Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
13C MRS Studies of the Control of Hepatic Glycogen Metabolism at High Magnetic Fields

Introduction: Glycogen is the primary intracellular storage form of carbohydrates. In contrast to most tissues where stored glycogen can only supply the local tissue with energy, hepatic glycogen is mobilized and released into the blood to maintain appropriate circulating glucose levels, and is delivered to other tissues as glucose in response to energetic demands. Insulin and glucagon, two current targets of high interest in the pharmaceutical industry, are well known glucose-regulating hormones whose primary effect in liver is to modulate glycogen synthesis and breakdown. The purpose of these studies was to develop methods to measure glycogen metabolism in real time non-invasively both in isolated mouse livers, and in non-human primates (NHPs) using 13C MRS. Methods: Livers were harvested from C57/Bl6 mice and perfused with [1-13C] Glucose. To demonstrate the ability to measure acute changes in glycogen metabolism ex-vivo, fructose, glucagon, and insulin were administered to the liver ex-vivo. The C1 resonance of glycogen was measured in real time with 13C MRS using an 11.7T (500 MHz) NMR spectrometer. To demonstrate the translatability of this approach, NHPs (male rhesus monkeys) were studied in a 7 T Philips MRI using a partial volume 1H/13C imaging coil. NPHs were subjected to a variable IV infusion of [1-13C] glucose (to maintain blood glucose at 3-4x basal), along with a constant 1 mg/kg/min infusion of fructose. The C1 resonance of glycogen was again measured in real time with 13C MRS. To demonstrate the ability to measure changes in glycogen metabolism in vivo, animals received a glucagon infusion (1 μg/kg bolus followed by 40 ng/kg/min constant infusion) half way through the study on the second study session. Results: In both perfused mouse livers and in NHPs, hepatic 13C-glycogen synthesis (i.e. monotonic increases in the 13C-glycogen NMR signal) was readily detected. In both paradigms, addition of glucagon resulted in cessation of glycogen synthesis and induction of glycogen breakdown. In the perfused liver, inclusion of insulin was able to dose-dependently block the effect of glucagon. Conclusion: Hepatic glycogen synthesis, as well as acute hormonally-induced changes thereof, can be measured using 13C MRS at high magnetic fields both ex-vivo
The role of folic acid in fetal programming of birth phenotypes and early human development: a biopsychosocial perspective

Preterm birth, low birthweight, intrauterine growth retardation and small for gestational age are birth phenotypes that significantly contribute to life-long morbidity and mortality. This review examines the epidemiologic and biologic evidence of folic acid (FA) as a potential population-based intervention to curtail some adverse birth phenotypic expressions, and by extension, their later physical and neurodevelopmental consequences. We outlined a feto-placental adaptation categorization taking into account how prenatal insults may be encoded in fetal development, the adaptive success of the feto-placental response, and subsequent expression in the health of the fetus. Although there are plausible biological pathways that can be implicated, we found that the epidemiological evidence on the role of perinatal FA nutriture and fetal programming of adverse birth phenotypes is still inconclusive. Because biologic and epidemiological considerations alone do not suffice in deciphering the utility of FA in averting adverse birth phenotypes, we proposed a biopsychosocial model that takes into account multi-layered psychosocial contexts for improving subsequent research studies in this area.
Percutaneous fine‐needle aspiration biopsy. I. Its value to clinical practice

From the experiences in dealing with 2591 cases of transthoracic and transabdominal fine‐needle aspiration biopsies (1967–1978), we present our views on the value of this relatively new diagnostic method to clinical practice. Virtually any accessible localized lesion in any organ of the body can be investigated by fine‐needle aspiration biopsy, which is considered most useful in patients with suspected malignant disease. Transthoracic and transabdominal fine‐needle aspiration biopsy may provide information otherwise obtainable only by thoracotomy or laparotomy. It is an inexpensive and safe method with high accuracy for obtaining a pathologic diagnosis, and can impart some practical significance to clinical practice, especially in clinical management. The pitfalls in cytomorphologic interpretation, which often cause unsuccessful attempts, can be readily avoided with increased practical experience, as indicated by the increase in detection rate of lung cancer by fine‐needle aspiration method from 82.8% in 1967–1968 to 93.4% in 1976 at the Toronto General Hospital. The accuracy of cytologic diagnosis plays a major role in spreading this still relatively unfamiliar but excellent diagnostic method. We believe that the method deserves widespread clinical application and when this happens, it will bring about great savings in health care resources.
Factors Influencing Young People's Conceptions of Environment

Environmental education in schools is an important strategy in achieving environmental protection and improvement. However, it needs to be based on children's understandings of environment rather than on assumptions of what children know and believe. In a previous article (Loughland et al ., 2002), we reported on a research project where school children's responses to an open-ended statement 'I think the term/word environment means' were analysed using the qualitative research method of phenomenography. An important qualitative difference was found between conceptions that treat the environment as a relation and those that treat it as an object. In this article, we examine statistically the factors that incline students to a 'relation' rather than an 'object' conception of environment. We argue that development of the former would seem to be an important aim of environmental education, and indicate how this may be achieved.
Adenine Nucleotide Translocator Transports Haem Precursors into Mitochondria

Haem is a prosthetic group for haem proteins, which play an essential role in oxygen transport, respiration, signal transduction, and detoxification. In haem biosynthesis, the haem precursor protoporphyrin IX (PP IX) must be accumulated into the mitochondrial matrix across the inner membrane, but its mechanism is largely unclear. Here we show that adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT), the inner membrane transporter, contributes to haem biosynthesis by facilitating mitochondrial accumulation of its precursors. We identified that haem and PP IX specifically bind to ANT. Mitochondrial uptake of PP IX was inhibited by ADP, a known substrate of ANT. Conversely, ADP uptake into mitochondria was competitively inhibited by haem and its precursors, suggesting that haem-related porphyrins are accumulated into mitochondria via ANT. Furthermore, disruption of the ANT genes in yeast resulted in a reduction of haem biosynthesis by blocking the translocation of haem precursors into the matrix. Our results represent a new model that ANT plays a crucial role in haem biosynthesis by facilitating accumulation of its precursors into the mitochondrial matrix.
Objective assessment of hearing aid use

Hearing aid use was assessed using both objective (time recorded in the memory of the hearing aid) and subjective methods (interview and patient diary) in a clinical series of consecutive adult female and male Finnish and Norwegian hearing aid candidates ( n = 84). The median study time was 34 days (minimum 21, maximum 73). Over a third of the subjects used their hearing aid for less than 4 hours a day according to an objective assessment. Both of the subjective methods tended to overestimate the use. This preliminary study shows that an objective assessment of hearing aid use is needed and the subjective methods must be validated.
Transgovernmental networks as catalysts for democratic change? EU functional cooperation with Arab authoritarian regimes and socialization of involved state officials into democratic governance

With the European Neighbourhood Policy, the European Union (EU) intensified functional cooperation in a wide range of sectors. This contribution investigates whether this kind of transnational exchange can trigger subtle processes of democratization. It argues that third state officials become acquainted with democratic governance by participating in transgovernmental policy networks implementing functional cooperation between state administrations of established democracies and authoritarian regimes. In this vein, it enriches the governance model of democracy promotion by adding a new level, the micro-level of democratic socialization. Empirically, the argument is tested taking two Twinning projects that the EU has set up in Morocco, that is, the projects on competition policy and on the environment. The conclusion is that in some non-politicized policy fields, such as the environment, EU transgovernmental policy networks can successfully yield processes of democratic socialization in the context of a stable authoritarian regime, like that in Morocco.
Fatigue in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Fatigue is reported by up to 90% of people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). The exact cause of this symptom is as yet unknown however some of the causes considered are (i) that it is an independent symptom of SLE, (ii) that it occurs as a result of increased disease activity and (iii) that fatigue is as a result of the psychosocial impact of managing the daily impact of SLE. Regardless of the underlying causative mechanism of this symptom, fatigue is identified as the most difficult and troublesome aspect of the disease. Despite its high prevalence, people with SLE report that little attention is given to fatigue during hospital or clinic visits. This oversight is thought to arise from inadequate understanding and recognition of the symptom by health professionals and a lack of medical interventions to alleviate the symptom. This chapter presents the debate on the causes of fatigue in SLE and factors that increase fatigue. It then focuses on the impact of fatigue for the person with SLE and presents research on how people with SLE describe their fatigue and its impact on daily activities with a particular emphasis on work. The final section of the chapter provides an overview on measuring fatigue and provides simple fatigue management strategies that health professionals can recommend to people with fatigue. Introduction Fatigue in SLE is described as a feeling of tiredness, a lack of energy and endurance, or extreme exhaustion (Ahn and Ramsey-Goldman, 2012). It is experienced as a sensation beyond ordinary tiredness and something that rest does not always improve (Schmeiding and Schneider, 2013). As a symptom, it is non-specific and very subjective. It is reported as having serious consequences in terms of health-care expense and impact on work ability (Norheim et al, 2011).
New Insight on Galaxy Formation and Evolution from Keck Spectroscopy of the Hawaii Deep Fields

We present the results of spectroscopic studies with the LRIS spectrograph on Keck of two of the Hawaii deep survey fields. The 393 objects observed cover an area of 26.2 square arcmin and constitute a nearly complete sample down to K = 20, I = 23, and B = 24.5. The rest-frame K-band luminosity function and its evolution with redshift are described. Comparisons are made with other optically selected (B and I) samples in the literature, and the corresponding rest-frame B-band luminosity function evolution is presented. The B-band counts near B = 24 are shown to be a mixture of normal galaxies at modest redshifts and galaxies undergoing rapid star formation, which have a wide range of masses and which are spread over the redshift interval from z = 0.2 to beyond z = 1.7. The luminosity functions, number counts, and color distributions at optical and IR wavelengths are discussed in terms of a consistent picture of the star-forming history of the galaxy sample. [OII] emission-line diagnostics or rest-frame ultra-violet--infrared color information are used in combination with rest-frame absolute K magnitudes to construct a ``fundamental plane'' in which the evolution of the global star-formation rate with redshift can be shown, and we find that the maximum rest-frame K luminosity of galaxies undergoing rapid star formation has been declining smoothly with decreasing redshift from a value near L* at z > 1. This smooth decrease in the characteristic luminosity of galaxies dominated by star formation can simultaneously account for the high B-band galaxy counts at faint magnitudes and the redshift distribution at z < 1 in both the B- and K-selected samples. Finally, the overall K-band light density evolution is discussed as a tracer of the baryonic mass in stars and compared with the rate of star formation.
Whole-genome phylogeny of Escherichia coli/Shigella group by feature frequency profiles (FFPs)

A whole-genome phylogeny of the Escherichia coli/Shigella group was constructed by using the feature frequency profile (FFP) method. This alignment-free approach uses the frequencies of l-mer features of whole genomes to infer phylogenic distances. We present two phylogenies that accentuate different aspects of E. coli/Shigella genomic evolution: (i) one based on the compositions of all possible features of length l = 24 (∼8.4 million features), which are likely to reveal the phenetic grouping and relationship among the organisms and (ii) the other based on the compositions of core features with low frequency and low variability (∼0.56 million features), which account for ∼69% of all commonly shared features among 38 taxa examined and are likely to have genome-wide lineal evolutionary signal. Shigella appears as a single clade when all possible features are used without filtering of noncore features. However, results using core features show that Shigella consists of at least two distantly related subclades, implying that the subclades evolved into a single clade because of a high degree of convergence influenced by mobile genetic elements and niche adaptation. In both FFP trees, the basal group of the E. coli/Shigella phylogeny is the B2 phylogroup, which contains primarily uropathogenic strains, suggesting that the E. coli/Shigella ancestor was likely a facultative or opportunistic pathogen. The extant commensal strains diverged relatively late and appear to be the result of reductive evolution of genomes. We also identify clade distinguishing features and their associated genomic regions within each phylogroup. Such features may provide useful information for understanding evolution of the groups and for quick diagnostic identification of each phylogroup.
Adult Jewish Learning: What Do We Know? What Do We Need to Know?

This article describes the emergence of the field of adult Jewish learning and the need for research in this burgeoning aspect of contemporary Jewish life. The authors describe the context in which the upsurge of adult Jewish learning has occurred, drawing attention to the absence of systematic data collection about programs, funding structures, or long-term impacts. They review existing research about adult Jewish learners, learning experiences, and teachers, and identify three categories (and numerous questions) for future research: (1) the purposes of adult Jewish learning; (2) adult Jewish learning settings, subject matter, and methods of instruction; and (3) underrepresented groups in adult Jewish learning programs.
Social Desirability Scales as Indicators of Self-Enhancement and Impression Management

This article presents 2 studies testing Paulhus's (2002) assumption that unconscious self-enhancement and conscious impression management represent separate processes of socially desirable responding (SDR) that can be observed within 2 content domains (egoistic and moralistic bias). In Study 1, we devised egoistic and moralistic SDR scales intended to measure self-enhancement in honest responding and impression management under demands for positive self-presentation. In Study 2, we correlated scores on these scales with external indicators of self-enhancement and impression management. In honest responding, both SDR scales most strongly correlated with self-enhancement indicators, whereas under demands for positive self-presentation they correlated more strongly with external measures of impression management.
Policy, citizenship and governance: the case of disability and employment policy in Australia

Current discussions regarding the relationship between welfare governance systems and employment promotion in disability policy appeal to a rejuvenated neo-liberal and paternalistic understanding of welfare governance. At the core of this rationality is the argument that people with disabilities not only have rights, but also duties, in relation to the State. In the Australia welfare system, policy tools are deployed to produce a form of self-discipline, whereby the State emphasises personal responsibility via assessment tools, ‘mutual obligation’ policy, and motivational strategies. Drawing on a two-year semi-longitudinal study with 80 people with a disability accessing welfare benefits, we examine how welfare governance subject recipients to strategies to produce productive citizens who are able to contribute to the national goal of maintaining competitiveness in the global economy. Participants’ interviews reveal the intended and unintended effects of this activation policy, including some acceptance of the logic of welfare-to-work and counter-hegemonic resistance to de-valued social identities.
Constraints on black hole remnants.

One possible fate of information lost to black holes is its preservation in black hole remnants. It is argued that a type of effective field theory describes such remnants (generically referred to as informons). The general structure of such a theory is investigated and the infinite pair production problem is revisited. A toy model for remnants clarifies some of the basic issues; in particular, infinite remnant production is not suppressed simply by the large internal volumes as proposed in cornucopion scenarios. Criteria for avoiding infinite production are stated in terms of couplings in the effective theory. Such instabilities remain a problem barring what would be described in that theory as a strong coupling conspiracy. The relation to Euclidean calculations of cornucopion production is sketched, and potential flaws in that analysis are outlined. However, it is quite plausible that pair production of ordinary black holes (e.g., Reissner-Noerdstrom or others) is suppressed due to strong effective couplings. It also remains an open possibility that a microsopic dynamics can be found yielding an appropriate strongly coupled effective theory of neutral informons without infinite pair production.
Overlap between autism and specific language impairment: comparison of Autism Diagnostic Interview and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores

Autism and specific language impairment (SLI) are developmental disorders that, although distinct by definition, have in common some features of both language and social behavior. The goal of this study was to further explore the extent to which specific clinical features of autism are seen in SLI. The children with the two disorders, matched for non‐verbal IQ, were compared on the Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised (ADI‐R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). In the SLI group, 41% met autism or autism spectrum cut‐offs for social or communication domains either on the ADI or ADOS or both. No relationship was found between the language deficits exhibited by the children with SLI and their scores on the ADI and ADOS. These findings contribute to evidence that there is some overlap in social and communicative deficits between autism and SLI, supporting the view that autism and SLI share etiologic factors. This continuum of pathology between SLI and autism appears to range from structural language abnormalities as seen in individuals with SLI to individuals with SLI with both structural and social abnormalities to individuals with autism with pragmatic impairment and language abnormalities.
The role of eltrombopag in the management of hepatitis C virus-related thrombocytopenia

Eltrombopag is a 2nd generation thrombopoietin-receptor agonist. It binds with the thrombopoietin-receptors found on the surfaces of the megakaryocytes & increases platelet production. Many recent studies have suggested a potential role for this novel agent in the treatment of thrombocytopenia associated with hepatitis-C infection. Studies have shown that adjunct treatment with Eltrombopag can help avoid dose reductions/withdrawals of pegylated interferon secondary to thrombocytopenia. It may also have a role in priming up platelet levels to help initiate antiviral therapy. Similarly, chronic liver disease patients with thrombocytopenia who need to undergo an invasive procedure may be potential candidates for short two-week courses of eltrombopag in the periprocedural period to help reduce the risk of bleeding. Besides the price (deemed very expensive and probably not cost-effective), there are some legitimate concerns about the safety profile of this novel agent (most importantly, portal vein thrombosis, bone marrow fibrosis and hepatotoxicity). In this article, the potential role of eltrombopag in the context of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related thrombocytopenia is reviewed. To write this article, a MEDLINE search was conducted (1990 to November 2012) using the search terms “eltrombopag,” “HCV,” and “thrombocytopenia. ”
“Deception: Moral Transgression or Social Necessity?”: Cultural-Relativity of Deception Motivations and Perceptions of Deceptive Communication

Abstract In this study, we investigate the impact of cultural identity on: (a) motivations for engaging in deceptive communication, (b) the perceived “deceptiveness” of a range of deceptive responses, and (c) the willingness to use various deception strategies. Participants from three different locations (Hong Kong, Hawai'i, and mainland United States) were provided with a questionnaire designed to assess cultural identity, motivations for deception, perceptions of the deceptiveness of a range of various deceptive messages, and the willingness to use various available deception strategies. Results indicated that higher degrees of interdependence were related to a greater overall motivation to deceive for both self- and other-benefit. Furthermore, results suggest that whereas those characterized by higher degrees of independence will tend to perceive any message that departs from the truth as highly deceptive in nature, those characterized by higher degrees of interdependence will be more likely to perceive messages that depart from truth as “not deceptive. ” Finally, the willingness to use the various deception strategies was found to be moderated by effects of the self-benefit versus other-benefit situations. Current findings provide preliminary evidence that culture is indeed a relevant factor that can no longer be ignored in future theorizing and investigation of deceptive communication phenomena.