Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neisseria gonorrhoeae PLD directly interacts with Akt kinase upon infection of primary, human, cervical epithelial cells

Neisseria gonorrhoeae secrets a phospholipase D (NgPLD), which augments complement receptor 3 (CR3)‐mediated invasion of cervical epithelial cells. To elucidate the signalling pathways triggered with gonococcus CR3‐engagement and the putative function of NgPLD in these events, we analysed the contribution of the phosphoinositide‐Akt pathway to cervical infection. Our data indicated that Akt plays a critical role in cervical infection. Inhibition of myosin light chain kinase, PtdIns(4,5)P2, and Akt functions resulted in decreased gonococcus invasion of primary, human, cervical epithelial cells as well as Akt kinase activity. Akt activity was similarly impaired when cervical cells were challenged with NgPLD‐mutant gonococci. Conversely, the PI3‐kinase inhibitor, LY294002, enhanced gonococcal invasion of, and Akt activity within, primary cervical cells. We demonstrated that NgPLD directly binds to the Akt PH domain and can compete with a natural Akt ligand, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, for Akt binding. Collectively, our data suggested that NgPLD augments gonococcus invasion of cervical epithelia by interacting with Akt kinase in a PI3‐kinase‐independent manner, which results in subversion of normal cervical cell signalling.
Inhibition of caspase activity in retinal cell apoptosis induced by various stimuli in vitro.

PURPOSE Although recent work implicates a decisive role for a family of cysteine aspartic acid proteases, termed caspases, as mediators of neuronal apoptosis, little is known about caspase activation that accompanies apoptosis in the retina. The purpose of this study was to investigate caspase activation in retinal cell apoptosis induced by various stimuli, including simulated ischemia, excitotoxicity, and antibody to heat shock protein 27 (hsp27), and to assess whether the inhibition of caspases can block apoptosis in retinal cells induced by different stimuli. METHODS Apoptotic cell death induced in cultured retinal cells by simulated ischemia, excitotoxicity, or hsp27 antibody was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling technique. Changes in the caspase activity were studied using western blot analysis and a fluorometric protease activity assay in the presence or absence of caspase inhibitors. In addition, changes in the expression of bcl-2 and bax were examined by western blot analysis. RESULTS The authors' in vitro observations revealed that the apoptotic process in retinal cells induced by different stimuli share a common executioner proteolysis cascade, including caspase-3 and poly(ADP ribose) polymerase cleavage. One exception, however, was that caspase-8 activation was only observed during the apoptosis induced by hsp27 antibody. In retinal cells going to apoptosis regardless of the stimulus, bcl-2 expression was decreased and bax expression was increased. Furthermore, the authors observed that treatment of retinal cells with inhibitors of caspases, including B-D-FMK and Z-IETD-FMK, blocked the apoptotic cell death induced by different stimuli. CONCLUSIONS The authors' observations provide a better understanding of the apoptotic process in retinal cells at molecular level and demonstrate an effective blockade of caspase activation with specific inhibitors. These findings may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of neuroretinal diseases, which are characterized by apoptotic cell death.
The Daily Disciplines of Leadership : How to Improve Student Achievement, Staff Motivation, and Personal Organization

This guide is intended to be a practical primer to help education leaders meet the daily challenges of school leadership. It shows how to include leadership in an integrated system of educational accountability, teaching, and curriculum for student achievement; how to do away with ineffective, obsolete, and unnecessary practices; and how to develop the skills to evaluate, coach, and groom new leaders. The book concentrates on five important areas for senior leaders and policymakers: (1) how to create change even if there is initially no consensus in favor of change; (2) how to create a leadership profile, using the Leadership and Learning matrix, that allows leaders to analyze decisions and focus energies; (3) how to manage time; (4) how to create a new accountability system that goes beyond the traditional dependence on tests scores; and (5) how to identify the next generation of educational leaders and to begin the mentoring process. The book contains some two dozen figures, graphs, and charts to illustrate important points; a subject index; and appendices that contain worksheets, matrices, checklists, and forms for day-to-day management. (WFA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. The Daily Disciplines of Leadership: How To Improve Student Achievement, Staff Motivation, and Personal Organization
Low-power video acquisition with super-resolution reconstruction for mobile devices

With the VASI, we propose a low-power video acquisition, which captures a video at low-resolution (LR) interlaced with some at full-resolution. The power consumed during acquisition is reduced by turning off some of the sensors when acquiring LR frames. Afterwards, an efficient super-resolution (SR) technique is employed to reconstruct the LR frames to high-resolution (HR). Another application of the proposed framework is to overcome the pixel transfer rate limit to obtain high-frame-rate and HR video. Experiments verify the efficacy of the proposed framework in both saving power and enhancing video quality.
The Impact of Work Schedules, Home, and Work Demands on Self-Reported Sleep in Registered Nurses

Objective: To explore the relationship of work schedules to self-reported restless and inadequate sleep in a large population-based sample of registered nurses. Methods: Cross-sectional mailed survey (n = 2246). Work schedule measures included hours worked per day and per week, weekends per month, shift, frequency of quick returns, mandatory overtime or on-call hours, and circadian mismatch, with indexing to reflect overall schedule adversity. Odds of restless and inadequate sleep related to work schedule components are reported, adjusted for age, childcare, and other domestic responsibilities and physical and psychosocial work demands. Results: Odds of inadequate and restless sleep showed a clear dose effect for adversity of work schedule, even when adjusted for age and home demands. Odds were attenuated after adjustment for work demands. Conclusions: Current scheduling practices and high work demands negatively impact nurses' sleep and may be partially explained by exposure to work demands.
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors—an overview

3-401 17 Pulido F, Arribas JR, Miro JM, et al. Comparative study of efavirenz or protease inhibitor-based HAART in HIV infected antiretroviral naõ È ve patients with 5100 CD4 cell/ mL and opportunistic disease (EFAVIP-2 study). Barcelona IV International Aids Conference, July 2002 TuOrB1187/ TuPeB4444 18 Cohen C, Elion R, Green S, et al. SUSTIVA (efavirenz) is highly effective and well tolerated in combination with the nucleosides stavudine and lamivudine (Study DMP 266-043) 40th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Toronto, Canada, September 2000. Abs
Dracula’s image in tourism: Western bloggers versus tour guides

This study attempted to describe the different Western images related to Dracula tourism, and the role Bran Castle tour guides have in the image formation process. This is accomplished by analyzing the contents of Western tourists’ travel blogs, and of qualitative interviews elicited from Bran Castle tour guides. The qualitative content analysis resulted in seven themes focused on historical and fictional images of the destination. The results show that the majority of Western bloggers visit Bran in search for Count Dracula; however, the Bran Castle tour guides focus on presenting the historical truth. The findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to the destination image formation literature and the concept of authenticity.
Polysplenia Syndrome With Splenic and Skeletal Muscle Metastases From Thyroid Carcinoma Evaluated by FDG PET/CT: Case Report and Literature Review

AbstractPolysplenia syndrome (PSS) is a rare congenital abnormality. Metastases to spleen and skeletal muscle from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) are also extremely rare. Our case report aims to present an interesting case of PSS associated with splenic metastasis (SM) and skeletal muscle metastasis (SMM) from advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma which was evaluated on fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). An 84-year-old Chinese man was admitted with the history of multiple enlarged masses in bilateral neck, right axillary, and inguinal areas for >2 months. The results of ultrasonography examination were highly suggestive of malignancy. The histological results of the following biopsy were consistent with papillary thyroid carcinoma with involvement of multiple regional lymph nodes. He was referred for an FDG PET/CT imaging to evaluate the situation.FDG PET/CT showed that an intense FDG-avid thyroid mass with widespread regional lymph node involvement and distant metastases in the body. Unexpected sites of metastases were detected in the spleens and skeletal muscles. Most interestingly, FDG PET/CT imaging also described the typical imaging findings of PSS including the 2 right-sided spleens, azygos and hemiazygos continuation of inferior vena cava (IVC), right-sided stomach, middle line liver, a short pancreas, preduodenal portal vein (PPV), and malrotation of gut.Whole body FDG PET/CT imaging can accurately evaluate the situation of DTC by detecting regional lymph node involvement, common and rare sites of distant metastases which are closely related to staging, management, and prognosis of this disease. Whole-body FDG PET/CT is also valuable in demonstrating the typical imaging features of PSS.
When Public Acts like Private: The Failure of Estonia's School Choice Mechanism

This article aims to show the segregating effect of the market-like matching of students and schools at the basic school level. The natural experiment case is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The current school choice mechanism applied in this case is based on entrance tests. There are increasingly over-subscribed intra-catchment area public schools, where high reputations are reinforced by publicly reported league tables. The current mechanism has resulted in parental strategies of prep-schooling and the manipulation of addresses. Logistic regression results based on survey data assure that, under competitive entrance, families' educational strategies and background characteristics determine the success of admission to schools with good reputations. Understanding this heterogeneous strategic behaviour is important for the effective design of school choice mechanisms.
Reviews : The Affordable City: Toward a Third Sector Housing Policy John Emmeus Davis Temple University Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1994. 311 pages. $44.95 (HB

The dramatic retrenchment of the federal role in housing policy over the past decade and a half has stimulated a range of local housing initiatives. States and cities have become surprisingly active players despite expectations that the inherent conservatism of local government would lead to an abandonment of housing intervention (Goetz 1993). Perhaps one of the most interesting outcomes of federal government withdrawal has been the disruption of the close public-private compact that governed housing policy in the
Antiplatelet activity of obovatol, a biphenolic component of Magnolia Obovata, in rat arterial thrombosis and rabbit platelet aggregation.

AIM Thrombosis occurs in the coronary arteries via the activation of platelets, and leads to acute myocardial infarction and sudden death. Obovatol, a major biphenolic component of Magnolia Obovata leaves, displays anti-inflammatory and acyl Co-A cholesterol acyltrasferase inhibitory effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of obovatol on thrombus formation in vivo and platelet activation in vitro and ex vivo. METHODS We investigated the antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of obovatol in rat carotid arterial thrombosis in vivo along with platelet aggregation in vitro and ex vivo. Its possible cellular mechanism of antiplatelet activity was investigated by testing PLC-γ2 activation, arachidonic acid cascade, calcium mobilization and granule secretion. RESULTS Oral administration of obovatol prevented carotid thrombosis, but also significantly inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Obovatol did not change coagulation times, such as activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time, indicating that the antithrombotic effect of obovatol might be due to antiplatelet activity rather than anticoagulation activity. Obovatol inhibited in vitro collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced rabbit platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner (1-10 µM), with IC(50) values of 2.4 ± 0.8 and 4.8 ± 0.9 µM, respectively. Obovatol blocked collagen-mediated phospholipase C-γ2 phosphorylation, cytoplasmic calcium mobilization, arachidonic acid liberation and serotonin secretion. CONCLUSION Obovatol has a potent antithrombotic effect, which may be due to antiplatelet activity. The antiplatelet activity of obovatol is mediated by inhibition of PLC-γ2 phosphorylation. Thus, obovatol may be a potential candidate to treat cardiovascular disease.
Premodern, Modern, Postmodern? Placing New Urbanism into a Historical Perspective

This study explores New Urbanism as part of a contemporary cultural paradigm referred to as postmodernism. By highlighting the complex relationship between New Urbanist design prescriptions and earlier urban development approaches from the premodern and modern periods, I reflect on some seemingly paradoxical aspects of both New Urbanism and postmodernism. Specifically, I argue that whereas New Urbanism rejects the key design tenets of modernist planning and strives to revive premodern urban forms (and in this sense qualifies as “postmodern”), it contradicts one of the foundational premises of postmodern thought—the commitment to pluralism. I further argue that this contradiction relates to a fundamental challenge facing New Urbanists planners: how to achieve premodern urban design ideals within the economic and technological conditions of contemporary society. I illustrate these themes and contradictions with examples of historic and recent planning in the Cleveland region.
A Survey of PCN-Based Admission Control and Flow Termination

Pre-congestion notification (PCN) provides feedback about load conditions in a network to its boundary nodes. The PCN working group of the IETF discusses the use of PCN to implement admission control (AC) and flow termination (FT) for prioritized realtime traffic in a DiffServ domain. Admission control (AC) is a well-known flow control function that blocks admission requests of new flows when they need to be carried over a link whose admitted PCN rate already exceeds an admissible rate. Flow termination (FT) is a new flow control function that terminates some already admitted flows when they are carried over a link whose admitted PCN rate exceeds a supportable rate. The latter condition can occur in spite of AC, e.g., when traffic is rerouted due to network failures. This survey gives an introduction to PCN and is a primer for this new technology. It presents and discusses the multitude of architectural design options in an early stage of the standardization process in a comprehensive and streamlined way before only a subset of them is standardized by the IETF. It brings PCN from the IETF to the research community and serves as historical record.
Sensitivity of neuromorphic circuits using nanoelectronic resistive switches to pulse synchronization

This paper describes a neuromorphic circuit based on resistive switches arranged in a crossbar architecture. Using pulses as general signal representation the circuit in particular is sensitive to the degree of synchronization of the input pulses. In order to examine different effects of pulse synchronization on the input/output characteristics of the circuit, an architecture for the implementation of a filter is presented which is selective to oriented edges and lines. By theoretical analysis as well as simulative verification effects of attenuation and distortion are described which are related to statistical properties of input pulses. The results prepare the ground for new signal processing schemes in pulse coded neural networks.
Motivational Styles: Examining the Impact of Personality on the Self-Talk Patterns of Adolescent Female Soccer Players

The purpose of this exploratory study was to (a) examine self-talk dimensions in sport, (b) identify whether motivation styles (MS) are represented in this sample (Burton & Weiss, 2008), and (c) compare profiles on self-talk dimensions and related constructs. A sample of 214 adolescent female soccer players completed a comprehensive questionnaire to identify motivational styles and self-talk patterns. Factor analysis results revealed four self-talk frequency and three effectiveness dimensions, and cluster analysis identified four MSs that generally supported predictions. Finally, multi-variate analyses of variance results found profile differences generally consistent with predictions, although success- outperformed mastery-oriented performers. Discussion focuses on future research directions.
Domain-Specific Effects of Prenatal Exposure to PCBs, Mercury, and Lead on Infant Cognition: Results from the Environmental Contaminants and Child Development Study in Nunavik

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury (MeHg), and lead (Pb) are environmental contaminants known for their adverse effects on cognitive development. Objectives: In this study we examined the effects of prenatal exposure to PCBs, MeHg, and Pb on cognitive development in a sample of Inuit infants from Arctic Québec. Methods: Mothers were recruited at local prenatal clinics. PCBs, mercury (Hg), Pb, and two seafood nutrients—docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and selenium (Se)—were measured in umbilical cord blood. Infants (n = 94) were assessed at 6.5 and 11 months of age on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII), A-not-B test, and Bayley Scales of Infant Development–2nd Edition (BSID-II). Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher prenatal PCB exposure was associated with decreased FTII novelty preference, indicating impaired visual recognition memory. Prenatal Hg was associated with poorer performance on A-not-B, which depends on working memory and is believed to be a precursor of executive function. Prenatal Pb was related to longer FTII fixation durations, indicating slower speed of information processing. Conclusions: PCBs, MeHg, and Pb each showed specific and distinct patterns of adverse associations with the outcomes measured during infancy. By contrast, none of these exposures was associated with performance on the BSID-II, a global developmental measure. The more focused, narrow band measures of cognitive function that appeared to be sensitive to these exposures also provide early indications of long-term impairment in specific domains that would otherwise not likely be evident until school age. Citation: Boucher O, Muckle G, Jacobson JL, Carter RC, Kaplan-Estrin M, Ayotte P, Dewailly É, Jacobson SW. 2014. Domain-specific effects of prenatal exposure to PCBs, mercury, and lead on infant cognition: results from the Environmental Contaminants and Child Development Study in Nunavik. Environ Health Perspect 122:310–316; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1206323
Comparison of Manual Mapping and Automated Object-Based Image Analysis of Non-Submerged Aquatic Vegetation from Very-High-Resolution UAS Images

Aquatic vegetation has important ecological and regulatory functions and should be monitored in order to detect ecosystem changes. Field data collection is often costly and time-consuming; remote sensing with unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) provides aerial images with sub-decimetre resolution and offers a potential data source for vegetation mapping. In a manual mapping approach, UAS true-colour images with 5-cm-resolution pixels allowed for the identification of non-submerged aquatic vegetation at the species level. However, manual mapping is labour-intensive, and while automated classification methods are available, they have rarely been evaluated for aquatic vegetation, particularly at the scale of individual vegetation stands. We evaluated classification accuracy and time-efficiency for mapping non-submerged aquatic vegetation at three levels of detail at five test sites (100 m × 100 m) differing in vegetation complexity. We used object-based image analysis and tested two classification methods (threshold classification and Random Forest) using eCognition®. The automated classification results were compared to results from manual mapping. Using threshold classification, overall accuracy at the five test sites ranged from 93% to 99% for the water-versus-vegetation level and from 62% to 90% for the growth-form level. Using Random Forest classification, overall accuracy ranged from 56% to 94% for the growth-form level and from 52% to 75% for the dominant-taxon level. Overall classification accuracy decreased with increasing vegetation complexity. In test sites with more complex vegetation, automated classification was more time-efficient than manual mapping. This study demonstrated that automated classification of non-submerged aquatic vegetation from true-colour UAS images was feasible, indicating good potential for operative mapping of aquatic vegetation. When choosing the preferred mapping method (manual versus automated) the desired level of thematic detail and the required accuracy for the mapping task needs to be considered.
Trust transparency and PPP

This paper argues how transparency can increase trust and therefore indirectly enhances the results of Public Private Partnerships in complex construction projects. Complex construction projects, e.g. large infrastructure or urban development projects, with public client organizations and private contractors, frequently run into problems. Public Private Partnership projects are characterised by an enduring relationship between the public client organization and the private contractor. Trust between these parties is seen as an important condition for successful completion of such projects, but trust is difficult to build in a sector where distrust between clients and building contractors is endemic. In this paper we assert that structures and processes that increase transparency regarding the interests of parties help to increase trust under these conditions. We theorize about how transparency can help to build trust and we analyse the relationship between transparency and trust in two construction projects. In these projects transparency regarding interests, or the lack of it, led to trust or distrust between the parties. Based on this analysis we review various structural and processual measures that, by increasing transparency regarding interests, can help parties to build and maintain trust over the lifecycle of a large public-private construction project.