Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
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Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not­for­profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. 1 Ketamine‐induced apoptosis in normal human urothelial cells: a direct, N‐methyl‐D‐ aspartate receptor‐independent pathway characterised by mitochondrial stress. Abstract Recreational abuse of ketamine has been associated with the emergence of a new bladder pain syndrome, ketamine‐induced cystitis, characterised by chronic inflammation and urothelial ulceration. This study investigated the direct effects of ketamine on normal human urothelium maintained in organ culture or as finite cell lines in vitro. Exposure of urothelium to ketamine resulted in apoptosis, with cytochrome c release from mitochondria and significant subsequent caspase 9 and 3/7 activation. The anaesthetic mode‐of‐action for ketamine is mediated primarily through N‐methyl D‐ aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism; however, NHU cells were unresponsive to NMDAR agonists or antagonists and no expression of NMDAR transcript was detected. Exposure to non‐cytotoxic concentrations of ketamine (≤1 mM) induced rapid release of ATP, which activated purinergic P2Y receptors and stimulated the inositol trisphosphate receptor to provoke transient release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol. Ketamine concentrations >1 mM were cytotoxic and provoked a larger‐ amplitude increase in cytosolic [Ca 2+ ] that was unresolved. The sustained elevation in cytosolic [Ca 2+ ] was associated with pathological mitochondrial oxygen consumption and ATP deficiency. Damage to the urinary barrier initiates bladder pain and in ketamine‐induced cystitis, loss of urothelium from large areas of the bladder wall is a reported feature. This study offers first evidence for a mechanism of direct toxicity of ketamine to urothelial cells by activating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.
Age-related Macular Degeneration Identification In Volumetric Optical Coherence Tomography Using Decomposition and Local Feature Extraction

In this paper we proposed a decomposition based approach, coupled with local feature extraction, to support the analysis of Three-Dimensional (3D) Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images so as to determine the presence (or otherwise) of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in the retina of the human eye. AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people aged over 50 years in the world. The 3D OCT imaging technique has become an indispensable diagnostic tool for the management of AMD. However, there is a lack of automated decision-making tools for analysing the large volumes of data that can be collected using OCT. In order to address this problem, a volumetric analysis technique is proposed for the automated diagnosis of AMD in 3D OCT images without the need for detecting AMD lesions. The process commences with the decomposition of a given image into sub-regions by recursively dividing a volume into sub-volumes. Then, for each sub-volume, oriented gradient local binary pattern histograms are extracted and formed into a feature vector to which classiﬁer generation techniques can be applied. The proposed technique was evaluated using ten-fold cross validation by applying it to 140 volumetric OCT images, the results demonstrated a promising performance with a best Area Under the receiver operating Curve (AUC) value of 94.4%.
Diversity Among Low SES Families: An Exploration of Predictive Variables for Mothers' Metacognitive Questions to Their Children

Research on children's cognitive development has documented the causal role of parent language on children's subsequent metacognitive reasoning. Although the effects of poverty have been addressed in the past, little is known about diversity among families labeled as "low socioeconomic status" (SES). In this study, we used the Mother/Child Interaction in Low Income Families database from the Henry Murray Diversity Archives to investigate mothers' metacognitive question use with their preschool children in 4 separate activities. Hundreds of mother/child variables including psychological function; emotional well-being; academic, cognitive, and behavioral assessments; along with numerous household, neighborhood, and community measures were explored. We used principal components factor analysis and multiple regression to explore clusters of family variables that may be predictive of mothers' metacognitive questions to children. Results suggest a broad and complex set of factors that can account for metacognitive language use in the home. We found key predictive areas to center around parenting style, mothers' self-efficacy, and mother and child affective and intellectual ability.
Facilitation in the rapid response of the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris L.

1. Successive rapid responses of the earthworm show a marked tendency to increase in size on repetition. 2. It is shown that this "staircase" phenomenon is not due to peripheral facilitation either on the afferent or efferent side of the reflex, but to summation in the nerve cord and evidence is presented that it occurs at "giant-to-motor" junctions. 3. Facilitation is most pronounced in preparations whose "giant-to-motor" junctions are accommodated. In such cases a single impulse in the median giant fibre is ineffective, two or more being required to produce a rapid response throughout the length of the animal. 4. Fatigue and facilitation in the earthworm is discussed in relation to similar phenomena in other invertebrates.
Introducing Thermal Wave Transport Analysis (TWTA): A Thermal Technique for Dopamine Detection by Screen-Printed Electrodes Functionalized with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Particles

A novel procedure is developed for producing bulk modified Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) screen-printed electrodes (SPEs), which involves the direct mixing of the polymer particles within the screen-printed ink. This allowed reduction of the sample preparation time from 45 min to 1 min, and resulted in higher reproducibility of the electrodes. The samples are measured with a novel detection method, namely, thermal wave transport analysis (TWTA), relying on the analysis of thermal waves through a functional interface. As a first proof-of-principle, MIPs for dopamine are developed and successfully incorporated within a bulk modified MIP SPE. The detection limits of dopamine within buffer solutions for the MIP SPEs are determined via three independent techniques. With cyclic voltammetry this was determined to be 4.7 × 10−6 M, whereas by using the heat-transfer method (HTM) 0.35 × 10−6 M was obtained, and with the novel TWTA concept 0.26 × 10−6 M is possible. This TWTA technique is measured simultaneously with HTM and has the benefits of reducing measurement time to less than 5 min and increasing effect size by nearly a factor of two. The two thermal methods are able to enhance dopamine detection by one order of magnitude compared to the electrochemical method. In previous research, it was not possible to measure neurotransmitters in complex samples with HTM, but with the improved signal-to-noise of TWTA for the first time, spiked dopamine concentrations were determined in a relevant food sample. In summary, novel concepts are presented for both the sensor functionalization side by employing screen-printing technology, and on the sensing side, the novel TWTA thermal technique is reported. The developed bio-sensing platform is cost-effective and suitable for mass-production due to the nature of screen-printing technology, which makes it very interesting for neurotransmitter detection in clinical diagnostic applications.
Destabilizing the environment—conflict thesis

The argument that environmental degradation will lead to conflict is a well established concern of international studies, and it dominates the literature on environmental security. This article critically examines theories about wars fought over scarce ‘environmental’ resources, ‘water wars’, and the argument that population growth may induce conflict. One significant research programme—the Project on Environment, Population and Security— is also discussed. The article ends with an evaluation of the theoretical merits and practical effects of the environment–conflict thesis. It argues that the environment–conflict thesis is theoretically rather than empirically driven, and is both a product and legitimation of the Northern security agenda.
DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL MEASURE OF PERSONALITY

A common practice among practitioners and researchers doing cross-cultural work is to transport personality inventories developed in one country to another country of interest. This transport process is done with varying degrees of rigor and success. This paper describes the development of the Global Personality Inventory (GPI). The development process involved cross-cultural input from psychologists around the world following best practices that have been identified to date for each step of the development of a cross-cultural measure of personality. Construct validity studies including data from 11 countries and 10 languages are reported. Initial criterion-related validity evidence for inferences made from the GPI about job performance is presented. Examples of challenges and best practices are illustrated in the areas of construct development, item writing, item selection, translation, and data analysis.
Men and Masculinities: Key Themes and New Directions

Acknowledgements.Introduction. 1. Masculinity - Illusion or Reality? Men's Nature, Men's History.Natural Men? Masculinities in History.Functionalism and the Male Sex Role.Gender and Functionalism.Perspectives on Sex/Gender Roles.Psychoanalytical Perspectives.Freud. Jung.From 1st to 2nd Wave (Pro)Feminism.Multiplicity, Materiality - and Illusion.Multiple Masculinities.The Materiality of Men's Violences.Material Actualities - a global perspective.Conclusion. 2. The Personal and the Political: Men and Feminism.A Crisis of Masculinity or a Moral Panic? A Discourse of Crisis.The Crisis Discourse in Politics and Public Policy.The Male Crisis in Perspective.Men as a Political Category.The Discursive Connection.Men's Responses to Feminism.Marking Differences.Political Polarisations.Black and Latino Men, Black and Latino Masculinities.Gay Male Liberation and Queer Theory.Concluding on Changing Men (and Women). 3. Power and Resistance.Structural Models of Gender Power.Juridico-Discursive Theories.Patriarchy. Hegemonic Masculinity.Gender Order.Masculinism. Power as Discursive.Bringing Back the Resisting Subject.A Foucauldian Analysis.The Discursive Subject of Power.Summary. 4. Public Men.He's Leaving Home: The heroic male project.Myths and Icons.An Heroic Male Project - building empires.Work, Management and the Professional.Men at Work.Men as Managers.Masculinity and Professionalism.Time to Play.Gendered Time.Gendered Leisure. Summary.5. Private Men.The Private 'I'. Fathers and Families.Friendships and Relationships.Men's Relationships.Men's Friendships.Pure Relationships.Sexualities. Trust, Intimacy and Emotion.Trust. Intimacy.Emotions and Feelings.Endings and Openings.6. Marking Male Bodies.Male Bodies.Male Bodies in Process.Throwing Like a Boy.Materialising Male Bodies.Gazing at the Male Body.Race Man.A Gay Body of Men.Ageing Male Bodies.Summary. 7. Desires of The Masculine Subject.The Masculine Subject.Masculine Ontology.Desire To Be (a man). Implications and Conclusion.Notes. Bibliography.Index.
Assessing Chinese managerial competencies from different perspectives

In this study we investigated assessments of managerial competency in the context of Chinese local government public officials. Based on data collected from a 2008 survey conducted in China’s Jiangsu Province and drawing on the competing values framework developed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1981, 1983), we examined discrepancies in the assessment of managerial competencies through the supervisors’ self-assessments of their own competencies, subordinates’ self-assessments of their own competencies, supervisors assessments of their subordinates’ competencies, and subordinates’ assessments of their supervisors’ competencies. We found that, significant differences existed between the managerial competency assessments of public officials with leadership positions and the assessments of their subordinates. This calls into question the validity and effectiveness of supervisors’ assessments and peer assessments of managerial competencies in Chinese government. We offer both general and specific policy suggestions for improving the measurement of managerial competencies in China.
Plasma ammonia response to sprint swimming.

BACKGROUND To study the plasma ammonia response after sprint crawl swimming. METHODS Nine sprinters (S) and ten non-sprinters (NS) completed a 15-, a 25- and a 50-m crawl at maximal intensity with a 10-min and a 15-min resting period in-between. Capillary blood samples were collected before and at regular intervals after each effort for plasma ammonia determination. RESULTS Ammonia kinetics differed among distances, but not between groups, with peak values (observed 2-8 min postexercise) being higher after 50 m as compared to shorter distances. Significant differences between S and NS were found in peak ammonia after 50 m (124.5 +/- 58.2 vs 98.7 +/- 6.3 mumoL-1) and in the change of ammonia relative to swim time (delta NH3/delta t) after 25 m (2.66 +/- 1.87 vs 1.49 +/- 0.84 mumol L-1 s-1) and 50 m (1.87 +/- 1.33 vs 1.01 +/- 0.49 mumol L-1 s-1). delta NH3/delta t was highest after 15 m (3.33 +/- 2.53 in S, 3.92 +/- 1.67 mumol L-1 s-1 in NS). CONCLUSIONS These differences in the plasma ammonia response to sprint swimming according to duration and athlete seem to be connected to distinctions in muscle fiber profile and energy providing processes.
Between Mission and Market Position: Empirical findings on mission statements of German Higher Education Institutions

Higher education institutions on their way to quasi-markets have to identify their distinct characteristics and nowadays, most of the German universities have published a mission statement. But since the tasks and mission of German universities are set for them by state regulation, the paper analyses for what mission statements have been introduced and what universities are stating in their mission statements. Addressing this question, the article reveals that mission statements contribute to constructing corporate images. Instead of defining a single overarching organizational identity that is distinct from other universities, mission statements express the tasks and missions that are set for them by higher education law and supplement these missions with distinct images. An important implication of this symbolic profile-building is that the underlying intuitional models of these images are related to the history, subject profile and often geographical location of the universities and thus, contribute to creating competitive fields of universities.
Quantification of Land-Atmosphere Coupling and Implications for Drought Persistence In Observations and Model Simulations of 20 th Century Climate and 21 st Century Climate Change by

Of all recurring natural disasters, long-term drought is one of the most devastating and costly due to large spatial extent and often long duration. The mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of long-term droughts are not well understood, however many drought analyses allege the importance of land-atmosphere feedbacks and speculate that these feedbacks will amplify changes in the hydrological cycle in the presence of climate change, increasing drought severity. A statistical lagged correlation method is applied to IPPC model and observed precipitation and evaporation data to quantify JJA land-atmosphere coupling based on a positive feedback between evaporation and later precipitation. Results of this statistical method are broadly consistent with results of other land-atmosphere coupling analyses with some important differences, most notably in the Sahara and Arabian deserts. In addition, drought analysis is conducted using a percentile scheme to quantify JJA drought frequency and drought persistence. The relationship between land-atmosphere coupling and drought persistence is analyzed by plotting drought persistence against land-atmosphere coupling; the result shows a positive linear relationship in three regions examined in which model drought persistence increases with land-atmosphere coupling strength. Enabled with this relationship for 20 th century model data, we examine drought in IPCC simulations of 21 st century climate to determine if land-atmosphere coupling is strongly correlated with increasing drought frequency. Surprisingly, no significant relationship is found, indicating that land-atmosphere coupling does not contribute strongly to future drought as many previous studies have suggested, and that other, more large-scale climate processes— poleward shifts in stormtracks, and changes in land-ocean temperature contrasts—are primarily responsible for changes in hydrological extremes in climate change simulations.
The Structure and Meanings of Intercultural Interactions of International Tourists

Abstract The purpose of this study was to highlight the structure and meanings of intercultural interactions between international tourists and local residents. To achieve this purpose, the study adopted a naturalistic approach. This approach was selected as appropriate for the study because it yielded an emergent, emic understanding of the tourism experience. This understanding facilitated the formation of an inductively based, empirically grounded conceptualization, and structural model of intercultural interactions from the tourist's point of view. The outcomes of the study represent constructions of the tourism experience that were shared by a variety of tourists, and thus represented salient themes that help to categorize the intercultural interactions in international tourism. International tourists who had participated in international pleasure travel within the past year were interviewed using an ethnographic interview method based specifically on the Spradley method. The results of the interviews were analyzed systematically using developmental sequence methods based on the instructions by Spradley. As a result of the study, an integrated model of the intercultural interactions of international tourists was suggested from the shared themes, meanings and patterns that shaped participants' international tourism experiences.
`Family Friendly' Employment Policies: A Route to Changing Organizational Culture or Playing About at the Margins?

Formal ‘family friendly’ policies, including flexible or reduced hours of work and periods of leave, designed to help employees to balance work and family demands have the potential to challenge traditional models of work and organizational values. However, while these policies can reduce stress for individual employees, it is argued that there is less evidence of widespread organizational culture change. This paper draws on case studies of organizations at various stages of developing ‘family friendly’ policies to identify two barriers to fundamental shifts in organizational culture; low sense of entitlement to consideration of family needs, and organizational discourses of time as representing productivity, commitment and value. Some conditions under which broader culture change may be achieved are explored.
The quality of qualitative data: Issues to consider when interviewing participants who have difficulties providing detailed accounts of their experiences

This article discusses threats and challenges that may arise when conducting qualitative interviews with persons with language handicap or frail elderly who have difficulties providing detailed accounts of their experiences. The literature on qualitative research seems to assume that qualitative interviews of good quality consist of long, uninterrupted narratives. This ideal encompasses particular requirements to study participants. Qualitative studies including frail elderly or people with communicative handicaps may be harmed by biased samples or thin descriptions. Strategies to maximize the quality of interview data, such as larger and more varied samples, investing sufficient time to establish rapport in the interview situation, repeated interviews, specific interview techniques, and combining interviewing and participant observations are suggested.
Gender Differences in the Predictors of Juvenile Delinquency

At the heart of the gender-specificity debate is the argument that gender-neutral theories cannot adequately explain female delinquency. Instead, it has been asserted that theories should incorporate risk factors that capture females' unique experiences. In this context, the current study uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to address the generality-specificity debate. The analysis includes variables not only from traditional criminological theories and the newer life-course approach but also from the feminist perspective. Results from multivariate analyses show that although there are some similarities in the predictors of male and female delinquency, differences also emerged. Variables measuring general strain and involvement are stronger predictors for males, whereas only attachment to school is stronger for females. One feminist theory variable and one life-course variable exhibit stronger effects in the models for females. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are also addressed.
Improved Survival Rates of Random Flaps in Rabbits with a Monoclonal Antibody That Blocks Leukocyte Adherence

To examine the role of neutrophil adhesiveness in the tissue injury involving the ischemic “at risk” area of random flaps, we used the monoclonal antibody 60.3, which binds selectively to the primary neutrophil adherence-mediating glycoprotein CD18 in a random cutaneous flap model. Control animals that had flaps elevated and replaced (n = 12) had a mean distal necrosis of 31.9 ± 9.3 percent of the total flap surface area. Treatment with monoclonal antibody 60.3 (n = 12) reduced distal necrosis to 10.6 ± 7.5 percent (p < 0.005). Inhibiting inosculation by interposing a thin silicone sheet decreased distal flap survival; however, the protective effect of monoclonal antibody 60.3 on improving flap survival was unchanged. Control isolated flaps (n = 13) had a mean distal necrosis of 49.0 ± 15.5 percent compared with 22.2 ± 5.6 percent for the antibody-treated (n = 8) isolated flaps (p < 0.05). We conclude that increased neutrophil adhesiveness plays an important role in the tissue injury involving the ischemic “at risk” area of random flaps and that transient, specific inhibition of leukocyte adherence by monoclonal antibody 60.3 improves the distal survival of random flaps in this model. Moreover, we conclude that “graft inosculation” contributes to “flap” survival in this model; however, conclusions regarding the effect of treatment are not altered by blocking inosculation. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 93: 1035, 1994.)