Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Syngeneic Schwann cells derived from adult nerves seeded in semipermeable guidance channels enhance peripheral nerve regeneration

At present, clinical strategies to repair injured peripheral nerve concentrate on efforts to attain primary suture of the cut nerve ends. If this is not possible, autografts are used to unite the separated nerve segments. Both strategies are based on the recognition that the Schwann cells resident in the peripheral nerve trunk play a crucial role in the regenerative process. Neither strategy may be feasible, however, in extensive or multiple injuries because the amount of autograft material is limited, and allografts are subject to immune rejection. Artificially produced nerve bridges constructed of autologous Schwann cells seeded in guidance channels could be used to overcome these limitations. In the present experiments, the potential of Schwann cells derived from adult nerves and seeded in permselective guidance channels to promote neurite regeneration across an 8 mm nerve gap was evaluated in transected rat sciatic nerves. Immunological sequalae were evaluated by comparing Schwann cells from syngeneic and heterologous rat strains. Schwann cells from either adult outbred (Sprague-Dawley, CD) rats or inbred (Fisher, F) rats were suspended in a Matrigel solution at a density of 80 x 10(6) cells/ml (CD) or 40, 80, or 120 x 10(6) cells/ml (F-40, F-80, and F-120 channels, respectively). Channels containing Schwann cells were compared to sciatic nerve autografts, empty channels, or channels filled with Matrigel alone. One day after seeding permselective synthetic guidance channels with a Schwann cell suspension, a central cable of Schwann cells oriented along the axis of the tube was formed due to syneresis of the hydrogel. By 3 weeks postimplantation, regenerating axons had grown into all channels and autografts. Sciatic nerve autografts supported extensive regeneration, containing 4–5 x 10(4) myelinated axons at the graft midpoint. The ability of channels containing syngeneic Schwann cells to foster regeneration was dependent on the Schwann cell seeding density. At the channel's midpoint, the myelinated axon population in F-120 tubes was intermediate between that in sciatic nerve autografts and F- 80 channels, and was significantly higher than in F-40 or control channels. The nerve cable in Schwann cell-containing tubes consisted of larger, more organotypic fascicles than acellular control channels. In contrast, heterologous (CD) Schwann cells elicited a strong immune reaction that impeded nerve regeneration. The present study shows that cultured adult syngeneic Schwann cells seeded in permselective synthetic guidance channels support extensive peripheral nerve regeneration. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A multi‐theoretical perspective on power in managing interorganizational relationships

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine power from a multi-theoretical perspective by comparing and analyzing different views and definitions of power in order to use the findings for further studying this construct as a key element for managerial purposes in the interorganizational context. Design/methodology/approach - An overview of the literature is conducted examining the power from sociological, psychological and managerial perspectives specifying views on power, its sources and consequences of its use offered by selected theories. Findings - This paper presents the opinion that the definitions of power by different theories resemble each other and the main differentiations in conceptualizations of power stem mostly from the differences in capturing sources and consequences of power. Power generally refers to the ability, capacity or potential to get others do something, to command, to influence, to determine or to control the behaviors, intentions, decisions or actions of others in the pursuit of one's own goals or interests despite resistance, as well as to induce changes. Originality/value - The fact that power can be used as an effective tool to coordinate and manage others appears to be largely ignored in the literature. In order to understand how to use it for these purposes, it is necessary to define power, which is an elusive concept that has a variety of meanings and definitions, and there seems to be much disagreement to the precise meaning of power.
Educational drama in the teaching of education for sustainability

In this paper, I describe part of my research project that examines the use of Educational Drama in Education for Sustainability in the upper stages of the primary school (10‐ and 11‐year‐olds). Central to the research is a small‐scale qualitative research study. Here, I describe the educational focus of the study and outline the methodology. Central to the study was a series of drama lessons (taught by me) based on environmental themes. The lessons link with some of the key aims in Education for Sustainability—to help young people to develop awareness, knowledge and concepts, to encourage positive attitudes and personal lifestyle decisions and to help them to acquire action skills in and for the environment. The locus is within the Scottish education system. A number of key data were generated during the teaching and evaluation of the lessons. These take the form of field notes, children's evaluations of their work and learning, observation schedules, taped interviews with participants and observers and .
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester protects against oxidative stress‐related renal dysfunction in rats treated with cyclosporin A

The therapeutic index of cyclosporin A (CsA), an immunosuppressive drug, is limited by its nephrotoxic effect. Oxidative stress is suggested to play a crucial role as pathogenic factors. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a phenolic antioxidant, on renal function, morphology, and oxidative stress following CsA treatment. Rats were treated with vehicle, CsA (50 mg/kg), and CsA plus CAPE (10 and 30 μmol/kg) for 10 days. Renal function, histopathology, and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were evaluated 24 h after the last treatment. CsA produced nephrotoxicity as indicated by a significant increase in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, but decrease creatinine and urea clearance compared to those treated with vehicle. Severe vacuolations and tubular necrosis were evident in the kidney of CsA‐treated rats. CsA also increased renal MDA and decreased GSH content significantly. Administration of CAPE along with CsA restored all the changes caused by CsA. These results clearly demonstrate the pivotal role of oxidative stress and its relation to renal dysfunction and also point to the protective potential of CAPE against CsA nephrotoxicity. The protection afforded by CAPE is mediated, at least in part, through inhibiting renal lipid peroxidation and enhancing or maintaining the antioxidant glutathione content.
Chemopreventive effect of zingerone against colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats

Zingerone [4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butane], one of the active phenolic components isolated from Zingiber officinale, has antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. In our study, we have evaluated the effect of different doses of zingerone on lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, lipid hydroxyl radical and conjugated dienes), tissue enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase), and nonenzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione, vitamin E, vitamin C), and also the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in male albino Wistar rats with colon cancer induced using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). The rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 served as a control group and received a modified pellet diet; the rats in group 2 received a modified pellet diet along with zingerone (40 mg/kg b.w., orally every day); groups 3–6 were administered DMH (20 mg/kg b.w., subcutaneously) once a week for the first 4 weeks; and groups 4–6 received zingerone at three different doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w. , respectively, every day for 16 weeks. Increased tumour incidence and ACF formation were accompanied by a decrease in the tissue lipid peroxidation, enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activities observed in the colon of DMH-treated rats. Supplementation with zingerone in DMH-treated rats led to a significant decrease in the tumour incidence and ACF formation with simultaneous modulation in the level of tissue lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status. Thus, in conclusion, we can suggest that zingerone effectively inhibits DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis in male Wistar rats.
Where's the Learning in Service-Learning?

1. Identifying the Learning Outcomes of Service 2. Personal and Interpersonal Development 3. Understanding and Applying Knowledge 4. Engagement, Curiosity, and Reflective Practice 5. Critical Thinking 6. Perspective Transformation 7. Citizenship 8. Program Characteristics of Effective Service-Learning 9. Strengthening the Role of Service in the College Curriculum Resources A. College and University Participants in the Studies B. Sample and Methods of the Studies C. Survey and Interview Instruments D. Survey Regression Tables: Impact of Service-Learning E. Survey Regression Tables: Impact of Program Characteristics F. Interview Regression Tables: Impact of Well-Integrated Service-Learning.
Using Power to Influence Outcomes

The conventional definitions of power and masculinity are tightly conflated. The same words that are often used to describe power, such as authority, control, and decisiveness, are also often used to define masculinity. Where does that leave women in building and using power? Even as feminist scholars attempt to decouple the definition of power from masculinity by expanding power paradigms, cultural norms in the Unites States are still such that there is an expectation of women to be collaborative and self-sacrificing. As a result, many women are reluctant to use “masculine” power, or when they do, they are faced with the double bind: Be powerful but unfeminine. This exercise allows both female and male students to explore their personal relationship with power and how they build and use power to influence outcomes. The exercise fosters a rich discussion about cultural definitions and expectations on power and the double binds they create for both men and women.
Nonparticipation in Adult Education

In this article, the authors propose that dispositional factors do not sufficiently explain nonparticipation in adult education programs. Many nations report low participation rates, but empirical studies have usually been conducted with enrolled adults. This study, however, included 279 poorly educated mestizas and Native women in two regions of Mexico who were not participating in institutional programs; a mixed quantitative–qualitative methodology was used. The study focused on self-perceptions and beliefs, assuming that values for these variables would be low acting as dispositional barriers to participation; however, this hypothesis was not confirmed. On the contrary, high levels of self-concept, self-efficacy, and a belief that women are intelligent demonstrated that these women have a very positive self-image. Discussion points to sociocultural categories as an alternative explanation to why rural women harbor positive self-perceptions and why remedial basic adult education is not relevant to their social sphere.
Incomplete reentry and epicardial breakthrough patterns during atrial fibrillation in the sheep heart.

BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation and its initiation are not fully understood. Our hypothesis is that atrial fibrillation results from complex activation involving the subendocardial muscle network. METHODS AND RESULTS We have used video imaging to study the sequence of activation on the surface of the right atrium of the Langendorff-perfused sheep heart during pacing, atrial fibrillation, and its initiation. We recorded transmembrane potentials simultaneously from over 20,000 sites. We observed two types of patterns of wave propagation during the initiation of atrial fibrillation. The first type resulted from heterogeneties of refractoriness and transmural propagation near the stimulating electrode. The second type involved heterogeneity in conduction away from the pacing site. During atrial fibrillation, the average period of activation was 138 +/- 25 ms (n = 6), and complete reentrant pathways were never observed. Propagation patterns were characterized by a combination of incomplete reentry, breakthrough patterns, and wave collisions. Incomplete reentry occurred when waves propagated around thin lines of block and then terminated. Breakthrough patterns were frequent and occurred every 215 ms on average. The location of these breakthrough sites and the lines of block during incomplete reentry were not randomly distributed but appeared to be related to preferential propagation in the underlying subendocardial muscle structures. A computer model of atrial free wall connected to a pectinate muscle suggested that subendocardial muscles lead to epicardial breakthrough patterns that act to destabilize reentry. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the complex three-dimensional structure of the atria plays a major role in the activation sequences during atrial fibrillation and its initiation.
Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization; Self-coordinating Mechanism with Updating Information

The particle swarm optimization method is one of the most powerful optimization methods available for solving global optimization problems. However, knowledge of autonomous and adaptive strategies for tuning the parameters of the method for application to large-scale nonlinear non-convex optimization problems is as yet limited. This paper describes an adaptive strategy for tuning the parameters of the PSO method based on some numerical analysis of the behavior of PSO. The proposed adaptive tuning strategy is based on self-tuning of the parameters of PSO, which strategy utilize the information about the frequency of an updated global best of a swarm. The feasibility and advantages of the proposed adaptive PSO algorithm are demonstrated through some numerical simulations using two typical global optimization test problems.
Developing Organizational Capacity for Implementing Complex Education Reform Initiatives

Purpose: This article seeks to enhance our understanding of the ever-present challenge of developing organizational capacity to implement complex education reform initiatives. We analyze the strategies in one large metropolitan education system used to address the district-level and site-level capacity challenges that surfaced as they implemented a multifaceted educator incentive pay program. Research Design: We draw on the theoretical literature on organizational capacity and on data from documents, interviews, and observations collected as part of an in-depth, multiyear study of an educator incentive pay program. Throughout this research process, we incorporated broadly endorsed procedures to minimize bias and error in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of these data. Findings: This case study illustrates an array of interrelated and ongoing capacity challenges highlighted in the literature on the implementation of complex education reform initiatives. It also generates insights about the range of resources and the combination of strategies that may be required to address these challenges and underscores the importance of continuously attending to the dual dimensions of capacity. Implications for Research and Practice: Although case studies of capacity-building challenges can generate useful insights, they do not offer clear prescriptions for “solving” capacity issues. Our study is a point of departure for understanding how school systems seek to address the array of interrelated capacity challenges embedded in a particular genre of reforms and a point of comparison for others who examine the capacity challenges associated with this set of reforms.
The Changing Conception of Measurement: A Commentary

This paper comments on the contributions to this special issue on item banking. An historical frame work for viewing the papers is provided by brief re views of the literature in the areas of item response theory, item banking, and computerized testing. In general, the eight papers are viewed as contributing valuable technical knowledge for implementing testing programs with the aid of item banks.
An Ultralow-Power Wireless Camera Node: Development and Performance Analysis

This paper presents the design principles underlying the video nodes of long-lifetime wireless networks. The hardware and firmware architectures of the system are described in detail, along with the system-power-consumption model. A prototype is introduced to validate the proposed approach. The system mounts a Flash-based field-programmable gate array and a high-dynamic-range complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor custom vision sensor. Accurate power measurements show that the overall consumption is 4.2 mW at 3.3 V in the worst case, thus achieving an improvement of two orders of magnitude with respect to video nodes for similar applications recently proposed in the literature. Powered with a 2200-mAh 3.3-V battery, the system will exhibit a typical lifetime of about three months.
Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss

In the United States alone, unilateral hearing loss (UHL) affects 0.1 to 5% of school-aged children and 0.04 to 3.4% of infants at birth. Several studies from the 1980s and 1990s raised the specter that UHL in children was not as benign as common wisdom suggested. In children 6 to 12 years old, UHL is associated with significantly poorer oral language skills and vocabulary intelligence quotient scores. Children with UHL are at higher risk of receiving individualized educational plans in school and speech therapy. Quality of life in children also may be negatively affected by UHL, similar to children with bilateral hearing loss. Although a growing number of audiologists, deaf educators, and otolaryngologists acknowledge the problems that many children with UHL experience, the larger medical and educational communities still tend to discount UHL as a problem for children. Further research is necessary to identify the children with UHL who may benefit from interventions and to determine which interventions are most effective in children with UHL.
The nexus of Greek Orthodox Christian Faith (GOCF) and religiosity with immigration and unemployment

Greek Orthodox Christian Faith (GOCF) and religiosity are scrutinized herein as they ascribe to various psychosocial variables including age, socioeconomic status, educational level, traditional family orientation, parish sympathy, child abuse predisposition, shame, optimism, depression, alcoholism, and suicidal ideation. The study analyzes data from two distinct research projects: (1) a 2013-14 study of immigration in Australia with Greek Australians (n=123); and (2) a 2014 study on unemployment in Cyprus with Greek Cypriots (n=120). It is concluded that GOFC and religiosity are relative to parish sympathy, age, socioeconomic status, educational level, and identification with extended family but they are not in any way akin to child abuse intent, shame, optimism, or depression. Respondents also seem to favor a catalyst role of the Greek Orthodox Church in championing social justice undertakings. Limitations and implications of the findings and some future research priorities are spelled out.
The Dynamics of Interdependence in Organizations

A model is developed that stipulates that task, roles, and reward distribution of organizational structure, perceived goal interdependence, patterns of behavior, and corporate values and interpersonal attitudes form causal loops, and mutually reinforce and sustain each other. Positive and negative goal interdependencies and independence have been identified and result in much different dynamics and outcomes. Studies overall indicate that positive interdependence promotes coordination and productivity. Research is needed to determine generalizability of these findings and to identify the purposes and. situations when negative interdependence and independence are appropriate.
GENDER AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Mainstream theory and research in the field of social movements and political sociology has, by and large, ignored the influence of gender on social protest. A growing body of feminist research demonstrates that gender is an explanatory factor in the emergence, nature, and outcomes of all social movements, even those that do not evoke the language of gender conflict or explicitly embrace gender change. This article draws from a case study of the postpartum depression self-help movement to outline the relationship between gender and social movements. Linking theories of gender to mainstream theories on social movements allows us to recognize gender as a key explanatory factor in social movements and, in turn, to identify the role that social movements play in the social construction of gender.
On Being Ironic: Pragmatic and Mnemonic Implications

Two experiments investigated (a) subjects' intuitions about the communicative functions of irony and (b) how communicative functions affect recall. Previous research (Long, Kreuz, & Church, 1989) suggested that ironic statements allow speakers to fulfill communication goals that are difficult to convey literally. The present research extends these findings by identifying which communication goals (and other factors) influence recall. In Experiment 1, subjects read scenarios that concluded with ironic or literal statements and selected goals fulfilled by the statements from a checklist. The results indicated that ironic statements fulfill more communication goals than literal statements. In Experiment 2, subjects recalled these scenarios after a 24-hr delay. Presence of irony and fulfillment of pragmatically salient goals predicted recall in a series of multiple regression analyses.
Conversation and theory of mind: Do children talk their way to socio-cognitive understanding?

This paper presents a selective review of the literature addressing the influence of young children's conversational environments and interactions on their psychological understanding of persons. Our dual purposes are to reveal some consensus on the current state of knowledge and to foster a programmatic approach to future research. The initial sections clarify what is meant by conversation and describe the nature of theory-of-mind development. We adopt the term socio-cognitive development to convey the fact that children's theory-of-mind understanding becomes more elaborate and flexible throughout childhood, and we discuss issues of measurement. The following sections deal directly with the influence of conversational environments and interactions on children's socio-cognitive understanding. We present findings that suggest that conversational interactions are of fundamental importance for the development of children's socio-cognitive understanding, and we examine the particular aspects of the former that have been shown to be the most effective in promoting the latter. We discuss the relationship between children's conversational references to thoughts and feelings and experimental assessments of their socio-cognitive understanding, and we offer a detailed list of considerations for future research. In the remaining sections, we highlight the important roles of (i) young children's expanding linguistic competence and (ii) their relationships, and we discuss implications for individual differences in children's developing social competence.