Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma Prolactin, Growth Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone and Glucocorticoids After Prostaglandin F2α in Heifers 1

Summary Blood plasma PRL, GH and glucocorticoids in heifers increased severalfold within 5-15 min after im injections of 15, 30, or 60 mg PGF2α or after a single 5 mg iv injection of PGF2α. Plasma LH increased at least twofold over basal estimates but not until 1.5-6 hr after im PGF2α. Constant iv infusion of PGF2α at the rate of 0.5 mg/min for 30 min produced greater plasma concentrations of PRL, GH, glucocorticoids and LH than those found after im injections. Plasma glucose increased 59-67% above pretreatment values between 30 and 60 min after iv administration of PGF2α. Plasma insulin increased more than twofold over basal estimates at 45 min after PGF2α administration, but these increases only approached significance (P ≃ 0.10). Free fatty acids did not change significantly (P > 0.05) after PGF2α administration. While exogenous PGF2α administration causes marked increases in several plasma hormones and glucose, the mechanism of action is unclear.
Identification of Inter‐Species Transmission of Prion Strains

The concern of the potential transmission of animal spongiform encephalopathies to humans, which arose as soon as the interspecies transmission of these diseases was recognized, has been reinforced with the emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. Recent experimental findings suggest that the infectious agent causing BSE in cattle can lead to the occurrence of a new form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. These findings help us understand how the transmission to humans of an animal disease may be recognized. This can involve an indirect approach through the analysis of neurodegeneration, either in the disease host, or more specifically, in genetically well-defined experimental hosts to which the disease can be transmitted. Recent experimental studies have also shown that the different molecular features of the abnormal form of the prion protein, which accumulates in the infected tissues, can provide important clues to the relationships between different spongiform encephalopathies. However, a better understanding of the molecular features associated with the specific pathogenic behavior of different strains is required. Complex relationships between the infectious agents involved in spongiform encephalopathies and the disease host can make the recognition of a link between animal prion strains and the human disease difficult to establish.
Prevention of variceal recurrence, bleeding, and death in cirrhosis patients with hypersplenism, especially those with severe thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS We investigated the impact of different treatments on the prognosis of cirrhosis patients with esophageal varices and thrombocytopenia. METHODOLOGY This prospective study enrolled 52 cirrhosis patients with esophageal varices and hypersplenism (platelet count < 50,000/mm3). In 26 patients, endoscopic variceal ligation plus partial splenic embolization were performed, while endoscopic variceal ligation alone was done in 26 patients. Endoscopic variceal ligation was repeated until complete eradication of varices was achieved. Partial splenic embolization was performed using the Seldinger method and embolic material was injected until a 60% to 80% reduction of splenic blood flow was achieved. The primary endpoints during the follow-up period included recurrence of varices, variceal bleeding, and death. RESULTS Comparison of endoscopic variceal ligation plus partial splenic embolization with endoscopic variceal ligation alone by multivariate analysis showed a relative risk ratio of 0.390 (95% CI [0.178-0.854]; p = 0.024) for new varices, 0.191 (95% CI [0.047-0.780]; p = 0.021) for variceal bleeding, and 0.193 (95% CI [0.053-0.699]; p = 0.012) for death. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that endoscopic variceal ligation plus partial splenic embolization can prevent variceal recurrence, bleeding, and death in cirrhosis patients with esophageal varices and thrombocytopenia.
A Review of Charge Scheduling of Electric Vehicles in Smart Grid

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being introduced by different manufacturers as an environment-friendly alternative to vehicles with internal combustion engines, with several benefits. The number of EVs is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. However, uncoordinated charging of these vehicles can put a severe stress on the power grid. The problem of charge scheduling of EVs is an important and challenging problem and has seen significant research activity in the last few years. This review covers the recent works done in the area of scheduling algorithms for charging EVs in smart grid. The works are first classified into two broad classes of unidirectional versus bidirectional charging, and then, each class is further classified based on whether the scheduling is centralized or distributed and whether any mobility aspects are considered or not. It then reviews the key results in this field following the classification proposed. Some interesting research challenges that can be addressed are also identified.
"It's hard to plan your day when you have no money": discouraged workers' occupational possibilities and the need to reconceptualize routine.

OBJECTIVE This paper presents daily routine as a justice-related concern for unemployed people, based on an ethnographic study of discouraged workers. PARTICIPANTS Four women and one man who wanted to work but had ceased searching for jobs, and 25 community members whose jobs served the unemployed community, participated in the study. METHODS Ethnographic methodology--including participant observation, semi-structured and unstructured interviews, and document reviews--and the Occupational Questionnaire were used to gather data for 10 months in a rural North Carolina town. Data analysis included open and focused coding via the Atlas.ti software as well as participant review of findings and writings. RESULTS Routines need to be seen as negotiated, resource-driven products of experience rather than automatic structures for daily living. Scholars and practitioners must acknowledge that the presence or absence of routine not only relates to resource use but also influences unemployed people's occupational possibilities. CONCLUSIONS To address unjust expectations about unemployed people's occupational possibilities, scholars must examine the uncertain, negotiated nature of daily routine and its function as a foundation for occupational engagement. Thus, it may be helpful to view routine as both a prerequisite of occupation and a way that existing occupations are organized.
Excitability of the human trigeminal motoneuronal pool and interactions with other brainstem reflex pathways

1 We studied the properties of motoneurones and Ia‐motoneuronal connections in the human trigeminal system, and their functional interactions with other brainstem reflex pathways mediated by non‐muscular (Aβ) afferents. With surface EMG recordings we tested the recovery cycles of the heteronymous H‐reflex in the temporalis muscle and the homonymous silent period in the masseter muscle both elicited by stimulation of the masseteric nerve at the infratemporal fossa in nine healthy subjects. In four subjects single motor‐unit responses were recorded from the temporalis muscle. In six subjects we also tested the effect of the stimulus to the mental nerve on the temporalis H‐reflex and, conversely, the effect of Ia input (stimulus to the masseteric nerve) on the R1 component of the blink reflex in the orbicularis oculi muscle. 2 The recovery cycle of the H‐reflex showed a suppression peaking at the 5‐20 ms interval; conversely the time course of the masseteric silent period was facilitated at comparable intervals. The inhibition of the test H‐reflex was inversely related to the level of background voluntary contraction. Single motor units were unable to fire consistently in response to the test stimulus at intervals shorter than 50 ms. 3 Mental nerve stimulation strongly depressed the H‐reflex. The time course of this inhibition coincided with the EMG inhibition elicited by mental nerve stimulation during voluntary contraction. The trigeminal Ia input facilitated the R1 component of the blink reflex when the supraorbital test stimulation preceded the masseteric conditioning stimulation by 2 ms. 4 We conclude that the time course of the recovery cycle of the heteronymous H‐reflex in the temporalis muscle reflects the after‐hyperpolarization potential (AHP) of trigeminal motoneurones, and that the Ia trigeminal input is integrated with other brainstem reflexes.
Inclusive jet production, parton distributions, and the search for new physics

Jet production at the Tevatron probes some of the smallest distance scales currently accessible. A gluon distribution that is enhanced at large x compared to previous determinations provides a better description of the Run 1b jet data from both CDF and D? However, considerable uncertainty still remains regarding the gluon distribution at high x. In this paper, we examine the effects of this uncertainty, and of the remaining uncertainties in the NLO QCD theory, on jet cross section comparisons to Run 1b data. We also calculate the range of contributions still possible from any new physics. Predictions are also made for the expanded kinematic range expected for the ongoing Run 2 at the Tevatron and for the LHC.
Working Effectively With Developers

Developers and testers often do not work effectively together. Either the developers can change, we can change, or both. I’ve never had much luck directly changing other people’s behavior. I have had luck changing my own behavior to indirectly elicit improvements in the way developers act. And those changes feed back to me, producing a virtuous cycle in our relationship. This paper is about my approach to working effectively with developers.
An ex vivo murine model to study poliovirus-induced apoptosis in nerve cells.

Paralytic poliomyelitis results from destruction of motor neurons owing to poliovirus (PV) replication. Using a mouse model, we have previously shown that PV kills neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) as a result of apoptosis (Girard et al., Journal of Virology 73, 6066-6072, 1999). We report the development of mixed mouse primary nerve cell cultures from the cerebral cortex of neonatal mice transgenic for the human PV receptor. These cultures contained all three main cell types of the CNS, i.e. neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. All three cell types were susceptible to PV infection and virus replication in the cultures led to DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis. PV-induced apoptosis was inhibited by the caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(O-Me) fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD.FMK), indicating that this process involved caspases. Thus, these mixed mouse primary nerve cell cultures are a new in vitro model for studying the molecular mechanisms of PV-induced apoptosis in nerve cells.
Are known pyrogenic cytokines responsible for fever in influenza?

The levels of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1α released from human peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) following interaction with influenza virus clone 7a (virulent, produces high fever in ferrets) and A/Fiji (attenuated, produces relatively low fever in ferrets) were low and similar for the two viruses. Neither strain induced interferon (IFN)‐γ, and release of IL‐8 (which occurs on incubation of PBLs alone) was reduced after interaction with the two viruses. The levels of IL‐1 and IL‐6 detected in the plasma of infected ferrets were low and did not correlate with the onset, duration or magnitude of the fevers produced by clone 7a and A/Fiji. Relatively large amounts (100,000 pg/kg) of IL‐1 and TNF‐α were needed to produce appreciable fever in rabbits, and such quantities of IL‐6 were not pyrogenic. Hence, as for previous observations, no evidence could be obtained that induction of known pyrogenic cytokines is responsible for the febrile response in influenza. The possibility that some other mediator(s) may be involved cannot be ruled out. J. Med. Virol. 52:336–340, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevalence of Smoking, and its Relationship with Depression, and Anxiety in a Sample of Iranian High School Students

Psychiatric disorders, like anxiety and depression, are risk factors for drug abuse and smoking behavior. The purpose of this survey was to determine the prevalence of smoking, depression and anxiety and their relationship among school age students. This cross-sectional survey was done on 1020 high school students (male and female) recruited randomly and DSM-IV interview was done by researchers. A psychiatry resident accompanied by 3 last year medical students interviewed with students and a questionnaire containing demographic , anxiety and depression questions was filled simultaneously. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS16. 50% of the students were female and the remainder male. 277 students (27.2%) were in the first year, 242 (23.7%) in the second year and 501 (49.1%) in the third year of high school. 55 students (5.4%) were smoker and used cigarette , water pipe (hobble bobble) and pipe.183 students (18%) had anxiety and stress symptoms (mild, moderate , sever). The 29 smoker students (2.84%) had anxiety. 144 students (14.1%) had depression (mild, moderate, sever) and 23 smoker students (2.25%) had depression symptoms. There was no significant correlation between smoking and anxiety and depression symptoms among school age students. As conclusion, we hypothesized that smoking may increase the tendency to depression and anxiety in high school students. Although the above results didn't demonstrate any significant correlation between these three issues, school counselors and teachers need to be informed about the prevalence of problematic behaviors associated with smoking and it would be necessary to develop smoking prevention programs for adolescents, while taking the psychological factors such as depression and anxiety and school and family atmosphere into account.
Can Organizational Support for Technology Influence Job Satisfaction?

Abstract: The relationship between organizational support for telemedicine and nurses' job satisfaction in home health agencies (HHAs) is investigated in this study. Drawing from the theory of perceived organizational support, we propose that HHAs that provide strong support for telemedicine will have higher nurse job satisfaction levels than those that do not. Primary data were collected from 29 HHAs and 917 nurses from 2004 to 2005. The results of the analysis indicate a strong, positive, significant association between organizational support for telemedicine and home health nurses' job satisfaction. We conclude that technological implementation, with sufficient organizational support, can be a strong competitive strategy to attract and retain high-quality nurses.
Ultrashort pulse propagation at the photonic band edge: Large tunable group delay with minimal distortion and loss.

We examine optical pulse propagation through a 30-period, GaAs/AlAs, one-dimensional, periodic structure at the photonic band-edge transmission resonance. We predict theoretically\char22{}and demonstrate experimentally\char22{}an approximate energy, momentum, and form invariance of the transmitted pulse, as well as large group index (up to 13.5). The group index is tunable and many orders of magnitude more sensitive to variation in material refractive index than for bulk material. We interpret this observation in terms of time-dependent electromagnetic states of the pulse-crystal system.
Social support and companionship among active African American women.

OBJECTIVE To examine the role of physical activity (PA) companions in supporting PA participation among African American women. METHODS Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups. Fifteen physically active African American women participated in the study. Grounded theory data analysis techniques were used to develop a taxonomy depicting roles of PA companions for African American women. RESULTS PA companions functioned in 4 different roles: motivational, social, facilitative, and instructional. Supportive behaviors associated with each role were also elucidated. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide an understanding for the function of companions in sustaining active lifestyle that can be used to inform intervention development.
Cinderella Story? The Social Production Of A Forensic “Science”

The last decade has witnessed unprecedented criticism of the forensic sciences from academic commentators and authoritative scientific and technical organizations. Simultaneously, podiatrists have begun to promote themselves as forensic scientists, capable of assisting investigators and courts in their endeavors to identify offenders. This article traces the emergence of forensic podiatry, particularly forensic gait analysis. Forensic gait analysis is a practice that involves comparing persons of interest in crime-related images (such as CCTV and surveillance recordings) with reference images of suspects, where the primary focus is on movement and posture. It tends to be applied when other techniques, such as the comparison of facial and body features, are constrained because of disguises (e.g., the use of balaclavas) or the low quality of the images. This article endeavors to explain how forensic podiatry came into being, shed light on forensic field formation, make an assessment of the knowledge base underpinning forensic gait analysis, and reflect on what the legal recognition of forensic gait analysis reveals about the ability of common law courts to regulate expertise.
Inhibition by IL‐12 and IFN‐α of I‐309 and macrophage‐derived chemokine production upon TCR triggering of human Th1 cells

Th1 and Th2 cells, which produce distinct sets of cytokines, differentially express several chemokine receptors that may regulate their tissue‐specific localization. Although the expression pattern and regulation of chemokines are likely to play a critical role in many immunopathological processes, they remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the requirements for Th1 and Th2 cells to produce the Th2 cell‐attracting chemokines thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage‐derived chemokine (MDC) and I‐309. TCR triggering of Th1 and Th2 cells leads to production of MDC and I‐309 (CCR4 and CCR8 ligands, respectively), whereas TARC (CCR4 ligand) is selectively produced by Th2 cells. Secretion of these chemokines appears to be independent of endogenous production of IL‐4 and IFN‐γ. IL‐12 and IFN‐α, cytokines that promote the differentiation of human Th1 cells, selectively inhibit secretion and mRNA expression of MDC and I‐309 by Th1 cells. Suppression of I‐309 secretion results in a decreased chemotactic effect on L1.2 cells transfected with human CCR8, indicating that IL‐12 and IFN‐α may inhibit the recruitment of CCR8‐expressing cells such as Th2 cells. The inhibition of Th2 cell‐attracting chemokines MDC and I‐309 illustrates a novel mechanism by which IL‐12 and IFN‐α could promote and maintain an ongoing Th1 response.
The Front-End Hardware Design Issue in Ultrasonic Tomography

This paper explains the front-end hardware design for ultrasonic tomography. The ultrasonic tomography system presented in this paper uses a noninvasive sensing technique with transmission-mode approach for investigating gas bubbles in an experimental column. Several explanations regarding the common tomography technique and the hardware preparation are also discussed. The sensory parts consist of 32 units of ultrasonic transceivers to form the fan-shaped beam projections. A low voltage of 20 V has been used to generate the ultrasonic burst tones. The electronic circuitry details, including the signal generator, the signal conditioning, and the signal acquisition strategy, are also presented. The results from this paper are useful for further development in ultrasonic tomography design.
Isolation, characterization and identification of pesticide tolerating bacteria from garden soil

Pesticides are the substances intended for preventi ng, destroying, repelling any pest. Due to bulk han dling or accidental release, they are accumulated in soil wh ich leads to occasional entry into ecosystems that show lethal effects on living systems. In order to overcome the problem of commonly found pesticides namely Endosu lfan, Chlorpyrifos and Cypermethrin. An enrichment cultur e technique was used to isolate bacterial strains fgarden soil tolerating high concentrations of the selected pesticides. Five pure bacterial cultures, named EC 1, EC2, EC3, EC4 and EC5 were isolated and subsequently characte rized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical t ests. The optimum temperature, pH and NaCl concentration was determined for them. Growth curve experiments s howed that the bacterial isolates were able to grow in me dium containing the individual pesticide as the car bon source. Tolerance to high levels of metal salts (Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cr 3+ , Cu 2+ and Mn 2+ ) and multiple antibiotic resistance was seen in all five bacterial isolates indicating a positive correlation between pesticide degradation and tol erance to metals and antibiotics. By miniprep method of plasmid DNA isolation it was found out that 3 isolates (EC3, EC 4 and EC5) showed presence of plasmid DNA indicating that the resistant trait observed was plasmid borne. Further by transformation of the plasmid DNA from EC3, EC4 and EC5 to Escherichia coli DH5α strain, it was found that the transformed strain acquired the ability to grow in presence of higher concentrations of pesticides. Th us such findings may be useful in designing a multi resista nt bacterium that can be used to return the altered environment to its original condition.
Food practices associated with increased risk of bacterial food-borne disease of female students in self-catering residences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Kommer is oor die voedselpraktyke van studente in koshuise van die Kaapse Skiereilandse Universiteit van Tegnologie: Kaapstad-kampus, uitgespreek nadat daar tot die selfvoorsiening van voedsel oorgeskakel is. Gestruktureerde onderhoude is met 60 ewekansig geselekteerde swart vroulike studente in die selfspysenieringkoshuise gevoer. Die doel was om vas te stel of hul praktyke rakende die aankope, berging, bereiding en gaarmaak van voedsel, asook die hantering van voedsel wat na maaltye oorbly, met riglyne om bakteriële voedseloordraagbare siektes te voorkom, ooreenstem. Die resultate toon dat die studente sommige veilige voedselaankoperiglyne volg en dat hulle in baie gevalle bestanddele en voedsel wat na ‘n maaltyd oorbly, veilig berg. In teenstelling is persoonlike higiëne, bv. die was van hande met seep en water, en algemene higiëne, bv. vermyding van kruiskontaminasie tussen rou en gereed-om-te-eet voedselitems, afgeskeep. Die studente het verder aangedui dat hulle voedselitems genoegsaam gaarmaak, maar voedsel wat vooraf berei word of na maaltye oorbly, is nie voldoende verhit nie. Minder as die helfte van dié studente was bewus van die oorsake van voedseloordraagbare siektes, hoë risiko voedselitems en kruiskontaminasie, terwyl nog minder studente aangedui het dat hulle die ooreenstemmende veilige voedselpraktyke in die verband, uitvoer. Studente wat bewus was van die verband tussen pluimvee en Salmonella of in staat was om kruiskontaminasie te defineer was nie meer geneig om voedselpraktyke, wat bakteriële voedseloordraagbare siektes sal voorkom, te rapporteer, as dié wat nie daarvan bewus was nie. Daar word aanbeveel dat ‘n intervensie program spesifiek gemik op die verbetering van vroulike studente in selfspysenieringkoshuise se voedselpraktyke opgestel en geïmplementeer word om bakteriële voedseloordraagbare siektes te voorkom.