Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VIDAS Test for Avidity of Toxoplasma-Specific Immunoglobulin G for Confirmatory Testing of Pregnant Women

ABSTRACT Because congenital toxoplasmosis is almost solely the result of maternal infection acquired during gestation, it is critical to determine whether infection during pregnancy has occurred. In the United States, definitive diagnosis of the acute infection and the time of its occurrence have been compromised by a lack of systematic screening and the fact that only a single serum sample is submitted for testing. In studies in Europe, and depending on the method used, the demonstration of high-avidity immunoglobulin G (IgG) toxoplasma antibodies has been shown to exclude infection having occurred in the first 3 to 5 months of pregnancy. We investigated the usefulness of determining the avidity of IgG toxoplasma antibodies with a VIDAS kit (herein referred to as the VIDAS Toxo-IgG avidity kit, the VIDAS kit essentially rules out acute infection having occurred within the 4 prior months) in the setting of a reference serology laboratory in the United States. Sera (132 samples) from 132 women in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy were chosen because at least one test in the toxoplasma serological profile (TSP) suggested or was equivocal for a recently acquired infection. High-avidity antibodies were demonstrated in 75% of 99 sera positive with the IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and 31.3% of 16 sera with acute TSP results. A significant percentage of sera with equivocal results wtih the IgM ELISA or TSP also had high-avidity test results. Of 39 women for whom treatment with spiramycin had been suggested to attempt to prevent congenital transmission, 19 (48.7%) had high-avidity antibodies. These findings highlight the value of the VIDAS IgG avidity kit when used in combination with the TSP to exclude recent infection, especially when only a single serum sample is available.
[Homosexuality and psychoanalysis].

The solution to get this book is that we don't over you the free book. But, we offer you the free information about homosexuality and psychoanalysis. Why should be this book to read and where is the place to get it, even the soft file forms are common questions to utter. In this website, we don't only provide this book. We have still lots of books to read. Yeah, we are on-line library that is always full of recommended books.
Making Learning and Web 2.0 Technologies Work for Higher Learning Institutions in Africa.

Purpose – This paper seeks to assess the extent to which learning and Web 2.0 technologies are utilised to support learning and teaching in Africa's higher learning institutions, with a specific focus on Tanzania's public universities.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of content analysis and semi‐structured interviews was used to collect data. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with ICT personnel from six of the eight public universities in Tanzania in 2011.Findings – The study found that the adoption of e‐learning and Web 2.0 technologies is still in its infancy in Tanzania's public universities. However, there was much enthusiasm amongst respondents for developing the potential of e‐learning and Web 2.0 tools in their universities.Practical implications – The study seeks to promote academic inquiry about the need for innovative Web 2.0 technologies in learning and teaching and the adoption of these emerging technologies in Africa's higher learning institutions.Originality/value – The st.
A matter of time: Temporal influences on Engagement of First Year University Students

This paper confirms the influence of temporal orientation on student engagement as investigated in a survey of first year university students at a multi-campus institution in Australia. The study considered inter-relationships between five temporal orientations (Future, Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Hedonistic and Present Fatalistic) and three measures of student engagement (Academic Orientation, Academic Application and use of Deep Approaches to study). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the five temporal factors were able to explain between 13% and 34% of the variance of the student engagement measures. Future was an important predictor of engagement for traditional and mature age students, though the influence was tempered by different variables in the case of traditional and mature age students. We propose that developing students' temporal orientations is a new dimension to approaches in enhancing student engagement.
Expectational coordination failures and Market outcomes' volatility

The first part of this text reviews the standard economic viewpoint on expectational coordination, a viewpoint that the recent events have challenged. The second part reviews different existing directions assessments of the rational expectations hypothesis that have been made to-date. The third part shows how such a critical assessment, along the lines of the so-called "eductive" learning approach, radically modifies our view of three key problems : the economic role of speculation, the informational efficiency of markets and, last but not least, the ability of agents with long horizon to anticipate the future. The fourth part stresses what has been achieved so far well as the future challenges of the approaches advocated in this paper.
Networked control under time-synchronization errors

A robust controller is derived for networked control systems with uncertain plant dynamics. The link between the nodes is disturbed by time-varying communication delays, samplings and time-synchronization. A stability criterion for a robust control is presented in terms of LMIs based on Lyapunov-Krasovskii techniques. A second-order system example is considered and the relation between the admissive bounds of the synchronization error and the size of the uncertainties is computed.
Climate Change and Sustainable Development Series Editor: Carlo Carraro Brown Sunsets and Green Dawns in the Industrial Sector: Environmental Innovations, Firm Behavior and the European Emission Trading

We study the driving forces behind the adoption of environmental innovations (EI) in the Italian industry over 2006-2008 through analyses of the new wave of Community Innovation Survey (CIS) data that covered for the rst time environmental innovation adoptions. We investigate whether the rst phase of EU ETS has exerted some e¤ects on environmental innovations by using a bery large sample of italian manufcturing rms. Estimates show that external forces and complementarity with other management practices are particularly relevant to increase the adoption of relatively new and radical technologies: relationships with other rms and institutions, local public funding, group membership are the key factors. The role of ETS on EI seems instead to be weak: it drives The authors would like to thank seminar participants at the International Workshop on Evaluating Innovation Policy: Methods and Applications (EUNIP, 5-6/5/2011, Florence), at the SIEP (Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica, Pavia, 19-20/9/2011), the SIE (Società Italiana degli Economisti, Rome, 14-15/10/2011) and the 2011 Conference of the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEPE, Vienna, 27-30/10/2011). The usual disclaimer applies. Corresponding author: Simone Borghesi, Faculty of Political Science, Department of Law, Economics and Government, University of Siena, via Mattioli 10, 53100 Siena, Italy. E-mail: simone.borghesi@unisi.it.
Show, Reward and Tell: Automatic Generation of Narrative Paragraph From Photo Stream by Adversarial Training

Impressive image captioning results (i.e., an objective description for an image) are achieved with plenty of training pairs. In this paper, we take one step further to investigate the creation of narrative paragraph for a photo stream. This task is even more challenging due to the difficulty in modeling an ordered photo sequence and in generating a relevant paragraph with expressive language style for storytelling. The difficulty can even be exacerbated by the limited training data, so that existing approaches almost focus on search-based solutions. To deal with these challenges, we propose a sequence-to-sequence modeling approach with reinforcement learning and adversarial training. First, to model the ordered photo stream, we propose a hierarchical recurrent neural network as story generator, which is optimized by reinforcement learning with rewards. Second, to generate relevant and story-style paragraphs, we design the rewards with two critic networks, including a multi-modal and a language-style discriminator. Third, we further consider the story generator and reward critics as adversaries. The generator aims to create indistinguishable paragraphs to human-level stories, whereas the critics aim at distinguishing them and further improving the generator by policy gradient. Experiments on three widely-used datasets show the effectiveness, against state-of-the-art methods with relative increase of 20.2% by METEOR. We also show the subjective preference for the proposed approach over the baselines through a user study with 30 human subjects.
The impacts of recent tax legislation on dividend policy and investment

The Impacts of Recent Tax Legislation on Dividend Policy and Investment. (May 2007) George Ryan Huston, B.B.A.; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Michael Kinney This dissertation examines firms’ reactions to two changes in tax law intended to increase dividend payout and capital investment, the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act (JCWAA) of 2002 and the Jobs Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA) of 2003. Chapter IV assesses whether firms assuage agency conflicts between management and shareholders created by changes in individual-level taxes on dividends, focusing on the impact of board independence on changes in management compensation and dividend policies. Data analyses suggest that greater board independence mitigates the effects of both CEO stock and option holdings on dividend increases. Additionally, firms appear to implicitly dividend-protect options through increased cash compensation, effectively reimbursing CEOs for decreases in option value. Firms that did not increase dividends in the first year following the passage of JGTRRA decreased option grants to induce greater future dividend payouts. Chapter V examines the relation between contemporary dividend increases and future earnings around JGTRRA. Specifically, I investigate whether firms increase dividends in response to shareholder demands, and I examine the market reaction to preand post-JGTRRA dividend changes. In addition, I focus on the dividend policies of
Autophagy and Alpha‐Synuclein: Relevance to Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleopathies

Evidence from human postmortem material, transgenic mice, and cellular/animal models of PD link alpha‐synuclein accumulation to alterations in the autophagy lysosomal pathway. Conversely, alpha‐synuclein mutations related to PD pathogenesis, as well as post‐translational modifications of the wild‐type protein, result in the generation of aberrant species that may impair further the function of the autophagy lysosomal pathway, thus generating a vicious cycle leading to neuronal death. Moreover, PD‐linked mutations in lysosomal‐related genes, such as glucocerebrosidase, have been also shown to contribute to alpha‐synuclein accumulation and related toxicity, indicating that lysosomal dysfunction may, in part, account for the neurodegeneration observed in synucleinopathies. In the current review, we summarize findings related to the inter‐relationship between alpha‐synuclein and lysosomal proteolytic pathways, focusing especially on recent experimental strategies based on the manipulation of the autophagy lysosomal pathway to counteract alpha‐synuclein‐mediated neurotoxicity in vivo. Pinpointing the factors that regulate alpha‐synuclein association to the lysosome may represent potential targets for therapeutic interventions in PD and related synucleinopathies. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Functional TRPV4 channels and an absence of capsaicin-evoked currents in freshly-isolated, guinea-pig urothelial cells

Previously we have shown that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel regulates urinary bladder function, and that TRPV4 is expressed in both smooth muscle and urothelial cell types within the bladder wall (Thorneloe et al. 2008). Urothelial cells have also been suggested to express TRPV1 channels (Birder et al., 2001). Therefore, we enzymatically isolated guinea-pig urothelial cells in an attempt to record TRPV4 and TRPV1-mediated currents. The identity of the isolated cells was confirmed by quantitative PCR for the urothelial marker uroplakin 1A. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings with the TRPV4 agonist, GSK1016790A, activated urothelial currents with an EC50 of 11 nM that were completely inhibited by the TRPV4 inhibitor ruthenium red (5 µM). Urothelial currents were also activated by challenge with hypotonic extracellular solution (220 mOsm) known to activate TRPV4 channels. However, the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin, which activated TRPV1 currents in HEK cells expressing TRPV1, was unable to evoke current in these freshly-isolated guinea-pig urothelial cells. We demonstrate that TRPV4 channels are functionally expressed at the plasma membrane of freshly-isolated, guinea-pig urothelial cells, further supporting the important role of TRPV4 in urinary bladder physiology.
Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI): Proposed Terminology and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Male Infertility

Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect fertility via a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and DNA, which may impair the sperm's potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. Adequate evaluation of male reproductive potential should therefore include an assessment of sperm OS. We propose the term Male Oxidative Stress Infertility, or MOSI, as a novel descriptor for infertile men with abnormal semen characteristics and OS, including many patients who were previously classified as having idiopathic male infertility. Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) can be a useful clinical biomarker for the classification of MOSI, as it takes into account the levels of both oxidants and reductants (antioxidants). Current treatment protocols for OS, including the use of antioxidants, are not evidence-based and have the potential for complications and increased healthcare-related expenditures. Utilizing an easy, reproducible, and cost-effective test to measure ORP may provide a more targeted, reliable approach for administering antioxidant therapy while minimizing the risk of antioxidant overdose. With the increasing awareness and understanding of MOSI as a distinct male infertility diagnosis, future research endeavors can facilitate the development of evidence-based treatments that target its underlying cause.
The Effect of Tax Rebates on Consumption Expenditures: Evidence from State Tax Rebates

This paper uses Consumer Expenditure Survey data to estimate the response to a sequence of state tax rebates implemented during 1995-2001. The results generally suggest that expenditures increased by one-fifth to one-fourth of the rebate amount, with positive effects on nondurable spending, spending on apparel, and among households with single respondents. However, the results vary depending on the sample, regressor, and expenditure component, with several variables entering insignificantly or with the wrong sign. Rebate announcements are estimated to have had a small and insignificant effect on the amount of spending, but may have shifted the composition of spending.
Serum nitric oxide metabolites and hard clinical endpoints: a population-based prospective study

Abstract Objective. Limited data are available regarding prognostic value of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) for clinical hard end points. In this study, we defined optimum cut-off values of serum NOx for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality events and prospectively investigated their hazards in the presence of traditional risk factors. Design. Serum NOx concentrations were measured at baseline (2006–2008) and 3520 adult men and women were followed during 7.7 years for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. To determine the optimal cut-off points of serum NOx, the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of all-cause and CVD mortality below and above the defined optimal cut-off points of serum NOx. Results. Mean age of participants was 44.5 ± 16.0 years at baseline and 40.2% were male. Median (inter-quartile range) of serum NOx levels was 25.0 µmol/L (19.0–37.0), at baseline. The optimal cut-off points of serum NOx levels for predicting CVD and all-cause mortality were 30.5 and 32.5 µmol/L, respectively. In the presence of age, sex, body mass index, smoking, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and history of CVD, a significant increased risk of CVD mortality (HR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.10–3.58) and all-cause mortality (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.05–2.21) was observed for serum NOx values higher than their cut-offs. Conclusion. Serum NOx level may be predictor of CVD mortality and death, in general populations.
Compartmental models of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells based on simultaneous somatic and dendritic patch‐clamp recordings

1 Simultaneous dendritic and somatic patch‐clamp recordings were made from Purkinje cells in cerebellar slices from 12‐ to 21‐day‐old rats. Voltage responses to current impulses injected via either the dendritic or the somatic pipette were obtained in the presence of the selective Ih blocker ZD 7288 and blockers of spontaneous synaptic input. Neurons were filled with biocytin for subsequent morphological reconstruction. 2 Four neurons were reconstructed and converted into detailed compartmental models. The specific membrane capacitance (Cm), specific membrane resistance (Rm) and intracellular resistivity (Ri) were optimized by direct fitting of the model responses to the electrophysiological data from the same cell. Mean values were: Cm, 0.77 ± 0.17 μF cm−2 (mean ±s.d.; range, 0.64‐1.00 μF cm−2), Rm, 122 ± 18 kΩ cm2 (98‐141 kΩ cm2) and Ri, 115 ± 20 Ω cm (93‐142 Ω cm). 3 The steady‐state electrotonic architecture of these cells was compact under the experimental conditions used. However, somatic voltage‐clamp recordings of parallel fibre and climbing fibre synaptic currents were substantially filtered and attenuated. 4 The detailed models were compared with a two‐compartment model of Purkinje cells. The range of synaptic current kinetics that can be faithfully recorded using somatic voltage clamp is predicted fairly well by the two‐compartment model, even though some of its underlying assumptions are violated. 5 A model of Ih was constructed based on voltage‐clamp data, and inserted into the passive compartmental models. Somatic EPSP amplitude was substantially attenuated compared to the amplitude of dendritic EPSPs at their site of generation. However, synaptic efficacy of the same quantal synaptic conductance, as measured by the somatic EPSP amplitude, was only weakly dependent on synaptic location on spiny branchlets. 6 The passive electrotonic structure of Purkinje cells is unusual in that the steady‐state architecture is very compact, while voltage transients such as synaptic potentials and action potentials are heavily filtered.
Aid-Financed Public Investments and the Dutch Disease: Evidence from Tanzania

In this paper we discuss the impact of scaling-up aid in Tanzania using an economy-wide dynamic CGE model. The major conclusions coming out from this work is that productivity effects matter. If additional aid and consequently increased public spending has a positive impact on productivity this would spur GDP growth and reduce the risk of an appreciating real exchange rate. In a way this resembles previous results in the aid-growth literature that aid has a positive impact on growth in a country with good economic policies assuming that good policies have a positive impact on productivity. Presenting various scenarios on the impact of additional aid a sustained GDP growth rate of around 7 percent would be possible to achieve in a modest scaling-up aid scenario without any significant changes in the real exchange rate.
The Development and Function of Memory Regulatory T Cells after Acute Viral Infections

Natural CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for the control of immune responses to pathogens. However, most studies have focused on chronic infections, in which pathogen-specific Tregs contribute to pathogen persistence and, in some cases, concomitant immunity. How Tregs behave and function following acute infections remains largely unknown. In this article, we show that pathogen-specific Tregs can be activated and expand upon acute viral infections in vivo. The activated Tregs then contract to form a memory pool after resolution of the infection. These memory Tregs expand rapidly upon a secondary challenge, secrete large amounts of IL-10, and suppress excessive immunopathological conditions elicited by recall expansion of non-Tregs via an IL-10–dependent mechanism. Our work reveals a memory Treg population that develops after acute viral infections and may help in the design of effective strategies to circumvent excessive immunopathological effects.
Central Bank Exchange Rate Interventions and Market Expectations: The Case of Mexico during the Financial Crisis 2008-2009

The objectiveof this paperis to examine if the exchange-rateinterventionsof theCentral Bank of Mexico during the 2008-2009 financial crisis had an eect on the (Mexican Peso-US Dollar) exchange rate market expectations. Expectations are generated by Risk-Neutral Densities (RNDs) extracted from option prices; the used method to estimate RNDs is the volatility function technique proposed by Malz (1997). The obtained results show that interventions caused changes in expectations around the date of the intervention. There is a pattern of a statistically significant decreasing of the mean and variance in the implied exchange rate immediately after the period of intervention. The higher implied moments decrease as well. Finally, it was also found a causalityeect that runs in both directions;between exchange-rate expectations and Central Bank interventions. Resumen
The lost scent of Eastern European wines in Western Europe: A hedonic model applied to the UK market

Purpose – Eastern European countries have an important history of quality and tradition in winemaking. The radical economic modification that the wine sector had to face during communism exposed these countries to various problems during transition, when their market share in Western European markets shrunk. This paper aims to argue that an important cause of the decline is the inability of price to convey information about the quality level of the wine, as from the theory of asymmetric information.Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses the econometric theory of hedonic pricing to explore the research question, relating price to the characteristics of the wine, including a quality rating from a respected British wine expert for the year 2006. Results are presented for a sample of 134 wines coming from different Eastern European countries (EEC) sold in the UK. The analysis also tackles the issue of understanding which parameters contributed to the quality level of Eastern European wines, modelling t.