Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteasome inhibition activates the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in human CD4+ T cells

We have previously shown that inhibition of the proteolytic activity of the proteasome induces apoptosis and suppresses essential functions of activated human CD4+ T cells, and we report now the detailed mechanisms of apoptosis following proteasome inhibition in these cells. Here we show that proteasome inhibition by bortezomib activates the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in activated CD4+ T cells by disrupting the equilibrium of pro‐apoptotic and anti‐apoptotic proteins at the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Proteasome inhibition leads to accumulation of pro‐apoptotic proteins PUMA, Noxa, Bim and p53 at the OMM. This event provokes mitochondrial translocation of activated Bax and Bak homodimers, which induce loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Breakdown of ΔΨm is followed by rapid release of pro‐apoptotic Smac/DIABLO and HtrA2 from mitochondria, whereas release of cytochrome c and AIF is delayed. Cytoplasmic Smac/DIABLO and HtrA2 antagonize IAP‐mediated inhibition of partially activated caspases, leading to premature activation of caspase‐3 followed by activation of caspase‐9. Our data show that proteasome inhibition triggers the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis by activating mutually independent apoptotic pathways. These results provide novel insights into the mechanisms of apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibition in activated T cells and underscore the future use of proteasome inhibitors for immunosuppression. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 935–946, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation of painful metastases involving bone: a multicenter study.

PURPOSE Few options are available for pain relief in patients with bone metastases who fail standard treatments. We sought to determine the benefit of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in providing pain relief for patients with refractory pain secondary to metastases involving bone. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-one US and 12 European patients with painful osteolytic metastases involving bone were treated with image-guided RFA using a multitip needle. Treated patients had > or = 4/10 pain and had either failed or were poor candidates for standard treatments such as radiation or opioid analgesics. Using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, worst pain intensity was the primary end point, with a 2-unit drop considered clinically significant. RESULTS Forty-three patients were treated (median follow-up, 16 weeks). Before RFA, the mean score for worst pain was 7.9 (range, 4/10 to 10/10). Four, 12, and 24 weeks following treatment, worst pain decreased to 4.5 (P <.0001), 3.0 (P <.0001), and 1.4 (P =.0005), respectively. Ninety-five percent (41 of 43 patients) experienced a decrease in pain that was considered clinically significant. Opioid usage significantly decreased at weeks 8 and 12. Adverse events were seen in 3 patients and included (1) a second-degree skin burn at the grounding pad site, (2) transient bowel and bladder incontinence following treatment of a metastasis involving the sacrum, and (3) a fracture of the acetabulum following RFA of an acetabular lesion. CONCLUSION RFA of painful osteolytic metastases provides significant pain relief for cancer patients who have failed standard treatments.
Circulating tumor cells count predicts survival in colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Data on the potential of circulating tumor cells (CTC) count in predicting overall survival (OS) in patients with colorectal cancer are timely and worthy of interest. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of CTC count in both localized and metastatic colorectal cancer patients. METHODS Consecutive patients with histological diagnosis of colorectal cancer were enrolled. CTC count was performed, by using a quantitative immunofluorescence method, at baseline (T0) and 1 month following start of chemotherapy (T1). A CTC count <2 was considered negative, whilst a CTC level >/= 2 was positive. Overall survival was calculated accordingly. RESULTS A total of 75 colorectal cancer patients were enrolled, including 54 stages I-III and 21 stage IV patients. Overall, 21 (28%) patients had a positive CTC count at baseline, and it was significantly associated with a worse prognosis as compared to a negative status (OS: 36.2 vs. 61.6 months; P = 0.002). CTC count remained positive after chemotherapy in 22.4% of the patients and it was an independent prognostic factor of OS (P = 0.03; Hazard Ratio: 3.55; 95% CI: 1.1-11.5). CONCLUSIONS This study found that the presence of CTCs is associated with a reduced survival in colorectal cancer patients. Further studies aimed at testing such a predictive value in early stage colorectal cancer are awaited.
Conditionality as Targeting

Conditional cash transfer programs, whereby transfers to households are conditional on school attendance or health checkups, have become a widespread policy tool. They are viewed as a means of immediate poverty alleviation through the cash payments, and as a foundation of long-term poverty reduction through the emphasis on human capital formation. Because targeted transfers are usually conditioned on the consumption of normal goods, richer eligible households are more likely to consume more educational and health care opportunities than poorer ones. Thus, the eligible poorest households may benefit least from conditional cash transfers even to the extent that they may not participate at all. If conditionality is conceptualized as a cost at the margin, it may be leading poor households to opt out. This paper proposes a framework to model household decision making on participation (or not) in cash transfer programs depending on whether a conditionality exists. The paper outlines the optimal size of the cash transfer such that a fixed government budget maximizes the poverty reduction. The paper also shows that unconditional cash transfers may be preferable over conditional cash transfers if a government has a sufficiently high degree of poverty aversion, that is, if, beyond the poverty headcount, the government cares about how poor the poor are or the distance of the poorest among the poor below the poverty line. This basic argument carries over from income poverty to education poverty. The framework can be useful in shaping the recent discussion on the merits of universal benefits over conditional transfers in reducing poverty.
Bilateral reduction mammoplasty following breast cancer: A case-control study

Purpose Many women undergo a bilateral reduction mammoplasty after lumpectomy and radiation for breast cancer due to breast hypertrophy. The outcomes of these patients, focusing on complications and the need for additional surgery, are reviewed. Methods A matched case-control study with patients serving as their own control (treated breast cancer breasts were ‘cases’, healthy breasts were ‘controls’) was performed. Patients were identified through hospital records between 1980 and 2007. Patients treated by lumpectomy and radiation with subsequent bilateral reduction surgery were included. Data regarding demographics, medical history, and peri- and postoperative complications were collected. Measured outcomes included hematoma or seroma, delayed wound healing, infection, nipple-areolar complex problems, scarring, asymmetry and the need for further surgery. Continuous variables are reported as mean ± SD, and categorical variables are reported as proportions. Results Of the nine patients included in the study, delayed wound healing occurred in 22% of cases. Wound infections occurred in 66.7% of cases, with 22.2% experiencing a second wound infection. One patient experienced partial nipple-areolar complex loss on the radiated breast. There was abnormal scarring in 33.3% of radiated breasts. Postoperative asymmetry occurred in 77.8% of patients. Additional surgery was performed on three patients (33.3%). Conclusions Results of the present study suggest that women with a history of breast cancer treated by lumpectomy and radiation experience higher occurrence of postoperative complications on the radiated breast following bilateral breast reduction. Patients must be informed of these potential risks and require careful postoperative follow-up. An appropriately powered, prospective, multicentred study is required to draw definitive conclusions.
Cultural Value Orientations and Staffing Practices of Indian Employees in Australia: A Review and Research Agenda

Understanding the cultural value orientations of a country is a key factor in determining the work behaviours and practices of employees in a particular business environment. Over the past few years many studies have acknowledged the impact that culture has had on the structuring and design of HRM practices of employees working within a particular national setting, however, not many studies have discussed the cultural orientations of employees originating from one country but working in a different national setting and the influence it has on their individual preference for the choice of HR policies and practices. This article uses the cultural value orientations framework proposed by Kluckhohn and Strodbeck to provide an overview of the cultural dimensions of employees originating from India but living and working in Australia and the impact it may potentially have on their individual preference for the choice of HR practices. This review develops a framework contextualising both cross-country similarities and differences in value systems of Indians living and working in Australia whilst highlighting the divergences towards western HR practices that have also been analysed explicating an agenda for future research.
Does intellectual capital efficiency improve firm performance in BRICS economies? A dynamic panel estimation

Purpose The aim of the current study is to measure the dynamic relationship between intellectual capital (IC) and firm performance in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economies. Design/methodology/approach The current study applies dynamic panel system generalized method of moments estimator to investigate the dynamic relationship between IC and firm performance of 6,045 publically listed firms in BRICS economies for the period of 2005-2014. Findings The results revealed that IC efficiency is significantly associated with return on assets and return on equity. Furthermore, human, structural and physical capitals have a positive and significant impact on firm performance. The results, while endorsing resource-based, resource-dependency and learning organization theories, emphasize the importance of IC for firm performance. Practical implications The current study does not only provides new direction for future research to analyze dynamic nature of IC and firm performance relationship but also emphasizes the importance of intangibles because of their contribution toward value added. The current study does provide cross-country comparison of top five emerging economies which is useful for the policy makers to evaluate investments in intangibles. Originality/value The current study is the first study to use dynamic ordinary least square (OLS) and Wooldridge strict exogeneity test to test the dynamic nature of the relationship between IC and firm performance. Moreover, unlike previous studies which ignore South Africa, this study covers all BRICS economies.
Effect of Mangifera indica L. extract (QF808) on protein and hepatic microsome peroxidation

The antioxidant activities of QF808, a steam bark extract of Mangifera indica L. , were studied on hydroxyl‐mediated oxidation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and in a hepatic microsome system. The extract was effective in reducing the oxidation of BSA, since its half‐ maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) was 0.0049% w/v in the inhibition of carbonyl group formation and lower than 0.0025% w/v in the inhibition of sulfhydryl group loss. QF808 inhibited lipid peroxidation which was initiated enzymatically by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), IC50= 0.00075% w/v, or non‐enzymatically by ascorbic acid, IC50 = 0.0126% w/v. The extract tested did not inhibit NADPH‐dependent cytochrome P‐450 reductase activity, since it had no effect on the oxidation rate of NADPH. These results suggest that QF808 has an antioxidant activity, probably due to its ability to scavenge free radicals involved in microsome lipid peroxidation. In addition, QF808 antioxidant profile in vitro is probably similar to its principal polyphenolic component, mangiferin, a glycosylated xanthone. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Framing Sustainable Health Locally through a Global Lens: The Role of the UN SDGs in Addressing Racial Equity and Public Health in the City of Detroit

ING AND INDEXING For a full list of databases in which this journal is indexed, please visit www.onsustainability. com/journals/collection. RESEARCH NETWORK MEMBERSHIP Authors in The International Journal of Sustainability Policy and Practice are members of the Sustainability Research Network or a thematically related Research Network. Members receive access to journal content. To find out more, visit www.onsustainability. com/about/become-a-member.
Watermark-strength-aware register binding

Watermarking has been recognized as a useful technique for intellectual property (IP) protection. Previous works proposed a low-cost watermarked architecture, which tries to make use of the "temporally free" output ports to give the watermarking computation results. However, the impact of register binding (in the high-level synthesis stage) on this low-cost watermarked architecture has not been studied. In this paper, we demonstrate that different register binding solutions may lead to different watermark strengths (i.e., different numbers of watermarks). Based on this observation, we propose a watermark-strength-aware register binding approach to maximize the watermark strength under the given constraint on the number of registers. Benchmark data show that, compared with the conventional register binding approach, the proposed approach can greatly increase the watermark strength under the same constraint on the number of registers.
Comparative genomic analysis of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG reveals pili containing a human- mucus binding protein

To unravel the biological function of the widely used probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, we compared its 3.0-Mbp genome sequence with the similarly sized genome of L. rhamnosus LC705, an adjunct starter culture exhibiting reduced binding to mucus. Both genomes demonstrated high sequence identity and synteny. However, for both strains, genomic islands, 5 in GG and 4 in LC705, punctuated the colinearity. A significant number of strain-specific genes were predicted in these islands (80 in GG and 72 in LC705). The GG-specific islands included genes coding for bacteriophage components, sugar metabolism and transport, and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. One island only found in L. rhamnosus GG contained genes for 3 secreted LPXTG-like pilins (spaCBA) and a pilin-dedicated sortase. Using anti-SpaC antibodies, the physical presence of cell wall-bound pili was confirmed by immunoblotting. Immunogold electron microscopy showed that the SpaC pilin is located at the pilus tip but also sporadically throughout the structure. Moreover, the adherence of strain GG to human intestinal mucus was blocked by SpaC antiserum and abolished in a mutant carrying an inactivated spaC gene. Similarly, binding to mucus was demonstrated for the purified SpaC protein. We conclude that the presence of SpaC is essential for the mucus interaction of L. rhamnosus GG and likely explains its ability to persist in the human intestinal tract longer than LC705 during an intervention trial. The presence of mucus-binding pili on the surface of a nonpathogenic Gram-positive bacterial strain reveals a previously undescribed mechanism for the interaction of selected probiotic lactobacilli with host tissues.
Outcome of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation in 88 patients with primary immunodeficiency in Japan

We report the results of umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) performed in 88 patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) between 1998 and 2008 in Japan; severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID, n = 40), Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS, n = 23), chronic granulomatous disease (n = 7), severe congenital neutropaenia (SCN, n = 5) and other immunodeficiencies (n = 13). Five‐year overall survival (5‐year OS) for all patients was 69% [95% confidence interval (CI), 57–78%], and was 71% and 82% for SCID and WAS, respectively. The main cause of death before day 100 was infection (17/19), while that after day 100 was graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) (5/7). Using multivariate analyses, pre‐transplant infection, no conditioning, ≥2 human leucocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches or diagnosis other than SCID, SCN or WAS were all associated with poor prognosis. Reduced‐intensity conditioning was associated with decreased overall mortality compared with myeloablative therapy. The cumulative incidence of grade 2–4 acute GVHD at day 100 was 28% (95% CI, 19–38%), and that of chronic GVHD at day 180 was 13% (95% CI, 7–23%). We conclude that UCBT should be considered for PID patients without an HLA‐matched sibling. The control of pre‐transplant infection and selection of HLA‐matched donors will lead to a better outcome.
Sub-micron gap a-Si:H thin film Lamé-mode resonator processed at low temperature on a glass substrate

A laterally vibrating square plate fabricated using low temperature (<;250°C) surface micromachining technology and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films as a structural layer with submicron capacitive actuation gaps has been demonstrated in this work. The resonator is fabricated on a glass substrate by hard mask and deep reactive ion etching processes resulting in transduction gaps of 400 nm. Operating in the Lamé-mode, the resonator vibrates at a frequency of 13.63 MHz with a quality factor as high as 6000 in air. This result represents an important step towards the development of fully miniaturized and monolithically integrated a-Si:H-based MEMS. Using the resonators presented in this work, large-area (on glass and polymer substrates) and CMOS compatible, monolithically integratable thin-film silicon MEMS applications can be envisaged.
The education change model as a vehicle for reform: shifting year 7 into high school and implementing junior secondary in Queensland

Queensland schools are engaged in change as they shift Year 7 from primary to high school settings from the start of 2015 and implement Junior Secondary in all public schools in Years 7, 8, and 9. This agenda signals one of the most significant reforms undertaken in Queensland education and is accompanied by a systemic policy commitment, including resource allocation, to ensure it is supported both at the individual school level and in the wider schooling system. In this paper, we outline the Leading Change Development Program undertaken in 2014 which was designed to enable school leaders to facilitate these reforms in their unique school contexts. The program - conceptualised around the Education Change Model - is outlined and data are presented which indicate school leaders’ assessment of the stage of reform their school was located, according to the reform model.
Acoustic imaging of the human chest.

STUDY OBJECTIVES A novel method for acoustic imaging of the human respiratory system is proposed and evaluated. DESIGN The proposed imaging system uses simultaneous multisensor recordings of thoracic sounds from the chest wall, and digital, computer-based postprocessing. Computer simulations and recordings from a life-size gelatin model of the human thorax are used to evaluate the system in vitro. Spatial representations of thoracic sounds from 8-microphone and 16-microphone recordings from five subjects (four healthy male adults and one child with lung consolidation) are used to evaluate the system in vivo. RESULTS Results of the in vitro studies show that sound sources can be imaged to within 2 cm, and that the proposed algorithm is reasonably robust with respect to changes in the assumed sound speed within the imaged volume. The images from recordings from the healthy volunteers show distinct patterns for inspiratory breath sounds, expiratory breath sounds, and heart sounds that are consistent with the assumed origin of the respective sounds. Specifically, the images support the concept that inspiratory sounds are produced predominantly in the periphery of the lung while expiratory sounds are generated more centrally. Acoustic images from the subject with lung consolidation differ substantially from the images of the healthy subjects, and localize the abnormality. CONCLUSIONS Acoustic imaging offers new perspectives to explore the acoustic properties of the respiratory system and thereby reveal structural and functional properties for diagnostic purposes.
Exploiting the elevation dimension of MIMO system for boosting handset capacity

Recently there has been strong interest in extending the MIMO signal processing from the azimuth dimension to include the elevation plane. Therefore a 3D channel model is required for an accurate evaluation of MIMO performance. The MIMO system can also be deployed at the user terminal according to the LTE-Advanced system specifications. Therefore, this study exploits the elevation dimension at the user equipment (UE) MIMO receiver and proposes an antenna switching strategy to achieve the highest performance among the MIMO spatial streams. This study is considered as one of the solutions toward boosting MIMO capacity and enhancing end user experience for 5G systems. The study considers different types of user handsets such as smartphone and tablet where different scenarios of antennas placements are implemented and different number of antennas elements are deployed. The consideration of the 3D component in the modelling of the MIMO channels results in performance differences in the MIMO system in terms of ergodic capacity and spatial correlation as the handset rotates. The paper suggests the best arrangement of antenna elements for the UE handset manufacturers to achieve the highest channel capacity when exploiting the elevation plane.
Electronically Sweeping-Beam Antenna Using a New Cylindrical Frequency-Selective Surface

An electronically sweeping radiation-pattern antenna using a new active cylindrical frequency-selective surface (ACFSS) is presented for 2.45-GHz operating frequency. The ACFSS screen is constructed by a new reconfigurable hybrid unit cell, providing more freedom to control the antenna radiation characteristics. A design guideline based on the reflector antenna principles is also introduced to estimate the overall dimensions of the antenna geometry, and then the required number of unit cells for the ACFSS surface is calculated. Furthermore, to confirm the proposed design guideline, the performance of the designed antenna is compared to three conventional reflector antennas constructed with solid perfect electric conductors. The achieved simulation results for these antennas are carefully examined and the impact of the FSS surface on enhancing the ACFSS antenna gain is discussed. Moreover, parametric studies for the crucial dimensions of the unit cell are also presented to demonstrate the effect of each parameter on the antenna radiation characteristics. To completely examine the achieved results, the transmission coefficient response of the applied FSS sheet is experimentally assessed, and the antenna measured parameters are accordingly interpreted.