Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Group knowledge management for context-aware group applications and services

Applications/services that cater to groups of users (or entities) in ubiquitous computing environments must utilise the concept of context-awareness in order to provide group adapted content or services. Most existing frameworks that support group applications/services focus on lower level issues such as group membership management or group communication, failing to give attention to context-awareness, while those that address context-awareness are mostly application specific. However, the introduction of a generic framework for the above situation can be challenging for several reasons, such as the heterogeneity of the applications/services and the complexity of interpreting group information compared to single user information. This paper proposes a generic framework for group knowledge management that overcomes these challenges. The framework supports the above mentioned applications/services in extracting group knowledge regarding the involved entities. A prototype implementation including functionality to query group knowledge is presented as well.
Glutathione in disease

Altered glutathione metabolism in association with increased oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. However, whether strategies aimed at restoring glutathione concentration and homeostasis are effective in ameliorating or modifying the natural history of these states is unknown. In this review we discuss the pathogenic role for altered glutathione metabolism in such diseases as protein energy malnutrition, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anaemia, chronic diseases associated with ageing and the infected state. In addition, we discuss the efficacy of glutathione precursors in restoring glutathione homeostasis both in vitro and in vivo.
Parasol and midget ganglion cells of the primate retina

We have intracellularly filled the dendritic arbors of 996 midget and parasol ganglion cells with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in macaque and baboon retinas. Only minor differences in the properties of these cell groups were found between species. Ninety of these cells were cut from their retinas, embedded in methacrylate, and transversely sectioned. According to their depth of stratification, there are two types of parasol cells (termed a‐parasol and b‐parasol), and two types of midget ganglion cells (a‐midget and b‐midget). Each of these four types stratifies at a different level within the IPL. The dendritic fields of midget ganglion cells lie either near the border of the ganglion cell layer (GCL) or near the border of the amacrine cell layer (ACL). The dendrites of the two types of parasol cells stratify closer to the center of the IPL, where they divide it into three approximately equal parts. There was no vertical overlap in the dendritic fields of a‐parasols and b‐parasols; they were always separated by at least 1 μm. The border between the a‐ and b‐ sublaminae of the IPL, defined in terms of this narrow gap between the stratification of the two parasol cell types, lies approximately at the center of the IPL. The dendritic‐field thickness for each of these types, on average, is no greater than 30% of the IPL thickness. At a similar location, there is no significant difference between the dendritic‐field diameters of the two parasol types or between those of the two midget types.
Halomonas vilamensis sp. nov., isolated from high-altitude Andean lakes.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium (SV325(T)) was isolated from the sediment of a hypersaline lake located 4600 m above sea level (Laguna Vilama, Argentina). Strain SV325(T) formed cream to pink colonies, was motile and moderately halophilic, and tolerated NaCl concentrations of 1-25 % (w/v) with an optimum of 5-10 % (w/v). Growth occurred at 5-40 °C (optimum around 30 °C) and at pH 5.0-10.0 (optimum 7.0-8.0). The bacterium did not produce exopolysaccharides and stained positively for intracellular polyphosphate granules but not for poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates. It produced catalase and oxidase, reduced nitrate to nitrite, hydrolysed gelatin, did not produce acids from sugars and utilized a limited range of substrates as carbon and energy sources: acetate, caproate, fumarate, dl-β-hydroxybutyrate, malate, maleate, malonate and succinate. The predominant ubiquinones were Q-9 (92.5 %) and Q-8 (7.5 %), the major fatty acids were C(19 : 0) cyclo ω8c, C(16 : 0), C(17 : 0) cyclo and C(16 : 1)ω7c/iso-C(15:0) 2-OH, and the DNA G+C content was 55.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain SV325(T) belongs to the genus Halomonas in the class Gammaproteobacteria. Physiological and biochemical tests allowed phenotypic differentiation of strain SV325(T) from closely related species with validly published names. We therefore propose a novel species, Halomonas vilamensis sp. nov., with type strain SV325(T) ( = DSM 21020(T) = LMG 24332(T)).
INHIBITION OF NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHESIS AGGRAVATES MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA IN HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK IN CONSTANT PRESSURE MODEL

In hemorrhagic shock (HS), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor is known to increase blood pressure and prolong survival time. On the other hand, NOS inhibitor decreases coronary flow and worsens myocardial ischemia. Therefore, we hypothesized that the beneficial effect of NOS inhibitor is attributable to the increased coronary perfusion pressure and that it outcompetes the coronary vasodilating effects of nitric oxide. To investigate the direct effect of NOS inhibitor on the regulation of coronary circulation and the induction of myocardial ischemia in HS, we used a canine model at a constant aortic pressure of 40 mmHg with an aortic reservoir. In seven dogs, intravenous administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 30 mg/kg) at 10 min after induction of HS increased both systemic and coronary vascular resistances and further increased the serum catecholamine concentration at 10 min after L-NAME. In another 14 dogs, the beating hearts were rapidly cross-sectioned (120 ms) and freeze clamped (-190°C) by a specially developed sampling device after 10 min of HS. Transmurally distributed myocardial ischemia was visualized by the enhanced reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide fluorescence, which was significantly increased with L-NAME (n = 7). Chemical analysis revealed a decrease in the myocardial ATP concentration with L-NAME in the subendocardial ischemic region in HS. In conclusion, with the use of an aortic reservoir to keep the aortic pressure constant in HS, NOS blockade significantly worsened myocardial ischemia by decreasing coronary flow and augmenting the serum catecholamine concentration.
Pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Ten years experience in Denmark

Objectives. To evaluate survival and functional outcome in patients treated by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Denmark. Design. Follow-up of the first 50 patients operated at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Results. Fifty patients underwent PEA in the period from 1994 to mid 2004. Prior to surgery all patients were in World Health Organization (WHO) function class III (n = 33) or IV (n = 17). The mean pulmonary artery pressure was 50 mmHg (range 25–76), cardiac index 1.8 l min−1 m−2 (range 0.8–2.8) and pulmonary vascular resistance 819 dyn s cm−5 (range 241–3 067). In-hospital mortality was 12/50 (24%). Surgical mortality was highest in the early period. Since year 2000 in-hospital deaths occurred in only 2 among 23 patients (9%). Leading causes of death were persistent pulmonary hypertension and bleeding. Three patients died during long-term follow-up with a median observation time of 3 years. The overall 5 year survival rate was 74%. At 3 months follow-up 90% of the patients (34/38) had improved one or more WHO functional classes and the systolic pulmonary artery pressure estimated by Doppler echocardiography had decreased from 80 mmHg (range 49–115) to 43 mmHg (range 14–95). Conclusion. Pulmonary endarterectomy has been successfully implemented in Denmark. The perioperative mortality was reduced over time to 9% during the past 5 years. Functional outcome and long-term survival were excellent stressing the importance of surgical treatment for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Does Exchange Rate Volatility Deter Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa?

This study investigates the effects of exchange rate volatility on trade in 39 selected SSA countries for the period 1995 to 2012. Export and import models were estimated using panel data econometric technique. Three measures of volatility are used. These are standard deviation, GARCH and HP-Filter. The results suggest that the effect of exchange rate volatility on trade is dependent of the type of volatility measure used. This reflects the importance of not solely relying on a unique measure of volatility. The results revealed that exchange rate volatility (measured with standard deviation and HP filter) depresses exports, suggesting that SSA exporters are susceptible to reduce their export activities when exchange rates become volatile. However, the fact that the degree of the impact of exchange rate volatility on trade is relatively weak, suggest that should SSA’s policy makers decide to pursue a policy intended to reduce exchange rate volatility in order to boost trade, it might be of little or no value. The results also indicate that exchange rate volatility is associated with a reduction in imports.
Designing Biosecurity Inspection Regimes to Account for Stakeholder Incentives: An Inspection Game Approach

We investigate the potential for biosecurity regulators to design inspection regimes that reduce intervention and encourage importers to decrease the likelihood of biosecurity risk material being present in consignments. The interaction between a biosecurity regulator and a vertically integrated importer is framed as an inspection game. Our principal focus is a dynamic version of the game, which we use to assess whether regimes based on past compliance can encourage behaviours consistent with the regulatory objective. Our results suggest appropriate candidates for compliance-based inspection regimes are goods where there is access to cost-effective 'fixed' abatement technologies, and those with high costs associated with being inspected or failing inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Thermodynamics of the glucocorticoid receptor-DNA interaction: binding of wild-type GR DBD to different response elements.

We used fluorescence spectroscopy to study the chemical equilibria between an 82-residue protein fragment containing the core conserved region of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain (GR DBD) and a palindromic glucocorticoid response element (GRE), a consensus GRE half-site, a consensus estrogen response element (ERE) half-site, and two intermediate half-sites (GRE2 and ERE2). Equilibrium parameters were determined at 20 degrees C and buffer conditions that approximate intracellular conditions. The association constants for GR DBD binding to the GRE (5'TGTTCT3') and GRE2 (5'TGTCCT3') half-sites at 85 mM NaCl, 100 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2, and 20 mM Tris-HCl at pH 7.4 and low concentrations of an antioxidant and a nonionic detergent are (1.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M-1 and (5.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) M-1, respectively. The association constants for binding to the ERE (5'TGACCT3') and ERE2 (5'TGATCT3') half-sites are < 10(5) M-1. The implications of these numbers for the specificity and affinity for the binding of the intact GR to DNA are discussed. Comparison of GR DBD binding to a GRE half-site and a palindromic GRE sequence allowed us to estimate the cooperativity parameter, omega obs = 25-50, for GR DBD binding to GRE. The thermodynamics of the GR DBD interaction with a GRE half-site were also investigated by determining the temperature dependence of the observed association constant. The nonlinear dependence in ln Kobs as a function of 1/T is consistent with a change in standard heat capacity, delta Cp degree obs = 1.0 +/- 0.2 kcal mol-1 K-1. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT OF INFANTS DELIVERED AT TERM

The singleton births in the 1958 British Perinatal Mortality Survey (Butler and Bonham, 1963; Butler and Alberman, 1969) were used to study the aetiology of low birth weight of infants delivered at term. After exclusion of macerated stillbirths and infants with lethal congenital defects, 468 infants of 259 days or more gestation and a birth weight which was less than 2500 g were identified. The mothers and their pregnancies were compared with those of the population of 16 994 singleton births. Delivery at term of a low birth weight infant was significantly associated with maternal prepregnant weight, maternal height, maternal smoking, primiparity, maternal employment, low social class, a previous infant of low birth weight, threatened abortion and severe toxaemia. No significant associations were found with illegitimacy, area of residence, previous spontaneous abortion, essential hypertension, mild toxaemia, chronic or acute infections or other conditions. There were significant negative associations with a history of previous large infants and with maternal blood group AB.
Anti‐Müllerian hormone and 11 β‐hydroxylase show reciprocal expression to that of aromatase in the transforming gonad of zebrafish males

During development all zebrafish males first develop a “juvenile ovary” that later degenerates and transforms into a testis. In this study, individuals undergoing gonadal transformation were identified from a vas::egfp transgenic line and used for gene expression analysis of anti‐Müllerian hormone (amh), ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a) and 11β‐hydroxylase (cyp11b, also known as P45011β) by real‐time polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. In the “normal (i.e., nontransforming) juvenile ovary” cyp19a1a was expressed around the oocytes, but cyp11b and amh could not be detected. During gonadal transformation cyp19a1a was down‐regulated and could not be detected anymore; in contrast amh was up‐regulated and highly expressed at similar regions where cyp19a1a had been expressed earlier. Furthermore, the normalized transcript levels of cyp19a1a and amh showed a reciprocal picture, i.e., the higher was the level of amh, the lower was that of cyp19a1a. Expression of cyp11b was also up‐regulated but later than amh, and its localization was not related to the position of degenerating oocytes. These data indicate that amh is a candidate gene down‐regulating cyp19a1a, leading to “juvenile ovary‐to‐testis” transformation. Whereas, cyp11b or its product, 11‐ketotestosterone, is unlikely to be the inducer of zebrafish gonad transformation, as proposed earlier for some protogynous hermaphroditic fish species. Developmental Dynamics 236:1329–1338, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Plugged-in policing: Student perceptions of law enforcement's use of social media.

As police become increasingly active in cyberspace, questions are raised as to how they should use social media. Community sentiment should be the foundation from which social media policy is forged. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined student attitudes toward law enforcement’s use of social media and assessed demographic and attitudinal variables which were related to student perceptions. Overall, students significantly supported some social media scenarios more than others, and race, privacy expectations, and authoritarianism were related to student sentiment. From open-ended responses, prevalent themes emerged; for instance, students think police are only trying to do their jobs. Responses often also pointed out differences between private and public information and domains.
Costs of Expanding the Network of Protected Areas as a Response to Climate Change in the Cape Floristic Region

Abstract: The expansion of protected areas is a critical component of strategies to promote the continued existence of biodiversity (i.e., life at all levels of biological organization) as climate changes, but scientific, social, and economic uncertainties associated with climate change are some of the major obstacles preventing such expansion. New models of climate change and species distribution and new methods of conservation planning now make it possible to explore the uncertainties associated with climate changes and species responses. Yet few reliable estimates of the costs of expanding protected areas and methods for determining these costs exist, largely because of the many (and uncertain) determinants of these costs. We developed a cost‐accounting model to estimate the range in costs of various options for expanding protected areas and to explore the variables that drive these costs. Model development was informed by an existing plan to expand protected areas in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa to address species conservation under a scenario of climate change. The 50‐year present value of total costs varied from US$260 million ($1077/ha) for an off‐reserve option that involves agreements with landowners and no compensation of forgone production and associated revenue to $1020 million ($4228/ha) for an on‐reserve option that involves land acquisition and protection. The costs of acquiring land or compensating landowners for forgone production and development opportunities were the major drivers of the total costs across all options because most of the area identified in the protected‐area expansion plan consisted of urban and high‐quality agricultural lands. Total costs were also affected by changes in protected area extent and discount rate. Model‐generated outputs such as these may be useful for informing implementation strategies and the allocation of future efforts in monitoring, data collection, and model development.
Decision-making and outcomes in severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Aortic stenosis (AS) remains the most common valvular disease of the elderly in the United States. Though valve replacement has proven effective among older adults, decision-making regarding surgery is difficult for these patients and their physicians. Herein, the clinical outcomes and decision-making process for elderly patients with severe symptomatic AS was assessed. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of patients aged > or = 60 years with severe AS was conducted at two large urban teaching hospitals. Severe AS was defined by a mean valve gradient > or = 50 mmHg or valve area < 0.8 cm2 by echocardiogram, and associated symptoms (angina, congestive heart failure, dyspnea, fatigue, or exercise intolerance). Demographic and clinical data and information about decision-making were obtained from inpatient and outpatient medical records. RESULTS Of the 124 patients studied, 49 (39.5%) had aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery. In a logistic regression analysis adjusting for gender, comorbidity and baseline functional status, those patients aged < 80 years were significantly more likely to have surgery than older patients. Surgery was associated with a large reduction in mortality in all age groups. At one-year follow up, 87.8% of all patients (87.5% of those aged > or = 80 years) who had undergone surgery were alive, while only 54.7% (49.1% of those aged > or = 80 years) who did not receive surgery were alive. Postoperative complications were similar among older and younger elderly patients. Comorbidity and age were the most common reasons for not offering elderly patients valve replacement. CONCLUSION The results of the present study showed that AVR surgery improves the survival of elderly patients with severe AS, and patients aged > 80 years experience benefits similar to younger patients. Nevertheless, these findings suggest that surgery may not always be offered to elderly patients who might benefit from it.
The employee and the Internet age: A reflection, map and research agenda

The main aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the burgeoning, yet far from cohesive, literature that surrounds employee use of the Internet, with view to reflecting upon the extent to which employees have more broadly (or not) benefitted in the Internet age. This is achieved by drawing on a range of literature associated with the study of employment and work organisations. Due to the nature of Internet communication technologies and how this conflicts with the much slower nature of academic output, the review and mapping exercise is supplemented by press reports of emergent employee uses for new forms of Internet-based communication technologies, such as blogs, social networking sites and wikis. The review is based on examining the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and followed by an overall discussion of important employee-related changes that characterise the shift from the old to the new Internet. The main conclusion of the review is that the Internet represents a “double-edged” sword, yet the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 appears to have opened up fresh and exciting opportunities for employees to engage with their jobs, misbehave, shape trade union practices, and, challenge managerialist discourses. Finally, the findings are diagrammatically mapped out, the limits of the study are discussed and a range of important research opportunities and challenges are presented.
Intergeneration CAG expansion and contraction in a Chinese HD family

The prevalence of juvenile‐onset Huntington's disease (HD) is about ten times lower than adult HD. Here we report a Chinese HD family showing both intergeneration CAG expansion and contraction. The expansion resulted from a paternal transmission which leads to juvenile‐onset HD for a 17‐year‐old Chinese boy (III‐5). More interestingly, a contraction was noticed in a maternal transmission (III‐3), which changed the CAG repeat from an expanded, disease‐causing allele (48 repeats) to a normal or intermediate allele (34 repeats). Of note, the contraction resulted in a deletion of 14 CAG repeats, which is much larger than previously reported contractions. Our results are consistent with previous observations in Western Caucasians that juvenile‐onset HD is more likely inherited through the male germline. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.