its survival or failure. Accordingly, this study examines 400 EMs through an extensive survey of the strategic supply- chain capabilities in conjunction with McKinsey & Company and CAPS Research. These results are interpreted using existing strategy literature. The following factors were found to be positively related to EM survival: capturing detailed spend data, providing sourcing and process change recommendations, allowing international contracts, offering the ability to track supplier product availability, and having more than 100 employees. In contrast, the following factors led to EM failure: providing warranties, employing low to medium transaction functionality, integrating with a buyer’s accounting system, allowing buyers to “punch through” to supplier Web sites, permitting the online creation of requisition and purchase orders, transacting a daily volume less than $1,000, and having 25–75 employees. These results highlight the need for EMs to create network effects of economies of scale and scope for buyers, focus on core competencies, and create buyer lock-in through high switching costs. Existing EMs should focus their strategy on developing the factors found to lead to EM survival and eliminating the factors leading to failure.
Entry barriers in retail pharmacy: a novel model

Purpose – Barriers to entry and entry deterrent strategies are widely discussed elements of the strategic literature and help define the attractiveness of an industry. The channel structure of the pharmaceutical industry, in part because of the level of regulation applicable to it, has the potential for idiosyncratic strategic behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of traditional approaches to entry barriers and entry deterrence in the Australian retail pharmacy industry facing the threat of a major entry by examining the perceptions of incumbent retail pharmacists regarding the strength of potential barriers to entry into the industry, and their likely response to entry.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses both qualitative and quantitative methodology to categorise potential barriers to entry in terms of their perception by incumbent players. More than 20 in‐depth interviews are conducted with a range of stakeholders and 132 retail pharmacists completed questionnaire.
PZT thin film actuated elastic fin micromotor

A piezoelectric elastic fin micromotor based on a PbZr/sub 0.53/Ti/sub 0.47/O/sub 3/ thin film driving a micromachined silicon membrane was fabricated and studied. The stator was characterized by interferometry, and a laser set-up was used to measure the angular velocity and acceleration of the motor. The torque, the output power, and the efficiency of the device were extracted from these measurements. Values up to 1020 rpm and 0.94 /spl mu/Nm were observed for the velocity and the torque, respectively, which would be sufficient for a wristwatch application. The present version exhibited an efficiency of 0.17%, which could theoretically be increased to 4.8%.
Experience with High Dose Once-daily Vancomycin for Patients with Skin and Soft-tissue infections in an Ambulatory Setting

Abstract Background Intravenous (IV) vancomycin is commonly used to treat MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections and is typically dosed at 15 mg/kg every 12 hours. Pharmacokinetic studies, animal models, and limited human study suggest that once-daily high dose (30 mg/kg) vancomycin is similar in efficacy for certain types of infection in the hospital setting, but there is little evidence for its use in outpatient antibiotic therapy (OPAT). We have used a high dose vancomycin regimen for MRSA skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) since 2011. We describe our experience with this regimen in an ambulatory setting supervised by Infectious Diseases (ID) physicians and evaluate its efficacy and safety. Methods This retrospective observational study included patients treated with vancomycin for SSTI from Jan 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015. Exclusion criteria included noncompliance with treatment. Patients with initial renal impairment were also excluded as they would be given 15 mg/kg vancomycin daily. Patient demographics, response to vancomycin, duration of therapy, readmission to emergency department (ER), and side effects experienced by patients were collected. A successful outcome was defined as no further requirement for IV vancomycin on the last day of therapy with either oral step down therapy or no further antibiotic. Results 407 charts were reviewed and 208 patients qualified for inclusion. The mean age of included patients was 38 years. Of the 208 patients, 31% were people who inject drugs, 39% had preceding SSTI in the 12 months prior, and 48% had been on antibiotics in the previous 8 weeks. Incision and drainage was done in 50% of the patients. There were 135 positive wound cultures, of which 58% grew MRSA. The average duration of treatment was 4.7 days. A successful outcome was achieved in 162 patients (79%). Side effects including red man syndrome and phlebitis were seen in 19 patients (9.3%). 42 patients (20.5%) were readmitted to ER within 30 days of initial referral, and 18 of those were related to the original infections. Conclusion High dose (30 mg/kg) once-daily vancomycin for SSTI was effective and safe when used for select patients under the supervision of ID physicians in an ambulatory setting. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Rare adult acute lymphocytic leukemia with CD56 expression in the ECOG experience shows unexpected phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity

Expression of CD56, a marker of natural killer (NK) cells, in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is rare and, to date, has been described only in non‐B lineage ALL. Among 194 patients with CD56 analysis on the ongoing Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ALL trial, E2993, 6 cases of CD56+ ALL were found (3.1%) with a median of 95% of blast cells expressing CD56, compared with a median of 1% of blast cells in CD56− ALL (P = 0.0001). FAB‐L2 characteristics dominated, without granulation. Blast cells from four CD56+ patients expressed T‐cell antigens at variable levels of maturation. A clonal rearrangement of the T‐cell receptor β (TCRβ) gene was detected only in one patient. TCRβ variable gene usage studies in this and one other CD56+ ALL patient demonstrated a significantly perturbed usage pattern in both patients when compared with control lymphocytes. The two remaining cases typed as early pre‐B ALL (CD19+, CD10+), with one case co‐expressing CD7. Cytogenetically, 4 patients were normal, 1 complex abnormal, and 1 Philadelphia chromosome positive. Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) sequences were detected in one T‐ and both B‐lymphoid cases. Our data suggest that CD56 is expressed at a precursor stage common to the T‐ and the B‐cell lineage. Am. J. Hematol. 66:189–196, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Competitive effects of co‐operation with suppliers and buyers in the sawmill industry

Purpose – The present paper proposes simultaneous research into the effects of co‐operation with buyers and suppliers on company performance, and how both types of co‐operation interact in one specific industry.Design/methodology/approach – The paper conducts an analysis of a sample of 80 sawmills in the Spanish regions of Galicia and the Basque Country, comprising most of the wood production in Spain.Findings – Contrary to prior research, the results suggest that contextual factors, inherent to each supply chain, affect the relationship between supplier‐customer co‐operation and performance.Research limitations/implications – The findings lead one to argue that some traditional arguments in favour of co‐operation with buyers and suppliers might not be applicable to specific industries, positions in the value chain or exchanged products, and that industry‐specific variables should be included in future research.Practical implications – Sawmills appear to benefit only from co‐operation with buyers, but not.
Modelling Debates on the Computer

In the paper, a model of debate is developed which includes a model of argument. When starting interaction, the participants have opposite communicative goals. They are exchanging arguments and counter-arguments and one of them has finally to abandon his or her initial communicative goal, i.e. one participant ‘wins’ and another ‘loses’. An analysis of human-human dialogue corpus is carried out in order to evaluate the suitability of the model for describing natural debates. A computer implementation is introduced. Notions of negotiation, debate and argument are discussed.
Single unit analysis of mechanoreceptor activity from the human glabrous skin.

Single unit impulses were recorded from the median and the ulnar nerves in waking human subjects with percutaneously inserted tungsten electrodes. 61 mechanoreceptor units in the glabrous skin were analysed with regard to the characteristics of their receptive fields and the basic physiological properties of their endings. 4 different types of receptors could be distinguished. This distinction was based mainly upon the adaptation and the receptive field characteristics although other differences were also observed. The fields had very sharp borders for the majority of the slowly as well as the rapidly adapting units. The field sizes varied considerably: between 10 mm2 and 600 mm2. For a minority of the receptors, slowly as well as rapidly adapting ones, the receptive fields were constituted of a center of high sensitivity and a wide surrounding area of lower sensitivity without distinct borders. The four types of receptors encountered in the present study have striking similarities with four different types of mechano-receptors which have been described in sub-human primates, namely the type I and type II slowly adapting, intradermal receptor, according to Iggo's terminology, an intradermal rapidly adapting receptor and the Pacinian corpuscle which is located in the subcutaneous tissues. Roughly 75% of the units were slowly adapting. This is a much larger proportion than found in the monkey. Further, it was shown how the recording method offers the opportunity to analyse the perceptive responses as well as the neurophysiological responses in first order neurons to mechanical stimuli.
Quick squatting motion generation of a humanoid robot for falling damage reduction

This paper presents quick squatting motion generation of a humanoid robot to reduce its falling damage. The forward squat motion could be realized by simple motion planning of the center of mass. To enhance the stability at the landing, we designed a controller based on Nagasaka's trunk position compliance control. To design a more complicated motion which perform squat and step back at the same time, we design reference Zero-Moment Point and the center of mass trajectories for the requirement. A dynamically consistent robot motion can be obtained by using differential dynamic programming (DDP) technique. Experimental results by using a humanoid robot HRP-2Kai are shown.
Validation methods for calibrating software effort models

COCONUT calibrates effort estimation models using an exhaustive search over the space of calibration parameters in a Cocomo I model. This technique is much simpler than other effort estimation method yet yields PRED levels comparable to those other methods. Also, it does so with less project data and fewer attributes (no scale factors). However, a comparison between COCONUT and other methods is complicated by differences in the experimental methods used for effort estimation. A review of those experimental methods concludes that software effort estimation models should be calibrated to local data using incremental holdout (not jack knife) studies, combined with randomization and hypothesis testing, repeated a statistically significant number of times.
A simple, quantitative method for assessing angiogenesis and antiangiogenic agents using reconstituted basement membrane, heparin, and fibroblast growth factor.

BACKGROUND Blood vessel growth is necessary for normal tissue homeostatis and contributes to solid tumor growth. Methods to quantitate neovascularization should be useful in testing biological factors and drugs that regulate angiogenesis or to induce a vascular supply to promote wound healing. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN An extract of basement membrane proteins (Matrigel) was found to reconstitute into a gel when injected subcutaneously into C57/BL mice and to support an intense vascular response when supplemented with angiogenic factors. RESULTS New vessels and von Willebrand factor antigen staining were apparent in the gel 2-3 days after injection, reaching a maximum after 3-5 days. Hemoglobin content of the gels was found to parallel the increase in vessels in the gel allowing ready quantitation. Angiogenesis was obtained with both acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors and was enhanced by heparin. Several substances were tested for angiostatic activity in this assay by coinjection in Matrigel with fibroblast growth factor and heparin. Platelet-derived growth factor BB, interleukin 1-beta, interleukin-6, and transforming growth factor-beta were potent inhibitors of neovascularization induced by fibroblast growth factor. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha did not alter the response but was alone a potent inducer of neovascularization when coinjected with Matrigel and heparin. Consistent with the previously demonstrated importance of collagenase in mediating endothelial cell invasion, a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases that also inhibits collagenases was found to be a potent inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor-induced angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Our assay allows the ready quantitative assessment of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors and should be useful in the isolation of endothelial cells from the capillaries that penetrate into the gel.
Quantification of Transcripts from Depth Interviews, Open Ended Responses and Focus Groups: Challenges, Accomplishments, New Applications and Perspectives for Market Research

To many qualitative researchers, using quantitative techniques for analysing qualitative data is inappropriate. At the same time, hard-core market research methodologists in most cases are reluctant to work with qualitative data like text excerpts from focus groups, in-depth interviews and responses from open-ended questions. According to the latter type of researchers, data analysis is based on quantitative information like raw numbers, data cells, tables and figures. Number crunchers prefer data that are metric scaled, interval scaled or at least categorically scaled with a limited number of categories (i.e. 20) within a variable as an upper limit.
The Aging Brain: For the Cortex, Neuron Loss May Be Less Than Thought

Just a decade ago, almost all neuroscientists thought the brain inexorably loses neurons with age, ultimately leading to serious cognitive difficulties. But there is growing evidence that in normal brains (as opposed to those of people with Alzheimer's disease), the neocortex, the brain area governing much of human cognition, may not experience large neuronal losses. Instead, the cognitive declines that occur with normal aging may be due to more subtle changes, such as loss of myelin and decreases in either neurotransmitters or their receptors. Not everyone accepts the idea that cortical neurons are maintained, but if it is correct it may open the door to the development of drugs to improve cognitive functioning in the aged.
Principles of pathogenetic therapy of diabetic gastroparesis

The therapeutic effectiveness of α-lipoic acid preparations and benfotiamine in treating symptoms of gastroparesis in patients with diabetes mellitus was evaluated. Pathogenetic interrelationships among increasing concentration of peripheral myelin protein and a decrease in the motor-evacuation function of the stomach were determined. The results of a three-month course of pathogenetic therapy demonstrate the effectiveness of combination therapy which is not associated with an improved compensation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It is a result of the direct effect of preparations on the investigated metabolic processes and restoration of myelination of the nerve fibers.
Hierarchical coordinated control of distributed generators and active power filters to enhance power quality of microgrids

This paper addresses the coordinated control of distributed generators (DGs) inverters and active power filters (APFs) to compensate voltage harmonics in microgrids. For this, a hierarchical control system is proposed to mitigate voltage harmonic distortion. The hierarchical control structure includes two control levels: primary control and secondary control. Primary control consists of power controllers, selective virtual impedance loops and proportional-resonant (PR) voltage/current controllers. Secondary control manages the compensation of voltage harmonic distortion of sensitive load bus (SLB). Compensation of SLB harmonics by control of DGs may cause excessive voltage harmonics at the terminal of one or more of DGs interface inverters and/oroverloading of the inverters. After occurrence of each of these cases, active power filter (APF) participates in harmonic compensation and consequently the compensation efforts of DGs decrease to avoidexcessive harmonics or loading of DGs' inverters. Effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is demonstratedthrough simulation studies.
The Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in Scotland’s innovation system

Research and technology organizations (RTOs) have been the subject of recent interest because of the benefits they can bring to regional innovation systems. RTO functions must be tailored to their environments, but there has been little research into how these functions can be systematically deduced using the regional innovation system model as a normative reference. This paper examines the optimal functions of a new RTO in Scotland. An ex ante analysis based on three thematic areas (linkages, themes and services, and strategic capability) is used to consider how this RTO can optimally function in an innovation system with recognized structural weaknesses.
Making Address-Correlated Prefetching Practical

Despite a decade of research demonstrating its efficacy, address-correlated prefetching has never been implemented in a shipping processor because it requires megabytes of metadata - too large to store practically on chip. New storage-, latency-, and bandwidth-efficient mechanisms for storing metadata off chip yield a practical design that achieves 90 percent of the performance potential of idealized on-chip metadata storage.
The differential effects of position, ad and reader characteristics on readers’ processing of newspaper ads

Building on previous research on the processing of newspaper ads, this comprehensive field study, with 26,556 newspaper readers and 290 unique advertisements, investigated the combined effects of position in the newspaper, ad characteristics and reader characteristics. The results show a differential effect of stimulus-specific and person-related factors: with increasing levels of ad processing, from passive to active, the influence moved from position in the newspaper, via mechanical ad characteristics to message content and reader interest. The findings affirm that advertisers who want to reach their audience need to first consider placement; but to encourage actual processing of the ad they need to make the ad outstanding and relevant.