Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palm vitamin E reduces oxidative stress, and physical and morphological alterations of erythrocyte membranes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in diabetic conditions promotes alterations of function and other properties of the erythrocyte membrane. In this study, we examined the effects of palm vitamin E (200 mg/kg) on oxidative stress and the physical and morphological characteristics of erythrocyte membranes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups as follows: Group 1, control group; Group 2, normal plus palm vitamin E treatment; Group 3, untreated diabetic group; and Group 4, diabetic plus palm vitamin E treatment. After 4 weeks of treatments, we determined complete blood count, erythrocyte osmotic fragility, erythrocyte morphology, levels of erythrocyte malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, levels of erythrocyte glutathione and oxidized glutathione, and total plasma antioxidant capacity. The results of osmotic fragility were significantly higher in the diabetic group compared to the control and diabetic with palm vitamin E. There were significant morphological changes in the erythrocytes of the diabetic group compared to the control group. We also found a significant decrease in the hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit percentage, and erythrocyte distribution width in the diabetic group. Erythrocyte malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels were significantly higher in the diabetic group compared to the control group. Decreased levels of reduced glutathione and increased level of oxidized glutathione were observed in the diabetic group compared to the control and diabetic with palm vitamin E groups. Plasma total antioxidant capacity was significantly lower in the diabetic group than in the control group, whereas plasma total antioxidants in the diabetic with palm vitamin E group were significantly increased compared to the untreated diabetic group. In conclusion, 4 weeks of daily supplementation with 200 mg/kg palm vitamin E could reduce the levels of oxidative stress markers by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Teaching and learning the concept of chemical bonding

Chemical bonding is one of the key and basic concepts in chemistry. The learning of many of the concepts taught in chemistry, in both secondary schools as well as in the colleges, is dependent upon understanding fundamental ideas related to chemical bonding. Nevertheless, the concept is perceived by teachers, as well as by learners, as difficult, with teaching commonly leading to students developing misconceptions. Many of these misconceptions result from over‐simplified models used in text books, by the use of traditional pedagogy that presents a rather limited and sometimes incorrect picture of the issues related to chemical bonding and by assessments of students' achievement that influence the way the topic is taught. In addition, there are discrepancies between scientists regarding key definitions in the topic and the most appropriate models to teach it. In particular, teaching models that are intended to have transitional epistemological value in introducing abstract ideas are often instead understood by students as accounts of ontological reality. In this review paper we provide science educators, curricula developers and pre‐service and in‐service professional development providers an up‐to‐date picture regarding research and developments in teaching about chemical bonding. We review the external and internal variables that might lead to misconceptions and the problematic issue of using limited teaching/learning models. Finally, we review the approaches to teaching the concept that might overcome some of these misconceptions.
Ovarian stimulation for IVF has no quantitative association with birthweight: a registry study.

BACKGROUND Singleton children born after IVF are of lower birthweight compared with their naturally conceived peers. It has been hypothesized that ovarian stimulation might be associated with low birthweight in children born after IVF. The aim of the present study was to explore whether or not a dose relationship exists between ovarian stimulation and birthweight in singletons born after ovarian stimulation for IVF. METHODS Using a national IVF registry database with a coverage of 65-70%, parental demographic variables, treatment cycle variables and neonatal variables were retrieved from all IVF treatment cycles in women between 25 and 35 years of age in which gonadotrophins were used for ovarian stimulation and a fresh embryo transfer resulting in singleton live birth was performed. Birthweight was standardized as a z-score, adjusting for gestational week at delivery and fetal sex, using data from a large reference population. Multivariate regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the dependent variable z-score and the independent predictor variables maternal age (years), maternal weight (kg), maternal height (cm), maternal body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2)), duration of infertility (years), number of embryos transferred (n), duration of stimulation (days), consumption of gonadotrophins (ampoules) and number of oocytes retrieved (n). RESULTS Data retrieval yielded 32,416 singleton live births after IVF, with a mean (+/-SD) z-score of -0.25 (+/-1.0) and -0.23 (+/-1.0) for male and female neonates, respectively. Regression analysis indicated that maternal weight, maternal height, duration of infertility and the number of embryos transferred were statistically significant determinants of the birthweight of singletons after ovarian stimulation IVF. Parameters of ovarian stimulation (duration of stimulation, consumption of gonadotrophins, number of oocytes retrieved), maternal BMI and maternal age did not significantly predict birthweight. CONCLUSIONS Features reflecting ovarian stimulation do not correlate with birthweight. Therefore, ovarian stimulation is unlikely to be a factor affecting birthweight of IVF pregnancies.
Organic-inorganic composite of gC 3 N 4 e SrTiO 3 : Rh photocatalyst for improved H 2 evolution under visible light irradiation

The organic-inorganic composite g-C3N4eSrTiO3:Rh was prepared for the first time as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production and the resulting hydrogen evolution rate under visible light irradiation from aqueous methanol solution was measured. A high hydrogen evolution rate of 223.3 mmol h 1 was achieved by using 0.1 g of as-prepared photocatalyst powder comprised of 20 wt. % g-C3N4 80 wt. % SrTiO3:Rh (0.3 mol%). The hydrogen evolution rate was greater than that obtained by SrTiO3:Rh (0.3mol%) by a factor of 3.24. The quantum efficiency of as-prepared composite photocatalyst was 5.5% at 410 nm for hydrogen evolution. The high activity of the composite photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution stemmed from its electronehole separation and transportation capabilities due to the hetero-junctions of the organic-inorganic composite materials. The proposedmechanism for the electronehole separation and hydrogen evolution of the g-C3N4eSrTiO3:Rh composite under visible light irradiation featured the reduced recombination of the photo-generated charge carriers. The doping of Rh ions into the SrTiO3 has contributed to the high photocatalytic activity by forming a donor level from the valance band to the conduction band. Copyright a 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
Ten Years in the Trenches

This study reports the perceptions of faculty 10 years after participating and sustaining their involvement in academic service-learning. Issues explored include why participants became involved in service-learning, the perceived impact on the promotion and tenure process, the challenges and rewards reaped by participants, and what sustained them in their work. The study is unique in that faculty report on the factors that have impeded or allowed them to sustain their involvement in service-learning over a period of 10 years. The study supports earlier findings that suggest faculty become involved for a variety of reasons, primarily the potential outcomes that service-learning provides and the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary fashion; that service-learning can have both a positive and negative impact on promotion and tenure; and that support at the institutional level is essential for engaging faculty in service-learning.
The relation between adverse childhood experiences and later mental health among deaf adults

Abstract The aim of this article is to describe some self-reported adverse childhood experiences and the current self-reported mental health situation among 376 adults who lost their hearing before nine years of age, and to analyse the possible link between the adverse childhood experiences and adult mental health problems. Adult members of the Norwegian Deaf Register were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. The analysis are focused on three aspects of negative childhood experiences: corporal punishment by at least one of the parents (reported by 36%), being frequently bullied by peers (reported by 23%) and being seriously sexually abused by known or unknown people (reported by 30%). Thirty-five percent of the respondents reported a mental health problem. Results indicated an association between the reported three negative childhood experiences and later mental health problems. Further analysis showed that having experienced two or three of the mentioned negative experiences in combinatio.
Mean–Variance Optimal Adaptive Execution

Abstract Electronic trading of equities and other securities makes heavy use of ‘arrival price’ algorithms that balance the market impact cost of rapid execution against the volatility risk of slow execution. In the standard formulation, mean–variance optimal trading strategies are static: they do not modify the execution speed in response to price motions observed during trading. We show that substantial improvement is possible by using dynamic trading strategies and that the improvement is larger for large initial positions. We develop a technique for computing optimal dynamic strategies to any desired degree of precision. The asset price process is observed on a discrete tree with an arbitrary number of levels. We introduce a novel dynamic programming technique in which the control variables are not only the shares traded at each time step but also the maximum expected cost for the remainder of the program; the value function is the variance of the remaining program. The resulting adaptive strategies are ‘aggressive-in-the-money’: they accelerate the execution when the price moves in the trader's favor, spending parts of the trading gains to reduce risk.
The effects of environmental dynamism and heterogeneity on salespeople’s role perceptions, performance and job satisfaction

Develops a structural equations model which examines the effects of environmental dynamism and heterogeneity on salespeople’s role conflict, role ambiguity, performance and job satisfaction. The model is tested with EQS, using data collected from 230 salespeople in multiple companies and industries. Indicates that environmental dynamism reduces satisfaction and performance, and increases role conflict and ambiguity. Notes that environmental heterogeneity also reduces performance and increases role conflict, but does not have a significant effect on role ambiguity.
Statins Attenuate Helicobacter pylori CagA Translocation and Reduce Incidence of Gastric Cancer: In Vitro and Population-Based Case-Control Studies

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The correlation of Helicobacter pylori and the etiology of gastric cancer was substantially certain. Cholesterol-rich microdomains (also called lipid rafts), which provide platforms for signaling, are associated with H. pylori-induced pathogenesis leading to gastric cancer. Patients who have been prescribed statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, have exhibited a reduced risk of several types of cancer. However, no studies have addressed the effect of statins on H. pylori-associated gastric cancer from the antineoplastic perspective. In this study, we showed that treatment of gastric epithelial cells with simvastatin reduced the level of cellular cholesterol and led to attenuation of translocation and phosphorylation of H. pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA), which is recognized as a major determinant of gastric cancer development. Additionally, a nationwide case-control study based on data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was conducted. A population-based case-control study revealed that patients who used simvastatin exhibited a significantly reduced risk of gastric cancer (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70–0.83). In patients exhibiting H. pylori infection who were prescribed simvastatin, the adjusted OR for gastric cancer was 0.25 (95% CI = 0.12–0.50). Our results combined an in vitro study with a nationwide population analysis reveal that statin use might be a feasible approach to prevent H. pylori-associated gastric cancer.
Orientations to happiness and the experience of everyday activities

The orientation to happiness framework proposes that individuals seek well-being through three behavioral orientations: Pleasure, meaning, and engagement. We investigated how orientations to happiness (OTH) influenced the pursuit and experience of daily activities using experience sampling methods. One hundred and seventy three people responded to three text messages per day for seven days asking how they felt about their current activity. Most participants did not report a dominant orientation to happiness, and the highest rated orientation receiving did not predict which daily activities participants engaged in most. However, trait orientation to happiness related to how activities were experienced. Individuals scoring highly on all three orientations rated their activities highly on momentary pleasure, meaning, engagement, and happiness. Overall, it appears more important for daily well-being to have a balanced and strong portfolio of the three OTH than to have any one particularly dominant orientation.
Learning about System Renewal

Our focus in this article is on the lessons learned about effective change from international experience with large-scale reform over the last 20 years. The central lesson now evident is that sustained improvement in student outcomes requires a sustained effort to change teaching and learning practices in thousands and thousands of classrooms, and this requires focused and sustained effort by all parts of the education system and its partners. Key components of this work include a small number of ambitious yet achievable goals, publicly stated; a positive stance with a focus on motivation; multi-level engagement with strong leadership and a `guiding coalition'; emphasis on capacity building with a focus on results; keeping a focus on key strategies while also managing other interests and issues; effective use of resources; and constant and growing transparency including public and stakeholder communication and feedback. Although we believe the use of change knowledge is increasing internationally, future prospects remain mixed because the work is hard to do.
Developing Chemical Genetic Approaches to Explore G Protein-Coupled Receptor Function: Validation of the Use of a Receptor Activated Solely by Synthetic Ligand (RASSL)

Molecular evolution and chemical genetics have been applied to generate functional pairings of mutated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and nonendogenous ligands. These mutant receptors, referred to as receptors activated solely by synthetic ligands (RASSLs) or designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), have huge potential to define physiological roles of GPCRs and to validate receptors in animal models as therapeutic targets to treat human disease. However, appreciation of ligand bias and functional selectivity of different ligands at the same receptor suggests that RASSLs may signal differently than wild-type receptors activated by endogenous agonists. We assessed this by generating forms of wild-type human M3 muscarinic receptor and a RASSL variant that responds selectively to clozapine N-oxide. Although the RASSL receptor had reduced affinity for muscarinic antagonists, including atropine, stimulation with clozapine N-oxide produced effects very similar to those generated by acetylcholine at the wild-type M3-receptor. Such effects included the relative movement of the third intracellular loop and C-terminal tail of intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer sensors and the ability of the wild type and evolved mutant to regulate extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation. Each form interacted similarly with β-arrestin 2 and was internalized from the cell surface in response to the appropriate ligand. Furthermore, the pattern of phosphorylation of specific serine residues within the evolved receptor in response to clozapine N-oxide was very similar to that produced by acetylcholine at the wild type. Such results provide confidence that, at least for the M3 muscarinic receptor, results obtained after transgenic expression of this RASSL are likely to mirror the actions of acetylcholine at the wild type receptor.
Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Mathematical Problem Solving: Implications of Using Different Forms of Assessment

Abstract The mathematics self-efficacy and problem-solving performance of 327 middle-school students were assessed using two forms of assessment (traditional multiple-choice vs. open-ended fill-in-the-blank). The purpose was to determine whether varying the assessment format would influence students' self-efficacy judgments or alter the relationship between self-efficacy and performance. No differences in self-efficacy resulted from the different forms of assessment Students who took the multiple-choice performance test obtained higher scores than did students who took the open-ended test The latter group had poorer calibration, that is, the degree to which students' judgments of their capability reflect their actual competence. This finding suggests that students' self-perceptions of their mathematics capability may be less accurate than has previously been reported or that students' familiarity with traditional assessment formats creates an expectancy of a performance task that is multiple choice in nat.
Osteogenic potential of three different autogenous bone particles harvested during implant surgery.

OBJECTIVES The aim was to compare the osteoblast activity and osteogenic potential of autogenous bone particles harvested using three different techniques and determine the most advantageous method of collecting autogenous bone particles. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Bone particles were harvested from 20 patients during dental implant surgery using bone scraping, low-speed drilling and bone trap filtering. After the osteoblasts were cultured, cell proliferation, migration, mineralization, transcription of osteogenesis-related genes, secretion of osteogenesis-related proteins and osteoinductive protein content in the bone particle matrix were evaluated. RESULTS Osteoblast activity and osteogenic potential were higher in bone samples harvested by scraper or low-speed drilling than in samples harvested by bone trap filter. Although these parameters were slightly lower in the low-speed drilling group than in the scraper group, significant differences were found only in bone Gla protein levels. However, the levels of osteoinductive proteins in the bone particle matrix were significantly higher in the low-speed drilling group than in the scraper group. CONCLUSIONS Low-speed drilling is a recommendable and effective technique for collecting autogenous bone particles. In implant operations, low-speed drilling can be considered the first-line option, and if the quantity of harvested bone is insufficient, bone shavings obtained by the scraper may be considered.
Optic flow signals in extrastriate area MST: comparison of perceptual and neuronal sensitivity.

The medial superior temporal area of extrastriate cortex (MST) contains signals selective for nonuniform patterns of motion often termed "optic flow. " The presence of such tuning, however, does not necessarily imply involvement in perception. To quantify the relationship between these selective neuronal signals and the perception of optic flow, we designed a discrimination task that allowed us to simultaneously record neuronal and behavioral sensitivities to near-threshold optic flow stimuli tailored to MST cells' preferences. In this two-alternative forced-choice task, we controlled the salience of globally opposite patterns (e.g., expansion and contraction) by varying the coherence of the motion. Using these stimuli, we could both relate the sensitivity of neuronal signals in MST to the animal's behavioral sensitivity and also measure trial-by-trial correlation between neuronal signals and behavioral choices. Neurons in MST showed a wide range of sensitivities to these complex motion stimuli. Many neurons had sensitivities equal or superior to the monkey's threshold. On the other hand, trial-by-trial correlation between neuronal discharge and choice ("choice probability") was weak or nonexistent in our data. Together, these results lead us to conclude that MST contains sufficient information for threshold judgments of optic flow; however, the role of MST activity in optic flow discriminations may be less direct than in other visual motion tasks previously described by other laboratories.
Community Policing in Hong Kong

Originating in Britain and the USA, community policing has been a growth industry internationally. However, studies have shown the model to be problematic, and questioned whether it is transplantable to other societies without regard to their different environmental contexts. This article provides a case study of community policing initiatives undertaken in Hong Kong from the 1970s to today, showing that they have largely failed, and have dim future prospects. In explaining why this is the case, it is argued that these initiatives have not only been bedeviled by factors which have proven so troublesome for the community policing model elsewhere, but also by the socio-cultural ethos of Hong Kong’s population, the territory’s unique political and economic position and the institutionalization of the Hong Kong Police’s paramilitary traditions. The study not only provides a further illustration of the questionable nature of the community policing model, but also illustrates how and why policy making should always take into account local conditions instead of simply borrowing foreign models.
Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative.

An increasing number of patients develop acute renal failure each year, and the mortality rate is still higher than 50% despite new treatment strategies. In recent years, there have been considerable advances in our understanding and technical capabilities, but a consensus regarding the optimal way to deliver care still has not been reached. Consequently, a group of pioneers (John Kellum, MD, Ravindra Mehta, MD, and Claudio Ronco, MD) decided to initiate a process that will include a series of conferences and interactions with a large number of reviewers and experts entitled the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI).