Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The importance of calcium influx, calpain and calmodulin for the activation of CaCo‐2 cell death pathways by Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin

CaCo‐2 cells exhibit apoptosis when treated with low doses of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), but develop oncosis when treated with high CPE doses. This study reports that the presence of extracellular Ca2+ in treatment buffers is important for normal activation of both those cell death pathways in CPE‐treated CaCo‐2 cells. Normal development of CPE‐induced cell death pathway effects, such as morphologic damage, DNA fragmentation, caspase activation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and cytochrome c release, was strongly inhibited when CaCo‐2 cells were CPE‐treated in Ca2+‐free buffers. When treatment buffers contained Ca2+, CPE caused a rapid increase in CaCo‐2 cell Ca2+ levels, apparently because of increased Ca2+ influx through a CPE pore. High CPE doses caused massive changes in cellular Ca2+ levels that appear responsible for activating oncosis, whereas low CPE doses caused less perturbations in cellular Ca2+ levels that appear responsible for activating apoptosis. Both CPE‐induced apoptosis and oncosis were found to be calmodulin‐ and calpain‐dependent processes. As Ca2+ levels present in the intestinal lumen resemble those of Ca2+‐containing treatment buffers used in this study, perturbations in cellular Ca2+ levels and calpain/calmodulin‐dependent processes are also probably important for inducing enterocyte cell death during CPE‐mediated gastrointestinal disease.
If You’re Not With Me You’re . . . ? Examining Prototypes and Cooperation in Leader–Follower Relationships

This study investigated how congruence between dyadic partners’ leader and follower prototypes affects leader–member exchange (LMX) quality. Specifically, we examined cooperation as a process variable in the dyadic relationship. Participants in a laboratory setting completed a group task followed by dyadic task in the context of a leader–follower relationship. Observed cooperation mediated the relationship between congruence on leader prototypes and leader assessed LMX quality, and the relationship between congruence on leader prototypes and LMX agreement. As congruence on leader prototypes decreased, leaders were less likely to be cooperative in an exchange relationship. As congruence on follower prototypes decreased, there was a greater chance leaders would cooperate but followers would defect.
A light and electron microscopic analysis of the sacral parasympathetic nucleus after labelling primary afferent and efferent elements with HRP

Primary afferent input to the cat sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) has been examined by injury filling sacral dorsal roots, ventral roots, or both with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Appropriate spinal segments were processed for the demonstration of HRP with diaminobenzidine and prepared for sequential light (LM) and electron (EM) microscopy.
Assessment With Microworlds using MicroDYN: Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Comparisons

Computer-simulated microworlds have witnessed significant international interest over the last decades as assessment vehicles for complex mental skills. This interest strongly contrasts to what is currently known about measurement characteristics of microworlds. In this study measurement invariance and latent means of the MicroDYN measure, a computer-based assessment instrument containing an entire set of dynamic microworlds, were examined in four German subsamples of junior high school students in 8th–10th grade (n = 309), senior high school students in 11th–13th grade (n = 484), university students (n = 222), and blue-collar workers (n = 181). The findings support satisfactory measurement invariance of a two-dimensional structure of the MicroDYN measure with the dimensions knowledge acquisition and knowledge application across all samples, and yield meaningful comparisons between latent means with university students performing best. It is suggested to further explore measurement characteristics of comp.
Psychosocial care in complementary feeding of children: a comparative study of the urban and rural communities of Osun State, Nigeria

This study investigated psychosocial care in complementary feeding of children under two years of age. The cross‐sectional study was carried out in Osun State of Nigeria within Sub‐Saharan Africa, and 450 mothers were interviewed of which 337 were from the urban and 113 from the rural communities. Results revealed that 37.4% of the respondents work outside their home while 46.7% work for more than eight hours in a day. About 77% care for their children all the time while only 23.1% used care alternatives. Complementary feeds are usually introduced as early as one month (2.6%) and those who started at six months were only 37.3%. Mothers combined the use of feeding bottles and cups and spoons for feeding (37.4%) while 15.2% exclusively used feeding bottles for feeding. About 75.1% of children cried before they were fed while mothers observed refusal of food as a sign of fullness when children were fed. The number of mothers who pet children to eat was only 58.7% while the number who force‐feed their children was 23.6%. About 76.2% of mothers claimed that their children have their own separate bowls for eating; 76.4% sit with their children while feeding; and 5.3% talk with their children when they are eating. The study revealed that the psychology and culture of people influenced the respective care in complementary feeding for children. It is recommended that studies on complementary feeding should emphasise psychosocial care for optimum nutritional outcome.
Micro-timing of backchannels in human-robot interaction

Timing is important for all aspects of human-human and human-machine interaction. For example, collaborative action in various tasks becomes successful through well coordinated sequences of actions. Of course, dialogues, as a particular form of joint action, benefit from timing as well. It helps to avoid overlapping speech and long pauses, which makes the participants feel more positive about the conversation as well as the conversation partner [36, 7]. Our research has so far been conducted in the context of embodied conversational agents, where timing has been identified a crucial issue early-on for gesture [33], with applications also in HRI [31], and in the conversational agents domain. It more recently focused on backchanneling [11]. These investigations should also be relevant for making humanrobot interaction more natural and pleasant. There is already a vast body of literature on the importance of timing, and on strategies for timing gestures and verbal utterances. If timing is viewed as a single level phenomenon, then quality of interaction can be viewed as increasing more or less linearly with timing accuracy. However, we propose the existence of at least two distinct levels of timing that are sensitive to different influences, and are processed cognitively in different ways. We call the lowest level of timing, which we assume to be based on entrainment, micro-timing as compared to macro-timing, which takes place on coarser time scales and is likely to involve more conscious, strategic processing. We propose that to achieve a high quality of interaction, one should pay attention to timing on both levels. Here we are particularly interested in one aspect of timing in dialogue: The timing of backchannels. Backchannels are brief signals produced by the listener in an asymmetric dialogue to signal attention and encourage the speaker to go on. Head nodding is one of the most unobtrusive forms of backchannels. Brief utterances like ’um’, ’ok’, or
Evolving concepts of sleep cycle generation: From brain centers to neuronal populations

Abstract As neurophysiological investigations of sleep cycle control have provided an increasingly detailed picture of events at the cellular level, the concept that the sleep cycle is generated by the interaction of multiple, anatomically distributed sets of neurons has gradually replaced the hypothesis that sleep is generated by a single, highly localized neuronal oscillator. Cell groups that discharge during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep (REM-on) and neurons that slow or cease firing during REM sleep (REM-off) have long been thought to comprise at least two neurochemically distinct populations. The fact that putatively cholinoceptive and/or cholinergic (REM-on) and putatively aminergic (REM-off) cell populations discharge reciprocally over the sleep cycle suggests a causal interdependence. In some brain stem areas these cell groups are not anatomically segregated and may instead be neurochemically mixed (interpenetrated). This finding raises important theoretical and practical issues not anticipated in the original reciprocal-interaction model. The electrophysiological evidence concerning the REM-on and REM-off cell groups suggests a gradient of sleep-dependent membrane excitability changes that may be a function of the connectivity strength within an anatomically distributed neuronal network. The connectivity strength may be influenced by the degree of neurochemical interpenetration between the REM-on and REM-offcells. Recognition of these complexities forces us to revise the reciprocal-interaction model and to seek new methods to test its tenets. Cholinergic microinjection experiments indicate that some populations of REM-on cells can execute specific portions of the REM sleep syndrome or block the generation of REM sleep. This observation suggests that the order of activation within the anatomically distributed generator populations may be critical in determining behavioral outcome. Support for the cholinergic tenets of the reciprocal-interaction model has been reinforced by observations from sleep-disorders medicine. Specific predictions of the reciprocal-interaction model and suggestions for testing these predictions are enumerated for future experimental programs that aim to understand the cellular and molecular basis of the mammalian sleep cycle.
The Transition from Organisational Employment to Portfolio Working: Perceptions of `Boundarylessness'

The focus of this paper is the transition of managers and professionals out of organisational employment into portfolio work. The interest in this individual transition is its resonance with wider debates about the changing nature of career. The demise of the traditional hierarchical career is widely predicted as is its replacement by a proliferation of more fluid and individual career choices, encompassed in the over-arching notion of the boundaryless career. The two studies on which this paper is based have taken an in-depth look at individuals who appear to exemplify this move out of organisational employment and into more independent working. The paper draws inductively on interviews with individuals who had left organisations to set up on their own. Hence the data is grounded in the accounts of individuals and seeks to explore their interpretations of their experiences. The paper focuses on participants' expectations of their new employment context and its realities. In considering the major implications of these findings, it questions dualistic conceptualisations of career and argues for theoretical frameworks based more on synthesis and linkage.
Corporate Entrepreneurship: a presença das dimensões da cultura nacional na cultura comercial do Grupo Algar

Este estudo trata do Corporate Entrepreneurship, expressao que se refere as empresas capazes de estimular a iniciativa de seus funcionarios, de forma que eles proponham novas ideias, novos negocios ou servicos e novos processos. A cultura organizacional, definida pelo carater coletivo e pelos elementos que a constituem, e um fenomeno sujeito a influencias socio-culturais e historicas, o que implica considerar a existencia de um componente nacional. Este trabalho analisou a Cultura Comercial do Grupo Algar a luz do conceito de Corporate Entrepreneurship, com o objetivo de identificar a presenca das dimensoes da cultura nacional. Utilizou-se da pesquisa documental, com a analise de documentos, impressos e eletronicos, publicados com a finalidade de disseminar o conceito de Cultura Comercial. Os resultados apontam para uma convergencia entre os conceitos de Cultura Comercial e Cultura Empreendedora; entretanto, isso nao ocorre no que diz respeito as dimensoes da cultura nacional.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices in the Use of Credit Cards

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships arnong knowledge, beliefs, and practices in the use of credit cards. Data were collected from 198 household money managers in a midwestem town during 1982. Those respon dents with high levels of credit card knowledge believe credit cards should be used more for installment reasons than convenience reasons. Those respondents who believe credit cards should be used for installment reasons are inclined to use more credit cards and to accumulate finance charges more often. Those with more education and income have a higher level of knowledge than those with less education and income. The older respondents and those with low incomes believe that credit cards should be used for convenience reasons. Those with high education levels and large household sizes use more credit cards and accu mulate finance charges more often.
Increase in Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Obtained from Infants with Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity

Chronic lung disease (CLD) of prematurity is associated with an initial increase in pulmonary neutrophils followed by pulmonary fibrosis. We determined whether the proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and IL-6, were increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from nine infants(median gestation 25 wk, birthweight 820 g) who developed CLD, seven (28 wk, 1110 g) who recovered from the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and four(38 wk, 2690 g) control infants. IL-1β and IL-6 protein were both increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the CLD groups when compared with the RDS and control groups. This difference for both the cytokines was most marked on d 10 of age, when results from infants with and without CLD were compared (IL-1β, 4.6 versus 1.1 ng/mL,p < 0.05; and IL-6, 9.5 versus 1.5 ng/mL, p< 0.05). Immunocytochemistry of lavage cells for IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 protein showed alveolar macrophages to contain all three cytokines, with lesser staining evident in neutrophils, and in epithelial cells occasionally obtained by lavage. The contribution of alveolar macrophages and luminal cells to the increase in IL-6 and IL-1 was determined by performing semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions on RNA extracted from lavage cells. IL-6 mRNA expression was increased in lavage cells from the CLD infants when compared with the RDS group. However, the expression for IL-1β and IL-8 mRNA was similar in both groups. These results suggest that IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 may contribute to the pathogenesis of CLD, and that, in CLD, IL-6 may be produced by cells within the air spaces.
Adolescent Psychosocial Adjustment and Diabetes Control : Identifying Risk and Protective Factors

Objectives: To determine the underlying factor structure of diabetes specific support, using a modified diabetes family social support questionnaire, the M-DSSQFamily, in one half of a sample of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, confirm it in the second half, test invariance in factor structure across gender and age, and test the reliability of the resulting scales. Method: The study included 11-19 years old youngsters with type 1 diabetes, who are all on daily insulin injection or pump. A total of 437 adolescents (54.5% girls; mean age 14.7 years; mean diabetes duration 6.1 years) Chapter 2 Modified DSSQ-Family participated in the study. Results: Exploratory factor analyses in the first random half of the sample suggested five factors including 45 items with loading ≥. 40, and explaining 40% of item variance. Confirmatory factor analysis in the remainder of the sample showed good indices of fit with exclusion of only 5 items. The final model with 5 underlying factor including “Guidance and Supervision (10 items, α=.84)”, “Encouragement of Self-care and Exercise (8-items, α=.82)”, “Support in Critical Situations (6-items, α=.90)”, “Nourishment (9-items, α=.84)”, and “Emotional Support (7-items, α=.81)” was confirmed across gender and age. In a second order factor analysis all five factors loaded on one overall factor Diabetes Social Support-Family (α=.93). Conclusion: The 40-item modified M-DSSQ-Family presented a different view of traditional aspect of diabetes social support from family which may be more fruitful for adolescents. In addition it emerged as a valid and reliable measure of family support for Dutch adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
A Day Late and a Dollar Short: The Case for Research on Cloud Billing Systems

Cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, and Rackspace Public Cloud have been the subject of numerous measurement studies considering performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. However, little attention has been paid to billing. Cloud providers rely upon complex, large-scale billing systems that track customer resource usage at fine granularity and generate bills reflecting measured usage. However, it is not known how visible such usage is to customers, and how closely provider charges correspond to customers' view of their resource usage. We initiate a study of cloud billing systems, focusing on Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, and Rackspace, and uncover a variety of issues, including: inherent difficulties in predicting charges; bugs that lead to free CPU time on EC2 and over-charging for storage in Rackspace; and long and unpredictable billing-update latency. Our measurements motivate further study on billing systems, and so we conclude with a brief discussion of open questions for future work.
Lokus van beheer en transformasionele leierskap

Locus of control and transformational leadership. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between locus of control and transformational leadership. These constructs were selected by virtue of the lack of empirical research regarding the assumed relationship between them. The Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) of Schepers (1998) and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), Form 5R of Bass and Avolio (1993) were administered to 102 respondents. The results indicate statistically significant relationships between: internal locus of control and transformational leadership; external locus of control and transactional leadership; and autonomy and transformational leadership. Opsomming Die doel van die studie was om die verband tussen lokus van beheer en transformasionele leierskap te bepaal. Hierdie konstrukte is gekies op grond van die gebrek aan empiriese navorsing rakende die veronderstelde verband tussen die genoemde konstrukte. Die Lokus van Beheer-vraelys van Schepers (1998) en die Multifaktor Leierskapsvraelys (MLV),Vorm 5Rvan Bass en Avolio (1993) is op 102 respondente toegepas. Die resultate toon statisties beduidende verbande aan tussen: interne lokus van beheer en transformasionele leierskap; eksteme lokus van beheer en transaksionele leierskap; en outonomie en transformasionele leierskap.
A Fuzzy Logic Based Approach to De-Weather Fog-Degraded Images

Poor visibility in foggy weather stems from the fact that particles in atmosphere scatter and absorb light from the environment and light reflected from the objects. Mathematically, de-weathering a fog degraded image is an ill posed problem and existing approaches are of high complexity and low versatility. In this paper, a novel fuzzy logic based algorithm, to de-weather fog-degraded images, is proposed. Specifically, air-light estimation is carried out using fuzzy logic followed by color correction for enhanced visibility. Experimental results show that the algorithm works effectively for images with a sky region. Due to its low complexity compared to conventional physics based solutions, the algorithm makes real-time implementation possible on a mobile platform which is crucial from a road safety viewpoint.
Terutroban, a TP‐receptor antagonist, reduces portal pressure in cirrhotic rats

Increased production of vasoconstrictive prostanoids, such as thromboxane A2 (TXA2), contributes to endothelial dysfunction and increased hepatic vascular tone in cirrhosis. TXA2 induces vasoconstriction by way of activation of the thromboxane‐A2/prostaglandin‐endoperoxide (TP) receptor. This study investigated whether terutroban, a specific TP receptor blocker, decreases hepatic vascular tone and portal pressure in rats with cirrhosis due to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or bile duct ligation (BDL). Hepatic and systemic hemodynamics, endothelial dysfunction, liver fibrosis, hepatic Rho‐kinase activity (a marker of hepatic stellate cell contraction), and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling pathway were measured in CCl4 and BDL cirrhotic rats treated with terutroban (30 mg/kg/day) or its vehicle for 2 weeks. Terutroban reduced portal pressure in both models without producing significant changes in portal blood flow, suggesting a reduction in hepatic vascular resistance. Terutroban did not significantly change arterial pressure in CCl4‐cirrhotic rats but decreased it significantly in BDL‐cirrhotic rats. In livers from CCl4 and BDL‐cirrhotic terutroban‐treated rats, endothelial dysfunction was improved and Rho‐kinase activity was significantly reduced. In CCl4‐cirrhotic rats, terutroban reduced liver fibrosis and decreased alpha smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), collagen‐I, and transforming growth factor beta messenger RNA (mRNA) expression without significant changes in the eNOS pathway. In contrast, no change in liver fibrosis was observed in BDL‐cirrhotic rats but an increase in the eNOS pathway. Conclusion: Our data indicate that TP‐receptor blockade with terutroban decreases portal pressure in cirrhosis. This effect is due to decreased hepatic resistance, which in CCl4‐cirrhotic rats was linked to decreased hepatic fibrosis, but not in BDL rats, in which the main mediator appeared to be an enhanced eNOS‐dependent vasodilatation, which was not liver‐selective, as it was associated with decreased arterial pressure. The potential use of terutroban for portal hypertension requires further investigation. (Hepatology 2013;58:1424–1435)
Smoothly shaded renderings of polyhedral objects on raster displays

The appearance of raster-scan renderings of polyhedral approximations to curved surfaces can be enhanced greatly by shading them in a manner that varies smoothly across each polygon and which matches the correct shade at each vertex. Henri Gouraud and Bui Tuong-Phong have previously described two methods of computing such shading functions. While the computations in Gouraud's method are quite quick to perform, the renderings produced often exhibit pronounced Mach bands, and animated sequences tend to have annoying fluctuations in intensity. Phong's method tries to cure these problems, but is much more expensive computationally. We will show a new, faster method of computing Phong shading, and discuss the relationship of this method to Gouraud shading. We will also exhibit representatives of a class of surfaces for which Phong shading surprisingly produces worse Mach bands than Gouraud shading.