Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating endothelial cells

Summary Recent research has recognised new populations of non-hematopoïetic cells in the blood. One of these, circulating endothelial cells (CECs), often defined by the expression of membrane glycoprotein CD146, are rarely found in the blood in health, but raised numbers are present in a wide variety of human conditions, including inflammatory, immune, infectious, neoplastic and cardiovascular disease, and seem likely to be evidence of profound vascular insult. An additional population are endothelial progenitor cells, defined by the co-expression of endothelial and immaturity cell surface molecules and also by the ability to form colonies in vitro. Although increased numbers of CECs correlate with other markers of vascular disease, questions remain regarding the precise definition, cell biology and origin of CECs. For example, they may be damaged, necrotic or apopototic, or alive, and could possess procoagulant and/or proinflammatory properties. However, since these cells seem to be representative of in situ endothelium, their phenotype may provide useful information. Indeed, whatever their phenotype, there is growing evidence that CECs may well be a novel biomarker, the measurement of which will have utility in various clinical settings related to vascular injury. Despite this promise, progress is impeded by the diversity of methodologies used to detect these cells. Accordingly, results are sometimes inconclusive and even conflicting. Nevertheless, increased CECs predict adverse cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndromes, suggesting they may move from being simply a research index to having a role in the clinic. The objective of the present communication is to condense existing data on CECs, briefly compare them with progenitor cells, and summarise possible mechanism(s) by which they may contribute to vascular pathology.
A simple predictive model for spherical indentation

A simple model is described with which the entire force versus penetration behavior of indentation with a sphere, during loading and unloading, may be simulated from knowledge of the four test material parameters, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, flow stress at the onset of full plastic flow and strain hardening index, and the elastic properties of the indenter. The underlying mechanisms are discussed and the predictions of the model are compared with data produced by an ultra low load, penetration measuring instrument.
On Strategies in Teaching Culturally Diverse Literary Texts

This paper discusses strategies for developing students’ cross-cultural literature appreciation abilities. It aims at facilitating students’ cultural understanding of literary texts by demonstrating the current approaches of literature teaching practice. For nearly half a century, research has been conducted on learning and understanding literature from a variety of cultures. With the ever growing trend of globalization and modernization, it becomes more and more common to see teaching and learning practices on literature that are different from the teachers’ and the students’ cultural backgrounds. Over the last 50 years, the dominant educational method for literature teaching and learning has been biographical and formalist criticism (Christenbury, 2000; Karolides, 2000). With the goal of identifying the common features of literary works from different cultural traditions, the two critical approaches promote a detached and pre-determined understanding of the nature of the meaning of literary texts, and they advocate an objective approach to analyzing literature (Christenbury, 2000; Karolides, 2000). Formalism and biographical criticism approaches guide students to understand the literature through comprehensive analysis of textbased information and identification of historical or bibliographical background in literary works. However, they have neglected the fact that literature comprehension involves readers’ participation, which further includes the active understanding of cultural elements from the text as well as from the influences of their native culture. Definition of Culture Different scholars have different understandings of culture. According to Tapp (2007), “culture is a set of learned beliefs and behaviors shaping how members view and experience the world” (p. 45). Robbins, Fantone, Hermann, Alexander, and Zweifler (1998) stated that individuals bring their cultures of affiliation. In these scholars’ perspective, cultures of affiliation may include in part religious groups, ethnic groups, social classes, and voluntary and professional organizations they have come to embrace (Robbins et al.,1998). According to Philipsen (1987), “a culture can be viewed from many perspectives, each of which provides one partial but important glance at the nature of things cultural” (p.76). In Goodenough’s (1964) views, culture does not consist of things, people, behavior, or emotions. It is rather an organization of these things. It is the forms of things that people have in mind, their models for perceiving, relating, and otherwise interpreting them. Robinson (1985) viewed cultural understanding as “an ongoing, dynamic process in which learners continually synthesize cultural inputs with their own past and present experience in order to create meaning—a synthesis between the learner’s home culture, the target culture input, and the learner as an individual” (pp. 11-12). From the definition cited above, different scholars defined culture in different perspectives. However, the common ground of their definition is based on associating culture
FutureMapping: The Computational Structure of Spatial AI Systems

We discuss and predict the evolution of Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) into a general geometric and semantic `Spatial AI' perception capability for intelligent embodied devices. A big gap remains between the visual perception performance that devices such as augmented reality eyewear or comsumer robots will require and what is possible within the constraints imposed by real products. Co-design of algorithms, processors and sensors will be needed. We explore the computational structure of current and future Spatial AI algorithms and consider this within the landscape of ongoing hardware developments.
Prophylaxis and Treatment of Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumonia in Lymphoma Patients Subjected to Rituximab-Contained Therapy: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) is frequently reported in lymphoma patients treated with rituximab-contained regimens. There is a trend toward a difference in PCP risk between bi- and tri-weekly regimens. The aims of this systemic review and meta-analysis were to estimate the risk for PCP in these patients, compare the impact of different regimens on the risk, and evaluate the efficacy of prophylaxis. The cohort studies with incept up to January 2014 were retrieved from the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Studies that compared the incidence of PCP in patients with and without rituximab treatment were conducted. Studies that reported the results of prophylaxis were concentrated to evaluate the efficacy of prophylaxis. Fixed effect Mantel-Haenszel model was chosen as the main analysis method. Funnel plots were examined to estimate the potential selection bias. Egger’s test and Begg’s test were used for the determination of possible small study bias. Eleven cohort studies that met the inclusion criteria were finally included. Results indicated that rituximab was associated with a significantly increased risk for PCP (28/942 vs 5/977; risk ratio: 3.65; 95% confidence interval 1.65 to 8.07; P=0.001), and no heterogeneity existed between different studies (I2=0%). Little significant difference in PCP risk was found between bi-weekly and tri-weekly regimens (risk ratio: 3.11; 95% confidence interval 0.92 to 10.52, P=0.068). PCP risk was inversely associated with prophylaxis in patients treated with rituximab (0/222 vs 26/986; risk ratio: 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.94; P=0.039). In conclusion, PCP risk was increased significantly in lymphoma patients subjected to rituximab-contained chemotherapies. Difference in PCP risk between bi-weekly and tri-weekly regimens was not significant. Additionally, prophylaxis was dramatically effective in preventing PCP in rituximab-received lymphoma patients, suggesting that rituximab should be recommended for these patients.
Safety and efficacy of helminth treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: Results of the HINT 2 clinical trial

Background: The hygiene hypothesis suggests that microbial replacement may be therapeutic in allergic and autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, the results of helminth treatment, including in multiple sclerosis (MS), have been inconclusive. Objective: To assess safety and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity in subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) during oral administration of ova from the porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis (TSO). Methods: A total of 16 disease-modifying treatment (DMT) naive RRMS subjects were studied in a baseline versus treatment (BVT) controlled prospective study. MRI scans were performed during 5 months of screening-observation, 10 months of treatment, and 4 months of post-treatment surveillance. Results: No serious symptoms or adverse events occurred during treatment. For the cohort, there was a trend consistent with a 35% diminution in active lesions when observation MRIs were compared to treatment MRIs (p = 0.08), and at the level of individuals, 12 of 16 subjects improved during TSO treatment. T regulatory lymphocytes were increased during TSO treatment. Conclusion: TSO is safe in RRMS subjects. Potentially favorable MRI outcomes and immunoregulatory changes were observed during TSO treatment; however, the magnitude of these effects was modest, and there was considerable variation among the responses of individual subjects.
Implicit Motivational Impact of Pictorial Health Warning on Cigarette Packs

Objective The use of pictorial warning labels on cigarette packages is one of the provisions included in the first ever global health treaty by the World Health Organization against the tobacco epidemic. There is substantial evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of graphic health warning labels on intention to quit, thoughts about health risks and engaging in cessation behaviors. However, studies that address the implicit emotional drives evoked by such warnings are still underexplored. Here, we provide experimental data for the use of pictorial health warnings as a reliable strategy for tobacco control. Methods Experiment 1 pre-tested nineteen prototypes of pictorial warnings to screen for their emotional impact. Participants (n = 338) were young adults balanced in gender, smoking status and education. Experiment 2 (n = 63) tested pictorial warnings (ten) that were stamped on packs. We employed an innovative set-up to investigate the impact of the warnings on the ordinary attitude of packs’ manipulation, and quantified judgments of warnings’ emotional strength and efficacy against smoking. Findings Experiment 1 revealed that women judged the warning prototypes as more aversive than men, and smokers judged them more aversive than non-smokers. Participants with lower education judged the prototypes more aversive than participants with higher education. Experiment 2 showed that stamped warnings antagonized the appeal of the brands by imposing a cost to manipulate the cigarette packs, especially for smokers. Additionally, participants’ judgments revealed that the more aversive a warning, the more it is perceived as effective against smoking. Conclusions Health warning labels are one of the key components of the integrated approach to control the global tobacco epidemic. The evidence presented in this study adds to the understanding of how implicit responses to pictorial warnings may contribute to behavioral change.
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Among Higher Secondary School Students of Imphal, Manipur

Introduction: Adolescence is a stressful period due to physical, psychological, sexual changes, and the presence of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress at this stage of life is a matter of concern. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress among higher secondary school students of Imphal and to determine the association between depression, anxiety, and stress and selected variables such as gender, standard, and religion. Materials and methods: From September 2014 to October 2014, a cross-sectional study was conducted among higher secondary school students of Imphal. The sample size was calculated to be 750. Seven schools were randomly selected, and all the students in that school were enrolled in the study. The study tool used was a questionnaire containing DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: The prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress among 830 valid respondents were 19.5%, 24.4%, and 21.1%, respectively. In total, 81.6% of the respondents had at least one of the studied disorders and 34.7% of the respondents had all the three negative states. The prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress were high among females and were significant for anxiety (P = 0.00) and stress (P = 0.04). The prevalences of depression and stress were significantly higher among 12th standard students with P-values of 0.00 and 0.02. Conclusion: The prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress were high with anxiety and stress significantly higher among females, whereas prevalences of depression and stress were significantly higher among 12th standard students. More studies are recommended to determine the factors leading to these mental disorders.
Pneumococcal vaccination and chronic respiratory diseases

Patients with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases are especially vulnerable to viral and bacterial pulmonary infections, which are major causes of exacerbations, hospitalization, disease progression, and mortality in COPD patients. Effective vaccines could reduce the burden of respiratory infections and acute exacerbations in COPD patients, but what is the evidence for this? This article reviews and discusses the existing evidence for pneumococcal vaccination efficacy and its changing role in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially COPD. Specifically, the recent Community-Acquired Pneumonia Immunization Trial in Adults (CAPITA) showed the efficacy of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in older adults, many of whom had additional risk factors for pneumococcal disease, including chronic lung diseases. Taken together, the evidence suggests that pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations can prevent community-acquired pneumonia and acute exacerbations in COPD patients, while pneumococcal vaccination early in the course of COPD could help maintain stable health status. Despite the need to prevent pulmonary infections in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and evidence for the efficacy of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine coverage and awareness are low and need to be improved. Respiratory physicians need to communicate the benefits of vaccination more effectively to their patients who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases.
Induction of Jasmonic Acid-Associated Defenses by Thrips Alters Host Suitability for Conspecifics and Correlates with Increased Trichome Densities in Tomato

Plant defenses inducible by herbivorous arthropods can determine performance of subsequent feeding herbivores. We investigated how infestation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants with the Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) alters host plant suitability and foraging decisions of their conspecifics. We explored the role of delayed-induced jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated plant defense responses in thrips preference by using the tomato mutant def-1, impaired in JA biosynthesis. In particular, we investigated the effect of thrips infestation on trichome-associated tomato defenses. The results showed that when offered a choice, thrips preferred non-infested plants over infested wild-type plants, while no differences were observed in def-1. Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate restored the repellency effect in def-1. Gene expression analysis showed induction of the JA defense signaling pathway in wild-type plants, while activating the ethylene signaling pathway in both genotypes. Activation of JA defenses led to increases in type-VI leaf glandular trichome densities in the wild type, augmenting the production of trichome-associated volatiles, i.e. terpenes. Our study revealed that plant-mediated intraspecific interactions between thrips are determined by JA-mediated defenses in tomato. We report that insects can alter not only trichome densities but also the allelochemicals produced therein, and that this response might depend on the magnitude and/or type of the induction.
Arabidopsis m6A demethylase activity modulates viral infection of a plant virus and the m6A abundance in its genomic RNAs

Significance N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been found to constitute an important regulatory mechanism in RNA biology. Unlike mammals and yeast, no component of the m6A cellular machinery has been described in plants at present. Although the influence of the m6A cellular machinery has been suspected to occur in the plant virus cycle, it has never been proved. Here we have identified a plant protein with m6A demethylase activity (atALKBH9B) and demonstrate that this protein removes m6A modification from RNA in vitro. Remarkably, we found that m6A abundance on the viral genome of alfalfa mosaic virus is influenced by atALKBH9B activity and regulates viral infection. This study extends the vast repertoire that plants exploit to control cytoplasmic-replicating RNA viruses. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an internal, reversible nucleotide modification that constitutes an important regulatory mechanism in RNA biology. Unlike mammals and yeast, no component of the m6A cellular machinery has been described in plants at present. m6A has been identified in the genomic RNAs of diverse mammalian viruses and, additionally, viral infection was found to be modulated by the abundance of m6A in viral RNAs. Here we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana protein atALKBH9B (At2g17970) is a demethylase that removes m6A from single-stranded RNA molecules in vitro. atALKBH9B accumulates in cytoplasmic granules, which colocalize with siRNA bodies and associate with P bodies, suggesting that atALKBH9B m6A demethylase activity could be linked to mRNA silencing and/or mRNA decay processes. Moreover, we identified the presence of m6A in the genomes of two members of the Bromoviridae family, alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The demethylation activity of atALKBH9B affected the infectivity of AMV but not of CMV, correlating with the ability of atALKBH9B to interact (or not) with their coat proteins. Suppression of atALKBH9B increased the relative abundance of m6A in the AMV genome, impairing the systemic invasion of the plant, while not having any effect on CMV infection. Our findings suggest that, as recently found in animal viruses, m6A modification may represent a plant regulatory strategy to control cytoplasmic-replicating RNA viruses.
Transient apoptosis inhibition in donor stem cells improves hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

During hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a substantial number of donor cells are lost because of apoptotic cell death. Transplantation-associated apoptosis is mediated mainly by the proapoptotic BCL-2 family proteins BIM and BMF, and their proapoptotic function is conserved between mouse and human stem and progenitor cells. Permanent inhibition of apoptosis in donor cells caused by the loss of these BH3-only proteins improves transplantation outcome, but recipients might be exposed to increased risk of lymphomagenesis or autoimmunity. Here, we address whether transient inhibition of apoptosis can serve as a safe but efficient alternative to improve the outcome of stem cell transplantation. We show that transient apoptosis inhibition by short-term overexpression of prosurvival BCL-XL, known to block BIM and BMF, is not only sufficient to increase the viability of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during engraftment but also improves transplantation outcome without signs of adverse pathologies. Hence, this strategy represents a promising and novel therapeutic approach, particularly under conditions of limited donor stem cell availability.
Dried distillers grains with solubles as a multifunctional filler in wood particleboards

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . xi CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 – Lignocellulosic Product Boards . 1 1.1.1 – Wood Composition . 1 1.1.2 – Wood Product Boards Classification and Usage . 3 1.1.3 – Material Usage . 4 1.2 – Binders . 5 1.2.1 – Common Binders . 5 1.2. 2 – Proteins as Binders . 6 1.3 – Corn DDGS . 8 1.3. 1 – Corn Kernel Structure . 10 1.3. 2 – DDGS as a Bi-Product of Ethanol . 11 CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 12 2.1 – Particleboard Research . 12 2.1.1 – Processing Effects . 12 2.1.2 – Alternative Resins . 14 2.1.3 – Binderless Boards . 15 2.1. 4 – Alternative Biomass Fillers . 15
Effect of Organic Manure and Foliar Potassium Application on Yield Performance of Wheat Cultivars ( Triticum aestivum L.)

In order to study the effects of organic manure (0 and 20 ton ha -1 ) and foliar potassium application form potassium sulfate (0 and 250 kg ha -1 ) on grain yield, yield components, leaf potassium content in 4 wheat cultivars including (Hamoon, Karkhe, Kavir and Yavarus), a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) was carried out in the Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Centre, Iran during 2009-2010. Results showed that Organic manure increased number of grain per ear (9.17%), leaf potassium content (42.7%), and 1000 seed weight (4.81%) in compare with control. Increasing rates of applied potassium from 0 to 250 kg ha -1 markedly increased all studied characters. Application of 250 kg ha -1 k increased the leaf potassium content 43%. There were significant differences among cultivars in all evaluated traits except number of grain per ear. The highest grain yield (6.1 ton ha -1 ) was found of 250 kg ha -1 potassium in Hamoon cultivar.
Update on the role of alternatively activated macrophages in asthma

Lung macrophages link innate and adaptive immune responses during allergic airway inflammatory responses. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) and interstitial macrophages are two different phenotypes that differentially exert immunological function under physiological and pathological conditions. Exposure to pathogen induces polarization of AM cells into classically activated macrophages (M1 cells) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2 cells). M1 cells dominantly express proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1 β and induce lung inflammation and tissue damage. M2 cells are further divided into M2a and M2c subsets. M2a cells dominantly produce allergic cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, but M2c cells dominantly produce anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. M2a and M2c cells are differently involved in initiation, inflammation resolution, and tissue remodeling in the different stages of asthma. Microenvironment dynamically influences polarization of AM cells. Cytokines, chemokines, and immune-regulatory cells interplay and affect the balance between the polarization of M1 and M2 cells, subsequently influencing disease progression. Thus, modulation of AM phenotypes through molecular intervention has therapeutic potential in the treatment of asthma and other allergic inflammatory diseases. This review updated recent advances in polarization and functional specialization of these macrophage subtypes with emphasis on modulation of polarization of M2 cells in asthma of human subjects and animal models.