Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Students’ Attitudes towards Peers with Disabilities: A review of the literature

The trend towards inclusive education has led to an increase of studies focusing on peer attitudes. This review study presents an overview of studies describing attitudes of students, variables relating to students’ attitudes, and the relationship between students’ attitudes and the social participation of peers with disabilities. Based on a literature search we selected 20 studies that were conducted in seven different countries. Outcomes were described in terms of negative, neutral or positive according to three attitude components (cognitive, affective and behavioural). The results show that students generally hold neutral attitudes towards peers with disabilities. Several variables were found relating to their attitudes (i.e., gender, age, experience with and knowledge about disabilities, parental influence). Moreover, the results indicate that attitudes of peers relate to the social participation of students with disabilities. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of promoting positive attitudes of peers.
Peptide Antimicrobial Agents

SUMMARY Antimicrobial host defense peptides are produced by all complex organisms as well as some microbes and have diverse and complex antimicrobial activities. Collectively these peptides demonstrate a broad range of antiviral and antibacterial activities and modes of action, and it is important to distinguish between direct microbicidal and indirect activities against such pathogens. The structural requirements of peptides for antiviral and antibacterial activities are evaluated in light of the diverse set of primary and secondary structures described for host defense peptides. Peptides with antifungal and antiparasitic activities are discussed in less detail, although the broad-spectrum activities of such peptides indicate that they are important host defense molecules. Knowledge regarding the relationship between peptide structure and function as well as their mechanism of action is being applied in the design of antimicrobial peptide variants as potential novel therapeutic agents.
Study of the Properties of Plessey's Electrocardiographic Capacitive Electrodes for Portable Systems

Cardiac diseases are still most widely spread in all regions of the world. And more and more devices are invented to satisfy increasing requirements of the patients. One of the perspective technologies in cardiac diagnostics is capacitive sensing ECG electrodes. This article describes a study of the properties of electrocardiographic capacitive electrodes PS25255 from Plessey Semiconductors for portable systems as well as some undocumented parameters of these sensors. We developed special cardiograph using Plessey's electrodes and applied to the number of patients with ischemic heart disease. We paid our attention mostly to the correct transition of the ST segment as it has critical impact on the diagnostics of ischemic heart disease.
Treating Extensor Mechanism Disruption After Total Knee Arthroplasty

A consecutive series of 14 patients with chronic extensor mechanism disruption after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were treated with allograft reconstruction. Preoperatively all patients had full passive extension but a complete extensor lag. The average time from extensor mechanism disruption to surgery was 7 months (range, 3–24 months). Two methods of reconstruction were used depending on specific indications: an Achilles tendon with calcaneal bone block (eight patients) or a quadriceps tendon-patella-patellar tendon-tibial tubercle composite graft (six patients). At followup averaging 42 months (range, 24–60 months) all patients were community ambulators, five patients used a cane, two patients used a walker, and seven patients used no assistive devices. One patient had a partial rerupture and a 45° extensor lag, one patient had a 30° extensor lag, two patients had a 15° extensor lag, and 10 patients had a lag of less than 10°. All patients thought that their functional status had been improved and were satisfied with the results of the allograft reconstruction.
Vaccination with autologous myeloblasts admixed with GM-K562 cells in patients with advanced MDS or AML after allogeneic HSCT.

We report a clinical trial testing vaccination of autologous myeloblasts admixed with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor secreting K562 cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with ≥5% marrow blasts underwent myeloblast collection before HSCT. At approximately day +30, 6 vaccines composed of irradiated autologous myeloblasts mixed with GM-K562 were administered. Tacrolimus-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was not tapered until vaccine completion (∼day 100). Thirty-three patients with AML (25) and MDS (8) enrolled, 16 (48%) had ≥5% marrow blasts at transplantation. The most common vaccine toxicity was injection site reactions. One patient developed severe eosinophilia and died of eosinophilic myocarditis. With a median follow-up of 67 months, cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute and chronic GVHD were 24% and 33%, respectively. Relapse and nonrelapse mortality were 48% and 9%, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 5 years were 39% and 39%. Vaccinated patients who were transplanted with active disease (≥5% marrow blasts) had similar OS and PFS at 5 years compared with vaccinated patients transplanted with <5% marrow blasts (OS, 44% vs 35%, respectively, P = .81; PFS, 44% vs 35%, respectively, P = .34). Postvaccination antibody responses to angiopoietin-2 was associated with superior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; P = .031) and PFS (HR, 0.5; P = .036). Patients transplanted with active disease had more frequent angiopoeitin-2 antibody responses (62.5% vs 20%, P = .029) than those transplanted in remission. GM-K562/leukemia cell vaccination induces biologic activity, even in patients transplanted with active MDS/AML. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT 00809250.
Population pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in Asian paediatric liver transplant patients.

AIMS The purpose of this study was to describe the population pharmacokinetics of intravenous and oral tacrolimus (FK506) in 20 Asian paediatric patients, aged 1-14 years, following liver transplantation and to identify possible relationships between clinical covariates and population parameter estimates. METHODS Details of drug dosage histories, sampling times and concentrations were collected retrospectively from routine therapeutic drug monitoring data accumulated for at least 4 days after surgery. Before analysis, patients were randomly allocated to either the population data set (n = 16) or a validation data set (n = 4). The population data set was comprised of 771 concentration measurements of patients admitted over the last 3 years. Population modelling using the nonlinear mixed-effects model (NONMEM) program was performed on the population data set, using a one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination. Population average parameter estimates of clearance (CL), volume of distribution (V) and oral bioavailability (F) were sought; a number of clinical and demographic variables were tested for their influence on these parameters. RESULTS The final optimal population models related clearance to age, volume of distribution to body surface area and bioavailability to body weight and total bilirubin concentration. Predictive performance of this model evaluated using the validation data set, which comprised 86 concentrations, showed insignificant bias between observed and model-predicted blood tacrolimus concentrations. A final analysis performed in all 20 patients identified the following relationships: CL (l h-1) = 1.46 *[1 + 0. 339 * (AGE (years) -2.25)]; V (l) = 39.1 *[1 + 4.57 * (BSA (m2)-0. 49)]; F = 0.197 *[1 + 0.0887 * (WT (kg) -11.4)] and F = 0.197 *[1 + 0.0887 * (WT (kg) -11.4)] * [1.61], if the total bilirubin > or = 200 micromol l-1. The interpatient variabilities (CV%) in CL, V and F were 33.5%, 33.0% and 24.1%, respectively. The intrapatient variability (s.d.) among observed and model-predicted blood concentrations was 5.79 ng ml-1. CONCLUSIONS In this study, the estimates of the pharmacokinetic parameters of tacrolimus agreed with those obtained from conventional pharmacokinetic studies. It also identified significant relationships in Asian paediatric liver transplant patients between the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus and developmental characteristics of the patients.
Measuring Poverty: A Proposal

This chapter documents a participatory approach to developing a new, gender-sensitive measure of deprivation that improves upon existing measures of poverty and gender equity. Over 3 years, across 18 sites in Angola, Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Philippines, men and women in poor communities engaged in a range of qualitative discussions and quantitative evaluation exercises to help develop the Individual Deprivation Measure. The IDM tracks deprivation in 15 dimensions, uses interval scales within dimensions and can easily be administered in most impoverished areas. It represents a significant advance in multidimensional measurement by focusing on individuals rather than households, by covering all important dimensions of poverty, by being gender-sensitive in the selection and coding of dimensions and by being appropriately sensitive to the depth of deprivation. The IDM demonstrates the possibility of establishing objective tools of social valuation through a process of public reason.
Molecular clustering of endometrial carcinoma based on estrogen-induced gene expression

Identification of biomarkers potentially provides prognostic information that can help guide clinical decision-making. Given the relationship between estrogen exposure and endometrial cancer, especially low grade endometrioid carcinoma, we hypothesized that high expression of genes induced by estrogen would identify low risk endometrioid endometrial cancers. cDNA microarray and qRT- PCR verification were used to identify six genes that are highly induced by estrogen in the endometrium. These estrogen-induced biomarkers were quantified in 72 endometrial carcinomas by qRT-PCR. Unsupervised cluster analysis was performed, with expression data correlated to tumor characteristics. Time to recurrence by cluster was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to determine the potential clinical utility of the biomarker panel to predict prognosis. Expression of all genes was higher in endometrioid carcinomas compared to non-endometrioid carcinomas. Unsupervised cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups based on gene expression. The high expression cluster was characterized by lower age, higher BMI, and low grade endometrioid histology. The low expression cluster had a recurrence rate 4.35 times higher than the high expression cluster. ROC analysis allowed for the prediction of stage and grade with a false negative rate of 4.8% based on level of gene expression in endometrioid tumors. We have therefore identified a panel of estrogen-induced genes that have potential utility in predicting endometrial cancer stage and recurrence risk. This proof-of- concept study demonstrates that biomarker analysis may play a role in clinical decision making for the therapy of women with endometrial cancer.
Direct Stimulation of Human T Cells via TLR5 and TLR7/8: Flagellin and R-848 Up-Regulate Proliferation and IFN-γ Production by Memory CD4+ T Cells1

TLRs are involved in innate cell activation by conserved structures expressed by microorganisms. Human T cells express the mRNA encoding most of TLRs. Therefore, we tested whether some TLR ligands may modulate the function of highly purified human CD4+ T lymphocytes. We report that, in the absence of APCs, flagellin (a TLR5 ligand) and R-848 (a TLR7/8 ligand) synergized with suboptimal concentrations of TCR-dependent (anti-CD3 mAb) or -independent stimuli (anti-CD2 mAbs or IL-2) to up-regulate proliferation and IFN-γ, IL-8, and IL-10 but not IL-4 production by human CD4+ T cells. No effect of poly(I:C) and LPS, ligands for TLR3 and TLR4, respectively, was detected. We also observed that CD4+CD45RO+ memory T cell responses to TLR ligands were more potent than those observed with CD4+CD45RA+ naive T cells. Moreover, among the memory T cells, CCR7− effector cells were more sensitive to TLR ligands than CCR7+ central memory cells. These data demonstrate for the first time a direct effect of TLR5 and TLR7/8 ligands on human T cells, and highlight an innate arm in T cell functions. They also suggest that some components from invading microorganisms may directly stimulate effector memory T cells located in tissues by up-regulating cytokine and chemokine production.
An Efficient Technique for Network Traffic Summarization using Multiview Clustering and Statistical Sampling

There is significant interest in the data mining and network management communities to efficiently analyse huge amounts of network traffic, given the amount of network traffic generated even in small networks. Summarization is a primary data mining task for generating a concise yet informative summary of the given data and it is a research challenge to create summary from network traffic data. Existing clustering based summarization techniques lack the ability to create a suitable summary for further data mining tasks such as anomaly detection and require the summary size as an external input. Additionally, for complex and high dimensional network traffic datasets, there is often no single clustering solution that explains the structure of the given data. In this paper, we investigate the use of multiview clustering to create a meaningful summary using original data instances from network traffic data in an efficient manner. We develop a mathematically sound approach to select the summary size using a sampling technique. We compare our proposed approach with regular clustering based summarization incorporating the summary size calculation method and random approach. We validate our proposed approach using the benchmark network traffic dataset and state-of-theart summary evaluation metrics.
Phase variation in pneumococcal opacity: relationship between colonial morphology and nasopharyngeal colonization

When colonies of encapsulated isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae are viewed with oblique, transmitted light on a transparent surface, they are heterogeneous in appearance because of variation in opacity. There is spontaneous phase variation among at least three discernible phenotypes at frequencies from 10(-3) to 10(-6). The ability to detect differences in opacity varies according to serotype, but variation is independent of capsule expression. Electron microscopy shows no difference in chain length but suggests that autolysis occurs earlier in the growth of the transparent variant. There was no identifiable difference in membrane protein profiles of opaque and transparent variants of the same strain. In an infant rat model of nasopharyngeal carriage, there was no significant colonization by opaque variants. Efficient and stable colonization by the transparent variants was observed, suggesting a selective advantage for this phenotype in the nasopharynx. In contrast, there was no difference in the incidence of bacteremia or in the 50% lethal dose among the variants following their intraperitoneal inoculation. These results suggest that phase variation which is marked by differences in colonial morphology may provide insight into the interaction of the pneumococcus with its host.
Category Representation in Young Infants

Results obtained from a novelty-preference procedure indicate that young infants possess abilities to organize objects into perceptual categories that have conceptual significance for adults. This work suggests that the initial construction of category representations is not dependent on language, formal instruction, or specialized processes, and that category development may proceed through a process of enrichment.
Effect of silicon rubber crosslink density on fibroblast cell behavior in vitro.

In this study, samples of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with different crosslink densities were prepared in order to produce samples with different crosslink density and, subsequently, different molecular mobilities. Crosslink density and chain mobility changes in PDMS networks were determined using differential scanning calorimetery and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, respectively. Surface roughness was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To evaluate biocompatibility, mouse fibroblast L-929 cells were cultured onto different samples, and their numbers and growth behaviors were investigated by optical microscopy. The results showed that crosslink density and, consequently, molecular mobility cause changes in cell behavior. Moreover, we found that there is an optimum molecular mobility for PDMS at which the number and the surface areas of cells show the best cell attachment and proliferation.
HIV risk‐related sexual behaviors among heterosexuals in New York City: associations with race, sex, and intravenous drug use

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between heterosexual behaviors associated with HIV infection and ethnicity, sex, and intravenous drug use. MethodsSubjects were recruited from Bellevue Hospital Center, New York City between 1986 and 1989, and interviewed about sexual behaviors and intravenous drug use. Analyses were based on 1561 black, white, or Hispanic individuals who reported having sexual contact with a member of the opposite sex. ResultsTwenty-seven per cent of the study population were black, 43% Hispanic, and 31% white. Blacks were more likely than whites or Hispanics to have initiated sexual intercourse at an early age, and to have had a sexually transmitted disease. Sex with a female drug user was more common among white men, and contact with a prostitute more frequent among Hispanic men. Among the women, Hispanics had fewer sexual risk factors overall than whites or blacks. Use of barrier contraceptives was uniformly low across all ethnic groups. Intravenous drug use was significantly associated with sexual risk-taking. Women were more likely than men to have an intravenous drug-using (IVDU) sexual partner. ConclusionsThe large prevalence of high-risk sexual practices observed in this study emphasizes the continuing need to target AIDS prevention programs at those at highest risk of heterosexually transmitted HIV: racial minorities, IVDU, and their sexual partners.
Rintact: enabling computational analysis of molecular interaction data from the IntAct repository

MOTIVATION The IntAct repository is one of the largest and most widely used databases for the curation and storage of molecular interaction data. These datasets need to be analyzed by computational methods. Software packages in the statistical environment R provide powerful tools for conducting such analyses. RESULTS We introduce Rintact, a Bioconductor package that allows users to transform PSI-MI XML2.5 interaction data files from IntAct into R graph objects. On these, they can use methods from R and Bioconductor for a variety of tasks: determining cohesive subgraphs, computing summary statistics, fitting mathematical models to the data or rendering graphical layouts. Rintact provides a programmatic interface to the IntAct repository and allows the use of the analytic methods provided by R and Bioconductor. AVAILABILITY Rintact is freely available at http://bioconductor.org
In vitro activity of cephalosporins against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: structure-activity relationships.

Over 600 derivatives of cephalosporin C were screened for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by a 2-fold broth dilution method using DUBOS liquid medium. Among the most active derivatives were those in which a pyridyl or an aminomethylphenyl moiety was present in the 7-side chain. Structure-activity relationships have been determined for a number of such compounds of which 34 were considered in this report. In the pyridyl series, consideration was given to the effect on activity of the position of the nitrogen in the pyridine ring, N-alkylation and halogenation of this ring system, as well as the influence of a sulfur or an amino bridge in the 7-side chain. The most active derivative in the pyridyl series was a chlorinated analogue of cephapirin, 7-[(2, 6-dichloropyrid-4-yl) thioacetamido] cephalosporanic acid, whose minimal inhibitory concentration of 1.4 μg/ml was 10 times less than that of cephapirin and only twice that of dihydrostreptomycin. Several other derivatives in the pyridyl series whose activity was comparable to that of the chlorinated analogue of cephapirin had pyrid-4-ylaminoacetamido or 4-aminopyrid-l-ylacetamido 7-side chains. Relationships considered in the aminomethylphenyl series were the effect on activity of the position of the aminomethyl group on the phenyl ring, the presence or absence of a sulfur bridge in the 7-side chain, as well as the influence of substitutions of heterocyclic-thiomethyl groups for the acetoxymethyl moiety at the 3-position. All derivatives in this series having activity comparable to that of the chlorinated analogue of cephapirin contained an o-aminomethylphenylacetamido side chain at the 7-position.
Therapeutic approaches to reduce systemic inflammation in septic‐associated neurologic complications

Summary Treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock often focuses on resolving immediate life‐threatening problems related to infection (source control, antibiotics) and providing circulatory, ventilatory and other organ support. Neurologic complications, such as sepsis‐associated encephalopathy, frequently occur in septic patients and are associated with higher mortality and long‐term complications. As case fatalities and overall mortality continue to decline, long‐term cognitive problems are becoming more common among survivors. Although the aetiology of septic encephalopathy has not been clearly established, systemic inflammation appears to play a key role in altering both the blood‐brain barrier permeability and amplifying the inflammatory response. Several new therapies are now aimed at reducing systemic inflammation. These may eventually play a role in reducing neurologic complications related to the acute pathophysiology of sepsis and may be able to reduce early cerebral dysfunction with the goal of reducing long‐term neurologic complications. Coupled plasma filtration adsorption is an extracorporeal therapy aimed at the non‐specific removal of cytokines and mediators involved in systemic inflammation and immune suppression by the use of plasma filtration coupled to an adsorbent resin cartridge with high affinity for many cytokines and mediators. Several cytokines that are removed by coupled plasma filtration adsorption have also been implicated in blood‐brain barrier permeability, leucocyte recruitment and amplification of the inflammatory response. Current studies are ongoing to determine whether treatments such as coupled plasma filtration adsorption may also be beneficial in reducing long‐term neurologic complications.
HABLO: Inaudible acoustic beacons for micro-localization

We present HABLO, an acoustic beacon system for low-range (<; 0.5 m) indoor localization, which remains a difficult task for existing indoor localization technologies. The beacons utilize an audio band which is inaudible to humans but can be received by the microphones on consumer devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. HABLO is designed to be low-cost, easy to integrate with existing infrastructure using USB connectors and to be usable with unmodified end-user devices. We present a technical description of the software and hardware implementation of our prototype and show the results of an initial feasibility study of our system for a localization application within an office environment.