Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BACTERIAL ENDOTOXIN AND RABBIT PLATELETS

McKay, Shapiro, and Shanberge (1) demonstrated that incubation of whole blood or plasma with endotoxin resulted in a shortening of the clotting time in siliconized glassware due to an interaction of endotoxin and coagulation factors at some point prior to formation of blood thromboplastin. Robbins and Stetson (2) also observed that endotoxin accelerated coagulation in vitro, confirmed the suggestion of McKay and associates that platelets were necessary for this effect, and demonstrated that antigen-antibody reactions had entirely similar coagulation-accelerating effects in vitro. In addition, Robbins and Stetson (2) suggested that the endotoxin effect might be the result of an interaction between endotoxin and naturally occurring antibodies present in rabbit blood. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that incubation of platelet-rich rabbit plasma with endotoxin results in an increase in the activity of platelet factor 3, a thromboplastin precursor, and the transfer of serotonin and bactericidins against Bacillus subtilis from platelets to plasma (3). Platelet factor 3 is a platelet component which reacts with product I in the presence of factor V and calcium to form blood thromboplastin (4). The increased activity of platelet factor 3 provides at least one possible explanation of the in vitro effects of bacterial endotoxins on coagulation, but this observation does not exclude alterations in other coagulation factors.
Conceptualising primary labour relationship quality

Background: A typology of desirable social conditions in supervisory relationships suggested that such conditions may also be desirable in other forms of labour relationships. A literature review confirmed that trust, compliance, fairness and good faith can be confidently regarded as universally desirable social conditions in all forms of individual or collective labour relationships between employers and employees. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine if primary labour relationship quality (PLQ) can be confidently conceptualised as a social construct that strongly relates to the perceived levels of compliance, fairness and good faith in supervisory or primary labour relationships. Setting: A combination of random and convenience sampling approaches was implemented to collect PLQ related data from 454 voluntary respondents, who were subordinate employees in the Tshwane region. Methods: A quantitative research methodology was adopted. This included conceptual definition of the PLQ construct, objective measurement of PLQ levels of voluntary respondents in an adequately sized sample, factor analysis and testing for relationships and differences in means between variables. Results: Data analysis results confirmed that it can be confidently concluded that the conceptual definition of PLQ was valid, and that positive PLQ perceptions of subordinate employees were significantly related to at least two other forms of desirable organisational outcomes. Conclusion: PLQ perceptions can be confidently defined as a distinct subjective quality estimate that is assimilated from unique expectations and perceptions of the levels of compliance, fairness, good faith and trust that a supervisor displays in a labour relationship with an immediate subordinate.
Models for Type I X-Ray Bursts with Improved Nuclear Physics

Multizone models of Type I X-ray bursts are presented that use an adaptive nuclear reaction network of unprecedented size, up to 1300 isotopes, for energy generation and include the most recent measurements and estimates of critical nuclear physics. Convection and radiation transport are included in calculations that carefully follow the changing composition in the accreted layer, both during the bursts themselves and in their ashes. Sequences of bursts, up to 15 in one case, are followed for two choices of accretion rate and metallicity, up to the point at which a limit cycle equilibrium is established. For = 1.75 × 10-9 M⊙ yr-1 (and = 3.5 × 10-10 M⊙ yr-1, for low metallicity), combined hydrogen-helium flashes occur. These bursts have light curves with slow rise times (seconds) and long tails. The rise times, shapes, and tails of these light curves are sensitive to the efficiency of nuclear burning at various waiting points along the rp-process path, and these sensitivities are explored. Each displays "compositional inertia" in that its properties are sensitive to the fact that accretion occurs onto the ashes of previous bursts that contain leftover hydrogen, helium, and CNO nuclei. This acts to reduce the sensitivity of burst properties to metallicity. Only the first anomalous burst in one model produces nuclei as heavy as A = 100. For the present choice of nuclear physics and accretion rates, other bursts and models make chiefly nuclei with A ≈ 64. The amount of carbon remaining after hydrogen-helium bursts is typically ≲1% by mass and decreases further as the ashes are periodically heated by subsequent bursts. For = 3.5 × 10-10 M⊙ yr-1 and solar metallicity, bursts are ignited in a hydrogen-free helium layer. At the base of this layer, up to 90% of the helium has already burned to carbon prior to the unstable ignition of the helium shell. These helium-ignited bursts have (1) briefer, brighter light curves with shorter tails, (2) very rapid rise times (<0.1 s), and (3) ashes lighter than the iron group.
Phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in Africa and Asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been described as a species with low levels of genetic variation. This has been suggested to be the consequence of a demographic bottleneck 10 000–12 000 years ago (ya) and also led to the assumption that only small genetic differences exist between the described subspecies. However, analysing mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites in cheetah samples from most of the historic range of the species we found relatively deep phylogeographic breaks between some of the investigated populations, and most of the methods assessed divergence time estimates predating the postulated bottleneck. Mitochondrial DNA monophyly and overall levels of genetic differentiation support the distinctiveness of Northern‐East African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii). Moreover, combining archaeozoological and contemporary samples, we show that Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) are unambiguously separated from African subspecies. Divergence time estimates from mitochondrial and nuclear data place the split between Asiatic and Southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) at 32 000–67 000 ya using an average mammalian microsatellite mutation rate and at 4700–44 000 ya employing human microsatellite mutation rates. Cheetahs are vulnerable to extinction globally and critically endangered in their Asiatic range, where the last 70–110 individuals survive only in Iran. We demonstrate that these extant Iranian cheetahs are an autochthonous monophyletic population and the last representatives of the Asiatic subspecies A. j. venaticus. We advocate that conservation strategies should consider the uncovered independent evolutionary histories of Asiatic and African cheetahs, as well as among some African subspecies. This would facilitate the dual conservation priorities of maintaining locally adapted ecotypes and genetic diversity.
The Lazy Frenchman’s Approach to the Subjunctive

It has proven difficult to provide a unified semantics for the French subjunctive (the difficulty applies more generally to Romance, but we concentrate on French). In this preliminary note, we suggest that this is because the French subjunctive is a semantic default, to be used just in case the indicative would have triggered a presupposition failure (a similar idea was explored for Italian by Portner 1997; see also Siegel 2004). Thus the environments in which the subjunctive appears do not form a natural class, although they are the complement of a natural class. Once this is established, a large part of the question becomes: what is the semantic contribution of the indicative? Modifying minimally the analysis of Stalnaker 1975 (which was concerned with English), we suggest that the indicative triggers a presupposition on the value of a world term, of the form w{CS(x', t', w')}, indicating that the world denoted by w lies in the Context Set of individual x' at time t' in world w' (x', t', and w' may be left free -if the context provides them with a salient valueor they may be bound). This derives indirectly the intuition, found both in traditional grammar and in recent research (e.g. Farkas 2003), that the indicative marks an assertive act on somebody's part, though this person need not be the speaker. We also discuss an extension of this theory to the German Konjunktiv I, which we analyze in essence as a reportive indicative, in line with the intuitions -though not with the implementationof Fabricius-Hansen & Saebø 2004. If correct, the theory we sketch makes it possible to analyze mood by analogy with person and tense as introducing a presupposition on the value of word-denoting terms, and in particular on world-denoting variables.
Predicting adaptation to parenthood: The role of responsiveness, gratitude, and trust

The influence of positive relationship processes, specifically perceived responsiveness, felt gratitude, and felt trust, on perceived adaptation to parenthood was investigated. It was hypothesized that both higher initial levels prior to pregnancy as well as increases over time in perceived responsiveness, felt gratitude, and felt trust predicted better adaptation to parenthood. Data from a five-wave longitudinal study of 109 newlyweds who became parents during the course of the study were used. Results showed that baseline positive relationship processes before pregnancy positively predicted adaptation to parenthood up to 4 years later. Changes over time were even stronger predictors of adaptation. Positive relationship processes may buffer against stressors during challenging life transitions, improving one's own adaptation as well the adaptation of one's partner.
Neural Network for Predicting Thermal Conductivity of Knit Materials

The major aim of comfort research is to find the comfort temperature for an individual or group. This subjective property can be evaluated by means of thermal conductivity as a physical characteristic of fabric. This phenomenon depends on many fabric parameters and it is difficult to study the effect of ones without changing the others. In addition, the non-linear relationship of fabric parameters and thermal conductivity handicap mathematical modelling. So a neural network approach was used to predict the thermal conductivity of knitting structure as a function of porosity, air permeability, weight and fiber conductivity. Data on thermal conductivity are measured by experiments carried out on jersey knitted structure.
Clinical bronchiolitis obliterans in workers at a microwave-popcorn plant.

BACKGROUND In May 2000, eight persons who had formerly worked at a microwave-popcorn production plant were reported to have severe bronchiolitis obliterans. No recognized cause was identified in the plant. Therefore, we medically evaluated current employees and assessed their occupational exposures. METHODS Questionnaire responses and spirometric findings in participating workers were compared with data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, after adjustment for age and smoking status. We evaluated the relation between exposures and health-related outcomes by analyzing the rates of symptoms and abnormalities according to current and cumulative exposure to diacetyl, the predominant ketone in artificial butter flavoring and in the air at the plant. RESULTS Of the 135 current workers at the plant, 117 (87 percent) completed the questionnaire. These 117 workers had 2.6 times the expected rates of chronic cough and shortness of breath, according to comparisons with the national data, and twice the expected rates of physician-diagnosed asthma and chronic bronchitis. Overall, the workers had 3.3 times the expected rate of airway obstruction; those who had never smoked had 10.8 times the expected rate. Workers directly involved in the production of microwave popcorn had higher rates of shortness of breath on exertion and skin problems that had developed since they started work than workers in other parts of the plant. There was a strong relation between the quartile of estimated cumulative exposure to diacetyl and the frequency and extent of airway obstruction. CONCLUSIONS The excess rates of lung disease and lung-function abnormalities and the relation between exposure and outcomes in this working population indicate that they probably had occupational bronchiolitis obliterans caused by the inhalation of volatile butter-flavoring ingredients.
Putting the World in Orders: Plurality in Organizational Evaluation

Sociologists have shown that external evaluation stimulates convergent organizational behavior, yet many evaluative practices are superficial or susceptible to manipulation. When does external evaluation lead to convergence in organizational fields? Organizations regularly and increasingly experience fragmented social orders based on orthogonal notions of value, or so-called plurality. I propose that the plurality of evaluative landscapes, that is, the universe of rankings, ratings, and awards in an organizational field, compromises the potential homogenizing influence of any single evaluative practice. Plurality in the evaluative landscape weakens the causal channels through which evaluative practices influence organizational behavior. Because evaluative activities are responsive to social conditions, plurality is suggested to be highest when organizations face multiple audiences, when the meaning of value is contested, and when access to evaluation is unregulated. Neoinstitutional organizational theory and the sociology of valuation, both of which inform this article, would benefit from a more integrated account of evaluative landscapes.
Globalizing Inequality: ‘Centrifugal’ and ‘Centripetal’ Forces at Work

This paper reassesses national income inequalities in this era of globalization. The main conclusion is that two opposite forces are at work: one ‘centrifugal’ at the two extremes of the distribution—increasing the disparity of income shares appropriated by the top and by the bottom four deciles across countries; and the other ‘centripetal’ in the middle—increasing the uniformity of the share of income going to deciles 5 to 9. Therefore, globalization is creating a situation where virtually all the intercountry diversity of income distribution is the result of differences in what the rich and the poor get in each country.
Similarity in Trade Structures, Integration and Catching-Up

In this paper, we look at the role of export composition in the growth process, considering how increased similarity in trade structure among countries can induce catching-up in income levels in a group of countries in transition. We analyze the sectoral export patterns of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) by comparing them to those of the current members of the European Union (EU), focusing on countries' specialization as suppliers for the EU market, and we assess whether similar export patterns foster the catching-up process of the CEECs. Our main result is that similarity in export composition has a positive, significant and non-linear impact on catching-up, and seems to be driven by the growth of the main export market and delocalization of production more than by other factors. Copyright (c) 2008 The Authors.
Duration of untreated psychosis and its relationship to clinical outcome

Background A major reason for interest in early intervention for psychotic disorders is the hypothesised relationship between longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and poorer outcome of treatment. Aims To critically examine the evidence concerning DUP being related to treatment outcome and possible mediators of any such relationship. Method A systematic review of studies in which DUP is assessed and its relationship to treatment outcome is examined. In addition, studies relevant to possible neurotoxic effects of DUP were reviewed. Results The research is entirely of a correlational nature and, therefore, firm conclusions regarding causation are not possible. There is, however, substantial evidence of DUP being an independent predictor of treatment outcome, particularly remission of positive symptoms, over the first year or so of treatment. Findings regarding the possible neurotoxic effects of DUP are inconsistent. Conclusions There continues to be evidence consistent with DUP influencing aspects of treatment outcome. Non-correlational studies, such as quasi-experimental designs, could provide stronger evidence regarding causality.
Discovery of two pulsars towards the Galactic Centre

We report the discovery of two highly dispersed pulsars in the direction of the Galactic Centre made during a survey at 3.1 GHz with the Parkes radio telescope. Both PSRs J1745−2912 and J1746−2856 have an angular separation from the Galactic Centre of less than 0. ◦ 3 and dispersion measures in excess of 1100 cm −3 pc, placing them in the top 10 pulsars when ranked on this value. The frequency dependence of the scatter-broadening in PSR J1746−2856 is much shallower than expected from simple theory. We believe it likely that the pulsars are located between 150 and 500 pc from the Galactic Centre on the near side, and are part of an excess population of neutron stars associated with the Centre itself. A second survey made at 8.4 GHz did not detect any pulsars. This implies either that there are not many bright, longperiod pulsars at the Galactic Centre or that the scattering is more severe at high frequencies than current models would suggest.
Cyber bullying: Child and youth spirituality

Digital culture is part of children’s and adolescents’ everyday lives. Digital culture has both positive and negative consequences. One such negative consequence is cyber violence that has been termed cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can cause serious emotional, behavioural and academic problems for both the victim and the bully. Although there is ongoing research on the effects of cyber bullying on children and youth in South Africa, no research has been carried out on how children’s and youth’s spirituality may be affected when they are cyber bullied. This article discusses the accumulative results from different South African institutes that have researched the cyber bullying effects on children and adolescents. These results point to the spiritual effects that children and youth may experience as a result of cyber bullying. This article proposes that spirituality may prevent cyber bullying and even help children and youth heal from the trauma caused by cyber bullying. This article contributes in starting a conversation that may result in more specific research being done on how the spiritual lives of children and adolescents may be affected through the trauma caused by cyber bullying.
Parallel rotor walks on finite graphs and applications in discrete load balancing

We study the parallel rotor walk process, which works as follows: Consider a graph along with an arbitrary distribution of tokens over its nodes. Every node is equipped with a rotor that points to its neighbours in a fixed circular order. In each round, every node distributes all of its tokens using the rotor. One token is allocated to the neighbour pointed at by the rotor, then the rotor moves to the subsequent neighbour, and so on, until no token remains. The process can be considered as a deterministic analogue of a process in which tokens perform one independent random walk step in each round. We compare the distribution of tokens in the rotor walk process with expected distribution in the random walk model. The similarity between the two processes is measured by their discrepancy, which is the maximum difference between the corresponding distribution entries over all rounds and nodes. We analyze a lazy variation of rotor walks that simulates a random walk with loop probability of 1/2 on each node, and each node sends not all its tokens, but every other token in each round. Viewing the rotor walk as a load balancing process, we prove that the rotor walk falls in the class of bounded-error diffusion processes introduced in [11]. This gives us discrepancy bounds of O(log3/2 n) and O(1) for hypercube and r-dimensional torus with r=O(1), respectively, which improve over the best existing bounds of O(log2 n) and O(n1/r). Also, as a result of switching to the load balancing view, we observe that the existing load balancing results can be translated to rotor walk discrepancy bounds not previously noticed in the rotor walk literature. We also use the idea of rotor walks to propose and analyze a randomized rounding discrete load balancing process that achieves the same balancing quality as similar protocols [11, 3], but uses fewer number of random bits compared to [3], and avoids the negative load problem of [11].
Leptin increases in vivo GH responses to GHRH and GH-releasing peptide-6 in food-deprived rats.

BACKGROUND Leptin has recently been shown to have a stimulatory effect on basal GH secretion. However, the mechanisms by which leptin exert this effect are not yet clear. GHRH and GH-releasing peptide (GHRP)-6 are the two most potent GH secretagogues described to date. OBJECTIVE To determine if leptin could also enhance in vivo GH responses to a maximal dose of GHRH. DESIGN Leptin (10microg i.c.v.) or vehicle was administered at random before GHRH (10microg/kg i,v.) or GHRP-6 (50microg/kg i.v.), to freely-moving rats with food available ad libitum and to (48h) food-deprived rats. METHODS Leptin and GH concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Comparison between the different groups was assessed by the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS In comparison with fed rats, food-deprived rats showed a marked decrease in GH responses to GHRH as assessed by the area under the curve (5492+/-190ng/ml in fed rats and 1940+/-128ng/ml in fasted rats; P<0.05) and GHRP-6 (3695+/-450 in fed rats and 1432+/-229 in fasted rats; P<0.05). In comparison with its effects in vehicle-treated rats, leptin administered to food-deprived rats markedly increased GH responses to both GHRH (6625+/-613ng/ml; P<0.05) and GHRP-6 (5862+/-441ng/ml; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the blunted GH response to GHRH and GHRP-6 in food-deprived rats is a functional and reversible state, and that the decreased leptin concentrations could be the primary defect responsible for the altered GH secretion in food-deprived rats.