Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of saline wastewaters from marine‐products processing factories by activated sludge reactor

Abstract An activated sludge reactor, operated at room temperature (20–30° C) was used to treat saline wastewaters generated by marine‐products industries. The system was operated continuously and the influence of the organic loading rates (OLRs), varying from 250 to 1000 mg COD 1−1 day−1, on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was investigated. The system, inoculated with NaCl‐acclimated culture, removed up to 98% and 88% of the influent COD concentrations at OLRs of 250 and 1000 mg COD l−1 day−1, respectively. Since the organic pollution is essentially composed of proteins, microorganisms, which produced proteolytic enzymes, were isolated from the activated sludge culture. One bacterium with the highest protease activity, identified as Bacillus cereus, was chosen for protease production in fishery wastewaters of different concentrations containing combined heads and viscera powder. Protease synthesis was strongly enhanced when cells were cultivated in two times diluted fishery wastewaters. The enhancement of protease synthesis could have been due to the presence in effluent of organic matters or salts, which stimulated the growth of the strain and protease production.
Cytokines of the placenta and extra-placental membranes: roles and regulation during human pregnancy and parturition.

Summary In an earlier, companion, review, we concluded that cytokines produced by the placenta and associated membranes are likely to be involved in control of the processes of implantation and placental development (Bowen et al., 2002). In this review, we discuss evidence that cytokines continue to be part of a paracrine/autocrine regulatory network in the placenta and membranes throughout the mid and late stages of gestation. Cytokines are involved in regulation of placental growth during these later stages of pregnancy and also function to protect the fetus from pathological organisms. The evidence, while not entirely consistent, suggests that production of certain cytokines within the extraplacental membranes is altered during normal term parturition, whereas in the villous placenta evidence of labour-associated changes is much more equivocal. Roles for cytokines have been postulated in many facets of parturition, including expulsion of the fetus by uterine contractions, membrane rupture, and dilation of the cervix. Imbalances and disruptions to the cytokine milieu have been implicated in a number of diseases of pregnancy involving abnormalities of both placental growth/establishment and initiation of parturition. Cytokine secretion induced by intrauterine infection is associated with increased occurrence or severity of some neonatal diseases. This wealth of data supports the view that cytokines are an integral part of a functional regulatory/communication network operating within the placental-maternal unit during normal gestation.
Subclinical hypothyroidism in combination with vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of impaired left ventricular diastolic function.

OBJECTIVE Subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D deficiency are common. The diastolic function of patients with both subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D deficiency remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate diastolic dysfunction in patients with both subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D deficiency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This study included 254 patients. All patients underwent standard Doppler echocardiography. Patients who had risk factors for diastolic dysfunction or had used L-thyroxine and vitamin D within the previous 3 months were excluded. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25-OH-vitamin D level lower than 20 ng/ml, and vitamin D sufficiency was defined as a 25-OH-vitamin D level ≥ 30 ng/ml. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined as a TSH level of 4.5-10 mU/l when the free T4 concentration was normal. RESULTS The patients were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 (n=71) included patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D deficiency; Group 2 (n=66) included patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D sufficiency; Group 3 (n=65) included euthyroid patients with vitamin D deficiency; and Group 4 (n=52) included euthyroid patients with vitamin D sufficiency. LAVI (31.3 ± 3.2, 28.7 ± 3.0, 28.4 ± 3.4, and 27.9 ± 3.9; p<0.001) and E/E' values (11.2 ± 2.7, 8.9 ± 2.7, 9.1 ± 2.9, 8.8 ± 2.5; p<0.001) were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Groups 2, 3 and 4. E' values were significantly lower in Group 1 than in Groups 2, 3 and 4. CONCLUSION The coexistence of subclinical hypothyroidism with vitamin D deficiency can lead to further deterioration in the LV diastolic function via the regulation of intracellular calcium and induction of inflammatory activity. Therefore, close follow-up of the diastolic functions of these patients could be beneficial.
Parallel synchronized septuple bias-flip circuit for piezoelectric energy harvesting enhancement

Literature has shown that the interface circuit plays an important role in a piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) system. By referring to the general model of synchronized multiple bias-flip (SMBF) and the recent implementation of parallel synchronized triple bias-flip (P-S3BF), this paper introduces a new implementation called parallel synchronized septuple bias-flip (P-S7BF) for further enhancing the PEH performance. By sophisticatedly designing the current steering network, P-S7BF realizes seven self-adaptive voltage bias-flip actions at every synchronized instant, such that it can further increase the net harvested power under the compromise of larger power extraction and smaller dissipation in power conditioning. The steady-state operation of P-S7BF is discussed in detail. Experiments are carried out on a prototyped piezoelectric structure under the same harmonic base vibration. The experimental results show that the ratios among the maximum harvested powers by using P-S7BF, P-S3BF, P-SSHI (parallel synchronized switch harvesting on inductor), and SEH (standard energy harvesting bridge rectifier) are 1.75 : 1.56 : 1.45 : 1.0, which validate the advantage of P-S7BF over the state-of-the-art solutions.
Development and validation of a patient self-assessed questionnaire on satisfaction with communication of the multiple sclerosis diagnosis

Background: We describe the development and clinical validation of a patient self-administered tool assessing the quality of multiple sclerosis diagnosis disclosure. Method: A multiple sclerosis expert panel generated questionnaire items from the Doctor’s Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire, literature review, and interviews with neurology inpatients. The resulting 19-item Comunicazione medico-paziente nella Sclerosi Multipla (COSM) was pilot tested/debriefed on seven patients with multiple sclerosis and administered to 80 patients newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The resulting revised 20-item version (COSM-R) was debriefed on five patients with multiple sclerosis, field tested/debriefed on multiple sclerosis patients, and field tested on 105 patients newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis participating in a clinical trial on an information aid. The hypothesized monofactorial structure of COSM-R section 2 was tested on the latter two groups. Results: The questionnaire was well accepted. Scaling assumptions were satisfactory in terms of score distributions, item—total correlations and internal consistency. Factor analysis confirmed section 2’s monofactorial structure, which was also test—retest reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.73; 95% CI 0.54—0.85). Section 1 had only fair test—retest reliability (ICC 0.45; 95% CI 0.12—0.69), and three items had 8—21% missed responses. Conclusions: COSM-R is a brief, easy-to-interpret MS-specific questionnaire for use as a health care indicator.
STAR syndrome-associated CDK10/Cyclin M regulates actin network architecture and ciliogenesis

ABSTRACT CDK10/CycM is a protein kinase deficient in STAR (toe Syndactyly, Telecanthus and Anogenital and Renal malformations) syndrome, which results from mutations in the X-linked FAM58A gene encoding Cyclin M. The biological functions of CDK10/CycM and etiology of STAR syndrome are poorly understood. Here, we report that deficiency of CDK10/Cyclin M promotes assembly and elongation of primary cilia. We establish that this reflects a key role for CDK10/Cyclin M in regulation of actin network organization, which is known to govern ciliogenesis. In an unbiased screen, we identified the RhoA-associated kinase PKN2 as a CDK10/CycM phosphorylation substrate. We establish that PKN2 is a bone fide regulator of ciliogenesis, acting in a similar manner to CDK10/CycM. We discovered that CDK10/Cyclin M binds and phosphorylates PKN2 on threonines 121 and 124, within PKN2′s core RhoA-binding domain. Furthermore, we demonstrate that deficiencies in CDK10/CycM or PKN2, or expression of a non-phosphorylatable version of PKN2, destabilize both the RhoA protein and the actin network architecture. Importantly, we established that ectopic expression of RhoA is sufficient to override the induction of ciliogenesis resulting from CDK10/CycM knockdown, indicating that RhoA regulation is critical for CDK10/CycM's negative effect on ciliogenesis. Finally, we show that kidney sections from a STAR patient display dilated renal tubules and abnormal, elongated cilia. Altogether, these results reveal CDK10/CycM as a key regulator of actin dynamics and a suppressor of ciliogenesis through phosphorylation of PKN2 and promotion of RhoA signaling. Moreover, they suggest that STAR syndrome is a ciliopathy.
Unabhängigkeit des Richters – ein Mythos?

Juristen werden seit jeher nicht sehr geschätzt. Abfällige Urteile über sie lassen sich mit vielen Zitaten belegen. Martin Luther hat beispielsweise die Frage aufgeworfen, ob Juristen überhaupt selig werden können. William Shakespeare hat seine Geringschätzung in King Henry the Sixth in den programmatischen Ausruf gefaßt: „The first thing we do, let's kill at the lawyers. " Nach 1945 ist vor allem der Vorwurf hinzugekommen, Juristen seien obrigkeitshörig und opportunistisch. Bernd Rüthers hat nach der deutschen Wiedervereinigung das Verhalten der deutschen Juristen und insbesondere der Richter in den vergangenen einhundert Jahren untersucht und ist dabei zu der Feststellung gelangt, die Juristen seien „Wende-Experten"; fünf verschiedenen politischen Systemen und Staatsideologien hätten sie gedient und ? ur Wirksamkeit verhelfen: dem Kaiserreich von 1871, der Weimarer Republik, dem nationalsozialistischen Regime, der sozialistischen DDR und der Bundesrepublik: Das Entscheidungsverhalten der Richter vor allem während der nationalsozialistischen Herrschaft war auch schon vor der Wiedervereinigung Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen. Analysiert wurden dabei zuerst die materiellrechtlichen Inhalte der Rechtsprechung und deren methodische Begründungen. Daraus leitete sich dann die Frage ab, warum die Richter in dieser Weise entschieden und sich dadurch als „WendeExperten" erwiesen hatten. Das führte schließlich zu den grundsätzlicheren Überlegungen, wie sich der individuelle Erkenntnisund Entscheidungsprozeß eines Richters vollzieht und wodurch er beeinflußt wird oder werden kann. Diese Fragen haben durch ein vor wenigen Jahren erschienenes Buch des Journalisten Rolf Lamprecht erneut Aktualität erlangt. Lamprecht zieht darin eine Bilanz seiner jahrzehntelangen Beobachtung der deutschen Justiz. Sie führt zu der Feststellung, die Unabhängigkeit des Richters sei nur ein Mythos. Damit aktualisiert Lamprecht schon früher geäußerte Kritik, die Unabhängigkeit sei nur ein „märchenhaftes Wesen", eine „verlogene Angelegenheit". Ob diese Behauptungen zutreffen, ist nicht nur oder in erster Linie für Richter von Bedeutung, sondern vor allem für die Machtbalance zwischen den staatlichen Gewalten und damit für jeden Bürger. Die Unabhängigkeit der Richter ist nämlich kein bloßes Standesprivileg eines Berufs. Sie ist vielmehr immanenter und unabdingbarer Bestandteil eines Rechtsstaats; denn ein Rechtsstaat setzt nicht nur die Herrschaft des Rechts voraus, sondern damit untrennbar verbunden auch die Möglichkeit, das Recht durch unabhängige Gerichte durchsetzen zu können. Deshalb darf die Behauptung, die Unabhängigkeit sei nur ein Mythos, nicht kurzerhand als journalistische Übertreibung abgetan werden. Sie ist vielmehr als Aufforderung zu verstehen, ihren Wahrheitsgehalt zu überprüfen. Diese Überprüfung führt aber wiederum zu den Ausgangsfragen zurück, wie der Richter seine Entscheidung findet, insbesondere ob das unabhängig geschieht oder ob er wie Lamprecht behauptet derart vielen Einflüssen ausgesetzt ist, daß seine Unabhängigkeit nur als Mythos erscheint.
Evaluation of Squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae) as Ecologically Significant Hosts for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in California

Abstract Granulocytic anaplasmosis (GA), caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is a potentially fatal, emerging rickettsial disease of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sciurids from multiple areas of northern California were infested with ticks or exposed to or infected with A. phagocytophilum using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and indirect-fluorescent antibody (IFA) serology. Sciurids of nine different tree- and ground-dwelling species were assessed: arboreal squirrels (western and eastern gray squirrels, Sciurus griseus and S. carolinensis, and Douglas squirrels, Tamiasciurus douglasii) but not northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) had greater evidence of exposure and current infection than did semiarboreal or ground dwelling sciurids (California ground squirrels, Spermophilus beecheyi, and chipmunks, Tamias spp.). Western gray squirrels had the most extensive exposure (70.7% seroprevalence and 12.1% PCR prevalence). Positive squirrels were identified in all regions where squirrels were collected. A logistic regression identified being a western gray squirrel (OR = 20.5, P = 2.95 × 10−8) and from the north coastal region of California (OR = 9.052, P = 1.41 × 10−6) as having the highest risk of exposure to A. phagocytophilum. Five of nine sciurid species had evidence of infestation with Ixodes pacificus or I. spinipalpis that could vector A. phagocytophilum. Extensive exposure from multiple areas suggests sciurids may be important in the maintenance of GA in California and indicates that studies of reservoir competence of these species are warranted.
Selective recruitment of polarized T cells expressing CCR5 and CXCR3 to the inflamed joints of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To study the expression of chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 and the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance in children with oligoarticular or polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS Using 3-color immunofluorescence, we studied the expression of CCR5 and CXCR3 on, and T cell cytokine production by, paired samples of synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) T cells from 20 patients with oligoarticular- or polyarticular-onset JIA. Chemokine and cytokine phenotypes were also compared within the CD45RO+,CD3+ subsets. CCR5 genotypes were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction typing and sequencing. RESULTS In the majority of samples, the number of T cells that were CCR5+ and CXCR3+ was higher in SF than in PB, and this difference was significant. One child was homozygous for the null A32 CCR5 allele; 4 others had lower expression of CXCR3 in SF than in blood. All samples showed strongly Th1-type cytokine production by synovial T cells compared with that by PB T cells. Both features were also markedly polarized within the synovial CD45RO+ subset compared with PB CD45RO+ T cells. CONCLUSION The high expression of CCR5 and CXCR3 and high interferon-gamma:interleukin-4 ratios suggest a type 1 phenotype of SF T cells in JIA. The difference between CD45RO+ T cells from SF and from PB suggests that specific activation events have occurred in synovial T cells. We suggest that the highly activated, Th1-type phenotype of T cells within the chronically inflamed joints of children with JIA may reflect specific recruitment events that contribute to the polarization of these cells.
Selective Harmonic Controlling for Three-Level High Power Active Front End Converter with Low Switching Frequency

Controlling of a specific harmonic by a switching converter with switching frequency lower than 1 kHz was originally implemented by two-level optimal pulse pattern with unsymmetrical switching angles, namely by OPUS-technique. That means, given a desired fundamental and one or more specific harmonics, the problem is to find the switching times (angles) that produce the fundamental while generating specifically all chosen harmonics. Based on the OPUS-technique a three-level optimal pulse pattern is proposed for high power level applications with low switching frequency. The transcendental mathematical equations are developed. Using the prior results of all complete solutions of selective harmonic elimination (SHE) the solutions of the new equations can be found by Newton iteration method. In particularly, the modulation performance of OPUS-technique for three-level optimal pulse pattern with unsymmetrical switching angles is demonstrated by the trajectory of the converter voltage space vector integral. Finally, the control range of a specific harmonic is given by OPUS-technique
Molecular cloning and tissue‐specific expression of Mrad9, a murine orthologue of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad9+ checkpoint control gene

We have isolated a murine cDNA, Mrad9, that is orthologous to the fission yeast rad9+ and human HRAD9 genes. Mrad9 encodes a 389 amino acid long, 42,032 Dalton protein that is 27% identical and 56% similar to Rad9p, and 82% identical and 88% similar to HRAD9, at the amino acid level. Expression of the Mrad9 cDNA in Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad9::ura4+ cells restores nearly wild‐type levels of hydroxyurea resistance and early S phase checkpoint control to mutant fission yeast cell populations. However, UV resistance is only minimally restored, and mutant cells remain sensitive to gamma radiation. Mrad9 genomic DNA was isolated from a mouse 129/SvEv library. The Mrad9 gene was localized to a 15‐kbp genomic DNA fragment, and contains 10 exons separated by 9 introns. Northern blot analysis indicates that the gene is expressed in many different tissues of the adult mouse, but the mRNA is most abundant in the heart and present at very low levels in the liver. These studies demonstrate the existence of a murine orthologue of the fission yeast rad9+ gene and underscore at least the partial evolutionary conservation of rad9+‐dependent checkpoint control mechanisms. J. Cell. Physiol. 177:241–247, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
E-Government, M-Government, L-Government: Exploring Future ICT Applications in Public Administration

The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) brings about considerable changes in the ways public administration provides information and delivers services to citizens, businesses, and other public administration systems. This chapter reviews the application of ICT in the provision of public administration services. e-Government tools have been introduced in various countries in the world and enabled the strengthening of existing public administration services and the activation of innovative ones. m-Government tools, which are related to the emergence and diffusion of Internet mobile technology and devices, allow both overcoming infrastructure deficits and providing innovative services, which are particularly sensitive to users’ context conditions. Finally, l-Government tools—i.e., ubiquitous, seamless, user-centric, and automated application of Internet technology to public administration services—have the potential to further redefine the terms of access of users to public administration services and to enhance the ties among citizens, businesses, and the government. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1909-8.ch004
A Feeder-Free Differentiation System Identifies Autonomously Proliferating B Cell Precursors in Human Bone Marrow

The peripheral B cell compartment is maintained by homeostatic proliferation and through replenishment by bone marrow precursors. Because hematopoietic stem cells cycle at a slow rate, replenishment must involve replication of precursor B cells. To study proliferation of early human B cell progenitors, we established a feeder cell–free in vitro system allowing the development of B cells from CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells up to the stage of immature IgM+ B cells. We found that pro-B and pre-B cells generated in vitro can proliferate autonomously and persist up to 7 wk in culture in the absence of signals induced by exogenously added cytokines. Nevertheless, addition of IL-7 enhanced pre-B cell expansion and inhibited maturation into IgM+ B cells. The B cell precursor subsets replicating in vitro were highly similar to the bone marrow B cell precursors cycling in vivo. The autonomous proliferation of B cell precursor subsets in vitro and their long-term persistence implies that proliferation during pro-B and pre-B cell stages plays an important role in the homeostasis of the peripheral B cell compartment. Our in vitro culture can be used to study defects in B cell development or in reconstitution of the B cell pool after depletion and chemotherapy.
A Mile Wide but 1 Cell Thick: The Need to Prioritize Learning in Graduate Medical Education.

I n our culture, many things are advertised as or assumed to be limitless: things to buy and credit for purchasing; after school activities for children; residency applications; and meaningful use requirements. Yet as a geriatrician I cannot avoid seeing the hard stop: life and health are not limitless. Nor is time to teach and learn within graduate medical education. As new requirements expand despite constricted resident time, some areas must give: not everything labeled as a must learn can be achieved to a level of true independence for every trainee. As a result, there is an urgent need for graduate medical education leaders to thoughtfully prioritize learning experiences. This will require consideration of the processes of learning, how trainees interact with role models and patients, and the explosion of requirements from diverse sources.
Importance of C-reactive protein in regulating monocyte tissue factor expression in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and monocyte tissue factor (TF) expression induced in vitro by combinations of CRP, ss2-glycoprotein I (ss2-GPI), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 26 healthy individuals and 31 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) were cultured with combinations of CRP, purified or recombinant ss2-GPI, and LPS and monocyte TF procoagulant activity, TF antigen, and TF mRNA were measured. Results were examined against plasma CRP levels. RESULTS Monocytes from patients with IRD expressed significantly more TF when stimulated with CRP compared to normal monocytes (p = 0.002). An incremental positive correlation was observed between plasma CRP levels and TF induced by CRP or ss2-GPI. Significantly more TF was induced with CRP combined with ss2-GPI, compared to ss2-GPI alone, either with costimulation or CRP priming. Conversely, when combined with LPS, ss2-GPI suppressed TF induction in a dose-dependent manner on normal PBMC but not on PBMC from patients with IRD. The loss of suppression correlated strongly with plasma CRP levels. CONCLUSION This study shows a remarkably consistent effect of CRP on monocyte TF expression. Systemic inflammation associated with elevated plasma CRP conferred a phenotype on PBMC, whereby incremental priming with respect to TF expression (induced by CRP itself or ss2-GPI) was apparent, and ss2-GPI-mediated inhibition of TF expression induced by LPS was incrementally lost. CRP regulation of monocyte TF could contribute to the higher than expected atherosclerotic vascular disease seen in patients with IRD.