Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Astrocytes overexpressing Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase have increased resistance to oxidative injury

Overexpression of Cu,Zn SOD (SOD1) can increase survival of neurons under some pathological conditions. Prior studies have shown, however, that SOD1 overexpression can reduce neuronal survival during exposure to superoxide generators by a mechanism involving excess H2O2 accumulation. Since astrocytes exhibit greater H2O2 catabolism capacity than do neurons, the present study examined the effects of SOD1 overexpression on astrocyte survival under these conditions. Cultures were prepared from transgenic mice that overexpress human SOD1 and from nontransgenic littermate controls. Exposure to xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine (XO/HPX) or menadione caused dose‐dependent astrocyte death. In contrast to prior observations with neurons, astrocytes that overexpress SOD1 showed increased resistance to superoxide toxicity. Surprisingly, increased survival in SOD1 overexpressing cultures remained evident even when H2O2 catabolism was inhibited by preincubation with aminotriazole (to block catalase) and buthionine sulfoximine (to deplete glutathione). These findings suggest differences in superoxide metabolism between neurons and astrocytes, and that the greater resistance of astrocytes to oxidative stress is due at least partly to factors other than greater glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity in astrocytes. GLIA 33:343–347, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigating science teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching: Struggles in implementing science education reform in Saudi Arabia

Investigating Science Teachers’ Beliefs about Science and Science Teaching: Struggles in Implementing Science Education Reform in Saudi Arabia Saleh A. M. AL-Abdulkareem The purposes of this quantitative, descriptive study were to investigate Saudi science teachers’ beliefs about science and science teaching, and to determine how do Saudi science teachers view educational reform in science and how do they view change in education. In addition, the study sought to establish whether Saudi science teachers would be able to participate in implementing science education reform in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect data, addressing personal characteristics of the participant, teachers’ beliefs about science and nature, about school science, about teacher – student relations in the classroom, and environmental factors affecting teaching science. Finally, the questionnaire ended with three open-ended questions about teacher’s belief regarding: science and nature, teaching science, and reforming science curriculum. The sample was 329, consisting of 298 science teachers and 31 supervisors. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Studies). The data are analyzed and reported in percentages, means, standard deviations, and frequencies. The responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using the qualitative method. The responses were categorized in subsets using the coding method. Based on the review of the literature and the findings of this research, it was apparent that differences exist between teachers’ beliefs about science and teaching and their teaching methods. Although Saudi science teachers presented inquiry-based views about science, nature, and teaching science, they do not practice these views in science class. The findings of the study imply that educational reform in science education must simultaneously address all the components of an educational system and the concept of systemic reform, as will as the need for a standards-based learning system and establishing Benchmarks for science in Saudi education. The conclusions of the study indicated that a curriculum reform project needs to set Benchmarks for science curriculum in Saudi, and the structure of the reform should apply to a network base instead of to the hierarchy system. School-based ongoing workshops for teachers, and reshaping students and teachers’ evaluation procedures, are also suggested.
Association of chest radiography findings with host-related genetic factors in patients with nephropathia epidemica

Different host genetic factors causes imbalance in the immune response. The purpose of this study was to establish whether pathological findings in chest radiography are related to the various host-related immunological factors in nephropathia epidemica (NE). Chest radiography findings, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles B8, DR3, B27, genotypes of the genes of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin −1α (IL-1α), IL1β and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) were analysed in 114 patients with serologically confirmed acute NE. Both the presence and severity of abnormal NE-related chest radiography findings associated with the B8, DR3 and TNF2 alleles are known to form a frequent extended HLA haplotype in European populations. Pleural effusion showed the strongest association with these genetic factors. Pathological findings in chest radiography are related to host genetic factors in NE. Pleural effusion is a sign of increased capillary permeability, an important feature in NE. Host genetic factors may contribute to increased capillary permeability observed in NE patients.
The Prevalence and Types of Glaucoma in an Urban Chinese Population: The Singapore Chinese Eye Study.

IMPORTANCE Glaucoma represents a major public health challenge in an aging population. The Tanjong Pagar Eye Study reported the prevalence and risk factors of glaucoma in a Singapore Chinese population in 1997, which established the higher rates of blindness in this population. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for glaucoma among Chinese adults in Singapore and to compare the results with those of the 1997 study. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In a population-based survey of 4605 eligible individuals, we selected 3353 Chinese adults 40 years or older from the southwestern part of Singapore. Participants underwent examination at a single tertiary care research institute from February 9, 2009, through December 19, 2011. EXPOSURES All participants underwent slitlamp ophthalmic examination, applanation tonometry, measurement of central corneal thickness, gonioscopy, and a dilated fundus examination. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Glaucoma as defined by the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology guidelines and age-standardized prevalence estimates computed as per the 2010 Singapore Chinese census. Blindness was defined as logMAR visual acuity of 1.00 (Snellen equivalent, 20/200 or worse). RESULTS Of the 3353 respondents, 134 (4.0%) had glaucoma, including primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in 57 (1.7%), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) in 49 (1.5%), and secondary glaucoma in 28 (0.8%). The age-standardized prevalence (95% CI) of glaucoma was 3.2% (2.7%-3.9%); POAG, 1.4% (1.1%-1.9%); and PACG, 1.2% (0.9%-1.6%). In a multivariate model, POAG was associated with being older and male and having a higher intraocular pressure. Of the 134 participants with glaucoma, 114 (85.1%; 95% CI, 78.1%-90.1%) were not aware of their diagnosis. Prevalence (95% CI) of blindness caused by secondary glaucoma was 14.3% (5.7%-31.5%), followed by 10.2% (4.4%-21.8%) for PACG and 8.8% (3.8%-18.9%) for POAG. We could not identify a difference in the prevalence of glaucoma compared with the 3.2% reported in 1997 (difference, -0.04%; 95% CI, -1.2 to 1.2; P = .97). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The prevalence of glaucoma among Singapore Chinese likely ranges from 2.7% to 3.9%, with secondary glaucoma being the most visually debilitating type. We could not identify a difference compared with previous studies approximately 12 years earlier. We report a high proportion of previously undiagnosed disease, suggesting the need to increase public awareness of this potentially blinding condition.
New Zealand household consumption patterns 1983-1992: An application of the almost-ideal-demand-system

Econometric analysis of household expenditure is a most important area of economic inquiry because the estimated demand parameters are particularly useful in many of the behavioural aspects of forecasting consumer demand as well as in welfare issues. This paper analyses expenditure patterns in New Zealand by estimating, on a time series of budget consumption data, a demand system based on a demographically extended version of the Almost Ideal Demand System. From the estimated system we have computed the price, total expenditure and household size elasticities which are within expectations and offer some insights of consumer behaviour.
A Noncooperative Coalitional Bargaining Game with Random Proposers

Abstract We extend the Stahl/Rubinstein's alternating-offer model ton-person coalitional bargaining. The key feature of the model is the random selection of proposers at every round. No delay of agreement occurs in equilibrium for a super-additive game, in contrast to the fixed-order model of Chatterjeeet al. (Rev. Econ. Stud.60, 1993, 463–477). When the discount factor of future payoffs is sufficiently high, the agreement on the grand coalition is reached if and only if it has the largest value per capita among all coalitions. Moreover, in the limit as the discount factor goes to one, all players divide equally the value of the grand coalition, regardless of who makes a proposal.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: C72, C73, C78.
Loss of Vascular Distensibility During Exercise Is an Early Hemodynamic Marker of Pulmonary Vascular Disease.

BACKGROUND Exercise can distend the normally compliant, thin-walled pulmonary vessels. Loss of distensibility has been suggested as an early marker of pulmonary vascular remodeling. We hypothesized that in mild pulmonary vascular disease (PVD), a reduction in vascular distensibility during exercise occurs prior to the development of overt resting pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS Distensibility α during exercise (percentage change in vessel diameter per mm Hg increase in transmural pressure) was estimated in 90 subjects using a model of the pulmonary circulation and invasive hemodynamic data. Distensible properties in mild PVD without resting PH (PVD-noPH) (n = 33) were compared with control subjects (n = 26) and PVD with overt resting PH (PVD-PH) (n = 31). RESULTS Resting mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPpa) levels were 14 ± 4, 20 ± 3, and 34 ± 10 mm Hg with corresponding exercise mPpa-cardiac output slopes of 1.5 ± 0.6, 3.5 ± 0.9, and 5.7 ± 3.2 mm Hg/L/min for control subjects and the PVD-noPH and PVD-PH groups, respectively. The distensible model produced high accuracy and precision with no mean bias and 95% limits of agreement of -4.5 to 4.5 mm Hg between calculated and measured mPpa. Distensibility α was lowest in the PVD-PH group, intermediate in the PVD-noPH group, and highest in control subjects (0.25 ± 0.14%/mm Hg vs 0.45 ± 0.24%/mm Hg vs 1.40 ± 0.45%/mm Hg, P < .0001). Distensibility α discriminated PVD-noPH from control subjects with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 100%. The discriminatory performance of α was similar for the subgroup of PVD-noPH, with a strictly normal resting mPpa ≤ 20 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS Loss of pulmonary vascular distensibility during exercise occurs prior to resting PH in PVD. The usefulness of α as a novel vascular index for the early detection of PVD warrants further validation.
Working for McDonald's in Europe: The Unequal Struggle

1. Liberalism, Collectivism and the Multinational Corporation In the ring: liberalism versus collectivism, Regulating employment rights in mulinationals, Clarifying some concepts, Research issues and questions, Outline of the book 2. Welcome to Big Mac From small acorns. , Enter the salesman, Exporting 'McBurgers', The problems of international expansion, Structure and organisation in the European market 3. The Corporate Paradox: McDonald's and its Franchise System The growth of the franchise, The McDonald's franchise system, Financial costs and the application process, Outsiders and insiders, 'Traiters within': the MOA, Imposing uniformity, The distinction between the franchisee and the company restaurant manager, Capital expenditure, Franchises: working the employees harder? Appointment, promotion, recruitment and training, Staffing levels, pay and conditions, The franchise operator: employer or employee? 4. McDonald's at Work McWork, Managing control and consent at McDonald's, Managing subjectivity, McCulture, Labour turnover, Part-time work, Workforce characteristics, Foreign workers, 'Coasters' and ethnic minorities, McJobs, Previous work experience, Recruited acquiescence? 5. There's No Place Like Home: the Impact of Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining Frameworks McDonald's and the unions in North America, It's cold outside: McDonald's and the unions around the world, Trade unions and collective bargaining in Europe, McDonald's and the European unions, 'Do it your way' Ireland and the UK, Unions in the centre: Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Unions in the south: France, Spain and Italy, Unions in the north: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Explaining low membership, Management attitudes towards unions, Franchises: the benefits of small operations, Workforce characteristics and workers' attitudes, It's not always high labour turnover and young workers, Explaining variation in union membership levels 6. 'Co-determination? What the Hell is That! ' Understanding 'participation', 'McParticipation', Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Re-regulating statutory workplace representation 7. For a Few Dollars More: Pay and Conditions McDonald's performance pay system, Comparing basic pay, Overtime and additional rates for unsociable hours, 'For a fist full of dollars': executive pay, Probation period and notice for dismissals, Holiday entitlements, Conclusion and discussion 8. Where's the Beef? The European Works Council The EWC directive. Establishing the McDonald's EWC, Who is an 'employee representative'? , Electing the 'employee' representatives, Electing the German EWC representative, EWC meetings and agendas, The second meeting: amending the agreement, The amended agreement, The third meeting, Co-ordinating an employee-side strategy? , Pre-meetings, Inadequate sanctions? , The EWC as an unrepresentative and ineffective 'talking shop' 9. Conclusion Reviewing the findings, Promoting the
Wicksell, Keynes, and the New Neoclassical Synthesis: What Can We Learn for Monetary Policy?

The New Neoclassical Synthesis (NNS) provides the established macroeconomic foundation for monetary policy. The Great Recession has, however, unveiled a numberof unresolved issues. Prominent scholars have stressed the connections of the NNS with the founders of macroeconomic thought, Wicksell and Keynes. Our main contention is that the NNS fails to consider, and learn from, the hallmark of Wicksell’s and Keynes’s approaches to business cycles, namely investment–saving imbalances (ISI). Systematic studies of macroeconomic instability, and notably the Great Recession, give prominence to this phenomenon. Drawing on Wicksell’s and Keynes’s insights, this paper provides a framework to deal with ISI and monetary policy according to modern theoretical standards and techniques (e.g. agents seek to optimize intertemporally and markets clear). Section 2 of the paper clarifies some basictheoretical issues underlyingtheNNSvis‐a‐visWicksell andKeynes. Section 3 presents a dynamic model whereby it is possible to assess some basic issues concerning the macroeconomics of ISI that are at variance withtheNNS.Section4showshowsystemstabilizationcanbeachievedby means of a ‘Wicksellian’ interest‐rate rule, which, however, displays dynamic features and conditions that differ from the current NNS consensus. Central banks may thus learn that ISI deserve careful symptom monitoring, andthatthey requiregreater attention tothe dynamic stability of choices of policy reaction functions. (J.E.L.: E20, E30, E53).
Oral administration of Moringa oleifera oil but not coconut oil prevents mercury‐induced testicular toxicity in rats

This study was conducted to compare the effects of administration of coconut oil (CO) and Moringa oleifera oil (MO) on testicular oxidative stress, sperm quality and steroidogenesis parameters in rats treated with mercury chloride (HgCl2). After 15 days of oral administration of CO (2 ml kg−1 body weight) and MO (2 ml kg−1 body weight) along with intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of HgCl2 (5 mg kg−1 body weight) alone or in combination, we found that CO treatment did not protect against HgCl2‐induced poor sperm quality (motility, count) as well as decreased testosterone level and 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β‐HSD) activity. Treatment with CO alone decreased glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in rat's testis, whereas MO did not change these parameters. Cotreatment with MO prevented HgCl2‐induced testicular catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, poor sperm quality and low testosterone level and also blocks the adverse effect of CO+HgCl2 (2 ml kg−1 body weight + 5 mg kg−1 body weight) on the investigated endpoints. In conclusion, MO and not CO decreased the deleterious effects of HgCl2 on sperm quality and steroidogenesis in rats and also strengthen the antioxidant defence of the testes. Therefore, MO is beneficial as an antioxidant in HgCl2‐induced oxidative damage.
Transport of coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid) in Methanobacterium ruminantium

A system for transport of coenzyme M, 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (HS--CoM), in Methanobacterium ruminatium strain M1 required energy, showed saturation kinetics, and concentrated the coenzyme against a gradient. The process was sensitive to temperature and was maximally active at pH 7.1. Cells took up HS--CoM at a linear rate, with a Vmax of 312 pmol/min per mg (dry weight) and an apparent Km of 73 nM. An intracellular pool of up to 5 mM accumulated which was not exchangeable with the medium. Uptake required both hydrogen and carbon dioxide; it was inhibited by O2. Bromoethanesulfonic acid (BrCH2CH2SO3-), a potent inhibitor of methanogenesis in cell-free extracts, inhibited both uptake and methane production. Results of inhibitor studies with derivatives and analogs of the coenzyme showed that the specificity of the carrier is restricted to a limited range of thioether, thioester, and thiocarbonate derivatives. 2-(Methylthio)ethanesulfonic acid (CH3--S--CoM) showed an apparent Ki for HS--CoM uptake of 15 nM, being taken up itself with a Vmax of 320 pmol/min per mg (dry weight) and an apparent Km of 50 nM. An analysis of intracellular pools after HS--CoM uptake indicated that the predominant forms are a heterodisulfide of unknown composition and CH3--S--CoM.
Co‐inoculation of tumorigenic rat prostate mesenchymal cells with non‐tumorigenic epithelial cells results in the development of carcinosarcoma in syngeneic and athymic animals

Co‐inoculation of NbF‐I and NbE‐I s.c. into either adult male syngeneic rats or athymic nude mice induced the development of tumors that resembled carcinosarcoma on histopathologic evaluation. These tumors were composed of a mixture of adenocarcinoma and fibrosarcoma and were induced by the mixtures of NbF‐I and NbE‐I cells at a ratio ranging from 0.001 to 3.2; inoculation of NbF‐I alone resulted in the development of fibrosarcoma. Flow‐cytometric analysis showed that the epithelial cells subcloned from the carcinosarcoma had a DNA profile like that of their parental cell line and remained non‐tumorigenic. When co‐inoculated with the tumorigenic fibroblasts in syngeneic hosts, however, the subcloned epithelial cells again formed carcinosarcomas. Our results indicate that cell fusion between epithelial cells and fibroblasts is an unlikely explanation for tumorigenicity. We propose that prostatic fibroblasts exert a directive influence on their adjacent epithelial cells through a paracrine mechanism that determines epithelial growth and tumorigenicity in vivo.
Adaptation to Climate Change and Food Security: Micro-evidence from Malawi

This paper assesses factors governing farmers’ decision to adopt adaptation/risk-mitigating strategies and evaluates the impact of adoption on crop productivity by utilizing household level data collected in 2011 from a nationally representative sample of 7842 households (11208 plots) in Malawi. We employ a multivariate probit (MVP) technique to model simultaneous and interdependent adoption decisions and utilize instrumental variable method for the impact estimates. The MVP results suggest that the decisions to adopt each of the farm management practices are quite distinct and to a larger extent the factors driving the adoption decisions are also different which entail the unsuitability of aggregating them into one adaptation variable. We find that favourable rainfall outcome affect positively the decisions to adopt short-term inputs such as improved seed and inorganic fertilizer whereas unfavourable rainfall outcome encourages farmer to adopt planting trees, maize-legume intercropping, use of organic fertilizer and soil and water conservation measures (SWC). Land tenure security increase the likelihood that farmer adopt strategies that will capture the returns from their investments in the long run and reduces the demand for short-term inputs. Access to extension advice, social capital and collective action also affect positively the adoption decisions suggesting the importance of information and networks. The impact estimate show that adoption of farm management practices has a positive and statistically significant impact on maize productivity suggesting the positive synergies between adaptation strategies and food security.
Creating environmental knowledge through ‘green communities’ in the Spanish pharmaceutical industry

Using a knowledge-based perspective, the goal of this article is to demonstrate the relevance of environmental knowledge (EK) in the creation of customer capital (CC) and explore how organizations can create such a type of knowledge via ‘green communities’. We first describe the nature of such communities. We validate the relationships between CC and EK through an empirical investigation of 225 sellers (front-line contact people) in the Spanish pharmaceutical industry. This empirical study also suggests the development of ‘green’ communities, and shows how they can facilitate the emergence, retention, and transfer of the EK via customer relations.
Immigration, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms in a Mexican-American Community

This study assessed levels of depressive symptomatology in a household probability sample of Mexico-born (N - 706) and U.S.-born (N=538) Mexican Americans. We hypothesized that immigration status differences in acculturation, strain, social resources, and social conflict, as well as differences in the associations of these variables with depression, would account for differences in depression between U.S.-born and Mexico-born respondents. U.S.-born Mexican Americans had higher depression scores than those born in Mexico. When cultural and social psychological variables were controlled in a multiple regression analysis, the immigrant status difference persisted. Tests of interaction terms suggested greater vulnerability to the effects of low acculturation and low educational attainment among the U.S.-born relative to those born in Mexico; however, the immigrant status difference persisted after controlling for these interactions. Unmeasured variables such as selective migration of persons with better coping skills, selective return of depressed immigrants, or generational differences in social comparison processes may account for the immigration status difference.