Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNAs identified in highly purified liver-derived mitochondria may play a role in apoptosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small ~22 nt noncoding (nc) RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by direct binding to target sites on mRNAs. They comprise more than 1,000 novel species in mammalian cells and exert their function by modulating gene expression through several different mechanisms, including translational inhibition, and/or degradation of target mRNAs. Mitochondria maintain and express their own genome, which is distinct from the nuclear transcriptional and translational apparatus. Thus, they provide a potential site for miRNA mediated post-transcriptional regulation. To determine whether they maintain a unique miRNA population, we examined the miRNA profile from highly purified and RNase treated mitochondria from adult rat liver. Fifteen miRNAs were identified by microarray analysis of which, five were confirmed by TaqMan® 5’nuclease assays using rat specific probes. Functional analysis of the miRNAs indicated that they were not targeted to the mitochondrial genome nor were they complementary to nuclear RNAs encoding mitochondrial proteins. Rather, the mitochondria-associated miRNAs appear to be involved in the expression of genes associated with apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Given the central role that mitochondria play in apoptosis, the results suggest that they may serve as reservoirs of select miRNAs that may modulate these processes in a coordinate fashion.
Patterns of help-seeking among women experiencing intimate partner violence in Malaysia

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is not a new phenomenon and has consequences for women's well-being. Experiencing IPV is considered very stressful and the women who experience it struggle to survive emotional, physical and sexual violence. The purpose of this study is to identify the pattern of help-seeking by women who have experienced intimate partner violence and their level of satisfaction with the help they receive. Furthermore, this study has also explored the reasons that influence women's decisions on whether or not to seek help. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2009 and May 2010 among 316 women who experience IPV and seek help from women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Malaysia. They were interviewed using the translated and validated WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire. In addition, the data was analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 software. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between severity of violence and help-seeking behavior. From the study, it is known that a majority of the abused women sought help from both formal and informal resources. The results suggest that more interventions are needed to help women recognise and deal with IPV as well as strengthen the support networks available for abused women.
Replacement and Rearrangement of an Oxide Lattice by Germanium Doping in Solution-Processed Indium–Zinc-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

Germanium (Ge) doping effects on solution-processed indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) were investigated. Ge doping increased the carrier concentration of Ge-doped IZO (Ge:IZO) thin films from 3.32 × 1014 to 3.13 × 1015 cm3 by Ge substitution for zinc (Zn). Ge easily substituted for Zn in the IZO active layer, due to its comparably small atomic radius. By this substitution, Ge doping provided additional valence electrons to the active layer, resulting in a value for the field-effect mobility of a Ge:IZO TFT that was almost two times greater than that of a pristine IZO TFT. Consequently, despite the Ge:IZO TFT being a quaternary system, it displayed a better electrical performance and stability at low processing temperatures, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this device for flexible displays.
Sound Symbolism in Word Learning

Although numerous examples of sound symbolism exist in spoken language, little is known about whether listeners recognize and utilize these non-arbitrary relationships between sound and meaning to guide their interpretation of novel words. The present experiments examined the extent to which listeners are able to constrain meaning solely on the basis of the segmental sound structure of language. Native English-speaking monolinguals learned meanings for Japanese words in a vocabulary-learning task. Spoken Japanese words were paired with English meanings that either matched the actual meaning of the Japanese word (e.g., “ue” up), were antonyms (e.g., “ue” down), or were randomly paired (e.g., “ue” slow). The results revealed a processing benefit in learning matching word-meaning pairs over mismatching pairs, as evidenced by greater accuracy and faster reaction times. These findings suggest that adult word learners are sensitive to non-arbitrary relationships between the sound structure of spoken language and word meaning.
Den kommunikativa utmaningen : en studie av kommunikationen mellan chef och medarbetare i en modern organisation

The focus of this dissertation is communication between managers and subordinates in a modern organization. The research questions are concerned with ideas, practices and organizational conditions in relation to leadership communication. My starting point for this study was the change in leadership philosophy that was introduced in many organizations at the beginning of the 1980s. This transformation involves a move from organizations based on hierarchies, rules and close supervision, to organizations built on loosely structured networks, decentralization, visions, and self-managed teams. The challenge for leaders is no longer to control the employees’ physical actions, but to manage their imaginations and interpretations. Thus, leaders should no longer act as supervisors, but as managers of meaning, which calls for new and more difficult ways of communicating. One of my basic assumptions has been that dialogue and sense making are key concepts for leadership in a modern organization. I have carried out a qualitative study in a division for product development within Volvo Car Corporation. This division has a complex matrix organization, in which most employees have one line manager and one project leader. The study has mainly been based on interviews and observations of meetings. The interviews indicate that both managers and employees often neglect or misunderstand the communicative aspects of their respective roles. Communication is mainly seen as transmission of information, and not as construction of meaning. Likewise, observations of meetings have indicated that, to a great extent, managers do not act as managers of meaning, but as ‘simple’ information disseminators. I have also argued that the dialogue between managers and their subordinates is of a superficial character. Another conclusion is that the complex matrix structure tends to create a situation in which important communication ‘tasks’ are neglected by both line managers and project leaders. On the basis of the empirical study I also present four ideal types of communicative leadership, which illuminate the kind of leadership communication that corresponds to the modern leadership philosophy.
Classification of Target Buried in the Underground by Radar Polarimetry

Manuscript received November 5, 1998. Manuscript revised January 8, 1999. † The authors are with Niigata University, Niigata-shi, 9502181 Japan. †† The author is with University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, 60607-7018, USA. * Presently, with Fujitsu System Integration Laboratories Ltd. ** Presently, with NEC Saitama Corp. SUMMARY This paper discusses the classification of targets buried in the underground by radar polarimetry. The subsurface radar is used for the detection of objects buried beneath the ground surface, such as gas pipes, cables and cavities, or in archeological exploration operation. In addition to target echo, the subsurface radar receives various other echoes, because the underground is inhomogeneous medium. Therefore, the subsurface radar needs to distinguish these echoes. In order to enhance the discrimination capability, we first applied the polarization anisotropy coefficient to distinguish echoes from isotropic targets (plate, sphere) versus anisotropic targets (wire, pipe). It is straightforward to find the man-made target buried in the underground using the polarization anisotropy coefficient. Second, we tried to classify targets using the polarimetric signature approach, in which the characteristic polarization state provides the orientation angle of an anisotropic target. All of these values contribute to the classification of a target. Field experiments using an ultra-wideband (250 MHz to 1 GHz) FM-CW polarimetric radar system were carried out to show the usefulness of radar polarimetry. In this paper, several detection and classification results are demonstrated. It is shown that these techniques improve the detection capability of buried target considerably. key words: radio applications, subsurface radar, FM-CW radar, scattering matrix, polarization anisotropy coefficient, power polarization signature
Parochial Compliance: Young Children's Biased Consideration of Authorities' Preferences Regarding Intergroup Interactions.

Prosocial behavior is arguably influenced by an interaction between intrinsic dispositions (e.g., group bias) and extrinsic factors (e.g., institutional regulations). The current study investigated this interaction developmentally. Preschoolers (3- to 4-year-olds) and kindergarteners (5- to 6-year-olds; N = 111) participated in a resource distribution task in which they had to consider both the recipients' group membership (minimal color-based groups), and their own teachers' preferences regarding how to distribute (give "all" or "none"). The results revealed that only kindergarteners were influenced by the experimental factors and differently across genders. Specifically, when the recommendation was to give "none," girls followed it indiscriminately toward in- and out-group recipients, but boys did so only toward out-group recipients. Thus, boys exploited an authority's legitimization to act antisocially, according to a parochial bias.
Vitamin E supplementation may transiently increase tuberculosis risk in males who smoke heavily and have high dietary vitamin C intake

Vitamin E and β-carotene affect the immune function and might influence the predisposition of man to infections. To examine whether vitamin E or β-carotene supplementation affects tuberculosis risk, we analysed data of the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study, a randomised controlled trial which examined the effects of vitamin E (50 mg/d) and β-carotene (20 mg/d) on lung cancer. The trial was conducted in the general community in Finland in 1985–93; the intervention lasted for 6·1 years (median). The ATBC Study cohort consists of 29 023 males aged 50–69 years, smoking at baseline, with no tuberculosis diagnosis prior to randomisation. Vitamin E supplementation had no overall effect on the incidence of tuberculosis (risk ratio (RR) = 1·18; 95 % CI 0·87, 1·59) nor had β-carotene (RR = 1·07; 95 % CI 0·80, 1·45). Nevertheless, dietary vitamin C intake significantly modified the vitamin E effect. Among participants who obtained 90 mg/d or more of vitamin C in foods (n 13 502), vitamin E supplementation increased tuberculosis risk by 72 (95 % CI 4, 185)%. This effect was restricted to participants who smoked heavily. Finally, in participants not supplemented with vitamin E, dietary vitamin C had a negative association with tuberculosis risk so that the adjusted risk was 60 (95 % CI 16, 81) % lower in the highest intake quartile compared with the lowest. Our finding that vitamin E seemed to transiently increase the risk of tuberculosis in those who smoked heavily and had high dietary vitamin C intake should increase caution towards vitamin E supplementation for improving the immune system.
Physical examination may miss the diagnosis of bilateral varicocele: a comparative study of 4 diagnostic modalities.

PURPOSE We evaluated the sensitivity of 3 noninvasive methods for detecting left and right varicoceles. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three noninvasive methods for the detection of varicocele in the left and right internal spermatic veins were evaluated in 214 infertile men, namely, physical examination, scrotal contact thermography and ultrasound Doppler. Venography was used as the reference diagnosis. RESULTS Varicocele was detected in 195 patients (91.1%), on the left side in 37 (19%), on the right side in 3 (1.5%) and bilaterally in 155 (79.5%). Scrotal contact thermography using varicoscreen proved to be the most accurate method. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value were 98.9%, 66.6%, 98.5% and 100%, respectively, for left varicocele, and 95.6%, 91.6%, 94.9% and 98%, respectively, for right varicocele. Doppler sonography was associated with the highest number of false-positive results. Accuracy in evaluating retrograde flow was lowest for both sides for physical examination and highest for the combination of Doppler sonography and contact thermography, with a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value of 100%, 33.3%, 99.0% and 98.9%, respectively, for the left side, and 97.4%, 58.3%, 90.3% and 91.1%, respectively, for the right side. In 165 (85%) of the 195 patients who underwent internal spermatic vein embolization sperm parameters were improved. CONCLUSIONS The present study yielded 2 major findings. Thermography is more sensitive and accurate for the detection of varicocele than Doppler ultrasound and physical examination, and it can be used for screening as a single modality in infertile men. Doppler ultrasound and thermography are complementary and their combined use yields the highest sensitivity and accuracy.
Effects of Ramipril and Vitamin E on Atherosclerosis: The Study to Evaluate Carotid Ultrasound Changes in Patients Treated With Ramipril and Vitamin E (SECURE)

Background —Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and oxidative modification of LDL cholesterol play important roles in atherosclerosis. The Study to Evaluate Carotid Ultrasound changes in patients treated with Ramipril and vitamin E (SECURE), a substudy of the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) trial, was a prospective, double-blind, 3×2 factorial design trial that evaluated the effects of long-term treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril and vitamin E on atherosclerosis progression in high-risk patients. Methods and Results —A total of 732 patients ≥55 years of age who had vascular disease or diabetes and at least one other risk factor and who did not have heart failure or a low left ventricular ejection fraction were randomly assigned to receive ramipril 2.5 mg/d or 10 mg/d and vitamin E (RRR-&agr;-tocopheryl acetate) 400 IU/d or their matching placebos. Average follow-up was 4.5 years. Atherosclerosis progression was evaluated by B-mode carotid ultrasound. The progression slope of the mean maximum carotid intimal medial thickness was 0.0217 mm/year in the placebo group, 0.0180 mm/year in the ramipril 2.5 mg/d group, and 0.0137 mm/year in the ramipril 10 mg/d group (P =0.033). There were no differences in atherosclerosis progression rates between patients on vitamin E and those on placebo. Conclusions —Long-term treatment with ramipril had a beneficial effect on atherosclerosis progression. Vitamin E had a neutral effect on atherosclerosis progression.
Towards an understanding of the behavioral intention to use online news services: An exploratory study

Purpose – Research into the use/adoption of online news services (ONSs) is still in its infancy, Scholars have indicated that there is no comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding or predicting consumers' online adoption behavior. The purpose of the paper is to propose a theoretical framework as a foundation for better understanding and further analyzing the adoption of ONSs.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was conducted together with a series of in‐depth interviews with selected key industry experts. Three paradigms (i.e. the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, the Uses and Gratifications Theory) were examined and included findings from research into some aspects of online behaviour and these are discussed in relation to the objectives of this paper.Findings – Six factors are identified as potential key drivers in the adoption of ONSs These are based on the findings from the literature review and the in‐depth interviews with the industry experts.
A Role for RE‐1‐Silencing Transcription Factor in Embryonic Stem Cells Cardiac Lineage Specification

During development, lineage specification is controlled by several signaling pathways involving various transcription factors (TFs). Here, we studied the RE‐1‐silencing transcription factor (REST) and identified an important role of this TF in cardiac differentiation. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to model development, we found that REST knockout cells lost the ability to differentiate into the cardiac lineage. Detailed analysis of specific lineage markers expression showed selective downregulation of endoderm markers in REST‐null cells, thus contributing to a loss of cardiogenic signals. REST regulates cardiac differentiation of ESCs by negatively regulating the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway and positively regulating the cardiogenic TF Gata4. We propose here a new role for REST in cell fate specification besides its well‐known repressive role of neuronal differentiation. Stem Cells 2016;34:860–872
Cognições maternas acerca da maternidade e do desenvolvimento humano: uma contribuição ao estudo da psicologia parental

The present study investigated three types of parental cognitions (parenting knowledge, parents' self-perceptions, causal attributions in parenting) and had three objectives: 1) to enlarge our knowledge about Brazilian mothers' cognitions concerning parenting; 2) to compare findings produced in the present study with findings produced in previous studies; and 3) to investigate associations between mothers' cognitions and between mothers' cognitions and certain sociodemographic variables. Sixty-six primiparous mothers, aged 18 or older, from intact families, living in the city of Rio de Janeiro, participated in the study. Mothers completed Brazilian versions of four instruments (Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory, Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role Instrument, The Parent Attributions Questionnaire, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The mothers answered correctly about 63% of the questions of the instrument that evaluated parenting knowledge, indicating that their knowledge about child development can be enlarged. Concerning parental self-perceptions mothers evaluated more positively their satisfaction and investment in the parental role. The mothers tended to evaluate external causes (e.g., child behavior) as more important than the internal ones (e.g., effort) for the success and failure in parental activities. Several associations between mothers' cognitions and between mothers' cognitions and sociodemographic variables (e.g., educational attainment) were identified. The results were, to a great extent, consistent with previous national and international studies and can contribute to our understanding of parental cognitions as a complex system.
Image and flow dna cytometry of small cell carcinoma of the lung

Both image and flow DNA cytometry were performed in isolated nuclei from paraffin‐embedded tumor tissue of patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL). In 14 patients tissue was obtained by surgery from the primary tumor. From 14 patients tissue was taken by autopsy. From two patients tissue obtained by both surgery and later autopsy were available. From the autopsy patients tissue was taken only from the primary tumor (n = 6), from a metastasis (n = 1) and from the primary tumor and distant metastases (n = 7). Twelve of the tumors obtained by surgery were diploid, and two multiploid (two stem lines present). This was found both with image and flow cytometry. The group of patients could clearly be subdivided in short survivors (< 9 months, n = 6) and long survivors (> 16 months, n = 8); since in both groups one multiploid and the remainder diploid cases were present, ploidy did not seem to be a good prognosticator for survival. In most (n = 26) of the tissues measured from the autopsy patients, again, a good correlation between image and flow DNA cytometry was obtained, the histograms being either (near) diploid or multiploid. In six cases, however, flow cytometry showed multiploidy whereas image showed aneuploidy (one single peak clearly deviating from diploidy). This discrepancy is caused because normal diploid (nonneoplastic) cells in the preparations could not be discarded from the flow cytometry measurements. Using the image cytometry data of the primary tumors, five diploid, three aneuploid, and four multiploid tumors were found. In five of the seven patients of whom tissue was obtained from the primary tumor and multiple metastases, differences between the histograms were found, mostly showing two malignant cell populations in one tissue and only one of them in another. Of one of the two patients of whom tissue was obtained by surgery and later autopsy, a change in histogram pattern was observed. It is concluded that although there is a high similarity between image and flow DNA cytometry, for an optimal interpretation of the histogram pattern, image measurements are more reliable. Ploidy determination does not seem to be of use in prediction of survival, and care should be taken in interpreting DNA histograms of metastases in SCCL patients because of the variability in histogram pattern.
Cognitive Impairment and Tramadol Dependence

Background and Objective Cognitive impairment is one of the consequences of substance abuse. Tramadol abuse is a public health problem in Egypt. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of cognitive impairment among tramadol-abuse patients and control subjects. Methods This study included 100 patients with tramadol abuse and 100 control subjects (matched for age, sex, and education) who were recruited from Zagazig University Hospital, Egypt. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients who used tramadol only (tramadol-alone group) and patients who used tramadol and other substances (polysubstance group). The participants were interviewed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment test and had urine screening for drugs. Results Twenty-four percent of the cases used tramadol alone, whereas the remaining used tramadol and other substances, mainly cannabis (66%) and benzodiazepines (27%). Tramadol-abuse patients were about 3 times more likely to have cognitive impairment than control subjects (81% vs 28%). Tramadol-alone patients were more than 2 times more likely to have cognitive impairment than control subjects (67% vs 28%). Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with polysubstance abuse. There was no association between cognitive impairment and sociodemographic or clinical factors. Conclusions Cognitive impairment occurs commonly among tramadol-abuse patients. Memory impairment is the most common cognitive domain to be affected. There is a significant association between cognitive impairment and polysubstance abuse.