Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes of exhaled nitric oxide during steroid treatment of childhood asthma

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is elevated in several inflammatory airway diseases and is significantly reduced by anti-inflammatory treatment with inhaled steroids. The aim of this randomized, open clinical trial was to evaluate eNO in relation to conventional lung function parameters at rest and after exercise during sequential changes of inhaled steroids in children with persistent asthma. The study consisted of a 4 week run-in period, a 4 week washout phase and a randomized treatment period during which only one group was treated again with inhaled budesonide. After run-in, eNO was reduced to normal values, and rose again during washout. In the patients randomized to steroid treatment, eNO was again decreased, whereas it remained unchanged in the untreated patients. Forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity at rest and after exercise improved significantly after run-in, but showed no difference after randomization. However there was a strong correlation of eNO with patient compliance. Exhaled nitric oxide was able to differentiate between children briefly treated with or without steroids, the conventional lung-function variables however could not. In practice exhaled nitric oxide may thus be a valuable parameter to monitor adherence to steroids, but less suitable to describe physiologically relevant impairments of lung function.
Intersectionality as a usful tool: Anti-oppressive social work and critical reflection

This article introduces intersectionality as a usable tool for critical reflection, which as a part of the critical social work tradition aims to challenge oppression and inequality. It is argued that in critical reflection, oppression and injustice are often understood in general terms and that oppression and inequalities related to gender, sexuality, class, and race therefore risk being neutralized and undetected. The suggestion is made that by using an intersectional approach, which focuses the interplay and complexity between gender, sexuality, class, and race, critical reflection gets the capacity to keep central power relations in urgent focus.
A Novel Phone-State Matrix Based Vocabulary-Indenendent Keyword Spotting Method for Spontaneous Speech

Keyword spotting (KWS) is an essential technique for speech information retrieval. When doing offline keyword query on large volume spontaneous speech data, fast and accurate KWS methods are required. In this paper, a novel phone-state matrix based vocabulary-independent KWS method is proposed, which has merits of both hidden Markov model (HMM) based and lattice-based methods. Four KWS systems are compared in our experiments on conversational telephone speech test set. Result shows that compared to the high precision HMM-based KWS system the proposed phone-state matrix system has better equal-error-rate (EER) and false-alarm (FA) performance than the other two lattice-based systems.
Database generation and recognition of online handwritten Bangla characters

This article describes a recent effort for database creation and recognition of online handwritten isolated basic characters of Bangla, the second most popular script of the Indian subcontinent. It describes a scheme for extraction of sub-strokes from the online samples of handwritten Bangla characters, which are significantly cursive in shapes. The proposed recognition scheme includes a new feature vector to be computed for each sub-stroke. The recognition performance of the test samples of the present database is evaluated separately on two classifiers -- a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based classifier and a nearest-neighbour classifier based on Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). The second classifier outperforms the HMM-based classifier for the present test set.
Mutations affecting transition-state stabilization by residues coordinating zinc at the active site of cytidine deaminase.

Cytidine deaminase from Escherichia coli contains 1 mol of tightly bound zinc per enzyme subunit (Yang, C., Carlow, D., Wolfenden, R., & Short, S.A. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 4168-4174). When the metal liganding residues Cys-129 and Cys-132 were replaced by Ala, and His-102 was replaced by Ala, Asn, or Gln, deaminase activities of cell extracts containing these mutant enzymes were decreased by several orders of magnitude relative to that of the wild-type enzyme. After purification, each mutant protein was found to contain less than 0.2 mol of zinc per enzyme subunit, except mutant H102Q, which contained 1 mol of zinc per subunit. The activity of each mutant enzyme increased in the presence of added zinc but never attained wild-type activity. Mutant H102N was unique in that this protein could be purified as a stable apoenzyme, activated by added zinc, and then inhibited by EDTA. This mutant enzyme bound zinc with an apparent Kd value of 6.0 x 10(-10) M and regained maximal activity in the presence of 1 mol of zinc per subunit. Affinities of the mutant cytidine deaminases for the transition-state analogue, 5-fluoropyrimidin-2-one ribonucleoside (3,4) hydrate, were found to decrease in rough proportion to kcat/Km over a range spanning several orders of magnitude. This variation in catalytic efficiency arose mainly from effects on kcat, indicating the involvement of zinc coordination in the catalytic process rather than in substrate binding.
Treatment-Related Protein Biomarker Expression Differs between Primary and Recurrent Ovarian Carcinomas

The molecular characteristics of recurrent ovarian cancers following chemotherapy treatment have been poorly characterized. Such knowledge could impact salvage therapy selection. Since 2008, we have profiled 168 patients' ovarian cancers to determine the expression of proteins that may predict chemotherapy response or are targets for drugs that are in clinical trials for ovarian cancer treatment. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), HER2, VEGF, ER, c-Met, IGF1R, Ki67, COX2, PGP/MDR1, BCRP, MRP1, excision repair complementation group 1 (ERCC1), MGMT, TS, RRM1, TOPO1, TOP2A, and SPARC was measured by immunohistochemical analyses at Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments–certified laboratories. Our univariate analysis of 56 primary and 50 recurrent tumors from patients with advanced stage ovarian serous carcinoma revealed that PGP and ERCC1 were significantly upregulated in recurrent lesions (P < 0.05). To determine whether these or any of the other markers were differentially expressed in specimens obtained from the same individual at diagnosis and at recurrence, we analyzed 43 matched tumor specimens from 19 advanced stage ovarian carcinoma patients. We confirmed the expression differences in PGP and ERCC1 that were observed in the cohort analysis but discovered that the expression levels of BCRP, RRM1, and COX2 were also discordant in more than 40% of the matched tumor specimens. These results may have implications both for the use of biomarkers in therapy selection as well as for their discovery and validation. Expression of these and other candidate response biomarkers must be evaluated in much larger studies and, if confirmed, support the need for profiling of recurrent tumor specimens in future clinical trials. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(2); 492–502. ©2011 AACR.
Inpainting of Ancient Austrian frescoes Wolfgang Baatz

Digital inpainting methods provide an important tool in the restoration of images in a wide range of applications. We present mathematical methods with certain higher order partial differential equations for the inpainting of ancient frescoes. In particular we discuss the Cahn-Hilliard equation for the inpainting of binary structure and a higher order total variation approach. As an example for the preformance of our algorithms we consider the recently discovered Neidhart frescoes in Vienna.
GIS AND REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS FOR RAINWATER HARVESTING IN THE SYRIAN DESERT (AL-BADIA)

This paper attempts to describe the state of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) techniques and the contributions of GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies for RWH in The Syrian Desert (AL-Badia). Studies were conducted using physiographic factors of The Syrian Desert (the natural factors, the climatic factors, the pastoral cover, and animal wealth) for the applications of GIS and Remote sensing techniques with the view to establishing it for Rainwater Harvesting activities. Images of the Indian satellite with ground resolution of 5 m 2 were used to identify tents of herds during the grazing seasons. The image processing software ERDAS IMAGINE and GIS software ARC/INFO were used to process the images and to establish a geo-information system comprising digital data sets of satellite imagery, topography, soil, vegetation, hydrology, and meteorology. This information was used to study the watershed network in the Syrian Desert (AL-Badia), and to identify areas generally suitable for water harvesting in order to determine water harvesting techniques for those sites.
The 1990 Solomon Islands tourism plan: a critical discourse analysis

The 1991–2001 Solomon island Tourist Development Plan was prepared by the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP), an inter-governmental organization responsible for developing and promoting tourism in the South Pacific region and funded by the Economic Union. In many ways it is a model of the master planning approach used by governments, aid agencies and consultants. The paper presents a narrative underpinned by critical discourse analysis to unpick the plan and present an alternative reading of the content. This thick description (Geertz, 1973), along with the benefit of hindsight, reveals that in some ways the plan was flawed in both its approach (which was deterministic and narrowly visioned) and its recommendations (that did little to take account of the complexities of the modalities between clans, landowners and central government).
Transcriptome Analysis of Responses to Rhodomyrtone in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Rhodomyrtone, purified from Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk, exhibits a high degree of potency against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We recently demonstrated that exposure of MRSA to a subinhibitory concentration (0.174 µg/ml) of rhodomyrtone resulted in the alteration of expression of several functional classes of bacterial proteins. To provide further insight into the antibacterial mode of action of this compound, we determined the impact of exposure to rhodomyrtone on the gene transcriptional profile of MRSA using microarray analysis. Exposure of MRSA to subinhibitory concentrations (0.5MIC; 0.5 µg/ml) of rhodomyrtone revealed significant modulation of gene expression, with induction of 64 genes and repression of 35 genes. Prominent changes in response to exposure to rhodomyrtone involved genes encoding proteins essential to metabolic pathways and processes such as amino acid metabolism, membrane function, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transportation and lipoprotein and nucleotide metabolism. Genes involved in the synthesis of the aspartate family of amino acids, in particular proteins encoded by the dap operon were prominent. The diaminopimelate (DAP) biosynthetic pathway is the precursor of lysine synthesis and is essential for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. However, phenotypic analysis of the peptidoglycan amino acid content of rhodomyrtone-treated MRSA did not differ significantly from that extracted from control cells. Genes involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids and peptidoglycan, and a high affinity ATP-driven K (+) transport system, were investigated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) using EMRSA-16 1, 4, or 18 h after exposure to rhodomyrtone and in general the data concurred with that obtained by microarray, highlighting the relevance of the DAP biosynthetic pathway to the mode of action of rhodomyrtone.
5-HT7 receptor signaling: improved therapeutic strategy in gut disorders

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is most commonly known for its role as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the majority of the body’s 5-HT is produced in the gut by enterochromaffin (EC) cells. Alterations in 5-HT signaling have been associated with various gut disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and enteric infections. Recently, our studies have identified a key role for 5-HT in the pathogenesis of experimental colitis. 5-HT7 receptors are expressed in the gut and very recently, we have shown evidence of 5-HT7 receptor expression on intestinal immune cells and demonstrated a key role for 5-HT7 receptors in generation of experimental colitis. This review summarizes the key findings of these studies and provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of the 5-HT7 receptor in terms of its pathophysiological relevance and therapeutic potential in intestinal inflammatory conditions, such as IBD.
Differential expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene by alveolar and peritoneal macrophages in lipopolysaccharide‐hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice

In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice, alveolar macrophages (AMφ) produce much more tumour necrosis factor‐α than peritoneal macrophages (PMφ) when stimulated with LPS (10 µg/ml), but the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and production of nitric oxide (NO) in AMφ are not found. In the present study, we determined the induction of iNOS gene expression, using semi‐quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and the release of NO in AMφ and PMφ from C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeN mice. The results showed the induction of iNOS mRNA accumulation in a dose‐dependent manner by LPS alone or in combination with interferon‐γ in both macrophages. The effects of the stimuli on iNOS gene expression and NO production were significantly higher in AMφ than in the PMφ of C3H/HeJ mice. The response of macrophages from C3H/HeN mice was similar to those from C3H/HeJ mice, but the difference of iNOS gene expression between AMφ and PMφ in C3H/HeN mice was not as striking as in C3H/HeJ mice. The results show that the iNOS gene expression and NO production were activated differently in AMφ and PMφ and suggest that the functional properties of macrophages isolated from distinct origins are different.
Asparagine Substitution at PB2 Residue 701 Enhances the Replication, Pathogenicity, and Transmission of the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Virus

The 2009/2010 pandemic influenza virus (H1N1pdm) contains an avian-lineage PB2 gene that lacks E627K and D701N substitutions important in the pathogenesis and transmission of avian-origin viruses in humans or other mammals. Previous studies have shown that PB2-627K is not necessary because of a compensatory Q591R substitution. The role that PB2-701N plays in the H1N1pdm phenotype is not well understood. Therefore, PB2-D701N was introduced into an H1N1pdm virus (A/New York/1682/2009 (NY1682)) and analyzed in vitro and in vivo. Mini-genome replication assay, in vitro replication characteristics in cell lines, and analysis in the mouse and ferret models demonstrated that PB2-D701N increased virus replication rates and resulted in more severe pathogenicity in mice and more efficient transmission in ferrets. In addition, compared to the NY1682-WT virus, the NY1682-D701N mutant virus induced less IFN-λ and replicated to a higher titer in primary human alveolar epithelial cells. These findings suggest that the acquisition of the PB2-701N substitution by H1N1pdm viruses may result in more severe disease or increase transmission in humans.
Building a Formative Assessment System That is Easy to Adopt Yet Supports Long-term Improvement: A Review of the Literature and Design Recommendations

Formative assessment has been shown to be an effective teaching tool, yet is infrequently used in practice. With the intent of building a formative e-assessment platform, we examine research on formative practices and supporting computer-based systems with a focus on: institutional barriers to adoption of previous systems; senses in which students and teachers can improve their practices across varying timescales; and collectible data (self-reported or otherwise) necessary or advantageous in supporting these processes. From this research we identify the minimal set of data which adequately supports these processes of improvement, arrive at a set of requirements and recommendations for an innovative system which collects, processes, and presents this data appropriately, and from these requirements design the architecture of an extensible electronic formative assessment system which balances the need for complex long-term analytics with that of accessibility.
CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF SPONSORSHIP IN THE ARTS

This article investigates consumers’ perceptions of three types of sponsors that play a role in backing financially Canadian artistic and cultural organisations: government ministries (or departments), Crown corporations and private companies. In addition to the type of sponsor and the nature of the sponsorship (philanthropic or commercial), the perceived congruence between the sponsor and the sponsored event (strong as opposed to weak), and the form of arts and cultural events (high art versus popular art and performing arts versus heritage arts) are explored in an experimental setting combining within‐subjects and between‐subjects factors. The main hypothesis of this research was that consumers’ perceptions are not the same when it comes to the different kinds of sponsors that evolve in the cultural and art fields. As the researchers explored this issue, they observed that significant differences do exist. It is believed that the rich findings of this study will be useful to civil servants.
Characterization of Determinants Important for Hepatitis C Virus p7 Function in Morphogenesis by Using trans-Complementation

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) p7 is an integral membrane protein that forms ion channels in vitro and that is crucial for the efficient assembly and release of infectious virions. Due to these properties, p7 was included in the family of viroporins that comprises proteins like influenza A virus M2 and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vpu, which alter membrane permeability and facilitate the release of infectious viruses. p7 from different HCV isolates sustains virus production with variable efficiency. Moreover, p7 determinants modulate processing at the E2/p7 and the p7/NS2 signal peptidase cleavage sites, and E2/p7 cleavage is incomplete. Consequently, it was unclear if a differential ability to sustain virus production was due to variable ion channel activity or due to alternate processing at these sites. Therefore, we developed a trans-complementation assay permitting the analysis of p7 outside of the HCV polyprotein and thus independently of processing. The rescue of p7-defective HCV genomes was accomplished by providing E2, p7, and NS2, or, in some cases, by p7 alone both in a transient complementation assay as well as in stable cell lines. In contrast, neither influenza A virus M2 nor HIV-1 vpu compensated for defective p7 in HCV morphogenesis. Thus, p7 is absolutely essential for the production of infectious HCV particles. Moreover, our data indicate that p7 can operate independently of an upstream signal sequence, and that a tyrosine residue close to the conserved dibasic motif of p7 is important for optimal virus production in the context of genotype 2a viruses. The experimental system described here should be helpful to investigate further key determinants of p7 that are essential for its structure and function in the absence of secondary effects caused by altered polyprotein processing.
Electroosmotic guiding of sample flows in a laminar flow chamber

The so‐called address‐flow principle is described: a valveless, electroosmotically driven technology used for controlling the stream profile in a laminar flow chamber. The method is explained, and a theoretical description and experimental verification are presented. Adjustment of the flow of two electroosmotically controlled guiding streams, running parallel to a central sample stream, can be used for positioning the sample stream in the dimension perpendicular to the flow direction. The results presented show that address‐flow microfluidics allow easy and accurate control of sample stream position and width. The electroosmotic flow (EOF)‐controlled guiding of microfluidic flows described in this paper, is a new unit operation that might aid in separation and collection in microfluidic devices. One possible application of address‐flow microfluidics is guiding of capillary electrophoresis‐separated components over a multisensor array, in order to perform affinity assays.
Organizational Change

It has also been suggested that I only include information related to organizational change as it relates to for-profit organizations. When I suggest that there is also relevant information which relates to social change, typically, I hear the recommendation that I should focus on one or the other but not both. This appears to be a secondary manifestation of a belief that the dynamic of organizational change is directly linked to methodology. As of yet, I have not heard a credible argument as to how the dynamic of social change differs from corporate change. The main differences appear to be related to the goals of the desired change. Even suggesting a correlation between corporate and social change appears to challenge widely and, apparently, deeply held assumptions about the nature of organizational change.
Language testing: The social dimension

In this book, the authors foreground an aspect of language testing that is usually not much discussed and is frequently considered an “advanced” topic: the social dimension of language testing. They see various social dimensions in language testing. There are socially oriented language tests, i.e., tests which assess learners’ ability to use language in social settings. These are primarily oral proficiency interviews and tests of second language pragmatics. But the authors also understand “social” as “societal” and look at the larger-scale impact of tests on individual learners or groups of learners by discussing fairness and bias in language testing. They also broaden their view and discuss the role of language testing in a macro-social context, e.g. as accountability measures in education systems, as gatekeeping instruments for migration, and as tools for constructing and defining social groups. Their discussion is anchored in traditional and more recent views of validity theory.
Teach the Children Well: A Holistic Approach to Developing Psychosocial and Behavioral Competencies Through Physical Education

The goal of a positive youth development perspective is the promotion of healthy physical and psychosocial development in young people. This approach consists of social-contextual features (e.g., teacher behaviors, classroom structure, student activities) that help equip youth with attributes, skills, competencies, and values that will contribute to their role as productive, socially conscious, and healthy citizens. School physical education represents a context that has the potential for promoting positive youth development by helping students acquire life skills and psychosocial and behavioral attributes that can transfer to other important domains (school, family, work) concurrently and over the life span. I contend that such skills and attributes should include both motor skill development and physical activity and health goals.