Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti‐inflammatory and Anticarcinogenic Effect of Genistein Alone or in Combination with Capsaicin in TPA‐Treated Rat Mammary Glands or Mammary Cancer Cell Line

The topical application of TPA (12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate) to animal skin or direct treatment of TPA to cell cultures leads to inflammatory responses by enhancing cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2) expression, and specific COX‐2 inhibitors counteract this kind of inflammatory response. Furthermore, suppression of these inflammatory events by dietary‐origin chemopreventive agents can provide a potential strategy to control carcinogenesis. In this in vivo study, the mammary glands of mature female rats were treated with TPA, and then the effects of genistein alone or in combination with capsaicin on suppression of inflammatory responses were examined. The combined effects of genistein and capsaicin on COX‐2, pJNK, pERK, and pp38 expressions were additive or nonadditive, depending on signals tested. In vitro MCF‐7 breast cancer cells, the apoptotic bodies as shown with Hoechst 33342 dye, exhibited a synergistic effect between genistein and capsaicin. The abilities of genistein alone or in combination with capsaicin in inhibiting breast cancer cell proliferation through the modulation of AMPK and COX‐2 were tested. AMPK activation by genistein in combination with capsaicin is critical for inhibiting COX‐2. We propose that genistein in combination with capsaicin exerts anti‐inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties through the modulation of AMPK and COX‐2 and possibly various mitogen‐activated protein kinases synergistically or nonsynergistically.
Human Resource Management for Effective Revenue Generation in Nigeria's Public Sector

The management of people in Nigeria’s public sector for effective performance, particularly in the area of revenue generation is an enormous task. However, the concepts, classifications and types of revenue, as well as divergent forms of public sector enterprises are examined. Thus, this study examines the central thesis through discussing human resource management for effective revenue generation in Nigeria’s public sector. The aim is to to give detailed analogies as it pertains to basic types of organizational structure. This work reveals that people’s resource management otherwise known as human resource management is among the principal ingredients for effective revenue generation in Nigeria’s Public sector. It further shows that the truly great tragedy is the destruction of our human resources by our failure to fully utilize our abilities, which means that most men and women go to their graves with their music still in them. How effective or ineffective incomes are generated for primary or prime development of a State (nation) is dependent on how the organization managed her human resources. Conclusively, people resource oriented management, perhaps could serve as a framework for effective revenue generation in the Nigeria’s public sector.
[Gingival depigmentation for aesthetic purposes using erbium:YAG laser: rationale and technique].

Melanin, carotene and hemoglobin are the most common natural pigments contributing to the normal color of the gums. Although physiologic and ethnic melanin pigmentation is not a medical problem, complains about "black gums" are common. Gingival depigmentation has been carried out using surgical, chemical, electrosurgical and cryosurgical procedures. Recently, Laser Ablation has been recognized as one of the most effective, pleasant and reliable techniques. Effective depigmentation of the gingival requires removal of all or most of the melanocytes from the basal layer of the gingival epithelium. Using non-specific radiation means ablation of all the epithelial cell layers, as well as connective tissue rete pegs, leaving behind only remnants of the epithelial rete ridges. CO2, Nd:YAG and Erbium:YAG lasers, meeting most of these requirements and being available in the dental office, seems to be the lasers of choice for this procedure. Five patients (3 F; 2 M) who were referred to the TAUSDM for cosmetic therapy of "black gums" were treated using Erbium-YAG laser. The laser beam was set up at 850 mj/10 pulses per second producing peak power of 2.13 kwand peak power density of 30.43 kw/sq/cm. The beam was defocused to produce a 3 mm diameter circle, thus reducing the beam penetration while increasing the treated surface. Using the "brush" technique, 800-2,000 pulses were required per patient, with an average of 500-1,100 pulses per 1 sq.cm, depending on the thickness of the epithelium and the intensity of the pigmentation. Treatment required only topical anesthesia. Healing was uneventful and required no supportive therapy. Three months follow up has shown no repigmentation in any of the patients. Patients' evaluation analysis showed that the results were pleasing; no pain was experienced during lasing as well as during healing. Two patients were interupted by the lasing burning smell, which may be reduced or eliminated by operating a power suction during the procedure.
Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep-disturbed breathing, which includes apneas, hypopneas, and oxygen desaturations, occurs in asymptomatic individuals and increases with age. Obstructive apnea is the most frequent type of respiratory disturbance documented by polysomonography, the gold standard test for assessing sleep-disturbed breathing. Many of the prevalence studies done to date have had one or more methodological weaknesses, including selection biases, varying definitions of obstructive sleep apnea, failure to distinguish types of apneas, failure to control for confounding variables, and small sample size. Although there is consensus on the definitions of sleep-disturbed breathing, the appropriate number of apneas and hypopneas for diagnosing clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea is uncertain. While the cutoff of five or more apneas and hypopneas per hour is historically considered abnormal, the origins of this number are vague, and the longevity of those who have this value on polysomnography is not necessarily reduced. This is particularly true among those without symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which include excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, nocturnal awakenings, and morning headaches. Investigators should be careful to distinguish symptomatic study subjects from asymptomatic subjects, and to exclude central apneas in calculating their estimates. In addition, various studies have used different definitions of sleep apnea syndrome, making comparisons of point estimates difficult. It would be more appropriate for researchers to estimate morbidity and mortality indices with confidence intervals, using several different cutoff points. Subject selection in all studies should follow a two-stage sampling procedure. All subjects with symptoms compatible with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and a subsample of asymptomatic individuals should be studied with all-night polysomnography. If portable monitoring is used, the validity and reproducibility of this diagnostic method should be assessed. Subjects with significant comorbidity should be excluded from prevalence studies. Factors that clearly increase the risk of sleep-disturbed breathing and obstructive sleep apnea and its related symptoms include age, structural abnormalities of the upper airway, sedatives and alcohol, and probably family history. Although endocrine changes such as growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and progesterone deficiency also have been suggested as risk factors for exacerbating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, there is minimal epidemiologic evidence to support this. Case-control studies are recommended to assess the relation of endocrine factors to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a rigorous fashion. A limited number of mortality studies have suggested decreased survival in persons with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, possibly primarily due to vascular-related disease. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Elimination of Medicare's waiting period for seriously disabled adults: impact on coverage and costs.

Over 1.2 million seriously disabled Americans under age 65â€”including as many as 400,000 without health insuranceâ€”are currently in the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage, according to this new report. Eliminating this waiting period would provide stable health insurance to a vulnerable group of adults who are unable to work. Some disabled adults in the waiting period also qualify for state Medicaid programs. Dropping the two-year Medicare wait would save cash-strapped states an estimated $1.8 billion a year in Medicaid costs.
An Anonymous Authentication with Key-Agreement Protocol for Multi-Server Architecture Based on Biometrics and Smartcards

Authentication protocols for multi-server architectures have gained momentum in recent times due to advancements in computing technologies and associated constraints. Lu et al. recently proposed a biometrics and smartcards-based authentication scheme for multi-server environment. The careful analysis of this paper demonstrates Lu et al.’s protocol is susceptible to user impersonation attacks and comprises insufficient data. In addition, this paper proposes an improved authentication with key-agreement protocol for multi-server architecture based on biometrics and smartcards. The formal security of the proposed protocol is verified using the widely accepted AVISPA (Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications) tool to ensure that our protocol can withstand active and passive attacks. The formal and informal security analysis, and performance analysis sections determines that our protocol is robust and efficient compared to Lu et al.’s protocol and existing similar protocols.
Confidence and Diversity for Active Selection of Feedback in Image Retrieval

Image search is a challenging problem because of the need to model any concept the user might want to retrieve. One recent solution to the problem allows the user to give feedback on the current set of results, by answering questions about how the relative attributes of individual returned images relate to his/her target image. We show how to ask more informative questions. In our active selection formulation that determines about which attribute the system should next ask a question, we account for the confidence of relative attribute models. In addition to asking about reliably modeled attributes, the system is also encouraged to ask diverse questions, by computing question diversity on both the attribute and image levels. We show that both of our novel active selection criteria, confidence and diversity, help improve search results on three datasets. Further, when used in combination, they boost performance more than either cue alone.
Informationssysteme auf der Basis aktiver Hypertextdokumente

Die Arbeit beschaftigt sich mit der Implementierung von Informationssystemen, die mittels Web-Techniken wie etwa der Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), des Hypertext Transport Protocols (HTTP) oder der Extensible Markup Language (XML) erstellt werden. Web-basierte Informationssysteme werden verstarkt eingesetzt, um vollstandige Applikationen fur die Abwicklung von Geschaftsprozessen zu implementieren. Die Ausgangslage fur die Arbeit ist das Fehlen formeller Modelle, mit der solche Systeme umgesetzt werden konnen, kombiniert mit dem Aufkommen neuer Anwendungsgebiete wie der Business-to-Business-Kopplung mittels Web-basierter Systeme. Im Verlauf der Arbeit werden bestehende Systeme analysiert um darauf aufbauend die Anforderungen fur ein Modell zur Beschreibung und Realisierung Web-basierter Anwendungen festzulegen. Das daraus entwickelte Modell stellt die Information, die in solchen Anwendungen ausgetauscht und verarbeitet wird, in den Vordergrund, und setzt als wichtigstes Beschreibungsmittel Hypertextdokumente ein, welche um aktive Komponenten erganzt zu aktiven Hypertextdokumenten (AHDs) werden. Das Modell fur aktive Hypertextdokumente (AHDM) umfast ein Informationsmodell, welches den Aufbau aktiver Hypertextdokumente beschreibt, ein Kommunikationsmodell zur Regelung des Informationsaustausches, ein Objektmodell fur die Definition des Zusammenspiels der aktiven Bestandteile eines AHDs und ein Laufzeitmodell fur die tatsachliche Ausfuhrung der aktiven Bestandteile. Aktive Hypertextdokumente werden als XML-Dokumente realisiert, die entsprechend dem Informationsmodell neben den ursprunglichen Nutzdaten auch Funktionen und Variablen enthalten. Neben dem Modell wird auch eine Vorgehensweise beschrieben, die den Einsatz aktiver Hypertextdokumente erleichtern soll. Die Praktikabilitat des Modells wird anhand von Beispielanwendungen demonstriert, die von einfachen, eigenstandigen Anwendungen hin zu kooperativen, vernetzten Anwendungen mit mobilen Dokumenten reichen. Die zur Nutzung aktiver Hypertextdokumente notwendigen Werkzeuge werden ebenfalls beschrieben.
Targeting concatenated HIV antigens to human CD40 expands a broad repertoire of multifunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells

Objective:Targeting HIV antigens directly to dendritic cells using monoclonal antibodies against cell-surface receptors has been shown to evoke potent cellular immunity in animal models. The objective of this study was to configure an anti-human CD40 antibody fused to a string of five highly conserved CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell epitope-rich regions of HIV-1 Gag, Nef and Pol (&agr;CD40.HIV5pep), and then to demonstrate the capacity of this candidate therapeutic vaccine to target these HIV peptide antigens to human dendritic cells to expand functional HIV-specific T cells. Methods:Antigen-specific cytokine production using intracellular flow cytometry and multiplex bead-based assay, and suppression of viral inhibition, were used to characterize the T cells expanded by &agr;CD40.HIV5pep from HIV-infected patient peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and dendritic cell/T-cell co-cultures. Results:This candidate vaccine expands memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific to multiple epitopes within all five peptide regions across a wide range of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes from HIV-infected patient PBMC and dendritic cell/T-cell co-cultures. These in vitro expanded HIV antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells produce multiple cytokines and chemokines. &agr;CD40.HIV5pep-expanded CD8+ T cells have characteristics of cytotoxic effector cells and are able to kill autologous target cells and suppress HIV-1 replication in vitro. Conclusion:Our data demonstrate the therapeutic potential of this CD40-targeting HIV candidate vaccine in inducing a broad repertoire of multifunctional T cells in patients.
Determination of gradient magnetic field‐induced acoustic noise associated with the use of echo planar and three‐dimensional, fast spin echo techniques

The purpose of this study was to assess gradient magnetic‐field‐induced acoustic noise levels associated with the use of echo planar imaging (EPI) and three‐dimensional fast spin echo (3D‐FSE) pulse sequences. Acoustic noise measurements were obtained from two different high field‐strength MR systems (1.5 T, Siemens and General Electric Co.) under ambient noise conditions and the use of EPI and 3D‐FSE pulse sequences. Parameters were selected to produce “worst case” acoustic noise levels. Acoustic noise recordings were made at the entrance, the center, and at the exit of the magnet bores with a specially designed microphone that was unperturbed by electromagnetic fields. The highest ambient noise levels (A‐weighted scale) were 67 dB (Siemens: the same values were recorded at the center and at the exit) and 78 dB (General Electric Co.; recorded at the exit). The highest acoustic noise levels recorded during activation of the gradient magnetic fields were 114 dB (Siemens) and 115 dB (General Electric Co.) and those occurred at the centers of the MR systems with the use of the EPI technique. Gradient magnetic fields associated with the use of EPI and 3D‐FSE techniques produced acoustic noise levels that were within permissible levels recommended by federal guidelines.
Shaping Electronic Communication: The Metastructuring of Technology in the Context of Use

We argue that the use of electronic communication technologies in changing organizational forms can be facilitated by the explicit and ongoing adaptation of those technologies to changing contexts of use. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the use of a computer conferencing system in a Japanese R&D project group. We found that the system's use was significantly influenced by the activities of a few individuals who shaped users' interaction with the conferencing technology, modified features of the technology, and altered the context of use. These activities---which we call technology-use mediation---promoted effective electronic communication both initially at the point of adoption, as well as over time as needs, preferences, experiences, and conditions changed. Drawing on these insights, we develop a theoretical framing of the mediation process which suggests that it can be a powerful organizational mechanism for helping organizations provide the ongoing attention and resources needed to adapt electronic communication technologies to changing conditions, contexts, and organizational forms.
A framework for the establishment of an optimal service quality level in a hospitality operational setting.

The hospitality industry is a customer-driven, peopleoriented business. As such, the customer is the cornerstone of the service delivery system. Decisionmakers, in managing hospitality service delivery systems, are thus facing a managerial dilemma. On one hand, they want to satisfy customers' demands in the form of improved quality service that ensures a customer orientation. Yet, they are under increasing pressure to ensure operational efficiency. This article offers a step forward toward resolving this dilemma by addressing this apparent conflict. A framework is presented that facilitates the implementation of a new approach to determining the optimal cost of service quality. The proposed approach integrates the operational and strategic views of optimal service quality with root cause analysis (RCA) in search of the optimal service quality level. Finally, guidelines for implementing this integrative approach are provided.
Wafer-level assembly of carbon nanotube networks using dielectrophoresis

We use dielectrophoresis (DEP) to controllably and simultaneously assemble multiple carbon nanotube (CNT) networks at the wafer level. By an appropriate choice of electrode dimensions and geometry, an electric field is generated that captures CNTs from a sizable volume of suspension, resulting in good CNT network uniformity and alignment. During the DEP process, the electrical characteristics of the CNT network are measured and correlated with the network morphology. These experiments give novel insight into the physics of DEP assembly of CNT networks, and demonstrate the scalability of DEP for future device applications.
A Novel Drive Status Monitoring System

This paper describes a novel drive status monitoring system. Two fixed cameras are used in the proposed system to capture the driver's face image and the front road image to find the driver's sight orientation, the lane path orientation, and the car heading direction, and these 3 orientation information are calculated for 2 correlation coefficients by using the soft-shape-context concept to indicate the driver's steering control degrees. Three driving situations of the safe zone, risky zone, and unconscious zone are suggested according the combined coefficient of 2 correlation coefficients. This proposed system is capable to cooperate with other pre-crash systems based on the distance information to neighbor cars.
Corporate sustainability assurance reports and sustainability index listing: an empirical investigation on institutional investorsâ€™ decision making and confidence

This paper seeks to examine the association of assurance of Corporate Sustainability Reports and Listing on Sustainability Index (LSI) on institutional investorsâ€™ decision making and confidence. This research employed a 2x2 experimental design with a case scenario of a hypothetical company. Two-way ANOVA technique was used to analyse data from 100 participants. Based on the two-way ANOVA analysis, the study only evidences effect of LSI on institutional investorsâ€™ decision making and confidence. However, no association was found between assurance of Corporate Sustainability Reports and LSI on institutional investorsâ€™ decision making and decision. Further, no significant interaction was found between assurance and LSI on both institutional investorsâ€™ decision making and confidence. The findings from this study differ from the findings of similar study in Australia, in that this study highlights the fact that there is still limited awareness in Malaysia in the importance CS reporting and assurance of such reports on investorsâ€™ decision making and confidence. Findings from this study have implications for regulatory bodies, government and corporations/organsiations to place more effort in the promotion of CS reporting.
Specific IgE and IgG responses in atopic versus nonatopic subjects.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the asthmatic reaction is the common end point of different processes. These processes all appear to be multi-step reactions. Several of these reaction steps are known (or expected) to be under genetic control. This meeting is concerned with one step in one of these pathways: the development of IgE antibodies to airborne allergens. The rationale for this focus is that this is likely to be an important (if not essential) step in most cases of asthma in the 4to 40-yr age group. It is obviously not the only step, because most subjects who become so sensitized do not develop asthmatic symptoms on allergen exposure. Factors that contribute to the localization and severity of the subsequent reaction include the following: the extent of the activation of inflammatory helper T type 2 (Th2) cells and eosinophils, the migration into and retention inside the lung tissue of these activated cells, and the induction and repair of the tissue reaction.
Squaring online reverse auctions with the Caux Round Table Principles for Business

Examines if online reverse auctions are consistent with the Caux Round Table Principles for Business. Identifies numerous contradictions that contribute to the perpetuation of divisive business practices. Concludes that buyer behaviors must evolve from focusing on short‐term tactics designed to reduce purchase price and instead pursue collaborative cost reduction practices with key suppliers.