Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Follistatin concentrations in women from Kerala with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder in which there are numerous benign cysts that form on ovaries under a thick white covering that is one of the causes of infertility. Follistatin is a single chain glycosylated polypeptide that can bind to activin. When follistatin binds to activin it suppresses the role of activin to stimulate the secretion of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). FSH plays an important role in folliculogenesis and decrease in FSH level may arrest follicular development. Objective: The aim is this study was to determine the circulating follistatin concentrations in PCOS patients compared to regularly menstruating women. Materials and Methods: The PCOS study group consisted of 88 oligo/amenorrheic women with PCOS. The control group consisted of 60 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles (26–30 days) and with no signs of hyperandrogenism. Body mass index (BMI, Kg/m 2 ) was calculated. Serum follistatin, Serum Leutenizing hormone (LH), and FSH were determined. Student‟s t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficients were used carried out statistical analysis of the data. Results: Serum follistatin levels were 0.11±0.04 and 0.31±0.08 ng/ml in control subjects and PCOS patients respectively (mean ± SD), and mean follistatin concentration in PCOS was high. The relationship between serum follistatin and FSH for control study was negatively correlated (r= -0.107, p=0.415) and was not significant, whereas for PCOS patients, the correlation was negative (r= -0.011, p=0.027) and however significant. Conclusion: Follistatin concentrations were high in PCOS patients compared to control subjects in this study. The high concentration of follistatin in PCOS decreased the FSH level and thus follistatin and FSH levels were negatively correlated in this study.
How Would One Extra Year of High School Affect Academic Performance in University? Evidence from an Educational Policy Change (Comment est‐ce Qu'une Année Additionnelle au Secondaire Affecte la Performance Scolaire à l'Université? Résultats d'un Changement de Politique Éducationnelle)

This paper uses a unique policy change in Ontario, Canada, to provide direct evidence on how reducing the length of high school would impact student performance in university. After a fiveyear educational program was eliminated from Ontario high schools and replaced with a fouryear program, two graduating cohorts with different amounts of high school education simultaneously entered university. The results demonstrate that students who receive one less year of high school education perform significantly worse than their counterparts in all subjects, even after the age difference between the cohorts is accounted for.
Lactogenic activity of Teramnus labialis (Linn.) fruit with special reference to the estimation of serum prolactin and cortisol level in nursing rats

Aim: The objective of the study was to investigate the lactogenic activity of methanolic extract of Teramnus labialis (L.) fruit (MTLF) on rats. Subjects and Methods: Nursing rats (200–250 g) with their suckling pups were selected and were divided into five groups (n = 6). Group I treated as control (distil water); Group II treated as standard (domperidone), and Group III, IV, and V were orally administered with MTLF at 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight, respectively and continued for l4th day of parturition. Milk yield, the pups as well as mother's weight were measured daily. On 15th day, the total protein/carbohydrate contents from mammary tissue and serum prolactin/cortisol level from blood sample were measured and compared with control. Results: Oral administration of MTLF increases the milk yield, body weight of pups as well as mother rat, glycogen, and protein content as well as serum prolactin and cortisol level as compared to the control animals. In addition, the lactogenic effect of MTLF was followed dose-dependent manner as compared to control. Conclusions: The present study was revealed that the MTLF possesses significant lactogenic activity by enhancing milk production and prolactin concentration in nursing rats.
Bacterial DNA in synovial fluid cells of patients with juvenile onset spondyloarthropathies.

OBJECTIVE To identify bacterial DNA in synovial fluid cells of patients with active juvenile onset spondyloarthropathy (SpA). METHODS The main group of study constituted 22 patients with juvenile onset SpA. In addition, five patients with adult onset SpA and nine with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with either genus- or species-specific primers was performed on synovial fluid cells to detect DNA sequences of Chlamydia trachomatis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella sp. , Shigella sp. , Campylobacter sp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The presence of antibacterial antibodies in sera and synovial fluid was also determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. RESULTS The synovial fluid of nine patients with juvenile onset SpA, three with adult onset SpA and one with RA contained bacterial DNA. Five juvenile onset SpA samples had DNA of one single bacterium; two juvenile onset SpA and three adult onset SpA had DNA of two bacteria and two juvenile onset SpA had DNA of three bacteria. Overall, Salmonella sp. DNA was detected in seven synovial fluid samples, Shigella sp. , Campylobacter sp. and M. tuberculosis were found in four samples each, and C. trachomatis was found in two. The bacterial DNA findings correlated with neither diagnosis nor disease duration. One RA synovial fluid had DNA of Campylobacter sp. Neither serum nor synovial fluid antibacterial antibodies correlated with DNA findings or clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION In this study, single and several combinations of bacterial DNA were identified in the synovial fluid of patients with long-term undifferentiated and definite juvenile onset SpA and adult onset SpA. Of relevance is that bacterial DNA corresponds to bacteria producing endemic disease in our population.
Models of national culture – a management review

Defines national culture, summarizing and comparing various models of national culture, including single and multiple dimension models, historical‐social models in high and low context and monochronic and polychronic cultures. Discusses their relevance to the study and practice of local and international management, and tabulates the main features of each model.
Are Long-Term Inflation Expectations Well Anchored in Brazil, Chile and Mexico?

In this paper, we consider whether long-term inflation expectations have become better anchored in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. We do so using survey-based measures as well as financial market-based measures of long-term inflation expectations, where we construct the market-based measures from daily prices on nominal and inflation-linked bonds. This paper is the first to examine the evidence from Brazil and Mexico, making use of the fact that markets for longterm government debt have become better developed over the past decade. We find that inflation expectations have become much better anchored over the past decade in all three countries, as a testament to the improved credibility of the central banks in these countries when it comes to keeping inflation low. That said, one-year inflation compensation in the far future displays some sensitivity to at least one macroeconomic data release per country. However, the impact of these releases is small and it does not appear that investors systematically alter their expectations for inflation as a result of surprises in monetary policy, consumer prices, or real activity variables. Finally, long-run inflation expectations in Brazil appear to have been less well anchored than in Chile and Mexico.
Multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to whole apples used in commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples: United States, 2014–2015

SUMMARY Whole apples have not been previously implicated in outbreaks of foodborne bacterial illness. We investigated a nationwide listeriosis outbreak associated with caramel apples. We defined an outbreak-associated case as an infection with one or both of two outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes highly related by whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST) from 1 October 2014 to 1 February 2015. Single-interviewer open-ended interviews identified the source. Outbreak-associated cases were compared with non-outbreak-associated cases and traceback and environmental investigations were performed. We identified 35 outbreak-associated cases in 12 states; 34 (97%) were hospitalized and seven (20%) died. Outbreak-associated ill persons were more likely to have eaten commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples (odds ratio 326·7, 95% confidence interval 32·2–3314). Environmental samples from the grower's packing facility and distribution-chain whole apples yielded isolates highly related to outbreak isolates by wgMLST. This outbreak highlights the importance of minimizing produce contamination with L. monocytogenes. Investigators should perform single-interviewer open-ended interviews when a food is not readily identified.
Needle-free vaccine delivery

The need for minimally invasive delivery methods is urgent. As the number of registered vaccines increases, so does the number of injections. The use of sharps can be unsafe and needle immunisation is less suitable for mass immunisations during emergencies such as pandemics or bioterrorist attacks. The approach of combining vaccines has limitations due to high development costs, risk of pharmaceutical or immunological interference and economic risks. Advancements in the development of alternatives to injection with syringes and needles are discussed in this paper, and include: mucosal vaccination, injection without needles and vaccine delivery via the skin.
Safety and Efficacy of Calcium Folinate in Psoriasis: An Observational Study

An association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases has been reported, and treatment of this condition is often considered difficult because the conventional systemic therapies often show several side effects. To assess the efficacy and tolerability of a new drug, folinate calcium, to treat psoriasis, a total of 58 patients affected by active psoriasis were enrolled in a variable period study. These patients had clinically stable, plaque psoriasis involving ≥ 6% body surface area. Thirty of these patients were treated with folinate calcium therapy, 15 mg orally once daily, for a variable period based on each patient's clinical response. The comparison was made with 28 psoriatic patients treated with conventional systemic therapies (cyclosporine, acitretin, etanercept, efalizumab, infliximab, adalimumab). A clinical improvement was observed in both group, but in the first one we did not observe any side effects, whereas some important side effects were observed in the second. These preliminary results support the effectiveness and tolerability of folinate calcium treatment in psoriasis.
GOVERNMENT BUDGET DEFICITS, DEFENCE EXPENDITURE AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION: THE CASE OF TURKEY

This paper analyzes the relationship between government budget deficits, defence expenditure and income redistribution among different social‐income groups in Turkey for the period 1965–2003. The analysis was based on a five‐equation vector auto regressive (VAR) model and impulse response functions (IRFs) derived from the VAR model. The study finds that the deficit as a percentage of GNP has a negative and significant impact on transfer payments as a percentage of GNP. The IRFs indicate that shocks to deficit expenditures as a percentage of GNP (DEFGNP) have statistically significant impacts on defence spending as a percentage of GNP (DSGNP), educational expenditures as a percentage of GNP (EDGNP), health expenditures as a percentage of GNP (HEGNP), and transfer payments as a percentage of GNP (TPGNP). The results derived from this study also indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between defence spending as a percentage of GNP and deficits as a percentage of GNP. Therefore, defence spending is viewed as a tool for transferring income among different social‐income groups and across generations in Turkey for the period 1965–2004. As a result of this, the government can use deficit and defence spending as one of the major instruments to transfer income among different social‐income groups and across generations in Turkey. *An earlier version of this paper was presented at the First International Conference on Business, Management and Economics, organized by Yaşar University in Çeşme‐İzmir, on June 2005. I appreciated the comments of participants of the conference. Thanks also to two anonymous referees and to Keith Hartley for their comments and suggestions. Any remaining errors are mine.
Redefinition of the Carbohydrate Binding Specificity of Helicobacter pylori BabA Adhesin

Background: The BabA adhesin mediates binding of Helicobacter pylori to the gastric epithelium. Results: Binding of BabA to blood group O and A determinants on type 4 core chains was demonstrated. Conclusion: The BabA binds to blood group determinants on both type 1 and type 4 core chains. Significance: Characterization of the binding specificities of BabA is important for understanding the interactions between H. pylori and target cells. Certain Helicobacter pylori strains adhere to the human gastric epithelium using the blood group antigen-binding adhesin (BabA). All BabA-expressing H. pylori strains bind to the blood group O determinants on type 1 core chains, i.e. to the Lewis b antigen (Fucα2Galβ3(Fucα4)GlcNAc; Leb) and the H type 1 determinant (Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAc). Recently, BabA strains have been categorized into those recognizing only Leb and H type 1 determinants (designated specialist strains) and those that also bind to A and B type 1 determinants (designated generalist strains). Here, the structural requirements for carbohydrate recognition by generalist and specialist BabA were further explored by binding of these types of strains to a panel of different glycosphingolipids. Three glycosphingolipids recognized by both specialist and generalist BabA were isolated from the small intestine of a blood group O pig and characterized by mass spectrometry and proton NMR as H type 1 pentaglycosylceramide (Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), Globo H hexaglycosylceramide (Fucα2Galβ3GalNAcβ3Galα4Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), and a mixture of three complex glycosphingolipids (Fucα2Galβ4GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer, Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer, and Fucα2Galβ4(Fucα3)GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer). In addition to the binding of both strains to the Globo H hexaglycosylceramide, i.e. a blood group O determinant on a type 4 core chain, the generalist strain bound to the Globo A heptaglycosylceramide (GalNAcα3(Fucα2)Galβ3GalNAcβ3Galα4Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), i.e. a blood group A determinant on a type 4 core chain. The binding of BabA to the two sets of isoreceptors is due to conformational similarities of the terminal disaccharides of H type 1 and Globo H and of the terminal trisaccharides of A type 1 and Globo A.
Have Domestic Institutional Investors Become as Market Savvy as Foreign Investors? Evidence from the Taiwan Options Market

Chiu, Lee, and Wang also explore trading by informed investors in TAIEX index derivatives, in this case by looking at put/call ratios. Options on TAIEX are among the most actively traded options in the world. There is sizable participation by individuals, who trade about 50% of all contracts, and also by foreign institutions, which are widely regarded as having better information than domestic Taiwanese investors. The authors also consider domestic institutions and market makers. Excluding market makers, who are assumed to be liquidity providers rather than information traders, each group’s put/call ratio for trades that open a new position is computed daily and used as a predictor of future returns in a vector autoregression, along with a set of control variables. The sample period covers 2007 and 2008, allowing the authors to contrast calm and crisis conditions. The overall tenor of the results reported here will be comforting to believers in efficient markets: There is very little evidence that any group has much power to predict returns in the Taiwan stock market, either from one day to the next, or over shorter intraday intervals. If anything, in this study, domestic individual traders seem to have a little better information than foreign investors.
VirB1* Promotes T-Pilus Formation in the vir-Type IV Secretion System of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

ABSTRACT The vir-type IV secretion system of Agrobacterium is assembled from 12 proteins encoded by the virB operon and virD4. VirB1 is one of the least-studied proteins encoded by the virB operon. Its N terminus is a lytic transglycosylase. The C-terminal third of the protein, VirB1*, is cleaved from VirB1 and secreted to the outside of the bacterial cell, suggesting an additional function. We show that both nopaline and octopine strains produce abundant amounts of VirB1* and perform detailed studies on nopaline VirB1*. Both domains are required for wild-type virulence. We show here that the nopaline type VirB1* is essential for the formation of the T pilus, a subassembly of the vir-T4SS composed of processed and cyclized VirB2 (major subunit) and VirB5 (minor subunit). A nopaline virB1 deletion strain does not produce T pili. Complementation with full-length VirB1 or C-terminal VirB1*, but not the N-terminal lytic transglycosylase domain, restores T pili containing VirB2 and VirB5. T-pilus preparations also contain extracellular VirB1*. Protein-protein interactions between VirB1* and VirB2 and VirB5 were detected in the yeast two-hybrid assay. We propose that VirB1 is a bifunctional protein required for virT4SS assembly. The N-terminal lytic transglycosylase domain provides localized lysis of the peptidoglycan cell wall to allow insertion of the T4SS. The C-terminal VirB1* promotes T-pilus assembly through protein-protein interactions with T-pilus subunits.
BinaryRelax: A Relaxation Approach For Training Deep Neural Networks With Quantized Weights

We propose BinaryRelax, a simple two-phase algorithm, for training deep neural networks with quantized weights. The set constraint that characterizes the quantization of weights is not imposed until the late stage of training, and a sequence of pseudo quantized weights is maintained. Specifically, we relax the hard constraint into a continuous regularizer via Moreau envelope, which turns out to be the squared Euclidean distance to the set of quantized weights. The pseudo quantized weights are obtained by linearly interpolating between the float weights and their quantizations. A continuation strategy is adopted to push the weights towards the quantized state by gradually increasing the regularization parameter. In the second phase, exact quantization scheme with a small learning rate is invoked to guarantee fully quantized weights. We test BinaryRelax on the benchmark CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 color image datasets to demonstrate the superiority of the relaxed quantization approach and the improved accuracy over the state-of-the-art training methods. Finally, we prove the convergence of BinaryRelax under an approximate orthogonality condition.
Teachers' perception towards the model of Jawi writing in Malaysian education system.

Jawi writing was very important in the Islamic Education system in the Malay Peninsular before the colonial period. The use of Jawi indeed was widespread during the period of the Malacca Sultanate. It was used as the tool for the transmission of knowledge, missionary work and written communication. The importance of Jawi in the Malay society then was amplified when it was also used in the administration of the Sultanate. However, the use of Jawi has not been emphasized in the post colonial period by the Ministry of Education; it is not fully used even in the Islamic Education subject. Indeed, Jawi has been sparingly used by the Islamic Education teachers in both the primary and secondary schools. Hence, there is a lack of interest among Malay pupils to learn Jawi, and consequently many of them today are unable to read and write in Jawi. Interestingly, the use of Jawi has been reviewed recently by the Malaysian government. This review has been positive towards Jawi leading to several significant actions being taken to keep alive the use of Jawi. One of the most important measures taken was the introduction of the j-QAF programme. It is based on the Malaysian Prime Minister’s initiative which stressed the importance of Jawi in the teaching of Islamic religious subjects. In this paper, a study was carried out to identify the Islamic Education teachers’ perception of the Jawi Model in the j-QAF programme, their perception towards pupils’ interest in the Jawi Remedial Classes, and their level of satisfaction towards the level of support to run this programme. A set of questionnaire was used to collect the data. The research findings were further discussed in the paper.
Determinants of Contract Duration in Collective Bargaining Agreements

The author develops a model incorporating variables that previous studies have hypothesized as determinants of labor contract duration, then empirically tests the model using a data set containing bargaining pair—specific, industry-specific, and union-specific variables on 373 contracts signed over the period 1977–87. Three findings, all consistent with the model, are that the rate of wage change in a contract is positively related to the contract's duration; contracts containing cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) tend to be considerably longer in duration than contracts without COLAs; and over the period studied, there was a substantial increase in average contract duration, even with controls for many economic factors.
Noise-Robust Classification of Ground Moving Targets Based on Time-Frequency Feature From Micro-Doppler Signature

A noise-robust classification method is proposed to discriminate the moving vehicle and walking human via the time-frequency feature extracted from the micro-Doppler signature of low resolution radar. Since the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) directly relates to the distance between the target and radar for a given noise power and radar power, the denoising preprocessing is usually required to increase the classification distance between the target and radar in the real application. In this paper, we extend the real-valued probabilistic principal component analysis model to the complex-value domain, and develop the complex probabilistic principal component analysis (CPPCA) model for the complex-valued echoes from the ground moving targets. Then, the denoising preprocessing is accomplished based on signal reconstruction with CPPCA model, where we utilize the Bayesian inference criterion (BIC) to adaptively select the principal components. Compared with the existing CLEAN-based noise reduction method, the CPPCA-BIC-based method can work without SNR prior information. After denoising, a 3-D time-frequency feature vector is extracted from the denoised micro-Doppler signatures of the two kinds of ground targets, and the classification is performed via support vector machine classifier. In the experiments based on the measured data, the proposed classification scheme shows good classification and denoising performances under the relatively low SNR condition. The proposed method can also be applied to other classification problems based on micro-Doppler effect.