Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Central Effects of Ghrelin on Serum Growth Hormone and Morphology of Pituitary Somatotropes in Rats

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor, was originally purified from rat stomach; subsequently, ghrelin neurons were found in the arcuate nuclei of rats. Central effects of the peptide on GH release, however, remain to be clarified. The aim of the present study was to determine the morphologic features of GH-producing pituicytes and serum GH concentration after central administration of ghrelin. Five injections of rat ghrelin or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; n = 10 rats/group) were given every 24 hrs (1 μg of ghrelin in 5 μl of PBS) into the lateral cerebral ventricle of male rats. Significant (P < 0.05) increases in absolute and relative pituitary weights occurred in ghrelin-treated rats versus controls (58% and 41%, respectively). Morphometric parameters (i.e., the volume of GH cells, volume of their nuclei, and volume density) all significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 17%, 18%, and 19%, respectively, in the ghrelin-treated group versus controls. Terminal serum concentration of GH was significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 15% with ghrelin treatment. The results clearly document that daily nanomolar doses of ghrelin into the lateral cerebral ventricle stimulate GH cell proliferation and promote GH release. Thus, achieving pharmacologic control of central ghrelin receptors is a promising modality to modulate the actions of GH.
Influence of Design Parameters on the Global Performances of Low-Speed Counter-Rotating Axial-Flow Fans

The present work aims at experimentally investigating the effects of some parameters on the performances of a counterrotating stage, and on the instationary flow between the rotors. Three counter-rotating fans, which have the same design point, have been designed. These systems differ by the distribution of the loading and of the ratio of angular velocity between the front rotor and the rear rotor. All the configurations have been tested in a normalized test rig, where the ratio of angular velocities and the axial distance between the two rotors can be varied. The influence of these parameters are then addressed by analysing the experimental results of the static pressure rise and static efficiency, as well as of the wall pressure fluctuations registered by a microphone at the wall. The three systems achieve the design point with a high efficiency. The counter-rotating systems lead to at least a 10 percentage points gain in static efficiency at the design flow rate, compared to the typical peak efficiency of a traditional rotor-stator stage. Meanwhile, counter-rotating systems display good working stabilities at very low volume flow rates. In addition, at the design speed ratio, the overall performance decreases almost monotonically with the axial distance. Nevertheless, an optimum in axial distance can be found for higher speed ratios. Finally, the investigations of the wall pressure fluctuations show that the amplitudes of power spectral density corresponding to the blade passing frequency of the rear rotor are significantly higher than that of the front rotor. The interaction peaks are also stronger for an equal distribution of the work on the two rotors.
A Hand-Held, Intra-Operative Positron Imaging Probe for Surgical Applications

We have developed a prototype intra-operative β+ imaging probe to help tumor removal and malignant tissue resection. The probe can be used during surgery to provide clear delineation of malignant tissues. Our probe consists of a hybrid scintillator coupled to a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array with associated front-end electronics encapsulated in an ergonomic aluminum housing. Pulse shape discrimination electronics has been implemented and integrated into the downstream data acquisition system. The field of view of the probe is 10 ×10 mm2 realized by a 0.4 mm thick CsI:Tl scintillator coupled to a 1 mm thick LYSO. While CsI:Tl layer acts as β+ sensitive detector, LYSO detects gamma radiation where the gamma response can be subtracted from the total signal to improve SNR and contrast. The thickness of the LYSO scintillator is optimized such that it acts as light diffuser to spread the scintillation light generated in CsI:Tl over multiple SiPM pixels for accurate estimation of the β+ interaction location. The probe shows FWHM spatial resolution in the presence of large background radiation. The probe was used to study rabbits with tongue tumors. The experimental results show that the probe can successfully locate the tongue tumors in its active imaging area.
Evidence for the effectiveness of techniques To change physician behavior.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To understand the theory and results of how to improve physician performance, as part of overall health-care quality improvement. In particular, to study whether and how guideline production and dissemination affects physician performance. DESIGN Review of meta-analyses and structured reviews; review of behavior change theories implicit in interventions to change physician performance. SETTING Primarily the United States. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS Various patients and physicians, determined by reviews. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS There is no unifying theory of physician behavior change tested among physicians in practice. Attempts to affect individual physicians' performance have often met with failure. Mixed results are found for almost all interventions reviewed. Multiple interventions yield better results. CONCLUSIONS The answer to the question of what works to improve an individual physician's clinical performance is not simple. Emerging theory and evidence suggests that applications of behavior-change methods should not be focused on which tools (don't) always work. Instead, guideline development and implementation methods should be theory driven and evidence based (supported by evidence that proves the theory correct). In particular, the framework of evidence-based quality assessment offers some insight into past failures and offers hope for organizing attempts at guideline implementation.
Plugging interactions of HAP2 pentamer into the distal end of flagellar filament revealed by electron microscopy.

Bacterial flagellum has a cap structure tightly attached to its distal end. The cap is an oligomeric assembly of HAP2 protein (also called FliD) and plays an essential role in the filament growth in vivo by preventing flagellin monomers from leaking out without polymerization. Electron micrographs of the HAP2 complex formed in solution showed exclusively a pentagonal shape, called "star-cap", which was thought to be the end-on view of the cap. The molecular mass roughly corresponded to a dodecamer of HAP2, and therefore a double-layered star-cap was modeled to be the cap. Here, we have observed the side view of the complex in electron micrographs. The images clearly show a rectangular shape, about 80 A wide and 180 A long, with a bipolar feature in its long axis, indicating that the complex is a bipolar pair of pentamers. A thin plate feature is identified at each end of the particle, which looks exactly like the one observed as the structure of the native filament cap. Together with the structure of the filament previously analyzed by electron cryomicroscopy, the results suggest that the cap is a pentamer with its thin plate exposed to the solvent and the other half plugged into the hole at the distal end of the filament, which is almost twice wider than its central channel. This also allows us to model the axial domain arrangement of flagellin subunit in the filament.
RECURSIVE APPROACH OF H∞ OPTIMAL FILTERING FOR MULTIPARAMETER SINGULARLY PERTURBED SYSTEMS

Abstract In this paper, we study the H∞ optimal filtering for multiparameter singularly perturbed system (MSPS). In order to obtain the solution, we must solve the multiparameter algebraic Riccati equations (MARE) with indefinite sign quadratic term. First, the existence of a unique and bounded solution of such MARE is newly proven. The main results in this paper are to propose a new recursive algorithm for solving the MARE and to find sufficient conditions regarding the convergence of our proposed algorithm. Using the recursive algorithm, we show that the solution of the MARE converges to a positive semi-definite stabilizing solution with the rate of convergence of O(||μ||i+1).
Fault localization through evaluation sequences q

Predicate-based statistical fault-localization techniques find fault-relevant predicates in a program by contrasting the statistics of the evaluation results of individual predicates between failed runs and successful runs. While short-circuit evaluations may occur in program executions, treating predicates as atomic units ignores this fact, masking out various types of useful statistics on dynamic program behavior. In this paper, we differentiate the short-circuit evaluations of individual predicates on individual program statements, producing one set of evaluation sequences per predicate. We then investigate experimentally the effectiveness of using these sequences to locate faults by comparing existing predicate-based techniques with and without such differentiation. We use both the Siemens program suite and four real-life UNIX utility programs as our subjects. The experimental results show that the proposed use of short-circuit evaluations can, on average, improve predicate-based statistical fault-localization techniques while incurring relatively small performance overhead. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
[Effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy in children and juveniles - results of a pilot study].

QUESTION The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents has yet to be studied sufficiently in Germany. Because psychodynamic psychotherapy aims to reduce symptoms in both the short and long term - besides achieving other long-term goals - in this paper we present results focusing on whether symptoms and problem behavior can be improved within 25 h of outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy taking place in a practice. Moreover, it addresses whether a positive change of life quality can be achieved in the same timeframe. METHOD Thirty children and juveniles with emotional, behavioral, and adjustment disorders who had received 25 h of psychodynamic psychotherapy were investigated. Parental reports on the Child Behavior Checklist and parental and expert opinions on the DISYPS-KJ were compared before and after therapy. RESULTS We found significant improvement on almost all measured CBCL scales, but not on the syndrome scales measured with the DISYPS. Predominantly medium-size effects were calculated. But parents did not report an improvement of general life quality of their children during the course of psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that there is an effective reduction of childhood emotional and behavioral symptoms following psychodynamic psychotherapy. The measured timeframe, however, seems to be too short to ensure significant improvements in specific childhood disorders from both parental and expert perspectives.
Anti‐apoptotic genes Aven and E1B‐19K enhance performance of BHK cells engineered to express recombinant factor VIII in batch and low perfusion cell culture

The engineering of production cell lines to express anti‐apoptotic genes has been pursued in recent years due to potential process benefits, including enhanced cell survival, increased protein expression, and improved product quality. In this study, a baby hamster kidney cell line secreting recombinant factor VIII (BHK‐FVIII) was engineered to express the anti‐apoptotic genes Aven and E1B‐19K. In high cell density shake flask culture evaluation, 11 clonal cell lines expressing either E1B‐19K or a combination of Aven and E1B‐19K showed improved survival compared to both parental and blank vector cell line controls. These cell lines exhibited lower caspase‐3 activation and reduced Annexin‐V binding compared to the controls. Parental and blank vector cell lines were less than 50% viable after 48 h of exposure to thapsigargin while cell lines expressing E1B‐19K with or without Aven maintained viabilities approaching 90%. Subsequently, the best Aven‐E1B‐19K candidate cell line was compared to the parental cell line in 12‐L perfusion bioreactor studies. Choosing the appropriate perfusion rates in bioreactors is a bioprocess optimization issue, so the bioreactors were operated at sequentially lower specific perfusion rates, while maintaining a cell density of 2 × 107 viable cells/mL. The viability of the parental cell line declined from nearly 100% at a perfusion rate of 0.5 nL/cell/day to below 80% viability, with caspase‐3 activity exceeding 15%, at its lower perfusion limit of 0.15 nL/cell/day. In contrast, the Aven‐E1B‐19K cell line maintained an average viability of 94% and a maximum caspase‐3 activity of 2.5% even when subjected to a lower perfusion minimum of 0.1 nL/cell/day. Factor VIII productivity, specific growth rate, and cell size decreased for both cell lines at lower perfusion rates, but the drop in all cases was larger for the parental cell line. Specific consumption of glucose and glutamine and production of lactate were consistently lower for the Aven‐E1B‐19K culture. Furthermore, the yield of ammonia from glutamine increased for the Aven‐E1B‐19K cell line relative to the parent to suggest altered metabolic pathways following anti‐apoptosis engineering. These results demonstrate that expression of anti‐apoptotic genes Aven and E1B‐19K can increase the stability and robustness of an industrially relevant BHK‐FVIII mammalian cell line over a wide range of perfusion rates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 98: 825–841. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The molecular basis and evolutionary history of a microsatellite null allele in bears

Non-amplifying, or ’null’ alleles at microsatellite loci have been found to be common in humans (Callen et nl. 1993) and deer (Pemberton et al. 1995), and consideration must be given to the existence of such alleles in any microsatellite data set. The presence of segregating null alleles in populations is presumably the result of sequence polymorphisms that affect the binding site of one of the oligonucleotide primers used for amplification. In one case a null allele was found to result from an &bp deletion that prevented binding of one primer (Callen et al. 1993). Redesigning the primers used for amplification has allowed the collection of complete genotypic data at this and other loci. We have been using eight microsatellite markers for population studies in the three North American ursids (Paetkau & Strobeck 1994; Paetkau et al. 1995; Craighead et al. 1995), and for pedigree analysis in other species of bears. Null alleles were detected at locus GlOP in both Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) through the absence of a match between a father and two of his offspring (Fig. 1) and in North American black bears (U. americanus) through the detection of s ighcant heterozygote defiaencies in population samples from three Canadian National Parks (Table 1). To permit collection of complete genotypic data, and to investigate the phylogenetic distribution of the null alleles, a new GT-strand primer was designed with a binding site 10 bases distal to that of the original primer (5’-AGllTTACATAGGAGGAAGAAA-3’). This primer was used to survey all the black bears previously typed at locus GlOP (methods described in Paetkau et ul. 1995). The resulting pedigree (Fig. 1) and population data (Table 1) suggest that the new primer produced complete genotypic data. Within populations the null alleles vary in size in accordance with the variation normally seen at dinucleotide repeat loci suggesting that the mutation underlying the null alleles has existed for a reasonably long time. The molecular basis and phylogenetic origin of the null alleles was investigated by sequencing alleles of locus GlOP in each of the eight speaes of bears two alleles from each species except for four alleles, including two null alleles, from each of U. nmericanus and U. thibetanus. The primers were a chimera of an M13 sequence primer and a microsatellite primer a device which allowed collection of sequence data from the first base after the primer-binding site, as the start of the sequence reaction was moved back from the 3’ end of the primer (AC-strand,
Determinants Of Student Loans Default Rate In Kenya: The Case Of Higher Education Loans Board

Higher education matters because knowledge for its own sake is important, as is the transmission of core values for individual life chances and for national economic performance. The need for greater higher educational capacity, quality, and equity is leading more and more countries to turn to student loan schemes, both as a form of student assistance and also as a crucial source of revenue to supplement the increasingly inadequate revenue available from governments and families. In Kenya the Higher Education Loans Board has been mandated by HELB Act CAP 213A to finance students pursuing higher education both within and outside Kenya. It however faces the challenge of low recoveries, dwindling finances from the Government, increased demand due to growing student population and rising costs of education. Understanding the determinants of loan default rates in student loan schemes seems to hold the key to overcoming the obstacles to student loan default rate. This study's objective was to investigate the factors behind high loan defaults and to what extent they affect student loan default in Kenya. It was a case study of Higher Education Loans Board. A Theoretical and empirical review of literature on past studies made on the same were carried out and finally Policy recommendations to minimize loan default suggested. This study performed regression analysis on secondary data from HELB database of student loan beneficiaries whose loans were in default or dormant focusing on factors identified as critical determinants of default(indepcndent variables) which were; the total amount of loan advanced, age of student, institution attended and study period. The regression model was expected to yield probability of default given various levels of the independent variables. The study found out that the likelihood that a loanee will default on the university loan is related to a complex web of factors including the total level of debt, the age of student, period of study and the institution of study among others. It would therefore be difficult for the lending institution to manage default on the basis of a single factor. Developing a default management program may be the first step to reducing default rate with the main focus being to prevent the occurrence of default long before the loan beneficiary graduates. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS. Vlll LIST OF TABLES. IX CHAPTER O N E.
Complex systems techniques applied to transmission expansion planning. Part I: generating random networks that are consistent with power transmission

Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP) could benefit from studying how network structure affects power grid performance. To accomplish this, we require large ensembles of power grid data. These are not available, so it is therefore necessary to generate random networks that have a structure that is consistent with power grids. We propose a generative model that is able to capture the main characteristics of the power grid. This model is based on an epsilon-disk algorithm that incorporates the spatial component of power systems while taking into account the particular characteristics of sources (power plants), sinks (demand) and edges (transmission lines) in the problem. We study the performance of the algorithm and apply it to a real case study based on the Spanish power system.
Promoting the implementation of evidence-based practice: a literature review focusing on the role of nursing leadership.

OBJECTIVES Despite a growing interest in evidence-based practice (EBP), the implementation into clinical practice of knowledge derived from research has proved to be a cumbersome process. Additionally, the literature seems to present a fragmented picture with research mainly focusing on a few factors of possible importance, among which leadership appears to be one of the more important. Thus, this study aimed to systematically review the literature regarding leadership and its possible influence on the process of implementing EBP. APPROACH A literature review was conducted. Electronic database searches were conducted to identify studies on leadership, administrators, managers, implementation, evidence-based and nursing. The search identified 43 potentially relevant papers, of which 36 were excluded after an appraisal was performed by two independent reviewers. Results were extracted and synthesised into a narrative text. FINDINGS Seven papers were included in the literature review. The findings can be divided into three major areas: (1) characteristics of the leader, (2) characteristics of the organisation and (3) characteristics of the culture. Our findings indicate that leadership is vital for the process of implementing EBP in nursing and also highlights the possible importance of the organisation and the culture in which the leader operates. These factors together with their characteristics were interpreted to be intrinsic in the creation of a nursing milieu that is open and responsive to the implementation of EBP. CONCLUSIONS Although there seems to be scholarly agreement that leadership is a vital part of the process of implementing EBP, more rigorous research is needed concerning the possible role of the leader. Our findings also indicate that leadership cannot be studied in isolation or without being clearly defined.
Xq25 duplications encompassing GRIA3 and STAG2 genes in two families convey recognizable X‐linked intellectual disability with distinctive facial appearance

We report here on two patients with Xq25 duplication encompassing GRIA3 gene, encoding glutamate receptor, ionotropic, AMPA subunit 3. The first case of Xq25 duplication was identified using genome‐wide array comparative genomic hybridization (array‐CGH) in a 24‐year‐old patient with syndromic intellectual disability. Based on similar facial features, we clinically suspected a second case of Xq25 duplication in a 4‐year‐old boy with intellectual disabilty. This duplication was confirmed by multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) of the GRIA3 gene, as well as by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and further refined by array‐CGH. We suggest that Xq25 duplication is responsible for a novel clinically recognizable X‐linked intellectual disability. Finally, the review of so far published Xq25 duplications support, in addition to the role of GRIA3 gene, a potential contribution of the duplication of STAG2 (Stromal Antigen 2) gene coding for the subunit SA1 of the cohesin complex in the clinical phenotype. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Symptomatic treatment of unresponsive wakefulness syndrome with transcranially focused extracorporeal shock waves.

OBJECTIVE Can stimulation of nerve growth factors by focused transcranial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (TESWT) be made effective for persons within unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (apallic syndrome)? DESIGN Between eight and 18 years after the brain lesion, five patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome of differing severity received TESWT with the device Duolith (Storz Medical) during four-week physicomedical complex therapies. In the previous years they had been treated with the same complex therapies without TESWT. The vigilance did not change. RESULTS After two-four years and an average of 5.2 treatment series, the patients' abilities improved by 135.9% on the German Coma Remission Scale (KRS) and by 43.6% on the Glasgow Coma Scale. In the motor area of the KRS, the patients improved by 64.3%. Three PEG feeding tubes could be removed, nonverbal communication initiated four times. CONCLUSION In this longitudinal observation study, focused TESWT stimulated vigilance in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. The precise neurophysiological effects remain to be verified by a study of the clinical results.