Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A similar high level of immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G class milk antibodies and increment of local lymphoid tissue on the duodenal mucosa in subjects with cow's milk allergy and recurrent abdominal pains

In previous studies, we have reported endoscopic and histological alterations locally on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract associated with a gastrointestinal type of cow's milk allergy. In this study, we sought to further characterize endoscopic, and immunological findings in these children. We also hypothesized that the same type of immune responses might also be found in children with unexplained and recurrent abdominal pains. We did a gastroduodenoscopy for persistent GI symptoms, examined the mucosal histology of the small intestine and measured the antibodies to whole cow's milk and its fractions with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a consecutive series of 22 subjects with untreated and 14 with treated cow's milk allergy (CMA) and 44 with recurrent abdominal pains (RAP). The immunological findings of the study subjects were compared with 54 controls. Lymphonodular hyperplasia (LNH) of the duodenum was the main endoscopic finding in 11 subjects (50%) with untreated and 5 (36%) with treated CMA. It was also found in 6 of 44 subjects with RAP. Compared with the controls, the patients with CMA showed significantly higher levels of IgA class antibodies to whole milk (p = 0.003) and βLG (p < 0.0001). Of the IgG class antibodies to βLG (p = 0.032), BSA (p < 0.0001) and αCAS (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher. The patients with LNH of the duodenal bulb as the main endoscopic finding showed significantly higher values of IgG class antibodies to βLG (p = 0.01) and αCAS (p = 0.005). Interestingly, the patients examined for RAP showed a similar increment in the pattern of whole milk and specific milk protein antibodies as the CMA children. In conclusion this study showed that gastrointestinal CMA beyond infancy is significantly associated with high levels of IgG and IgA class antibodies to milk and its fractions. As high levels of these antibodies and LNH of the duodenal bulb were also found in subjects with RAP, the study further suggests that gastrointestinal CMA might be one major reason for RAP.
Democratic Processes and Financial Markets: Pricing Politics

Democratic Processes and Financial Markets: Pricing Politics. By William Bernhard and David Leblang. New York: Cambridge University Press 2006. 260p. $70.00 cloth, $24.99. Imagine contemporary political economy as the electromagnetic spectrum. At one end are very long-run processes, such as the emergence of the political institutions that generate divergence between rich and poor countries in the world economy. At the other end are short-run phenomena, such as the movements in financial markets that we ponder while reading the stock pages with our morning coffee. For the last 10 years, William Bernhard and David Leblang have been exploring this latter end of the spectrum with clarity and rigor, and between them have pretty much defined the standards for the field.
Gene expression profile of primary prostate epithelial and stromal cells in response to sulforaphane or iberin exposure

Broccoli consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) derived from glucosinolates that accumulate in broccoli are dietary compounds that may mediate these health effects. Sulforaphane (SF, 4‐methylsulphinylbutyl ITC) derives from heading broccoli (calabrese) and iberin (IB, 3‐methylsulphinypropyl ITC) from sprouting broccoli. While there are many studies regarding the biological activity of SF, mainly undertaken with cancerous cells, there are few studies associated with IB.
Conceptualising the English language needs of first year university students

Australian universities are currently re-evaluating how they address the English language needs of their students of non-English speaking backgrounds. This is, in part, a response to ten ‘Good Practice Principles’ that constitute the main thrust of a government-commissioned document released in 2009 and designed to ensure that standards of good practice are established and maintained throughout the sector in respect of English language provision. This paper argues that any attempt to uphold these principles and implement provision that is coherent, relevant and rigorous, requires clarification of the concept of ‘proficiency’. To this end, a distinction is proposed between proficiency, academic literacy and professional communication skills, and consideration is given to the implications of this distinction in terms of (a) responding to the language needs of both native speaker and non-native speaker students, and (b) the post-enrolment language assessment of newly-enrolled students with a view to identifying those at risk.
Using Cluster Analysis to Segment Students Based on Self-Reported Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Behaviors.

Using emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) as the model, the authors identify behaviors that three levels of leaders engage in based on a self-report inventory (Emotionally Intelligent Leadership for Students-Inventory). Three clusters of students are identified: those that are “Less-involved, Less Others-oriented,” “Self-Improvers,” and “Involved Leaders for Others. ” EIL behaviors that most differentiate the highest self-ranking group of involved leaders are the extent to which cluster members work to resolve conflicts in a group situation, work to build a sense of team , and consider the needs of others . The underlying constructs of consciousness of context, self, and others are investigated and discussed. Discriminant analysis is used to validate the cluster solution. Cluster analysis is found to be useful tool for helping leadership educators categorize students and by doing so, program architects have an opportunity to design and develop interventions tailored to better meet the needs of individual students.
Prevalence of maturity-onset diabetes of the young mutations in Brazilian families with autosomal-dominant early-onset type 2 diabetes.

The relative frequencies of the subtypes of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) were shown to vary greatly in studies from different populations (1–4). The Brazilian population has mixed ethnic background (African, Asian, European-Caucasian of several different countries of origin, and Indigenous), and little is known about the genetic determinants of diabetes in Brazilians. In this report, we describe the frequencies of the major MODY subtypes in a panel of 12 Brazilian families with autosomal-dominant early-onset type 2 diabetes (Fig. 1). A total of 32 family members were studied. The age at diagnosis of diabetes was <25 years in at least one family member in 10 of the 12 families and was between 30 and 35 years in the two remaining families. The probands were five men and seven women with overt diabetes according to the revised criteria, aged 34 ± 18 years (mean ± SD), with age of diagnosis of 24 ± 13 years (range 8–50). The promoter and the coding regions of glucokinase (GCK/MODY2), hepatocyte nuclear …
Cultural similarities and differences in social identification in Japan and Australia

A comparison of social identification processes in Australia and Japan found some similarities and differences. In both countries, identification with smaller face-to-face groups was found to be stronger than identification with larger social categories; however, Australians scored higher on the affective dimension of social identification, whereas Japanese scored higher on the cognitive dimension. Moreover, positive situations from Australia and negative situations from Japan were estimated by respondents from both cultures to be more influential in determining how much they identify with their ingroups, showing a cultural situation-bias effect. Situational affordances of social identification across cultures are discussed.
Two SNPs in NLRP3 gene are involved in the predisposition to type-1 diabetes and celiac disease in a pediatric population from northeast Brazil

Recent findings provide evidence of the critical role of innate immunity NALP1/NLRP1 and NALP3/NLRP3/CIAS1 genes in inflammatory diseases, and also in the predisposition to autoimmune disorders. We evaluated the possible association of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two in NLRP1 gene and three in NLRP3 gene, in pediatric patients from the north eastern region of Brazil affected by type-1 diabetes (T1D, n = 196), celiac disease (CD, n = 59), and atopic dermatitis (AD, n = 165), and in healthy individuals (n = 192). Our results demonstrated that NLRP3 rs10754558 SNP was associated specifically to T1D (p = 4exp-3) and NLRP3 rs358294199 SNP to CD (p = 5exp-4) in the Brazilian population. Despite its strong association with T1D in Norwegian population, NLRP1 was not associated with T1D, in the Brazilian population. According to previous studies in Caucasoid cohorts, NLRP1 and NLRP3 seemed not to be associated to AD. Since it has been reported that IL-1beta has a systemic effect in the lost of the immunologic tolerance and that NALP3 inflammasome is directly involved in the production of this pro-inflammatory cytokine, we hypothesized that variations in NLRP3 could belong to a predisposing genetic background that contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases.
C-Reactive Protein and Complement Are Important Mediators of Tissue Damage in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction in humans provokes an acute phase response, and C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute phase plasma protein, is deposited together with complement within the infarct. The peak plasma CRP value is strongly associated with postinfarct morbidity and mortality. Human CRP binds to damaged cells and activates complement, but rat CRP does not activate complement. Here we show that injection of human CRP into rats after ligation of the coronary artery reproducibly enhanced infarct size by ∼40%. In vivo complement depletion, produced by cobra venom factor, completely abrogated this effect. Complement depletion also markedly reduced infarct size, even when initiated up to 2 h after coronary ligation. These observations demonstrate that human CRP and complement activation are major mediators of ischemic myocardial injury and identify them as therapeutic targets in coronary heart disease.
Integration of ovulation rate, potential embryonic viability and uterine capacity into a model of litter size in swine.

A mathematical model of litter size in swine was developed from ovulation rate, potential embryonic viability and uterine capacity. The model assumed that ovulation rate was reduced to potentially viable embryos by factors innate to the ovum and embryo. Potentially viable embryos then could be further reduced to uterine capacity, the maximum number of fetuses that a female can carry to term. Consequently, litter size can be no greater than either ovulation rate or uterine capacity. Means and variances of ovulation rate and potential embryonic viability used in the model were based on experimental results. The mean and variance of uterine capacity were varied until the simulated mean and variance of litter size were equal to experimental results. Simulated results of relationships among ovulation rate, embryo survival and litter size were similar to observed experimental relationships. Heritabilities of simulated litter size and embryo survival were similar to literature values when the heritability of ovulation rate was set at . 25 and the heritability of uterine capacity was set at either . 15 or . 20. Litter size was simulated for 25 combinations of average ovulation rate and uterine capacity to develop equations relating mean ovulation rate and uterine capacity to litter size, embryo survival and correlations among them. Results suggest that changing either ovulation rate or uterine capacity independently will not result in large changes in litter size. Consequently, the model suggests that a single gene, hormonal manipulation or nutritional change will not result in large increases in litter size and that combinations of factors will be needed to increase litter size.
Drosophila ventral furrow morphogenesis: a proteomic analysis

Ventral furrow formation is a key morphogenetic event during Drosophila gastrulation that leads to the internalization of mesodermal precursors. While genetic analysis has revealed the genes involved in the specification of ventral furrow cells, few of the structural proteins that act as mediators of ventral cell behavior have been identified. A comparative proteomics approach employing difference gel electrophoresis was used to identify more than fifty proteins with altered abundance levels or isoform changes in ventralized versus lateralized embryos. Curiously, the majority of protein differences between these embryos appeared well before gastrulation, only a few protein changes coincided with gastrulation, suggesting that the ventral cells are primed for cell shape change. Three proteasome subunits were found to differ between ventralized and lateralized embryos. RNAi knockdown of these proteasome subunits and time-dependent difference-proteins caused ventral furrow defects, validating the role of these proteins in ventral furrow morphogenesis.
Blood analyses of wolf pups and their ecological and metabolic interpretation.

Blood samples were obtained from 32 wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups live-trapped over a three-year period in northern Minnesota. The results of 21 laboratory analyses of hematology and blood chemistry are tabulated and analyzed in terms of study area, age, sex, and year of collection. Mean values are compared to those reported for dogs in the same age group. The numerous differences between dog and wolf pups are interpreted in terms of nutritional levels and dietary composition with the suggestion that the wolves are not achieving their full growth potential. Individual abnormal test results are tabulated and possible interpretations are suggested. Abnormal results were observed in 13 animals including 10 of 11 animals sampled in 1972. The results in the 1972 animals indicated a poorer nutrition. This preponderance of abnormal test results in pups from 1972 is correlated with ecological studies on this wolf population indicating decreased survival. The potential value of such long-term integrated field and laboratory studies for providing a more complete understanding of changes in the dynamics of natural populations in terms of the responses of individual animals is demonstrated.
The Initiation and Evolution of Interfirm Knowledge Transfer in R&D Relationships

In this study, we examine the process of interfirm knowledge transfer in R&D relationships. Based upon an embedded case study, we develop a model for understanding the initiation and evolution of interfirm knowledge transfer. Complementing previous cross-sectional research, this model points to the importance of legal clauses as a formal design alternative to equity governance structures, expectations of a long-term relationship as a specific indicator of trust, and similarity of technological equipment as an important facilitator for acquisition and assimilation of knowledge. This model also indicates that interfirm knowledge transfer is likely to continue in R&D relationships as long as perceived market threats remain limited and perceived technological complementarities remain extensive. In addition, we point to two strategies to organize an R&D relationship such that continuation of interfirm knowledge transfer is more likely to occur.
Chromosome I Controls Chromosome II Replication in Vibrio cholerae

Control of chromosome replication involves a common set of regulators in eukaryotes, whereas bacteria with divided genomes use chromosome-specific regulators. How bacterial chromosomes might communicate for replication is not known. In Vibrio cholerae, which has two chromosomes (chrI and chrII), replication initiation is controlled by DnaA in chrI and by RctB in chrII. DnaA has binding sites at the chrI origin of replication as well as outside the origin. RctB likewise binds at the chrII origin and, as shown here, to external sites. The binding to the external sites in chrII inhibits chrII replication. A new kind of site was found in chrI that enhances chrII replication. Consistent with its enhancing activity, the chrI site increased RctB binding to those chrII origin sites that stimulate replication and decreased binding to other sites that inhibit replication. The differential effect on binding suggests that the new site remodels RctB. The chaperone-like activity of the site is supported by the finding that it could relieve the dependence of chrII replication on chaperone proteins DnaJ and DnaK. The presence of a site in chrI that specifically controls chrII replication suggests a mechanism for communication between the two chromosomes for replication.
Stepwise isothermal fast pyrolysis (SIFP). Part II. SIFP of peanut shells – Antifungal properties of phenolic fractions

Pyrolysis of peanut shells was carried out using stepwise isothermal fast pyrolysis (SIFP). SIFP consists of successive isothermal fast pyrolysis reactions, where solid products obtained in the previous isothermal fast pyrolysis become the substrate of the subsequent reaction at a higher temperature. This article reports results obtained from SIFP of peanut shells between 200 and 300°C using 100°C intervals under vacuum (0.2 mm). The maximum yield of liquid products was obtained at 300°C, giving around 30% of bio-oil, which contained mainly phenols and furan derivatives. On the other hand, since previous papers have reported fungicidal activity of phenols derivatives from lingo-cellulosic biomass pyrolysis, we carried out antifungal activity tests of bio oil obtained from peanut shells SIFT at 300 °C. Results seem promising, at least on Sclerotium rolfsii.
Prognosis for Patients in a Korean Population with Ocular Adnexal Lymphoproliferative Lesions

Purpose: To analyze the clinical features, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors associated with lymphoproliferative lesions of the ocular adnexa in a Korean population. Methods: Data from 69 patients treated for adnexal lymphoproliferative disease in the 12-year period from 1991 to 2002 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The 69 patients had a median age of 46 years (range, 15–73 years); 60 of these patients were diagnosed with extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphomas (MALT lymphomas) and had 10 year cause specific survival and relapse free survival rates of 95.6% and 82.6%, respectively. Of 6 patients (8.7%) with concurrent systemic lymphoma, including 4 diagnosed with stage IV disease, 3 died from lymphoma. Only one patient with a primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma developed systemic lymphoma, which was treated with surgical resection. Local recurrence either at the primary site or in the fellow eye occurred in 11.6% of patients at a median follow-up time of 102 months (range, 79–132 months), and was controlled using repeat irradiation in all cases. Statistical analysis showed the presence of concurrent systemic lymphoma, bilateral disease, and an advanced stage at diagnosis, were linked to lymphoma-related death (Log-rank test, p < 0.05) and systemic progression (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05), and that the tumor location was not a prognostic factor for lymphoma-related death or relapse at any site. Conclusions: Ocular adnexal lymphoproliferative disease in Koreans occurred at a relatively young age, and was mostly orbitally located and of the MALT subtype, which is highly localized and rarely associated with extraorbital relapse. Primary or secondary status, stage at presentation, and bilaterality were found to be prognostic factors.
States and markets in global environmental governance: The role of tipping points in international regime formation

This article develops a model for analysing international regime formation in the environmental domain. It is argued that current approaches to understanding how regimes emerge and develop are too narrow, and fail to account for the dynamic interplay between states and markets which induce the emergence of ‘tipping points’ leading to more extensive and stringent international institutions. The article demonstrates the central role of tipping points in regime formation using the example of international climate change.
Triheptanoin: long-term effects in the very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase-deficient mouse[S]

A rather new approach in the treatment of long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders is represented by triheptanoin, a triglyceride with three medium-odd-chain heptanoic acids (C7), due to its anaplerotic potential. We here investigate the effects of a 1-year triheptanoin-based diet on the clinical phenotype of very long-chain-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase-deficient (VLCAD−/−) mice. The cardiac function was assessed in VLCAD−/− mice by in vivo MRI. Metabolic adaptations were identified by the expression of genes regulating energy metabolism and anaplerotic processes using real-time PCR, and the results were correlated with the measurement of the glycolytic enzymes pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase. Finally, the intrahepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in response to the long-term triheptanoin diet were assessed. Triheptanoin was not able to prevent the development of systolic dysfunction in VLCAD−/− mice despite an upregulation of cardiac glucose oxidation. Strikingly, the anaplerotic effects of triheptanoin were restricted to the liver. Despite this, the hepatic lipic content was increased upon triheptanoin supplementation. Our data demonstrate that the concept of anaplerosis does not apply to all tissues equally.
Selective Incivility as Modern Discrimination in Organizations

This collection of studies tested aspects of Cortina’s theory of selective incivility as a “modern” manifestation of sexism and racism in the workplace and also tested an extension of that theory to ageism. Survey data came from employees in three organizations: a city government (N = 369), a law enforcement agency (N = 653), and the U.S. military (N = 15,497). According to analyses of simple mediation, target gender and race (but not age) affected vulnerability to uncivil treatment on the job, which in turn predicted intent to leave that job. Evidence of moderated mediation also emerged, with target gender and race interacting to predict uncivil experiences, such that women of color reported the worst treatment. The article concludes with implications for interventions to promote civility and nondiscrimination in organizations.
Native and non-native: what can they offer? Lessons from team-teaching in Japan

This article discusses the contribution that joint instruction by a native-speaking teacher and a non-native-speaking teacher can make to classroom language learning. By reviewing the last decade's team-teaching practice in Japanese secondary school EFL classrooms, it explores how two teachers with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds can work together to provide students with more opportunities to improve their communicative competence. The article suggests that team-teaching may be most effective when it is ‘team-learning’, in which all the participants, teachers as well as students, are encouraged to learn from one another by exchanging ideas or cultural values. By clarifying the notion of ‘team-teaching’ and the nature of the ‘team’ itself, it is also able to propose ways in which the team could be reformulated to promote authentic communication in the classroom and so improve students' linguistic and interactional competencies.