Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The phenotype and function of preterm infant monocytes: implications for susceptibility to infection

The extreme vulnerability of preterm infants to invasive microbial infections has been attributed to “immature” innate immune defenses. Monocytes are important innate immune sentinel cells critical in the defense against infection in blood. They achieve this via diverse mechanisms that include pathogen recognition receptor‐ and inflammasome‐mediated detection of microbes, migration into infected tissues, and differentiation into Mϕs and dendritic cells, initiation of the inflammatory cascade by free radicals and cytokine/chemokine production, pathogen clearance by phagocytosis and intracellular killing, and the removal of apoptotic cells. Relatively little is known about these cells in preterm infants, especially about how their phenotype adapts to changes in the microbial environment during the immediate postnatal period. Overall, preterm monocytes exhibit attenuated proinflammatory cytokine responses following stimulation by whole bacterial or specific microbial components in vitro. These attenuated cytokine responses cannot be explained by a lack of intracellular signaling events downstream of pattern recognition receptors. This hyporesponsiveness also contrasts with mature, term‐like phagocytosis capabilities detectable even in the most premature infant. Finally, human data on the effects of fetal chorioamnionitis on monocyte biology are incomplete and inconsistent. In this review, we present an integrated view of human studies focused on monocyte functions in preterm infants. We discuss how a developmental immaturity of these cells may contribute to preterm infants’ susceptibility to infections.
THE ACTION OF HOMOTHALLISM GENES IN SACCHAROMYCES DIPLOIDS DURING VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND THE EQUIVALENCE OF hma and HMa LOCI FUNCTIONS

ABSTRACT The action of homothallism genes in vegetatively growing diploid cells was examined. The results demonstrate that homothallism genes function during regular vegetative growth cycles as well as during the first few divisions after spore germination. A procedure based on ultraviolet-induced reciprocal mitotic recombination monitored by homozygosity for cryptopleurine resistance (a recessive marker closely linked to the mating-type locus) allowed us to identify and recover Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies sectored for the mating-type locus i.e. , a / a and α/α. Homothallism genes can switch a / a or α/α vegetative diploid cells, generated from a strain with genotype a /α HO/ho HMα/HMα HM a / HM a , to a /α diploids or a / a /α/α tetraploids during a given mitotic division cycle. We found that both a / a and α/α sectors generated from a strain with genotype a /α HO/HO hmα/hmα hm a / HM a switch to a /α diploids or a / a /α/α tetraploids. This finding supports Naumov and Tolstorukov9s suggestion (1973) that the hm a allele provides for the same functions as the HMα allele, namely, a switch at the mating-type locus from α to a . The HO allele is dominant to ho but hm a and HM a alleles are codominant. A loose linkage between the mating-type and the HMα loci (∼55cM), confirming Harashima, Nogi and Oshima (1974) data, was observed.
Is Brand Variety Influencing Brand Loyalty?

This research paper is studying whether the concept of multi-brand loyalty has taken birth in the developing countries like India with a wide spectrum of brands now available across product categories to the consumers. A range of published works since 1979 is reviewed and a descriptive research study is carried out among the consumers by taking the products that both genders use in a ‘normal day’ life. A sample size of 178 customers is involved in the research. The scope of this research is to know the developing countries’ consumer psyche with respect to brand loyalty and the behavioural pattern exhibited with across product categories. The key findings are: Loyalty does not differ with respect to market shares of a brand. Multi-brand loyalty has not played any significant role in the developing market. It is hard to influence loyalty by promotions or offers. Also this paper addresses the issues like the impact of demographical variables on loyalty under the circumstances of multi branding. Also the various FMCG product categories are researched for the loyalty aspect (morning till evening used product categories) by making use of preference behaviour model. The breadth of the coverage on the product categories is the strength of the article.
The mental health comorbidities of diabetes.

Individuals living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and eating disorder diagnoses. Mental health comorbidities of diabetes compromise adherence to treatment and thus increase the risk for serious short- and long-term complications, which can result in blindness, amputations, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, and premature death. When mental health comorbidities of diabetes are not diagnosed and treated, the financial cost to society and health care systems is substantial, as are the morbidity and health consequences for patients. In this View point, we summarize the prevalence and consequences of mental health problems for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and suggest strategies for identifying and treating patients with diabetes and mental health comorbidities.
Apartheid Reparations and the Contestation of Corporate Power in Africa

The joint activist and juridical movement for reparations against corporations that profited from apartheid is finally making progress within the generally hostile US judicial system, using the ‘Alien Tort Claims Act’ and public pressure. By way of an update on the struggle, this briefing first reviews the core evidence presented by plaintiffs representing tens of thousands of black South African victims of apartheid (Khulumani et al. 2002), considers the rebuttals by corporations (Morrisson and Foerster 2008), and then turns to an update on the apartheid lawsuit and similar initiatives which demand that the ‘historical debt’ associated with oppression be repaid by those who profited, with interest.
Long Working Hours in Australia: Working-Time Regulation and Employer Pressures

In Australia, the proportion of full-time employees engaged in long hours, often very long hours, of paid work is relatively large and has been growing larger over the past two decades. This article describes and explains existing data and discussion in Australia, within a cross-national context. Primarily drawing on official labour force data, it begins by examining the proportion of employees engaged in long hours, trends in long work hours, and selected characteristics of the long hours workforce. It then links the discussion to overtime and the peculiar prominence of what is called ‘unpaid’ overtime. Growth in unpaid overtime seems to be the main component in the increase in the proportion of full-time employees working long hours. In seeking to explain these developments, the article describes the framework of formal working-time regulation and identifies several channels along which trends to long hours, whether based on paid or unpaid overtime, are able to flow. It then looks at the way in which the opportunities opened up by the deficiencies in regulation are taken up by employees and employers. It suggests that the key factor in explaining the development of long hours in Australia is employer pressure within the framework of weak working-time regulation.
A Resource‐Based Approach to the Study of Export Performance

This paper presents a comparative study of the export performance of U.S. and Canadian small and medium‐sized exporters. A parsimonious model is developed drawing on the resource‐based theory of the firm, with three sets of resources, namely firm size, enterprise, and technological intensity. These key resources are good predictors of the export strategy of a firm. Export strategy is modeled as degree of internationalization, and its effect on the overall firm performance is studied using firm‐level performance measures. LISREL's multiple group analysis feature is used in the analysis to test the model. The results confirm the validity of the model across the two data sets.
Aldolase C/Zebrin II Expression in the Neonatal Rat Forebrain Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity within the Subventricular Zone and Early Astrocyte Differentiation

During late gestational and early postnatal development, proliferating cells in the subventricular zones of the lateral ventricles (SVZ) migrate into the gray and white matter of the forebrain and differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Because the cellular composition and structure of the neonatal SVZ is poorly understood, we performed a differential display PCR screen to identify genes preferentially expressed therein. One highly expressed gene encoded aldolase C. We used a specific monoclonal antibody, aldolase C/zebrin II (ALDC/ZII), in combination with markers of glial lineage and proliferation, to characterize the cells that express this gene. In the neonatal SVZ, ALDC/ZII-positive cells, which are generally polygonal and display several processes, have a nonuniform spatial distribution. They do not express vimentin, GFAP, or NG2. A subset of ALDC/ZII-positive cells incorporates bromodeoxyuridine, but progenitors identified by β-galactosidase expression after infection with recombinant BAG virus do not show ALDC/ZII immunoreactivity. Outside of the SVZ, β-galactosidase-positive/ALDC/ZII-positive cells have an astrocytic phenotype, suggesting that immunoreactivity was acquired after exit from the SVZ. These studies demonstrate that the neonatal SVZ is composed of different populations of cells that can be characterized by their antigenic phenotype, their proliferative capacity, and their spatial distributions. Nonrandom distributions of different cell types within the SVZ may permit the formation of microenvironments that stimulate the production of cells with specific potentials at appropriate points in development. Analysis of ALDC/ZII expression by astrocyte lineage cells in the neonatal cerebral cortex and white matter may reveal insights into the phenotype and behavior of undifferentiated astrocyte progenitors.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 in skeletal and heart muscle cells: Expression during early avian development and regulation after notochord transplantation

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF‐2) mediates several biological functions during embryonic development. With regard to skeletal muscle formation, it has been suggested that FGF‐2 is involved in the growth and differentiation of myogenic precursor cells. To identify the FGF‐responsive cells we studied the expression of FGF receptor type I (FGFR‐1) during early embryonic development of the chick. FGFR‐1 immunoreactivity is present at all stages examined (embryonic day [E] 2‐E5). Expression of FGFR‐1 is found in the somite myotome, limb bud muscle cells, eye and tongue muscle cells, and myocardium. Transplantation of an additional notochord into the paraxial mesoderm, which prevents the formation of a myotome, reveals the absence of FGFR‐1 immunoreactivity on the operated side. The distinct expression pattern of FGFR‐1 in migrating and differentiating muscle cells indicates that in addition to the stimulation of proliferation of myoblasts, FGF‐2 exerts other (nonmitogenic) effects on postmitotic myocytes. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimal cell selection scheme in Femtocell networks using bacterial foraging optimization algorithm

In dense deployment area of femtocell networks, interference becomes major problem normally decreasing signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of connection between Femto User Equipment (FUE) and Femto Base Station (FBS). Thus, FUE must select appropriate FBS to get high SINR value in order for achieving high data rates. In this paper, we investigate cell selection process in Femtocell networks and problem related to interference. We propose cell selection method using bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (BFOA) to find the most appropriate FBS and resource blocks (RBs) for FUE. Simulation results show that proposed method has capability to converge in finding the best solution, i.e. FBS and RBs that will provide high link capacity for FUE.
Cooperative Output Regulation of LTI Plant via Distributed Observers With Local Measurement

Over the last decades, distributed output regulation problems have received much consideration due to its extensively applications in real world practices. Traditionally, it is assumed that each node obtains the same signal. However, an important observation is that each agent possesses different measurement due to the observability or configuration of the systems. To solve the output regulation problem in this case, we proposed a cooperative output regulation network, where each agent obtains a part of system output measurement on states of plant and exosystem. Distributed state observers and disturbance observers are designed in order to fuse the observed data. Different from traditional literatures, our design shows that even none of the agents can locally reconstruct the state of exosystem, it is still possible to design a networked system to track the reference signal properly. Conditions that guarantee the existence of parameters are given in the cases, where the network topologies are fixed and time-varying, respectively. The simulation results verify our method very effectively.
A Decade-Plus Since The Crash

Perhaps more than ever, today's investor believes the long-term direction of equities is up. This article compares current expectations with the “worst-case” inceptions of the past decade. How long after making 10% or 12% retroactively? The answer may surprise an emerging breed of permabull.
Roles of Hydrophobicity and Charge Distribution of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides in Peptide-Membrane Interactions*

Background: Cationic antimicrobial peptides offer an alternative to conventional antibiotics, as they physically disrupt bacterial membranes, causing cell death. Results: Peptides designed with high hydrophobicity display strong self-association that is minimized by distribution of positive charges at both peptide termini. Conclusion: Balancing peptide hydrophobicity and charge distribution promotes efficient antimicrobial activity. Significance: Routes to optimization of peptide sequences are valuable for devising therapeutic strategies. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) occur as important innate immunity agents in many organisms, including humans, and offer a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics, as they physically disrupt the bacterial membranes, leading to membrane lysis and eventually cell death. In this work, we studied the biophysical and microbiological characteristics of designed CAPs varying in hydrophobicity levels and charge distributions by a variety of biophysical and biochemical approaches, including in-tandem atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflection-FTIR, CD spectroscopy, and SDS-PAGE. Peptide structural properties were correlated with their membrane-disruptive abilities and antimicrobial activities. In bacterial lipid model membranes, a time-dependent increase in aggregated β-strand-type structure in CAPs with relatively high hydrophobicity (such as KKKKKKALFALWLAFLA-NH2) was essentially absent in CAPs with lower hydrophobicity (such as KKKKKKAAFAAWAAFAA-NH2). Redistribution of positive charges by placing three Lys residues at both termini while maintaining identical sequences minimized self-aggregation above the dimer level. Peptides containing four Leu residues were destructive to mammalian model membranes, whereas those with corresponding Ala residues were not. This finding was mirrored in hemolysis studies in human erythrocytes, where Ala-only peptides displayed virtually no hemolysis up to 320 μm, but the four-Leu peptides induced 40–80% hemolysis at the same concentration range. All peptides studied displayed strong antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (minimum inhibitory concentrations of 4–32 μm). The overall findings suggest optimum routes to balancing peptide hydrophobicity and charge distribution that allow efficient penetration and disruption of the bacterial membranes without damage to mammalian (host) membranes.
Safety self-efficacy and safety performance: potential antecedents and the moderation effect of standardization.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to suggest a new safety self-efficacy construct and to explore its antecedents and interaction with standardization to influence in-patient safety. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The paper used a survey of 161 nurses using a self-administered questionnaire over a 14-day period in two large Israeli general hospitals. Nurses answered questions relating to four safety self-efficacy antecedents: enactive mastery experiences; managers as safety role models; verbal persuasion; and safety priority, that relate to the perceived level of standardization and safety self-efficacy. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the scale's construct validity. Regression models were used to test hypotheses regarding the antecedents and influence of safety self-efficacy. FINDINGS Results indicate that: managers as safety role models; distributing safety information; and priority given to safety, contributed to safety self-efficacy. Additionally, standardization moderated the effects of safety self-efficacy and patient safety such that safety self-efficacy was positively associated with patient safety when standardization was low rather than high. Hospital managers should be aware of individual motivations as safety self-efficacy when evaluating the potential influence of standardization on patient safety. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Theoretically, the study introduces a new safety self-efficacy concept, and captures its antecedents and influence on safety performance. Also, the study suggests safety self-efficacy as a boundary condition for the influence of standardization on safety performance. Implementing standardization in healthcare is problematic because not all processes can be standardized. In this case, self-efficacy plays an important role in securing patient safety. Hence, safety self-efficacy may serve as a "substitute-for-standardization," by promoting staff behaviors that affect patient safety.
L'allocation du temps entre travail domestique et travail marchand: discussion autour d'un modèle

[fre] A la suite de G. S. Becker, de nombreux auteurs ont integre le temps dans la theorie des choix individuels du consommateur. Le temps de loisir, dont la valeur est" determinee par le cout de renoncement au travail, peut etre affecte a differentes activites en se combinant a d'autres inputs. C'est ainsi que la preparation d'un repas peut etre analysee comme un processus combinant du temps et des inputs marchands et aboutissant a des biens finals. Dans cette perspective, R. Gronau elabore un modele exprimant le choix entre travail remunere, travail domestique et loisir, compte tenu du taux de salaire, de la fonction de production et des courbes d'indifference. L'objet de cet article est de montrer comment ce modele, qui essaie de traduire un choix reel opere par les menages, repose en fait sur des hypotheses eliminant les caracteristiques essentielles de ces choix. [eng] The allocation of time between work at home and work in the market. Following G. S. Becker, many authors have integrated time in the theory of individual choices. Leisure time — the value of which is determinated by opportunit cost — can be combined with other inputs and allocated to differents activities. Preparing a meal can be analysed as a process combining time and market goods and providing commodities. R. Gronau elaborates a model of choice between work in the market, work at home and leisure ; the choice depends on wage rate, production function and preferences. The purpose of this article is to show that the model, which try to formalize a real choice, lies in hypothesis eliminating the essential characteristics of this choice made by households.
NPM Reforms and the Perception of Budget by Hospital Clinicians: Lessons from Two Case-Studies

This paper investigates how clinicians perceive managerial budgeting and how this affects clinical practice. To this end, case-studies were conducted involving two Italian public hospitals. The results show that clinicians' commitment to organizational objectives was strongly enhanced by the use of the budget as a means to evaluate and reward clinicians' performance. One of the main lessons learned from this study is that aligning existing institutions to organizational objectives is the only way forward for effective reform implementation. Consequently, the challenge for future reforms is to deal with the search of balance between efficiency goals and existing institutions.
Reliability enhanced SRAM bit-cells

Noises and variations are ubiquitous, but are ill-understood and in most cases analyzed simplistically, leading to substantial overdesign costs. A novel reliability-centric design method based on unconventionally sizing transistors has been suggested lately. In this paper our aim is to design, simulate, and compare the benefits of unconventional sizing when applied to SRAM bit-cells. The unconventionally sized SRAM bit-cells achieve higher SNMs, having the potential to work correctly at supply voltages lower than those achieved using classically sized SRAM bit-cells.
Inhibition of Auxin Transport from the Ovary or from the Apical Shoot Induces Parthenocarpic Fruit-Set in Tomato Mediated by Gibberellins1[C][W]

Fruit-set in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) depends on gibberellins and auxins (GAs). Here, we show, using the cv MicroTom, that application of N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA; an inhibitor of auxin transport) to unpollinated ovaries induced parthenocarpic fruit-set, associated with an increase of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content, and that this effect was negated by paclobutrazol (an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis). NPA-induced ovaries contained higher content of GA1 (an active GA) and transcripts of GA biosynthetic genes (SlCPS, SlGA20ox1, and -2). Interestingly, application of NPA to pollinated ovaries prevented their growth, potentially due to supraoptimal IAA accumulation. Plant decapitation and inhibition of auxin transport by NPA from the apical shoot also induced parthenocarpic fruit growth of unpollinated ovaries. Application of IAA to the severed stump negated the plant decapitation effect, indicating that the apical shoot prevents unpollinated ovary growth through IAA transport. Parthenocarpic fruit growth induced by plant decapitation was associated with high levels of GA1 and was counteracted by paclobutrazol treatment. Plant decapitation also produced changes in transcript levels of genes encoding enzymes of GA biosynthesis (SlCPS and SlGA20ox1) in the ovary, quite similar to those found in NPA-induced fruits. All these results suggest that auxin can have opposing effects on fruit-set, either inducing (when accumulated in the ovary) or repressing (when transported from the apical shoot) that process, and that GAs act as mediators in both cases. The effect of NPA application and decapitation on fruit-set induction was also observed in MicroTom lines bearing introgressed DWARF and SELF-PRUNING wild-type alleles.