Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corticosteroids and corneal epithelial wound healing.

SUMMARY The effect of corticosteroids on the re-epithelialisation of corneas from which the epithelium was removed has been determined by fluorescein staining, photography, and light microscopy. Our results suggest that hydroxymethyl progesterone 1 05% (p<005), prednisolone 1-0% (p<0-001), and dexamethasone 0-1% (p<0001) administered 6 times a day retard the epithelial wound healing compared with control animals which received isotonic NaCl. The effect of corticosteroids on the comeal epithelium
Importance of Linguistic Details in Alarm Messages of Ventricular Assist Devices

Purpose In the daily use of ventricular assist devices (VAD), and especially in emergency situations, an easy, self-explanatory handling of the peripheral components is essential to solving life-threatening situations, for non-experienced bystanders as well as professional staff members. It has been proven that displaying messages can significantly improve proper reactions. However, in the case we report, an accidental pump cable disconnection could not be solved without the assistance of the VAD coordinator. Case Report A long-term HeartWare® HVAD patient inadvertently disconnected himself from the pump, most probably due to a metabolically caused mental disorder, for which he had been readmitted to the hospital. Unluckily, the pump cable slipped beneath the bed sheet and the ward staff was not able to solve the problem. The staff who were involved claimed that the messages on the controller did not help them to resolve the difficulty. A comparison between the German and English texts revealed some ambivalence in the German wordings. Results Laypersons were asked to respond to this situation in a simulated scenario, starting with the original alarm messages “VAD stopped”-“VAD gestoppt” and “Connect Driveline”-“Verb-Kabel anschl. ” If they were unable to solve the problem within 3 minutes, another translation was offered orally: “Pumpe steht” and “Pumpenkabel anschließen”. None of the 5 test persons were able to respond correctly to the emergency situation with the original translation, but when provided with a modified translation, everybody solved the problem within 30 seconds. Conclusions Even small linguistic differences can lead to critical differences in the usability and, thus, the safety of VAD peripherals. Detailed discussions with professional translators and/or practical tests of failure scenarios may optimize usability.
Inclusion in physical education for students with severe disabilities

This qualitative case study investigated the effectiveness of inclusive physical education for two third grade students with severe disabilities utilizing a social constructionist framework. In the first class, one student was identified as having significant language based challenges. The second class included a child with severe cerebral palsy. Four levels of relations were identified: systemic relations, group relations, conjoint relations and internal others. Each focused on specific areas within the school and the classroom that contributed to the construction of disability. Data were collected from three primary sources: interviews, participant-observer, and document review. Boyzaitis's (1998) five-step process was utilized in the data analysis through the constant comparative method of coding the multiple data sources in developing the emerging theory (Merriam, 1998; Strauss & Corbin, 1998). At the systemic level, administrators expressed views of disability and displayed practices grounded in the legal changes of PL94-142 and ensuing processes that occurred as students with disabilities were integrated into the public schools. Teachers and paraprofessionals within the group relations of the classroom expressed social, environmental, and academic constructions of disability. Students' constructions of disability were conditioned by group membership, adaptations and accommodations, and their ability to successfully complete the learning tasks. The physical education teacher's construction of disability was grounded in her sensitivity to difference and an ability to make learning accessible for her students with disabilities. As a theoretical framework, social construction refocused disability in the inclusive setting as a process of active engagement through forms of teacher and classroom relatedness (Kozub, Sherblom, Perry, 1999). This perspective provided an alternative to the individualistic discourse of difference embedded in special education to accommodate the challenges of the inclusive classroom. In the physical education setting, this emerged as the students in relation to their peers and teachers, the curriculum, and instructional methods.
Assessing Organizational Communication: Strategic Communication Audits

Communication audits as organizational development -- Initiating and planning an assessment -- Conducting team audits / David Cook, James Patterson, and Cal W. Downs -- Choosing focal areas to assess -- The interview: the most basic assessment technology -- Diagnosis through questionnaires -- The International Communication Association Survey -- Downs-Hazen Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire / Phillip G. Clampitt and Cal W. Downs -- Critical Communication Experience Survey -- ECCO analysis -- Diagnosing communication networks / Thomas Porter and Allyson D. Adrian -- Focus group interviews -- Final analysis and interpretation -- The final report.
Conditional Status Quo Bias and Top Income Shares: How U.S. Political Institutions Have Benefited the Rich

This article develops and tests a model of conditional status quo bias and American inequality. We find that institutional features that bias policy outcomes toward the status quo have played a central role in the path of inequality. Using time-series analysis of top income shares during the post-Depression period, we identify the Senate as a key actor in the politics of income inequality. Our findings suggest that the supermajoritarian nature of the Senate and policy stagnation, when coupled with economic and social factors that produce rising inequality, create a situation in which inequality becomes difficult to reverse.
Innovative Dairy Products Development Using Probiotics: Challenges and Limitations

© 2012 Boza-Mendez et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Innovative Dairy Products Development Using Probiotics: Challenges and Limitations
Learning in Silicon Beyond STDP: A Neuromorphic Implementation of Multi-Factor Synaptic Plasticity With Calcium-Based Dynamics

Autonomous systems must be able to adapt to a constantly-changing environment. This adaptability requires significant computational resources devoted to learning, and current artificial systems are lacking in these resources when compared to humans and animals. We aim to produce VLSI spiking neural networks which feature learning structures similar to those in biology, with the goal of achieving the performance and efficiency of natural systems. The neuroscience literature suggests that calcium ions play a key role in explaining long-term synaptic plasticity's dependence on multiple factors, such as spike timing and stimulus frequency. Here we present a novel VLSI implementation of a calcium-based synaptic plasticity model, comparisons between the model and circuit simulations, and measurements of the fabricated circuit.
The association between long working hours and health: a systematic review of epidemiological evidence.

OBJECTIVES Many studies have investigated the association between long working hours and health. By focusing on differences in the definition of long working hours and the influence of shift work, we attempt to explain why the results of these studies remain inconclusive. METHODS We defined long working hours as working time greater than around 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day. Since previous studies have indicated that shift work is detrimental to health, we minimized the influence of shift work in the studies. We also placed importance on the existence of reference groups since this made the results clearer. Based on these points, we analyzed previous studies to clarify the epidemiological evidence regarding the association between long working hours and health. We established inclusion criteria and carried out a systematic search for articles published in the Medline and PsycINFO databases between 1995-2012. RESULTS We identified a total of 17 articles and 19 studies (12 prospective cohort and 7 cross-sectional studies). The outcomes were all-cause mortality, circulatory disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, depressive state, anxiety, other psychological disorders, sleep condition, cognitive function, and health-related behavior. Long working hours had significant adverse effects on most health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that working long hours is associated with depressive state, anxiety, sleep condition, and coronary heart disease. However, further studies that appropriately deal with the definition of long working hours and shift work are needed.
State-Space Average modelling of converters with parasitics and storage-time modulation

The State-Space, Averaging approach to modelling switching converter power stages is used to extend the analytical descriptions of the buck, boost, back-boost, and Ćuk converters to include the effects of all parasitic resistances and transistor storage-time modulation. The analysis reveals for the first time a new and unexpected term in the line to output response of the Ćuk converter. The new term contains a right half-plane zero produced by the energy transfer capacitance in combination with the duty-ratio-weighted sum of the on-resistances of the transistor and diode plus a non-dissipative ac resistance term due to transistor storage-time modulation. The conventional circuit model of the converter is modified to include the effects of the new term. The improved model permits an easy physical interpretation of the, new zero, which has been observed only in the Ćuk converter. An extended analysis of storage-time modulation in bipolar transistor switches shows that the ac small-signal performance of a switching converter is highly dependent on the nature of the base drive. It is demonstrated that storage-time modulation in conjunction with a proportional base drive can produce instability in switching converters, even open-loop. The results of these analyses are verified experimentally and their impacts on practical converters are discussed.
Genetic polymorphism of human leucocyte antigen and susceptibility to multidrug‐resistant and rifampicin‐resistant tuberculosis in Han Chinese from Hubei Province

We determined the high‐resolution allele and haplotype frequencies at the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)A, B and DRB1 loci in the Han population of Hubei province, the TB endemic area of Central China, with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and established the relationship between HLA‐A, B and DRB1 alleles as well as haplotypes and susceptibility to multidrug‐resistant and rifampicin‐resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR‐TB). Blood samples were drawn from 174 patients with MDR/RR‐TB and 838 patients with drug‐susceptible PTB in ethnic Han population from Hubei province (central China). Four‐digit allele genotyping of HLA‐ A, B and DRB1 loci was performed using polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR‐ SSOP). The allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA‐A, B and DRB1 were determined and compared between patients with MDR/RR‐TB and patients with drug‐susceptible PTB. Statistical analysis of the generated data indicated no departure from expectation of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at all loci of the control group. Multivariate analysis identified allele DRB1*08:01 (p < .0001; OR = 174.5, 95% CI 15.3–1987.2) as independent predictor of MDR/RR‐TB, except for old age (p < .0001; OR = 10. 9, 95% CI 7.6–15.8), previous treatment history (p < .0001; OR = 11.0, 95% CI 7.2–16.7) and poor compliance to treatment (p < .0001; OR = 12.9, 95% CI 8.4–20.0). While in the subgroup of new TB cases, DRB1*08:01 (p < .0001; OR = 80.3, 95% CI 7.0–917.1) and older age (p < .0001; OR = 3.9, 95% CI 2.4–6.4) were independent susceptibility factors for primary MDR/RR‐TB. Our results suggest that a combination of clinical and host genetic information about tuberculosis patients may contribute to prediction and early detection of MDR/RR‐TB.
CCN activity and droplet growth kinetics of fresh and aged monoterpene secondary organic aerosol

The ability of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced from the ozonolysis of α-pinene and monoterpene mixtures (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene and 3-carene) to become cloud droplets was investigated. A static CCN counter and a Scanning Mobility CCN Analyser (a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer coupled with a Continuous Flow counter) were used for the CCN measurements. Consistent with previous studies monoterpene SOA is quite active and would likely be a good source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the atmosphere. A decrease in CCN activation diameter for α-pinene SOA of approximately 3 nm hr −1 was observed as the aerosol continued to react with oxidants. Hydroxyl radicals further oxidize the SOA particles thereby enhancing the particle CCN activity with time. The initial concentrations of ozone and monoterpene precursor (for concentrations lower than 40 ppb) do not appear to affect the activity of the resulting SOA. Kohler Theory Analysis (KTA) is used to infer the molar mass of the SOA sampled online and offline from atomized filter samples. The estimated average molar mass of online SOA was determined to be 180±55 g mol −1 (consistent with existing SOA speciation studies) assuming complete solubility. KTA suggests that the aged aerosol (both from α-pinene and the mixed monoterpene oxidation) is primarily water-soluble (around 65%). CCN activity measurements of the SOA mixed with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 suggest that the organic can depress surface tension by as much as 10 N m −1 (with respect to pure water). The droplet growth kinetics of SOA samples are similar to (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , except at low supersaturation, where SOA tends to grow more slowly. The CCN activation diameter of α-pinene and mixed monoterpene SOA can be modelled to within 10–15% of experiments by a simple implementation of Kohler theory, assuming complete dissolution of the particles, no dissociation into ions, a molecular weight of 180 g mol −1 , a density of 1.5 g cm −3 , and the surface tension of water.
Aggression and violence--the enemies of precision learning in children.

Aggression and violence have a disastrous effect on the learning capacity of deprived children. The author discusses the origins of the anxiety and fear of aggression in these children; an appreciable number carry an excess of traumatic incidents and violent events during their first six years of life. The various defenses utilized by the child against his fears are the elements of the neurotically determined learning disability. The type of defense chosen by the child will determine which type of learning disability he will manifest.
Defective Pollen Wall Is Required for Anther and Microspore Development in Rice and Encodes a Fatty Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase[C][W][OA]

A rice male-sterile mutant, defective pollen wall (dpw), which has defective anthers and pollen grains, is isolated and characterized. DPW is found to encode a fatty acyl carrier protein reductase that is active during the synthesis of the anther cuticle and pollen sporopollenin. Aliphatic alcohols naturally exist in many organisms as important cellular components; however, their roles in extracellular polymer biosynthesis are poorly defined. We report here the isolation and characterization of a rice (Oryza sativa) male-sterile mutant, defective pollen wall (dpw), which displays defective anther development and degenerated pollen grains with an irregular exine. Chemical analysis revealed that dpw anthers had a dramatic reduction in cutin monomers and an altered composition of cuticular wax, as well as soluble fatty acids and alcohols. Using map-based cloning, we identified the DPW gene, which is expressed in both tapetal cells and microspores during anther development. Biochemical analysis of the recombinant DPW enzyme shows that it is a novel fatty acid reductase that produces 1-hexadecanol and exhibits >270-fold higher specificity for palmiltoyl-acyl carrier protein than for C16:0 CoA substrates. DPW was predominantly targeted to plastids mediated by its N-terminal transit peptide. Moreover, we demonstrate that the monocot DPW from rice complements the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana male sterile2 (ms2) mutant and is the probable ortholog of MS2. These data suggest that DPWs participate in a conserved step in primary fatty alcohol synthesis for anther cuticle and pollen sporopollenin biosynthesis in monocots and dicots.
Do as I do:: authorial leadership in wikipedia

In seemingly egalitarian collaborative on-line communities, like Wikipedia, there is often a paradoxical, or perhaps merely playful, use of the title "Benevolent Dictator" for leaders. I explore discourse around the use of this title so as to address how leadership works in open content communities. I first review existing literature on "emergent leadership" and then relate excerpts from community discourse on how leadership is understood, performed, and discussed by Wikipedians. I conclude by integrating concepts from existing literature and my own findings into a theory of "authorial" leadership.
Shiga Toxin 2 and Flagellin from Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli Superinduce Interleukin-8 through Synergistic Effects on Host Stress-Activated Protein Kinase Activation

ABSTRACT Shiga toxins expressed in the intestinal lumen during infection with Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli must translocate across the epithelium and enter the systemic circulation to cause systemic (pathological) effects, including hemolytic uremic syndrome. The transepithelial migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in response to chemokine expression by intestinal epithelial cells is thought to promote uptake of Stx from the intestinal lumen by compromising the epithelial barrier. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that flagellin acts in conjunction with Shiga toxin to augment this chemokine expression. We investigated the relative contributions of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling to transcription and translation of interleukin-8. Using reporter gene constructs, we showed that flagellin-mediated interleukin-8 gene transcription is heavily dependent on both NF-κB and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK-1/2) activation. In contrast, inhibition of p38 has no detectable effect on interleukin-8 gene transcription, even though flagellin-mediated activation of host p38 is critical for maximal interleukin-8 protein expression. Inhibition of MAPK-interacting kinase 1 suggests that p38 signaling affects the posttranscriptional regulation of interleukin-8 protein expression induced by flagellin. Cotreatment with Stx2 and flagellin results in a synergistic upregulation of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNKs), p38 activation, and a superinduction of interleukin-8 mRNA. This synergism was also evident at the protein level, with increased interleukin-8 protein detectable following cotreatment with flagellin and Stx2. We propose that flagellin, in conjunction with Shiga toxin, synergistically upregulates stress-activated protein kinases, resulting in superinduction of interleukin-8 and, ultimately, absorption of Stx into the systemic circulation.
Subtidal Rocky Shore Communities of the Azores: Developing a Biotope Survey Method

Abstract At 23 sites selected randomly around the island of São Miguel (Azores), video records were made at the depths of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 m where a rocky substratum was present. Semiquantitative abundance data of the most common benthic organisms (algae and fixed/sedentary macroinvertebrates) were recorded in the vicinity of each depth reference point. Qualitative samples of the more conspicuous organisms were taken for confirmation of identification in the laboratory. At each site, substratum type, geographical orientation, and depth level were recorded. Multivariate analysis (nonmetric multidimensional scaling; analysis of similarity [Anosim] tests; similarity percentages [Simper] analysis) on the collected data enabled patterns of community distribution to be identified, as well as their relationship to abiotic factors. Since depth was found to be the sole determining factor for communities, it was the only one considered in the subtidal biotope survey protocol proposed here.
Synthetic scope and DFT analysis of the chiral binap–gold(I) complex-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azlactones with alkenes

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between glycine-derived azlactones with maleimides is efficiently catalyzed by the dimeric chiral complex [(Sa)-Binap·AuTFA]2. The alanine-derived oxazolone only reacts with tert-butyl acrylate giving anomalous regiochemistry, which is explained and supported by Natural Resonance Theory and Nucleus Independent Chemical Shifts calculations. The origin of the high enantiodiscrimination observed with maleimides and tert-butyl acrylate is analyzed using DFT computed at M06/Lanl2dz//ONIOM(b3lyp/Lanl2dz:UFF) level. Several applications of these cycloadducts in the synthesis of new proline derivatives with a 2,5-trans-arrangement and in the preparation of complex fused polycyclic molecules are described.
Socially Obligatory Drinking: A Sociological Analysis of Norms Governing Minimum Drinking Levels

In many social situations, the consumption of at least some alcohol is socially obligatory—at least for some participants. This paper focuses on the norms that govern minimum levels of consumption in such settings. Evidence for the existence of such norms is derived from the empirical literature on drinking and on my own research on reactions to non-drinking and lighter-drinking men in New Zealand. Reactions encountered ranged from subtle nonverbal responses to threats of physical force. These responses add weight to the contention that abstinence and lighter drinking can be thought of as deviance relative to minimum drinking norms. Identifying abstinence and lighter drinking as deviance locates the study of minimum drinking norms within the ambit of the alcohol branch of the sociology of deviance. This raises some interesting issues from a public health point of view and partially balances the historical bias in favor of studying maximum drinking norms.
Spinal epidural lipomatosis: An unusual cause of relapsing and remitting paraparesis

Epidural lipomatosis is a rare entity to cause spinal cord compression and neurological deficits. This is usually associated with excess of steroids in the body either because of endogenous source as in Cushings disease or exogenous intake as in some diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, in some endocrinopathies or in morbid obesity. But in some cases no cause has been found. Such idiopathic cases of spinal epidural lipomatosis have also been reported. Here, we report a case of idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis with relapsing and remitting paraparesis which is quite unusual. Treatment depends upon neurological status of the patient. We operated the patient as he had significant neurological compromise and he improved significantly.