Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Purification of a Cell-surface Receptor for Surfactant Protein A*

In the present report we have characterized the binding of surfactant protein A (SP-A) to bone marrow-derived macrophages, U937 cells, alveolar macrophages, and type II epithelial cells. The binding of SP-A to all cell types is Ca2+-dependent and trypsin-sensitive, but type II cells express distinct Ca2+-independent binding sites. The binding of SP-A to macrophages is independent of known cell surface carbohydrate-specific receptors and of glycoconjugate binding sites on the surface of the cells and is distinct from binding to C1q receptors. Based on ligand blot analysis, both type II cells and macrophages express a 210-kDa SP-A-binding protein. The 210-kDa protein was purified to apparent homogeneity from U937 macrophage membranes using affinity chromatography with noncovalently immobilized surfactant protein A, and was purified from rat lung by differential detergent and salt extraction of isolated rat lung membranes. Polyclonal antibodies against the rat lung SP-A-binding protein inhibit binding of SP-A to both type II cells and macrophages, indicating that the 210-kDa protein is expressed on the cell surface. The polyclonal antibodies also block the SP-A-mediated inhibition of phospholipid secretion by type II cells, indicating that the 210-kDa protein is a functional cell-surface receptor on type II cells. In a separate report we have determined that antibodies to the SP-A receptor block the SP-A-mediated uptake of Mycobacterium bovis, indicating that the macrophage SP-A receptor is involved in SP-A-mediated clearance of pathogens.
Evidence from Computer Simulations for Alterations in the Membrane Biophysical Properties and Dendritic Processing of Synaptic Inputs in Mutant Superoxide Dismutase-1 Motoneurons

A critical step in improving our understanding of the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is to identify the factors contributing to the alterations in the excitability of motoneurons and assess their individual contributions. Here we investigated the early alterations in the passive electrical and morphological properties of neonatal spinal motoneurons that occur by 10 d after birth, long before disease onset. We identified some of the factors contributing to these alterations, and estimated their individual contributions. To achieve this goal, we undertook a computer simulation analysis using realistic morphologies of reconstructed wild-type (WT) and mutant superoxide dismutase-1 (mSOD1) motoneurons. Ion channel parameters of these models were then tuned to match the experimental data on electrical properties obtained from these same motoneurons. We found that the reduced excitability of mSOD1 models was accompanied with decreased specific membrane resistance by ∼25% and efficacy of synaptic inputs (slow and fast) by 12–22%. Linearity of summation of synaptic currents was similar to WT. We also assessed the contribution of the alteration in dendritic morphology alone to this decreased excitability and found that it reduced the input resistance by 10% and the efficacy of synaptic inputs by 7–15%. Our results were also confirmed in models with dendritic active conductances. Our simulations indicated that the alteration in passive electrical properties of mSOD1 models resulted from concurrent alterations in their morphology and membrane biophysical properties, and consequently altered the motoneuronal dendritic processing of synaptic inputs. These results clarify new aspects of spinal motoneurons malfunction in ALS.
Fundamental concerns of women living with HIV around the implementation of Option B+

In 2011, the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive was launched to scale up efforts to comprehensively end vertical HIV transmission and support mothers living with HIV in remaining healthy. Amidst excitement around using treatment as prevention, Malawi's Ministry of Health conceived Option B+, a strategy used to prevent vertical transmission by initiating all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV on lifelong antiretroviral therapy, irrespective of CD4 count. In 2013, for programmatic and operational reasons, the WHO officially recommended Option B+ to countries with generalized epidemics, limited access to CD4 testing, limited partner testing, long breastfeeding duration or high fertility rates.
IdeS, a Highly Specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-Cleaving Enzyme from Streptococcus pyogenes, Is Inhibited by Specific IgG Antibodies Generated during Infection

ABSTRACT IdeS, a recently discovered cysteine proteinase secreted by the important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, interferes with phagocytic killing by specifically cleaving the heavy chain of immunoglobulin G. The fact that the enzyme targets one of the key molecules of the adapted immune response raised the question of whether an antibody response against IdeS could inhibit, i.e., neutralize, enzyme activity. Paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples from patients with pharyngotonsillitis (n = 10), bacteremia (n = 7), and erysipelas (n = 4) were analyzed. Antibodies with the ability to neutralize IdeS enzymatic activity were already found in two-thirds of acute-phase sera. However, patients who seroconverted to IdeS, in particular patients with pharyngotonsillitis and erysipelas, developed specific antibodies during convalescence with an increased capability to efficiently neutralize the enzymatic activity of IdeS. Also, the presence of neutralizing antibodies decreased the ability of IdeS to mediate bacterial survival in human immune blood. In patients with bacteremia, several acute-phase sera contained neutralizing antibodies, but no correlation was found to severity or outcome of invasive infections. Still, the fact that the human immune response targets the enzymatic activity of IdeS supports the view that the enzyme plays an important role during streptococcal infection.
Topographical Aspects of Intracortical Excitation and Inhibition Contributing to Orientation Specificity in Area 17 of the Cat Visual Cortex

Intracortical mechanisms contributing to orientation and direction specificity were investigated with a method of local cortical inactivation. Single‐unit activity was recorded in area 17 of the anaesthetized cat while a small volume of cortical tissue 400–2900 μm lateral to the recorded cell was inactivated by γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) microiontophoresis. Cells were stimulated with moving bars of variable orientation and changes of the response were monitored. Recording and inactivation sites were histologically verified. Statistically significant changes in orientation tuning during GABA‐induced remote inactivation were observed in 80 of 145 cells (55%), and consisted in a reduced orientation specificity due to either increased (36%) or decreased (19%) responses. Increases of responses were more pronounced for the non‐optimal orientations. This effect mainly occurred with GABA application at distances around 500 μm and is interpreted as loss of inhibition. Reduced orientation specificity as a result of decreasing response mainly to the optimal orientation was interpreted as loss of excitation. This effect most frequently occurred with inactivation at distances around 1000 μm. Loss of inhibition was also elicited from a distance of 1000μm; such inhibition, however, affected only directionality, without inducing changes in orientation tuning. For several cells at distances <1000 μm from the inactivation site a temporal sequence consisting of a change in direction specificity followed by a reduction of orientation specificity, and finally by direct GABAergic inhibition of the cell under study, could be induced with gradually increasing ejecting currents. The results indicate that excitation and inhibition originating from populations of neurons at different horizontal distances differentially contribute to direction and orientation specificity of a given visual cortical cell.
Trends in Daily Newspaper Ownership

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Human Understanding AI Paper Challenge 2024 -- Dataset Design

In 2024, we will hold a research paper competition (the third Human Understanding AI Paper Challenge) for the research and development of artificial intelligence technologies to understand human daily life. This document introduces the datasets that will be provided to participants in the competition, and summarizes the issues to consider in data processing and learning model development.
Sustainable cities dilemmas and options

Because of the urgency of narrowly defined environmental problems in the cities of the South‐e.g. contaminated water supplies, inadequate waste management, air pollution, etc. — much of the literature concerning the solutions to these problems loses sight of the wider problem of the unsustainability of modern cities. Atkinson starts by looking at this more restricted agenda for environmental problems but then broadens the discussion to encompass the question of the sustainability of cities.
HetNets Powered by Renewable Energy Sources: Sustainable Next-Generation Cellular Networks

Renewable energy could be the key for sustainable next-generation cellular networks. The authors' approach would let mobile operators feed base stations in a heterogeneous network using renewable energy sources. The authors compare their method to a classical grid-powered solution. They evaluate costs and CO2 emissions savings for different scenarios to demonstrate that properly powering a heterogeneous network with renewable energy can be a sustainable and economically convenient solution.
Social Context and Psychological Testing in South Africa, 1918-1939

In the period between the two world wars the social and human sciences in South Africa became important contributors to the debates about vital social issues, of which `the Native question' was a particularly pressing one. Psychological knowledge, too, was utilized in the legitimation of a social order based on race, since the perception was that psychological testing produced empirical data which supported certain explanations of this order. Two ideological positions developed in the period under review in South Africa: eugenics and Christian-nationalism. The contribution of psychological testing, eugenics and Christian-nationalism to the construction of `race' in the local context forms the focus of this paper. It is argued that eugenics provided arguments for social inequality in terms of biology, while its counterpart, Christian-nationalism, provided similar arguments based on theology. However, Christian-nationalism also enabled Afrikaner politicians and social scientists to mobilize impoverished Afrikaans speakers, and hence it had more of a policy impact than eugenics. Psychological testing became recognized as a source of authority on social controversies, particularly with reference to educational policies, where race played a significant mediating role.
Design of a walkthrough system for indoor environments from floor plans

Shares some experience in designing a practical walkthrough system for indoor environments. We discuss issues from the design of efficient utility programs for building 3D models to the design of a walkthrough engine. Our utility programs allow the creation of the interior of a several-storied building in a few man-days. We also propose several rendering speedup techniques implemented in our walkthrough system. Tests have been carried out to benchmark the amount of speedup brought about by different techniques. One of these techniques, called dynamic visibility, proves to be more efficient than existing standard visibility preprocessing methods.
The Social Organization of Boards of Directors

Particulierement delicate en ce qui concerne l'acces aux informations, l'analyse de l'elite des affaires en grande Bretagne trouve avec la presente etude un chainon manquant aux etudes existantes. Cet article analyse les conseils d'administrations en tant qu'institutions sociales. L'article decrit l'activite des administrateurs, les types d'influence, les controles et les equilibres regnant au sein des conseils et leur capacite a repondre aux attentes des actionnaires. Il discute les traits pertinents de l'ideologie des administrateurs. L'analyse eclaire l'importance de l'influence exercee par les membres de la direction, notamment celui du directeur general. Leurs rapports avec les principaux actionnaires sont etudies. Il se degage une tendance a un role accru de ces derniers
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients living at home and their spousal caregivers compared with institutionalized FTD patients and their spousal caregivers

Patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) need complete care in the final stages of the disease. Some informal caregivers continue the in-home care whereas others institutionalize. This study identifies differences between in-home FTD patients and their caregivers (FTDH) and institutionalized FTD patients (FTDN) and their caregivers. Twelve in-home and 24 institutionalized FTD patients in the final stages of the disease, and their spousal caregivers, were observed. Neuropsychiatric function disorders, dementia duration and severity, burden, mental and physical health, quality of the current and premorbid relationship and caregiver motivation were analysed. The majority of FTDH patients had dementia of shorter duration and showed residual independence. In FTDH patients, neuropsychiatric symptoms were more often present whereas apathy and disinhibition were more intense in FTDN patients. FTDH caregivers felt more emotionally burdened but had better mental health. Caregiver motivations were similarly present in FTDH and FTDN caregivers, while the love-motivated caregivers had worse physical and mental health. Our data suggest that all FTD caregivers could benefit from psychological support. Motivation for caregiving has intervention potential.
Heterogeneous Team Coordination Using Plays Kristina Rohlin

Coordinating the actions of heterogeneous robot teams is a challenging problem, especially when operating in complex domains. In this paper, we develop a framework for coordinating team actions through distributed team programs, that we call plays. To be portable our framework aims to be platform and task independent, yet support a rich representation so different tasks can be performed by different robot systems. We present an implementation that achieves these goals by fusing a modern programing language with a play selection and distributed execution management system. We also introduce a general message passing framework for synchronizing actions between teammates. We validate our approach on three different tasks using two different robot platforms, Segway RMPs and Pioneer robots, each with different control architectures. Our results show that the same framework can coordinate the teams despite the differences, simply by changing the team programs used.
Transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in Marshland and Hilly Regions of China: Parasite Population Genetic and Sibship Structure

The transmission dynamics of Schistosoma japonicum remain poorly understood, as over forty species of mammals are suspected of serving as reservoir hosts. However, knowledge of the population genetic structure and of the full-sibship structuring of parasites at two larval stages will be useful in defining and tracking the transmission pattern between intermediate and definitive hosts. S. japonicum larvae were therefore collected in three marshland and three hilly villages in Anhui Province of China across three time points: April and September-October 2006, and April 2007, and then genotyped with six microsatellite markers. Results from the population genetic and sibling relationship analyses of the parasites across two larval stages demonstrated that, within the marshland, parasites from cattle showed higher genetic diversity than from other species; whereas within the hilly region, parasites from dogs and humans displayed higher genetic diversity than those from rodents. Both the extent of gene flow and the estimated proportion of full-sib relationships of parasites between two larval stages indicated that the cercariae identified within intermediate hosts in the marshlands mostly came from cattle, whereas in the hilly areas, they were varied between villages, coming primarily from rodents, dogs or humans. Such results suggest a different transmission process within the hilly region from within the marshlands. Moreover, this is the first time that the sibling relationship analysis was applied to the transmission dynamics for S. japonicum.
The Inefficiencies of Hierarchy

Much has been said about hierarchy; it is undemocratic, disempowering, and alienating. It underutilizes differing forms of expertise, overfocuses on top-level needs and priorities, and sidelines everyday issues and concerns. One thing that is not said about hierarchy, however, is that it is inefficient. In fact, the defense of hierarchy in an organizational context in particular is often that it is the only way to get anything done. Enough talk, time for action; someone has to make a decision so that everyone can move forward. Certainly that is the mantra of the corporate sector, in the world of small business and even in various public spheres, such as education, health care, and community services. While the implementation of new ideas and the resultant policies is left to the bureaucracies, which are slow and universally seen as inefficient, new directions, new approaches, and new initiatives are the domain of the decision-maker, the person located at the top of the organizational hierarchy. Hierarchy has no need for consensus, or even for consultation or support from below. Most societies have grown comfortable with hierarchical structures, although there is near universal recognition that the more oppressive features of such structures are best mitigated by an extensive rhetoric that promotes profoundly antihierarchy concepts, including collaboration, horizontal decision-making processes, and inclusion, among others. In the children and youth service sectors, the very idea of hierarchy violates most of the foundational concepts of service provision. For example, concepts such as relationships, reflective practice, antioppressive approaches, inclusion, and empowerment and consumer engagement explicitly call for transcending hierarchical arrangements in favor of slower moving but ultimately more satisfying stakeholder discussions, round tables, and participatory decisionmaking approaches. Yet hierarchy persists. It persists within organizational structures in the children and youth serving sectors, where professionals (social workers, youth workers, nurses) and quasiprofessionals (foster parents, kin parents, mentors) who have regular interactions with young people are furthest removed from the locations where decisions about case plans and treatment approaches are made. It persists in the multidisciplinary process, where the Child & Youth Services, 34:1–4, 2013 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0145-935X print=1545-2298 online DOI: 10.1080/0145935X.2013. 766051
Quality assurance: Adapting SERVQUAL to measure the perceived quality of pre-service teachers' Teaching Practice experience

Abstract This article describes a work in progress study which extends traditional quality assurance mechanisms through the application of the SERVQUAL instrument. It assesses the difference between pre-service teacher expectations and actual experience during a Teaching Practice period. Anecdotal evidence points to students being the recipients of poor mentoring and support during Teaching Practice periods. It is well established that effective mentoring and support of pre-service teachers play a key role in reducing teacher attrition and that it promotes retention and confidence in the teaching profession. The introduction of appropriate quality assurance mechanisms is therefore of critical importance. The SERVQUAL instrument is derived from Parasuraman's GAP-model which defines service quality as the gap between the service recipient's expectations and actual service experience. Research indicates that regardless of the type of service, recipients of services use similar criteria in evaluating service quality. This research was conducted amongst BEd: FET students following a three week Teaching Practice session in 82 secondary schools in the Western Cape. The SERVQUAL instrument was administered during the first week following their return from Teaching Practice. The data was analyzed to assess the respondents’ gap between expectations and actual experience. The initial findings indicate an overall dissatisfaction between their perceived service expectation and their actual service experience.
Contact sensitivity to azobenzenearsonate and its inhibition after interaction of sensitized cells with antigen-conjugated cells

Painting mice on the skin with the diazonium salt of p-arsanilic acid elicited two types of T cell activity. One was restricted by the I region of the major histocompatibility complex and was responsible for the transfer of azobenzenearsonate (ABA) sensitivity to naive mice. The other was H-2K restricted and could be demonstrated by its ability to interact specifically with ABA-coupled cells in vitro and to inhibit nonspecifically the transfer of sensitivity by cells sensitized either to ABA or to another antigen. Free antigen, or antibody directed against the cross-reactive idiotype on the anti-ABA antibodies of A/J mice, could inhibit the H-2K-restricted suppressive activity induced in the ABA immune A/J cells.
The romantic walker? A case study of users of iconic Scottish landscape

Abstract In this paper it is argued that the use‐value of symbolic landscape should be defined on the bases of the experiences of its users, in this case walkers. The paper seeks to test the utility of an ‘iconic landscape’ conceptualisation of the users of such a landscape. It focuses on what the ‘consumers’ of one symbolic landscape, Ben Lomond, actually experience. Recreational usage is found to emphasise attributes of physical achievement, supplemented by elements of romanticism, rather than symbolic consumption.
Bit Error Probability Analysis of SSK in DF Relaying with Threshold-Based Best Relay Selection and Selection Combining

In this letter, we analyze the end-to-end average bit error probability (ABEP) of space shift keying (SSK) in cooperative relaying with decode-and-forward (DF) protocol, considering multiple relays with a threshold based best relay selection, and selection combining of direct and relayed paths at the destination. We derive an exact analytical expression for the end-to-end ABEP in closed-form for binary SSK, where analytical results agree with simulation results. For non-binary SSK, approximate analytical and simulation results are presented.