Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Host response of platelet‐activating factor receptor‐deficient mice during pulmonary tuberculosis

Platelet‐activating factor (PAF) is a phospholipid with potent, diverse actions, which has been implicated as an important mediator in host defence against several intracellular pathogens. To determine the role of PAF in host defence in pulmonary tuberculosis, PAF receptor‐deficient (PAFR−/−) and wild‐type (PAFR+/+) mice were infected intranasally with a virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacterial outgrowth in lungs and liver did not differ significantly between PAFR−/− and PAFR+/+ mice at 2 or 6 weeks postinfection. After 28 weeks, 86% of PAFR−/− mice and 79% of PAFR+/+ mice had died (non‐significant). In addition, both mouse strains were indistinguishable with respect to histopathology, the recruitment and activation of lymphocytes, and cytokine concentrations in the lung. These data suggest that PAF is not involved in the protective immune response to tuberculosis.
Anoxia tolerance in tobacco roots: effect of overexpression of pyruvate decarboxylase

Plant survival during flooding relies on ethanolic fermentation for energy production. The available literature indicates that the first enzyme of the ethanolic fermentation pathway, pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), is expressed at very low levels and is likely to be rate-limiting during oxygen deprivation. The authors expressed high levels of bacterial PDC in tobacco to study the modulation of PDC activity in vivo, and assess its impact on the physiology of ethanolic fermentation and survival under oxygen stress. In contrast to leaves, wild-type normoxic roots contained considerable PDC activity, and overexpression of the bacterial PDC caused only a moderate increase in acetaldehyde and ethanol production under anoxia compared to wild-type roots. No significant lactate production could be measured at any time, making it unlikely that lactate-induced acidification (LDH/PDC pH-stat) triggers the onset of ethanol synthesis. Instead, the authors favour a model in which the flux through the pathway is regulated by substrate availability. The increased ethanolic flux in the transgenics compared to the wild-type did not enhance anoxia tolerance. On the contrary, rapid utilisation of carbohydrate reserves enhanced premature cell death in the transgenics while replenishment of carbohydrates improved survival under anoxia.
The quality and development of the leader-follower relationship and psychological capital : a longitudinal case study in a higher education context

Norvapalo, Kare The quality and development of the leader-follower relationship and psychological capital: a longitudinal case study in a higher education context Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2014, 276 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Business and Economics, ISSN 1457-1986; 144) ISBN 978-951-39-5605-9 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5606-6 (PDF) Diss. This longitudinal case study focuses on leadership, and particularly on the relationship between leader and follower in an educational organisation. In this research, the interaction between leader and follower is studied using leadermember exchange theory (LMX). This theory conceptualises leadership as a process that is focused on the dynamics between leaders and followers. Furthermore, this research makes a contribution to prior research on LMX by linking the concept of psychological capital (PsyCap) to it. The overall goal of the study is to increase our understanding of the development of a leader-follower relationship in a higher education context and provide a rich description of the topic from the different levels of analysis. The study focuses on the employee’s viewpoint while investigating the topic. The research objective is to examine the quality and development of LMX as a dyadic-level phenomenon and psychological capital (PsyCap) as an individual-level phenomenon, and the connection between LMX and PsyCap. Besides, the influence of an organisational development intervention on the quality of LMX and PsyCap is studied at the group level. The study findings suggest that the quality of LMX and PsyCap remained constant or decreased over time. Thus, it seems likely that the development of LMX and PsyCap will evolve and change in a non-linear fashion if no special attention is given to the relation between leader and follower. On the contrary, another finding was that OD intervention provided a practical, efficient and effective approach to improving LMX and PsyCap qualities among the employees. Thus, the higher education organisations could potentially benefit from understanding how OD intervention aids in the facilitation of individual, dyadic and team-level capacities and outcomes over time. Furthermore, a positive relationship between leader-member exchange and psychological capital was identified. This indicates that there is a contribution from the follower’s PsyCap to LMX relationship, and vice versa. Lastly, by using a mixed methods approach in this study, it showed more comprehensive and meaningful findings and conclusions of LMX and PsyCap than those of the qualitative or quantitative research alone.
Sphingobium paulinellae sp. nov. and Sphingobium algicola sp. nov., isolated from a freshwater green alga Paulinella chromatophora.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, yellow-pigmented bacteria, designated strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET, were isolated from a green alga Paulinella chromatophora. Both strains were motile short rods with a flagellum and optimally grew at pH 6.0-7.0, 25-30 °C and 0-1 % NaCl. They contained ubiquinone-10 as the major quinone, spermidine as the major polyamine, C16 : 0, C14 : 0 2-OH and summed features 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and 8 (comprising C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) as the major fatty acids and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, two sphingoglycolipids and phosphatidylcholine as the major polar lipids. DNA G+C contents of strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET were 61.4 and 63.9 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET formed a phylogenic lineage with Sphingobium limneticum 301T. Strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET had a 99.86 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and their DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) relatedness value was 40.6 %. Strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET were most closely related to S. limneticum 301T with 99.93 and 99.76 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively and the DDH values between strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET and the type strain of S. limneticum were 43.3 and 32.1 %, respectively. In conclusion, strains Pch-BT and Pch-ET represent novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the names Sphingobiumpaulinellae sp. nov. and Sphingobium algicola sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strains of S. paulinellae and S. algicola are Pch-BT (=KACC 19283T=JCM 32054T) and Pch-ET (=KACC 19284T=JCM 32055T), respectively.
Pilot evaluation of the Coping Course: a cognitive-behavioral intervention to enhance coping skills in incarcerated youth.

OBJECTIVE To describe the development and initial evaluation of the Coping Course, a cognitive-behavioral group intervention designed to enhance general coping and problem-solving skills among incarcerated youth. METHOD Between 2001 and 2002, 76 male adolescents incarcerated at a youth correctional facility were assessed by questionnaire and randomly assigned to either the Coping Course (n = 46) or usual care (n = 30). Participants repeated the questionnaire after completion of the intervention. A second correctional facility served as an additional source of control group data (n = 62). RESULTS Significant condition x time effects were present for seven of the examined measures: Youth Self-Report externalizing scores, three measures from the Life Attitudes Scale, self-esteem, one measure of social adjustment, and cognitive-behavioral therapy knowledge. Age and race/ethnicity did not moderate effects. Comparing control group participants with youth at a separate correctional facility who did not receive the Coping Course indicated that change was uniquely associated with participation in the intervention. CONCLUSIONS Our goal was to take an efficacious adolescent depression group intervention and modify it for use with youth in correctional facilities. Preliminary findings are promising and provide evidence for future research of cognitive-behavioral group treatments with incarcerated youth.
Expression of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products in Epicardial Fat: Link with Tissue Thickness and Local Insulin Resistance in Coronary Artery Disease

Increased expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in adipose tissue has been associated with inflammation, adipocyte hypertrophy, and impaired insulin signal. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a visceral fat surrounding the myocardium, is potentially involved in the onset/progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). To date, the role of RAGE in EAT has not been explored much. We examined whether the RAGE expression in EAT was associated with EAT adiposity and metabolic dysfunctions normally found in CAD patients. EAT samples were obtained from 33 patients undergoing open-heart surgery. EAT expression of RAGE, GLUT4, adiponenctin, GLO1, HMGB1, TLR-4, and MyD88 was analyzed by microarray. EAT thickness was quantified by echocardiography. Anthropometric measures and clinical parameters were taken. BMI, HOMA-IR, and LAP indices were calculated. With increasing RAGE expression in EAT we observed increases in EAT thickness, reduced expression of GLUT4, adiponectin, and GLO1, and elevations of HMGB1, TLR-4, and MyD88. There were significant correlations between RAGE and EAT thickness and between RAGE and the genes. LAP was higher in patients with increased RAGE expression. Our data suggest that in CAD patients RAGE may be involved in promoting EAT adiposity and metabolic dysfunction, such as impaired insulin signaling.
Self-Interest through Delegation: An Additional Rationale for the Principal-Agent Relationship

Principal-agent relationships are typically assumed to be motivated by efficiency gains from comparative advantage. However, principals may also delegate tasks to avoid taking direct responsibility for selfish or unethical behavior. We report three laboratory experiments in which principals repeatedly either decide how much money to share with a recipient or hire agents to make sharing decisions on their behalf. Across several experimental treatments, recipients receive significantly less, and in many cases close to nothing, when allocation decisions are made by agents. (JEL D82)
A Case Study of Allelopathic Effect on Weeds in Wheat

Most powerful and effective method of weed control is by chemical substances called herbicides. In recent years, they were published quite data on different side effects of herbicides on humans, animals, crops and the environment as a whole. Therefore, the increased interest for biological weed control lately is reasonable, since its improvement and expansion will contribute to limiting excessive use of herbicides, respectively their harmful effects and will support the successful implementation of complex weed control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of selected plant species, containing allelopathic active substances, on germination, growth and biomass of some widespread weeds in wheat. Experiments were carried out at laboratory conditions using seeds of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., sort Sadovo 1) and most common weeds therein: Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense (L) Pers), white pigweed (Chenopodium album L.), twitch (Cynodon dactylon L.) and curly dock (Rumex crispus L.). Allelopathic substances were extracted with distilled water from flowers of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), leaves of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), leaves of spearmint (Mentha longifolia (L) Huds. ), and leaves of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.). Of the tested active allelopathic plants, the most negative impact on germination of all weeds seeds (including wheat), as well as on the development of plants exhibited the water extract of lavender. Lavender and basil had a stronger negative effect on white pigweed and twitch compared with both mint species. A significant inhibitory effect of spearmint even at low concentrations was recorded on the germination of all weed species tested while the wheat was slightly affected, which manifests this plant as a potential effective species in strategies for weed control management.
Tourist Behaviour: Themes and Conceptual Schemes

Tourism is an inherently social phenomenon Tourists travel with others and experience places and cultures through interacting with both familiar and unfamiliar others. This volume presents a thorough tour of the social psychological processes which underpin contemporary travel. The fascinating phenomenon of tourist behaviour deals with topics such as motivation, destination choice, travellers' on site experiences, satisfaction and learning. This book uses an array of developing and recently constructed conceptual frameworks to both synthesise what is established, and to create new insights and directions for further analysis and, ultimately, management action.
FoxM1 overexpression promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To investigate the expression of forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1) in the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its role in metastasis. METHODS FoxM1 and E-cadherin expression in HCC tissue microarray specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, and statistical methods were applied to analyze the correlation between FoxM1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Kaplan-Meier analysis of the correlation between the FoxM1 expression level and recurrence or overall survival of HCC patients was performed. The expression of FoxM1, E-cadherin and snail homologue 1 (SNAI1) in HCC cell lines was evaluated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was used to induce EMT and stimulate cell migration in HCC cells. The expression of FoxM1 and SNAI1 was regulated by transfection with plasmids pcDNA3.1 and siRNAs in vitro. The occurrence of EMT was evaluated by Transwell assay, morphologic analysis and detection of the expression of EMT markers (E-cadherin and vimentin). Luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to evaluate whether SNAI1 is a direct transcriptional target of FoxM1. RESULTS FoxM1 expression was increased significantly in HCC compared with para-carcinoma (10.7 ± 0.9 vs 8.2 ± 0.7, P < 0.05) and normal hepatic (10.7 ± 0.9 vs 2.7 ± 0.4, P < 0.05) tissues. Overexpression of FoxM1 was correlated with HCC tumor size, tumor number, macrovascular invasion and higher TNM stage, but was negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression in microarray specimens and in cell lines. FoxM1 overexpression was correlated significantly with HCC metastasis and EMT. In vitro, we found that FoxM1 plays a key role in HGF-induced EMT, and overexpression of FoxM1 could suppress E-cadherin expression and induce EMT changes, which were associated with increased HCC cell invasiveness. Next, we confirmed that FOXM1 directly binds to and activates the SNAI1 promoter, and we identified SNAI1 as a direct transcriptional target of FOXM1. Moreover, inhibiting the expression of SNAI1 significantly inhibited FoxM1-mediated EMT. CONCLUSION FoxM1 overexpression promotes EMT and metastasis of HCC, and SNAI1 plays a critical role in FoxM1-mediated EMT.
A Survey of the Health Experiences of International Business Travelers

Occupational health professionals need to know more about the health, worklife, and family life of international business travelers (IBTs). This descriptive correlational study, in two parts, examines the physiological and psychosocial experiences associated with business travel for a sample of 140 employees from western Canada's oil and gas industry. Results for Part One show that 76% of IBTs report travel related health problems, 74% have jet lag, 45% have travelers' diarrhea and gastrointestinal complaints, 12% to 16% have climate adaptation problems, and 2% report accidents and minor injuries. High risk behaviors include not carrying a first aid travel kit (54%); drinking more alcohol than ordinarily (21%); and neglecting food, water, and antimalarial precautions (6% to 14%). Other risk factors include age, length of stay, destination, pre-travel medical examinations, pre-travel advice, and eating and accommodation facilities. Findings show that IBTs are at risk for travel related physiological health problems. Implications for practitioners call for increased occupational health expertise in pre-travel preparation, follow up post-travel and regular health surveillance for employees who travel on international business.
Antioxidants and Hypoglycemic Studies on Egyptian Propolis and Foeniculum Vulgare on Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the leading causes of death, illness, and economic loss in the Egypt. In DM the oxidative stress exceeds the body’s antioxidant defense mechanisms. Although oxidative stress and free radicals have been reported to play a significant role in diabetic complications. Propolis and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) possesses antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Aim of work: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Egyptian propolis and Foeniculum Vulgare on hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Materials and methods: Diabetes was induced with Alloxan (148mg/Kg) intraperitoneal. Rats with blood glucose level less than 300 mg/dL were excluded. Animals were divided into 8 equal groups (n=80); except negative control rats, all groups inoculated with alloxan Group 1: negative control of normal rats. Group 2: positive control of alloxan injected rats. Group 3: rats were treated with 200 mg/ kg of propolis. Group 4: rats were treated with 400 mg/ kg of propolis. Group 5: rats were treated with 200 mg/ kg of Foeniculum vulgare. Group 6: rats were treated with 400 mg/ kg of Foeniculum vulgare. Group 7: rats were treated with (200 mg/ kg of Foeniculum vulgare +200 mg/ kg of propolis). Group 8: rats were treated with (400 mg/ kg of Foeniculum vulgare +400 mg/ kg of propolis). Rats were treated orally for 28 days. Results: Data showed significant increase in serum levels of Fasting blood glucose FBG, malonaldehyde MDA, superoxide dismutase SOD and significant decreased levels of insulin, Catalase, glutathione (GSH) reduce, glutathione -Stransferase (GST) were observed in the diabetic untreated animals. Conclusion: Propolis and Foeniculum Vulgare possesses hypoglycemic activities in addition to its ability to ameliorate oxidative stress induced organ dysfunction.
Seasonal and lactational influences on bovine milk composition in New Zealand

This study was designed to evaluate the respective influences of stage of lactation (SOL) and time of year on the seasonal variation in milk composition for pasture-fed dairy cows in New Zealand. Four herds of ∼20 Friesian cows were used, one herd calving in a 6 week period beginning in each of January, April, July and October. Cows grazed rye-grass–white clover pasture only, except during June when all cows received supplementary pasture silage. Milk samples were collected from each cow in milk on four occasions during the year (September, December, March and June), to give a total of three samples per cow (early, mid and late lactation; about 30, 120 and 210 d respectively after calving). Samples were analysed for a detailed range of components. Concentrations of many milk components (e.g. total protein, fat, casein and whey protein) increased as lactation progressed; the extent of these increases depended on the time of year. These results indicated that spreading calving throughout the year would lessen seasonal variations in the gross composition of milk supplied to factories, leading to a more even distribution of product yield across the year. Despite this, variations in some important manufacturing properties were affected by time of year but not by SOL. Ratios of protein[ratio ]fat and casein: whey protein were not significantly affected by SOL, but were affected by time of year. The solid fat content of milk was also affected by time of year. Seasonal variations in the manufacturing properties of milk may be reduced but not eliminated by changing the time of calving.
Laparoscopic Hernia Repair: The Learning Curve

The performance of a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair requires unique technical and cognitive skills which, until recently, were not routinely taught to general surgeons. The initial experience of three surgeons with laparoscopic hernia repair was audited prospectively to assess the learning curve for the technique. From March 1992 to June 1994, transabdominal preperitoneal (TAP) mesh repair was attempted on 172 consecutive inguinal hernias. Three procedures were converted to traditional repairs. The three independent surgeons that performed the repairs had minimal or no prior clinical experience with the technique in the role as primary surgeon. The hernia repairs were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of the first 90 hernia repairs in the series, 30 repairs per surgeon. This group was compared to the subsequent 82 repairs (group 2), approximately 27 repairs per surgeon. Patients were followed up for a median of 31 months. Group 1 had more patients who were hospitalized overnight (37% versus 31%), a greater rate of conversion (2.2% versus 1.2%), a higher complication rate (11.7% versus 0%), a higher recurrence rate (12.2% versus 0%), and a longer delay in the return to full activity (11 weeks versus 8 weeks). Also, overall patient satisfaction with their hernia repair was slightly greater in group 2 (score, 9.0/10 versus 8.2/10). The lack of prior experience with the TAP technique (one surgeon) was associated with a marked increase in the number of conversions (two of three total conversions), complications (four of eight total), and hernia recurrences (8 of 11 total). This study demonstrates that a surgeon's initial experience with laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is associated with an identifiable learning curve. Significant improvements in complication and recurrence rates and overall patient satisfaction can be expected after the initial learning phase. Also, a complete lack of prior experience with laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is associated with a higher rate of conversion and significant increases in complications and hernia recurrences.