Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"I Know You!": Understanding Racial Experience and Racial Practice within the Lumbee Indian Community

Over the past three centuries, academic and public discussions of race have been divided into two distinct spheres: an understanding of race as “blood” and, alternatively, an understanding of race as that which is defined by visualization of human phenotype. In contemporary anthropological and Native American research, scholars of Native America have been mostly concerned with communities that are defined by blood. These scholars have presumed that notions of blood (or “blood quantum”) ought to structure how we (as scholars) discuss Native American existence. These scholars have, subsequently, ignored the notion that Native American peoples still live in large numbers in the U.S. South and are as enveloped in U.S. Southern racial practice and experience as both white and black peoples. In this article, through a literature review of scholarship on race and the Lumbee Indian community, and an equally important auto-ethnographic discussion of his becoming a member of the Lumbee community, the author explains racial practice and experience in the Lumbee community. He asserts that instead of being conceptualized as a “problem” (to use a term employed by anthropologist Karen Blu), the Lumbee community’s racial practice and experience provides a solution to the divide between the two racial spheres that has made it impossible to comprehend Native Americans as ongoing citizens of the U.S. South.
Roles of prostaglandin E receptors in mesangial cells under high-glucose conditions.

BACKGROUND High glucose reportedly stimulates prostaglandin (PG) E2 production and DNA synthesis in mesangial cells (MCs). However, the pathophysiological significance of PGE2 in MCs has remained unclear. METHODS The effects of prostanoids on [3H]-thymidine uptake and cAMP production in rat MCs cultured with 5.6 mM glucose, 25 mM glucose, or 5.6 mM glucose supplemented with 19.4 mM mannitol were examined. The gene expression of PGE2 receptor (EP) subtypes in MCs was analyzed with Northern blotting techniques. RESULTS Northern blotting indicated EP1 and EP4 gene expression in MCs. EP1 agonists and PGE2 stimulated [3H]-thymidine uptake in MCs. EP1 antagonists dose dependently attenuated high-glucose-induced [3H]-thymidine uptake, which suggests EP1 involvement, by an increase in intracellular Ca2+, in DNA synthesis of MCs. On the other hand, forskolin, db-cAMP, and 11-deoxy-PGE1, an EP4/EP3/EP2 agonist, significantly decreased DNA synthesis in MCs. These inhibitory effects are thought to be mediated via EP4 as a result of an increase in cAMP synthesis. The effects via EP4 seem to be particularly important because PGE2-induced cAMP synthesis was significantly attenuated in the high-glucose group compared with the mannitol group, in which [3H]-thymidine uptake did not increase in spite of augmented PGE2 production. CONCLUSION The increase in DNA synthesis in MCs under high-glucose conditions can be explained, at least in part, by the high-glucose-induced inhibition of cAMP production via EP4, which augments EP1 function in conjunction with the overproduction of PGE2.
Maxillary sinus-floor elevation: an animal model.

OBJECTIVES To find an animal model for modified Caldwell-Luc procedure training. The animal model should have (1) a proper cortical thickness in the lateral wall; (2) a similar morphology and resistance of the Schneiderian membrane in humans; and, finally, (3) an oral approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve fresh heads (four Merino sheep, four Murciano-Granadina goats and four Large-White pigs). Two skulls from each of these species were also used. Several three-dimensional imagings from the skulls of each species were acquired using a C-arm. Two fresh heads of each species were used to perform the modified Caldwell-Luc procedure. Two fresh heads of each species were firstly frozen at -30 degrees C for 48 h and then sawed in blocks containing only the target region of the maxillary sinus. RESULTS The average thickness was 2.03 mm in goat and sheep and 2.80 in pig. Releasing and elevation of the Schneiderian membrane from the sinus floor were easy in the three species. The approach of the maxillary sinus in sheep, goat and pig from the buccal vestibule required a previous surgical enlargement of the buccal vestibule. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the cortical bone thickness and Schneider membrane characteristics in Merina sheep and Murciano-Granadina goat allow a perfect training for the modified Caldwell-Luc procedure. However, the approach from the oral cavity needs, in these species, a previous enlargement of the buccal vestibule. The excessive thickness of the cortical bone restricts the use of pigs for this technique.
Simulation for Energy Expenditure Estimation of WSN for Comparison of Network Routing Protocols

The low power wireless communication technology has enabled the development of next generation low cost wireless sensor network. One important performance index of routing mechanism in sensor networks is sensor life span. How we utilize limited energy in wireless sensor network, directly affects the lifetime and cost of the network. As sensors are energy constrained by batteries and located for away from the access point. A sensor dies if its battery dies. Since the radio transmission consumes a lot of energy, we propose network routing protocols to save energy to prolong the sensor lifespan.
Bone marrow transplantation attenuates murine IgA nephropathy: role of a stem cell disorder.

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy is still obscure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the fundamental pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy lies in bone marrow stem cells (BMCs). METHODS We used donors of two different strains for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) into mice with a high content of serum IgA (ddY strain, HIGA mice), a murine model of IgA nephropathy. One group (B6-->HIGA, N = 5) received BMCs of C57BL/6j (B6) mice, and the other (HIGA-->HIGA, N = 8) were reconstituted with BMCs of HIGA mice. RESULTS Twenty-six weeks after BMT, in B6-->HIGA mice, mesangial deposits of IgA and C3 were statistically milder than those in HIGA-->HIGA mice. Light microscopic observations disclosed that glomerular sclerosis and mesangial matrix expansion in B6-->HIGA mice were decreased compared with those in HIGA-->HIGA mice. These B6-->HIGA mice also excreted less urinary albumin than HIGA-->HIGA mice. Furthermore, serum levels of IgA in B6-->HIGA mice were markedly lower than those in HIGA-->HIGA mice. Size analysis of serum IgA revealed that macromolecular IgA were notably lower in B6-->HIGA mice than in HIGA-->HIGA mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that qualitative and quantitative changes of serum IgA are determined at the level of stem cells, and that BMT from normal donors can attenuate glomerular lesions in HIGA mice. This approach may offer a new avenue to study the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy.
The Chemistry of Curcumin: From Extraction to Therapeutic Agent

Curcumin, a pigment from turmeric, is one of the very few promising natural products that has been extensively investigated by researchers from both the biological and chemical point of view. While there are several reviews on the biological and pharmacological effects of curcumin, chemistry reviews are comparatively scarcer. In this article, an overview of different aspects of the unique chemistry research on curcumin will be discussed. These include methods for the extraction from turmeric, laboratory synthesis methods, chemical and photochemical degradation and the chemistry behind its metabolism. Additionally other chemical reactions that have biological relevance like nucleophilic addition reactions, and metal chelation will be discussed. Recent advances in the preparation of new curcumin nanoconjugates with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles will also be mentioned. Directions for future investigations to be undertaken in the chemistry of curcumin have also been suggested.
Connectivity in East Asia

As Asian economies have become more connected through physical and institutional infrastructure, the region's trade has grown and changed. Intraregional trade has increased its share, in large part through the expansion of trade in intermediates in connection with development of global value chains. At the same time, as part of the same process and as part of the structural transformation that underlies most economic development, the share of services in Asia's trade has risen. Policies that support the development of regional infrastructure and the flow of goods and services, as well as factors of production, can increase the benefits from connectivity. Meanwhile, regional cooperation has a key role to play in mitigating negative impacts that may arise from the vulnerabilities that accompany greater connectivity.
Autophagic Degradation of Collagen 1A1 by Cortisol in Human Amnion Fibroblasts

Rupture of fetal membranes can initiate parturition at both term and preterm. Collagen is the crucial factor determining the tensile strength of the membranes. Toward the end of gestation, a feed-forward regeneration of cortisol via 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 exists in fetal membranes. It remains undetermined whether cortisol contributes to collagen reduction in fetal membranes. In this study, we have examined whether cortisol accumulation is a causative factor for collagen reduction in human amnion fibroblasts, the major source of collagens in the membranes. Cortisol had no effect on collagen 1A1 (COL1A1) and 1A2 (COL1A2) messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance but decreased their protein abundance. The latter effect was affected by neither mRNA transcription inhibitor nor protein translation inhibitor. Mechanistic studies revealed that the reduction in COL1A1 but not COL1A2 protein by cortisol was blocked by lysosome inhibitor chloroquine or small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of autophagy-related protein 7, an essential protein for autophagy, whereas the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and bortezomib were ineffective. Further analysis showed that cortisol dose dependently increased the ratio of LC3II/LC3I, a marker of lysosome activation, an effect blocked by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU486 and siRNA-mediated knockdown of GR. Consistently, cortisol decreased COL1A1 and COL1A2 protein abundance in amnion tissue explants, and decreased COL1A1 and COL1A2 protein abundance was observed at parturition in the amnion tissue. Conclusively, cortisol regeneration in fetal membranes may contribute to rupture of fetal membranes at parturition by reducing collagen protein abundance. Lysosome-mediated autophagy accounts for the reduction in COL1A1 by cortisol, but the mechanism underlying the reduction in COL1A2 awaits further investigation.
Dynamic effects of craving and negative affect on adolescent smoking relapse.

OBJECTIVE This study examined dynamic effects of daily variations in craving and negative affect on the next-day risk of the first lapse and relapse among 149 adolescent daily smokers who achieved at least 24 hr of abstinence. METHOD Participants completed real-time assessments of their smoking, craving, and negative affect 3 times per day during the 3 weeks after their quit attempt. The main outcome measures included the first lapse and relapse after at least 24 hr of abstinence from smoking. RESULTS Cox regression analyses with time-varying covariates showed that daily increases in craving predicted the risk of lapsing and relapsing on the following day, even after accounting for concurrent smoking and baseline levels of craving and nicotine dependence. Day-to-day variations in negative affect did not predict time to first lapse or relapse. Individual differences in baseline craving, nicotine dependence, and depressive symptoms also did not predict the first lapse or relapse. CONCLUSIONS The findings challenge the significance of adolescents' negative affect during cessation and emphasize the need to assess dynamic effects of craving in addition to baseline ratings of craving and nicotine dependence, as the latter may not be sufficient to explain adolescent smoking cessation outcomes.
Performance evaluation of CoMP transmission schemes using measurements versus the COST 2100 channel model

Coordinated Multi Point (CoMP) transmission and reception techniques are used in order to improve the performance of single or multiple cells in wireless systems. A system using CoMP techniques is capable of jointly optimizing its transmission and/or reception and, hence, achieving higher performance. In this work, performance evaluation of three CoMP techniques are performed based on simulations using the COST 2100 channel model and also based on measured channels collected from a synchronous multi-link measurement campaign at Lund University. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, the performance evaluation of different CoMP transmission techniques, namely, the Joint Processing, the Partial Joint Processing and the Coordinated Beamforming, are presented. Second, the capability of the COST 2100 model in predicting the relative performance of different CoMP techniques is assessed. It was found that the COST 2100 model is capable of estimating the relative performance of the studied CoMP schemes well. Moreover, detailed comparison highlighting the agreements and discrepancies between the performance results based on the measured channels and those based on the COST 2100 model are reported.
SDS-resistant Active and Thermostable Dimers Are Obtained from the Dissociation of Homotetrameric β-Glycosidase from Hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus in SDS

β-Glycosidases are fundamental, widely conserved enzymes. Those from hyperthermophiles exhibit unusual stabilities toward various perturbants. Previous work with homotetrameric β-glycosidase from hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus (M r 226,760) has shown that addition of 0.05–0.1% SDS was associated with minimal secondary structure perturbations and increased activity. This work addresses the effects of SDS on β-glycosidase quaternary structure. In 0.1–1% SDS, the enzyme was dimeric, as determined by Ferguson analysis of transverse-gradient polyacrylamide gels. The catalytic activity of the β-glycosidase dimer in SDS was determined by in-gel assay. A minor decrease of thermal stability in SDS was observed after exposure to temperatures up to 80 °C for 1 h. An analysis of β-glycosidase crystal structure showed different changes in solvent-accessible surface area on going from the tetramer to the two possible dimers (A-C and A-D). Energy minimization and molecular dynamics calculations showed that the A-C dimer, exhibiting the lowest exposed surface area, was more stabilized by a network of polar interactions. The charge distribution around the A-C interface was characterized by a local short range anisotropy, resulting in an unfavorable interaction with SDS. This paper provides a detailed description of an SDS-resistant inter-monomeric interface, which may help understand similar interfaces involved in important biological processes.
Managing Employee Performance

Performance management consists of significantly more than periodic evaluation of performance. It is the art and science of dealing with employees in a manner intended to positively influence their thinking and behavior to achieve a desired level of performance. It is essential for the manager to always model positive behavior concerning performance; what one does or says as a manager always has an influence on others. The kinds of employee behavior most likely encountered relative to performance management efforts stem from resistance to change and lack of complete understanding of what is expected. Employee participation must be elicited whenever possible for performance improvement; as far as the inner working details of a specific job are concerned, there is no one who knows the job better than the person who does it everyday. For each task to be done, an employee needs to know what output is expected, how this output will be measured, and what standards are applied in assessing the output. Managing employee performance requires ongoing contact with each employee, regular feedback, and whatever coaching, counseling, and training are necessary to bring an employee back on track when a problem appears. Sustaining efficient and effective employee performance requires the manager's ongoing attention and involvement.
Optical multifrequency complex holograms

A two-channel system for synthesizing two-dimensional optical multifrequency complex holograms of rotating objects was developed. In the object irradiation (longitudinal) direction, a hologram is synthesized due to multifrequency laser radiation, and in the transverse direction, the synthesis is provided by object rotation. The resolution of the synthesized hologram in the longitudinal direction is determined by the frequency bandwidth of the laser radiation, and in transverse direction, the resolution is determined by the initial laser-radiation frequency and the angle of object rotation during the time of hologram synthesis. Using a digital simulation, the degree of isoplanarity of the multifrequency system for synthesizing holograms of rotating objects and its noise immunity under conditions of phase noises were analyzed.
Development of Millimeter-wave Integrated Passives on MCM-D Technology with Thin-Film Microstrip Line

In this paper, we developed millimeter-wave (mm-wave) integrated passives on the high-performance MCM-D technology considering flip-chip interconnection, which has the improved electrical, thermal, and thermo-mechanical performances for the flip-chip structure. These integrated passives using thin-film microstrip (TFMS) line include the Wilkinson power divider, the broad-side Lange coupler, the balun using the broad-side Lange couplers, and the band-pass filter. The fabricated Wilkinson power divider has an insertion loss less than 0.8 dB and better than 15 dB matching and isolation over a wide frequency range for W-band (75 GHz ~ 110 GHz). The broad-side Lange coupler shows the transmission and coupling loss of 3.8 plusmn 0.2 dB and return loss better than 18 dB in W-band. The developed balun exhibits that insertion loss is less than 2.5 dB and amplitude and absolute phase imbalance is less than 1.2 dB and plusmn3deg, respectively, in W-band. And the band-pass filter for the V-band application was designed and implemented with insertion loss of 2.6 dB at 56 GHz. These high-performance integrated passives on SNU's MCM-D technology can make mm-wave modules to be compact, high-performance, and low-manufacturing cost
Improved Renal Function After Early Conversion From a Calcineurin Inhibitor to Everolimus: a Randomized Trial in Kidney Transplantation

In an open‐label, multicenter trial, de novo kidney transplant recipients at low to medium immunological risk were randomized at week 7 posttransplant to remain on CsA (n = 100, controls) or convert to everolimus (n = 102), both with enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium and corticosteroids. The primary endpoint, change in measured GFR (mGFR) from week 7 to month 12, was significantly greater with everolimus than controls: 4.9 (11.8) mL/min versus 0.0 (12.9) mL/min (p = 0.012; analysis of covariance [ANCOVA]). Per protocol analysis demonstrated a more marked difference: an increase of 8.7 (11.2) mL/min with everolimus versus a decrease of 0.4 (12.0) mL/min in controls (p < 0.001; ANCOVA). There were no differences in graft or patient survival. The 12‐month incidence of biopsy‐proven acute rejection (BPAR) was 27.5% (n = 28) with everolimus and 11.0% (n = 11) in controls (p = 0.004). All but two episodes of BPAR in each group were mild. Adverse events occurred in 95.1% of everolimus patients and 90.0% controls (p = 0.19), with serious adverse events in 53.9% and 38.0%, respectively (p = 0.025). Discontinuation because of adverse events was more frequent with everolimus (25.5%) than controls (3.0%; p = 0.030). In conclusion, conversion from CsA to everolimus at week 7 after kidney transplantation was associated with a greater improvement in mGFR at month 12 versus CNI‐treated controls but discontinuations and BPAR were more frequent.
ATP‐dependent desensitization of the muscarinic K+ channel in rat atrial cells

1 Fast desensitization of the muscarinic K+ channel has been studied in excised patches from rat atrial cells. 2 In inside‐out patches, ACh was present in the pipette and GTP was applied via the bath to activate the channel. In outside‐out patches, GTP was present in the pipette and ACh was applied via the bath to activate the channel. In both cases, during a 30 s exposure to GTP or ACh there was a decline in channel activity as a result of fast desensitization if ATP was present. 3 In inside‐out patches, fast desensitization was still observed if the muscarinic ACh receptor was bypassed and the channel was activated by GTPγS. This suggests that fast desensitization is a result of a modification of the channel (or the connecting G protein) and not the receptor. 4 In both inside‐out and outside‐out patches, channel activity was depressed and fast desensitization was reduced or absent, if ATP was not present. 5 The non‐hydrolysable analogue of ATP, AMP‐PNP, did not substitute for ATP in its effects on the channel. 6 The results are consistent with the hypothesis that fast desensitization of the muscarinic K+ channel is the result of a dephosphorylation of the channel.
Risk factors for geriatric patient falls in rehabilitation hospital settings: a systematic review

Objective: To review the literature to identify and synthesize the evidence on risk factors for patient falls in geriatric rehabilitation hospital settings. Data sources: Eligible studies were systematically searched on 16 databases from inception to December 2010. Review methods: The search strategies used a combination of terms for rehabilitation hospital patients, falls, risk factors and older adults. Cross-sectional, cohort, case-control studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published in English that investigated risks for falls among patients ≥65 years of age in rehabilitation hospital settings were included. Studies that investigated fall risk assessment tools, but did not investigate risk factors themselves or did not report a measure of risk (e.g. odds ratio, relative risk) were excluded. Results: A total of 2,824 references were identified; only eight articles concerning six studies met the inclusion criteria. In these, 1,924 geriatric rehabilitation patients were followed. The average age of the patients ranged from 77 to 83 years, the percentage of women ranged from 56% to 81%, and the percentage of fallers ranged from 15% to 54%. Two were case-control studies, two were RCTs and four were prospective cohort studies. Several intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for falls were identified. Conclusion: Carpet flooring, vertigo, being an amputee, confusion, cognitive impairment, stroke, sleep disturbance, anticonvulsants, tranquilizers and antihypertensive medications, age between 71 and 80, previous falls, and need for transfer assistance are risk factors for geriatric patient falls in rehabilitation hospital settings.
Applying SARIMA time series to forecast sleeping activity for wellness model of elderly monitoring in smart home

In this paper, we have reported a mechanism to forecast the sensing durations of various object usages in a smart home environment. Prognosis will assist in determining the quantitative well-being of an elderly and notify the daily activity behavior as regular or irregular. Prediction process involved in wellness model is the seasonal auto regression integration moving average routines based on the recorded sensing active status of everyday objects used by an elderly living alone.