Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative immunohistochemical study on amylase localization in the rat and human exocrine pancreas.

OBJECTIVE To localize amylase enzyme immunohistochemically in the pancreatic acinar cells of rats and humans using polyclonal sheep anti-human amylase antibody, and to compare between the intensities of their amylase-immunostaining. METHODS Indirect immunofluorescence method was applied on formaldehyde-fixed, and paraffin-embedded pancreatic sections obtained from adult male Wistar rats and autopsied human samples. Primary incubation was performed using sheep anti-amylase antibody followed by secondary incubation with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled rabbit anti-sheep IgG serum. Control tests of amylase immunospecificity were also undertaken either by incubation with primary antibodies previously pre-adsorbed with an excess of human pancreatic amylase, or only with secondary antibodies. RESULTS The amylase immunofluorescence was positively and homogenously detected in all acinar cells of both rat and human pancreatic stained sections. The immunostaining was clearly demonstrated in the cell apices and peri-nuclear areas, but it was consistently brighter and more intense in the human acinar cells compared with that of the rat pancreas. Control tests of amylase immunofluorescence revealed the specificity of the antibodies applied for amylase localization in rat and human pancreas. CONCLUSION Although many previous immunohisto- and cytochemical reports have successfully localized amylase in the pancreas of different mammalian species, but all of them have used locally prepared anti-amylase antibodies. The present report successfully illustrates immuno-localization of amylase in the pancreatic acinar cells of rats and humans using commercial polyclonal sheep anti-human pancreatic amylase antibodies, and also suggests their useful application in the immunochemical studies on various mammalian species. Additionally, the results indicate a structural similarity between the human and rat pancreatic amylases, a concept required further exploration.
Shifting Patterns of the Government’s Policies for the Internationalization of Korean Higher Education

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of changing patterns since the mid-1990s in the Korean government’s policies for internationalizing its higher education system. The study examines the driving forces behind the government’s internationalization policies for Korean higher education, how the internationalization process affected Korean higher education, the ways in which the government and higher education institutions responded, and the issues and challenges now arising from the internationalization of the Korean higher education system. The results indicate internationalization is already an integral part of mainstream higher education policies and programs in Korea and is increasingly perceived as a key tool for improving the quality of higher education. The study suggests that for Korea to more effectively cope with internationalization in the future, it must address the following key challenges: (a) establishing an effective quality assurance mechanism for cross-border educational activities; (b) redressing the government’s previous, overriding emphasis on the quantitative aspects of internationalization, at the expense of quality; and (c) maintaining a balance between the conflicting demands of competition and cooperation with other countries.
Selective retention of monoglucosylated high mannose oligosaccharides by a class of mutant vesicular stomatitis virus G proteins

Cells infected with a temperature-sensitive mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus, ts045, or transfected with the plasmid vector pdTM12 produce mutant forms of the G protein that remain within the ER. The mutant G proteins were isolated by immunoprecipitation from cells metabolically labeled with [2-3H]mannose to facilitate analysis of the protein-linked oligosaccharides. The 3H-labeled glycopeptides recovered from the immunoprecipitated G proteins contained high mannose-type oligosaccharides. Structural analysis, however, indicated that 60-78% of the 3H-mannose-labeled oligosaccharides contained a single glucose residue and no fewer than eight mannose residues. The 3H-labeled ts045 oligosaccharides were deglucosylated and processed to complex-type units after the infected cells were returned to the permissive temperature. When shifted to the permissive temperature in the presence of a proton ionophore, the G protein oligosaccharides were deglucosylated but remained as high mannose-type units. The glucosylated state was observed, therefore, when the G protein existed in an altered conformation. The ts045 G protein oligosaccharides were deglucosylated in vitro by glucosidase II at both the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures. G protein isolated from ts045-infected cells labeled with [6-3H]galactose in the presence of cycloheximide contained 3H-glucose-labeled monoglucosylated oligosaccharides, indicating that the high mannose oligosaccharides were glucosylated in a posttranslational process. These results suggest that aberrant G proteins are selectively modified by resident ER enzymes to retain monoglucosylated oligosaccharides.
Hostage Posting as a Mechanism of Trust

We study voluntary hostage posting - pledging a bond - as a commitment mechanism promoting trust, including trust in economic exchange. A hostage can promote trust by binding the trustee through reducing his incentives for abusing trust, by providing compensation for the trustor in case trust is abused, and by serving as a signal for the trustor about unobservable characteristics of the trustee that are related to the trustee’s opportunities and incentives for abusing trust. We provide an integrated model that allows for a simultaneous analysis of how hostages promote trust through binding, compensation, and signaling. We model hostage posting as a mechanism of trust using a game with incomplete information and uncertainty. Our theorems provide conditions for equilibria such that a hostage is posted by the trustee and induces the trustor to place trust that is subsequently honored by the trustee. The article shows that equilibrium selection problems are not severe: the equilibria are unique or there are only few other equilibria with less appealing properties. Hence, the results can be used for predictions on trust based on hostage posting among rational actors.
Factors of Sexual Freedom Among Foragers in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Among the negative predictors of sexual freedom, cultural complexity always has been mentioned as most important. However, regression analysis revealed the existence of a reverse trend within the interval between 11 and 22 points of Murdock’s Cumulative Scale of Cultural Complexity. This suggests that it is senseless to try to find a general set of regularities regarding the correlation between cultural complexity and sexual freedom. One would expect to find different sets of regularities for simple, medium-complexity, complex, and supercomplex cultures. In this article we begin with a summary analysis of research conducted on simple societies, suggesting a model of relationships between cultural complexity and female premarital sexual freedom among foragers. We suggest that the underlying variable in this model is foraging intensification.
Casimir forces in a quantum exactly solvable model with long-range interaction

A d–dimensional quantum model system confined to a general hypercubical geometry with linear spatial size L and " temporal size " 1/T (T-temperature of the system) is considered in the spherical approximation under periodic boundary conditions. For a film geometry in different space dimensions 1 2 σ < d < 3 2 σ , where 0 < σ ≤ 2 is a parameter controlling the decay of the long–range interaction, an analysis of the free energy and the Casimir forces is given. We have proven that, if d = σ the Casimir amplitude of the model, characterizing the leading temperature corrections to its ground state is ∆ = −16ζ(3)/[5σ(4π) σ/2 Γ(σ/2)]. The last implies that the universal constant˜c = 4/5 of the model remains the same for both the short, as well as long–range interactions if one takes the normalization factor for the Gaussian model to be such that˜c = 1 for it. This is a generalization of the well known result due to Sachdev for the case of long–range interaction.
‘Walking between worlds’: the experiences of New Zealand Māori cross-cultural adoptees

In New Zealand between 1955 and 1985 over 45,000 closed stranger adoptions took place. The Adoption Act 1955 promoted the closed adoption of many Indigenous Māori children into Pākehā (white European) families. Such adoptions severed the ancestral, familial and cultural connections for thousands of Māori children. Although the Adoption Act 1955 is still the current legislation in place in New Zealand, the late 1970s saw open adoption become accepted best practice. Yet it was not until 1985, with the passing of the Adult Adoption Information Act, that adult adoptees gained access to their original birth certificate that provided their birth name and the name of their birth mother. For Māori adoptees this offered a chance to search for their birth parents. It also offered the possibility to trace the previously unknown knowledge of their tribal affiliations and Māori cultural heritage. This article explores the narratives of six Māori adults who were adopted into white families. Using a Māori-centred research approach, it found that Māori adoptees often struggled with their dual identities, feeling they were always ‘walking between worlds’, never fully belonging in either their birth or adoptive families, or fitting comfortably with either a Māori or Pākehā cultural identity.
EMD 1214063 and EMD 1204831 Constitute a New Class of Potent and Highly Selective c-Met Inhibitors

Purpose: The mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (c-Met) receptor, also known as hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR), controls morphogenesis, a process that is physiologically required for embryonic development and tissue repair. Aberrant c-Met activation is associated with a variety of human malignancies including cancers of the lung, kidney, stomach, liver, and brain. In this study, we investigated the properties of two novel compounds developed to selectively inhibit the c-Met receptor in antitumor therapeutic interventions. Experimental Design: The pharmacologic properties, c-Met inhibitory activity, and antitumor effects of EMD 1214063 and EMD 1204831 were investigated in vitro and in vivo, using human cancer cell lines and mouse xenograft models. Results: EMD 1214063 and EMD 1204831 selectively suppressed the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Their inhibitory activity was potent [inhibitory 50% concentration (IC50), 3 nmol/L and 9 nmol/L, respectively] and highly selective, when compared with their effect on a panel of 242 human kinases. Both EMD 1214063 and EMD 1204831 inhibited c-Met phosphorylation and downstream signaling in a dose-dependent fashion, but differed in the duration of their inhibitory activity. In murine xenograft models, both compounds induced regression of human tumors, regardless of whether c-Met activation was HGF dependent or independent. Both drugs were well tolerated and induced no substantial weight loss after more than 3 weeks of treatment. Conclusions: Our results indicate selective c-Met inhibition by EMD 1214063 and EMD 1204831 and strongly support clinical testing of these compounds in the context of molecularly targeted anticancer strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 19(11); 2941–51. ©2013 AACR.
Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Among Drug-Involved Women: Contexts Linking These Two Epidemics—Challenges and Implications for Prevention and Treatment

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV are two serious overlapping public health epidemics that disproportionately affect drug-involved women. This article reviews research that has identified a number of contexts that may explain the links between IPV and HIV transmission risks. These contexts include sexual coercion, fear of violence, negotiation of condom use, extradyadic relationships, disclosure of sexually transmitted infections or HIV seropositivity to intimate partners, drug involvement of women and their male partners, low social status of drug-involved women, relationship dependencies, and sex ratio imbalances. The article focuses on how the bidirectional relationship between IPV and HIV risks may be mediated by a history of childhood sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. Also addressed are the challenges that substance user treatment programs face in dealing with female clients who experience IPV and the implications for HIV prevention.
The Charter School Allure

The school choice debate evokes compelling arguments by advocates and opponents alike. As the controversy continues, urban school districts are losing significant resources to charter schools. Districts seeking to compete in the race to reclaim dollars lost to the school choice battle should emulate the factors that have propelled parents to seek alternative schools for their children. This study queried 260 urban parents who have withdrawn their children from the public school to attend charter schools in the past 2 years. Results show that despite the lack of statistically significant evidence of academic gains, parents perceive an enhanced educational experience. The author surmises that the chasm between perceived charter school success and traditional school failure is a “perception gap” with definable constructs that can be addressed through all levels of the traditional school organization. Traditional schools can successfully compete with charter schools by aggressively emulating the variables that define that chasm.
The Influence of Goal Value on Persistence in Exuberant Chinese Children

With regard to the study of temperament and motivation in young children, exuberance, an important temperamental characteristic of the approach motivational system, has been relatively understudied in comparison with behavioral inhibition. However, due to the relationship between exuberance and behavioral regulation (e.g., problem behavior, task persistence), it is an important topic of study. Accordingly, this study examined whether the incentive value of goals moderated the relationship between exuberance and persistence in 109 Chinese preschoolers. Children's temperamental exuberance was assessed by behavioral observation and parental report. Their persistence was measured in two goal-blocked contexts (tower-building [TB] and locked box [LB]). In each task, children were randomly assigned to either a high- or low-incentive condition designed to vary the incentive value of a given goal. Results suggested that exuberance was positively associated with persistence in the high-incentive condition of TB and in both conditions of LB. The results highlight the incentive value of goals as an important factor for behavioral regulation development in exuberant Chinese children.
Convergent Validity of the Depression-Happiness Scale with Measures of Happiness and Satisfaction with Life

The aim of the present paper was to investigate the internal reliability and convergent validity of the McGreal and Joseph (1993) Depression-Happiness Scale with measures of happiness and satisfaction with life. Subjects were 63 undergraduate students attending the University of Ulster. Internal reliability of the scale was . 91, and higher scores on the scale were associated with scores on the other measures indicating greater happiness and satisfaction with life.
Patient perspectives and preferences for communication of medical imaging risks in a cancer care setting.

PURPOSE To identify opportunities for improving patient-centered communication about diagnostic imaging tests that involve the use of radiation in a cancer care setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study. Patient knowledge, information sources, and communication preferences were assessed in six focus groups during 2012. The groups consisted of patients undergoing treatment for metastatic colorectal carcinoma, women treated within the past 6 months for early-stage breast carcinoma, men undergoing surveillance after testicular cancer treatment, parents of patients treated for stage I-III neuroblastoma, patients in a thoracic oncology survivorship program, and participants in a lung cancer screening program. A multidisciplinary research team performed thematic content analysis of focus group transcripts. High-level findings were summarized during consensus conferences. RESULTS Although they were aware of the long-term risk of cancer from exposure to ionizing radiation, most participants reported that their health care provider did not initiate discussion about benefits and risks of radiation from imaging tests. Most patients obtained information by means of self-directed internet searches. Participants expressed gratitude for tests ("That CT saved my daughter's life," "I'd rather have the radiation dosage than being opened up"), yet they expressed concern about having to initiate discussions ("If you don't ask, nobody is going to tell you anything") and the desire to be offered information concerning the rationale for ordering specific imaging examinations, intervals for follow-up imaging, and testing alternatives. Participants believed that such information should be available routinely and that conversation with their personal physician or endorsed, readily available reference materials were ideal methods for information exchange. Understanding imaging radiation risks and active participation in decision making about imaging were especially important to cancer survivors. CONCLUSION A substantial gap exists between patient expectations and current practices for providing information about medical imaging tests that involve the use of radiation.
When Father is Not There: The Absence of the Father as a Generating Factor of Violence

“Where's dad? ” When this restlessness is implanted into a child's psyche, an atmosphere of “unmet” need settles in. Physical and emotional mistreatment by the father profoundly affects the fetus and mother. There are several factors at play in this situation: infantile experiences, the father's past experiences and his own maltreatment. The physical and emotional absence of the father or their aggressive presence fosters a language of violence and destructiveness, “violence generates violence. ” What is the function of this actor in the grand scheme of life? If both parties lit the flame of life, both are responsible for it and both must recognize their functions in relation to their introjected parental objects. An infant, who is well nurtured in an established atmosphere where the prenatal functions/needs are positively met, will grow and mature with a sense of security and trust crucial for the development of his/her unique potential, physical growth, and intellectual achievement; furthermore this scenario will result in an independent, optimistic and benevolent nuclear family. The child's insertion in the community will be also free of suspicions and encourage its development. The community will have a function of patronage in relation to its members. This must serve as “good enough mothering” for its members. Three clinical case studies of absent fathers will illustrate the dramatic situation of abandoned mothers and children. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Can spatialisation be extended to episodic memory and open sets?

ABSTRACT The SPoARC effect (Spatial Positional Associated Response Codes) has only been observed in working memory (WM) using closed sets. It is interpreted as showing that individuals spatialise to-be-remembered items in a left-to-right fashion, using spatialisation as context. Given that context is crucial for episodic memory (EM), we tested if this effect could be observed in EM by using 15-word lists taken from an open set. After each list, 30 probes were sequentially displayed to test recognition. The left/right-hand key assignment for yes/no answers was varied. No SPoARC effect was observed. However, as all previous SPoARC experiments had used short lists and closed sets, it was not possible to know if this absence of SPoARC was due to the open set feature or the length of the lists. A second experiment was thus run using open sets and short 5-word lists, which do not necessitate EM to be remembered. A SPoARC effect was observed indicating that Experiment 1 result was due to the involvement of supra-span lists and that SPoARC effects do not extend to EM with open sets. Experiment 2 also enabled us to generalise the SPoARC effect to open sets in WM for the first time.
Maximum height in a conifer is associated with conflicting requirements for xylem design

Despite renewed interest in the nature of limitations on maximum tree height, the mechanisms governing ultimate and species-specific height limits are not yet understood, but they likely involve water transport dynamics. Tall trees experience increased risk of xylem embolism from air-seeding because tension in their water column increases with height because of path-length resistance and gravity. We used morphological measurements to estimate the hydraulic properties of the bordered pits between tracheids in Douglas-fir trees along a height gradient of 85 m. With increasing height, the xylem structural modifications that satisfied hydraulic requirements for avoidance of runaway embolism imposed increasing constraints on water transport efficiency. In the branches and trunks, the pit aperture diameter of tracheids decreases steadily with height, whereas torus diameter remains relatively constant. The resulting increase in the ratio of torus to pit aperture diameter allows the pits to withstand higher tensions before air-seeding but at the cost of reduced pit aperture conductance. Extrapolations of vertical trends for trunks and branches show that water transport across pits will approach zero at a heights of 109 m and 138 m, respectively, which is consistent with historic height records of 100–127 m for this species. Likewise, the twig water potential corresponding to the threshold for runaway embolism would be attained at a height of ≈107 m. Our results suggest that the maximum height of Douglas-fir trees may be limited in part by the conflicting requirements for water transport and water column safety.
The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the United Kingdom: new estimates for a new century.

BACKGROUND It is 40 yr since the last age- and sex-specific estimates of the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for the UK were published. Since then the classification criteria for RA have been revised and there has been evidence of a fall in the incidence of RA, especially in women. OBJECTIVES To estimate the age- and sex-specific point prevalence of RA (defined as fulfilment of a modification of the 1987 ACR classification criteria for RA on the day of assessment). The estimate was made in the primary care setting in Norfolk, UK. METHODS A stratified random sample was drawn from seven age and gender bands. The 7050 individuals selected were mailed a screening questionnaire. Positive responders were invited to attend for a clinical examination. The sample was matched against the names in the Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR), a register of incident cases of inflammatory polyarthritis which has been in existence since 1990. RESULTS The overall response rate was 82%. Sixty-six cases of RA were identified. Extrapolated to the population of the UK, the overall minimum prevalence of RA is 1.16% in women and 0.44% in men. A number of incident cases of RA previously notified to NOAR were not identified as cases in the survey because they had entered into treatment-induced remission. In addition, some cases who failed to attend for examination had significant disability. These prevalence figures are therefore an underestimate. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of RA in women, but not in men, in the UK may have fallen since the 1950s.