Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural and endocrine mechanisms mediating noxious stimulus-induced inhibition of bradykinin plasma extravasation in the rat.

We studied the mechanisms by which activation of primary afferent nociceptors inhibits bradykinin-induced plasma extravasation in the rat. First, capsaicin, administered into the plantar surface of the hindpaw, dose-dependently inhibited bradykinin-induced plasma extravasation in the knee joint, a site distant from the noxious stimulus. The inhibitory effect of capsaicin was markedly attenuated after T(12)/L(1) spinal transection combined with lumbar preganglionic sympathectomy, which interrupts ascending spinal tracts to rostral sites and to spinal sympathetic and sympathoadrenal outflow. Second, interruption of the sympathetics (cutting the L(1-3) white rami) or surgical adrenal denervation significantly attenuated capsaicin-induced inhibition of bradykinin-induced plasma extravasation. Interruption of the sympathoadrenal pathway produced the largest attenuation. Lesioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis did not affect the inhibitory action of capsaicin. Third, intra-articular perfusion with phentolamine (10(-5) M, an alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist), propranolol (10(-5) M, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist), and naloxone (10(-5) M, an opioidergic receptor antagonist) each attenuated the inhibitory action of capsaicin. Propranolol and naloxone produced the largest attenuation. Blocking glucocorticoid receptors (RU-38, 486, 30 mg/kg s.c.) did not affect the inhibitory action of intraplantar capsaicin. Fourth, the magnitude of the attenuation of capsaicin-induced inhibition of bradykinin-induced plasma extravasation after a combined treatment of surgical lumbar sympathetic decentralization with intra-articular phentolamine or surgical adrenal denervation with intra-articular propranolol or naloxone was similar to each of the surgical or pharmacological treatments of the same axis alone. These results support the suggestion that two neural/endocrine circuits, sympathoadrenal and sympathetic, account for most, if not all, of nociceptor activity-induced inhibition of bradykinin-induced plasma extravasation produced by capsaicin.
Strong Eddy-Current Shielding of Ferromagnetic Resonance Response in Sub-Skin-Depth-Thick Conducting Magnetic Multilayers

Exchange-coupled nonmagnetic metal (NM) and ferromagnetic metal (FM) multilayers are crucial for microwave magnonic and spintronic devices. These layered materials usually have total thicknesses smaller than the microwave skin depth. By using a stripline broadband ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy technique, we experimentally demonstrate that the amplitude of the magnetization precession in the FM layer is strongly diminished by the shielding effect of microwave (612GHz) eddy currents circulating in the NM capping layers.
A novel role of microRNA146b in promoting mammary alveolar progenitor cell maintenance

Summary In this report, we have shown that miR146b promotes the maintenance of pregnancy-derived mammary luminal alveolar progenitors. MiR146b expression was significantly higher in the mammary glands of pregnant and lactating mice than in virgin mice. Furthermore, miR146b levels were significantly higher in mouse mammary glands exposed to the sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, compared with those of untreated control animals. Pregnancy-derived primary mouse mammary epithelial cells in which miR146b was knocked down showed a significant reduction in the number of hollow acinar organoid structures formed on three-dimensional Matrigel and in &bgr;-casein expression. This demonstrates that miR146b promotes the maintenance of pregnancy-derived mammary luminal alveolar progenitors. It has been shown that mouse mammary luminal progenitors give rise to hollow organoid structures, whereas solid organoid structures are derived from stem cells. Among several miR146b targets, miR146b knockdown resulted in preferential STAT3&bgr; overexpression. In the primary mouse mammary epithelial cells, overexpression of STAT3&bgr; isoform caused mammary epithelial cell death and a significant reduction in &bgr;-casein mRNA expression. Therefore, we conclude that during pregnancy miR146b is involved in luminal alveolar progenitor cell maintenance, at least partially, by regulating STAT3&bgr;.
A content analysis of school anti-bullying policies in Northern Ireland

Abstract This original study presents a content analysis of 100 primary and post-primary school anti-bullying policies in Northern Ireland using a 36-item scoring scheme. Overall schools had 52% of the items in their policies. Most schools included reference to physical, verbal, relational, material and cyberbullying but a minority mentioned racist, homophobic, sexual, adult/teacher–pupil bullying or bullying related to disability or religion. There was considerable variation in the source and quality of the definitions of bullying. Overall the policy scores compared favourably with earlier studies carried out in England, however a low percentage of Northern Ireland policies gave detailed information about how incidents of bullying would be recorded, who would coordinate this, and how the data would be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy. Findings are discussed in relation to the proposed new anti-bullying legislation currently being brought before the Northern Ireland Assembly.
A gero-informatics tool to enhance the care of hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment

Approximately 50% of hospitalized elders have cognitive impairment (CI) that increases their vulnerability to hospital-acquired complications. Matching geriatric evaluation and recommendations to the true pace of hospital care may improve the care of elders in general, in particular those with CI. Integrating information technology into geriatric services (gero-informatics) might allow reduction of the time to implementation of geriatric recommendations and prevent the initiation of potentially harmful medications and procedures during the critical first 48 hours of hospitalization. This paper reviews our local gero-informatics early experience of developing a computerized decision support system (CDSS) to enhance hospital care for elders with CI by reducing inappropriate use of anticholinergic medications, urinary catheters, and physical restraints.
Non-negative matrix factorization of gene expression profiles: a plug-in for BRB-ArrayTools

SUMMARY Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is an increasingly used algorithm for the analysis of complex high-dimensional data. BRB-ArrayTools is a widely used software system for the analysis of gene expression data with almost 9000 registered users in over 65 countries. We have developed a NMF analysis plug-in in BRB-ArrayTools for unsupervised sample clustering of microarray gene expression data. Our analysis tool also incorporates an algorithm for Semi-NMF which can handle both positive and negative elements for log-ratio data. Output includes a heat map of sample clusters and differentially expressed genes with extensive biological annotation. For comparison, output also includes the results of K-means clustering. AVAILABILITY The NMF analysis plug-in is freely available in BRB-ArrayTools for non-commercial users. BRB-ArrayTools can be downloaded at http://linus.nci. nih.gov/BRB-ArrayTools.html. The algorithms used for NMF and Semi-NMF are available at ftp://linus.nci. nih.gov/pub/NMF.
The Permanent Income Hypothesis

Suppose you believe your economy is in the doldrums because people are somehow not spending enough. How do you get them to open up their pocketbooks? Start by perusing some data. You’ll quickly discover that spending is highly correlated with income. It’s well documented that if, in any given year, Alice out-earns Bob by a dollar, then on average she’ll outspend him by at least 90 cents.1 Aha! Problem solved! If you want people to spend more, you should start by raising their incomes. Encourage your government to hire Alice and raise her salary by a dollar. She’ll spend an extra 90 cents or so—and that’s only the beginning. If she spends that 90 cents at the butcher shop or the hair salon or the craft brewery, then the butcher or the beautician or the brewer earns an extra 90 cents and probably spends about 90 percent of that, which raises yet someone else’s income, and off we go. When all is said and done, one dollar of additional government spending can raise total spending (and total income) by $10 or more. That’s the story of the so-called “Keynesian multiplier. ” Once upon a time, pretty much all economists considered it a cornerstone of policymaking. Here’s the problem: Income is indeed highly correlated with spending. But correlation is not causation. When Alice out-earns Bob by a dollar, she typically outspends him
Seed ultrastructure and water absorption pathway of the root-parasitic plant Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Orobanchaceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Obligate root parasitic plants of the Orobanchaceae do not germinate unless they chemically detect a host plant nearby. Members of this family, like Orobanche, Phelipanche and Striga, are noxious weeds that cause heavy damage to agriculture. In spite of their economic impact, only a few light microscopical studies of their minute seeds have been published, and there is no knowledge of their ultrastructure and of the role each tissue plays during the steps preceding germination. This paper describes the ultrastructure of Phelipanche seeds and contributes to our understanding of seed tissue function. METHODS Seeds of P. aegyptiaca were examined under light, scanning electron, transmission electron and fluorescence microscopy following various fixations and staining protocols. The results were interpreted with physiological data regarding mode of water absorption and germination stimulation. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The endothelium, which is the inner layer of the testa, rapidly absorbs water. Its interconnected cells are filled with mucilage and contain labyrinthine walls, facilitating water accumulation for germination that starts after receiving germination stimuli. Swelling of the endothelium leads to opening of the micropyle. The perisperm cells underneath this opening mediate between the rhizosphere and the embryo and are likely to be the location for the receptors of germination stimuli. The other perisperm cells are loaded with lipids and protein bodies, as are the endosperm and parts of the embryo. In the endosperm, the oil bodies fuse with each other while they are intact in the embryo and perisperm. Plasmodesmata connect the perisperm cells to each other, and the cells near the micropyle tightly surround the emerging seedling. These perisperm cells, and also the proximal embryo cells, have dense cytoplasmic contents, and they seem to represent the two seed components that are actively involved in transfer of reserve nutrients to the developing seedling during germination.
The Role of IT and Knowledge Management Capabilities in Generating Innovation Knowledge in Telecom Companies

Telecom companies face a fierce competition from innovation based start-up companies, particularly those that are using internet networks to offer communication services through the voice and video over internet protocol technologies. Understanding why and how telecom companies innovate in the market is very crucial in order to predict the future of this business sector. In this paper, we argue that telecom companies are utilizing their capabilities that have a significantly important role in fostering innovation, namely information technology (IT) capability and knowledge management (KM) capability. IT capabilities have changed dramatically in the last few years with the introduction of intelligent systems, big data analytics, the Internet of Things and the wide use of mobile apps and sensors. It is not clear how these technologies play a role in telecom companies’ innovation and it is not clear whether IT impacts innovation directly or if KM capability has a mediation role in utilizing technology to support innovation. We outline the methodology of this investigation as a qualitative study with stakeholders from multiple telecom companies and we expect at the end of the study to be able to offer a holistic view on the way these companies innovate in regard to their products and services.
Entrepreneurial intentions of university students: a gender perspective

Academic business start-ups have great importance for economic development. However, only a small number of such new firms are founded by women. In light of this phenomenon, it is a great relevance whether entrepreneurial intentions of university students differ between genders and which contingency factors are suitable to explain these differences. To shed a light thereon, we analysed data of 1,038 German students. Results indicate that males have higher entrepreneurial intentions than females. From the potential contingency factors applied in our research, the entrepreneurial social environment showed the strongest influence on female students. The career choice motivations of male students on the other hand are characterised by the pursuit of influence, power, social recognition and status whereas the objective to achieve work-life-balance can have impedimental effects on their path towards entrepreneurship. Furthermore, both males and females seek autonomy and independence. Our endeavour is to provide arguments for educators and policy-makers to take these and other gender-specific particularities into account.
Risk Factors for Recurrent Colonization With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Community-Dwelling Adults and Children

OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors for recurrent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization. DESIGN Prospective cohort study conducted from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2012. SETTING Five adult and pediatric academic medical centers. PARTICIPANTS Subjects (ie, index cases) who presented with acute community-onset MRSA skin and soft-tissue infection. METHODS Index cases and all household members performed self-sampling for MRSA colonization every 2 weeks for 6 months. Clearance of colonization was defined as 2 consecutive sampling periods with negative surveillance cultures. Recurrent colonization was defined as any positive MRSA surveillance culture after clearance. Index cases with recurrent MRSA colonization were compared with those without recurrence on the basis of antibiotic exposure, household demographic characteristics, and presence of MRSA colonization in household members. RESULTS The study cohort comprised 195 index cases; recurrent MRSA colonization occurred in 85 (43.6%). Median time to recurrence was 53 days (interquartile range, 36–84 days). Treatment with clindamycin was associated with lower risk of recurrence (odds ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29–0.93). Higher percentage of household members younger than 18 was associated with increased risk of recurrence (odds ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00–1.02). The association between MRSA colonization in household members and recurrent colonization in index cases did not reach statistical significance in primary analyses. CONCLUSION A large proportion of patients initially presenting with MRSA skin and soft-tissue infection will have recurrent colonization after clearance. The reduced rate of recurrent colonization associated with clindamycin may indicate a unique role for this antibiotic in the treatment of such infection. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(7):786–793
How Cinderella Became a Queen

Using a case study of the Italian spirit grappa, we examine status recategorization—the vertical extension and reclassification of an entire market category. Grappa was historically a low-status product, but in the 1970s one regional distiller took steps that led to a radical break from its traditional image, so that in just over a decade high-quality grappa became an exemplar of cultured Italian lifestyle and held a market position in the same class as cognac and whisky. We use this context to articulate “theorization by allusion,” which occurs through three mechanisms: category detachment—distancing a social object from its existing category; category emulation—presenting that object so that it hints at the practices of a high-status category; and category sublimation—shifting from local, field-specific references to broader, societal-level frames. This novel theorization is particularly appropriate for explaining change from low to high status because it avoids resistance to and contestation of such change (by customers, media, and other sources) as a result of status imperatives, which may be especially strong in mature fields. Unlike prior studies that have examined the status of organizations within a category, ours foregrounds shifts in the status and social meaning of a market category itself.
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Measurements of Interstellar Fluorine

The source of fluorine is not well understood, although core-collapse supernovae, Wolf-Rayet stars, and asymptotic giant branch stars have been suggested. A search for evidence of the ν-process during Type II supernovae is presented. Absorption from interstellar F I is seen in spectra of HD 208440 and HD 209339A acquired with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. In order to extract the column density for F I from the line at 954 Å, absorption from H2 has to be modeled and then removed. Our analysis indicates that for H2 column densities less than about 3 × 1020 cm-2, the amount of F I can be determined from λ954. For these two sight lines, there is no clear indication for enhanced F abundances resulting from the ν-process in a region shaped by past supernovae.
Can Coronary Artery Involvement in Kawasaki Disease be Predicted?

Background: Coronary artery involvement is seen in approximately 15–20% of children with Kawasaki disease. There is conflicting literature regarding the clinical and laboratory findings associated with coronary artery involvement. In this retrospective study, we attempt identification of predictive factors for coronary artery involvement at our institute and review the existing literature. Methods and results: A review of 203 patients (65% males) with Kawasaki disease was performed, of whom 33 (16.3%) had coronary artery involvement. High erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high platelet count, low hematocrit, low albumin levels, and refractory Kawasaki disease showed significant association with coronary artery involvement. High erythrocyte sedimentation rate and refractory Kawasaki disease were found to be independent predictors of coronary artery involvement. Review of literature suggested a wide range of coronary involvement (<5% to >60%), and highly conflicting clinical and laboratory associations. Conclusion: It remains difficult to accurately determine risk of coronary artery involvement, although some laboratory markers may provide information that is helpful for parental counseling and clinical follow up. Future identification of novel biomarkers and host predispositions may further our understanding of coronary artery risks and help personalize therapy for Kawasaki disease.
An Exploratory Study of People's Perceptions and Experiences of Wellbeing

This paper describes an exploratory study aimed at understanding peoples perceptions and experiences of wellbeing. As health and wellbeing are considered by world and national health authorities to be closely related, occupational therapists along with other health workers need to know more about wellbeing, particularly from the perspective of ‘the people’. Using a questionnaire, seven cluster samples of 20 people, giving a total of 140 participants, were asked to define their concept of wellbeing, how it felt to them and how often they experienced the feeling. Data were also collected about nationality, marital status, employment, income, religion and levels of education because these have been identified as affecting wellbeing. In this study, wellbeing was described as happiness, peace, mind and body health and self-esteem, and was strongly associated with occupations as varied as work, relaxation and dressing up; relationships; and environments. No particular associations were found with any of the demographic data.
Working on professional development of faculty staff in higher education: investigating the relationship between social informal learning activities and employability

In this study, we examined how social informal learning and formal learning of faculty staff in higher education relate to their employability. Data were collected from 209 faculty staff members working at a Dutch university. Results showed that social informal learning was related to the employability of faculty staff. Further analysis revealed that especially external information seeking and acting upon feedback from colleagues and not formal learning predicted the employability of faculty staff. The finding suggests that institutes of higher education should especially foster the professional development of their faculty staff by stimulating exchange of information and seeking and using feedback with colleagues in a proactive manner.
Risk and Protective Factors for Adolescent Substance Use and Mental Health Symptoms

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the association between youth substance use patterns and mental health symptoms, and the risk and protective factors unique and common to each of these areas. A survey was administered to a random sample of 663 youth ages 12 to 18 in Victoria, British Columbia. As expected, age was a strong predictor of greater frequency and amounts of alcohol consumption. Males were at higher risk for alcohol consumption and externalizing problems while females were more susceptible to internalizing problems. Youth who scored lower on substance use and reported fewer mental health symptoms rated their parents and peers as being more protective. Youth who scored higher on substance use scored higher on the risky peer affiliations scale.
Prevalence of heterophoria and associations with refractive error, heterotropia and ethnicity in Australian school children

Aims To establish the prevalence of heterophoria and its association with refractive error and ethnicity in a population-based study of Australian schoolchildren. Methods The Sydney Myopia Study is a stratified, random cluster (school-based) sample of 4093 students (examined: 2003–2005). Two samples aged 6 (n=1692) and 12 years (n=2289) without heterotropia were included. Prevalent heterophoria was assessed using cover un-cover and prism bar alternate cover testing at 33 cm and 6 m distance fixation. Cycloplegic autorefraction (1% cyclopentolate) was performed. Significant refractive error was defined as ≤−0.50SE and ≥+2.00SE. Results Exophoria was highly prevalent at near fixation (age 6: 58.3%, age 12: 52.2%). Orthophoria predominated at distance fixation (age 6: 85.4%, age 12: 90.9%). Hyperopia was associated with esophoria at near (age 6: OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8, age 12: OR 2.9, CI 1.1 to 2.8) and distance fixation (age 6: OR 9.7, CI 3.5 to 26, age 12: 9.6 OR, CI 4.2 to 22). Myopia was associated with exophoria at near (OR 2.1, CI 1.5 to 2.7) and distance fixation (OR 3.1, CI 2.1 to 4.4) for 12-year-old children only. Exophoria was more frequent in children of East Asian than European Caucasian origins, even after adjusting for refraction; at near (age 6: OR 1.4, CI 1.0 to 2.0, age 12: OR 1.4, CI 1.0 to 1.9) and distance (age 12: OR 1.7, CI 1.1 to 2.7). Conclusion Contrary to other studies, exophoria, not orthophoria, was predominant for near. Exophoria was more prevalent in children of East Asian origin. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish if incident heterotropia is preceded by heterophoria.