Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PDGF-D inhibition by CR002 ameliorates tubulointerstitial fibrosis following experimental glomerulonephritis.

BACKGROUND Arresting or regressing kidney scarring is of major clinical relevance. Platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGF-D) is widely expressed in fibrotic kidneys. Administration of the PDGF-D neutralizing fully human monoclonal antibody CR002 in the acute phase of progressive anti-Thy 1.1 glomerulonephritis reduced glomerular and secondary tubulointerstitial damage. METHODS Using this model, we now assessed the effects of CR002 (n=15) vs irrelevant control IgG (n=17) administered on days 17, 28 and 35 after disease induction, i.e. after acute glomerular damage had subsided. RESULTS In vitro, CR002 inhibited the PDGF-D- but not the PDGF-B-induced proliferation of rat renal fibroblasts. Following the first CR002 injection on day 17, exposure to therapeutic levels was maintained until day 49. Proteinuria in the CR002-treated group was transiently reduced between days 49 and 77 (-19 to -23% in comparison with the controls; P<0.05). On day 100, CR002 treatment reduced the number of rats that had doubled their serum creatinine (CR002: 40 vs controls: 71%; P<0.05). Compared with controls, the CR002 animals, on day 100, significantly lowered glomerular expression of vimentin and collagens as well as tubulointerstitial damage scores, interstitial fibrosis, vimentin and cortical PDGF-D mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS PDGF-D antagonism, even after the phase of acute glomerular damage, exerts beneficial effects on the course of tubulointerstitial damage, i.e. the final common pathway of most renal diseases.
The ageing body and the homespace

Summary In this paper, findings are presented from a qualitative study of older people's lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, to examine the place of the body in everyday meanings and constructions of ageing. Focusing on the home, we show how notions about gendered as well as ageing bodies affect the use and meaning of space.
Social Psychology in an Ageing World: Ageism and Intergenerational Relations

In many countries, individuals are living longer and the population is ageing. The advent of ageing societies will lead to various social changes, reconstruct beliefs about ageing, and affect the life-style of individuals. One of the challenges of ageing societies for social psychology is the undertaking of research that is more gerontologically sensitive. The paper reviews studies on attitudes and stereotypes towards older adults, as well as intergenerational conflict and communication. In doing so it highlights the roles of social communicative, intergroup and power processes, and concludes with the call for a life-span approach to theoretical development.
The Daily Report Card: A Simplified And Flexible Package For Classroom Behavior Management.

There is a growing need for rapid low cost, and proven behavior management techniques for classroom teachers. Often, an uncomplicated system of feedback to pupils at frequent intervals, backed by reinforcers delivered at home by cooperating parents, is sufficient to decrease problem behavior and accelerate homework and classwork completion. The present paper presents a system consisting of report cards, instructions for students, parents, and teachers, which is designed to accomplish these objectives. One application of the daily report card in a regular fourth-grade classroom will be presented. In this case, a behavior problem (talkouts), and homework assignment completion were targeted and recorded during a baseline period, and then sequentially remediated using a multiple baseline design. The results indicated rapid improvement with a minimum of teacher time and effort. The use of the card with various problem behaviors in classrooms is discussed as a valuable consultation tool for school intervention.
Noninvasive assessment of cardiac parasympathetic function: postexercise heart rate recovery or heart rate variability?

postexercise heart rate (HR) recovery (HRR) and HR variability (HRV) are commonly used in noninvasive assessment procedures for the determination of cardiovascular parasympathetic function ([3][1], [8][2], [9][3], [15][4], [20][5]). Evaluation of cardiovascular parasympathetic function is important
Can Research Methods Ever Be Interesting?

This article reflects upon a process of curriculum redesign undertaken with an aim to improve the student learning experience of research methods via an activity-based approach. Historically, the way in which research methods were being taught within Southampton Business School did not fully engage student interest, and it was not well applied to further study of the subsequent modules including the dissertation. The article discusses the changes that were made to the module, which led to a developmental and experiential programme. The learners appear to be better prepared for their subsequent research and indicate that this approach better facilitated their understanding of the subject. Future developments will include collecting more empirical evidence to support the offering of this activity-based approach throughout the Southampton Business School.
Inter-racial Contact and the Own-race Bias for Face Recognition in South Africa and England

SUMMARY Own-race bias, where people are more accurate recognizing faces of people from their own race than other races, can lead to misidentification and, in some cases, innocent people being convicted. This bias was explored in South Africa and England, using Black and White participants. People were shown several photographs of Black and White faces and were later asked if they had seen these faces (and several fillers). In addition, participants were given a questionnaire about inter-racial contact. Cross-race identification accuracy for Black participants was positively correlated with selfreported inter-racial contact. The confidence–accuracy relationship was strongest when making own-race judgements. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
National Estimates of Reductions in Acute Gastroenteritis–Related Hospitalizations and Associated Costs in US Children After Implementation of Rotavirus Vaccines

We compared acute gastroenteritis (AGE)-related hospitalization rates among children <5 years of age during the pre-rotavirus vaccine (2000-2006) and post-rotavirus vaccine (2008-2013) periods to estimate national reductions in AGE-related hospitalizations and associated costs. We estimate that between 2008 and 2013, AGE-related hospitalizations declined by 382000, and $1.228 billion in medical costs were averted.
Stakeholder Perceptions of Potential Flagship Species for the Sacred Groves of the North Western Ghats, India

Flagship species are often key in marketing ecotourism. Such flagships, however, are frequently perceived differently by local communities and tourists, which could undermine the function of flagships in conservation. This article investigated the differences between locals' and tourists' perceptions about potential bird and tree flagships in sacred groves in the north Western Ghats, India, by surveying 154 villagers and 148 tourists. Tourists generally appreciated aesthetic value, but villagers had species-specific views that incorporate use, cultural, and aesthetic values of these species. The results imply that the views of tourists potentially complement the existing values of these species for villagers by promoting ecotourism. Our results suggest the importance of considering both tourists' and locals' perspectives if conservationists aim to promote ecotourism using flagships, and if they are to harness the support of local communities and strive for both biological and social sustainability.
Religious Involvement, Conventional Christian, and Unconventional Nonmaterialist Beliefs

This article uses a Scottish national sample to examine the relationship between church involvement, religious socialization among nonattenders, orthodox Christian beliefs, and a variety of unconventional nonmaterialist beliefs. Greater conventional religious belief is strongly associated with supposed alternatives but nonetheless, nonattenders are more likely to believe in the unconventional over and above any enduring sympathy they may hold for Christian doctrine. One group in particular stands out: belief remains high among nonattenders who once went to services regularly and seriously contemplate reengaging with organized religion. The article discusses the importance of these findings for “believing but not belonging. ”
The Psychological Meaning of Words: LIWC and Computerized Text Analysis Methods

We are in the midst of a technological revolution whereby, for the first time, researchers can link daily word use to a broad array of real-world behaviors. This article reviews several computerized text analysis methods and describes how Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was created and validated. LIWC is a transparent text analysis program that counts words in psychologically meaningful categories. Empirical results using LIWC demonstrate its ability to detect meaning in a wide variety of experimental settings, including to show attentional focus, emotionality, social relationships, thinking styles, and individual differences.
An Integrated Computational Approach to Rationalize the Activity of Non-Zinc-Binding MMP-2 Inhibitors

Matrix metalloproteinases are a family of Zn-proteases involved in tissue remodeling and in many pathological conditions. Among them MMP-2 is one of the most relevant target in anticancer therapy. Commonly, MMP inhibitors contain a functional group able to bind the zinc ion and responsible for undesired side effects. The discovery of potent and selective MMP inhibitors not bearing a zinc-binding group is arising for some MMP family members and represents a new opportunity to find selective and non toxic inhibitors. In this work we attempted to get more insight on the inhibition process of MMP-2 by two non-zinc-binding inhibitors, applying a general protocol that combines several computational tools (docking, Molecular Dynamics and Quantum Chemical calculations), that all together contribute to rationalize experimental inhibition data. Molecular Dynamics studies showed both structural and mechanical-dynamical effects produced by the ligands not disclosed by docking analysis. Thermodynamic Integration provided relative binding free energies consistent with experimentally observed activity data. Quantum Chemical calculations of the tautomeric equilibrium involving the most active ligand completed the picture of the binding process. Our study highlights the crucial role of the specificity loop and suggests that enthalpic effect predominates over the entropic one.
Oral Uptake of Chlamydia psittaci by Ducklings Results in Systemic Dissemination

Enteric infections caused by Chlamydia (C.) psittaci are frequent in ducks, but mostly remain subclinical under field conditions. To emulate natural infection, we investigated the pathogenic potential of a C. psittaci field strain in orally inoculated 4-day-old ducklings. Three different challenge doses were tested and seven contact animals were also mock-inoculated with buffer in each group. Over the course of ten days, the birds were monitored for clinical symptoms and chlamydial dissemination before final examination of tissues using histopathology and immunohistochemistry. While the challenge strain disseminated systemically to all internal organs, mild signs of diarrhea were confined to ducklings inoculated with the highest dose (4.3 x 108 IFU/mL, Group 1). No other clinical symptoms or histopathological lesions were seen. The chlamydial load in internal organs as measured by PCR depended on the challenge dose and was unevenly distributed, i.e. high loads in spleen, liver, and distal small and large intestinal tract (ileum, cecum and rectum) vs. ten times lower values in lungs and proximal small intestinal tract (duodenum and jejunum). Notably, the C. psittaci infection of contact birds became evident on day 10 post-infection, with bacterial loads comparable to those of experimentally-infected animals, thus suggesting rapid bird-to-bird transmission of the challenge strain.
Board involvement in strategy : advancing the governance of sport organizations

This study investigated how boards of national sport organizations might enhance their strategic capability. Utilizing an action research method and focusing on the case of New Zealand Football (soccer), findings established that greater board involvement in strategy advanced the board's ability to perform its strategic function. Further findings determined the importance of shared leadership between the board and the CEO, the complex interplay in balancing this relationship and the need to integrate strategy into board processes.
Faith, gender and development agendas in Nigeria: conflicts, challenges, and opportunities

Religion is a dominant force in private and public life in most developing countries. Based on fieldwork in Nigeria, where Christianity and Islam are the two major religions, this article looks at ways in which religion interplays with development and gender equality, and what this means for development policy and practice. First, it explores conflicts and challenges, looking at how religious and indigenous customary values converge as powerful influences, affecting all areas of women's lives. The article goes on to examine the impact of these influences on individual women's choices and aspirations in the context of Nigerian development policy on gender equality. Against this backdrop, it highlights opportunities that can stem from religion, pointing to the ways in which Nigerian faith-based women's organisations are beginning to use religion as a basis for challenging male bias and promoting holistic development.
Consumer knowledge and its consequences: an international comparison

By far the theories of consumer knowledge are mainly estimated in the western countries. It is important and necessary to assess theory generalizability and model equivalence across different culture contexts. This paper intends to gain a preliminary understanding of the relationship between two consumer knowledge components and four product-related task performances, with a focus on the influences of two psycho-linguistic differences in cognition. Based on the results of our empirically multi-group comparison of Chinese and French wine consumers, we find that consumer knowledge is a multidimensional construct in both cultural contexts. It appears that psycho-linguistic differences largely affect the consumption task performance. Consequently different consumer knowledge components play different roles in consumption tasks and lead wine consumers to employ dissimilar information processing strategies in various cultural contexts.
Abscisic acid-dependent and -independent expression of the carrot late-embryogenesis-abundant-class gene Dc3 in transgenic tobacco seedlings

We studied the expression of three promoter 5' deletion constructs (-218, -599, and -1312) of the LEA (late embryogenesis abundant)-class gene Dc3 fused to beta-glucuronidase (GUS), where each construct value refers to the number of base pairs upstream of the transcription start site at which the deletion occurred. The Dc3 gene is noted for its induction by abscisic acid (ABA), but its response to other plant hormones and various environmental stresses has not been reported previously for vegetative cells. Fourteen-day-old transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) seedlings were exposed to dehydration, hypoxia, salinity, exogenous ethylene, or exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJa). GUS activity was quantified fluorimetrically and expression was observed by histochemical staining of the seedlings. An increase in GUS activity was observed in plants with constructs -599 and -1312 in response to dehydration and salinity within 6 h of stress, and at 12 h in response to hypoxia. No increase in endogenous ABA was found in any of the three lines, even after 72 h of hypoxia. An ABA-independent increase in GUS activity was observed when endogenous ABA biosynthesis was blocked by fluridone and plants were exposed to 5 &mgr;L L-1 ethylene in air or 100 &mgr;M MeJa. Virtually no expression was observed in construct -218 in response to dehydration, salinity, or MeJa, but there was a moderate response to ethylene and hypoxia. This suggests that the region between -218 and -599 is necessary for ABA (dehydration and salinity)- and MeJa-dependent expression, whereas ethylene-mediated expression does not require this region of the promoter.
The Importance of Family Involvement for Promoting Self-Determination in Adolescents with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Self-determination has recently become an important concept in special education and disability services. The concept of self-determination is defined and component skills delineated. Some of the component skills of self-determination may pose particular challenges to people with autism and other developmental disabilities due to the difficulties in communication skills and social relationships experienced by many people in this population. Family involvement is an important variable affecting the development and expression of self-determination in people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Strategies to promote and support parental involvement in self-determination instruction are discussed.
The structure of positive alcohol expectancies in alcohol-dependent inpatients

Alcohol expectancies, i.e. the immediate effects of alcohol anticipated by an individual, have been shown to predict initiation of drinking during adolescence as well as transition from nonproblem to problem drinking. Moreover, cross-sectional studies have revealed that alcohol expectancies are related to both frequency and quantity of alcohol use. However, research has focused almost exclusively on nonclinical samples. While numerous studies have examined alcohol expectancies in college samples, little is known about the expectancies of alcohol-dependent individuals. The present study aimed to expand the research on alcohol expectancies by establishing the factor structure of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ), the most frequently used expectancy scale, in a large sample of alcoholism treatment clients (N = 685). Furthermore, gender differences and the relationship between expectancies and alcohol consumption were examined. Exploratory factor analysis identified two dimensions of alcohol expectancies. Factor one represented alcohol expectancies regarding social assertiveness, self-confidence, and mood management. With two exceptions all items loading on the second factor described alcohol-induced enhancement of sexual feelings. Comparing the findings of the present study with the results of previous expectancy research based on the responses of college students and other nonclinical samples revealed that these factors appear to be relatively uniform across studies. However, item statistics suggested that the structure derived from factor analysis may have been influenced by rate of endorsement. Women scored lower on factor one and the total score than men. Inclusion of the total score in regression analysis added to the prediction of alcohol consumption. The present results suggest that the findings of previous research should be interpreted with caution, since AEQ scores are not comparable across groups.
Iodine increases and predicts incidence of thyroiditis in NOD mice: Histopathological and ultrastructural study

Prolonged intake of large amounts of iodine has been reported to increase the incidence of hypothyroidism in humans, as well as in animals which are prone to spontaneously developing autoimmune thyroiditis. We sought to investigate the histopathological consequences of large amounts of dietary iodine on the thyroid gland and observe the occurrence of lymphocytic infiltration associated with the time of exposure to iodine. An experimental model using non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice was analyzed. A potassium iodide intake of 0.2 mg/animal/day was administered via drinking water, in experimental groups of 60 and 90 days (EG60 and EG90). Distended rough endoplasmic reticulum, degenerated mitochondria, debris and amorphous spaces or ‘ill-defined’ spaces were observed with electron microscopy (EM). Lymphocyte infiltration was observed in the two groups and the time of exposure to iodine did not increase the appearance of lymphocyte infiltration but significantly associated with the development of necrosis. The results of the present study demonstrated that the NOD mouse is a feasible experimental model for thyroiditis induced by iodine administration and may represent an opportunity to analyze the steps and factors associated with genetic autoimmune thyroiditis. High doses of ingested iodine were observed to precdict and increase the incidence of the thyroiditis process.
Differential Modulation of SERCA 2 Isoforms by Calreticulin

In Xenopus laevis oocytes, overexpression of calreticulin suppresses inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphateinduced Ca 2 1 oscillations in a manner consistent with inhibition of Ca 2 1 uptake into the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we report that the alternatively spliced isoforms of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca 2 1 -ATPase (SERCA)2 gene display differential Ca 2 1 wave properties and sensitivity to modulation by calreticulin. We demonstrate by glucosidase inhibition and site-directed mutagenesis that a putative glycosylated residue (N1036) in SERCA2b is critical in determining both the selective targeting of calreticulin to SERCA2b and isoform functional differences. Calreticulin belongs to a novel class of lectin ER chaperones that modulate immature protein folding. In addition to this role, we suggest that these chaperones dynamically modulate the conformation of mature glycoproteins, thereby affect-
Nonhuman Primate Positron Emission Tomography Neuroimaging in Drug Abuse Research

Positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging in nonhuman primates has led to significant advances in our current understanding of the neurobiology and treatment of stimulant addiction in humans. PET neuroimaging has defined the in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of abused drugs and related these findings to the time course of behavioral effects associated with their addictive properties. With novel radiotracers and enhanced resolution, PET neuroimaging techniques have also characterized in vivo drug interactions with specific protein targets in the brain, including neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. In vivo determinations of cerebral blood flow and metabolism have localized brain circuits implicated in the effects of abused drugs and drug-associated stimuli. Moreover, determinations of the predisposing factors to chronic drug use and long-term neurobiological consequences of chronic drug use, such as potential neurotoxicity, have led to novel insights regarding the pathology and treatment of drug addiction. However, similar approaches clearly need to be extended to drug classes other than stimulants. Although dopaminergic systems have been extensively studied, other neurotransmitter systems known to play a critical role in the pharmacological effects of abused drugs have been largely ignored in nonhuman primate PET neuroimaging. Finally, the study of brain activation with PET neuroimaging has been replaced in humans mostly by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). There has been some success in implementing pharmacological fMRI in awake nonhuman primates. Nevertheless, the unique versatility of PET imaging will continue to complement the systems-level strengths of fMRI, especially in the context of nonhuman primate drug abuse research.