Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sistahs for Success: An Adult Education Intervention Program to Increase Career Decsion Self-Efficacy for African American Women

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in career decision self-efficacy for African American women after participating in a shortterm, adult education intervention program and to give voice to barriers and challenges experienced by African American women in their career development and the coping strategies they use to overcome these obstacles. In this quasi-experimental mixed methods study, a snowball sample of 20 African American women participated in a shortterm adult education intervention program designed using Black feminist critical social theory and the career management model of social cognitive career theory. A pre-testpost-test control group design with delayed treatment was used to conduct the study. The sample included an experimental group (n=11) and a delayed treatment/control group (n=9) that participated in a career management information session before the intervention. Wilcoxon exact testing of Career Decision Self-Efficacy-Short Form scores revealed statistically significant differences for the experimental group (Z=-2.298, p=.010, r=.49), delayed treatment group (Z=-2.668, p=.002, r=.62), control group (Z=-2.036, p=.023, r=.48), and between post-information session and post-intervention session for the delayed treatment group (Z=-2.253, p=.012, r=.53). Documents from the discussion of career development barriers, challenges, and coping strategies were analyzed using critical Black feminist narrative qualitative analysis and the following eight themes were noted: external barriers of a) intersectionality of oppressions and b) work life balance; internal challenges of c) self-concept, d) emotions, and e) access to resources; and, coping strategies of f) personal agency, g) collective agency, and h) spiritual agency. SISTAHS FOR SUCCESS IV
Clinical Significance of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Objective: To investigate the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) resulting in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) patients and to verify its clinical applications in BPPV. Study Design: A prospective study. Setting: Tertiary referral dizziness center. Patients: Forty-one patients with diagnosis of BPPV and 92 healthy volunteers who underwent VEMP testing. Intervention: Patients were treated by canalith repositioning maneuvers according to the affected canal, and testing of VEMP was performed at diagnosis and after treatment. Main Outcome Measures: Testing of VEMP was performed in BPPV patients and in the control group. The number of times the canalith repositioning maneuver was repeated until the patient's report of relief from vertigo and findings of negative positioning test were recorded to find out the relationship between VEMP results and the progress of disease. Results: Vestibular evoked myogenic potential results of BPPV patients showed prolonged p13 and n23 latencies compared with those of the control group, and we could not find any significant difference in VEMP latencies between patients with posterior and horizontal canal type of BPPV. The number of times that the maneuver was repeated did not correlate with the degree of latency prolongation, but in the "no response" group, the number of times was considerably greater than that in the "response" group. Conclusion: We found that VEMP latencies are increased in BPPV patients, which may signify neuronal degenerative changes in the macula of the saccule. When an extensive neuronal damage was suspected by VEMP results such as "no response" in VEMP, the disease progress showed a chronic and resistive course. Therefore, we propose that VEMP could be a useful method to determine a clinical prognosis of patients with BPPV.
Roller massager improves range of motion of plantar flexor muscles without subsequent decreases in force parameters.

BACKGROUND Limited dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) has been linked to lower limb injuries. Improving limited ankle ROM may decrease injury rates. Static stretching (SS) is ubiquitously used to improve ROM but can lead to decreases in force and power if performed prior to the activity. Thus, alternatives to improve ROM without performance decrements are needed. OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE To compare the effects of SS and self massage (SM) with a roller massage of the calf muscles on ankle ROM, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force F100 (force produced in the first 100 ms of the MVC), electromyography (EMG of soleus and tibialis anterior) characteristics of the plantar flexors, and a single limb balance test. METHODS Fourteen recreationally trained subjects were tested on two separate occasions in a randomized cross-over design. After a warm up, subjects were assessed for passive dorsiflexion ROM, MVC, and a single-limb balance test with eyes closed. The same three measurements were repeated after 10 minutes (min) of rest and prior to the interventions. Following the pre-test, participants randomly performed either SS or SM for 3 sets of 30 seconds (s) with 10s of rest between each set. At one and 10 min post-interventions the participants repeated the three measurements, for a third and fourth cycle of testing. RESULTS Roller massage increased and SS decreased maximal force output during the post-test measurements, with a significant difference occurring between the two interventions at 10 min post-test (p < 0.05, ES = 1.23, 8.2% difference). Both roller massage (p < 0.05, ES = 0.26, ~4%) and SS (p < 0.05, ES = 0.27, ~5.2%) increased ROM immediately and 10 min after the interventions. No significant effects were found for balance or EMG measures. CONCLUSIONS Both interventions improved ankle ROM, but only the self-massage with a roller massager led to small improvements in MVC force relative to SS at 10 min post-intervention. These results highlight the effectiveness of a roller massager relative to SS. These results could affect the type of warm-up prior to activities that depend on high force and sufficient ankle ROM. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2c.
Local Banking Systems and Sensitivity of Capital Inflows to Global Factors

This article explores the interaction between capital inflows and global factors. A panel regression analysis covering 39 developed and emerging countries reveals that capital inflows into each country are closely associated with the leverage of the U.S. financial intermediaries, and more importantly, the effects of this leverage on capital inflows are non-linear: they are stronger in economies with larger deviations of the bank credit-to-GDP ratio. The results suggest that economies that are further in the expansionary phase of the financial cycle are more strongly exposed to spillover effects of the U.S. monetary policies because the leverage of the U.S. financial intermediaries is closely tied with federal fund rate shock
C-reactive protein associated with periodontitis in a Thai population.

AIM C-reactive protein (CRP) has been implicated as a possible mediator of the association between periodontitis and several systemic diseases. Previous studies suggest an association between increased CRP levels and periodontitis predominantly in Caucasians. This study evaluated the associations of chronic periodontitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis with CRP in systemically healthy Thai adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS Serum high-sensitivity CRP was measured in 21 generalized periodontitis, 62 localized periodontitis, and 38 periodontally healthy control subjects. P. gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Overall, these subjects had a median CRP level lower than that reported in the western populations. Subjects with generalized periodontitis and localized periodontitis had higher median CRP levels than controls (1.78 and 0.65 mg/l versus 0.25 mg/l, p<0.001). Multivariate linear regression showed that log CRP levels were increased in subjects with generalized periodontitis (p<0.01) and localized periodontitis (p=0.03) compared with the controls, adjusted for age, body mass index and smoking. Presence of P. gingivalis was also independently associated with elevated log CRP levels (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Periodontitis and subgingival P. gingivalis are associated with increased CRP levels. These findings suggest that periodontal infection may contribute to systemic inflammatory burden in otherwise healthy individuals.
Gamma-irradiated ceruloplasmin affords antifibrillatory protection against ischemia/reperfusion damage in the isolated rat heart

Purpose: Ceruloplasmin (CP), an important serum antioxidant, was previously found to reduce the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced by ischemia and reperfusion in isolated rat hearts. The present study investigated whether CP sterilized by gamma-irradiation maintains its antiarrhythmic capacity and in vitro antioxidant properties. Materials and methods: Isolated rat hearts submitted to regional ischemia (15 min), were reperfused (10 min) with native CP or with CP irradiated at various doses (1–3 kGy) in the absence or presence of tyrosine (Tyr). Results: All untreated hearts showed VF at reperfusion, which were all irreversible ventricular fibrillation (IVF). No IVF were found in hearts treated with native CP or gamma-irradiated CP. Cardioprotection afforded by irradiated CP (with or without Tyr) was slightly higher than that obtained with native CP. No VF at all (100% prevention) was found in hearts treated with CP irradiated alone or in the presence of tyrosine at 3 kGy. Tyrosine and irradiated tyrosine had no cardiotoxic or protective effects on reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. The Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity (ORAC), measured in vitro with β-phycoerythrin (β-PE) fluorescent indicator, was slightly higher for gamma-irradiated CP in the presence of Tyr. Conclusions: Ceruloplasmin sterilized by gamma-irradiation maintains antioxidant and antiarrhythmic effects in the post-ischemia reperfused isolated rat heart.
Response of IGF and IL-6 to Ovarian Stimulation in PCOS and Normal Women

The objective of the present study was to investigate the response patterns of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) to ovarian stimulation within 24 h in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison with normally ovulating women. This controlled prospective clinical study involved 60 women who attended an infertility clinic. For the induction of the ovarian stimulation, fifty-two patients with PCOS and eight control cases were injected with human menopause gonadotropin (hMG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during the early follicular phase of the natural or induced menstrual cycle. The blood was sampled before (0h) and 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after the stimulation. Serum levels of estradiol (E2), IGF-I, IGF-II and IL-6 were measured by radioimmunoassay. A significant decrease in serum IGF-II at 12 h was observed after a mixture of hMG and hCG was administered in patients with polycystic ovaries (PCO) including the typical PCOS group and the PCO + OA group (accumulated p < 0.05), while normal women presented a slight decrease (accumulated p < 0.1) 18h after the stimulation. Moreover, all the groups had similar serum levels of IL-6 and IGF-I at all time points. An increase in serum E2 occurred coincident with a decrease in IGF-II in all the groups except the ovarian hyperandrogenism patients (HA + OA group). Serum IGF-II levels, which appeared to be negatively correlated with elevated E2, statistically decreased in PCO patients early after hMG and hCG administration when monitored for 24 h, while no such changes were observed in IGF-I and IL-6.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor attenuates apoptosis in elastase induced emphysematous mice lungs

We, the Editor and Publisher of the Inhalation Toxicology, have retracted the following article: Sudhir Kotnala, Sumit Baghel, Deepali Verma, Amit Tyagi & Jai Prakash Muyal. Recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor attenuates apoptosis in elastase induced emphysematous mice lungs (2017). Inhalation Toxicology, 29:1 pages 23–31. DOI: 10.1080/08958378.2016. 1272653 After publication of this article, concerns were raised to the Editor and Publisher regarding apparent repeating elements in the comet assays in Figure 3A. Subsequent examination of Figure 3A also raised concerns about a comet assay tail in Figure 3 ES treatment, cell number 5 (bottom row ES label), which appeared to point in an unusual direction compared to the rest of the comet assays in the treatment. Finally in Figure 7, there were concerns that the data in the Western blots do not translate to the relative density plots and there were no apparent loading controls. The authors were contacted and, while they did respond, they were unable to provide the original images for Figure 3. We were also unable to verify the authenticity of the new data for Figure 7 which they provided, which leads us to have concerns about the overall findings of the article. The authors were also unable to provide adequate evidence of formal ethical approval for the animal research carried out. Given the extent of these concerns, this article is being retracted. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The corresponding author listed in this publication has been informed and the authors have agreed to retract the article. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.
Comparative quantitative analysis of artemisinin by chromatography and qNMR.

INTRODUCTION Since the discovery of artemisinin in the 1970s, many techniques based on diverse chromatography techniques have been developed to detect and quantify this important antiplasmodial compound. The accurate quantification of this compound in the Artemisia annua plant material is mainly needed for breeding purposes in order to cultivate higher yielding varieties. It is also important for the quality control of herbal preparations containing A. annua plant material. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the most common validated quantification techniques (LC-MS, HPLC-ELSD and TLC) and compare the results to quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) in eight different A. annua samples collected from around the world. METHODOLOGY The leaf material were extracted according to standard procedures and analysed with the validated quantification techniques. For the qNMR analysis we did not employ a standard curve but instead used an internal standard (maleid acid) which is not chemically related to artemisinin. RESULTS We found a significant difference between the results in this study. Compared with the qNMR results the HPLC-ELSD corresponded closely, followed by LC-MS. Quantitation with TLC led to an estimation range of -0.5 to +3.2 mg artemisinin/g of A. annua. CONCLUSION These results imply that qNMR, with the addition of an internal standard, can be used to quantify artemisinin in A. annua samples in a rapid and reproducible manner.
How to Alleviate Correlation Neglect in Investment Decisions

We experimentally study how presentation formats for return distributions affect investors’ diversification choices. We find that sampling returns alleviates correlation neglect and constitutes an effective way to improve financial decisions. When participants get a description of the probabilities for outcomes of the joint return distribution, we confirm the findings of others that investors neglect the correlation between assets in their diversification choices. However, when participants sample from the joint distribution, they change their allocation between two assets in response to a change in their correlation in the predicted direction. The results are robust across two experiments that have participants with varying experience (students versus private investors). This paper was accepted by Manel Baucells, behavioral economics and decision analysis.
Valuation Methods and Estimates in Relationship to Investing versus Consulting

This study examines which techniques are most used by practicing analysts in establishing the value of a small, closely-held firm and whether these valuations converge with the actual fair market price negotiated in the sales of firms. An experiment was conducted using a case study of one small firm. A wide variety of specific approaches were observed and valuations tended to be conservative. Implications for future research are discussed.
Immunofluorometric assay of human kallikrein 10 and its identification in biological fluids and tissues.

BACKGROUND The human kallikrein 10 gene [KLK10, also known as normal epithelial cell-specific 1 gene (NES1)] is a member of the human kallikrein gene family. The KLK10 gene encodes for a secreted serine protease (hK10). We hypothesize that hK10 is secreted into various biological fluids and that its concentration changes in some disease states. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and specific immunoassay for hK10. METHODS Recombinant hK10 protein was produced and purified using a Pichia pastoris yeast expression system. The protein was used as an immunogen to generate mouse and rabbit polyclonal anti-hK10 antisera. A sandwich-type immunofluorometric assay was then developed using these antibodies. RESULTS The hK10 immunoassay has a detection limit of 0.05 microg/L. The assay is specific for hK10 and has no detectable cross-reactivity with other homologous kallikrein proteins, such as prostate-specific antigen (hK3), human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2), and human kallikrein 6 (hK6). The assay was linear from 0 to 20 microg/L with within- and between-run CVs <10%. hK10 is expressed in many tissues, including the salivary glands, skin, and colon and is also detectable in biological fluids, including breast milk, seminal plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, and serum. CONCLUSIONS We report development of the first immunofluorometric assay for hK10 and describe the distribution of hK10 in biological fluids and tissue extracts. This assay can be used to examine the value of hK10 as a disease biomarker.
Design and performance of IEEE 802.15.4 compliant MMSE receivers

IEEE 802.15. 4 compliant design forms the basis of ZigBee technology. Intended for low-power, short range sensor networks, these devices are likely to operate in offices and factories: environments with strong multipath channel components. This research introduces a novel adaptive MMSE receiver design for the ISM 2.4 GHz band, comprising a bank of adaptive MMSE correlators. Design concentrates on methods for the efficient training of each correlator and on de-multiplexing the data after the correlation process. Results show a BER performance comparison of the MMSE receiver design with a traditional correlation receiver. Although the adaptive receiver adds complexity to the transceiver, the improved performance could aid coexistence with other technologies or allow a longer range of operation.
Automated Identification of Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) Reveals Peculiar Characteristics of CDRs and B Cell Epitopes1

Exact identification of complementarity determining regions (CDRs) is crucial for understanding and manipulating antigenic interactions. One way to do this is by marking residues on the antibody that interact with B cell epitopes on the antigen. This, of course, requires identification of B cell epitopes, which could be done by marking residues on the antigen that bind to CDRs, thus requiring identification of CDRs. To circumvent this vicious circle, existing tools for identifying CDRs are based on sequence analysis or general biophysical principles. Often, these tools, which are based on partial data, fail to agree on the boundaries of the CDRs. Herein we present an automated procedure for identifying CDRs and B cell epitopes using consensus structural regions that interact with the antigens in all known antibody-protein complexes. Consequently, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of all CDR-epitope complexes of known three-dimensional structure. The CDRs we identify only partially overlap with the regions suggested by existing methods. We found that the general physicochemical properties of both CDRs and B cell epitopes are rather peculiar. In particular, only four amino acids account for most of the sequence of CDRs, and several types of amino acids almost never appear in them. The secondary structure content and the conservation of B cell epitopes are found to be different than previously thought. These characteristics of CDRs and epitopes may be instrumental in choosing which residues to mutate in experimental search for epitopes. They may also assist in computational design of antibodies and in predicting B cell epitopes.
Soil and water conservation method adoption in a highly erosive watershed: the case of Southwest Oklahoma's Fort Cobb watershed

A major source of pollution in agricultural landscapes is surface runoff and non-point source pollution generated from agricultural production practices. In-stream, stream bank and riparian conservation/management practices can be implemented to reduce sediment loading solely or in conjunction with upland practices. Survey results from producers in the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed, a highly erosive watershed in southwest Oklahoma with a history of state and federal conservation programs, provide information required for improving understanding of operators’ likelihood of adoption. Two models of soil and water conservation were estimated, a logit model of likelihood of enrollment and a Poisson model of the total number of practices adopted. Results reinforced previous findings that attitudes, gender and education influence conservation program enrollment. Farming experience, gender and attitudes towards conservation increased the total number of practices adopted.