Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF WOODLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY FOR EMPLOYEES: ITS DEVELOPMENT, INTERPRETATION, AND SIGNIFICANCE

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF WOODLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY FOR EMPLOYEES: ITS DEVELOPMENT, INTERPRETATION, AND SIGNIFICANCE By Greenlee Buchanan Naughton, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 Major Director: Katherine Cumings Mansfield, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership School of Education The popularity of social networking sites on the World Wide Web has exploded during the past two decades. As more and more K-12 public school teachers choose to actively participate on social networking sites, school leaders and school boards face the increasingly difficult decision about whether or not to enact policies which will enable them to discipline teachers for their online behavior. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the development, interpretation, and significance of one such policy. The research questions focused on the contextual factors which led to this particular policy’s creation, the extent to which this policy has been interpreted, and the use of “the crime of moral turpitude” clause, commonly found in public school teacher contracts, to regulate teacher online behavior. Comparative historical analysis and interpretive policy analysis research methods were used to examine data collected through document review and recorded interviews. The results of this study disclosed the firing of a teacher from this particular division for off-duty conduct transmitted through social media and the forewarnings of a hired consultant who urged the creation of more thorough human resources policies. In addition, the analysis of the actual wording of the policy revealed that the aim of this particular policy is to restrict and prohibit inappropriate behavior on the Internet by school employees. Implications of the study, recommendations for further research, and final thoughts are also included.
The sunburn cell.

The sunburn cell, with its pyknotic nucleus and eosinophilic cytoplasm, is characteristic of mammalian epidermis after exposure to UVC and UVB radiation or UVA radiation in the presence of psoralens. The photochemical events that lead to its formation are not known, but there is good evidence that damage to DNA is an important factor. The fate of the sunburn cell, a keratinocyte which shows abnormal and premature keratinization, is not known. Desquamation and/or phagocytosis seem probable. Sunburn cells may be regarded as examples of apoptosis: controlled individual cell death.
Global analysis of disulfide bond proteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposed to hydrogen peroxide and gamma rays

Purpose: To isolate and characterise the oxidative stress-responsible disulfide bond proteins (DSBP) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, under hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gamma ray-induced stress conditions. Materials and methods: Oxidative stress in P. aeruginosa was induced by H2O2 or 60Co γ-rays. DSBP of P. aeruginosa were isolated by using a thiol affinity purification method and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Induction of DSBP and their transcriptional levels were analysed by Western blot and quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), respectively. Results: We isolated and identified 40 DSBP in P. aeruginosa. A comparison of DSBP patterns under different stress conditions, including exposure to 0.5 mM H2O2 and 30 Gy of gamma rays, was carried out. We selected 13 DSBP based on their increased intensity under oxidative stress and investigated their expression levels using q-PCR. Of these 13 proteins, P. aeruginosa (PA) 0126 and PA0277 transcriptional levels were strongly induced (4- to 9-fold) by gamma ray. A corresponding induction in the translational levels of PA0126 was confirmed by Western blot analysis. PA0126 was identified is a hypothetical protein with 206 amino acids and contained three cysteine residues. A shift in molecular weight of PA0126 under oxidised/reduced state indicated its homo-oligomeric structure under non-reducing condition. Conclusion: PA0126, a hypothetical protein with disulfide bonds was identified as a key responder to oxidative stress along with other known DSBP of P. aeruginosa. We determined that all DSBP underwent a redox cycling. Furthermore, our results give deeper insight into the relationship between oxidative stress and DSBP in P. aeruginosa.
Phylogenetic Investigation of Transmission Pathways of Drug-Resistant HIV-1 Utilizing Pol Sequences Derived From Resistance Genotyping

Objectives:To investigate the nature of transmission links existing between patients recently infected with HIV strains containing transmitted drug resistance (TDR) mutations. Methods:Virus from 63 individuals recently infected with HIV-1 containing TDR mutations was analyzed phylogenetically to determine virological links. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using maximum likelihood and distance-based methods. Monophyletic clusters detected on the basis of pol sequences were confirmed using env and gag sequences. Potential bias caused by the presence of drug resistance mutations was assessed by reanalyzing the pol sequence set after the omission of 16 drug resistance codons identified in the TDR population. Results:Phylogenetic analysis revealed 9 apparent transmission clusters involving 24 of the 63 (38%) TDR patients. Each cluster was supported by high bootstrap values and low intracluster genetic distances. The 9 transmission clusters were confirmed in separate analyses using env and gag sequences and in pol sequences after the removal of codons associated with drug resistance. Conclusions:Pol sequences generated during baseline resistance genotyping for newly HIV-infected patients provide the opportunity for real-time phylogenetics to identify sources of multiple HIV transmission events. This study demonstrated the existence of several distinct clusters of patients whose TDR strains were linked. Several discrete clusters involving transmission of K103N- and/or M41L-resistant virus to multiple recipients were detected, suggesting that multiple transmission pathways can exist for viruses with the same resistance mutations.
Altered penile vascular reactivity and erection in the Zucker obese-diabetic rat.

INTRODUCTION The combination of the independent risk factors for erectile dysfunction, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are manifested collectively in a condition known as metabolic syndrome X. However, the exact mechanism(s) by which the combination of these factors contributes to erectile dysfunction have yet to be elucidated. AIM We hypothesized that protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho-kinase enhanced vascular tone and thus contributed to erectile dysfunction in this condition. METHODS Erectile function was evaluated by recording voltage-dependent increases in intracavernosal pressure following stimulation of the cavernosal nerve in 16- to 20-week-old lean and obese-diabetic Zucker rats. Cavernosal tissue contractile and relaxation responses were evaluated in vitro when contracted with phenylephrine, endothelin-1 and relaxed by Rho-kinase, PKC inhibitors or sodium nitroprusside. Additionally, cavernosal tissue Rho-kinase, protein kinase, and nitric oxide synthase isoform expression were evaluated by Western blot. RESULTS The voltage-dependent erectile responses were suppressed by >30% in the obese-diabetic Zucker rat. The maximal stress generated by cavernosal tissue from the obese-diabetic was significantly greater than the lean response by greater than 0.8 mN/mm(2) for both phenylephrine and endothelin stimulation. The PKC inhibitor, chelerythrine, inhibited more than 30% of the phenylephrine-induced and 70% of the endothelin-1-induced contractions. Rho-kinase inhibition, with either Y-27632 or HA-1077, revealed impaired relaxations of nearly 30% in tissue from obese-diabetic animals. Western blot analysis revealed increased protein expression of PKC alpha and delta and Rho-kinase alpha and beta but no loss for endothelial or neuronal nitric oxide synthase. CONCLUSIONS In this rodent model both PKC and Rho-kinase signaling elements may contribute to an enhanced vasoconstriction state of the penile smooth muscle that was differentially dependent on the agonist used. The enhanced vasoconstrictive state of the tissue could contribute to the reduced voltage-dependent erectile response in the obese-diabetic Zucker rat.
Effect of albumin supplementation during parenteral nutrition on hospital morbidity.

Because several studies have shown a significant inverse correlation between depressed serum concentrations of albumin and hospital morbidity, a study with central total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with normal serum albumin (NSA) in hypoalbuminemic patients was conducted. Sixty-one patients who required central TPN were randomized into one of two groups: group 1 (n = 31) received TPN plus NSA (25 to 37.5 g/day) until their measured serum albumin was greater than 3 g/dl, and group 2 (n = 30), who received TPN alone. All patients were followed for hospital complications until discharge or death. The groups were well matched for age, sex, major diagnoses, initial serum albumin concentrations, hospital complications before TPN, and number of operative procedures. Both groups received comparable doses of energy (37.2 +/- 89 vs. 3.30 +/- 6.2 kcal/kg.day) and protein (1.6 +/- 0.4 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.3 g/kg.day). After initiation of TPN, there were significantly more hospital complications in group 2 (1 = 1.1 +/- 1.4, n = 33; 2 = 2.6 +/- 3.0, n = 80, p less than .01). When complications in the patient groups were stratified, significantly more patients in group 2 developed pneumonia (18 vs. 9, p less than .05) and septicemia (11 vs. 2, p less than .05). Increasing serum albumin concentrations with NSA in hypoalbuminemic patients receiving central TPN appears to be associated with a reduction in hospital morbidity.
End of Life Care and Reactions to Death in African-American and White Family Caregivers of Relatives with Alzheimer's Disease

Family caregivers for relatives with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) often experience significant stress-related problems in mental and physical health. Patients with AD often survive for protracted periods of time, placing an extensive burden of care on the caregiver prior to the patient's death. The present study addresses ethnic differences in the experience of AD caregivers around the time of their loved one's death, including life-sustaining treatment decisions and reactions to death. The results showed that, in our sample, more patients died in their homes than has been reported for deaths in the United States. African-American and White caregivers differed substantially in their reports of end of life care and subjective reactions to the death. Compared with White caregivers, African-American caregivers were less likely to make a decision to withhold treatment at the time of death, less likely to have their relative die in a nursing home, and reported less acceptance of the relative's death and greater perceived loss. Results suggest that death after AD caregiving deserves further study, and that ethnic differences in end of life care and bereavement may be of particular importance.
Identification and Expression Analysis of the Zebrafish Homologs of the ceramide synthase Gene Family

Background: Sphingolipids represent a major class of lipids which both serve as structural components of membranes and as bioactive molecules involved in lipid signaling. Ceramide synthases (cers) reside in the center of sphingolipid metabolism by producing ceramide through de novo synthesis or degradative pathways. While the six mammalian cers family members have been extensively studied in cell culture and in adult tissues, a systematic analysis of cers expression and function during embryogenesis is still lacking. Results: Using bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis, we identified nine highly conserved homologs of the vertebrate cers gene family in the zebrafish genome. A systematic expression analysis throughout five developmental stages indicates that, whereas until 48 hours post fertilization most zebrafish cers homologs are expressed in distinct patterns, e.g., in the intermediate cell mass and the pronephric duct, they show a highly overlapping expression during later stages of embryonic development, mostprominently in the developing brain. Conclusions: In this study, the expression of the cers gene homologs is comprehensively analyzed for the first time during vertebrate embryogenesis. Our data indicate that each embryonic tissue has a unique profile of cers expression during zebrafish embryogenesis suggesting tissue‐specific profiles of ceramides and their derivatives. Developmental Dynamics 242:189–200, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical significance of nucleostemin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE To investigate the expression and significance of the expression of nucleostemin (NS) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS Immunohistochemistry (streptavidin-peroxidase method) was used to detect NS and PCNA expression in 53 NSCLC samples and 15 normal lung samples. RESULTS NS protein expression was detected in 54.7% (29/53) of the NSCLC samples and 0% (0/15) of the normal lung samples (p<0.01). Furthermore, the positive expression rate of PCNA was 6.67% (1/15) in normal lung samples and 71.7% (38/53) in NSCLC samples (p<0.05). Also, the NS protein expression rate was 65.2% (15/23) in adenocarcinoma tissue samples, significantly higher than that in squamous tissues, where the NS expression rate was 46.7% (14/30) (p<0.05). In addition, the NS expression rate of 42.9% (15/35) in well or moderately differentiated tumor tissues was lower than the rate of 77.8% (14/18) in poorly differentiated tumor tissues (p<0.05). The grade of differentiation had no correlation with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and lymph node metastasis (p>0.05). Also, the positive expression rate of PCNA was significantly higher in NSCLC samples than in normal lung samples (p<0.05). In addition, a positive correlation was found between NS and PCNA expression in NSCLC (p<0.05). CONCLUSION The highly valuable tumor molecular markers, NS and PCNA, had higher expression levels in NSCLC samples. Combined detection of NS and PCNA may be important for the early diagnosis of lung cancer and individualized therapy, having also an important role in predicting tumor prognosis.
Structure of the C-domain of Human Cardiac Troponin C in Complex with the Ca2+ Sensitizing Drug EMD 57033*

Ca2+ binding to cardiac troponin C (cTnC) triggers contraction in heart muscle. In heart failure, myofilaments response to Ca2+ are often altered and compounds that sensitize the myofilaments to Ca2+possess therapeutic value in this syndrome. One of the most potent and selective Ca2+ sensitizers is the thiadiazinone derivative EMD 57033, which increases myocardial contractile function bothin vivo and in vitro and interacts with cTnCin vitro. We have determined the NMR structure of the 1:1 complex between Ca2+-saturated C-domain of human cTnC (cCTnC) and EMD 57033. Favorable hydrophobic interactions between the drug and the protein position EMD 57033 in the hydrophobic cleft of the protein. The drug molecule is orientated such that the chiral group of EMD 57033 fits deep in the hydrophobic pocket and makes several key contacts with the protein. This stereospecific interaction explains why the (−)-enantiomer of EMD 57033 is inactive. Titrations of the cCTnC·EMD 57033 complex with two regions of cardiac troponin I (cTnI34–71 and cTnI128–147) reveal that the drug does not share a common binding epitope with cTnI128–147 but is completely displaced by cTnI34–71. These results have important implications for elucidating the mechanism of the Ca2+ sensitizing effect of EMD 57033 in cardiac muscle contraction.
Alternative Lending Platform using AI & Big data enabled Social Credit

: Today, many people in both first world and emerging economy do not have access to capital due to insufficient credit history. This platform which uses social media as one of its parameters is a way towards providing credit to a larger population group. Since, the subprime group is not availing the general credit rating bureau scores, a more comprehensive data capture protocol from alternative sources must be deployed for creating the credit rating models. These alternative credit rating modules span across a wide user base right from subprime users in the first world to the unbanked population in emerging economies. The lending process is divided into two parts, Direct user flow to the portal where post submission of their details which includes sharing of certain basic information is permissions like social media field, bank account details and phone data use permission. A robust credit rating module is built.
A yeast two‐hybrid screen reveals that osteopontin associates with MAP1A and MAP1B in addition to other proteins linked to microtubule stability, apoptosis and protein degradation in the human brain

Osteopontin (OPN) expression is reduced in surviving dopaminergic neurones in the substantia nigra (SN) in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and protects against MPP+‐induced cell death in primary mesencephalic cultures and 6‐OHDA‐induced cell loss in the rat, while inactivation of OPN aggravates cell death. OPN is thought to act through interactions with integrin receptors or CD44. However, the specific protein interactions involved in OPN‐mediated neuroprotection are unknown and are the focus of this study. The yeast two‐hybrid (YTH) technique was utilised to investigate OPN–protein interactions, using full‐length human OPN to screen a human foetal brain cDNA library. Proteins involved in apoptosis, protein degradation and microtubule stability were identified as OPN binding partners. These included: MAP1A and MAP1B, which regulate microtubule stability; RNF138, an E3 ubiquitin‐ligase; proteasome β1 subunit, a subunit of the 20S proteasome involved in the ubiquitin‐dependent cleavage of peptides; BAG6, SGTΑ and EF1A, proteins implicated in control of apoptosis; DnaJB1, a co‐chaperone of Hsp70s; and pleiotrophin, a growth factor. The use of site‐directed mutagenesis to modify known OPN protein binding sites outside the RGD integrin binding domain, specifically Y165A and D139E, inhibited some of these interactions. Further investigation using affinity pull‐down assays, co‐immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry confirmed that OPN associates with MAP1A and MAP1B in rat SN and striatum. These findings indicate a role for OPN in the regulation of microtubule dynamics, apoptosis and proteolysis in the brain, suggesting that OPN may act as an endogenous multifunctional protective protein in PD.
Definition of minimal duplicated region encompassing the XIAP and STAG2 genes in the Xq25 microduplication syndrome

Typical Xq25 duplications are large and associated with heterogeneous phenotypes. Recently, small duplications involving this genomic region and encompassing the GRIA3 and STAG2 genes have been reported. These Xq25 microduplications are associated with a recognizable syndrome including intellectual disability and distinctive facial appearance. We report on Xq25 microduplications in two unrelated families identified by array comparative genomic hybridization. In both families, the genomic imbalances segregated with the disease in male individuals, while the phenotypes of the heterozygous females appeared to be modulated by their X‐inactivation pattern. These rearrangements of about 600 kb involved only three genes: THOC2, XIAP, and STAG2. Further characterization by FISH analyses showed tandem duplication in the Xq25 locus of these genes. These data refine the Xq25 candidate region, identifying a minimal duplicated region of about 270 kb encompassing the XIAP and STAG2 genes. We discuss the function of the genes in the rearrangements and their involvement in the pathogenesis of this disorder. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neighborhood composition and incidence of cancer among Hispanics in the United States

Hispanics in the United States have a 33% lower age‐adjusted incidence of cancer and a 38% lower cancer mortality rate compared with non‐Hispanic whites. This may be secondary to health behaviors that vary with residential and economic assimilation. The authors investigated whether cancer incidence among Hispanics increased with residential and economic assimilation into mainstream culture.
Negative Inotropic Effect of Nifedipine in the Immature Rabbit Heart Is Due to Shortening of the Action Potential

Contractions in neonatal rabbit ventricular myocytes seem to depend predominantly on Ca2+ influx through the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). Unexpectedly, neonates are sensitive to the negative inotropic effect of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers. L-type Ca2+ channel blockers depress contractile function indirectly in neonatal myocytes by shortening the action potential duration (APD), thereby decreasing the influx of activator Ca2+ through the NCX. Freshly isolated ventricular myocytes from adult and neonatal (1–5 d) rabbits were electrically stimulated (0.5 Hz; 35°C) while action potential (AP) and Ca2+ transients (Indo-1) were recorded in the absence and presence of nifedipine (10 μM). In separate experiments, cells were voltage-clamped with a constant AP waveform (APD90 = 170 ms) to determine the effect of nifedipine on Ca2+ transients independent from effects on the AP. Voltage-clamp experiments confirmed that nifedipine blocks L-type Ca2+ current in neonatal myocytes. Nifedipine markedly reduced Ca2+ transient amplitude and APD in both adults (transient = 20 ± 7%; APD90 = 31 ± 4% of control) and neonates (transient = 38 ± 10%; APD90 = 57 ± 6% of control). When the AP was held constant by voltage clamping, nifedipine significantly reduced the amplitude of Ca2+ transients in adults (27 ± 9% of control) but had no effect on Ca2+ transient amplitude in neonatal myocytes. These results are consistent with the concept that immature ventricular myocytes are less reliant on L-type calcium channels and are more dependent on NCX for contraction. The negative inotropic effect of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers in neonates is attributable to shortening of the AP.
An alternative approach for the resampling in the bootstrap filter

The resampling step in the bootstrap filter aims at reducing the well-known particle degeneracy phenomenon. In practical applications of particle filters, a large number of particles is used for computing the estimates of desired states. However, the parallelizability of the filter is affected by the resampling that increases the hardware complexity. This paper proposes an alternative method to replace this step by one that, in accordance to the so-called attractor function, moves the particles in the likelihood estimate to regions where the weights are higher. The implementation of this new method allows the parallelization of the algorithm and the particle filter performance is similar to that obtained by the traditional bootstrap method