Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HKT 1 ; 5-Like Cation Transporters Linked to Na 1 Exclusion Loci in Wheat , Nax 2 and Kna 1 1 [ OA ]

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) has a greater ability to exclude Na from its leaves and is more salt tolerant than durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum [Desf.]). A novel durum wheat, Line 149, was found to contain a major gene for Na exclusion, Nax2, which removes Na from the xylem in the roots and leads to a high K-to-Na ratio in the leaves. Nax2 was mapped to the distal region on chromosome 5AL based on linkage to microsatellite markers. The Nax2 locus on 5AL coincides with the locus for a putative Na transporter, HKT1;5 (HKT8). The Nax2 region on 5AL is homoeologous to the region on chromosome 4DL containing the major Na exclusion locus in bread wheat, Kna1. A gene member of the HKT1;5 family colocates to the deletion bin containing Kna1 on chromosome 4DL. This work provides evidence that Nax2 and Kna1 are strongly associated with HKT1;5 genes.
PSB goes personal: The failure of personalised PSB web pages

Between 2006 and 2011, a number of European public service broadcasting (PSB) organisations offered their website users the opportunity to create their own PSB homepage. The web customisation was conceived by the editors as a response to developments in commercial web services, particularly social networking and content aggregation services, but the customisation projects revealed tensions between the ideals of customer sovereignty and the editorial agenda-setting. This paper presents an overview of the PSB activities as well as reflections on the failure of the customisable PSB homepages. The analysis is based on interviews with the PSB editors involved in the projects and on studies of the interfaces and user comments. Commercial media customisation is discussed along with the PSB projects to identify similarities and differences.
A Randomized Trial on the Optimization of 18F-FDG Myocardial Uptake Suppression: Implications for Vulnerable Coronary Plaque Imaging

18F-FDG PET/CT can be used to detect arterial atherosclerotic plaque inflammation. However, avid myocardial glucose uptake may preclude its use for visualizing coronary plaques. Fatty acid loading or calcium channel blockers could decrease myocardial 18F-FDG uptake, thus assisting coronary plaque inflammation identification. The present prospective randomized trial compared the efficacies of different interventions for suppressing myocardial 18F-FDG uptake. We also investigated whether circulating free fatty acid (cFFA) levels predicted the magnitude of myocardial 18F-FDG uptake. Methods: Thirty-six volunteers ate a high-fat low-carbohydrate meal, followed by a 12-h fasting period. They were then randomized to 1 of 4 intervention groups. Group 1 received no additional preparation and served as a reference. Groups 2 and 3, respectively, received a commercial high-fat solution containing 43.8 g of lipids or 50 mL of olive oil 1 h before 18F-FDG injection to evaluate the impact of fatty acid loading on myocardial 18F-FDG uptake. Group 4 received verapamil to evaluate the effect of calcium channel blockers. Cardiac PET/CT was performed after administration of 370 MBq of 18F-FDG. Myocardial uptake suppression was assessed using a qualitative visual scale and by measuring the myocardial maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). Insulin, glucose, and cFFA were serially measured. Results: The qualitative visual scale showed good myocardial 18F-FDG uptake suppression in 8 of 9, 5 of 9, 4 of 9, and 8 of 9 subjects of groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P = 0.09). SUVmax did not significantly differ between groups (P = 0.17). Interestingly, cFFA levels were higher in volunteers with good suppression (0.80 ± 0.31 mmol/L) than in those with poor suppression (0.53 ± 0.15 mmol/L; P = 0.011). We found an inverse correlation between cFFA level (measured at 18F-FDG injection) and the SUVmax (R = 0.61). Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis identified 0.65 mmol/L cFFA as the best cutoff value to predict adequate 18F-FDG uptake suppression (positive predictive value, 89%). Conclusion: A high-fat low-carbohydrate meal followed by a 12-h fasting period effectively suppressed myocardial 18F-FDG uptake in most subjects. Neither complementary fatty acid loading nor verapamil administered 1 h before 18F-FDG injection conferred any additional benefit. Myocardial 18F-FDG uptake was inversely correlated with cFFA level, representing an interesting way to predict myocardial 18F-FDG uptake suppression.
Language policy and political philosophy: On the emerging linguistic justice debate

This paper provides an overview of the emerging debates over language policy and linguistic diversity within political philosophy. It outlines the larger context of this debate and identifies its protagonists and the main issues at stake in it. In addition, it presents an interpretive scheme for the analysis of the variety of approaches that have so far been developed within this field. This scheme relates these approaches back to two clashes of different language ideologies. The first clash is between instrumentalism and constitutivism. The second clash is between transparency and hybridity. Finally, the paper explains why the sociolinguistic literature on language policy should interest political philosophers, and vice versa: why sociolinguists should engage with political philosophy.
Romantic Physical Affection Types and Relationship Satisfaction

College students (N = 295, 100 men, 195 women) responded to a questionnaire examining their preferences and attitudes regarding romantic physical affection (PA) types and relationship satisfaction (sexual intimacy is excluded from the scope of this study). The seven PA types examined are backrubs/massages, caressing/stroking, cuddling/holding, holding hands, hugging, kissing on the lips, and kissing on the face (not lips). In general, PA is found to be highly correlated with relationship and partner satisfaction as is suggested by prior research. Respondents' attitudes regarding the seven PA types are given in ordinal data (with gender differentiation) across the dimensions favorite, frequent, intimate, and expressive of love. Those respondents currently involved in romantic relationships provided information as to the average amounts of each PA type they engage in per week. These amounts were significantly correlated with relationship and partner satisfaction for all PA types except holding hands and caressing/stroking. Conflict resolution was generally found to be easier with more PA, but the amount of conflict was irrespective of PA. Conflict was resolved easier with increasing amounts of cuddling/holding (p < .01), kissing on the lips (p < .01), and hugging (p < .05). The implications of these findings are discussed. We thank D. Russell Crane, Thomas B. Holman, Jeffry H. Larson, Donovan Fleming, Matthew P. Spackman, Darhl M. Pedersen, Bruce N. Carpenter, Jared Montoya, Cassiey Dorius, and Bruce L. Brown for assistance in providing survey respondents for the present study.
Aromatase inhibitors , ef fi cacy and metabolic risk in the treatment of postmenopausal women with early breast cancer

Correspondence: Stefano Gonnelli Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine-Metabolic Science and Biochemistry, University of Siena, Policlinico Le Scotte, Viale Bracci 2, 53100 Siena, Italy Tel +39 0577 585468 Fax +39 0577 233446 Email gonnelli@unisi.it Abstract: The third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs), letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane, are becoming the fi rst choice endocrine drugs for post-menopausal women with breast cancer, since they present greater effi cacy when compared with tamoxifen in both adjuvant and metastatic setting. In particular, several large and well designed trials have suggested an important role for AIs in the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer either in the upfront, sequential or extended adjuvant mode. Overall, AIs are associated with a small but signifi cant improvement in disease free survival. The expanding use of AIs in the treatment of early breast cancer means that individual patients will be exposed to the agents for longer durations, making it increasingly important to establish their long-term safety. This review focused on the effects of AIs on bone metabolism, serum lipids and cardiovascular risk. AIs have adverse effects on bone turnover with a reduction of bone mineral density and an increase in the rate of fragility fractures. With respect to tamoxifen AIs present lower thrombotic risk and a less favorable impact on lipid profi le, whereas the true effects on cardiovascular risk still remain to be clarifi ed. An adequate monitoring of bone mineral density (BMD) and lipid profi le could be recommended for post-menopausal women candidate to AIs.
Communication Complexity of the Fast Multipole Method and its Algebraic Variants

A combination of hierarchical tree-like data structures and data access patterns from fast multipole methods and hierarchical low-rank approximation of linear operators from H-matrix methods appears to form an algorithmic path forward for efficient implementation of many linear algebraic operations of scientific computing at the exascale. The combination provides asymptotically optimal computational and communication complexity and applicability to large classes of operators that commonly arise in scientific computing applications. A convergence of the mathematical theories of the fast multipole and H-matrix methods has been underway for over a decade. We recap this mathematical unification and describe implementation aspects of a hybrid of these two compelling hierarchical algorithms on hierarchical distributed-shared memory architectures, which are likely to be the first to reach the exascale. We present a new communication complexity estimate for fast multipole methods on such architectures. We also show how the data structures and access patterns of H-matrices for low-rank operators map onto those of fast multipole, leading to an algebraically generalized form of fast multipole that compromises none of its architecturally ideal properties.
A framework for transformational change in organisations

This article presents a framework for planned change processes that are transformational in nature. The framework provides a clear alternative to traditional approaches in organisation development (OD) which are generally suited to situations where smaller scale or incremental adjustments are required. It is structured around three core issues in organisational change management: the nature of organisations and what constitutes an improvement to them, appropriate strategies for levering change, and change agent roles. In the framework, special emphasis is placed on attitudes, beliefs and values as the key change levers in an organisational transformation. The usefulness and power of the framework are illustrated by a case analysis of a successful intervention involving over 50 consultants and a large number of organisations. The article concludes with a discussion of processes supportive of successful transformational change.
Caveat Venditor: The Conditional Effect of Relationship-Specific Investment on Contractual Behavior

We offer a new perspective on the effect of relationship-specific investment on contract complexity, which has broad implications because complex contracts and vertical integration are substitutes. A simple model using transaction cost economics (TCE) predicts that buyer and seller relationship-specific investments have opposite effects on contract complexity. The model also predicts the signs of biases in OLS estimates of the effect of relationship-specific investments: unobserved heterogeneity causes downward bias in the estimated difference between the effects of buyer and seller specific investment, reducing the probability of finding opposite effects. We examine these predictions using data on agreements made by Romanian firms. When accounting for unobserved heterogeneity, seller relationship-specific investment has a positive effect on contract complexity while buyer investment has a negative effect. OLS estimates do not generate this result. The unique contribution of the paper is in simultaneously implementing TCE empirically, countering the problem of unobserved heterogeneity, generating estimates of the effects of specific investment that have opposite signs on opposite sides of the agreement, and explaining patterns of bias in the OLS estimates. Additionally, regional variation in court quality affects the complexity of contracts, suggesting that even moderate amounts of legal reform can have appreciable effects.
Patterns in the Diagnosis and Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in a Country that does not have Country-Specific Clinical Practice Guidelines

Purpose We have evaluated the patterns of diagnostic and treatment practices for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a country that does not have country-specific clinical practice guidelines. Materials and Methods Probability samples were taken from the Korean Urological Association Registry of Physicians, and randomly sampled Korean urologists were asked to complete a questionnaire. The survey explored practice characteristics and attitudes, as well as diagnostic and treatment strategies, for the management of BPH. Results Of the 850 questionnaires sent, 302 were returned, and 277 of those were included in the final analysis (response rate 32.6%). For the initial evaluation, most urologists routinely used digital rectal examinations (DRE) and urinalysis. Uroflowmetry was used 34.7% of the time. Pressure-flow studies were rarely done. Symptom assessment was used in only 46.9% of cases. In addition, a significant number (58.8%) reported that treatment decisions were not based on the symptom questionnaire. Before surgery, almost all urologists routinely used DRE, urinalysis, and prostate-specific antigen tests. Of the respondents, 55.6% and 41.9% had prescribed alpha-blockers and alpha-blockers with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, respectively. 81.2% of urologists perceived that selective alpha-blockers are different in terms of efficacy, and 82.7% felt that they differed in safety. Most respondents prescribed 5-alpha reductase inhibitors based on the prostate size. Conclusion These data provide a picture of current practices regarding the management of BPH in Korea. The diagnostic and treatment practices for BPH do not follow published guidelines. Our findings ask the question "How influential are international guidelines, and do they really affect patient management in countries that do not have country-specific guidelines? "
Evaluation of Effects of Metformin in Primary Ovarian Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in Indian women. Despite an initial 70-80% response rate, most patients relapse within 1-2 years and develop chemoresistance. Hence, identification or repositioning of drugs to resensitise ovarian cancer cells to existing chemotherapy is needed. Traditionally immortalized cell lines have been used in research, but these may contain genetic aberrations and chromosomal abnormalities serving as poor indicators of normal cell phenotype and progression of early-stage disease. The use of primary cells, maintained for only short periods of time in vitro, may serve as the best representative for studying in vivo conditions of the tissues from which they are derived. In this study we have attempted to evaluate the effect of metformin (an antidiabetic drug) in primary ovarian cancer cells because of its promising effect in other solid tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS Primary cultures of epithelial ovarian cancer cells established from ascitic fluid of untreated ovarian cancer patients were used. The cells were treated with metformin at doses standardized by MTT assay and its ability to induce apoptosis was studied. The cells were analysed for apoptosis and apoptosis related proteins by flow cytometry and western blotting respectively. RESULTS Metformin induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, provoking cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 and S phase. It induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells by, down-regulating Bcl-2 and up-regulating Bax expression. CONCLUSIONS Metformin was able to induce apoptosis in primary ovarian cancer cells by modulating the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins. These data are relevant to ongoing translational research efforts exploring the chemotherapeutic potential of metformin.
Nostalgia and identity: Jules Simon’s La Femme du Vingtième Siècle

This article analyses Jules Simon’s nostalgic view of 17th-century femininity as part of his vision of French social reform during the 1890s. Simon’s enthusiasm for the past is located in the context of late 19th-century social criticism that prized a domestic role for women and used such a role to symbolize the re-establishment of boundaries between public and private life. Simon’s vision of female life underpins a form of social organization that sought to neutralize the ongoing effects of France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war and the violence of France’s revolutionary past. I distinguish Simon’s nostalgic strategy from Jules and Edmond de Goncourt’s enthusiasm for the ancien régime and argue that Simon re-animates aspects of the past in order to temper progress in the new century. Nostalgia secures a preferred image of national identity and shapes an ideal narrative of both past and future.
Field Dependence/Independence Cognitive Styles: Are They Significant at Different Levels of Vocabulary Knowledge?

Cognitive styles influence the performance of language learners and can predict their success in the process of language learning. Considering field dependence/independence cognitive styles, this study aims at determining if they are significant in English vocabulary knowledge. A number of EFL university students took part in the study. The investigation was done through using Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation, 2007) and the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) (Witkin, Oltman, Raskin, and Karp, 1971). Using the Vocabulary Size Test (VST), the participants were divided into three groups of high, mid, and low. Moreover, with respect to the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), they were divided into two groups, field dependents and field independents. Mean score comparison revealed there was a credible and meaningful relationship between field dependence/independence cognitive styles and total vocabulary knowledge. It was also indicated there was a significant relationship between field dependence/independence cognitive styles and vocabulary knowledge in the high and mid groups. Finally, based on the findings, teachers should take learners’ individual differences into consideration so that they could adopt and apply teaching methods in line with the learners’ various cognitive styles.
The development and validation of the Relational, Individual, and Collective self‐aspects (RIC) Scale

A new scale measuring Relational, Individual, and Collective self-aspects (RIC) was developed. The RIC Scale consists of ten questions each followed by three options reflecting the three self-aspects. Respondents rate each option in terms of its applicability to the self, yielding three subscale scores and revealing the relative prominence of each self-aspect. Two samples of university students (N1 = 170, N2 = 214) were used to develop and refine the scale. Analyses supported the reliability and validity of the three RIC subscales. Each self-aspect correlated in predicted ways with several existing scales. The RIC Scale also proved useful in assessing gender differences in self-aspect prominence. Validity of the threepart model of the self and implications for future research are discussed.
Inclusive Education for Students with Severe Disabilities

Structured interviews were conducted with elementary school principals, general educators (k-6), and special educators at different levels of inclusive educational programming to determine perceptions toward inclusive education for learners with severe disabilities. Comments from the 27 participants were categorized according to the main questions asked during the interviews, with similar comments aggregated per category. Comparisons made by professional role and level of implementation regarding inclusive education revealed several concurring statements as well as some discrepancies. Differences in perception of inclusive education for students with severe disabilities across professional role and level of implementation of respondents are described. Implications for future research and inclusive educational practices are discussed.
Revisiting the Role of Informa- tion Format in Candidate Evalua- tion: An 'Update' Model of Evaluation ∗

Over a decade ago, Lodge, Stroh, and Wahlke (1990) wrote that all major models of vote choice and candidate evaluation were “black-box” models because they were “silent about the processes that drive their explanations” (p. 13). In an attempt to peer inside that black-box, Rahn, Aldrich, and Borgida (1994) highlight the importance on candidate evaluation of sophisticatio n and the format in which information is received; they conclude that individuals use a memory-based, as opposed to an impression driven, model of evaluation. This article offers a re-examination of Rahn, Aldrich, and Borgida’ s model. I conclude that their use of fictitious candidates and the construction of some of their variables may have clouded some of their findings, but several of their theoretical assumptions are sound. I also posit an “update” model of evaluation that demonstrates individuals tend to use a mixed strategy of both on-line and memory-based approaches in creating evaluations and highlights the importance of the individual’ s policy proximity assessment, sophistication, and information format on the evaluative process as individuals update their evaluations in light of new information .
Simple Capillary Electrophoretic Determination of Soluble Oxalate and Nitrate in Forage Grasses

A simple capillary electrophoretic method is described for the simultaneous determination of soluble oxalate and nitrate in forage grasses. Grass samples were ground and extracted with water. The extracts were filtered and submitted to capillary electrophoresis. Electrophoresis was performed in a 75 μm ×50 cm fused silica capillary with 30 mM sodium sulfate containing an electroosmotic flow modifier under constant voltage at —8 kV Separated oxalate and nitrate were detected with direct UV absorption at 214 nm. The present method can be used for routine monitoring of the concentration of soluble oxalate and nitrate in grasses.
Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality

Commentary on : Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ 2014;349:g4490[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Dietary guidelines from around the world recommend the daily consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables. For example, the ‘5 a day’ public health campaign in the UK encourages people to consume at least five 80 g portions of fruits and vegetables every day. These guidelines are largely based on recommendations from the WHO to consume at least 400 g of fresh fruits and vegetables a day to lower blood pressure and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.1 Recent evidence from a large prospective study suggests that … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.g4490%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25073782%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink? linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=349/jul29_3/g4490&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F1%2F14.atom