Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuronal and extraneuronal lipofuscinosis in Merino sheep grazing Asphodelus aestivus seeds in western Turkey

Neuronal and extraneuronal lipofuscinosis was determined in Merino sheep (6 sheep and 3 heads of sheep) of 2-3 years old that had grazed on Asphodelus aestivus seeds. Clinically, the sheep exhibited tremors, paresis, oral and nasal discharge, and severe respiratory distress. Haemorrhagic necrotic tracheitis, aspiration pneumonia, and subacute enteritis were observed in 6 sheep during macroscopic examinations. The brains of the animals were of firm consistency and yellowish brown in colour. Histological examination of the central nervous system revealed that most of the cytoplasm of neurons contained yellowish brown pigment granules. Pigmentations were particularly detected in the pons, medulla oblongata, and medulla spinalis. Similar pigment granules were also found in the liver, kidneys, intestines, adrenal glands, and heart. The histochemical and electron microscopic examinations identified the pigment as lipofuscin.
Development and characterization of an injectable cement of nano calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite/multi(amino acid) copolymer/calcium sulfate hemihydrate for bone repair

A novel injectable bone cement was developed by integration of nano calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite/multi(amino acid) copolymer (n-CDHA/MAC) and calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH; CaSO4 · 1/2H2O). The structure, setting time, and compressive strength of the cement were investigated. The results showed that the cement with a liquid to powder ratio of 0.8 mL/g exhibited good injectability and appropriate setting time and mechanical properties. In vitro cell studies indicated that MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the n-CDHA/MAC/CSH composite spread well and showed a good proliferation state. The alkaline phosphatase activity of the MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the n-CDHA/MAC/CSH composite was significantly higher than that of the cells on pure CSH at 4 and 7 days of culture. The n-CDHA/MAC/CSH cement was implanted into critical size defects of the femoral condyle in rabbits to evaluate its biocompatibility and osteogenesis in vivo. Radiological and histological results indicated that introduction of the n-CDHA/MAC into CSH enhanced new bone formation, and the n-CDHA/MAC/CSH cement exhibited good biocompatibility and degradability. In conclusion, the injectable n-CDHA/MAC/CSH composite cement has a significant clinical advantage over pure CSH cement, and may be a promising bone graft substitute for the treatment of bone defects.
Long-Term Memory for Pictures

The concept of a scene schema was used to predict the kinds of information that will be remembered from complex pictures over relatively long periods of time. Recognition of eight types of transformations on both organized and unorganized pictures was tested either immediately following presentation or at intervals of a day, a week, or 4 months. Certain kinds of information in organized pictures remained virtually intact over a 4-month period, whereas other kinds disappeared completely. It was concluded that a scene schema contains an inventory of objects in a scene and their locations relative to each other, but it does not include descriptive information about the appearance of the objects or the overall spatial composition of the scene.
Adiponectin Protects Against Angiotensin II–Induced Cardiac Fibrosis Through Activation of PPAR-&agr;

Objectives—Adiponectin is recognized as an antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, and anti-inflammatory protein derived from adipocytes. However, the role of adiponectin in cardiac fibrosis remains uncertain. We herein explore the effects of adiponectin on cardiac fibrosis induced by angiotensin II (Ang II). Methods and Results—Wild-type (WT), adiponectin knockout (Adipo-KO), and PPAR-&agr; knockout (PPAR-&agr;-KO) mice were infused with Ang II at 1.2 mg/kg/d. Severe cardiac fibrosis and left ventricular dysfunction were observed in Ang II–infused Adipo-KO mice compared to WT mice. Adenovirus-mediated adiponectin treatment improved the above phenotypes and the dysregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related mRNAs in Adipo-KO mice, whereas such amelioration was not observed in PPAR-&agr;-KO mice despite adiponectin accumulation in heart tissue. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts, adiponectin improved the reduction of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and elevation of extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activity induced by Ang II. Adiponectin significantly enhanced PPAR-&agr; activity, whereas the adiponectin-dependent PPAR-&agr; activation was diminished by Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK. Conclusion—The present study suggests that adiponectin protects against Ang II–induced cardiac fibrosis possibly through AMPK-dependent PPAR-&agr; activation.
Environmental noise and cardiovascular disease: Five year review and future directions

There continues to be steady research interest in the cardiovascular effects of noise. This summary of peer-reviewed English-language publications for the period of 2003 to 2007 shows a continuing trend of increasing sophistication in study design and analytical methods, and increased emphasis on research issues such as improved characterization of noise exposure, refinement of health outcomes, multiple outcome measures, dose-response relations and the joint effects of air pollution and noise, issues deemed important in the last review presented at an ICBEN meeting (Stansfeld & Lercher 2003). Several other reviews have been published in the intervening years, and we refer the readers to those reviews here (Babisch 2003, 2004, 2006; Babisch et al. 2005; Ising & Kruppa 2004; Rabinowitz 2005). The review is structured along dimensions of outcome and exposure, with a distinction made between short-term physiological response and long-term effects. Objective and subjective blood pressure changes are discussed alongside hypertension for efficiency reasons. Adult and child studies are discussed under the same headings, and mediating factors are discussed under the different headings, when measured.
Reconciling privacy and awareness in loosely coupled collaboration

Awareness of the activities of one's collaborators is crucial for effective and efficient collaboration. In loosely coupled collaborations, particularly those distributed across time and distance, such awareness is impoverished. Interpersonal Awareness and Interactions Systems (IAIS) aim to foster awareness and overcome the impoverishment. Promoting awareness, however, is in tension with the individuals' desire for privacy. We explored how the privacy-sensitivity of IAIS can be improved by empowering the users to reconcile privacy desires with awareness needs. Our investigation started with Instant Messaging (IM) as a representative case of IAIS and expanded to a corporate awareness application that incorporates multiple aspects of awareness. Finally, we engaged in a field study of a large, geographically distributed software development project to broaden our scope to the entire ecology of IAIS utilized in loosely coupled collaboration. We show that the desire for impression management is an underlying cause of the desire for privacy in technology-mediated interpersonal interactions – both directly as well as indirectly via a causal link with the desire for visibility (to oneself) of one's IAIS-projected impression. We also provide a framework that describes how privacy management in loosely coupled collaboration operates. The framework lists important situational characteristics (viz., issues, relationships, temporality, technology, and space) and interpretive influences (viz., self, team, site, organization, and cultural environment) that are grounded in our data. Further, we identify differences in interpersonal privacy concerns among collaborators in the U.S. and India and describe five factors that lead to the observed differences: physical characteristics of the workplace, nature of interpersonal relationships, conceptualization of privacy, intra-team competition, and management style and hierarchy. The research generated several design suggestions for improving the reconciliation of privacy and awareness in IAIS. We describe the prototype we implemented to demonstrate the designs. Specifically, the prototype adds the functionalities of notice, negotiation, control over conversation archives, expiration of contacts, encryption of channels and archives, visualization of collective activities, and group-level preference specification. Users concur that our enhancements provide improved support for privacy management.
Self-Assessment of Hearing Disabilities in Cochlear Implant Users Using the SSQ and the Reduced SSQ5 Version

Objectives Routine clinical assessment to evaluate the hearing performance in a cochlear implant (CI) population should include individual self-assessment tools. Because of pragmatic and psychometric considerations, there’s a growing need for reduced self-assessment questionnaires. The aim of the study is twofold. First, the study aims to ascertain a disability profile, using the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), in a CI population and to compare this profile with a hearing impaired group with similar average hearing thresholds. The second aim of the study is to investigate the degree of agreement between the total SSQ scores and the total scores of the reduced 5-item version of the SSQ, namely, the SSQ5. Methods and Subjects This cross-sectional study uses the SSQ obtained from CI patients from the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department of the Antwerp University Hospital. Fifty-four postlingually deaf CI patients completed the SSQ questionnaire. All subjects were implanted with a CI at an average age of 55 years. At the time they completed the questionnaire, they had, on average, 3 (SD, 3) years of CI experience. To determine the disability profile in a CI population, the following criteria were assayed: standard values, internal consistency, sensitivity, and floor (or ceiling) effects of the SSQ. These criteria were compared with those of a hearing-impaired group (n = 153) reported in the original study. Second, Spearman correlations coefficients and intraclass correlations coefficients (ICCs) were used to determine the degree of agreement between the total SSQ scores and the total SSQ5 scores. Results Analysis of internal consistency, sensitivity, and floor and ceiling effects showed that self-assessment using the SSQ is feasible in a CI population. The obtained disability profile presents a mean total SSQ C I group of 4:25 ( S D = 1:65). When comparing item results, significant differences were found between CI users and moderate hearing-impaired patients (SSQ hearing impaired group = 5.5; S D1:9). Intraclass correlation (ICC = 0.78; p < 0.01) and Spearman correlations coefficients (R = 0.77; p < 0.01) indicate a significantly high degree of agreement between the total SSQ scores and the total SSQ5 scores. Conclusion This article shows the disability profile in a CI population, using SSQ. Significant differences regarding dynamic aspects of hearing between CI users and moderate hearing-impaired patients were found, to the detriment of the CI users. The static aspects of hearing represented in the Speech section, on the other hand, showed more similarities. The reduced 5-item version of the SSQ, namely, the SSQ5, is robust to effectively measure evolutions in hearing (dis)abilities in CI users.
Dewey and Standardization: A Philosophical Look at the Implications for Social Studies

The work of John Dewey and his beliefs regarding student-centered learning are discussed in an effort to analyze the standardization of public education with a focus on social studies instruction. Using the Virginia Standards of Learning as a model, state standards are critiqued using Dewey’s views on habits and choice regarding teaching and learning. These discussions fit within Dewey’s broader view that historically situates schools as an integral part of perpetuating a democratic society by providing the necessary skills that citizenship requires. As a discipline aimed at shaping future citizens by relying on critical thinking and public deliberation of issues, social studies provides an ideal medium to compare the practices of standardization to that of student-centered instruction.
Biosynthesis and secretion of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor and its ligands in polarized Caco-2 cells.

We have analyzed the transport of newly synthesized mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P)-bearing proteins (i.e., lysosomal enzymes) in the polarized human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, Caco-2, by subjecting filter-grown cells to a pulse-chase labeling protocol using [(35)S]methionine, and the resulting cell lysate, apical medium, and basolateral medium were immunoprecipitated with insulin-like growth factor II/Man-6-P receptor (IGF-II/MPR)-specific antisera. The results showed that the majority of secreted lysosomal enzymes accumulated in the apical medium at >2 h of chase and that this polarized distribution was facilitated by the IGF-II/MPR selectively endocytosing lysosomal enzymes from the basolateral surface. Treatment with various agents known to affect vesicular transport events demonstrated that incubations at 16 degrees C or incubations with brefeldin A inhibited the secretion of lysosomal enzymes from both the apical and basolateral surface, whereas treatment with nocodazole selectively blocked apical secretion. In contrast, incubation with NH4Cl or nocodazole had a stimulatory effect on basolateral secretion. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the sorting of Man-6-P-containing proteins into the apical and basolateral secretory pathways is regulated by distinct components of the intracellular trafficking machinery.
Parental responses to health care services for children with chronic conditions and their families: a comparison between Hong Kong and Scotland

Families caring for a chronically-ill child are known to experience a significant degree of stress that often is not fully understood by health professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine, cross culturally, the experience of families caring for children with chronic conditions both in terms of the impact on their lives and the nature of the support received. The responsibility of caring for a child with a chronic condition had considerable impact on family life in both groups, with the disturbance to harmony possibly being felt more keenly in the Hong Kong group. Effective communication with parents was seen in both countries as key for effective practice. Expectations of health services differed between cultures. Implications can be drawn for the design of future health services addressing the specific health needs of families with children with chronic illness.
Predictors of pregnancy outcome for infertile couples attending IVF and ICSI programmes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictors of pregnancy outcome for infertile couples attending in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) programmes. Infertile couples attending IVF or ICSI procedures were included in this study. Related data including semen parameters and male and female age and body mass index were collected and analysed. The main outcome was clinical pregnancy, defined as an ultrasound detection of foetal heartbeat 6 weeks after embryo transfer. A total of 1316 couples who underwent IVF and 266 who underwent ICSI were recruited for this study. A multivariate logistic regression with likelihood ratio test revealed the following predictors of pregnancy outcome: female age and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and acrosomal activity in IVF procedures (chi‐square of likelihood ratio = 26.42, d.f. = 3, P < 0.005) and female age and DFI in ICSI procedures (chi‐square of likelihood ratio = 18.88, d.f. = 2, P < 0.005). In conclusion, our study indicated that sperm DFI, female age and acrosomal levels have a significant effect on ART pregnancy outcome.
Developing School-Based BMI Screening and Parent Notification Programs: Findings From Focus Groups With Parents of Elementary School Students

School-based body mass index (BMI) screening and parent notification programs have been advanced as an obesity prevention strategy. However, little is known about how to develop and implement programs. This qualitative study explored the opinions and beliefs of parents of elementary school students concerning school-based BMI screening programs, notification methods, message content, and health information needs related to promoting healthy weight for school-aged children. Ten focus groups were conducted with 71 participants. Parents were generally supportive of school-based BMI screening. However, they wanted assurance that student privacy and respect would be maintained during measurement and that BMI results would be provided to parents in a neutral manner that avoided weight labeling. They also believed that aggregate results should be disseminated to the larger school community to support healthy change in the nutrition and physical activity environments of schools. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.
Familiy Transitions and Risk Attitude

We use the German Socio Economic Panel to analyze the impact of life changing events on individuals’ risk tolerance levels over time, which is reported in response to a question on individuals’ willingness to take risks. The dataset follows a representative sample of the German population. We find substantial changes in risk attitudes over time with respect to getting married or separating from a partner, giving birth to a child for the first time, and providing care to a family member. Furthermore, we find that these effects are associated with household structure. In particular, we observe that the risk tolerance of individuals that are referred as the head of household demonstrates more extreme changes associated with life events while having children moderates the changes associated with the dissolution of households.
The Impact of leadership styles on corruption in the Libyan Police Force

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between corruption and leadership styles in the police force. In this article data were collected by questionnaires from a total of 384 police members in Libya. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire MLQ-5 was used to investigate the police force‘s perception of corrupt practices committed by some of their colleagues in Libya. Quantitative analyses were performed to establish the transformational leadership practices of Libyan police force and the relationship between transformational leadership and the police corruption. Regression and correlational tests were used to analyze the responses collected from the surveys done. This article found that there are three dimensions of leadership styles which have a significant relationship with police corruption. They are idealized influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation which have a significant positive relationship with police corruption. However, attributed charisma, idealistically influencing and stimulated intellect do not contribute to police corruption. Thus, effort should be made to oversee the influence, motivation and intellectual stimulation to prevent corruption in Libyan Police Force.
Reactive oxygen species promote ovarian cancer progression via the HIF-1α/LOX/E-cadherin pathway

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can drive the de-differentiation of tumor cells leading to the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to enhance invasion and metastasis. The invasive and metastatic phenotype of malignant cells is often linked to loss of E-cadherin expression, a hallmark of EMT. Recent studies have demonstrated that hypoxic exposure causes HIF-1-dependent repression of E-cadherin. However, the mechanism by which ROS and/or HIF suppresses E-cadherin expression remains less clear. In the present study, we found that ROS accumulation in ovarian carcinoma cells upregulated HIF-1α expression and subsequent transcriptional induction of lysyl oxidase (LOX) which repressed E-cadherin. Loss of E-cadherin facilitated ovarian cancer (OC) cell migration in vitro and promoted tumor growth in vivo. E-cadherin immunoreactivity correlated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, tumor differentiation and metastasis. Negative E-cadherin expression along with FIGO stage, tumor differentiation and metastasis significantly predicted for a lower 5-year survival rate. These findings suggest that ROS play an important role in the initiation of metastatic growth of OC cells and support a molecular pathway from ROS to aggressive transformation which involves upregulation of HIF-1α and its downstream target LOX to suppress E-cadherin expression leading to an increase in cell motility and invasiveness.
Leading by Example

The present study examined the effect of field supervisor behavior modeling on patrol officer use of unassigned patrol time. Specifically, the study explored whether field supervisor engagement in proactive stops and checks resulted in an increased frequency of proactive stops and checks among patrol officers. Hierarchical analyses of computer-aided dispatch data from two municipal police departments were conducted with 320 shifts and 1,385 individual patrol officer tours of duty. After controlling for call for service workload, shift, agency, and officer demographic characteristics, the findings suggested that when field supervisors engage in proactive investigative activities, the volume of proactive activity by patrol officers approximately doubles. The policy implications and limitations of this study are then discussed.
An electrically actuated liquid-metal switch with metastable switching states

An electrically actuated direct-contact RF shunt switch implemented with the nontoxic liquid metal Galinstan is presented. The Galinstan is actuated with a 5-VDC signal that induces electrocapillary action. Local surface-energy wells facilitate metastable locking of the Galinstan, thus achieving ON/OFF locking without requiring a continuous applied bias voltage. The switch operates from DC to 11.2 GHz with greater than 10 dB isolation and has less than 3 dB insertion loss from DC to 6.7 GHz.
The Transformation of the Hong Kong Legislative Council 1970-1994: From Consensus to Confrontation

Over the past ten years, the Legislative Council has changed from a wholly appointed body subservient to the executive into an obstreperous assembly with an elected majority where government proposals are frequently defeated. This article examines the behaviour of legislators in the period before 1985, during the years 1985 to 1991 when elected members were in a minority, and in the most recent period following the 1991 elections. The rules and procedures used by the colonial administration to control the legislature in the past, and the extent to which they still remain effective in limiting its power, are discussed. In all other colonies at a similar stage of constitutional development, Britain appointed elected members to the Executive Council, but this has not been done in Hong Kong because of objections from China.
Organic Carbamates in Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry

The carbamate group is a key structural motif in many approved drugs and prodrugs. There is an increasing use of carbamates in medicinal chemistry and many derivatives are specifically designed to make drug–target interactions through their carbamate moiety. In this Perspective, we present properties and stabilities of carbamates, reagents and chemical methodologies for the synthesis of carbamates, and recent applications of carbamates in drug design and medicinal chemistry.