Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Locomotory characteristics of fibroblasts within a three‐dimensional collagen lattice: Modulation by a helium/neon soft laser

It has been postulated that low energy (soft) lasers can enhance wound healing. Considering the importance of cell locomotion in the wound healing process, we have studied the effects of a helium/neon laser upon the locomotory behaviour of a population of fibroblasts migrating within a three‐dimensional hydrated collagen lattice. Statistical methods were used to quantify cell three‐dimensional trajectories obtained using a computer‐assisted tracking system. A two‐minute exposure of embryonic fibroblasts to soft laser light decreased the speed and increased the frequency and duration of stops compared to controls. The locomotory phenotype induced in embryonic fibroblasts by the laser light resembled that of the developmentally older c20 fibroblasts, which are known to express a more mature locomotory phenotype. The relevance of these results to wound healing is discussed. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Law and Pediatric HIV Testing

Realization of the right to health occurs along a continuum including national ratification of international treaties such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, passage of domestic laws and policies that may specify modes of implementation and enforcement such as Kenya’s Constitution and HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act, and actual implementation of domestic laws and policies such as through the regulation and delivery of health services. The stages heuristic theoretical framework describes the public policy continuum as consisting of marked stages: agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation, and evaluation. This case study illustrates the continuum in Kenya with regard to pediatric HIV testing. Kenya has made progress applying law, policy, and science to reduce vertical transmission of HIV and increase HIV testing of infants, although several challenges remain. Progress in policy implementation may reduce mother-to-child transmission and increase pediatric HIV testing.
A ultra high speed and configurable Inverse Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform architecture

This article presents a new pipeline-parallel architecture of Inverse Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform (IDWPT) for all wavelet family implemented in FPGA technology using a parallel direct FIR filter. Our aim in this work is to develop a generic VHDL-RTL model and configurable architecture of pipeline-parallel architecture of IDWPT. This architecture provide ultra-high speed sample processing with a restricted amount of used hardware. To achieve that, we propose a P-parallel IDWPT based on Mallat binary tree algorithm and a P-parallel/modified direct FIR filter under the strategy of pipeline-parallel and sharing hardware resource. The key of this model is the data manage/interleaving of pipeline/P-parallel concept and shared hardware of different level in the transformation. This architecture is fully configurable: (i) in synthesis according of various parameters like the parallel degree, the tree depth (number of tree levels), the order of the filters and the filter quantization coefficient and (ii) in pro-synthesis according to the coefficients of low-pass and high-pass filters, in other words the filters coefficients can be loaded after synthesis. Consequently, the simulation results accelerated to an approximate value of P∗(Frequency). Furthermore, the tree depth and filters order has little impact (only due to place and route variations) on throughput. This architecture was synthesized using Altera Quartus prime lite edition targeting an Altera Cyclone IV — (FPGA) and it was developed in VHDL at RTL level modeling.
Thomas Paine Reader

This major collection demonstrates the extent to which Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was an inspiration to the Americans in their struggle for independence, a passionate supporter of the French Revolution and perhaps the outstanding English radical writer of his age. It contains all of Paine's major works including "The Rights of Man", his groundbreaking defence of the revolutionary cause in France, "Common Sense", which won thousands over to the side of the American rebels, and the first part of "The Age of Reason" (Part One), a ferocious attack on Christianity. The shorter pieces - on capital punishment, social reform and the abolition of slavery - also confirm the great versatility and power of this master of democratic prose.
Mitigating financial leakages through effective money laundering investigation

Purpose This paper aims to conduct a comparison on the effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) of Australia and Malaysia in investigating money laundering cases by looking into the legal system and operational issues faced in conducting the investigation. Design/methodology/approach The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the data collected from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Mutual Evaluation Report, focusing on the information outlined in the third chapter. The legal system and operational issues cover the area of technical compliance and effectiveness compliance, which were introduced in the latest FATF Evaluation Methodology issued in 2013. Findings The results show that both countries have the power needed to investigate money laundering and terrorism financing under their respective Anti-Money Laundering Act. However, Australia is seen to have a better investigative support system to assist LEAs during the investigation process. This explains the reason for difficulties in increasing the number of prosecutions for money laundering and terrorism financing cases. Hence, improvement actions are needed in curbing this issue. Practical implications The result suggests that Malaysia should strengthen the cooperation, coordination and capacity among LEAs to ensure effective targeting, investigation and prosecution of money laundering. The government should also revise the money laundering investigation time frame and broaden the power of LEAs in retrieving information during the investigation process. Malaysia should also enhance the investigative support system, which will be helpful for LEAs in gathering sufficient evidence to support their money laundering charges. Unlimited power in gathering evidence is prominent to charge money launders as it helps to gather information required for prosecution. Originality/value Prior literature focuses on the prevention mechanism, where this paper aims to focus on detection and investigation mechanism focusing on money laundering investigation conducted by LEAs. Lack of study on money laundering investigation calls for this research to be done to understand the strengths and weaknesses to improve its effectiveness in the future.
The Influence of Summary Information on the Usage of Nutrition Information

The author assesses whether a type of reference information that provides a summary description of all available brands on a product attribute, such as the average fat content of all brands of ice-cream bars, facilitates consumer usage of nutrition information. He examines summary information in the form of the average value and range of values of all available brands on an attribute. Hypotheses are generated and assessed across two experiments to test the proposition that numerical nutrition information will be used to a greater degree by consumers when it is presented with summary information than without. The findings point to the importance of summary information in facilitating the usage of nutrition information by consumers and the need for further research in this area. In addition, the author also examines the effect of verbal presentations of nutrition information in light of the descriptive nature of verbal information that allows its interpretation without summary information. Verbal presentations of nutrition information were found to lead to a greater degree of usage of such information than numerical presentations, suggesting the importance of verbal presentations in facilitating the usage of nutrition information.
Isolation of Mouse Marrow Mesenchymal Progenitors by a Novel and Reliable Method

Bone marrow contains a population of rare progenitor cells capable of differentiating into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, myoblasts, and hematopoiesis‐supporting stromal cells. These cells, referred to as mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), can be purified and culture‐expanded from animals and humans. Using bone‐marrow‐conditioned medium combined with basic fibroblast growth factor, we cultured a relatively homogeneous population of MPCs from murine bone marrow, which uniformly expressed stem cell antigen‐1, CD29, CD44, c‐kit, and CD105, while being negative for expression of CD45, CD31, and CD34. In vitro differentiation assays showed the tripotential differentiation capacities of these cells toward adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. Most importantly, immunophenotypic analyses demonstrated that MPCs did not express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules or the T‐cell costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86, consistent with further investigation showing that MPCs failed to elicit a proliferative response from allogeneic lymphocytes. Moreover, when allogeneic or third‐party MPCs were added to T cells stimulated by allogeneic lymphocytes or the potent T‐cell mitogen concanavalin‐A, a significant reduction in T‐cell proliferation was observed. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that we successfully isolated and culture‐expanded a relatively homogeneous population of MPCs from adult murine bone marrow. Additionally, these primary cells could suppress T‐lymphocyte proliferation induced by cellular or nonspecific mitogenic stimuli. This immunoregulatory feature of MPCs strongly implies that they may have potential applications in allograft transplantation.
Growth arrest by the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 is abrogated by c‐Myc.

We show here that c‐Myc antagonizes the cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27Kip1. p27 expressed from recombinant retroviruses in Rat1 cells associated with and inhibited cyclin E/CDK2 complexes, induced accumulation of the pRb and p130 proteins in their hypophosphorylated forms, and arrested cells in G1. Prior expression of c‐Myc prevented inactivation of cyclin E/CDK2 as well as dephosphorylation of pRb and p130, and allowed continuous cell proliferation in the presence of p27. This effect did not require ubiquitin‐mediated degradation of p27. Myc altered neither the susceptibility of cyclin E/CDK2 to inhibition by p27, nor the intrinsic CDK‐inhibitory activity of p27, but induced sequestration of p27 in a form unable to bind cyclin E/CDK2. Neither Myc itself nor other G1‐cyclin/CDK complexes were directly responsible for p27 sequestration. Retroviral expression of G1 cyclins (D1–3, E or A) or of the Cdc25A phosphatase did not overcome p27‐induced arrest. Growth rescue by Myc required dimerization with Max, DNA binding and an intact transcriptional activation domain, as previously shown for cellular transformation. We propose that this activity is mediated by the product of an as yet unknown Myc‐Max target gene(s) and represents an essential aspect of Myc's mitogenic and oncogenic functions.
Nucleoplasmic calcium regulation in rabbit aortic vascular smooth muscle cells.

In this study, we investigated whether nucleoplasmic free Ca2+ in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) might be independently regulated from cytosolic free Ca2+. Understanding mechanisms and pathways responsible for this regulation is especially relevant given the role of a numerous intranuclear Ca2+-sensitive proteins in transcriptional regulation, apoptosis and cell division. The question of an independent regulatory mechanism remains largely unsettled because the previous use of intensitometric fluorophores (e.g., Fluo-3) has been criticized on technical grounds. To circumvent the potential problem of fluorescence artifact, we utilized confocal laser scanning microscopy to image intracellular Ca2+ movements with the ratiometric fluorophore Indo-1. In cultured rabbit VSMCs, we found sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pumps and ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ channel proteins to be discretely arranged within a perinuclear locus, as determined by fluorescent staining patterns of BODIPY FL thapsigargin and BODIPY FL-X Ry. When intracellular Ca2+ stores were mobilized by addition of thapsigargin (5 microM) and activatory concentrations of ryanodine (1 microM), Indo-1 ratiometric signals were largely restricted to the nucleoplasm. Cytosolic signals, by comparison, were relatively small and even then its spatial distribution was largely perinuclear rather homogeneous. These observations indicate perinuclear RyR and SERCA proteins are intimately involved in regulating VSMC nucleoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations. We also observed a similar pattern of largely nucleoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization upon exposure of cells to the immunosuppressant drug FK506 (tacrolimus), which binds to the RyR-associated immunophillin-binding proteins FKBP12 and FKBP12.6. However, initial FK506-induced nucleoplasmic Ca2+ mobilization was followed by marked reduction of Indo-1 signal intensity close to pretreatment levels. This suggested FK506 exerts both activatory and inhibitory effects upon RyR channels. The latter was reinforced by observed effects of FK506 to only reduce nucleoplasmic Indo-1 signal intensity when added following pretreatment with both activatory and inhibitory concentrations of ryanodine. These latter observations raise the possibility that VSMC nuclei represent an important sink of intracellular Ca2+ and may help explain vasodilatory actions of FK506 observed by others.
Early changes of bone histology and circulating markers of bone turnover after parathyroidectomy in hemodialysis patients with severe hyperparathyroidism.

AIMS There have so far been no reports on the changes in bone histology in the early period after parathyroidectomy and autografting (PTX-AG). We investigated the effects of PTX-AG on bone histology during the initial 12 weeks after undergoing these surgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed bone histomorphometry 3 times (before as well as 4 and 12 weeks after PTX-AG) in 6 patients and 2 times (before and 4 weeks after PTX-AG) in 3 hemodialysis patients. In addition, the circulating parameters of bone metabolism were also assessed before and after PTX-AG in all 9 patients. The changes in the histomorphometric (static) parameters between pre-surgery and 4 weeks after surgery and those between 4 weeks and 12 weeks after surgery were assessed by the t-test while changes in the circulating parameters of bone metabolism were analyzed by Friedman's test. RESULTS Bone formation parameters including carboxy terminal propeptide of human type I procollagen (PICP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and intact osteocalcin (i-OC) were all extremely high before surgery. These parameters initially increased after PTX-AG and thereafter gradually declined. In contrast, the circulating bone resorption parameters including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) were also extremely high at baseline but markedly declined after operation. Osteoid-related parameters including osteoid volume (OV/BV), osteoid surface (OS/BS), and osteoid thickness (O.Th) all initially increased at 4 weeks after PTX-AG. In contrast, osteoblast surface (Ob.S/BS), osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS), eroded surface (ES/BS), and fibrosis volume (Fb.V/TV) all decreased at 4 weeks after surgery, while Ob.S/BS decreased further at 12 weeks in cases 1-6. Although bone mineralization was ongoing at 4 weeks after surgery, both the mineral apposition rate (MAR) and bone formation rate (BFR) remained below the mean for normal individuals. CONCLUSIONS The circulating bone formation parameters and osteoid-related parameters showed an initial increase after PTX-AG. The concomitant decline in the circulating bone resorption parameters reflected the reduction in bone resorption. BFR decreased, but bone mineralization did not stop after PTX-AG.
Presumed common source outbreaks of hepatitis A in an endemic area confirmed by limited sequencing within the VP1 region

Hepatitis A virus isolates from anti‐HAV IgM positive sera of 70 hepatitis cases in two outbreaks and 216 other cases in Central America, 136 sporadic cases and 53 cases from an hyper‐endemic region in Costa Rica, were compared by phylogenetic analyses within the VP1 region. The outbreaks in all 531 cases, in 1992 and 1999, respectively, were presumed water borne. In the first outbreak, HAV RNA could be detected in 70% of the cases sampled during 6 weeks after onset of jaundice. In the hyper‐endemic region of San Ramón in Costa Rica, 1,932 cases were registered between 1972 and 1985. All isolates belonged to subtype 1A. Background isolates from Costa Rica and El Salvador tended to form separate subclusters in the phylogenetic tree construction and were mostly unrelated to subtype 1A strains from other parts of the world. Based on their amino acid sequences, four HAV strains, all related to CR326 sampled in Costa Rica in 1960, were found to have circulated in the area during the last three decades. However, on the basis of nucleotide variability the isolates from the outbreaks could be distinguished from the strains from sporadic cases and sequence analysis could confirm the epidemiological homogeneity of both outbreaks. In the hyper‐endemic region, 16 different sequences were encountered forming one single subcluster. Thus, limited sequencing within the VP1 region proved useful to identify outbreaks of hepatitis A in a highly endemic area, where most strains were local and only one subtype was prevalent. J. Med. Virol. 65:449–456, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The impact of supply chain control on supply chain relational risk An empirical investigation from manufacturing firms in China

This paper studies the correlation among supply chain control, trust and supply chain relational risk, using factor analysis and regression analysis. The study was conducted by investigating 115 manufacturing firms in China. The findings support the hypothesis that supply chain control can effectively prevent supply chain relationship risk, where trust plays an important mediating role.
The effect of recombinant human IGF‐I on protein metabolism in post‐operative patients without nutrition compared to effects in experimental animals

Abstract. This study has evaluated the effects of recombinant human insulin‐like growth factor I (rhIGF‐I) to moderately stressed post‐operative patients provided with dextrose as the only exo‐geneous substrate. Thirty patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery were randomized to receive either rhIGF‐I (80μg kg‐1 bw) subcutaneously twice daily or placebo injections in a double‐blind parallel group design. Nitrogen balance, urinary 3‐methyl‐histidine excretion plasma growth hormone (GH), serum cortisol, IGF‐I binding proteins (IGFBP‐1,3), glomerular filtration rate, plasma amino acid concentrations and whole‐body energy expenditures were measured as effector variables during days 1–5 post‐operatively. Animal and isolated tissue experiments were performed as additional control experiments to confirm cellular effectiveness of the recombinant material. rhIGF‐I increased significantly the glomerular filtration rate and prevented the adaptive decrease in whole‐body energy expenditure in response to partial starvation in the postoperative period. Serum and plasma concentrations of IGFBP‐1,3 cortisol, blood glucose and amino acids were not significantly influenced by rhIGF‐I administration, while plasma GH levels decreased significantly as expected. rhIGF‐I had no effect on either nitrogen balance or protein breakdown (3‐methylhistidine excretion) in post‐operative patients on dextrose supplementation only, although plasma concentrations of IGF‐I increased from 130 140 ngmL‐1 to a range of 300–450 ngmL‐1. In contrast, IGF‐I stimulated the synthesis of both globular and myofibrillar proteins (+50%, P<0.01), when given as a single dose (100μgkg‐1) 2 h before measurements of protein synthesis in skeletal muscles of overnight fasted adult mice. This stimulatory effect by IGF‐I (1μgmL‐1) was also confirmed by measurements of skeletal muscle protein synthesis in vitro (+40%, P<0.05). Orally re‐fed mice had a normal transcription of IGF‐I mRNA in skeletal muscle cells, while overnight fasted mice showed a trend to down‐regulated transcription. Our results demonstrate that rhIGF‐I has several significant physiological effects, without major side‐effects, when supplied to partially starved patients in the post‐operative phase. The lack of a whole‐body nitrogen sparing effect by rhIGF‐I alone to postoperative patients is not clear, but was most likely explained by subnormal plasma concentrations of amino acids.
Distinct involvement of NF‐κB and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways in serum deprivation‐mediated stimulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and its inhibition by 4‐hydroxynonenal

Cytokine‐induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and concomitant production of nitric oxide (NO) involve activation of mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinases and are in most cases mediated by the transcription factor NF‐κB. We investigated the role of p38 MAP kinase activation and IκB phosphorylation in iNOS expression in a novel iNOS‐inducing model in mouse macrophages. Deprivation of serum from the culture medium of RAW 264.7 cells up‐regulated iNOS and NO production, which were inhibited by 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE), a component of oxidatively modified low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Serum withdrawal induced phosphorylation of Akt, IκB, and p38 MAP kinase. Pretreatment with the potent PI3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin, the NF‐κB inhibitor PDTC or the specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 each partially attenuated the induction of iNOS and NO production, demonstrating that both p38 activation and IκB phosphorylation are required for iNOS expression. SB203580, however, did not prevent the phosphorylation of Akt and IκB, suggesting that the p38 MAP kinase signal contributes to iNOS gene expression through an IκB‐phosphorylation‐independent pathway. HNE, which markedly inhibited iNOS expression and NO production, prevented the serum withdrawal‐triggered IκB phosphorylation but not that of Akt or p38 MAP kinase. A high concentration of HNE stimulated dephosphorylation of IκB but promoted activation of p38 MAP kinase. Taken together, these results suggest that NF‐κB and p38 MAP kinase lie in separate signal pathways for serum deprivation‐stimulated iNOS expression and NO production. HNE selectively suppresses the former pathway, targeting a site downstream of Akt. J. Cell. Biochem. 83: 271–280, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Décrocher, et après ? Les effets de l’expérience scolaire sur le devenir des élèves

Dans quelles situations se trouvent les jeunes ayant interrompu leur formation secondaire avant l’obtention d’un diplome ? Une enquete realisee aupres de 2 935 jeunes en situation de decrochage, interroges en moyenne treize mois apres leur decrochage, revele qu’ils sont majoritairement au chomage ou en inactivite. Toutefois, une part non negligeable d’entre eux se trouve en emploi ou en formation a temps plein. La diversite des experiences scolaires de ces jeunes affecte significativement leurs premiers pas dans le processus d’insertion : les experiences les moins douloureuses et les plus proches d’une qualification complete favorisent l’acces a l’emploi, le decrochage precoce des le college eloignant au contraire du marche du travail.