Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rheo-SAXS investigation of shear-thinning behaviour of very anisometric repulsive disc-like clay suspensions

Aqueous suspensions of swelling clay minerals exhibit a rich and complex rheological behaviour. In particular, these repulsive systems display strong shear-thinning at very low volume fractions in both the isotropic and gel states. In this paper, we investigate the evolution with shear of the orientational distribution of aqueous clay suspensions by synchrotron-based rheo-SAXS experiments using a Couette device. Measurements in radial and tangential configurations were carried out for two swelling clay minerals of similar morphology and size, Wyoming montmorillonite and Idaho beidellite. The shear evolution of the small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) patterns displays significantly different features for these two minerals. The detailed analysis of the angular dependence of the SAXS patterns in both directions provides the average Euler angles of the statistical effective particle in the shear plane. We show that for both samples, the average orientation is fully controlled by the local shear stress around the particle. We then apply an effective approach to take into account multiple hydrodynamic interactions in the system. Using such an approach, it is possible to calculate the evolution of viscosity as a function of shear rate from the knowledge of the average orientation of the particles. The viscosity thus recalculated almost perfectly matches the measured values as long as collective effects are not too important in the system.
Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: A Case Study from Sicily

In order to be successful in the market it is not sufficient to attract new customers managers must concentrate on retaining existing customers implementing effective policies of customer satisfaction and loyalty. In hotel industry customer satisfaction is largely hooked upon service quality. A management approach focused on customer satisfaction can improve customer loyalty, thus increasing the positive image of the touristic destination. Hence, exploring the importance for customers of hotel attributes in hotel selection is indispensable. Research on the topic of guest satisfaction, which translates into the consideration of whether or not customers will return to a hotel or advise it to other tourists, is pivotal to the success of the hospitality business. Neglecting to pay attention to those hotel attributes considered most important by guests, may lead to negative evaluation of the hotel, thus restricting the chance of repeat patronage. We perform a qualitative analysis of a large hotel in Sicily (IT), the Sporting Club Hotel in the town Cefalu, using the Critical Incident Approach (Hayes, 2008). Through the analysis of this case we evaluate the overall customer satisfaction level for the hotel and for each supplied service . We conclude discussing the result and proposing improvement in customer satisfaction management of the hotel.
Tumor and Stem Cell Biology Tumor Suppressor NF 2 / Merlin Is a Microtubule Stabilizer

Cancer-associated mutations in oncogene products and tumor suppressors contributing to tumor progression manifest themselves, at least in part, by deregulating microtubule-dependent cellular processes that play important roles in many cell biological pathways, including intracellular transport, cell architecture, and primary cilium and mitotic spindle organization. An essential characteristic of microtubules in the performance of these varied cell processes is their ability to continuously remodel, a phenomenon known as dynamic instability. It is therefore conceivable that part of the normal function of certain cancer-causing genes is to regulate microtubule dynamic instability. Here, we report the results of a high-resolution live-cell image-based RNA interference screen targeting a collection of 70 human tumor suppressor genes to uncover cancer genes affecting microtubule dynamic instability. Extraction and computational analysis of microtubule dynamics from EB3-GFP time-lapse image sequences identified the products of the tumor suppressor genes NF1 and NF2 as potent microtubule-stabilizing proteins. Further in-depth characterization of NF2 revealed that it binds to and stabilizes microtubules through attenuation of tubulin turnover by lowering both rates of microtubule polymerization and depolymerization as well as by reducing the frequency of microtubule catastrophes. The latter function appears to be mediated, in part, by inhibition of hydrolysis of tubulin-bound GTP on the growing microtubule plus end. Cancer Res; 74(1); 353–62. 2013 AACR.
Identification of a Novel Virulence Determinant with Serum Opacification Activity in Streptococcus suis

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is a porcine and human pathogen with adhesive and invasive properties. In other streptococci, large surface-associated proteins (>100 kDa) of the MSCRAMM family (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules) are key players in interactions with host tissue. In this study, we identified a novel opacity factor of S. suis (OFS) with structural homology to members of the MSCRAMM family. The N-terminal region of OFS is homologous to the respective regions of fibronectin-binding protein A (FnBA) of Streptococcus dysgalactiae and the serum opacity factor (SOF) of Streptococcus pyogenes. Similar to these two proteins, the N-terminal domain of OFS opacified horse serum. Serum opacification activity was detectable in sodium dodecyl sulfate extracts of wild-type S. suis but not in extracts of isogenic ofs knockout mutants. Heterologous expression of OFS in Lactococcus lactis demonstrated that a high level of expression of OFS is sufficient to provide surface-associated serum opacification activity. Furthermore, serum opacification could be inhibited by an antiserum against recombinant OFS. The C-terminal repetitive sequence elements of OFS differed significantly from the respective repeat regions of FnBA and SOF as well as from the consensus sequence of the fibronectin-binding repeats of MSCRAMMs. Accordingly, fibronectin binding was not detectable in recombinant OFS. To investigate the putative function of OFS in the pathogenesis of invasive S. suis diseases, piglets were experimentally infected with an isogenic mutant strain in which the ofs gene had been knocked out by an in-frame deletion. The mutant was severely attenuated in virulence but not in colonization, demonstrating that OFS represents a novel virulence determinant of S. suis.
Slow sleep oscillation, rhythmic K‐complexes, and their paroxysmal developments

This paper presents the relations between the slow (< 1 Hz) oscillation (characterizing the activity of corticothalamic networks during quiescent sleep in cats and humans), sleep K‐complexes, and some paroxysmal developments of sleep patterns. At the cellular level, the slow oscillation is built up by rhythmic membrane depolarizations and hyperpolarizations of cortical neurons. The EEG expression of this activity is marked by periodic K‐complexes which reflect neuronal excitation. The slow oscillation triggers, groups and synchronizes other sleep rhythms, such as thalamically generated spindles as well as thalamically and cortically generated delta oscillations. We discuss the distinctness of the slow (< 1 Hz) and delta (1–4 Hz) oscillations. We also show that the slow cortical oscillation underlies the onset of spike‐wave seizures during sleep by transforming the periodic K‐complexes into recurrent paroxysmal spike‐wave complexes.
Connectedness and Perceived Burdensomeness among Adolescents at Elevated Suicide Risk: An Examination of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicidal Behavior

The interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior emphasizes the constructs of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capacity, which warrant investigation in adolescents at risk for suicide due to interpersonal stressors. This study examined one component of the interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior, “suicidal desire” (suicidal ideation), in 129 adolescents (12–15 years) recruited from a general medical emergency department who screened positive for bully victimization, bully perpetration, or low interpersonal connectedness. Greater perceived burdensomeness combined with low family connectedness was a significant predictor of suicidal ideation. This suggests the importance of addressing connectedness and perceptions of burdensomeness in prevention and early intervention efforts with at-risk adolescents.
Describing functioning and health after spinal cord injury in the light of psychological-personal factors.

OBJECTIVE To describe and explore functioning and health of persons with spinal cord injury from the perspective of psychological-personal factors in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. METHODS Data from 511 participants regarding feelings, thoughts and beliefs, motives, and patterns of experience and behaviour were analysed. Measurement instruments included the Mental Health Index-5, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Appraisal of Life Events Scale, 5 items from the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale, Purpose in Life Test-Short Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Big Five Inventory-21, Social Skills Inventory-SF, Brief COPE. The distribution of the selected psychological-personal factors-indicators was examined using descriptive statistics. Differences between SCI subgroups by sex, age, age at injury, time since injury, aetiology and severity of injury were explored using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F-tests. RESULTS Participants who were older and sustained their spinal cord injury more recently experienced more depressed mood, less positive affect, less challenge appraisal, lower life satisfaction, lower purpose in life, and lower self-efficacy. They reported lower social skills, less usage of the coping strategies humour, positive reframing, and acceptance, and more usage of the coping strategies denial and self-distraction. Overall, effect sizes were small. DISCUSSION Although study participants appeared to be well adjusted to spinal cord injury, those who sustained their injury at an older age and more recently reported more negative experiences. Quantitative description and exploration of the psychological-personal aspects of health will enable hypotheses to be formulated for further research, and suggest a need for tailored interventions for those at risk of less favourable outcomes.
Improving gross motor function and postural control with hippotherapy in children with Down syndrome: Case reports

The purpose of this case report is to describe the impact of an 11-week hippotherapy program on the gross motor functions of two children (respectively 28 and 37 months old) diagnosed with Down syndrome. Hippotherapy is a strategy that uses the horse's motion to stimulate and enhance muscle contraction and postural control. The children were assessed by the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and accelerometry. The results indicate that both children improved on many dimensions of the GMFM. Power spectral analysis of the acceleration signals showed improvement in postural control of either the head or trunk, because the children adopted two different adaptative strategies to perturbation induced by the moving horse.
Interplay between Natural Killer Cells and Anti-HER2 Antibodies: Perspectives for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy

Overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) defines a subgroup of breast tumors with aggressive behavior. The addition of HER2-targeted antibodies (i.e., trastuzumab, pertuzumab) to chemotherapy significantly improves relapse-free and overall survival in patients with early-stage and advanced disease. Nonetheless, considerable proportions of patients develop resistance to treatment, highlighting the need for additional and co-adjuvant therapeutic strategies. HER2-specific antibodies can trigger natural killer (NK) cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and indirectly enhance the development of tumor-specific T cell immunity; both mechanisms contributing to their antitumor efficacy in preclinical models. Antibody-dependent NK cell activation results in the release of cytotoxic granules as well as the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IFNγ and TNFα) and chemokines. Hence, NK cell tumor suppressive functions include direct cytolytic killing of tumor cells as well as the regulation of subsequent antitumor adaptive immunity. Albeit tumors with gene expression signatures associated to the presence of cytotoxic lymphocyte infiltrates benefit from trastuzumab-based treatment, NK cell-related biomarkers of response/resistance to HER2-specific therapeutic antibodies in breast cancer patients remain elusive. Several variables, including (i) the configuration of the patient NK cell repertoire; (ii) tumor molecular features (i.e., estrogen receptor expression); (iii) concomitant therapeutic regimens (i.e., chemotherapeutic agents, tyrosine kinase inhibitors); and (iv) evasion mechanisms developed by progressive breast tumors, have been shown to quantitatively and qualitatively influence antibody-triggered NK cell responses. In this review, we discuss possible interventions for restoring/enhancing the therapeutic activity of HER2 therapeutic antibodies by harnessing NK cell antitumor potential through combinatorial approaches, including immune checkpoint blocking/stimulatory antibodies, cytokines and toll-like receptor agonists.
Hepatitis C virus infections and genotypes in China.

OBJECTIVE To define the conditions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, and geographic and demographic distributions of genotypes in China. METHODS HCV infected patients were selected from individuals with different patterns of liver diseases and high risk populations in different parts of China. Genotypes of HCV in some isolates were further analyzed, based on the data from our laboratory studies and some carefully selected published literatures. RESULTS The anti-HCV positive rates were 9.7% in patients with acute hepatitis, 13.3% in patients with chronic hepatitis, 18.3% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 33.0% in patients with liver cirrhosis, and 43.2% in patients with posttransfusional hepatitis (average, 16.2% in patients with liver diseases). The anti-HCV positive rates in the high risk populations were 36.4% in leukemic patients, 43.0% in hemodialysis patients, 12.7% in blood donors, 64.1% in drug abusers, 13.1% in prostitutes, and 2.57% in naturally healthy people. At least 4 clades (clades 1, 2, 3 and 6) of HCV were found in China with different geographic and demographic distributions. Genotype 1b was the most widely distributed genotype, and genotype 3 was mainly found in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. CONCLUSION China has a high incidence of HCV infection. Our results will provide a strategic basis for diagnosis, treatment and possibly prophylaxis of hepatitis C virus diseases.
Expression of carotenoid pigments of haloarchaeal cultures exposed to aniline

The effects of exposure to aniline on growth and pigmentation in three haloarchaeal isolates from the Indian subcontinent—GUSF (MTCC 3265), from the estuarine saltpans of Goa, India; and GURFT‐1 and GURFP‐1, both from continental shelf sediments of the west coast of India—were studied. In nutrient‐rich tryptone yeast extract medium containing 25% NaCl/crude salt, the growth of GUSF, measured as absorbance at 600 nm, was not affected significantly at all concentrations of aniline used [0.005%–0.04% (v/v)], whereas the growth phases of GURFT‐1 and GURFP‐1 were affected at concentrations > 0.005%; the total yield, however, was nearly equal to the yield of cultures growing in the absence of aniline. GURFT‐1 reached approximately 40% of total yield on the 7th day in the presence of 0.04% aniline, which declined thereafter. The pigmentation observed visually was completely abolished at concentrations of aniline greater than 0.01%. Spectral scans of acetone extracts of the pigment of each of the cultures exposed to concentrations of aniline > 0.01% showed that (i) the bacterioruberin component of the pigments (absorbance in the range 390–500 nm) was completely abolished and (ii) the pigment component(s) shifted toward squalene and phytofluene derivatives (320–360 nm). This is the first report examining the effect of an aromatic pollutant such as aniline on the growth and pigmentation of haloarchaeal cultures. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 20: 165–169, 2005.
Improving Outcomes in Bilateral Breast Reconstruction Using Autogenous Tissue

Bilateral breast reconstruction utilizing autologous free tissue transfer is a complex procedure with multiple options for donor tissue available. This study set out to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing bilateral breast reconstruction with muscle-sparing free TRAM flaps versus those undergoing bilateral reconstructions utilizing procedures which aim to minimize abdominal donor site morbidity in the form of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) or superficial inferior epigastric (SIEA) flaps. A retrospective review identified 31 patients and 62 free flaps for bilateral autologous breast reconstruction at our teaching institutions in Rochester, NY. Patients receiving procedures which aimed to minimize donor-site morbidity experienced a shorter length of hospital stay versus those patients undergoing bilateral free TRAM procedures (P = 0.0494 by t test and P = 0.0389 by parametric test). There was no significant difference in complication rates between these 2 groups. Other demographic and premorbid factors showed no difference between groups. Here, we demonstrate that bilateral autologous breast reconstruction with flaps which minimize donor site morbidity are a safe and effective option for bilateral reconstruction. Furthermore, patients who received bilateral breast reconstruction with abdominal wall sparing techniques (DIEP or SIEA flaps) had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay, with no significant difference in complication rates when compared with patients undergoing bilateral free TRAM procedures.
Impact of indoor air temperature and humidity in an office on perceived air quality, SBS symptoms and performance.

UNLABELLED Perceived air quality (PAQ), sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and performance of office work were studied in a real office space at three levels of air temperature and humidity and two levels of ventilation rate (20 degrees C/40%, 23 degrees C/50%, 26 degrees C/60% RH at 10 l s(-1) p(-1) outside air, and 20 degrees C/40% RH at 3.5 l s(-1) p(-1) outside air). Thirty female subjects participated in the experiment. They were exposed to each environmental condition for 280 min. Thermal comfort was maintained at different thermal environments by self-adjustment of clothing. The subjects performed simulated office work throughout each exposure and repeatedly marked a set of visual-analog scales to indicate their perception of environmental conditions and of the intensity of SBS symptoms at the time. The study confirmed the previously observed impact of temperature and humidity on perceived air quality and the linear correlation between acceptability and enthalpy. The impact on perceived air quality of decreasing the ventilation rate from 10 to 3.5 l s(-1) per person could be counteracted by a decrement of temperature and humidity from 23 degrees C/50% RH to 20 degrees C/40% RH. Performance of office work was not significantly affected by indoor air temperature and humidity. However, several SBS symptoms were alleviated when the subjects worked at low levels of air temperature and humidity, which implies that a longer term exposure to low indoor air temperature and humidity might help to improve the performance of office work. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The findings of this study indicate the importance of indoor air temperature and humidity on perceived air quality and SBS symptoms. In practice, the required ventilation rate for comfort and health should no longer be independent of indoor air temperature and humidity.
Reversible left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on Doppler tissue imaging predicts a more favorable prognosis in chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND Early (e')/late (a') diastolic mitral annular velocity ratio is a powerful independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Doppler tissue imaging, however, may change over time according to intervention and medical treatment. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate whether, in clinically stable patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), the decrease of an initially high e'/a' ratio on long-term therapy predicts a more favorable outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred and eighty-one adult patients with CHF and high e'/a' ratio (≥ 0.74) underwent repeat echocardiography 6 months after the initial examination, and were then followed up for a mean period of 20 months. After 6 months, e'/a' ratio did not change in 95 patients, whereas it was significantly decreased (<0.74) in the remaining 86 patients. During follow-up, 55 participants (30%) had cardiac events. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, decrease in e'/a' ratio, initial New York Heart Association class III or IV, and change in LV mass index as well as in systolic mitral annular velocities emerged as independent predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS The decrease of an initially high e'/a' ratio on long-term therapy predicts a more favorable outcome in clinically stable patients with CHF.
Introduction: A Debate about the Ethics of Fair Practices for Collecting Social Science Data in Cyberspace

Most of us prefer "doing right" to the opposite. But sometimes it is not easy to determine either what constitutes right conduct or how to do it. In this special ethics issue of TIS, scholars involved in cyberspace research explore the problem of "doing right" in terms of research subjects. The participants here draw from their own research and the ethical dilemmas they confronted. The offerings illustrate how diverse ethical theories can lead to different views over which, or even whether, new formal guidelines are needed for on-line research.
Output Tracking of High-Order Stochastic Nonlinear Systems with Application to Benchmark Mechanical System

This note considers output tracking of high-order stochastic nonlinear systems without imposing any restriction on the high-order and the drift and diffusion terms. By using the backstepping design technique, a smooth state-feedback controller is given to guarantee that the solution process is bounded in probability and the error signal between the output and the reference signal can be regulated into a small neighborhood of the origin in probability. A practical example of stochastic benchmark mechanical system and simulation are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control scheme.