Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Are Obligatory Signals for Glucose-Induced Insulin Secretion

OBJECTIVE—Insulin secretion involves complex events in which the mitochondria play a pivotal role in the generation of signals that couple glucose detection to insulin secretion. Studies on the mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generally focus on chronic nutrient exposure. Here, we investigate whether transient mitochondrial ROS production linked to glucose-induced increased respiration might act as a signal for monitoring insulin secretion. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—ROS production in response to glucose was investigated in freshly isolated rat islets. ROS effects were studied using a pharmacological approach and calcium imaging. RESULTS—Transient glucose increase from 5.5 to 16.7 mmol/l stimulated ROS generation, which was reversed by antioxidants. Insulin secretion was dose dependently blunted by antioxidants and highly correlated with ROS levels. The incapacity of β-cells to secrete insulin in response to glucose with antioxidants was associated with a decrease in ROS production and in contrast to the maintenance of high levels of ATP and NADH. Then, we investigated the mitochondrial origin of ROS (mROS) as the triggering signal. Insulin release was mimicked by the mitochondrial-complex blockers, antimycin and rotenone, that generate mROS. The adding of antioxidants to mitochondrial blockers or to glucose was used to lower mROS reversed insulin secretion. Finally, calcium imaging on perifused islets using glucose stimulation or mitochondrial blockers revealed that calcium mobilization was completely reversed using the antioxidant trolox and that it was of extracellular origin. No toxic effects were present using these pharmacological approaches. CONCLUSIONS—Altogether, these complementary results demonstrate that mROS production is a necessary stimulus for glucose-induced insulin secretion.
EXPLORING THE UNCANNY VALLEY WITH GEMINOID HI-1 IN A REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

This paper presents a qualitative analysis of 24 interviews with visitors of the ARS Electronica festival in September 2009 in Linz, Austria, who interacted with the android robot Geminoid HI-1, while it was tele-operated by the first author. Only 37.5% of the interviewed visitors reported an uncanny feeling with 29% even enjoying the conversation. In five cases the interviewees’ feelings even changed during the interaction with Geminoid HI-1. A number of possible improvements regarding Geminoid’s bodily movements, facial expressivity, and ability to direct its gaze became apparent, which inform our future research with and development of android robots.
Lower urinary tract symptoms associated with neurological conditions: Observations on a clinical sample of outpatients neurorehabilitation service.

OBJECTIVES The overall aims of this study were to investigate the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with neurological conditions and their prevalence and impact on a clinical sample of outpatients of a neurorehabilitation service. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the files of 132 patients treated in our neurorehabilitation service from December 2012 to December 2013. Patients were divided into several subgroups based on the neurological diagnosis: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), other demyelinating diseases, Peripheral Neuropathy, neurovascular disorders (ND), neoplastic disease, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Parkinson and Parkinsonism, spinal cord injuries (SCI). Urinary status was based on medical evaluations of history of LUTS, type, degree, onset and duration of symptoms. We tried to analyze prevalence, kind of disorder, timing of presentation (if before or after the neurological onset) and eventual persistence of urological disorders (in the main group and in all subgroups). RESULTS At the time of admission to our rehabilitation service, LUTS were observed in 14 out of 132 cases (11%). A high proportion of these outpatients (64.2%) presented bothersome urinary symptoms such as incontinence, frequency and urgency (storage LUTS). The most frequent symptom was urinary urge incontinence (42.8%). This symptom was found to be prevalent in the multiple sclerosis and neurovascular disorders. In 93% the urinary symptoms arose as a result of neurologic conditions and 78.5% did not present a complete recovery of urological symptoms in spite of improved self-reported functional activity limitations. None of these patients performed urological rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS Neurological disorders are a significant issue in rehabilitation services and it can lead to lower tract dysfunction, which causes LUTS. Storage symptoms are more common, especially urge incontinence. Current literature reports that a further optimization of the rehabilitation potential of neurologically ill patients is possible through an implementation of urological basic measures into the neurological treatment routine.
Do Electronic Health Records Help or Hinder Medical Education?

Background to the Debate Background to the debate: Many countries worldwide are digitizing patients' medical records. In the United States, the recent economic stimulus package (“the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009”), signed into law by President Obama, includes $US17 billion in incentives for health providers to switch to electronic health records (EHRs). The package also includes $US2 billion for the development of EHR standards and best-practice guidelines. What impact will the rise of EHRs have upon medical education? This debate examines both the threats and opportunities.
Unions, within-workplace job cuts and job security guarantees

Using data from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 1998, this paper shows that unionisation increased the probability of within-workplace job cuts and the incidence of job security guarantees. As theory predicts, both are more prevalent among market-sector workplaces with higher union density and multi-unionism. Expectations that these effects would be more muted in the public sector were also confirmed.
The influence of vegetation on the ITCZ and South Asian monsoon in HadCM3

Abstract. The role of global vegetation on the large-scale tropical circulation is examined in the version 3 Hadley Centre climate model (HadCM3). Alternative representations of global vegetation cover from observations and a dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) were used as the land-cover component for a number of HadCM3 experiments under a nominal present day climate state, and compared to the simulations using the standard land cover map of HadCM3. The alternative vegetation covers result in a large scale cooling of the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics relative to the HadCM3 standard, resulting in a southward shift in the location of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). A significant reduction in Indian monsoon precipitation is also found, which is related to a weakening of the South Asian monsoon circulation, broadly consistent with documented mechanisms relating to temperature and snow perturbations in the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics in winter and spring, delaying the onset of the monsoon. The role of the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics on tropical climate is demonstrated, with an additional representation of vegetation cover based on DGVM simulated changes in Northern Hemisphere vegetation from the end of the 21st Century. This experiment shows that through similar processes the simulated extra-tropical vegetation changes in the future contribute to a strengthening of the South Asian monsoon in this model. These findings provide renewed motivation to give careful consideration to the role of global scale vegetation feedbacks when looking at climate change, and its impact on the tropical circulation and South Asian monsoon in the latest generation of Earth System models.
Changes in Teacher Self-Efficacy from the Student Teaching Experience through the Third Year of Teaching.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in teacher self–efficacy from the student teaching experience to the third year of teaching. The population was the entire cohort of student teachers from The Ohio State University. Of the 34 individuals who student taught, 17 entered the teaching profession. The researchers utilized the Teachers Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen–Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) to assess the individuals in the study four different times; at the conclusion of student teaching, and the conclusion of their first, second and third years of teaching. No previous research exists in agricultural education that tracks the changes in teacher self–efficacy from student teaching through the third year of teaching. Individuals reported the lowest levels of teacher self–efficacy at the end of their first year of teaching and the highest levels at the conclusion of their student teaching experience. Participants reported the lowest levels of teacher self–efficacy in the student engagement domain in each of the assessments. The results of this study support previous research conducted with teacher education candidates. However, as this research continues the assessment of teacher self–efficacy through the beginning years of teaching, the researchers recommended more thorough and comprehensive study.
Parent and child perceptions of the positive effects that a child with a disability has on the family

Historically, children with disabilities have been perceived as sources of stress, and disability has been portrayed in Western society as a tragedy to be avoided. This is based on assumptions that the impact of disability is negative. Deficit-based vocabularies of disability are embedded in society along with this tragedy mentality, especially when there is news that parents will give birth to a child with a disability. Yet some parents are offended by the assumption that living with a child with a disability must be distressing and difficult (Scorgie & Sobsey, 2000). Accordingly, a small body of literature has emerged suggesting that positive perceptions among families with children with disabilities are common and the impact of disability can be positive (Hastings & Taunt, 2002; Hastings et al, 2005; Stainton & Besser, 1998). This study used the Appreciative Inquiry methodology and an integrated conceptual framework combining the Dynamic Ecological Systems Model, Cognitive Adaptation Theory, and components of the Affirmative Model of Disability. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten children and sixteen parents in order to gain insight into their perceptions of the positive effects that a child with a disability can have on the family. The purpose of this study was to add “narrative depth” to the research area (Stainton & Besser, 1998, p.67), to inquire about the positive experiences of families, to provide additional Parent and Child Perceptions vii understanding of the impacts of disability, and to allow children with disabilities a voice in research. Findings from this study suggest that children with disabilities can have some of the same positive effects on, and make some of the same contributions to, their families as any other child. They can also have unique positive effects and make unique contributions potentially unparalleled by their non-disabled peers. These findings may have implications for how disability is perceived by medical professionals, other parents raising children with disabilities, and the public in general. Parent and Child Perceptions 1
Dampak moneter kebijakan defisit anggaran pemerintah dan peranan asa nalar dalam simulasi model makro ekonomi Indonesia (1983:1-2002:4)

The purpose of this research is to observe the impact of the budget deficit policy on the macroeconomic variables in general, and specifically on the monetary variables in the short and long run. We apply macroeconomic model with rational expectation specification to allow agents altering their economic decision in encountering the authority policies. The model constructed contains eight (8) long run behavior equations, eight (8) short run behavior equations, four (4) rational expectation equations, and at least twelve (12) identity equations. The parameters are estimated by using the Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) method. The endogenous variables which has become the independent variables are replaced by the instrument al variables. The instrumental variables are obtained from the reduced form structural equations. The statistical test on the impact of budget deficit on monetary variables are conducted by using reduced form equations and causality test. Both of the tests show that budget deficit through the government revenue mechanism affects the interest rate in the short and long run. In the short run through government expenditure mechanism, budget deficit would affect the exchange rate and price level. In the long run, however, causality tests show that the exchange rate and price level would in turn affect the budget deficit.
Treatment of Refractory Anemia with Ring Sideroblasts Associated with Marked Thrombocytosis with Lenalidomide in a Patient Testing Negative for 5q Deletion and JAK2 V617F and MPL W515K/L Mutations

Refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts associated with marked thrombocytosis (RARS-T) is a hematologic malignancy that often results in transfusion dependency and a hypercoagulable state. This rare disease currently lacks formal guidelines for treatment; however, various case reports have demonstrated efficacy in the use of lenalidomide. This immunomodulatory drug has shown promise in patients with 5q deletions, with reports of achieving transfusion independence and normalization of platelet counts. Herein we present the case of a 68-year-old African American woman with RARS-T who tested negative for 5q deletion and JAK2 V617F and MPL W515K/L mutations. Her treatment with lenalidomide therapy resulted in a five-year durable complete clinical response.
Measuring Municipal Capacity to Respond to Mobility

Mobility and urbanization are shaping cities in Southern Africa. Peri-urban areas in particular are transforming at such a pace that municipalities are struggling to keep up with the changes. Local government is trying to build appropriate capacity to respond to a mobile population, but it is not always clear where to focus capacity development efforts. Applying a diagnostic tool on local government capacity to respond to mobility, researchers both tested the tool and drew conclusions about the capacity of local government. This provides lessons for both how we measure the readiness of municipalities to respond to a mobile population and how we may focus capacity-building efforts.
The Chinese Yuan after the Chinese Exchange Rate System Reform

In this paper, we investigate the actual exchange rate policy conducted by the Chinese government after the Chinese exchange rate system reform on July 21 2005. Also, we investigate long-run effect (Balassa-Samuelson effect) on the Chinese yuan. We found that the Chinese government had a statistically significant but small change in exchange rate policy during our sample period to January 25, 2006. It is not identified that the Chinese monetary authority is adopting the currency basket system because the change is too small in the economic sense. On one hand, higher growth rate of productivity will appreciate the Chinese yuan in terms of the US dollar and the Japanese yen while higher growth rates of productivity in Chinese tradable good sector tend to give the Balassa-Samuleson effect, that is undervaluation bias, to the Chinese yuan.
Large eddy simulation of crashback in marine propellers

The large eddy simulation methodology is used to predict and understand the unsteady flow around a marine propeller in crashback operation. A non-dissipative, robust numerical algorithm developed by Mahesh et al. (2004, J. Comput. Phys., 197: 215-240) for unstructured grids is extended to include the effect of rotating frame of reference. Flow around Propeller 4381 (for propeller specification see e.g. Jessup et al.: 2004, 25th Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics, 270–292) at advance ratio J = −0.7, Reynolds number Re = 480,000 (based on propeller diameter and relative speed between freestream flow and the propeller) is computed for a period of 300 revolutions. The simulation shows the presence of a highly unsteady ring-vortex, and irregular low frequency unsteady loads on the propeller. The spectra also show distinct peak at higher frequency of 5 rev−1, corresponding to passage of individual blades of the fivebladed propeller. Mean values, root mean square (RMS) fluctuations and spectra of computed thrust, torque and side-forces show good agreement with experiment. Circumferentially averaged mean velocity and RMS fluctuation of velocity obtained from the simulation are compared to experimental data and good agreement is observed. The cross-flow aft of the propeller, which represents inflow for a propeller in crashback, was investigated. The cross-flow shows low frequency fluctuations similar to spectra of side-forces, but without the peak at blade frequency of 5 rev−1. An unsteady actuator disk model is constructed in order to understand unsteadiness in propeller crashback. The model considers crashback as a competition between two flows of opposite directions: reversed flow through the propeller and the ambient flow due to motion of the vessel. Visualization of the flow around the actuator disk in crashback shows creation, asymmetric growth, tilting, stretching and shedding of unsteady ring vortices which are correlated to the fluctuation of the thrust of the actuator disk.
REDUCED FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND THE STRATEGIC POSITION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES: HOW AN "EMBEDDED COMMUNITY COLLEGE" CAN NEUTRALIZE EXTERNAL PRESSURES

This multi-site case study is really the story of three same-state community colleges (Bridge and Buffer Community College, Grants and Reserves Community College, and Crystal Ball Community College) two years after they suffered a potentially catastrophic 50% reduction in state allocations. This study examined their responses to those reductions and attempted to frame those responses according to existing research on strategic activity and strategic positioning. The theoretical framework used, referenced as a theoretical mesh, consisted of academic capitalism (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004), resource dependence theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978), state relative autonomy perspective (Dougherty, 1994), and neo-institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983). The synthesis of these theories facilitated the analysis of the findings of this study. This study identified three key phenomena: The Quartering of Community Colleges to conceptualize and organize the abundance of external pressures facing community colleges, Mandates to Neutralize to explain the importance of an aggressive and formal approach to neutralizing external pressures, and Embedded Community Colleges whose strategic positions are strengthened through a deliberate, committed approach to fostering close relationships with their local communities.
Alternative pathways for editing non-cognate amino acids by aminoacyl- tRNA synthetases

Evidence is presented that the editing mechanisms of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase operate by two alternative pathways: pre-transfer, by hydrolysis of the non-cognate aminoacyl adenylate; post-transfer, by hydrolysis of the mischarged tRNA. The methionyl-tRNA synthetases from Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus and isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli, for example, are shown to reject misactivated homocysteine rapidly by the pre-transfer route. A novel feature of this reaction is that homocysteine thiolactone is formed by the facile cyclisation of the homocysteinyl adenylate. Valyl-tRNA synthetases, on the other hand, reject the more readily activated non-cognate amino acids by primarily the post-transfer route. The features governing the choice of pathway are discussed.
The In Vitro Effects of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of the Leaves of Ageratum conyzoides (Asteraceae) on Three Life Cycle Stages of the Parasitic Nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri (Nematoda: Heligmosomatidae)

A comparative in vitro study was carried out to determine the ovicidal and larvicidal activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Ageratum conyzoides (Asteraceae) leaves on the eggs (unembryonated and embryonated), first and second larval stages of Heligmosomoides bakeri. Four different concentrations (0.625, 1.25, 2.5, and 3.75 mg·mL−1) of both aqueous and ethanolic extracts were tested. Distilled water and 5% tween were used as negative controls in the bioassay. In fact, they did not affect development of eggs, hatching, and larval survival. The extract activities were dose dependent. The ethanolic extract was more potent against embryonation (39.6 ± 2.9%) than the aqueous extract (53.3 ± 10.9%) at the highest concentration (3.75 mg·ml−1). Both types of extracts killed larvae. Mebendazole proved more lethal (EC50 of 0.745 and 0.323 mg·mL−1, resp., for L1 and L2 larvae). The aqueous extracts were the least lethal (EC50 of 4.76 and 2.29 mg·mL−1, resp., for L1 and L2 larvae). The ethanolic extracts showed intermediate activity (EC50 of 1.323 and 1.511 mg·mL−1, resp., for L1 and L2 larvae). It is concluded that the ovicidal and larvicidal properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Ageratum conyzoides leaves are demonstrated in this work.
Hyperexcitable substantia nigra dopamine neurons in PINK 1-and HtrA 2 / Omi-1 deficient mice 2 3

19 The electrophysiological properties of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) dopamine 20 neurons can influence their susceptibility to degeneration in toxin-based models of 21 Parkinson’s disease (PD), suggesting that excitotoxic and/or hypoactive mechanisms 22 may be engaged during the early stages of the disease. It is unclear, however, whether 23 the electrophysiological properties of SNC dopamine neurons are affected by genetic 24 susceptibility to PD. Here we show that deletion of PD-associated genes, PINK1 or 25 HtrA2/Omi, leads to a functional reduction in the activity of small-conductance Ca26 activated potassium channels. This reduction causes SNC dopamine neurons to fire 27 action potentials in an irregular pattern, and enhances burst firing in brainslices and in 28 vivo. In contrast, PINK1 deletion does not affect firing regularity in ventral tegmental 29 area dopamine neurons or substantia nigra pars reticulata GABAergic neurons. These 30 findings suggest that changes in SNC dopamine neuron excitability may play a role in 31 their selective vulnerability in PD. 32 33
Bayesian Growth Curves Using Normal Mixtures With Nonparametric Weights

Reference growth curves estimate the distribution of a measurement as it changes according to some covariate, often age. We present a new methodology to estimate growth curves based on mixture models and splines. We model the distribution of the measurement with a mixture of normal distributions with an unknown number of components, and model dependence on the covariate through the weights, using smooth functions based on B-splines. In this way the growth curves respect the continuity of the covariate and there is no need for arbitrary grouping of the observations. The method is illustrated with data on triceps skinfold in Gambian girls and women.
The Influence of Disturbance ( Fire , Mining ) on Ant and Small Mammal Species Diversity in Australian Heathland 1

Senior Tutor in Zoology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S. W. , 2033, Australia. Abstract: Multiple linear regression equations describe responses for both taxa to temporal, floristic and structural vegetation change. Mammal succession is a replacement of dominant species, ant succession is a replacement of groups of species. Many plant species show adaptations to frequent burning and a high proportion of resprouters ensures a rapid recovery, reflected in the mammal community. Mammal recolonization is slower when mining destroys the soil profile and plant regeneration occurs from seed. High-diversity sites support more fire-adapted mammal species. Species diversity is linearly related to habitat diversity. Management for maximum species diversity requires vegetation of all seral stages to accommodate many different taxa.