Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chitosan Malate Inhibits Growth and Exotoxin Production of Toxic Shock Syndrome-Inducing Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Group A Streptococci

ABSTRACT Previously, it has been shown that the polysaccharide chitosan inhibits the growth of gram-positive bacteria. In this study, chitosan malate was evaluated in broth and thin-film cultures for its effect on the growth and exotoxin production of toxic shock syndrome (TSS)-inducing Staphylococcus aureus (five strains, three producing TSS toxin 1 and one each producing enterotoxin B or C) and group A streptococci (three strains producing streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A). Also, the compound was evaluated in a rabbit subcutaneous Wiffle ball model for its ability to prevent S. aureus and group A streptococcal induction of TSS. Finally, chitosan malate was evaluated for its ability to prevent TSS and necrotizing fasciitis in rabbits after subcutaneous inoculation with microbes. Chitosan malate inhibited both bacterial growth and, at sub-growth-inhibitory concentrations, the production of exotoxins, in both broth and thin-film cultures. Rabbits treated with chitosan malate in implanted Wiffle balls were protected from prior challenge with TSS-inducing S. aureus compared to animals not receiving chitosan malate (P < 0.001) and group A streptococci (P < 0.005). Chitosan malate protected rabbits from the development of streptococcal TSS with necrotizing fasciitis (P < 0.01). The data suggest that use of this growth- and toxin-inhibitory compound may be able to reduce the severity of S. aureus and group A streptococcal mucous membrane and trauma-associated skin infections.
Evaluation of Immunostimulatory Effects of N-(2-Hydroxy) Propyl-3-Trimethylammonium Chitosan Chloride for Improving Live Attenuated Hepatitis A Virus Vaccine Efficacy.

This study was to evaluate the immunostimulatory effects of N-(2-hydroxy) propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC) as an adjuvant for improving a commercial live attenuated hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine efficacy in mice. Mice in the experimental group were intraperitoneally immunized with a solution of HTCC and live attenuated HAV vaccine. And for those injected with sterile water, HTCC or live attenuated HAV vaccine were treated as mock group, negative group, and positive group in turn. The serum HAV-specific IgG titers and the ratios of the serum HAV-specific IgG2a/IgG1 in the experimental group were significantly increased (p = 0.00042 and p = 0.040, respectively). Splenocyte proliferation stimulation index in experimental group was higher than positive group (p = 0.021), and significantly higher than mock group and negative group (p = 0.0078 and p = 0.0050, respectively). The percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood in experimental group were significantly higher than positive group, negative group, and mock group (p = 0.012, p = 0.012, and p = 0.045, respectively). Compared to the other three groups, experimental group showed a slightly higher ratio of CD4+/CD8+, but there were no significant differences (p > 0.05). In the percentages of CD8+ T lymphocytes, there were no significant differences among the four groups (p > 0.05). HTCC can enhance live attenuated HAV vaccine to generate stronger humoral responses and induce a Th1-biased immune response, as well as IgG2a class switching, compared with the live attenuated HAV vaccine alone. This study validated an important concept for further development of a safe and potent vaccine adjuvant.
Simulator Adaptation Syndrome Literature Review

Abstract : The following review of literature was performed in support of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract with the United States Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). The project is titled "Integrating a Motion Base into TARDEC'S CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment. " The selection of topics for review was based on discussion and results from the Phase I and Phase I Option periods of the project as a CAVE-based ground vehicle driving simulator was developed. In addition, a general search of issues pertaining to simulator sickness, driving simulation, motion cueing, virtual reality, display systems, and general application of virtual environments was performed. Relevant findings are discussed in this document. The following sections include a general discussion of simulator sickness issues and how various driving simulator configuration options might affect the occurrence and severity of symptoms. It is assumed that the reader will have at least an intermediate knowledge of the application of virtual environments and driving simulation. In general, a topic area will be defined or explained, then a discussion of how the information from the literature may be applied to this program.
Robust and novel blind watermarking scheme for H.264 compressed video

The main aim of this paper is to design and implement robust and novel watermarking scheme for H.264 encoded videos. The method used for watermarking is multi resolution wavelet decomposition. The watermark used is a binary image. This watermark is embedded in the wavelet coefficients of the LH, HL and HH sub-bands of the third wavelet decomposition level by quantization. We have tested the resilience of the watermarking algorithm against series of different attacks for different H.264 compressed videos. The results shows embedded watermark is invisible and robust to attacks.
Goal orientation and goal content as predictors of performance in a training program

The antecedents and consequences of content goals for participants in a complex skill-training program were examined in a longitudinal study. Using LISREL 8 to test a mediated model, it was found dispositional goal orientation was related to the content of goals that individuals adopted for the training program. Not all content goals were related to training performance; only content goals with a skill improvement focus had a positive relationship with performance. Results provide a richer understanding of the antecedents of content goals and their relationship to performance and have implications for managers and for the administration of training programs.
Enhancement of solvent tolerance in Pseudomonas sp. BCNU 106 with trehalose

As the solvent hyper‐resistant Pseudomonas sp. BCNU 106 experiences limited growth with solvents, a strategy is therefore needed to allow better growth to broaden its performance in biotechnological applications. Pseudomonas sp. BCNU 106 was cultivated in a medium supplemented with 0·05 mol l−1 trehalose, and the cell survival was observed during subsequent growth with 1% (v/v) toluene. Exogenously added trehalose was transported into the cells and conferred protection against toluene stress. BCNU 106 grown in the presence of exogenous trehalose showed higher solvent tolerance, it can thus have more potential for biotransformation and biodegradation.
Desulfoglucosinolate Sulfotransferases from Arabidopsis thaliana Catalyze the Final Step in the Biosynthesis of the Glucosinolate Core Structure*

The phytotoxin coronatine is a structural analog of octadecanoid signaling molecules, which are well known mediators of plant defense reactions. To isolate novel coronatine-regulated genes from Arabidopsis thaliana, differential mRNA display was performed. Transcript levels of CORI-7 (coronatine induced-7) were rapidly and transiently increased in coronatine-treated plants, and the corresponding cDNA was found to encode the sulfotransferase AtST5a. Likewise, upon wounding, an immediate and transient increase in AtST5a mRNA levels could be observed in both locally wounded and unwounded (systemic) leaves. Furthermore, application of octadecanoids and ethylene as compounds involved in plant wound defense reactions resulted in AtST5a gene activation, whereas pathogen defense-related signals (yeast elicitor and salicylic acid) were inactive. AtST5a and its close homologs AtST5b and AtST5c were purified as His6 -tagged proteins from Escherichia coli. The three enzymes were shown to catalyze the final step in the biosynthesis of the glucosinolate (GS) core structure, the sulfation of desulfoglucosinolates (dsGSs). They accept a broad range of dsGSs as substrates. However, in a competitive situation, AtST5a clearly prefers tryptophan- and phenylalanine-derived dsGSs, whereas long chain dsGSs derived from methionine are the preferred substrates of AtST5b and AtST5c. Treatment of Arabidopsis plants with low concentrations of coronatine resulted in an increase in the amounts of specific GSs, primarily glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. Hence, it is suggested that AtST5a is the sulfotransferase responsible for the biosynthesis of tryptophan-derived GSs in vivo.
Psychological development of young adolescents: implications for health education practice

The social and cognitive development of young people at adolescence can have a marked influence on their health‐related behaviour. Psychological development can be influenced at both inter‐ and intrapersonal levels, and health behaviour can be explained and accounted for by a diverse range of influences. This article discusses issues such as experimentation, self‐esteem and individuality within the framework of current theories of psychological development. It assesses the implications of adolescent development for health education programmes, with specific reference to how psychological development influences the motivation and reinforcement of health‐compromising behaviour, such as smoking.
Crossing National, Continental, and Linguistic Boundaries

In an attempt to build a worldwide evaluation community, English evaluation journals are best positioned to promote international dialogue and increasingly provide international exchanges that deepen and enrich the evaluation field. This article analyzes the degree of internationalization achieved by these journals by looking at the extent of international authorship of the contributions they publish. Results show that—in spite of the efforts made—national, continental, and linguistic boundaries are still hindering the international exchange in the journals. Discussion is presented concerning the implications of these results and the efforts required to take greater advantage of the English journals to bridge national and regional traditions in the evaluation field.
Reactively and proactively aggressive children: antecedent and subsequent characteristics.

BACKGROUND Reactive and proactive subtypes of aggressive 10-11-12-year-old children were compared with non-aggressive children to examine whether the two forms of aggression were differentially related to antecedent and subsequent measures. METHOD A large community sample of boys and girls was used. Reactive and proactive aggression was measured through teacher ratings when the children were 10, 11 and 12 years old. Antecedent measures were age 6 temperament and behavioral dispositions; subsequent measures were age 13 delinquency and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Results indicated that reactive and proactive children had distinctive profiles on antecedent and subsequent measures. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that children characterized by reactive or proactive aggression differ on several dimensions of personal functioning, and that reactive and proactive aggression are distinct forms of aggression, although both co-occur in a large proportion of aggressive children.
The Crisis of Fordism or the Crisis of Social-Democracy?

The disintegration of East European regimes is not an isolated phenomenon, for it is only the latest and most dramatic manifestation of a process which has been unfolding over the past two decades throughout the world. It has to be seen as an expression of the state's failure to achieve particular economic goals it set for itself. Thus the crisis of the interventionist state necessitates the construction of new political forms that can both articulate and legitimate alternative economic strategies. Although it was the Right which rode the political wave of the 1980s, the New Left, during the 1960s and the 1970s, had articulated an equally powerful critique of the state.
Improving early reading comprehension using embodied

An embodied approach to reading comprehension suggests that emerging readers must learn to map words and phrases onto their remembered experiences, but this is made difficult by the necessity of focusing attention on decoding. Having children manipulate toys to correspond to what they are reading overcomes this problem, but introduces its own problem for the classroom, namely having to provide a classroom full of children with manipulative. In this article, we demonstrate that having firstand second-grade children manipulate images of toys on a computer screen benefits their comprehension as much as physical manipulation of the toys. In addition, manipulation on one day facilitates reading in the same domain one week later. These findings encourage the use of manipulation of textrelevant images as an educational technology for enhancing early reading comprehension. The findings also set constraints on theoretical accounts of embodiment while reading.
Gold nanoparticle conjugates: recent advances toward clinical applications

Introduction: Gold nanoparticles display a unique combination of chemical inertness, surface chemistry and size- and shape-dependent electronic and optical properties, which render them ideal for clinical applications. Areas covered: The present article describes recent advancements on the application of gold nanoparticles in vaccine development and gene therapy, with augmented efficiencies in cell uptake, specific binding to bioreceptors in cells, protection of conjugated biomolecules and so forth. Additionally, we discuss how the electronic structure of the nanoparticles can be exploited for enhanced radiotherapy and X-ray tomography, while their optical properties can be used for photothermal cancer therapy or light-triggered drug delivery systems for enhanced chemotherapy. Expert opinion: We analyze certain critical aspects and possible challenges that should be solved in order to use gold nanoparticle conjugates in vaccine research, as well as on the potential combination of properties to improve gene therapy and cancer treatment.
On Linear Precoding of Nonregenerative MIMO Relay Networks for Finite-Alphabet Source

Multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) relay could provide broader wireless coverage, better diversity, and higher throughput. Most existing precoder designs for either source or relay node are based on the assumption of Gaussian input signals. However, recent works have revealed possible performance loss of MIMO systems originally optimized for Gaussian source signals when applied to practical finite-alphabet source signals. In this work, we investigate the design problem of joint MIMO precoding for wireless two-hop nonregenerative cooperative relay networks under finite-alphabet source signals. We identify several structural properties of optimal precoders. Specifically, we provided the optimal left singular vectors of the relay precoder, and proved the convexity of mutual information with respect to the square of relay precoder singular value. These results generalize the two-hop relay networks in Gaussian input assumption to the cooperative relay networks in arbitrary finite-alphabet input signals. Furthermore, we propose gradient-based numerical iterative optimization algorithms not only for arbitrary finite-alphabet source signal precoding but also for cooperative relay networks which may or may not have a direct source to destination link. Our results demonstrate substantial performance improvement over existing precoder designed traditionally under Gaussian input assumption, which indicates that the waterfilling based precoding strategy is not suitable for finite-alphabet constellation source inputs.
The effectiveness of condoms in reducing heterosexual transmission of HIV.

CONTEXT It is not established whether the condom is as effective at preventing heterosexual transmission of HIV as it is for preventing conception. An overall estimate of condom effectiveness for HIV prevention is needed. METHODS Information on condom usage and HIV serology was obtained from 25 published studies of serodiscordant heterosexual couples. Condom usage was classified as always (in 100% of acts of intercourse), sometimes (1-99%, 0-99% or 1-100%) or never (0%). Studies were stratified by design, direction of transmission and condom usage group. Condom efficacy was calculated from the HIV transmission rates for always-users and never-users. RESULTS For always-users, 12 cohort samples yielded a consistent HIV incidence of 0.9 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.8). For 11 cohort samples of never-users, incidence was estimated at 6.8 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 4.4-10.1) for male-to-female transmission, 5.9 per 100 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-15.1) for female-to-male transmission and 6.7 per 100 (95% confidence interval, 4.5-9.6) in samples that specified the direction of transmission. Generally, the condom's effectiveness at preventing HIV transmission is estimated to be 87%, but it may be as low as 60% or as high as 96%. CONCLUSIONS Consistent use of condoms provides protection from HIV. The level of protection approximates 87%, with a range depending upon the incidence among condom nonusers. Thus, the condom's efficacy at reducing heterosexual transmission may be comparable to or slightly lower than its effectiveness at preventing pregnancy
The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate, cetrimide and polysorbate 20 surfactants on complex coacervate volume and droplet size

The effects of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), cetrimide and polysorbate 20 surfactants at concentrations below, at and above their critical micelle concentration (CMC) on the complex coacervation of varying concentrations of gelatin and acacia have been described. The overall effect of increasing concentration of SLS was to reduce the weight of coacervate formed. The addition of increasing concentrations of cetrimide produced an increase in the weight of coacervate. The two lowest concentrations of polysorbate 20 produced an increase in coacervate weight while the highest concentration, above the CMC, reduced the coacervate weight. These effects have been explained in terms of shielding of electrostatic attractions between gelatin and acacia polyions by adsorption of ionic and non‐ionic surfactant molecules onto the polyions. The addition of surfactants influenced the size distribution of the coacervate droplets that were produced. It is believed that the reduction in interfacial tension by the aggregation of surfactant molecules at the coacervateequilibrium liquid interface permitted the formation of smaller coacervate droplets.
Genetic Markers in Biological Fluids for Aging-Related Major Neurocognitive Disorder

Aging-related major neurocognitive disorder (NCD), formerly named dementia, comprises of the different acquired diseases whose primary deficit is impairment in cognitive functions such as complex attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual/motor skills, and social cognition, and that are related to specific brain regions and/or networks. According to its etiology, the most common subtypes of major NCDs are due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular disease (VaD), Lewy body disease (LBD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). These pathologies are frequently present in mixed forms, i.e., AD plus VaD or AD plus LBD, thus diagnosed as due to multiple etiologies. In this paper, the definitions, criteria, pathologies, subtypes and genetic markers for the most common age-related major NCD subtypes are summarized. The current diagnostic criteria consider cognitive decline leading to major NCD or dementia as a progressive degenerative process with an underlying neuropathology that begins before the manifestation of symptoms. Biomarkers associated with this asymptomatic phase are being developed as accurate risk factor and biomarker assessments are fundamental to provide timely treatment since no treatments to prevent or cure NCD yet exist. Biological fluid assessment represents a safer, cheaper and less invasive method compared to contrast imaging studies to predict NCD appearance. Genetic factors particularly have a key role not only in predicting development of the disease but also the age of onset as well as the presentation of comorbidities that may contribute to the disease pathology and trigger synergistic mechanisms which may, in turn, accelerate the neurodegenerative process and its resultant behavioral and functional disorders.
An examination of perceptions of parental influence on attitudes to language learning

Background The assumption that parents have some effect on their children's attitudes to learning is one that few educationalists would challenge. The ways in which this influence is brought to bear are a slightly more complex and contentious matter, however. Purpose The paper uses data from a tri-national PhD study on pupil attitudes to examine perceptions of the ways in which parents influence children's orientations towards foreign language learning (FLL). The comparative element is useful in providing a contrasting range of settings in which to examine the issue. The paper thus aims to provide some indication of the similarity and importance of particular influences by identifying features that seem significant, irrespective of setting. Sample A total of 411 learners of French, German and English (as foreign languages), represented in roughly equal numbers from across the ability range, took part in the survey. The pupils, aged 15 – 16, were drawn from two centrally located mixed comprehensive schools in each country—England, Germany and The Netherlands. The schools were similar in terms of size, social intake and their semi-urban location. Care was taken to ensure as close a gender balance as possible. Design and methods The study was designed as a qualitative survey and involved three data collection instruments. The first stage of data was collected using a written word association prompt distributed to the whole sample. The second stage involved around half the pupils generating written accounts of their attitudes and the factors they perceived to be influential. A total of 80 pupils took part in the final stage, consisting of 14 focus group interviews. A system of open coding was applied to all the data to support the process of inductive category building used in their analysis. Results The findings offer some evidence for an association between parental and pupil attitudes. Parental influence appears to operate in a number of ways, ranging from the role model potential of positive/negative behaviours and the communication of educational regrets, to the ways in which parents help to construct their children's understandings of language importance and status. The extent of parental language knowledge appears to be an important additional factor. Conclusions The evidence suggests that the ways in which parents contribute to the construction of their children's understanding of language utility are particularly important, and that this may be a key factor in the more positive attitudes demonstrated by the German pupils and the more negative orientations among the English participants.