Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydra and Niccolo Paganini (1782–1840)—two peas in a pod? The molecular basis of extracellular matrix structure in the invertebrate, Hydra

The body wall of Hydra is organized as an epithelial bilayer with an intervening extracellular matrix (ECM). Molecular and biochemical analyses of Hydra ECM have established that it contains components similar to those seen in more complicated vertebrates such as human. In terms of biophysical parameters, Hydra ECM is highly flexible; a property that facilitates continuous movements along the organism's longitudinal and radial axis. A more rigid ECM, as in vertebrates, would not be compatible with this degree of movement. The flexible nature of Hydra ECM can now be explained in part by the unique structure of the organism's collagens. Interestingly, some aspects of the structural features of Hydra collagens mimic what is seen in Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome, an inherited condition in humans that results in an abnormally flexible ECM that can be debilitating in extreme cases. This review will focus on structure–function relationships of the ECM of Hydra. BioEssays 23:716–724, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Myeloid dendritic cells

There is considerable but as yet incomplete evidence for two developmental lineages of dendritic cells: a myeloid lineage shared with phagocytes and a lymphoid lineage shared with T cells. The two corresponding functional states, which may not require the existence of two formal lineages, are that myeloid dendritic cells capture antigens in the periphery and then migrate to the lymphoid organs to initiate immunity, whereas lymphoid dendritic cells are found in the thymic medulla and lymph node T cell areas and are responsible for tolerance. The latter may occur through immune regulation and/or deletion. Myeloid dendritic cells undergo many activities that contribute to the initiation of immunity. These are summarized here and include mobilization from progenitors and precursors in the blood and marrow, maturation from immature cells in the skin and interstitial spaces, formation of MHC‐peptide complexes in MHC class II compartments or MIICs, migration to the T cell areas, and finally, mortality. The death of migratory dendritic cells seems to be accompanied by their phagocytosis and processing by other dendritic cells in the T area. We speculate that this transfer of antigens, including self‐peptides captured by the uptake of apoptotic cells in peripheral tissues, is an important prelude to the regulatory function of resident or lymphoid dendritic cells in the T cell area. These features of dendritic cell biology provide targets to manipulate the immune response in vivo. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 205–208; 1999.
Food Production Standards and the Chinese Local State: Exploring New Patterns of Environmental Governance in the Bamboo Shoot Industry in Lin'an

Abstract Although current studies into Chinese food supply and quality provide explanations for the causality of food problems, there is limited inquiry into the role of the county government. This is a serious omission for two main reasons: first, because county governments perform a key role in providing support for farmers through agricultural extension services and farmers’ cooperatives, and second, because county-level administrative divisions are central to developing novel instruments to manage supply chain relationships, such as food production standards. We investigate the key players involved in standard making and delivery at the county level. We also analyse how and why the county government engages in standard-setting activities. We use Lin'an's bamboo shoot production industry as a case study to understand how the local state implements “hazard-free,” “green” and “forest food” production standards. The paper concludes that traditional conceptualizations of the local state do not sufficiently address how nature, knowledge of standards and state authority co-produce institutional capacity to control food supply and quality in China. In practice, the local state engages with non-state actors to achieve superficial environmental efforts, such as developing food production standards to throw a “green cloak” over a productivist model. 摘要 在探讨中国食品供应和质量的文献中，多有涉及食品安全问题，但是关于县级政府如何管理和控制食品质量安全研究的文献却非常有限。 本文指出县政府在食品安全质量中的管治角色是不可或缺的，一方面，县政府通过农业服务推广和农业合作社来引导农民进行粮食生产; 另一方面，县政府将实施食品质量安全生产标准作为新型治理工具来控制食品生产质量。 因此，本研究以县级为单位来讨论食品质量安全生产标准的制订和执行者; 同时亦分析了县政府为何以及如何参与食品质量安全生产标准的制订。 本研究以临安县竹笋生产行业为例，探讨当地县政府如何实施无公害食品、绿色食品和森林食品的生产方案。 结论表明: 传统的国家理论未能充分解释地方政府如何有效利用竹笋资源，食品质量安全标准以及政府权力来构建区域食品供应及质量安全治理体系。 本文通过县级政府的区域策略，分析地方政府如何利用当地森林资源，农业合作社和食品质量安全生产标准来合理化临安县绿色外观的发展模式。 这种模式不但通过地方政府与其他持份者的合作来制订食品生产标准，而且也让地方政府将食品生产标准作为“绿色外衣”来合理化以经济为主导的发展模式。
Power Sharing: Institutions, Behavior, and Peace

Grievances that derive from the unequal treatment discrimination of ethnic groups are a key motivation for civil war. Ethnic power-sharing should therefore reduce the risk of internal conflict. Yet conflict researchers disagree on whether formal power-sharing institutions effectively prevent large-scale violence. We can improve our understanding of the effect of power-sharing institutions by analyzing the mechanisms under which they operate. To this effect, we compare the direct effect of formal power-sharing institutions on peace with their indirect effect through power-sharing behavior. Combining data on inclusive and territorially dispersive institutions with information on power-sharing behavior, we empirically assess this relationship on a global scale. Our causal mediation analysis reveals that formal power-sharing institutions affect the probability of ethnic conflict onset mostly through power-sharing behavior that these institutions induce.
A community-based rapid assessment of HIV behavioural risk disparities within a large sample of gay men in southeastern USA: A comparison of African American, Latino and white men

Abstract Because the southeastern USA is experiencing a disproportionate HIV infection rate compared to other regions of the country, we explored HIV behavioural risk disparities by race/ethnicity among self-identifying gay men. Conceived and implemented as a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study, this rapid assessment collected demographic and HIV risk-behaviour data from men in five gay bars in the northwestern part of the state of North Carolina, using an assessment available in English and Spanish. Of 719 participants, 34.8% reported inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse in the past three months, 11.4% reported ever having had a sexually transmitted disease (STD), 3.6% reported being HIV-seropositive and 26% reported illicit drug use during the past 30 days. Compared to white participants, African American/black and Hispanic/Latino participants were more likely to report inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse with multiple partners during the past three months. African American/black participants were more likely to report illicit drug use during the past 30 days. Hispanic/Latino participants were more likely to have never been tested for HIV. Rates of HIV risk behaviours among gay men remain high and racial/ethnic differences indicate the need for targeted and tailored prevention strategies.
Reproducibility of Standardized Uptake Value Measurements Determined by 18F-FDG PET in Malignant Tumors

18F-FDG PET is increasingly being used to monitor the early response of malignant tumors to chemotherapy. Understanding the reproducibility of standardized uptake values (SUVs) is an important prerequisite in estimating what constitutes a significant change. Methods: Twenty-six patients were studied on 2 separate occasions (mean interval ± SD, 3 ± 2 d; range, 1–5 d). A static PET/CT scan was performed 94 ± 9 min after the intravenous injection of 383 ± 15 MBq of 18F-FDG. Mean and maximum SUVs (SUVmean and SUVmax, respectively) were determined for regions of interest drawn around the tumor on the first study and for the same regions of interest transferred to the second study. Results: SUVmean in tumors ranged from 1.49 to 17.48 and SUVmax ranged from 2.99 to 24.09. The correlation between SUVmean determined on the 2 separate visits was 0.99; the mean difference between the 2 measurements was 0.01 ± 0.27 SUV. The 95% confidence limits for the measurements were ±0.53. For SUVmax, the mean difference was −0.05 ± 1.14 SUV. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that repeated measurements of SUVmean performed a few days apart are highly reproducible. A decrease of 0.5 in the SUV is statistically significant.
c‐fos antisense blocks methamphetamine‐induced ambulatory activity reversibly

TO investigate the involvement of immediate early genes (IEGs) in the ambulatory activity induced by a low dose of methamphetamine (MAP) in mice, we injected an antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) to c-fos mRNA stereotactically into the striatum of ddY male mice. MAP (2 mg kg−1)-induced ambulatory activity was significantly suppressed when the mouse was pretreated by the ODN (2 mM, 1 μl), and this was accompanied by a decrease in c-Fos-like protein immunoreactivity. Repetitive intermittent administration of MAP at intervals of 3 days confirmed that the suppressive effect was transient and reproducible. These results suggest that c-Fos is at least partly the key molecule regulating the psychomotor stimulation by MAP in mouse brain.
Activities of pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin in experimentally induced Pseudomonas pneumonia in neutropenic guinea pigs

Pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin are two new quinoline carboxylic acid derivatives that have activity in vitro against a wide range of gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using a well-standardized model of Pseudomonas pneumonia in neutropenic guinea pigs, we tested the efficacy in vivo of these new agents. Both were highly effective in increasing survival and decreasing bacterial counts in the lungs of surviving animals. Pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin were significantly better (P less than 0.05) than aminoglycosides or beta-lactams tested in prior studies with this model, and they were as effective as combination therapy with aminoglycosides and beta-lactams. Resistance to either ciprofloxacin or pefloxacin did not emerge during the study period. Further studies with these drugs in the therapy of Pseudomonas sp. infections are warranted.
Two-LUT-based synthesizable temperature sensor for Virtex-6 FPGA devices

This paper proposes a new synthesizable oscillator-based temperature sensor with minimal footprint for use in contemporary Xilinx FPGA devices. In contrast to previously published ring-oscillator architectures, based on inverters mapped onto single LUTs, the proposed oscillator uses an asynchronous Gray-coded 4-bit counter requiring only two 6-input LUTs. Due to its reduced hardware requirements, the feedback path can be implemented using local routing signals only. Therefore, the impact of the routing on the oscillator frequency is slightly reduced making the oscillator less prone to placement-caused routing deviations. The proposed temperature sensor is calibrated using a two-point calibration approach, resulting in a mean accuracy of ±0.71° C with a mean resolution of 0.0081° C. As a further case study, a methodology to characterize on-chip semiconductor variations between identical FPGAs and within the same FPGA chip is presented using a sensor array, including up to 196 of the proposed two-LUT-based oscillators.
Quantiferon-TB Gold In-Tube Improves Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Children

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of Quantiferon-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT) is uncertain in the pediatric population, while tuberculin skin test (TST) is still conventionally used despite its limitations. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of QFT-IT with TST in a large cohort of children screened for tuberculosis (TB) infection because of contact tracing, suspected TB, arrival from endemic country or immunosuppressive therapy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 517 children 0–14 years of age evaluated at the pediatric unit of the S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna, Italy; 366 of them were also tested with TST. Results were analyzed for Calmette-Guérin bacillus vaccination, country of origin, reason for testing, diagnosis and age. Results: The overall agreement between the 2 tests was 89.9%, but it was highly affected by Calmette-Guérin bacillus vaccination (P < .0001). According to diagnosis and age, QFT-IT detected latent tuberculous infection cases better than TST in all age groups. Sensitivity for diagnosing active TB in symptomatic children was higher for QFT-IT than TST (93.3% vs. 86.5%), especially in children younger than 2 years, while specificity was high for both tests (99.3% and 98.8%, respectively). Low rate of indeterminate QFT-IT results (3.9%) was not differently distributed among age groups, but was associated with diagnosis of TB exclusion (P < 0.0001), mainly pneumonia (35%), and to Italian children (P = 0.0024). Conclusions: Despite the concern about the use of QFT-IT in children because of their immature immune system, our results suggest the preferential use of QFT-IT as a support tool for diagnosis and management of TB, even in infants.
Molecular basis of cadmium toxicity.

Cadmium has been shown to manifest its toxicity in human and animals by mainly accumulating in almost all of the organs and kidney is the main target organ where it is concentrated mainly in cortex. Environmental exposure of cadmium occurs via food, occupational industries, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem. At molecular level, cadmium interferes with the utilization of essential metals e.g. Ca, Zn, Se, Cr and Fe and deficiencies of these essential metals including protein and vitamins, exaggerate cadmium toxicity, due to its increased absorption through the gut and greater retention in different organs as metallothionein (Cd-Mt). Cadmium transport, across the intestinal and renal brush border membrane vesicles, is carrier mediated and it competes with zinc and calcium. It has been postulated that cadmium shares the same transport system. Cadmium inhibits protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and drug metabolizing enzymes in liver of animals. Chronic environmental exposure of cadmium produces hypertension in experimental animals. Functional changes accompanying cadmium nephropathy include low molecular weight proteinuria which is of tubular origin associated with excess excretion of proteins such as beta 2 microglobulin, metallothionein and high molecular weight proteinuria of glomerular origin (excretion of proteins such as albumin IgG, transferrin etc.). Recent data has shown that metallothionein is more nephrotoxic to animals. Cadmium is also toxic to central nervous system. It causes an alterations of cellular functions in lungs. Cadmium affects both humoral and cell mediated immune response in animals. Cadmium induces metallothionein in liver and kidney but under certain nutritional deficiencies like protein-calorie malnutrition and calcium deficiency, enhanced induction and greater accumulation of cadmium metallothionein has been observed.
Cerebral microembolism in symptomatic and asymptomatic high‐grade internal carotid artery stenosis

Using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography in patients with high-grade (>=70%) internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis, we examined the relation between the rate of TCD-detected silent microembolism of the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery and a history of recent (<121 days) ischemic symptoms attributable to the diseased ICA. In the so-defined neurologically symptomatic group (n = 33 patients), silent microembolic events occurred in 27 subjects (overall mean rate, 14/h ± 29). Among 56 neurologically asymptomatic patients matched for the degree of ICA stenosis, only nine showed such events (overall mean rate, 0.35/h ± 1.4). Across all 89 patients studied, an individual microembolic event rate ≥2/h had a positive predictive value of 0.88 for a history of recent symptoms. Our data suggest that TCD monitoring can provide reliable paraclinical evidence of “unstable ICA disease. ”
Investigations of 600-V GaN HEMT and GaN Diode for Power Converter Applications

Power switching devices based on wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) offer superior performance such as low switching and conduction losses, high voltage, high frequency, and high temperature operation. In this paper, a 600-V GaN switch and a 600-V GaN diode were tested in detail to understand the GaN device capabilities with respect to equivalent silicon-based devices such as IGBT and MOSFET. Detailed experimental loss models are developed and compared with datasheet models. Experimental setup of different power converters such as boost, buck-boost, and half-bridge inverter and associated comparative experimental results are presented. This paper also presents the investigations into the effectiveness of using GaN devices and higher switching frequencies in reducing the total size and cost of power conversion equipment such as an online UPS system.
Toward Assessment Leadership: Study of Assessment Practices among School and Classroom Leaders.

OF DISSERTATION TOWARD ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP: STUDY OF ASSESSMENT PRACTICES AMONG SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM LEADERS Traditionally, models of instructional leadership espouse data-informed decision making in response to student assessment outcomes as one of the core school leader behaviors. In recent years, rising expectations from accountability policies and related assessment practices have myriad implications for school districts, specifically in the areas of standards-driven reform, student assessment systems, and professional development models. As a result, demands on schools to collect and use student assessment data to inform curricular and instructional decisions has expanded. While principals are typically held responsible for school improvement efforts, more contemporary models of instructional leadership incorporate teachers as classroom-based leaders of assessment practices in forums such as professional learning communities. School and classroom assessment leaders engage in behaviors such as (a) identifying an assessment vision, (b) fostering group goals, (c) providing a model of datainformed decision making, (d) promoting teacher job-embedded professional learning experiences, (e) evaluating instructional practices with specific feedback, and (f) strategically aligning resources to school improvement goals. Unfortunately, school districts face many challenges with assessment leadership due to barriers in beliefs about assessments, time with and access to tools and training, and knowledge and skills about how to operationalize effective assessment practices that yield positive student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore assessment leadership as a construct among P-12 school and classroom leaders in one large district in Florida. Data were collected using an Internet-based survey constructed from existing qualitative and quantitative measures of key components of assessment leadership established in the literature. A series of descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to (a) explore the factor structure of the instrument and (b) evaluate the influence of assessment learning experiences, beliefs, and knowledge on assessment practices. Relationships among variables were examined when considering moderating variables for school role (i.e., school-level administrator or classroom teacher as professional learning communities facilitator) and school type (elementary or secondary). Limitations were discussed to inform future research in this critical area of school improvement.
The mercury concentration in breast milk resulting from amalgam fillings and dietary habits.

Health risks from amalgam fillings are a subject of controversy. In Germany it is not advised to use amalgam fillings during breast feeding. Objectives of this study were to examine the concentration of mercury in human breast milk and the confounders which may modify the mercury levels. Women who gave birth between August 1995 and May 1996 in a district hospital were asked to participate in the study. The examination included a standardized anamnesis and an inspection of the teeth by an dentist. Blood and urine samples of 147 women and breast milk samples of 118 women were collected in the first week after birth. After 2 months of breast feeding a second breast milk sample was collected from 85 of women. Mercury was measured by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration of mercury in the breast milk collected immediately after birth showed a significant association with the number of amalgam fillings as well as with the frequency of meals. Urine mercury concentrations correlated with the number of amalgam fillings and amalgam surfaces. In the breast milk after 2 months of lactation, the concentrations were lower (mean: <0.25 microg/L; range <0.25-11.7 microg/L) compared with the first sample (mean: 0.90 microg/L; range <0.25-20. 3 microg/L) and were positively associated with the fish consumption but no longer with the number of the amalgam fillings. Accordingly, the additional exposure to mercury of breast-fed babies from maternal amalgam fillings is of minor importance compared to maternal fish consumption.
Plasma Level Formaldehyde in Children Receiving Pulpotomy Treatment under General Anesthesia.

OBJECTIVES Formocresol has long been used by dentists for pulpotomy of primary teeth. Due to some concerns regarding its possible carcinogenicity, formocresol has been the topic of numerous studies. This study sought to assess the changes in plasma level of formaldehyde of children after receiving pulpotomy under general anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN Twenty-five children between 2-6 years requiring dental treatments under general anesthesia were studied. Blood samples were taken of children before and after the procedure. Plasma level of formaldehyde was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS A total of 106 pulpotomy treatments were performed in 25 children using 126 cotton pellets dipped in formocresol. An increase and a decrease in plasma level of formaldehyde were noted in 5 (20%) and 20 (80%) children, respectively post-operatively compared to baseline. The t-test showed no significant difference in plasma level of formaldehyde pre- and postoperatively (P=0.12). the plasma level of formaldehyde in children who had higher levels of formaldehyde prior to the operation was also higher than that of others after the operation and this association was statistically significant (P=0.001, r=0.64). CONCLUSIONS The results showed no significant change in the mean plasma level of formaldehyde in children who received pulpotomy under general anesthesia compared to its baseline value.