Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Web 2.0 and the semantic web: hindrance or opportunity?: W4A -- International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility 2007

The World Wide Web (Web) is in transition; a fundamental evolution of the model which underpins the traditional Web. This new Web, Web 2.0, is a mesh of enhanced semantics, push application widgets, and embedded scripting languages and was developed to pursue the promise of enhanced interactivity. The possible benefits of Web 2.0 are great, but it seems that without timely and prompt action disabled users will be barred from these benefits. Indeed, using sites such as: Flicker, YouTube, MySpace, Google Maps, and Google Portal will rapidly become 'offlimits' to disabled users. Semantic Web technologies have already shown themselves to be useful in addressing some issues of Web Accessibility. However, this new technology has not yet started to make its way into mainstream applications. Without change, will the benefits of the Semantic Web be lost? Will the promising enhanced interactivity of Web 2.0 technologies become increasingly inaccessible to disabled users? We pose the question: "Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web: Hindrance or Opportunity? " The conference was held on Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of May 2007 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff National Park. We welcomed 65 attendees pursuing research on Web accessibility. We accepted 40.3% of all submissions, each paper was peer reviewed by the three of our programme committee. In brief, the conference proceedings brought together a cross section of Web design, engineering and Web accessibility research. The papers included report on developments on the Web 2.0 and Semantic Web, discussed the issues regarding the evolvement of the Web, and suggested cross-pollinated solutions. Comments from our attendees suggested that they enjoyed the conference and would be participating again next year. Our social programme also attracted almost all of our delegates, which was a great fun. Overall we judge the conference to be a great success.
Conditional Gene Targeting of Connexin43: Exploring the Consequences of Gap Junction Remodeling in the Heart

Abnormalities in cardiac gap junction expression have been postulated to contribute to arrhythmias and ventricular dysfunction. We investigated the role of cardiac gap junctions by generating a heart-specific conditional knock-out (CKO) of connexin43 (Cx43), the major cardiac gap junction protein. While the Cx43 CKO mice have normal heart structure and contractile function, they die suddenly from spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Because abnormalities in gap junction expression in the diseased heart can be focal, we also generated chimeric mice formed from Cx43-null embryonic stem (ES) cells and wildtype recipient blastocysts. Heterogeneous Cx43 expression in the chimeric mice resulted in conduction defects and depressed contractile function. These novel genetic murine models of Cx43 loss of function in the adult mouse heart define gap junctional abnormalities as a key molecular feature of the arrhythmogenic substrate and an important factor in heart dysfunction.
Biometric authentication by hand vein patterns

Since vein patterns of human are completely different from each other, it is possible to identify the person by comparing the patterns. We propose the certification system that compares vein images for low-cost, highspeed and high-precision certification. The equipment for authentication consists of a near infrared light source and a monochrome CCD to produce contrast-enhanced images of the subcutaneous veins. We adopted phase only correlation and template matching as a recognition algorithm. We tested several noise-reduction filters, sharpness filters and histogram manipulations for best effort. As a result, we obtained high certification ratio in this system.
Inducing P-Selectin Ligand Formation in CD8 T Cells: IL-2 and IL-12 Are Active In Vitro but Not Required In Vivo1

In vitro studies have demonstrated that IL-2 and IL-12 can support formation of P-selectin ligands (P-SelL) in activated T cells, ligands that are variably required for efficient lymphocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation. To ascertain whether these cytokines were required for P-SelL formation in vivo, TCR transgenic CD8 T cells specific for male Ag (HY) were transferred into male mice under conditions in which either IL-2 and/or IL-15 or IL-12Rp40 were absent. P-SelL formation at day 2 was unperturbed in HY-TCR IL-2null CD8 T cells responding in doubly deficient IL-2nullIL-12null or IL-2nullIL-15null male recipients. HY-specific CD8 T cell proliferative responses detected in both spleen and peritoneum occurred vigorously, but only splenic CD8 T cells up-regulated P-SelL, demonstrating that in vivo induction of P-SelL is an active, nonprogrammed event following T cell activation and that despite the efficacy of IL-2 and IL-12 in supporting P-SelL formation in vitro, these cytokines appear to be dispensable for this purpose in vivo.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-associated Factor-6 and Ribosomal S6 Kinase Intracellular Pathways Link the Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor to the Phosphorylation and Activation of the IκB Kinase Complex in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells*

Activation of NF-κB transcription factors by locally produced angiotensin II (Ang II) is proposed to be involved in chronic inflammatory reactions leading to atherosclerosis development. However, a clear understanding of the signaling cascades coupling the Ang II AT1 receptors to the activation of NF-κB transcription factors is still lacking. Using primary cultured aortic vascular smooth muscle cells, we show that activation of the IKK complex and NF-κB transcription factors by Ang II is regulated by phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit IKKβ on serine residues 177 and 181 in the activation T-loop. The use of pharmacological inhibitors against conventional protein kinases C (PKCs), mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) 1/2, ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK), and silencing RNA technology targeting PKCα, IKKβ subunit, tumor growth factor β-activating kinase-1 (TAK1), the E3 ubiquitin ligase tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF6), and RSK isoforms, demonstrates the requirement of two distinct signaling pathway for the phosphorylation of IKKβ and the activation of the IKK complex by Ang II. Rapid phosphorylation of IKKβ requires a second messenger-dependent pathway composed of PKCα-TRAF6-TAK1, whereas sustained phosphorylation and activation of IKKβ requires the MEK1/2-ERK1/2-RSK pathway. Importantly, simultaneously targeting components of these two pathways completely blunts the phosphorylation of IKKβ and the proinflammatory effect of the octapeptide. This is the first report demonstrating activation of TAK1 by the AT1R. We propose a model whereby TRAF6-TAK1 and ERK-RSK intracellular pathways independently and sequentially converge to the T-loop phosphorylation for full activation of IKKβ, which is an essential step in the proinflammatory activity of Ang II.
[Evaluation of a two-year intensive outpatient care programme for adolescents with schizophrenia].

OBJECTIVE The Trialog project offers patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) a two-year programme of residential outpatient care following discharge from a clinic. The programme aims to support their further recovery and independence and encompasses interactive and psycho-educational multifamily care, coping with persistent symptoms, development of socio-emotional competence, independent house keeping, and support of school and vocational training. METHODS To evaluate psychopathology along with social and neuropsychological function for 12 participants over a period of 2 years. Their progress was compared with that of 12 EOS patients who did not attend Trialog following discharge. RESULTS Participants showed a significantly greater decrease of positive and negative symptoms, as opposed to an increase in positive symptoms in the comparison group. Measures of social function, neuropsychological indicators of memory, (selective) attention, and psychomotor speed improved more than in the comparison subjects. Neither group showed changes in measures of intelligence or in the subjective quality of life. CONCLUSIONS First analyses raise hope that monitoring participant performance in the programme of the "Trialog project" will improve the treatment and care of EOS-patients in the critical first years following the onset of schizophrenia.
The Impact of Missing Data Imputation on HIV Classification

This paper presents a method of imputing missing data that combines principal component analysis and neuro-fuzzy (PCA-NF) modeling in conjunction with genetic algorithms (GA). The ability of the model to impute missing data is tested using the South African HIV sero-prevalence dataset. The results indicate an average increase in accuracy from 60 % when using the neuro-fuzzy model independently to 99 % when the proposed model is used.
The Role of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) in Bipolar Disorder: Effectiveness in 522 Patients with Bipolar Depression, Mixed-state, Mania and Catatonic Features.

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effectiveness of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) in the treatment of Bipolar Disorder (BD) in a large sample of bipolar patients with drug resistant depression, mania, mixed state and catatonic features. Method: 522 consecutive patients with DSM-IV-TR BD were evaluated prior to and after the ECT course. Responders and nonresponders were compared in subsamples of depressed and mixed patients. Descriptive analyses were reported for patients with mania and with catatonic features. Results: Of the original sample only 22 patients were excluded for the occurrence of side effects or consent withdrawal. After the ECT course, 344 (68.8%) patients were considered responders (final CGIi score ≤3) and 156 (31.2%) nonresponders. Response rates were respectively 68.1% for BD depression, 72.9% for mixed state, 75% for mania and 80.8% for catatonic features. Length of current episode and global severity of the illness were the only statistically significant predictors of nonresponse. Conclusion: ECT resulted to be an effective and safe treatment for all the phases of severe and drugresistant BD. Positive response was observed in approximately two-thirds of the cases and in 80% of the catatonic patients. The duration of the current episode was the major predictor of nonresponse. The risk of ECT-induced mania is virtually absent and mood destabilization very unlikely. Our results clearly indicate that current algorithms for the treatment of depressive, mixed, manic and catatonic states should be modified and, at least for the most severe patients, ECT should not be considered as a "last resort".
The Estimation of Demand Parameters in Hedonic Price Models

This paper shows that the econometric problem of estimating hedonic demand parameters is not a standard identification problem caused by demand-supply interaction, as has been often assumed. Estimation procedures based on this assumption lead to biased results. The hedonic estimation problem is instead caused by the endogeneity of both prices and quantities when households face a nonlinear budget constraint. An instrumental variables solution to this problem is suggested using instruments that exogenously shift the budget constraint.
Built-in Effective Body-Bias Effect in Ultra-Thin-Body Hetero-Channel III—V-on-Insulator n-MOSFETs

This letter reports a built-in effective body-bias effect in ultra-thin-body (UTB) hetero-channel III-V-on-insulator n-MOSFETs. This effect results from the discrepancies in electron affinity and the effective density-of-states of conduction band between the III-V and conventional Si channels. Our study indicates that, in addition to permittivity, it is the built-in effective body-bias effect that determines the drain-induced-barrier-lowering characteristics of the hetero-channel devices. This intrinsic effect has to be considered when one-to-one comparisons among various UTB hetero-channel MOSFETs regarding the electrostatic integrity are made.
Requirement of Atypical Protein Kinase Cλ for Insulin Stimulation of Glucose Uptake but Not for Akt Activation in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

ABSTRACT Phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase contributes to a wide variety of biological actions, including insulin stimulation of glucose transport in adipocytes. Both Akt (protein kinase B), a serine-threonine kinase with a pleckstrin homology domain, and atypical isoforms of protein kinase C (PKCζ and PKCλ) have been implicated as downstream effectors of PI 3-kinase. Endogenous or transfected PKCλ in 3T3-L1 adipocytes or CHO cells has now been shown to be activated by insulin in a manner sensitive to inhibitors of PI 3-kinase (wortmannin and a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase). Overexpression of kinase-deficient mutants of PKCλ (λKD or λΔNKD), achieved with the use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, resulted in inhibition of insulin activation of PKCλ, indicating that these mutants exert dominant negative effects. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane, but not growth hormone- or hyperosmolarity-induced glucose uptake, were inhibited by λKD or λΔNKD in a dose-dependent manner. The maximal inhibition of insulin-induced glucose uptake achieved by the dominant negative mutants of PKCλ was ∼50 to 60%. These mutants did not inhibit insulin-induced activation of Akt. A PKCλ mutant that lacks the pseudosubstrate domain (λΔPD) exhibited markedly increased kinase activity relative to that of the wild-type enzyme, and expression of λΔPD in quiescent 3T3-L1 adipocytes resulted in the stimulation of glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 but not in the activation of Akt. Furthermore, overexpression of an Akt mutant in which the phosphorylation sites targeted by growth factors are replaced by alanine resulted in inhibition of insulin-induced activation of Akt but not of PKCλ. These results suggest that insulin-elicited signals that pass through PI 3-kinase subsequently diverge into at least two independent pathways, an Akt pathway and a PKCλ pathway, and that the latter pathway contributes, at least in part, to insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Prognostic Value of Variability in Systolic Blood Pressure Related to Vascular Events and Premature Death in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The ADVANCE-ON Study

Visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. However, whether it provides additional predictive information beyond traditional risk factors, including mean SBP, in the long term is unclear. The ADVANCE trial (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation) was a randomized controlled trial in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; ADVANCE-ON (ADVANCE-Observational) followed-up patients subsequently. In these analyses, 9114 patients without major macrovascular or renal events or death during the first 24 months were included. Data on SBP from 6 visits during the first 24 months after randomization were used to estimate visit-to-visit variability in several ways: the primary measure was the standard deviation. Events accrued during the following 7.6 years. The primary outcome was a composite of major macrovascular and renal events and all-cause mortality. Standard deviation of SBP was log-linearly associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome (P<0.001) after adjustment for mean SBP and other cardiovascular risk factors. The hazard ratio (HR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) in the highest, compared with the lowest, tenth of the standard deviation was 1.39 (1.15–1.69). Results were similar for major macrovascular events alone and all-cause mortality alone (both P<0.01). Addition of standard deviation of SBP significantly improved 8-year risk classification (continuous net reclassification improvement, 5.3%). Results were similar for other measures of visit-to-visit variability, except maximum SBP. Visit-to-visit variability in SBP is an independent predictor of vascular complications and death, which improves risk prediction beyond that provided by traditional risk factors, including mean SBP.
Frequency-Space Interference Alignment in Multi-Cell MIMO OFDM Downlink Systems

We consider two approaches to frequency-space Interference Alignment (IA) in multi-cell systems that use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO). In the first approach, which we call frequency-space IA, we align and remove the interference from the signals radiated from the base stations intended for the users from the other cells (inter-cell interference) using transmit precoders and receive decoders, and we remove the interference from the users within the cell (intra-cell interference) by using additional Zero-Forcing (ZF) precoding that precedes the IA precoding at the transmiter (base station). In the second approach, we assume that Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) downlink is used for transmission to the users within the cell, which avoids the intra-cell interference, and we apply frequency-space IA to the inter-cell interference only. Simulation results show that the first approach outperforms the second in a broad SNR region.
An assessment of resedation following flumazenil-induced antagonism of intravenous midazolam: comparison of psychomotor and amnesic recovery with a non-sedated reference group

The specific benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil can enhance patient recovery following local anaesthetic day-case surgery performed under sedation. However, in view of its short elimination half-life, concerns have been expressed about the risk of resedation following its use. An open, randomised, parallel group study was designed to explore this question. Eighty-five patients were studied. Group A (n=43) patients underwent local anaesthetic cystoscopy with intravenous (i.v.) midazolam sedation. Following cystoscopy, and 30 min after the injection of midazolam, a bolus dose of flumazenil (0.5 mg i.v.) was given. Group B (n=42) patients underwent no operation and received no drugs but, in all other respects, were treated in an identical fashion to patients in group A. Tests of psychomotor function and memory were administered at baseline and again at 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h (or equivalent times for group B patients) following the injection of flumazenil. The test results showed no evidence of resedation, but there was evidence of incomplete reversal, as shown by significant differences in critical flicker fusion and delayed word recall at the 0.5-h test point. Group B patients showed no evidence of practice effects but did demonstrate an impairment in test performance possibly related to motivational factors. In conclusion, this study provides no evidence of resedation when using flumazenil to reverse the acute effects of midazolam. Incomplete reversal of amnesia need not delay patient discharge but has important implications with respect to the timing and nature of information imparted to patients prior to their release from hospital.
Therapeutic Activity of NK Cells against Tumors

While it is generally accepted that natural killer (NK) cells, by killing tumor cells in the circulation, represent a first line of defense against metastases, their therapeutic activity against established tumors has been limited. In this review, we describe studies to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of activated NK cells in both animal models and clinical trials to better understand the biological problems that limit their effectiveness.
Three phase common-mode winding voltage elimination in a three-limb five-level coupled inductor inverter

In three phase converters that use interleaved switching, coupled inductors between modules can be used to create a multi-level PWM output. To save weight, these coupled inductors can be integrated together to use a single three-limb core, but the presence of common mode voltages across the three-phase windings significantly reduce the converter performance. In this paper, a space vector based approach is used to eliminate these common mode winding voltages, allowing efficient three-limb coupled inductor operation at standard industrial switching frequencies, e.g. 3 kHz. This modulation approach is applied to a five-level neutral point clamped coupled inductor inverter (NPC-CII) and is intended to allow the use of lower frequency, higher powered devices. The proposed approach is compared against an interleaved modulation scheme that does not incorporate common mode winding elimination, and a 10 kW NPC-CII experimental prototype is used to confirm operation.
Combining Notch inhibition with current therapies for breast cancer treatment

Over recent years, there has been an increasing interest in targeting Notch signalling for the treatment of breast cancer. This has stemmed from the realization that many Notch pathway components display altered expression in breast cancer, and that Notch signalling impacts on many of the cellular properties associated with tumour initiation and progression. Consequently, Notch pathway inhibitors are now entering the initial stages of clinical trials. However, there is a definite need to consider how best to use these inhibitors and therefore which treatment strategies are likely to yield the most promising results. In particular, recent studies suggest that the greatest success will come from combining Notch pathway inhibitors with current breast cancer therapies.
Indignity, exclusion, pain and hunger: the impact of musculoskeletal impairments in the lives of children in Malawi

Purpose: To develop a conceptual model representing the impact of musculoskeletal impairments (MSIs) in the lives of children in Malawi. Method: A total of 169 children with MSIs (CMSIs), family and other community members participated in 57 interviews, focus groups and observations. An inductive approach to data analysis was used to conceptualise the impact of MSIs in children’s day-to-day lives. Results: The main themes that emerged were Indignity, Exclusion, Pain and Hunger. Indignity represents various affronts to children’s sense of inherent equal worth as human beings, for example when bullied by peers. Exclusion refers to CMSIs being excluded from three core daily activities: school, play and household chores. Some CMSIs experienced Pain, for example as an outcome of striving to participate. Children with severe mobility impairments were at increased risk of Hunger, having less access to food outside the home and placing a burden of care on the family that could restrict household productivity. Household Poverty was therefore included in the model, as this household impact was inseparable from the impact on CMSIs. Conclusion: It is recommended that rehabilitation interventions are planned and evaluated with consideration to their impact on Exclusion, Indignity, Pain, Hunger and Household Poverty using multi-faceted partnerships. Implications for Rehabilitation Rehabilitation interventions in Malawi and similar developing nations would benefit from being planned and evaluated with attention to their impact on Exclusion, Indignity, Pain, Hunger, and Household Poverty. To this end the development of new evaluative instruments for children with disabilities in these settings is needed and should be based on empirical evidence including the concepts presented in this paper.