Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of nonadrenergic noncholinergic inhibitory nerve stimulation on the allergic reaction in cat airways.

To examine the effect of nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerve stimulation on the antigen inhalation with allergic animals, changes in pulmonary resistance (RL) and arterial plasma histamine concentration ([H]) caused by inhalation of Ascaris suum antigen were studied in five control (Group A) and five nerve-stimulated (Group B) cats, which were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. All animals were actively sensitized with Ascaris antigen before the experiment. After cholinergic and beta-adrenergic blockade with intravenously administered atropine (3 mg/kg) and propranolol (2 mg/kg), inhalation of the antigen (1:100 dilution) was performed for 3 min. For Group B, bilateral cervical vagi were stimulated electrically for 1 min before the antigen inhalation and successively every 30 s until 5 min had passed from the onset of inhalation. RL and [H] were determined before, during, and after antigen inhalation in both groups. Baseline RL and [H] did not differ significantly between groups (16.3 +/- 2.2 (mean +/- SE) cm H2O/L/s and 14.0 +/- 0.7 ng/ml, respectively, for Group A; 14.4 +/- 1.3 and 15.6 +/- 2.7, respectively, for Group B). Increases in RL and [H] of Group B after the antigen inhalation were significantly depressed, compared with Group A (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05, respectively, two-way ANOVA). The increase in RL 5 min after antigen inhalation was 113 +/- 19% for Group A and 28 +/- 8% for Group B, and the increase in [H] at the same point was 36.3 +/- 9.1 ng/ml for Group A and 4.4 +/- 1.4 ng/ml for Group B. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Understanding the genetic effects of recent habitat fragmentation in the context of evolutionary history: phylogeography and landscape genetics of a southern California endemic Jerusalem cricket (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae: Stenopelmatus)

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization are the most pervasive threats to biodiversity in southern California. Loss of habitat and fragmentation can lower migration rates and genetic connectivity among remaining populations of native species, reducing genetic variability and increasing extinction risk. However, it may be difficult to separate the effects of recent anthropogenic fragmentation from the genetic signature of prehistoric fragmentation due to previous natural geological and climatic changes. To address these challenges, we examined the phylogenetic and population genetic structure of a flightless insect endemic to cismontane southern California, Stenopelmatus‘mahogani’ (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae). Analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data suggest that diversification across southern California began during the Pleistocene, with most haplotypes currently restricted to a single population. Patterns of genetic divergence correlate with contemporary urbanization, even after correcting for (geographical information system) GIS‐based reconstructions of fragmentation during the Pleistocene. Theoretical simulations confirm that contemporary patterns of genetic structure could be produced by recent urban fragmentation using biologically reasonable assumptions about model parameters. Diversity within populations was positively correlated with current fragment size, but not prehistoric fragment size, suggesting that the effects of increased drift following anthropogenic fragmentation are already being seen. Loss of genetic connectivity and diversity can hinder a population's ability to adapt to ecological perturbations commonly associated with urbanization, such as habitat degradation, climatic changes and introduced species. Consequently, our results underscore the importance of preserving and restoring landscape connectivity for long‐term persistence of low vagility native species.
Laforin, the most common protein mutated in Lafora disease, regulates autophagy

Lafora disease (LD) is an autosomal recessive, progressive myoclonus epilepsy, which is characterized by the accumulation of polyglucosan inclusion bodies, called Lafora bodies, in the cytoplasm of cells in the central nervous system and in many other organs. However, it is unclear at the moment whether Lafora bodies are the cause of the disease, or whether they are secondary consequences of a primary metabolic alteration. Here we describe that the major genetic lesion that causes LD, loss-of-function of the protein laforin, impairs autophagy. This phenomenon is confirmed in cell lines from human patients, mouse embryonic fibroblasts from laforin knockout mice and in tissues from such mice. Conversely, laforin expression stimulates autophagy. Laforin regulates autophagy via the mammalian target of rapamycin kinase-dependent pathway. The changes in autophagy mediated by laforin regulate the accumulation of diverse autophagy substrates and would be predicted to impact on the Lafora body accumulation and the cell stress seen in this disease that may eventually contribute to cell death.
Impact of a Sun Awareness Curriculum on Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour

Background: Physicians teach sun awareness to their patients, but frequently have no formal training in this area. A week-long dermatology curriculum during Sun Awareness Week that included skin cancer and sun awareness education to first-year medical students was introduced in May 1998 at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the baseline knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of the first-year medical students towards sun awareness before and after the new curriculum. Method: This study used a pre- and post-test design to determine the impact of the curriculum on the medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and intent to change behaviour. It also reports any influence of demographic variables on these parameters. Results: The students demonstrated a substantial improvement in their knowledge of sun-related topics despite some baseline knowledge. Many students reported unhealthy behaviour prior to the curriculum, but demonstrated an intent to adopt more healthy behaviour after the curriculum. Minor differences in knowledge and behaviour due to demographic characteristics disappeared upon completion of the curriculum. Conclusions: An undergraduate medical curriculum with skin cancer and sun awareness education can improve the medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour towards sun awareness.
In search of a democratic counter-power in Bosnia–Herzegovina

Noting the significance of the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the author offers a view in which the ethno-nationalist structures of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) maintained by the protocols of the Agreement could be understood as a particular form of ‘class subjection’ through ethnic alienation, enforced by the wider ideological mechanisms of control and discipline characteristic of the ethno-politically predetermined position of citizens in BiH society. Dayton-era BiH is thus better viewed as consisting not of the three constituent ethnic peoples but of the two constituent classes: the class of agents of ethno-political entrepreneurship and the class of objects of these entrepreneurs’ appropriation. The sequence of protests throughout BiH in which a wide variety of citizenry participated undermined the rarely questioned ethno-nationalist ideological hegemony, suggesting that the ‘solution’ to BiH’s still charged ethnic politics lies perhaps in reclaiming class a category of social mobilization. Thus, the author analyses how the 2013 and 2014 protests and floods, opened new political space and a chance for different political possibilities and for the rise of genuine democratic counter-power in BiH.
Impaired B-cell reconstitution in children after chemotherapy for standard or medium risk acute precursor B-lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract Chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a highly effective treatment, but at the same time causes significant suppression of the patient's immunity. Immune reconstitution was studied in a homogeneous cohort of 48 children with standard or medium risk ALL treated according to the ALL-Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster (BFM) protocol. Whereas the T-cell compartment was only moderately affected and recovered to normal levels quickly after treatment cessation, B-cells were significantly reduced during and after therapy. In particular, the naive B-cell compartment declined. Even 5 years after the end of therapy, B-cell distribution was disturbed and patients showed an ongoing reconstitution. Thus, even standard regimens for chemotherapy cause severe B-cell depletion that resolves only gradually.
Evaluation of Dependency Parsers on Unbounded Dependencies

We evaluate two dependency parsers, MSTParser and MaltParser, with respect to their capacity to recover unbounded dependencies in English, a type of evaluation that has been applied to grammar-based parsers and statistical phrase structure parsers but not to dependency parsers. The evaluation shows that when combined with simple post-processing heuristics, the parsers correctly recall unbounded dependencies roughly 50% of the time, which is only slightly worse than two grammar-based parsers specifically designed to cope with such dependencies.
Halving Global Poverty

The Millennium Development Goals--global targets that the world's leaders set at the Millennium Summit in September 2000--are an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty. As a central plank, these goals include halving the proportion of people living below a dollar a day from around 30 percent of the developing world's population in 1990 to 15 percent by 2015--a reduction in the absolute number of poor of around one billion. This paper examines what economic research can tell us about how to fulfill these goals. It begins by discussing poverty trends on a global scale--where the poor are located in the world and how their numbers have been changing over time. It then discusses the relationship of economic growth and income distribution to poverty reduction. Finally, it suggests an evidence-based agenda for poverty reduction in the developing world.
The Impact of Bootstrap Methods on Time Series Analysis

Let X1, . ,Xn be an observed stretch from a strictly stationary time series {Xt, t ∈ Z}; the assumption of stationarity implies that the joint probability law of (Xt,Xt+1, . . . ,Xt+k) does not depend on t for any k ≥ 0. Assume also that the time series is weakly dependent, i.e., the collection of random variables {Xt, t ≤ 0} is approximately independent of {Xt, t ≥ k} when k is large enough. An example of a weak dependence structure is given by mdependence under which {Xt, t ≤ 0} is (exactly) independent of {Xt, t ≥ k} whenever k > m; independence is just the special case of 0-dependence. Due to the dependence between the observations, even the most basic methods involved in applied statistical work suddenly become challenging; an elementary such example has to do with estimating the unknown mean μ = EXt of the time series. The sample mean Xn = n−1 ∑n t=1 Xt is the obvious estimator; however—and here immediately the difficulties crop up— it is not the most efficient. To see why, consider the regression Xt = μ+ t, that also serves as a definition for the t process; it is apparent that Xn is the Ordinary Least Squares Estimator of μ in this model. However, because of the dependence in the errors t, the Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE) of μ is instead obtained by a Generalized Least Squares argument; consequently, μ BLUE = (1′Γ−1 n 1)−11′Γ−1 n X, where X = (X1, . . . ,Xn)′, 1 = (1, . . . , 1)′, and Γn is the (unknown) covariance matrix of the vector X with i, j element given by γ(i− j) = Cov(Xi,Xj). ∗ Professor of Mathematics and Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0112, USA; e-mail: dpolitis@ucsd.edu. Research partially supported by NSF grant DMS-01-04059. Many thanks are due to Prof. E. Paparoditis (Cyprus) and J. Romano (Stanford) for constructive comments on this manuscript.
Analysis of Strain and Temperature Induced by Acrylic Resins in Splinting Methods Used for Dental Implant Impressions

This study evaluates the polymerization shrinkage of two types of acrylic resins using two methods of splinting. Two implants were placed in an artificial bone, with the two transfer copings joined with dental floss and acrylic resins. Measurements of shrinkage and temperature were performed with fiber Bragg grating sensors. The results revealed that both resins showed similar shrinkage values, although one of them also showed a higher temperature increase. The measured values demonstrated that the separation and reconnection of the splinting with acrylic resin is effective at relaxing stress polymerization and reducing shrinkage polymerization.
Wood smoke extract promotes both apoptosis and proliferation in rat alveolar epithelial type II cells: The role of oxidative stress and heme oxygenase-1*

Objective:Inhalation of toxic smoke causes oxidant lung injury. Alveolar epithelial type II cells are important in the re-epithelialization of alveolar walls after lung injury. We investigated the responses of alveolar epithelial type II cells to insult by wood smoke extract, and we identified the role of reactive oxygen species and heme oxygenase-1 (an oxidative stress protein) in these responses. Design:A randomized, controlled study. Setting:A research laboratory. Subjects:Cultured rat L2 and primary alveolar epithelial type II cells. Interventions and Main Results:Exposure of L2 alveolar epithelial type II cells to smoke extract (60 &mgr;g/mL) caused increases in reactive oxygen species, mitogen-activated protein kinases phosphylation, heme oxygenase-1 expression, apoptosis, proliferation and cell population, all of which were largely reduced by N-acetylcysteine (an antioxidant). Additionally, the smoke extract-induced heme oxygenase-1 induction was significantly attenuated by mitogen-activated protein kinases inhibitors, by small interfering RNA targeting mitogen-activated protein kinases or by N-acetylcysteine. Furthermore, knockdown of heme oxygenase-1 by small interfering RNA prevented heme oxygenase-1 induction whereas increasing smoke extract-induced apoptosis and suppressing smoke extract-induced proliferation. Conversely, cobalt protoporphyrin IX (a heme oxygenase-1 inducer) amplified heme oxygenase-1 induction while suppressing smoke extract-induced apoptosis and augmenting smoke extract-induced proliferation. Consequently, the smoke extract-induced increase in cell population was changed into a decrease by heme oxygenase-1 small interfering RNA, but was further elevated by cobalt protoporphyrin IX. Smoke extract also caused increases in heme oxygenase-1 expression, apoptosis, proliferation and cell population in primary alveolar epithelial type II cells, and heme oxygenase-1 small interfering RNA similarly augmented smoke extract-induced apoptosis and suppressed smoke extract-induced proliferation in these primary cells. Conclusions:Smoke extract increases intracellular reactive oxygen species, which up-regulates heme oxygenase-1 via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and also promotes both apoptosis and proliferation in rat alveolar epithelial type II cells. Additionally, smoke extract-induced heme oxygenase-1 induction counteracts smoke extract-induced apoptosis, but mediates smoke extract-induced proliferation, resulting in a net increase in cell population. Thus, in response to oxidant smoke insult, alveolar epithelial type II cells have evolved an adaptive mechanism involving heme oxygenase-1 that increases their cell population, presumably to help them perform their function of re-epithelialization following lung injury.
Changing Times, Complex Decisions

Objective: The objective of this article is to delve more deeply into the thought processes of the key decision makers at community colleges and understand how they make decisions. Specifically, this article focuses on the role of the community college president’s personal values in decision making. Method: We conducted interviews with 13 community college presidents in one midwestern state. The participants represented approximately half of the presidents in a state with a very high rate of unemployment, large governmental deficit, and a decreasing population. Results: We found that community college presidents presented a wide range of approaches to decision making. The most significant influences on presidential decision making stemmed from each president’s personal approach to decision making and the impact on the college they led. Contributions: This study contributes to the scholarship on community college leadership and to the literature on the preparation of future community college leaders.
The prevalence of helminth parasites in Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae) from Shanghai, China

Parasites are ubiquitous members of biotic communities. To investigate the infective status of helminth parasites in Pelophylax nigromaculatus from Shanghai, 90 frogs were collected from July 2013 to July 2014 and examined for the presence of internal parasites. Of these, 86.67% (78/90) of frogs were infected with parasites, the total helminth intensity within infected frogs ranged from 1 to 367, and the mean intensity was 28.49. The infection rates and intensities were 78.89% and 22.89 for trematodes, 50.00% and 5.24 for nematodes, 13.33% and 3.92 for cestodes, and 41.11% and 8.49 for acanthocephalas, respectively. The majority (60.04%) of parasites were parasitic in the intestine, followed by urinary bladder (24.8%) and lungs (7.38%). Based on morphological features, 13 different species of helminth, including 9 undetermined species, were identified. The infective status of different species was significantly different. The most prevalent species were Diplodiscus nigromaculati (64.44%), Diplodiscus sp. (37.78%), Pomphorhynchus sp. (35.56%), Strongyloides sp. (33.33%). The mean infection intensity of Diplorchis nigromaculatus (139.25) was higher than the others’ species ranged from 3.57–14.63. This is the first reported discovery of Pomphorhynchus sp. (Pomphorhynchidae Yamaguti, 1939) in frogs from China. These data provide the foundation for further analyses of parasites in this and other species of amphibians.
Career mobility and organizational commitment.

The strength of a person's commitment to an organization is influenced by the rewards he has received from the system and the kinds of experiences he has had to undergo in order to receive the rewards. It is hypothesized that: (1) the greater the rewards received the greater the degree of the person's commitment, and (2) the greater the obstacles the person has overcome in order to obtain the organization's rewards the greater his commitment. Approximately 75 per cent (1,649) of the managers of a large business company returned usable questionnaires and thereby constituted the subjects of the study. A comparison of this sample with the company's total population of managers on selected demographic characteristics revealed a close correspondence. Career mobility, determined by comparing first position with present position in the company, was the measure of reward received. Four interrelated indexes of commitment were employed: seniority, identification with the company, attitude toward the company's administrators, and general satisfaction with the company. The first hypothesis did not receive adequate support. Although highly mobile managers were generally the most committed, managers experiencing moderate or minimum mobility did not reveal the pattern predicted. The second hypothesis, tested by comparing managers as to sex and amount of formal education for each level of upward mobility, was consistently supported. Oscar Grusky is associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stock Ownership and Company Contributions to Charity

Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (SES 800 8570) and the Program on Nonprofit Organizations, Yale University. We would like to thank Denise Cobb for her assistance in typing the manuscript and an anonymous ASQ reviewer for his or her insightful comments. This paper examines the effect of ownership patterns on corporate contributions to charity and corporate beliefs rationalizing contributions. The study uses data and findings from an earlier study of the Twin Cities corporate grants economy and new data on 69 publicly held firms headquartered in Minneapolis-St. Paul to test hypotheses derived from agency theory about corporate giving. Controlling for pretax income, proximity of the company's executives to the local philanthropic elite, and the rationale used to justify contributions, we found that companies gave less money to charity in 1979-1981 if the CEO or some other individual owned a significant percentage of stock in the company. In contrast, the percentage of stock owned by a single corporate interest or family group had no effect on company contributions. Social proximity of executives to the local philanthropic activists had a positive effect on contributions, except when a family group owned more than 5 percent of the company's stock. We explore the implications of our findings from the perspective of agency theory and business policy. '
Prevalence and Correlates of New Age Beliefs in Six Protestant Denominations

The major findings in this nationwide sample of six Protestant denominations were: (1) Endorsement of New Age beliefs such as astrology and reincarnation was infrequent (7-9%). In contrast, attitudinal statements supportive of New Age ideologies were endorsed by nearly a third of the respondents. (2) Southern Baptists were particularly low in their endorsement of these beliefs and attitudes; no denomination was particularly high. (3) These beliefs and attitudes apparently were unrelated to other measures of religiousness, satisfaction with one's present congregation or denomination, and most demographic variables, except for a negative relation between education and both astrology and the belief that "all spiritual truth is within me. ' There was also evidence that these beliefs were more common among theological liberals.
Akademik Mezuniyet Ortalama Puanı ile KPSS Başarı Puanı Arasındaki İlişki

Bu KPSS puani arasindaki iliski derecesi arastirilmistir. Arastirma iliskisel tarama modeline dayali olarak yurutulmus ve arastirmada 2008-2009 akademik yilinda Kocaeli Universitesinden mezun olan 330 ogretmen adayinin akademik ortalama ve KPSS puanlari kullanilmistir. Akademik ortalama ile KPSS basarisi arasinda yapilan degisik analizler sonucunda hem zayif ve hem de guclu iliskiler belirlenmistir. Genel anlamda universite mezuniyet ortalamalari ile Egitim Bilimleri basarisi arasinda iliskinin yuksek, diger taraftan Genel Yetenek ve Genel Kultur basarisi arasinda iliskinin zayif oldugu soylenebilir. Ayrica arastirmada akademik ortalamanin, KPSS puanina iliskin toplam varyansin %10’unu aciklarken, ilgili analizler her bir bolum icin ayri ayri yapildiginda degerlerin %21 ile %12 arasinda degistigi belirlenmistir. Arastirmada elde edilen sonuclarin, Egitim Fakultesinde okutulan ogretim programlarina ve KPSS’in iyilestirilmesini amac edinen calismalara katki saglamasi umut edilmektedir