Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantification of non-protein nitrogen components of infant formulae and follow-up milks: comparison with cows' and human milk

The composition of fourteen infant formulae and six follow-up milks with regard to their free amino acids (including taurine), free nucleotides, orotic acid, and free and total L-carnitine content was studied. The levels found were compared with the limits established in European legislation and with the composition of human and cows' milk samples. HPLC methodologies, optimized and validated for the matrices under study, were used, except for free and total L-carnitine contents that were quantified using a flow-injection manifold, also optimized and validated for the matrices under study. Global statistical treatment of the results by cluster analysis indicated similarities between the contents of the N compounds under study of infant formulae, follow-up milks and cows' milk and differences with regard to human milk composition. The principal component analysis showed that 60·2% of the variation in data was due to the first principal component, and the second component represented 23·8% of the total information. Nucleotide profiles, orotic acid, and free and total L-carnitine contents explain the main differences observed between human milk and the other milks studied (cows' milk, infant formulae and follow-up milks). Cows' milk is distinguished from infant formulae and follow-up milks mainly owing to the different uric acid contents and free amino acids profiles.
International Journal of Nephrology and Renovascular Disease Dovepress Rodent Models of Diabetic Nephropathy: Their Utility and Limitations

you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms Abstract: Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease. Therefore, novel therapies for the suppression of diabetic nephropathy must be developed. Rodent models are useful for elucidating the pathogenesis of diseases and testing novel therapies, and many type 1 and type 2 diabetic rodent models have been established for the study of diabetes and diabetic complications. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic animals are widely used as a model of type 1 diabetes. Akita diabetic mice that have an Ins2+/C96Y mutation and OVE26 mice that overexpress calmodulin in pancreatic β-cells serve as a genetic model of type 1 diabetes. In addition, db/db mice, KK-Ay mice, Zucker diabetic fatty rats, Wistar fatty rats, Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats and Goto-Kakizaki rats serve as rodent models of type 2 diabetes. An animal model of diabetic nephropathy should exhibit progressive albuminuria and a decrease in renal function, as well as the characteristic histological changes in the glomeruli and the tubulointerstitial lesions that are observed in cases of human diabetic nephropathy. A rodent model that strongly exhibits all these features of human diabetic nephropathy has not yet been developed. However, the currently available rodent models of diabetes can be useful in the study of diabetic nephropathy by increasing our understanding of the features of each diabetic rodent model. Furthermore, the genetic background and strain of each mouse model result in differences in susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy with albuminuria and the development of glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions. Therefore, the validation of an animal model reproducing human diabetic nephropathy will significantly facilitate our understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms that contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy. In this review, we focus on rodent models of diabetes and discuss the utility and limitations of these models for the study of diabetic nephropathy.
Can current political developments in Nigeria undermine its territorial integrity?

ABSTRACT Nigeria is currently embroiled in festering internal political crisis that could undermine its territorial integrity. The centripetal forces that have held the fragile union of various nationalities in Nigeria are waning, due to continuous political tensions orchestrated by unjust and unfair treatment of citizens, bolstered by ethnic and religious differences. The political tensions were tremendously heightened by the 2015 presidential election, which elicited fears that pointed to disastrous consequences. Three years after, the tensions are yet to abate, with increased calls for self-determination by different parts of the country. This provoked the need to investigate the political undercurrents that have persisted in the country, especially those experienced during the 2015 election, to understand how they may have shaped current events in Nigeria. The conceptual framework of this work was guided by the geopolitical theory of “politics of failure”. Connection of current events to Nigeria’s constitutional history was made, and the role it played in foisting a fragile foundation for the country was explored. Geospatial techniques were used to assess political dynamics in the country and their implication on the shrinking ligaments of Nigeria’s unity. This study found that the 2015 general election revealed a strongly divided country. Emerging political fault lines suggest that there is a strong potential of its eventual breakup. With the approaching general elections in 2019, there are indications the country might disintegrate in a violent way, if certain issues are not urgently addressed. Measures including extensive devolution of power, confederation, conduct of self-determination referendum and proportional representation were explored as possible panaceas to the problem.
A study of the continuous usage intention of social software in the context of instant messaging

Purpose – As social networking is becoming more popular, social software has achieved an important position in the internet business industry. For social software to be successful, it is crucial to understand how users form their continuous usage intentions toward social software. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon socio-technical and social cognitive perspectives, this study proposes a theory-based model that investigates the interaction effects between social (i.e. perceived user base and relationship commitment) and technical (i.e. perceived system quality) factors of social software, in addition to their direct effects on continuous usage intentions. To empirically validate the proposed research model, a structural equation modelling technique was used. Findings – The results of our model test indicate that all relevant social and technical factors are significant determinants of continuous usage intention. Moreover relationship commitment exhibits a po.
Elastic Network Models For Biomolecular Dynamics: Theory and Application to Membrane Proteins and Viruses

Elastic network models (ENMs) have over the last decade enjoyed considerable success in the study of macromolecular dynamics. These models have been used to predict the global dynamics of a variety of proteins and protein complexes, ranging in size from single enzymes to macromolecular machines (Keskin et al. 2002), ribosomes (Tama et al. 2003, Wang et al. 2004) and viral capsids (Tama & Brooks, 2002, Tama & Brooks, 2005, Rader et al. 2005). They have provided insights into a wide range of protein behaviors, such as mechanisms of allosteric regulation (Ming & Wall, 2005, Bahar et al. 2007, Chennubhotla et al. 2008), protein-protein binding (Tobi and Bahar 2005), anisotropic response to uniaxial tension and unfolding (Eyal and Bahar, 2008, Sulkowska et al. 2008), colocalization of catalytic sites and key mechanical sites (e.g., hinges) (Yang & Bahar 2005), interactions at the binding sites (Ming & Wall, 2006), and energetics (Miller et al. 2008), to name a few. ENMs allow the global motions of a molecule to be quickly calculated, making them an ideal complement to conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Increasingly, variants of ENMs are being applied to non-equilibrium situations, such as the prediction of transition pathways between functional states separated by low energy barriers (Zheng et al. 2007) or driving MD simulations (Isin et al. 2008). At its core, the ENM provides a simplified representation of the potential energy function of a system, in this case a macromolecule or macromolecular
What's it like on the inside? The impact of self-concept on the educational engagement and delinquency of young offenders in a custodial setting

With growing evidence that educational engagement and academic success are important in reducing the likelihood of reoffending by young people (Blomberg et al., 2010; Brookmeyer, Fanti & Henrich, 2006; Chapman et al., 2011; Li et al., 2011), youth detention centres are increasingly searching for ways of engaging young offenders in education and providing positive learning experiences. Previous research has elucidated the important role self-concept can play in the educational engagement of young people. However, to date, little research has specifically examined the relationship between self-concept and educational engagement in young incarcerated offenders. This study aimed to address this gap using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Self-concept was assessed in 70 young adolescent males aged between 14 to 19 years (M = 16.53, SD = 1.00) who were incarcerated in a youth custodial facility. In addition to a measure specifically examining self-concept, participants also completed measures assessing related constructs including personality, self-esteem, self-efficacy and early maladaptive schema. The narratives of 15 young offenders were also examined using narrative inquiry. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that young offenders’ self-concepts along with their temperament and character predicted both educational engagement and previous delinquency, suggesting that the self-concept may be a key variable linked to the overall adjustment of a young person and not just their educational outcomes. The self-concept may therefore be particularly relevant to rehabilitative efforts in young offenders. The results also provide insight into how young offenders’ life experiences, particularly their childhood experiences, contribute to the development of negative self-beliefs, which impact on their engagement in education.
A New Metabolomic Signature in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Pathophysiology

Objective The objective of the current study was to find a metabolic signature associated with the early manifestations of type-2 diabetes mellitus. Research Design and Method Modern metabolic profiling technology (MxP™ Broad Profiling) was applied to find early alterations in the plasma metabolome of type-2 diabetic patients. The results were validated in an independent study. Eicosanoid and single inon monitoring analysis (MxP™ Eicosanoid and MxP™ SIM analysis) were performed in subsets of samples. Results A metabolic signature including significantly increased levels of glyoxylate as a potential novel marker for early detection of type-2 diabetes mellitus was identified in an initial study (Study1). The signature was significantly altered in fasted diabetic and pre-diabetic subjects and in non-fasted subjects up to three years prior to the diagnosis of type-2 diabetes; most alterations were also consistently found in an independent patient group (Study 2). In Study 2 diabetic and most control subjects suffered from heart failure. In Study 1 a subgroup of diabetic subjects, with a history of use of anti-hypertensive medication further showed a more pronounced increase of glyoxylate levels, compared to a non-diabetic control group when tested in a hyperglycemic state. In the context of a prior history of anti-hypertensive medication, alterations in hexosamine and eicosanoid levels were also found. Conclusion A metabolic signature including glyoxylate was associated with type-2 diabetes mellitus, independent of the fasting status and of occurrence of another major disease. The same signature was also found to be associated with pre-diabetic subjects. Glyoxylate levels further showed a specifically strong increase in a subgroup of diabetic subjects. It could represent a new marker for the detection of medical subgroups of diabetic subjects.
Regulated secretion of beta-amyloid precursor protein in rat brain

The beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a ubiquitous, highly conserved secretory glycoprotein that is expressed at high levels in mammalian brain by neurons, astrocytes, and activated microglia. Secreted APP (APPs) is generated by the cleavage of APP within the beta- amyloid (A beta) portion of its ectodomain. The formation and secretion of APPs can be increased by activation of particular neurotransmitter receptors and subsequent protein phosphorylation. We found that tissue slices from rat cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum secrete APPs in vitro. APPs secretion was enhanced by electrical stimulation, but was not associated with a general increase in the release of total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, or neuronal cell adhesion molecules. The pharmacological profile of stimulation-induced APPs secretion suggests complex interactions between muscarinic receptor subtypes in the tissue slices: in the unstimulated state, activation of Muscarinic M1 receptors increased APPs release while nonspecific activation of multiple muscarinic receptors had little effect on APPs release; in electrically stimulated slices, nonspecific inhibition of muscarinic receptors blunted the increase in APPs secretion. The nonspecific muscarinic agonist carbachol increased APPs secretion only in the presence of an M2 receptor antagonist, suggesting that activation of M2 receptors suppresses APPs formation. These data indicate that secretory APP processing in brain includes depolarization- enhanced cleavage of the cell-associated holoprotein within its ectodomain, and that the net effect of depolorization involves several subtypes of acetylcholine receptors.
Organizational antecedents to designing a comprehensive complaint management system

Abstract The literature highlights two main approaches to designing an effective complaint management system: the mechanistic and the organic. The mechanistic approach emphasizes the establishment of guidelines for the correct processing, attention and resolution of complaints received. In contrast, the organic approach relies on creating a supportive internal environment for correct customer attention, made possible through training and empowering employees responsible for complaint management and by promoting extra-role behaviour among them. The present research aims to study the antecedents of adopting these two approaches. From a strategic perspective, we analyse the influence of organizational culture variables (the extent to which the firm is customer and innovation oriented) and the nature of the objectives pursued by complaint handling (defensive vs. improvement objectives). The proposed model is tested on a sample of 140 manufacturing firms. Findings indicate these antecedents shape the complaint management system in a diverse and significant manner.
On the utility of Asian critical (AsianCrit) theory in the field of education

Abstract Despite the powerful influence of race and racism on the experiences and outcomes of Asian Americans in US education, coherent conceptual frameworks specifically focused on delineating how White supremacy shapes the lives of this population are difficult to find. The AsianCrit framework, grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the experiences and voices of Asian Americans, can begin filling this gap. In this article, we review an AsianCrit framework and examine Asian American issues in education through seven AsianCrit tenets to demonstrate their utility in the analysis of and advocacy for Asian Americans in U.S. education. We end by discussing implications of how AsianCrit can provide a framework to guide future research, policy and practice, as well as a foundation for discourse around the racialized experiences of Asians Americans and other racially marginalized groups in education.
The XFire online meta-gaming network: observation and high-level analysis

Online Meta-Gaming Networks are Internet-based communities of (computer) game players that extend in-game functionality by focusing on the relationship between game sessions, on what happens in the meantime between game sessions, and on the relationship between games. Motivated by the popularity of these game-related networks and by the growth of their importance-many major game developers have started to operate their own online meta-gaming network-, in this work we analyze a long-term observation of XFire. Using longterm, large-scale data that we have collected, we present a highlevel, marginal distribution- and time-based analysis of XFire: its global network, player activity, user-generated content, and social structure. We find that XFire is a slowly growing network whose players spend collectively in-game over 100 years, every hour. We quantify the "hardcore"-ness of XFire players, and find that a significant fraction of them have played over 10,000 in-game hours. We also find that XFire community members are routinely engaged in the creation and consumption of game-related media, such as screenshots and videos.
Visualisation Techniques for Multi-Layer Display TM Technology

Traditional computer monitors offer limited depth perception due to their 2D nature. The multi-layer display technology uses two or more display layers stacked in parallel and separated physically by depth. When viewing a Multi-Layer Display (MLDTM) objects displayed on the front layer appear closer than objects on the back layer, and when moving the head while viewing the display objects on the front and back layer move relative to each other. However, it is not clear how complex 3D scenes can be rendered effectively using two physically separated view planes. We have experimentally analysed differences in perception when using single and MultiLayer Displays and used the results to develop novel rendering techniques for MLDTM. We found that perception of scenes can be improved by emphasizing important objects by displaying them on a different layer, by separating datasets on different layers, by extruding objects across layers, by transitioning objects smoothly between layers and by making use of the transparency of the front layer. As a result of our user studies we present a set of guidelines for the most effective use of Multi-Layer Display technology for rendering 3D scenes.
Spectral models for solar-scaled and α-enhanced stellar populations

We present the first models allowing one to explore in a consistent way the influence of changes in the α-element-to-iron abundance ratio on the high-resolution spectral properties of evolving stellar populations. The models cover the wavelength range from 3000 Å to 1.34 μm at a constant resolution of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) = 1 Å and a sampling of 0.2 Å, for overall metallicities in the range 0.005 ≤Z≤ 0.048 and for stellar population ages between 3 and 14 Gyr. These models are based on a recent library of synthetic stellar spectra and a new library of stellar evolutionary tracks, both computed for three different iron abundances ([Fe/H]=−0.5, 0.0 and 0.2) and two different α-element-to-iron abundance ratios ([α/Fe]= 0.0 and 0.4). We expect our fully synthetic models to be primarily useful for evaluating the differential effect of changes in the α/Fe ratio on spectral properties such as broad-band colours and narrow spectral features. In addition, we assess the accuracy of absolute model predictions in two ways: first, by comparing the predictions of models for scaled-solar metal abundances ([α/Fe]= 0.0) to those of existing models based on libraries of observed stellar spectra; and secondly, by comparing the predictions of models for α-enhanced metal abundances ([α/Fe]= 0.4) to observed spectra of massive early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4. We find that our models predict accurate strengths for those spectral indices that are strongly sensitive to the abundances of Fe and α elements. The predictions are less reliable for the strengths of other spectral features, such as those dominated by the abundances of C and N, as expected from the fact that the models do not yet allow one to explore the influence of these elements in an independent way. We conclude that our models are a powerful tool for extracting new information about the chemical properties of galaxies for which high-quality spectra have been gathered by modern surveys.
A Wavelet Analysis of Transient Spike Trains of Hodgkin-Huxley Neurons

Transient spike trains consisting of M (= 1 - 5) pulses generated by single Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neurons, have been analyzed by using both the continuous and discrete wavelet transformations (WT). We have studied effects of variations in the interspike intervals (ISI) of input spikes and effects of random noises on the energy distribution and the wavelet entropy, which are expressed in terms of the WT expansion coefficients. The results obtained by the WT are discussed in connection with those obtained by the Fourier transformation.
LQP: the dynamic logic of quantum information

The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a dynamic logic formalism for reasoning about information flow in composite quantum systems. This builds on our previous work on a complete quantum dynamic logic for single systems. Here we extend that work to a sound (but not necessarily complete) logic for composite systems, which brings together ideas from the quantum logic tradition with concepts from (dynamic) modal logic and from quantum computation. This Logic of Quantum Programs (LQP) is capable of expressing important features of quantum measurements and unitary evolutions of multi-partite states, as well as giving logical characterisations to various forms of entanglement (for example, the Bell states, the GHZ states etc.). We present a finitary syntax, a relational semantics and a sound proof system for this logic. As applications, we use our system to give formal correctness proofs for the Teleportation protocol and for a standard Quantum Secret Sharing protocol; a whole range of other quantum circuits and programs, including other well-known protocols (for example, superdense coding, entanglement swapping, logic-gate teleportation etc.), can be similarly verified using our logic.