Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhaled Liposomal Ciprofloxacin Protects against a Lethal Infection in a Murine Model of Pneumonic Plague

Inhalation of Yersinia pestis can lead to pneumonic plague, which without treatment is inevitably fatal. Two novel formulations of liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin, ‘ciprofloxacin for inhalation’ (CFI, Lipoquin®) and ‘dual release ciprofloxacin for inhalation’ (DRCFI, Pulmaquin®) containing CFI and ciprofloxacin solution, are in development. These were evaluated as potential therapies for infection with Y. pestis. In a murine model of pneumonic plague, human-like doses of aerosolized CFI, aerosolized DRCFI or intraperitoneal (i.p.) ciprofloxacin were administered at 24 h (representing prophylaxis) or 42 h (representing treatment) post-challenge. All three therapies provided a high level of protection when administered 24 h post-challenge. A single dose of CFI, but not DRCFI, significantly improved survival compared to a single dose of ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, single doses of CFI and DRCFI reduced bacterial burden in lungs and spleens to below the detectable limit at 60 h post-challenge. When therapy was delayed until 42 h post-challenge, a single dose of CFI or DRCFI offered minimal protection. However, single doses of CFI or DRCFI were able to significantly reduce the bacterial burden in the spleen compared to empty liposomes. A three-day treatment regimen of ciprofloxacin, CFI, or DRCFI resulted in high levels of protection (90–100% survival). This study suggests that CFI and DRCFI may be useful therapies for Y. pestis infection, both as prophylaxis and for the treatment of plague.
Where have the long‐term leaders gone?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an unbiased view of leadership methods/approaches (good and bad) that have created the world we live in, whilst commenting on what makes a great leader.Design/methodology/approach – Research has included in‐depth interviews and first hand work with companies around the world during the last 20 years. The viewpoint includes a host of those findings portrayed in a way that focuses on people and the leader's role in understanding and working with people.Findings – Forcing someone to work or think in a specific way may achieve successful short‐term goals. However, short‐termism is rarely the answer and leaders will achieve far more by considering the long term.Originality/value – The paper is a comment/viewpoint providing insight and advice to anyone wishing to know more about leadership and how it affects individuals.
Towards Autonomic Semantic-Based Management of Distributed Applications

In this paper we present our approach to the management of distributed systems basedon semantic description of available resources. We use ontologies for a semantic descriptionof the monitored system and other aspects of monitoring and management (such as metrics)and introduce a feedback loop on underlying infrastructure. Such an approach allows toautomate monitoring and the ease the work of administrator. We introduce concepts behinda novel automatic management system, SAMM, developed within our research. We discussthe core mechanisms used in the system – the estimation of future measurements, approachto knowledge gathering, and the process of decision making. Then we provide some detailson the architecture and implementation of SAMM.
DBDB : a Disulfide Bridge DataBase for the predictive analysis of cysteine residues involved in disulfide bridges

We present a database of structured, verified and useful information ab ut cysteine residues involved in disulfide bridges. The database has been filled with proteins of a ubset of the PDB database called select 25. A rough analysis of the proteins contained in the database shows that it is p ossible to identify cysteine residues which are involved or not in a disulfide bond from th e amino acid sequence that surrounds the cysteine. The goal of this database is to serve as a refere nce for the evaluation of disulfide bridge prediction softwares and will help us develop our own prediction softw are.
Interventions That Restore Awareness of Hypoglycemia in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE Impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) increases the risk of severe hypoglycemia (SH) sixfold and affects 30% of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This systematic review and meta-analysis looks at the educational, technological, and pharmacological interventions aimed at restoring hypoglycemia awareness (HA) in adults with T1D. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, PsycINFO, and CINAHL from inception until 1 October 2014. Included studies described HA status at baseline. Outcome measures were SH rates, change in HA, counterregulatory hormone responses, and glycemic control. RESULTS Forty-three studies (18 randomized controlled trials, 25 before-and-after studies) met the inclusion criteria, comprising 27 educational, 11 technological, and 5 pharmacological interventions. Educational interventions included structured diabetes education on flexible insulin therapy, including psychotherapeutic and behavioral techniques. These were able to reduce SH and improve glycemic control, with greater benefit from the latter two techniques in improving IAH. Technological interventions (insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose monitoring, and sensor-augmented pump) reduced SH, improved glycemic control, and restored awareness when used in combination with structured education and frequent contact. Pharmacological studies included four insulin studies and one noninsulin study, but with low background SH prevalence rates. CONCLUSIONS This review provides evidence for the effectiveness of a stepped-care approach in the management of patients with IAH, initially with structured diabetes education in flexible insulin therapy, which may incorporate psychotherapeutic and behavioral therapies, progressing to diabetes technology, incorporating sensors and insulin pumps, in those with persisting need.
A tree‐ring based reconstruction of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation since 1567 A.D.

We present a tree‐ring based reconstruction of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) which demonstrates that strong, low‐frequency (60–100 yr) variability in basin‐wide (0–70°N) sea surface temperatures (SSTs) has been a consistent feature of North Atlantic climate for the past five centuries. Intervention analysis of reconstructed AMO indicates that 20th century modes were similar to those in the preceding ∼350 yr, and wavelet spectra show robust multidecadal oscillations throughout the reconstruction. Though the exact relationships between low‐frequency SST modes, higher frequency (∼7–25 yr) atmospheric modes (e.g., North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation), and terrestrial climates must still be resolved, our results confirm that the AMO should be considered in assessments of past and future Northern Hemisphere climates.
The Effect of Class A Scavenger Receptor Deficiency in Bone*

Class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) is predominantly expressed by macrophages, and because osteoclasts are of monocyte/macrophage lineage, SR-A is of potential interest in osteoclast biology. In addition to modified low density lipoprotein uptake, SR-A is also important in cell attachment and signaling. In this study we evaluated the effect of SR-A deletion on bone. Knock-out animals have 40% greater body weight than wild type. Body composition analyses demonstrated that total lean and fat body mass were greater in knock-out animals, but there was no significant difference in percent fat and lean body mass. Bone mineral density and content were significantly greater in knock-out compared with wild type animals. Micro-computed tomography analyses confirmed that total volume, bone volume as well as trabecular number, thickness, and connectivity were significantly greater in knock-out mice. As expected, trabecular separation was greater in wild type mice. The phenotype appears to be explained by 60% fewer osteoclasts in females and 35% fewer in males compared to wild type mice with a paradoxical increase in nuclei/osteoclast in knock-out animals. Furthermore, there were no differences in adipocyte number and osteoblast number or activity. The addition of the soluble extracellular domain of SR-A to RAW264.7 cells stimulated a concentration-dependent increase in osteoclast differentiation that was receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-dependent. Soluble SR-A had no effect on cell proliferation in the presence of RANKL but stimulated a 40% increase in numbers in the absence of RANKL. We conclude that SR-A plays a role in normal osteoclast differentiation, suggesting a novel role for this receptor in bone biology.
Review Ten years on: Lessons learned from published studies that cite the PALPA

Background: This paper presents a review of the use of the PALPA (Kay, Lesser, & Coltheart, 1992) in published research studies in which it is cited. Aims: In an examination of annual citation counts from 1991 to 2001, the review aims to discover the journals in which the PALPA has been most frequently cited, the frequency of citation, and the country of origin of the cited article. It also explores the design of studies (e.g., single case, case series, group), the nature of the aetiology of the patients tested, and the topic areas investigated (e.g., investigations of theory, rehabilitation or neuroimaging studies). In particular, the review explores the frequency with which particular tests have been used and suggests reasons why some are used more than others. Main Contribution: The review considers reasons why some tests in the PALPA have proved to be more popular than others. These lead to conclusions about its experimental use over the past decade and, in particular, to how development of the battery should proceed in any future revision. Conclusions: The review reveals that PALPA has a consistent and continued high citation rate, suggesting that it has been sufficiently well received by researchers across related fields within aphasiology for it to be used as an assessment and research tool, and that it is still found to be useful even 10 years after its introduction. It is observed that some tests are cited more widely than others, leading to conclusions about their effectiveness in research studies. While use of PALPA in a clinical setting is not considered, thereby limiting conclusions about applicability, the paper also provides information of value to clinicians, especially with regard to the detailed analysis of why certain tests have been used more often than others.
Readiness for Change: Contributions for Employee's Level of Individual Change and Turnover Intentions

External contextual factors, such as government regulations, have pushed organizations into change. As such, readiness for change rose as a key construct in order for organizations to respond quickly and successfully change. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on how readiness for change promotes changes in employee's behaviors. The present study tests part of the readiness for change model during the implementation of a new performance appraisal system in a public institution. Employee's affective commitment to change fully mediated the relationship between change appropriateness and both their level of individual change and turnover intentions. Employee's self-efficacy also reduced turnover intentions. These results bring salience to the importance of crafting a readiness for change message and the role played by employee's affective commitment to change. Practical implications for managers are also highlighted.
Multi-scale exploration of convex functions and bandit convex optimization

We construct a new map from a convex function to a distribution on its domain, with the property that this distribution is a multi-scale exploration of the function. We use this map to solve a decade-old open problem in adversarial bandit convex optimization by showing that the minimax regret for this problem is $\tilde{O}(\mathrm{poly}(n) \sqrt{T})$, where $n$ is the dimension and $T$ the number of rounds. This bound is obtained by studying the dual Bayesian maximin regret via the information ratio analysis of Russo and Van Roy, and then using the multi-scale exploration to solve the Bayesian problem.
Mechanistic insights into pancreatic beta-cell mass regulation by glucose and free fatty acids

Pancreatic islets are responsible for blood glucose homeostasis. Reduced numbers of functional (insulin-secreting) beta-cells in pancreatic islets underlies diabetes. Restoration of the secretion of the proper amount of insulin is a goal. Beta-cell mass is increased by neogenesis, proliferation and cell hypertrophy, and is decreased by beta-cell death primarily through apoptosis. Many hormones and nutrients affect beta-cell mass, and glucose and free fatty acid are thought to be the most important determinants of beta-cell equilibrium. A number of molecular pathways have been implicated in beta-cell mass regulation and have been studied. This review will focus on the role of the principle metabolites, glucose and free fatty acid, and the downstream signaling pathways regulating beta-cell mass by these metabolites.
Task‐unrelated thoughts of college students diagnosed as hyperactive in childhood

Examined were the relationships between task‐unrelated thoughts (TUTs), self‐reported sensation seeking, retrospective self‐reported personality characteristics, laterality, eye dominance, and allergies in college students who were diagnosed in childhood as attention deficit/hyperactive disordered (ADHD) and in four control groups (high‐ and low‐activity males and females). Both spontaneous and deliberate TUTs were reported during a vigilance task. Left‐eye dominance was related to increased childhood hyperactive behaviors and to spontaneous TUTs. Of the five groups, subjects diagnosed as ADHD had more spontaneous TUTs and false alarms, whereas those subjects reporting high‐activity characteristics as children gave more deliberate TUTs and fewer false alarms, and low‐activity subjects responded with the fewest TUTs and false alarms. These results are consistent with the interpretation that in a boring task ADHD children have higher levels of nonconscious processing and poor inhibitory control and that the.
A case of the ‘foreign-accent syndrome’

The case of a middle-aged, monolingual Norwegian patient is discussed. After having suffered a stroke the patient developed what sounded like a foreign accent. The rest of her language performance seemed normal. The aberrant articulatory features which contributed to the impression of a foreign accent are described. These features included deviant vowel and consonant articulations, staccato rhythmical patterns and a blurred contrast between the two Norwegian pitch accents.
Ovalbumin Sensitization Changes the Inflammatory Response to Subsequent Parainfluenza Infection

Asthma exacerbations, many of which are virus induced, are associated with airway eosinophilia. This may reflect altered inflammatory response to viruses in atopic individuals. Inhibitory M2 muscarinic receptors (M2Rs) on the airway parasympathetic nerves limit acetylcholine release. Both viral infection and inhalational antigen challenge cause M2R dysfunction, leading to airway hyperresponsiveness. In antigen-challenged, but not virus-infected guinea pigs, M2R dysfunction is due to blockade of the receptors by the endogenous antagonist eosinophil major basic protein (MBP). We hypothesized that sensitization to a nonviral antigen before viral infection alters the inflammatory response to viral infection, so that M2R dysfunction and hyperreactivity are eosinophil mediated. Guinea pigs were sensitized to ovalbumin intraperitoneally, and 3 wk later were infected with parainfluenza. In sensitized, but not in nonsensitized animals, virus-induced hyperresponsiveness and M2R dysfunction were blocked by depletion of eosinophils with antibody to interleukin (IL)-5 or treatment with antibody to MBP. An additional and unexpected finding was that sensitization to ovalbumin caused a marked (80%) reduction in the viral content of the lungs. This was reversed by the antibody to IL-5, implicating a role for eosinophils in viral immunity.
A novel point mutation of the androgen receptor (F804L) in an Egyptian newborn with complete androgen insensitivity associated with congenital glaucoma and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis

Androgen‐insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a major cause of male pseudohermaphroditism (MPH). Although AIS is usually reported as a monogenic disease resulting from androgen receptor (AR) mutations, on rare occasions it has been observed as part of a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome. We report here a patient who was the first newborn girl of an unrelated couple. Shortly after birth, the diagnoses of congenital glaucoma and pyloric stenosis were made. A detailed history of the father's family revealed that nine members presented glaucoma before 40 years of age. Clinical and ultrasound evaluation showed two inguinal testes, with female external genitalia and no Mullerian derivatives. The patient had a 46,XY karyotype, good testicular response to gonadotrophin stimulation and a remarkably high T : dihydrotestosterone ratio. Sequencing of the five exons of the 5α‐reductase type 2 gene (SRD5A2) was normal. Conversely, a de novo point mutation was found in exon 6 of the AR gene, resulting in an F804L substitution, which has never been described previously. To our knowledge, the association of complete AIS, congenital glaucoma and pyloric stenosis has also never been reported previously.
Do Catholic High Schools Improve Minority Student Achievement?

There is much current debate concerning the role of private schooling in U. S. education. Recent research has purported to show that Catholic schools produce higher achievement in minority high school seniors than do public schools, yet this research has failed to control adequately for student ability, frequently a criterion for selection into such schools. Here, the High School and Beyond data set and path analytic techniques were used to compare black and Hispanic high school seniors’ achievement in public and in Catholic schools. When better measures of ability were added to the causal models, the apparent effect of Catholic schooling on minority achievement was greatly reduced from the former claims. Yet a small, meaningful path still remained. Further analyses suggest that any such Catholic school advantage may be due, in part, to their more stringent curriculum. In any case, the apparent advantage exists only for minority students, and the claimed overall achievement advantage remains unproved.
Ieee Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering 1 an Adaptive Approach to Real-time Aggregate Monitoring with Differential Privacy

—Sharing real-time aggregate statistics of private data is of great value to the public to perform data mining for understanding important phenomena, such as Influenza outbreaks and traffic congestion. However, releasing time-series data with standard differential privacy mechanism has limited utility due to high correlation between data values. We propose FAST, a novel framework to release real-time aggregate statistics under differential privacy based on filtering and adaptive sampling. To minimize the overall privacy cost, FAST adaptively samples long time-series according to the detected data dynamics. To improve the accuracy of data release per time stamp, FAST predicts data values at non-sampling points and corrects noisy observations at sampling points. Our experiments with real-world as well as synthetic data sets confirm that FAST improves the accuracy of released aggregates even under small privacy cost and can be used to enable a wide range of monitoring applications.
Concentrations of protease inhibitors in cord blood after in utero exposure

Objective. To determine the concentrations of protease inhibitors in cord blood after prenatal protease inhibitor use by pregnant women. Design. Retrospective analysis of samples collected in a clinical trial. Methods. Protease inhibitor concentrations were measured in cord blood samples collected from women enrolling in the PACTG 316 study who were receiving prenatal protease inhibitor antiretroviral therapy. Results. In cord blood samples from 68 women treated with protease inhibitors during pregnancy, the concentration of these drugs was below the assay lower limit of detection in most samples, including all samples from women receiving indinavir (n = 21) and saquinavir (n = 8), 5 of 6 samples (83%) from women receiving ritonavir and 24 of 38 samples (63%) from women receiving nelfinavir. Conclusions. Low protease inhibitor concentrations in the fetus decrease the likelihood of teratogenic and toxic effects of these drugs but could fail to provide protection from transplacental or intrapartum transmission of HIV-1.
Chinese Students in a UK Business School: Hearing the Student Voice in Reflective Teaching and Learning Practice

This paper presents the outcomes of a study carried out in 2001–2002 with nine postgraduate students from China, enrolled on taught master's programmes in a UK university business school. The aims of the research were to explore the development of the students’ orientations to learning during their year of study in the UK, and to explore how the researcher's interactions with the study group contributed to her professional reflections and influenced her academic practice. The main conclusions of the project were that participants’ underlying approaches to learning did not change substantially over the year, owing to the culturally implicit nature of UK academic conventions and that they experienced high levels of emotional isolation and loneliness, which affected their academic confidence.
When Drinking Makes It Worse: The Malevolence Assumption, Appraisals, and Communication Goals

This investigation examined the influence of perceived alcohol consumption on appraisals of and communicative goals for problematic events in college students' dating relationships. We suggested that problematic events during which the offender was drinking would lessen offender judgments of responsibility and severity, as well as the likelihood that the offender would consider accepting fault for the event to be an important goal. We also posited that the importance of the goals to maintain the relationship and to manage positive face would vary as a function of who was drinking during the problematic behavior. Using a questionnaire, respondents (N = 228) were asked to imagine that they were an offender in one of two problematic event scenarios that described one of four offender-partner drinking conditions. Respondents then completed measures assessing their appraisals of and communicative intentions for the situation. The results indicated a pattern opposite of what was predicted in several cases, yet highlight unique implications for appraisals and communicative goals based on who was drinking during the problematic event.