Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NSP4 Is Stored in Azurophil Granules and Released by Activated Neutrophils as Active Endoprotease with Restricted Specificity

Whereas neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and proteinase 3 have been known as granule-associated serine proteases of neutrophils for decades, a fourth member, called neutrophil serine protease 4 (NSP4), was just recently described and provisionally characterized. In this study, we identified NSP4 as a novel azurophil granule protein of neutrophils by Western blot analyses of subcellular fractions as well as by RT-PCR analyses of neutrophil precursors from human bone marrow. The highest mRNA levels were observed in myeloblasts and promyelocytes, similar to myeloperoxidase, a marker of azurophil granules. To determine the extended sequence specificity of recombinant NSP4, we used an iterative fluorescence resonance energy transfer–based optimization strategy. In total, 142 different peptide substrates with arginine in P1 and variations at the P1′, P2′, P3, P4, and P2 positions were tested. This enabled us to construct an α1-proteinase inhibitor variant (Ile-Lys-Pro-Arg−/−Ser-Ile-Pro) with high specificity for NSP4. This tailor-made serpin was shown to form covalent complexes with all NSP4 of neutrophil lysates and supernatants of activated neutrophils, indicating that NSP4 is fully processed and stored as an already activated enzyme in azurophil granules. Moreover, cathepsin C was identified as the activator of NSP4 in vivo, as cathepsin C deficiency resulted in a complete absence of NSP4 in a Papillon-Lefèvre patient. Our in-depth analysis of NSP4 establishes this arginine-specific protease as a genuine member of preactivated serine proteases stored in azurophil granules of human neutrophils.
Compilation Semantics of Aspect-Oriented Programs

paper presents a semantics-based compilation frame- work for an aspect-oriented programming language based on its operational semantics model. Using partial evalua- tion, the framework can explain several issues in compilation processes, including how to find places in program text to insert aspect code and how to remove unnecessary run-time checks. It also illustrates optimization of calling-context sen- sitive pointcuts (cflow), implemented in real compilers.
On the Modernization of Education in Russia

Education is a field of activity that is doomed to be in a permanent state of crisis. A rapid paradigm shift [1] does not leave much time to adapt school syllabi and curricula, and the realities of life persistently demand more and more well-trained people. However, each era interprets the term “well-trained people” in its own way. These days a great deal is being said about the necessity of modernizing education in this country (see, for example, a recent interview with V.V. Mironov, vice rector of Moscow State University [2, pp. 21–26], and with Ia.I. Kuz’minov, rector of the Higher School of Economics [3, pp. 58–62]; these materials are especially
Conditional Contributions and Public Good Provision: Perceptions, Motives, and Behavioral Reactions

Previous studies have demonstrated that communication facilitates the provision of public goods, and that part of the success of communication lies in its propensity to elicit promises to contribute. In this article we focus on reactions to conditional promises, and in particular on `promises than cannot be broken' (i.e. conditional contributions). In an experimental study, participants were led to believe they were a member of a five-person group in which one member made a conditional contribution. The results of this study suggest that behavioral reactions to conditional contributions are a function of the motivation ascribed to conditional contributors, which in turn appears to be a function of the interest conditional contributors have in providing the public good. In more general terms, the results suggest that group members reciprocate the motivation they ascribe to the conditional contributor.
Parenting Success and Challenges for Families of Children with Disabilities: An Ecological Systems Analysis

This article examines factors that are associated with parenting success for caregivers of children with disabilities using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems framework. Although numerous studies have investigated risk factors for negative parenting among caregivers of children with disabilities, there are relatively few research findings on parenting success. More specifically, we examine factors for parenting success within the context of micro- (parenting practices, parent-child relations), meso- (caregivers' marital relations, religious social support), and macro-systems (cultural variations, racial and ethnic disparities, health care delivery system), which is then followed by implications for social work practice.
Real-time Learning and Detection of 3D Texture-less Objects: A Scalable Approach

We present a method for the learning and detection of multiple rigid texture-less 3D objects intended to operate at frame rate speeds for video input. The method is geared for fast and scalable learning and detection by combining tractable extraction of edgelet constellations with library lookup based on rotationand scale-invariant descriptors. The approach learns object views in real-time, and is generative enabling more objects to be learnt without the need for re-training. During testing, a random sample of edgelet constellations is tested for the presence of known objects. We perform testing of single and multi-object detection on a 30 objects dataset showing detections of any of them within milliseconds from the object’s visibility. The results show the scalability of the approach and its framerate performance.
The joint effects of personality and supervisory career mentoring in predicting occupational commitment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the joint effects of personality (agreeableness and conscientiousness) and perceived supervisory career mentoring (SCM) on occupational commitment (OC) in the Indian context. In addition, the role of SCM support as a predictor of OC was also analyzed. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey-based research design was adopted using data from 121 employees of public and private sector organizations in North India. Findings – The results showed that the relationship between perceived SCM and OC was stronger for employees reporting high levels of agreeableness in contrast to low agreeableness. Further, perceived SCM support was observed as a significant predictor of OC in the Indian context. Practical implications – This study suggests that for fostering an occupationally committed workforce, it is critical for supervisory mentors to understand how to deal with employees of different personality traits. Further, supervisory mentors need to be tra.
Towards Robotic Self-repair by means of Neuronal Remodelling

Adaptivity in mobile robotic systems is recognized as a difficult issue. In the invertebrate world several species are known to have remarkable adaptive behaviour triggered by environmental changes. The adaptivity is the result of remodelling their brain according to environmental needs. In this conceptual paper we propose a methodology to obtain true adaptivity in robotic systems based on neuronal remodelling in insects. Contrasting other AI related research in the field of robotics, we will use complex neuronal structures instead of standard artificial neurons. We propose three research tracks and our results from the first track are presented and discussed.
Plasma amitriptyline level after acute administration, and driving performance in healthy volunteers

Aims: Amitriptyline triggers the impairment of cognitive and motor functions and has been confirmed to have harmful effects on driving performance. Although interindividual differences in plasma concentration may cause variations in driving performance, the relationship between plasma amitriptyline concentration and its effect on driving performance has not been completely elucidated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the influence of individual pharmacokinetic differences on driving performance and cognitive functions.
Beyond administration and management: reconstructing the identities of professional staff in UK higher education

This paper describes an empirical study associated with earlier reviews of the changing roles and identities of contemporary professional staff in UK higher education (Whitchurch, 2004; 2006a; 2006b). The study draws on the narratives of 24 individuals to illustrate that identity movements cannot be captured solely in terms of a shift from ‘administration’ to ‘management’, or of a collective process of professionalisation. Contemporary ideas about the fluidity of identity (Delanty, 2008; Taylor, 2008) are used to theorise the empirical data, and to develop a conceptual framework that describes emerging identities by means of three categories of bounded, cross‐boundary, and unbounded professionals. This framework demonstrates that professional staff are not only interpreting their given roles more actively, but that they are also moving laterally across functional and institutional boundaries to create new professional spaces, knowledges, relationships and legitimacies. It is suggested, therefore, that the roles and identities of professional staff are more complex and dynamic than organisation charts or job descriptions might suggest.
Academic achievement and its relationship with anxiety, self-esteem, optimism, and pessimism in Kuwaiti students

The aim in this study was to examine the relationship between academic achievement and the following variables: anxiety, self-esteem, optimism, and pessimism. The sample consisted of 400 male and female students in the Basic Education College in Kuwait. The salient findings of the investigation were the significant positive correlation between academic achievement and both optimism and self-esteem – whereas the correlations were negative between academic achievement and both anxiety and pessimism.
Demographic differences in changing pre‐service teachers’ attitudes, sentiments and concerns about inclusive education

The preparation of teachers for regular schools has clearly needed to undergo quite significant change in recent years. One major adjustment has been the necessity to prepare teachers for progressively more diverse student populations as they will increasingly be required to teach in inclusive classrooms. Many teacher education institutions are, therefore, offering units of work that aim to tackle this. Utilizing an international data set of 603 pre‐service teachers, consideration is given to the effect of a range of demographic differences on changing pre‐service teacher attitudes toward inclusion; sentiments towards people with a disability and in reducing their concerns about inclusion when involved in a focused unit of work. Pre‐ and post‐training comparisons are made which identify a range of variables that impact on changing pre‐service teacher perceptions about inclusion. The discussion focuses on the importance of differentiating teacher preparation courses to address these different needs of pre‐service teachers.
Recognition Subtest for the Complex Figure

Abstract This is a series of three related studies using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (CFT) and a new Recognition Subtest for the CFT. A comparison of scores on three matched groups of 30 subjects each (Brain-Injured, Psychiatric, and Normals) showed that the Recognition Subtest was useful in discriminating between the groups. A discriminant analysis was computed. Next, a preliminary normative group of 208 normals was collected for the CFT and the Recognition Subtest. Finally, a study comparing subjects with minor brain injury (no loss of consciousness) with those who were more impaired (with loss of consciousness) was made. This experiment demonstrated that the discriminant function proved to be most effective in discriminating brain-injured from normals and subjects with minor brain injuries. The inclusion of the Recognition Subtest with the CFT increases the breadth and discriminant ability of the CFT and provides a dimension not previously available with the CFT alone.
TPSPET—A TPS-based approach for in vivo dose verification with PET in proton therapy

Since the interest in ion-irradiation for tumour therapy has significantly increased over the last few decades, intensive investigations are performed to improve the accuracy of this form of patient treatment. One major goal is the development of methods for in vivo dose verification. In proton therapy, a PET (positron emission tomography)-based approach measuring the irradiation-induced tissue activation inside the patient has been already clinically implemented. The acquired PET images can be compared to an expectation, derived under the assumption of a correct treatment application, to validate the particle range and the lateral field position in vivo. In the context of this work, TPSPET is introduced as a new approach to predict proton-irradiation induced three-dimensional positron emitter distributions by means of the same algorithms of the clinical treatment planning system (TPS). In order to perform additional activity calculations, reaction-channel-dependent input positron emitter depth distributions are necessary, which are determined from the application of a modified filtering approach to the TPS reference depth dose profiles in water. This paper presents the implementation of TPSPET on the basis of the research treatment planning software treatment planning for particles. The results are validated in phantom and patient studies against Monte Carlo simulations, and compared to β+-emitter distributions obtained from a slightly modified version of the originally proposed one-dimensional filtering approach applied to three-dimensional dose distributions. In contrast to previously introduced methods, TPSPET provides a faster implementation, the results show no sensitivity to lateral field extension and the predicted β+-emitter densities are fully consistent to the planned treatment dose as they are calculated by the same pencil beam algorithms. These findings suggest a large potential of the application of TPSPET for in vivo dose verification in the daily clinical routine.
On Detectability of a Ship's Kelvin Wake in Simulated SAR Images of Rough Sea Surface

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of ship wakes frequently exhibit long streaks. Some of the streaks are attributed to the Kelvin V-wave wake, and others are attributed to the turbulent and bright narrow V-wake. Ocean waves reduce the detectability of Kelvin wakes in SAR images. The SAR imaging of Kelvin wakes of two ships with different dimensions moving in rough sea is studied theoretically. The Kelvin wakes are simulated using the Michell theory. The random sea surface is simulated using the Pierson-Moskowitz type wave spectrum. The elevations of the points of the water surface and their velocities and accelerations are considered as a superposition of a ship's coherent waves and wind waves. A two-scale composite model and the velocity-bunching integral are used to simulate the intensity of SAR images of a disturbed sea surface with an embedded Kelvin wake. The fast discrete Radon transform is applied to detect the boundaries of the simulated Kelvin wakes. The probabilities of missing detections (PMD) and false alarms (PFA) are estimated numerically. The influence of ships, wind, and SAR parameters on PMD and PFA is discussed. It is illustrated that PMD/PFA strongly depend on the sea state.
A look at several memory management units, TLB-refill mechanisms, and page table organizations

Virtual memory is a staple in modem systems, though there is little agreement on how its functionality is to be implemented on either the hardware or software side of the interface. The myriad of design choices and incompatible hardware mechanisms suggests potential performance problems, especially since increasing numbers of systems (even embedded systems) are using memory management. A comparative study of the implementation choices in virtual memory should therefore aid system-level designers.This paper compares several virtual memory designs, including combinations of hierarchical and inverted page tables on hardware-managed and software-managed translation lookaside buffers (TLBs). The simulations show that systems are fairly sensitive to TLB size; that interrupts already account for a large portion of memory-management overhead and can become a significant factor as processors execute more concurrent instructions; and that if one includes the cache misses inflicted on applications by the VM system, the total VM overhead is roughly twice what was thought (10--20% rather than 5--10%).
Programa de ejercicio estructurado es viable y mejora la capacidad funcional en adultos mayores en Puerto Rico

La inactividad fisica es un factor de riesgo principal que afecta la salud y capacidad funcional en adultos mayores. En este estudio se evaluo la capacidad funcional en 22 adultos mayores en Puerto Rico (edad promedio ± desviacion estandar = 73,3 ± 8,2 anos) antes, durante y despues de ocho semanas de participar en un programa de ejercicios estructurados. La capacidad funcional se evaluo mediante una bateria de pruebas de campo (composicion corporal, flexibilidad, coordinacion, agilidad y balance, tolerancia muscular y tolerancia cardiorrespiratoria) validadas para esta poblacion. Ademas, en una sub-muestra (n = 7) se midio la aptitud cardiorrespiratoria (VO 2 max) y los niveles de lipidos en sangre. Se utilizo una ANOVA con medidas repetidas para detectar cambios en la capacidad funcional antes, durante y despues del programa. Con una t-pareada se evaluaron cambios en VO 2 max y lipidos antes y despues del programa. La flexibilidad mejoro significativamente durante el programa (51,6 ± 12,2 vs. 57,7 ± 8,1 cm, p=0,04) y el cambio se sostuvo al final del programa (54,4 ± 10,2 cm). El tiempo en la prueba de agilidad y balance mejoro por dos segundos y la tolerancia muscular aumento por cinco repeticiones al cabo de ocho semanas (p 0,05). Estos resultados sugieren que la participacion en un programa de ejercicios estructurados por ocho semanas puede impactar positivamente aspectos que promueven la capacidad de movimiento en el adulto mayor. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:. 0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
Performance Evaluation of Lossy DPCM Coding of ImagesUsing Di erent Predictors and QuantizersS

The phenomeal increases in the generation, processing, and transmission of digital images have created increasing demands on the storage capacities, the processing speeds, and on the bandwidth of communication. Typical applications include teleradiology, digital libraries, satellite imagery for earth resources, multimedia databases, and several others. Lossy image compression techniques enable the storage of digital images using reasonable space and their transmission with acceptable speed. Lossy DPCM (diierential pulse code modulation) technique for compression and decompression of images ooers the advantages computational simplicity and ease of parallel implementation in hardware/software. In this paper we present results of evaluation of lossy DPCM scheme for coding images using a variety of combinations of quantiz-ers, quantization levels, and prediction coeecients.
Influence of fat and emulsifiers on the efficacy of nisin in inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes in fluid milk.

The recent FDA affirmation of nisin, an antimicrobial peptide, as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) additive in pasteurized cheese spreads has renewed interest in its potential application in US dairy products. Fluid milks were prepared with varying concentrations of milk fat (0 to 12.9%) and of nisin (0 to 50 U/ml). Biological activity assays using a sensitive indicator microorganism in a well diffusion system indicated that initial nisin activity (50 U/ml) decreased by about 33% when it was added to skim milk and by more than 88% when added to milk containing 12.9% fat. Nisin activity decreased by ca. 50% in milk containing 1.29% fat. Milks containing 0, 10, or 50 U/ml of nisin and varying fat percentages were challenged with approximately log10 7 to 7.5 cfu/ml of log phase Listeria monocytogenes Scott A or Jalisco. At 2 h after inoculation, the viable count of L. monocytogenes Scott A decreased to log10 . 30 cfu/ml in skim milk with 50 U/ml of nisin, decreased to log10 2.90 cfu/ml in skim milk with 10 U/ml of nisin, and increased slightly (log10 7.8 cfu/ml) in skim milk without nisin. In half-and-half (12.9% milk fat), nisin was far less effective in inhibiting Listeria with populations decreasing to log10 6.57 cfu/ml for 10 U/ml of nisin and log10 5.87 cfu/ml for 50 U/ml. Similar results were obtained with L. monocytogenes Jalisco. The nonionic emulsifier, Tween 80, partially counteracted decreases of nisin activity in milks, whereas the anionic emulsifier, lecithin, had no effect. Addition of Tween 80 significantly increased the activity of nisin against L. monocytogenes in milk regardless of fat content.
Minimum Redundancy Coding for Uncertain Sources

Consider the set of source distributions within a fixed maximum relative entropy with respect to a given nominal distribution. Lossless source coding over this relative entropy ball can be approached in more than one way. A problem previously considered is finding a minimax average length source code. The minimizing players are the codeword lengths --- real numbers for arithmetic codes, integers for prefix codes --- while the maximizing players are the uncertain source distributions. Another traditional minimizing objective is the first one considered here, maximum (average) redundancy. This problem reduces to an extension of an exponential Huffman objective treated in the literature but heretofore without direct practical application. In addition to these, this paper examines the related problem of maximal minimax pointwise redundancy and the problem considered by Gawrychowski and Gagie, which, for a sufficiently small relative entropy ball, is equivalent to minimax redundancy. One can consider both Shannon-like coding based on optimal real number ("ideal") codeword lengths and a Huffman-like optimal prefix coding.
Improving the location of minimax facilities through network modification

Consider a network on which one or more facilities are already located. We examine how the network can be modified most efficiently in order to improve the location of the facility when the measure of facility performance is the minimax objective. The types of possible network modifications fall into two categories: reductions in the length of existing arcs or additions of some new arcs that are not currently in the network. A set of reduction and addition problems is introduced for which exact or heuristic algorithms are presented. The principal objective of the paper is in defining and formulating the problems and not in testing the efficacy of the proposed solution methodologies. %: 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Simulium damnosum species complex: phylogenetic analysis and molecular identification based upon mitochondrially encoded gene sequences

The DNA sequence of portions of the 16s rRNA and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) genes were used to determine phylogenetic relationships in the Simulium damnosum s.l. species complex. Results suggested that at least two major clades existed in the S. damnosum species complex, and that members of the S. damnosum s.l. species complex were not closely related to North American Simulium species. The sequence variability of the ND4 gene was exploited to develop a method to distinguish the sibling species of the S. damnosum s.l. species complex, based on directed heteroduplex analysis of PCR products derived from the ND4 gene. This method was capable of classifying the six sibling species into at least five groups.