Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms involved in Helicobacter pylori-induced interleukin-8 production by a gastric cancer cell line, MKN45

Accumulating evidence suggests an important role of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in Helicobacter pylori infection-associated chronic atrophic gastritis and peptic ulcer. We observed in this study that a gastric cancer-derived cell line, MKN45, produced a massive amount of IL-8 upon coculture with live H. pylori but not with killed H. pylori, H. pylori culture supernatants, or live H. pylori separated by a permeable membrane, indicating that IL-8 production requires a direct contact between the cells and live bacteria. Moreover, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin but neither a protein kinase C inhibitor (staurosporine) nor a protein kinase A inhibitor (H89) inhibited IL-8 production by MKN45 cells cocultured with live bacteria, suggesting the involvement of a tyrosine kinase(s) in H. pylori-induced IL-8 production. In addition, coculture of H. pylori induced IL-8 mRNA expression in MKN45 cells and an increase in luciferase activity in cells which were transfected with a luciferase expression vector linked with a 5'-flanking region of the IL-8 gene (bp -133 to +44), indicating that the induction of IL-8 production occurred at the transcriptional level. This region contain three cis elements important for induction of IL-8 gene expression: AP-1 (-126 to -120 bp), NF-IL6 (-94 to -81 bp), and NF-kappaB (-80 to -70 bp) binding sites. Mutation of the NF-kappaB binding site abrogated completely the induction of luciferase activity, whereas that of the AP-1 site partially reduced the induction. However, mutation of the NF-IL6 binding site resulted in no decrease in the induction of luciferase activity. Moreover, specific NF-kappaB complexes were detected in the nuclear proteins extracted from MKN45 cells which were infected with H. pylori. Collectively, these results suggest that H. pylori induced the activation of NF-kappaB as well as AP-1, leading to IL-8 gene transcription.
Steroidal composition and cytotoxic activity from fruiting body of Cortinarius xiphidipus

Abstract From the fruiting body of ectomycorrhizal fungi Cortinarius xiphidipus, sterols were identified from the crude extract and the cytotoxic effect of ergosta-4, 6, 8(14), 22-tetraen-3-one (ergone) was evaluated. Ten sterols including ergosta-3,5,7,9(11),22-pentaene, (22E)-ergosta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3b-ol, (3β,22E)-ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3-ol, (22E)-ergosta-7,22-dien-3-ol, neoergosterol, (3β)-ergosta-5,8-dien-3-ol, (3β)-ergosta-7-en-3-ol, stigmasterol, stigmasterol 22,23-dihydro and (22E)-ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one were identified from the crude extract. The cytotoxic activity of the sterol fraction containing ergosta-4, 6, 8(14), 22-tetraen-3-one was assessed on four tumour cell lines (Neuro-2a, Saos-2, MCF7 and LNCaP-C42). The cytotoxic activity against the four tumour cell lines tested, being Neuro-2a and Saos-2 the most sensitive, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 20.8 ± 2.2 and 27.8 ± 1.0 μg/mL, respectively. This is the first report of this Antarctic fungi collected in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region. This work represents a potential source for the development of anticancer drugs. '(22E)-ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one'
The affinity of IgG antibodies to gag p24 and p17 in HIV‐1‐infected patients correlates with disease progression

The affinity of anti‐gag antibody was studied for up to 9 years (1984–1993) in sera from 15 HIV‐1+ patients with haemophilia. On the basis of their 1993 clinical status patients were divided into two groups: (i) patients who remained asymptomatic (n= 9); and (ii) those who progressed to AIDS between late 1987 and 1993. The affinity constants of antibody for p24 and p17 were determined by a double isotope fluid‐phase radioimmunoassay; and the relationships between antibody affinity and titre, patient clinical course, CD4 cell counts and p24 antigenaemia were analysed. The affinity of p24‐ and p17‐specilic antibody was up to 100 times greater in asymptomatic patients than in patients who progressed to AIDS. Patients who developed AIDS either lost or failed to develop high‐affinity antibodies early in the infection. Asymptomatic patients maintained high‐affinity antibodies for several years; however, in some of these patients the affinity of anti‐p24 and p17 antibodies subsequently fell later in the study period. The presence of low‐affinity antibody and progressive reduction in the titre of specific antibody were earlier predictors of disease onset than CD4 cell counts. The failure to either develop or maintain high affinity gag‐specific antibody suggests an early impairment of T helper function in individuals who progressed to AIDS. The presence of antibody of high affinity could be essential in controlling virus replication and the onset of AIDS.
Integrating post-qualification study into the workplace: The candidates' experience

The PQ framework for qualified social workers has struggled to become consistently established within workplace training and practice organisations across the UK. This is likely to become a focus for change as the Government reviews current structures and attempts to 'modernise the workforce' by encouraging the creation of cultures of post-qualification learning and continuing professional development [PQ/CPD]. This paper argues that the current emphasis upon the rhetoric of 'performance management' needs to be balanced by attention to the realities of integrating operational and professional development demands within socio-cultural contexts. This paper reports and discusses the results of a questionnaire survey into the experiences of registered PQ candidates within a Local Authority SSD. A summary of key results is provided. The discussion identifies a number of themes and strategies for integrating PQ into the workplace. These are based upon a range of attitudinal and practical factors, such as decision-making; supervision; study arrangements; mentoring; and motivation, that cover some of the experiences of candidates. The paper concludes by drawing parallels with similar developments within nursing and recommends that all stakeholders involved in PQ development need to help establish the conditions within practice contexts where social workers can link service and policy initiatives with the requirements for post-qualification study.
Perfectly Periodic Scheduling of Collective Data Streams

This paper addresses the problem of scheduling a single resource to handle requests for time-sensitive periodic services (i.e., data streams) jointly realizing a distributed application. We specifically consider the case, where the demand of each data stream is expressed as a weight relative to a network-wide cyclic schedule. Within this context, we consider the problem of minimizing the schedule length while satisfying the perfect periodicity constraints: the service intervals for the same data stream are fixed and each data stream is cyclically served exactly as many times as its demand. This problem is challenging, as serving a data stream in one time slot might enforce serving it at some specific time slots in the future. As a result, most of the existing solutions have relaxed either the periodicity or the demand constraints of the data streams. In contrast, we study the strict enforcement of both requirements through perfectly periodic schedules. We show that the considered problem is NP-hard and address special cases for which optimal schedules can be derived. We further discuss the more generic instance of the problem represented by an arbitrary number of data streams and demands. Specifically, we provide an approximation algorithm and an efficient greedy solution for such a general case of arbitrary weights. We conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed solutions. Finally, we show that it is possible to relax the input demands to improve the communication performance at the cost of some other overhead (e.g., in terms of energy consumption).
Mothers, fathers, and peers as socialization agents of sex-typed play behaviors in young children.

LANGLOIS, JUDITH H. , and DowNs, A. CHRIS. Mothers, Fathers, and Peers as Socialization Agents of Sex-typed Play Behaviors in Young Children. CrHiL DEVELOPMENT, 1980, 51, 1237-1247. Differential reward and punishment of 3and 5-year-old girls' and boys' sex-typed behaviors were examined using a laboratory analog of a natural play context. In study 1, mothers' and peers' reactions to sex-appropriate and sex-inappropriate play were observed. Fathers' reactions were assessed in study 2. Mothers used more reward for their children's play than did peers, while peers used more punishment than mothers. Both mothers and peers differentially rewarded and punished girls' sex-typed play, but boys received only differential punishment from peers. Fathers were generally more rewarding to girls and to 3-year-olds and more punishing to boys and to 5-year-olds. Moreover, fathers differentially rewarded play with same-sex toys and punished play with cross-sex toys for both sons and daughters. Implications for social learning and reciprocal-role theories of sex-role development are explored and a social network perspective emphasizing the complementary roles of mothers, fathers, and peers in children's social development is discussed.
Treatment in an Outpatient Setting for a Patient With an Infected, Surgical Wound With Hypergranulation Tissue

The purpose of this article is to describe a multifaceted approach to wound care in an outpatient setting for a patient with an infected, nonhealing surgical wound with hypergranulation tissue following fasciotomy for acute compartment syndrome. A 44-year-old male underwent an anterior and lateral lower extremity compartment fasciotomy and developed a persistent right anterolateral lower leg wound. Thirty-six days after fasciotomy he came to the authors' clinic after 2 failed skin grafts with an infected wound covered in hypergranulation tissue. Treatment included sharp debridement, saline irrigation, patient education, and dressing changes during 9 treatment sessions. The patient's total wound surface area decreased from 5.2 cm × 17.3 cm to 4 cm × 15 cm with increased epithelialization from approximately 40% to 85% after 29 days of treatment. This article demonstrates the positive effect of a multifaceted approach for facilitation of wound healing in a lower extremity wound following fasciotomy.
The Dodo Bird Verdict Is Alive and Well—Mostly

We examined 17 meta-analyses of comparisons of active treatments with each other, in contrast to the more usual comparisons of active treatments with controls. These meta-analyses yielded a mean uncorrected absolute effect size for Cohen's d of . 20, which is small and non-significant (an equivalent Pearson's r would be. 10). The smallness of this effect size confirms Rosenzweig's supposition in 1936 about the likely results of such comparisons. In the present sample, when such differences were corrected for the therapeutic allegiance of the researchers involved in comparing the different psychotherapies, these differences tend to become even further reduced in size and significance, as shown previously by Luborsky, Diguer, Seligman, et al. (1999).
Effects of organic and inorganic phosphorus sources on nitrogen fixation by field grown common bean on an Alfisol and an Ultisol in Kakamega, Kenya.

A field study was carried out in 2005 in Kakamega to quantify the effects of organic and inorganic sources of phosphorus on nitrogen fixation of common bean by the 15 N Natural Abundance method. Field experiments were conducted on two different soil groups (Alfisol and Ultisol) in 20 farmers’ fields. Six treatments: control with no input, inorganic phosphorus, inorganic nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus plus nitrogen, seed priming with phosphorus and farmyard manure. These treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Maize was used as a non-fixing reference plant for 15 N analysis. The results showed that the total nitrogen accumulation by common bean ranged from 5 to 20 kg ha -1 in the Alfisol and from 8 to 26 kg ha -1 in the Ultisol and treatments in the Ultisol accumulated 20% more biomass compared to treatments in the Alfisol. Further, the rate of nitrogen fixation was 50% to 54% Ndfa for the inorganic phosphorus sources and 40% to 51% Ndfa for the organic phosphorus source. Seed priming with phosphorus, inorganic nitrogen and the control obtained less than 40% Ndfa for nitrogen fixation. These results illustrate that phosphorus sources could differentially enhance nitrogen fixation by common bean in different soil groups in smallholder farming systems in Kakamega.
Phase-dependent anisotropic Gaussian model for audio source separation

Phase reconstruction of complex components in the time-frequency domain is a challenging but necessary task for audio source separation. While traditional approaches do not exploit phase constraints that originate from signal modeling, some prior information about the phase can be obtained from sinusoidal modeling. In this paper, we introduce a probabilistic mixture model which allows us to incorporate such phase priors within a source separation framework. While the magnitudes are estimated beforehand, the phases are modeled by Von Mises random variables whose location parameters are the phase priors. We then approximate this non-tractable model by an anisotropic Gaussian model, in which the phase dependencies are preserved. This enables us to derive an MMSE estimator of the sources which optimally combines Wiener filtering and prior phase estimates. Experimental results highlight the potential of incorporating phase priors into mixture models for separating overlapping components in complex audio mixtures.
Construction of multiple-rate LDPC codes using modified PEG

Progressive edge-growth (PEG) algorithm was proven to be a simple and effective approach to design good LDPC codes. However, the low-density parity-check (LDPC) constructed by PEG algorithm is of a single code rate. In this paper, we propose a modified PEG algorithm to construct multiple-rate LDPC codes, which is referred to as the multiple-rate PEG (MR-PEG) algorithm. The obtained LDPC codes with various code rates have the same blocklength and can share common hardware resources to reduce the implementation complexity. Simulation results show that the obtained codes outperform other multiple-rate LDPC codes constructed from random row-splitting operations.
Assessing the credibility of VGI contributors based on metadata and reverse viewshed analysis : an experiment with geotagged Flickr images

We present an approach to determine the credibility of content provided within a visual VGI source such as Flickr. We propose analysing the variability of selected user and photo metadata of geotagged Flickr photos with the location correctness of these images, which is our reference quality measure. These observed user and photo metadata can help to infer the credibility of contributors.
Clustering attendees at the Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Festival

There has been an increase in the number of arts and music festivals held annually in South Africa. These festivals range from wide all-encompassing arts festivals, such as the National Arts Festival, to specific festivals that cater for very specific audiences, such as the Jazz Festival and the Philharmonic Orchestra Festival. It may therefore be expected that the attendees of the various types of festivals would differ quite substantially. While much research has been conducted to understand visitor behaviour at general arts festivals and the economic contributions of these festivals, attendees of these more specialised events have been neglected. However, understanding who the attendees are and their behaviour is paramount to the sustainability of these festivals. Therefore, this paper aims to address this void and set the following objectives: (1) to compile a profile of attendees at the Philharmonic Orchestra Festival; (2) to cluster attendees of the Festival into distinct groups; and (3) to compare the various clusters with one another. Data were obtained by administrating 500 visitor questionnaires during January 2010. Using cluster analysis, visitors are grouped based on various characteristics and the differences between the clusters are explored using factor analysis and analysis of variance. Main results indicate that most visitors are mature in age and well educated, from which three clusters were identified with differences evident between the clusters.
Fault recovery mechanism for multiprocessor servers

Achieving higher reliability in open server computer systems with low cost has been an increasing interest recently. To satisfy this general demand, we propose a new fault recovery mechanism. We extended the recovery cache scheme to adapt to state-of-the-art multiprocessor server computer systems, and built a system level fault recovery mechanism. It enables the system to recover from most intermittent hardware errors without rebooting the system. Furthermore, faulty processors can be isolated dynamically, and not only hardware errors but also many of operating system panics caused by unanticipated software errors can be recovered. The fault recovery mechanism is implemented with the "add-on" hardware module and controlling software module and fully transparent to application programs. Thus no modification is required to the basic hardware and binary compatibility is maintained which is mandatory for open systems. System performance was evaluated using TPC-C benchmark. We also built an experimental system with prototype hardware.
Influence of left atrial geometry on rotor core trajectories in a model of atrial fibrillation

Left atrial anatomy and myocardial architecture are known to influence rotor initiation and maintenance. However, identifying their relative contribution clinically is challenging. The present study aims to investigate in silico the effect of left atrial geometry in isolation on rotor generation and evolution through the spatiotemporal tracking of phase singularities. After meandering for a short period of time, rotors are attracted to specific areas of the chamber where there is high curvature, primarily near the base of the left atrial appendage and the junctions of the pulmonary veins. This suggests that the left atrial anatomy could play a key role in the perpetuation of fibrillatory activity.
Roles of membrane trafficking in plant cell wall dynamics

The cell wall is one of the characteristic components of plant cells. The cell wall composition differs among cell types and is modified in response to various environmental conditions. To properly generate and modify the cell wall, many proteins are transported to the plasma membrane or extracellular space through membrane trafficking, which is one of the key protein transport mechanisms in eukaryotic cells. Given the diverse composition and functions of the cell wall in plants, the transport of the cell wall components and proteins that are involved in cell wall-related events could be specialized for each cell type, i.e., the machinery for cell wall biogenesis, modification, and maintenance could be transported via different trafficking pathways. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the current understanding of the roles and mechanisms of membrane trafficking in plant cells and focus on the biogenesis and regulation of the cell wall.
Sexual behavior and social adaptation among sadomasochistically‐oriented males

The present study explored the sexual behavior and social adaptation of a sample of male sadomasochists. A total of 164 men who were members of two sadomasochistically‐oriented clubs participated in the study. The numbers of heterosexual male and gay male participants were about equal. A semi‐structured questionnaire containing items related to social, sexual, and psychological aspects of the participants' lives was used. The results showed that the participants were socially well‐adjusted and that sadomasochistic behavior was mainly a facilitative aspect of their sexual lives, most participants being flexible in both sexual activities and sadomasochistic role‐taking. Sadists were more likely to be younger and more sexually active than masochists.
THE LIMITS OF PRAGMATISM AND THE LIMITS OF REALISM

I argue here for a limited version of pragmatism—called conceptual pragmatism—that recognizes that conceptual systems are to be evaluated according to their usefulness for helping us get around in the world. Once a conceptual system is in place, however, the truth of sentences is a matter of both empirical tit and coherence with the rest of our knowledge. The error of critical realists is to fail to take into account the limited conceptual relativity that is to be expected on the basis of conceptual pragmatism. The conceptual realist thesis applies equally in science and theology.
Mass Mobilization to Direct Engagement: American Jews' Changing Relationship to Israel

The practices of American Jews relative to Israel seem increasingly to break with patterns established during the second half of the 20th century. Lobbying by American Jewish organizations on the political left and right increasingly competes with the consensus-oriented efforts of organizations such as AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CPMAJO). Direct giving to Israeli civil society organizations has replaced the federations’ annual campaigns as the primary vehicle for diaspora philanthropy. The number of American Jewish teens and young adults visiting Israel has surged, but most are going with private tour companies under the auspices of Birthright Israel rather than programs of the North American denominations. Aliyah is up, but managed by Nefesh b’Nefesh, a private not-for-profit organization, rather than the Jewish Agency for Israel. In short, how American Jews relate to Israel is very much in flux. This study argues that the mass mobilization model that organized American Jewish practices relative to Israel since the founding of state has declined, and a new direct engagement model has emerged alongside it. Increasingly American Jews relate to Israel directly, by advocating their own political views, funding favored causes, visiting frequently or living there part time, consuming Israeli news and entertainment, and expressing a distinctively “realistic” rather than idealistic orientation toward the Jewish state. Their new homeland practices have given rise to (and been encouraged by) a new set of organizations that operate privately, beyond the orbit of the semi-public agencies of the established American Jewish polity. These developments are described against the backdrop of the waning mass mobilization paradigm, and their significance for diaspora Jewish organizations and Israeli democratic institutions is examined.
Optimistic failure recovery for very large networks

Optimistic failure recovery mechanisms are proposed as a way to provide transparent fault tolerance to distributed applications and systems. The authors identify problems that may arise when these mechanisms are applied to vast networks including many processors and spanning large geographical areas and many administrative domains. They present a technique-recovery unit gateways-that can be used to address many of these issues with existing failure recovery algorithms. This method can be applied with minimal disruption to existing transparent recovery systems, as well as to build large optimistic recovery systems while minimizing the dependency tracking overhead. <<ETX>>
Listening to the Voices of Battered Women: What Helps Them Escape Violence

This article reports on a study that used focus groups to determine what helps battered women get out of their abusive relationships and survive and grow once they have left their abusers. The principles for social work practice with battered women that were derived from this research are based on the women's accounts of their experiences and of their needs.