Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recombinant fertilization antigen-1 causes a contraceptive effect in actively immunized mice.

Recombinant (r) fertilization antigen (FA)-1 was investigated for its immunocontraceptive effect using the mouse as a model. Active immunization with the murine rFA-1 antigen raised high antibody titers in all the immunized mice (n = 16 in two trials); these titers were long lasting and reached preimmunization levels by the 255th day. There was a significant (p < 0.0001) effect (64% reduction in trial I and 70% reduction in trial II) in fertility of immunized animals compared to PBS-control animals (n = 22 in two trials). The effect on fertility was reversible. When the antibody titers declined to control levels, all the animals conceived and delivered healthy babies without a significant (p > 0.05) effect on the litter size compared to that of controls. There was a significant (p = 0.025) correlation (r = 0.76) between the reduction in fertility and the circulating rFA-1 antibody titers. Anti-rFA-1 antibodies from immunized mice, and not the immunoglobulins from the PBS-control mice, significantly (p < 0.001) blocked murine sperm binding to zona pellucida and in vitro fertilization of murine oocytes. In a Western blot procedure, the anti-rFA-1 antibodies specifically recognized the protein band of approximately 47 kDa (dimeric form of cognate FA-1 antigen) only in the protein extract of testes and not in the extracts of somatic tissues tested, namely kidney, liver, intestine, spleen, muscle, heart, lung, brain, and ovary. In conclusion, our data indicate that active immunization with rFA-1 antigen induces a strong and sperm/testis-specific antibody response that causes a reversible inhibition of fertility by affecting sperm-zona binding and the fertilization process. These findings suggest that rFA-1 antigen is an exciting candidate for the development of a contraceptive vaccine.
Changes of EEG power spectrum in moderate running exercises

Exercise by using running is one of exercises that people gradually interested. It is easy, safe and physical exercise intense controllable by oneself. When the body has a physical exercise which enough intensity, it can produce a positive effect on brain function by changing amplitude of brainwaves. Therefore, this study examined the effect of a moderate physical exercise by using running and exercise in moderate intensity on EEG activity in five healthy young adults. The result showed that amplitude of EEG power spectra including theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands statistically significant increased following moderate intensity of running. It is concluded that amplitude of EEG power spectra were significantly altered moderate intense exercise.
COMBINED EFFECTS OF RIBAVIRIN AND DIAZINON ON HEPATIC , PANCREATIC AND KIDNEY BIOMARKERS IN FEMALE ALBINO RATS

The interaction between chemicals such as drugs and pesticides within ecological system is a complex one as it occurs among environment, host and chemicals. The present study was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of ribavirin at 30 mg/kg bw and 1/10LD50 of diazinon, at 30mg/kg bw, on liver, pancreas and kidney functions of female albino rats. Twenty four female albino rats were equally divided into four groups and were orally given 0.5 ml corn oil (served as a control), ribavirin, diazinon and ribavirin plus diazinon for 5 consecutive days/week up to 4 weeks. The results revealed that ribavirin alone produced no significant differences in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total, direct and indirect bilirubins, albumin (Alb.), A/G ratio, α-feto protein (AFP), amylase, lipase, insulin, urea, calcium (Ca) and inorganic phosphorus (P) compared to the control group. However, there was significant increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), uric acid, creatinine, potassium (K) and sodium (Na), whereas, final body weights, total proteins (TP) and globulins (Glob.) were significantly decreased compared to the control groups. The results also showed that treatment with diazinon induced significant increases in the activities of ALP, AST, ALT, levels of total, direct and indirect bilirubins, AFP, amylase, urea, uric acid, creatinine, K and Na. However, significant decrease in final body weights, TPs, Alb, and Globs were observed compared to the control groups. In conclusion, ribavirin had a efficacy in ameliorating the liver impairment and pancreatic inflammation induced by diazinon, on the contrary this antiviral drug caused additional burden on the kidney leading to more deterioration in the renal function.
High Reliable Relay Selection Approach for QoS Provisioning in Wireless Distributed Sensor Networks

In wireless distributed sensor networks, one open problem is how to guarantee the reliable relay selection based on the quality of services diversity. To address this problem, we focus on the reliable adaptive relay selection approach and adaptive QoS supported algorithm, based on which we present a Markov chain model, in consideration of different packet states and error control algorithm assignment. The mathematical analyses and NS-2 simulation results show that the proposed relay selection approach could perform better in terms of saturation throughput, reliability, and energy efficiency, compared with the traditional approaches. More importantly, the quality of real-time multimedia streaming is improved significantly, in terms of decodable frame ratio and delay.
The Missing "Missing Middle"

The notion that the distribution of firm size in poor countries is characterized by a bimodal distribution with a “missing middle” is a widely accepted fact in development economics (for example, see Krueger 2013). The idea of the missing middle is that there are a large number of small firms, some large firms, but very few medium-sized firms. The purported fact about the missing middle is cited as evidence for two broad stories of why many countries are poor. Perhaps surprisingly, these models look for the cause of the missing middle in two fundamentally different places. One approach suggests that small firms are disfavored in low-income countries— for example, by a lack of access to financial capital—and thus face difficulties in growing to become middle-sized firms. The other approach posits a “dual economy” of large high-productivity firms and small low-productivity firms, and then suggests that larger firms are disfavored in low-income countries—for example, by having to bear large fixed costs of regulation—which make it difficult for middle-sized firms to become established. We begin by reviewing these theories of development based on the purported fact of a “missing middle. ” We then explore the evidence on distribution of firm sizes in more detail and challenge the presumption that a “missing middle” occurs at all. We present three main facts. First, there is in fact no evidence of a missing middle in detailed and comprehensive data on the size of manufacturing firms in India, Indonesia, or Mexico, regardless of how we slice the data. To be sure, there
Situated Coworker Familiarity: How Site Visits Transform Relationships Among Distributed Workers

Previous research describes significant benefits from coworker familiarity but has largely assumed proximity and that familiarity accrues simply with the passage of time. Based on a qualitative study of 164 workers on globally distributed teams, we propose that relationships transform as a result of situated coworker familiarity established when people are collocated in a shared space for an extended period of time. Site visits play a pivotal role in enabling coworkers to become more familiar with one another’s communication and work styles, capabilities and interests, personalities, work and social roles, and the cultural context in which they are embedded, thus transforming their relationships. After returning home, situated familiarity fosters behaviors reflecting closer ties, which then reinforce those bonds, suggesting that the situated nature of site visits transforms work relationships between distant coworkers in enduring ways. We contribute grounded theory about how situated coworker familiarity .
Pathogen profile of clinical mastitis in Irish milk-recording herds reveals a complex aetiology

Effective mastitis control requires knowledge of the predominant pathogen challenges on the farm. In order to quantify this challenge, the aetiological agents associated with clinical mastitis in 30 milk-recording dairy herds in Ireland over a complete lactation were investigated. Standard bacteriology was performed on 630 pretreatment quarter milk samples, of which 56 per cent were culture-positive, 42 per cent culture-negative and 2 per cent contaminated. Two micro-organisms were isolated from almost 5 per cent of the culture-positive samples. The bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (23 per cent), Streptococcus uberis (17 per cent), Escherichia coli (9 per cent), Streptococcus species (6 per cent), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (4 per cent) and other species (1 per cent). A wide variety of bacterial species were associated with clinical mastitis, with S aureus the most prevalent pathogen overall, followed by S uberis. However, the bacterial challenges varied widely from farm to farm. In comparison with previous reports, in the present study, the contagious pathogens S aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae were less commonly associated with clinical mastitis, whereas, the environmental pathogens S uberis and E coli were found more commonly associated with clinical mastitis. While S aureus remains the pathogen most commonly associated with intramammary infection in these herds, environmental pathogens, such as S uberis and E coli also present a considerable challenge.
Radiation-induced genomic instability in haemopoietic cells.

PURPOSE To review studies of radiation-induced genomic instability in haemopoietic cells. MAJOR FINDINGS Studies have demonstrated a high frequency of non-clonal, cytogenetic abnormalities in the clonal descendants of alpha-particle-irradiated (approximately one track per cell) primary murine and human haemopoietic stem cells in vitro. The induction of this phenomenon has a strong dependence on the genetic characteristics of the cells and is transmissible in vivo following transplantation of alpha-irradiated mouse bone marrow. In clonogenic cell cultures of alpha-irradiated haemopoietic cells, there is also an increased incidence of hprt mutations and an increased incidence of apoptosis. These effects may be regarded as the consequences of a destabilization of the genome collectively termed radiation-induced genomic instability. Instability is induced at very high frequencies suggesting that epigenetic changes may be a common underlying mechanism. Consistent with this suggestion is the finding of an enhanced and persisting oxy-radical activity in the descendants of irradiated stem cells, which is consistent with oxidative stress being an important feature of the mechanism(s) underlying the persistence of instability in haemopoietic cells. Recent studies have revealed that more clonogenic cells than are actually traversed by an alpha-particle are able to express the instability phenotype. These data are consistent with unexpected interactions between irradiated and non-irradiated cells but the mechanism of initiation of instability is not understood.
Mutations in the DG Loop of Adenovirus Type 5 Fiber Knob Protein Abolish High-Affinity Binding to Its Cellular Receptor CAR

ABSTRACT The amino acid residues in adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) fiber that interact with its cellular receptor, the coxsackie B virus and Ad receptor (CAR), have not been defined. To investigate this, multiple mutations were constructed in the region between residues 479 and 497 in Ad5 fiber (β-strands E and F and the adjacent region of the DG loop). The effects of these mutations on binding to CAR were determined by use of cell-binding competition experiments, surface plasmon resonance, and direct binding studies. The mutation effects on the overall folding and secondary structure of the protein were assessed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Deletions of two consecutive amino acids between residues 485 and 493 abolished high-affinity binding to CAR; the CD spectra indicated that although there was no disruption of the overall folding and secondary structure of the protein, local conformational changes did occur. Moreover, single site mutations in this region of residues with exposed, surface-accessible side chains, such as Thr492, Asn493, and Val495, had no effect on receptor binding, which demonstrates that these residues are not in contact with CAR themselves. This implies the involvement of residues in neighboring loop regions. Replacement of the segment containing the two very short β-strands E and F and the turn between them (residues 479 to 486) with the corresponding sequence from Ad3 (βEFAd3→5 mutation) resulted in the loss of receptor binding. The identical CD spectra for βEFAd3→5 and wild-type proteins suggest that these substitutions caused no conformational rearrangement and that the loss of binding may thus be due to the substitution of one or more critical contact residues. These findings have implications for our understanding of the interaction of Ad5 fiber with CAR and for the construction of targeted recombinant Ad5 vectors for gene therapy purposes.
Scars after Second Intention Healing

Abstract Second intention healing (SIH) is useful for many defects after skin cancer removal. SIH decreases intraoperative morbidity and reduces procedure costs. Granulating wounds are rarely infected, have minimal pain or bleeding, and care is simple. Location is the key determinant in cosmetic outcomes of SIH. Concavities of the face including the medial canthus and conchal bowl often heal imperceptibly. Defects on convex surfaces such as the nasal tip and malar cheek can heal poorly with depressed scars. Flat areas of the cheeks, forehead, and chin heal favorably but cosmesis can be unpredictable. These regions are often described by NEET (concavities of the nose, eyes, ears, and temple), NOCH (convexities of nose, oral lips, cheek, chin, and helix), and FAIR (flat areas of the forehead, antihelix of the ear, eyelids, and rest of the nose, lips, and cheeks). We review the limited literature describing SIH based on regional anatomy of the face. Complications of SIH include exuberant granulation tissue, hypopigmented or telangiectatic scars, and distortion of free lid margins. SIH should be an integral part of the surgeon's reconstructive algorithm after skin cancer removal.
Effects of Output and Note-Taking on Noticing and Interlanguage Development

Recent literature in second language acquisition (SLA) suggests that opportunities for output production contribute to targetlike acquisition. In the course of second language (L2) production, learners are prompted to notice the gaps and/or holes in their knowledge, and thus give extra attention to such discrepancies in subsequent input (Swain, 1995). Given that whether these gaps and/or holes are indeed noticed by the learners is crucial for successful intake, researchers have resorted to approaches such as note-taking and think-aloud as measures of noticing. This study investigates the role of written output in helping learners notice linguistic forms provided in subsequent input. In particular, it examines note-taking as a way to facilitate noticing. Twentythree advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) learners were randomly assigned to two groups ─ a note-taking group and a non-note-taking group ─ and were asked to complete a three-stage writing task: (i) to give a written description to a picture, (ii) to compare the description to a model text, and (iii) to rewrite the description. This was immediately followed by a retrospective questionnaire designed to shed light on the “noticing process. ” The results suggest that written output has a positive effect on learners‟ ability to notice linguistic forms that they have previously found problematic in subsequent input, and that note-taking apparently helps learners better use the linguistic forms included in subsequent input in their own rewriting.
Well‐differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum. A clinicopathologic study of 22 cases

Twenty‐two cases of well‐differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum (WDPMP) are described. Eighteen of the 22 patients were women. The peritoneal tumor was usually multifocal. Many of the tumors appear to be indolent or inactive and for practical purposes are benign. However, a few patients receiving adjuvant therapy have died under circumstances that make it difficult to determine whether the tumor was responsible for the death. It is suggested that adjuvant therapy be withheld from patients with WDPMP, unless there is clear evidence of progression. The cause of these rare tumors is not apparent, although three patients had had possible exposure to asbestos and two were sisters.
Implications of Action-Oriented Paradigm Shifts in Cognitive Science

An action-oriented perspective changes the role of an individual from a passive observer to an actively engaged agent interacting in a closed loop with the world as well as with others. Cognition exists to serve action within a landscape that contains both. This chapter surveys this landscape and addresses the status of the pragmatic turn. Its potential influence on science and the study of cognition are considered (including perception, social cognition, social interaction, sensorimotor entrainment, and language acquisition) and its impact on how neuroscience is studied is also investigated. A review of its implications in robotics and engineering includes a discussion of the application of enactive control principals to couple action and perception in robotics as well as the conceptualization of system design in a more holistic, less modular manner. Practical applications that can impact the human condition are reviewed. All of this foreshadows the potential societal implications of the pragmatic turn. The chapter concludes that an action-oriented approach emphasizes a continuum of interaction between technical aspects of cognitive systems and robotics, biology, psychology, the social sciences, and the humanities, where the individual is part of a grounded cultural system.
Managerial Attitudes towards Green IT: an explorative Study of Policy Drivers

Organisations are increasingly being scrutinised and pressured by Government regulators and legitimate environmental watchdogs to align their business with environmental sustainability practices. Specifically, the advent of agreements like the Kyoto Protocol has meant that organisations are now motivated more than ever to monitor their carbon emissions. This focus of carbon emissions has now moved into the area of IT infrastructure and governance where it is believed reductions of energy emissions can be made. However, managing IT infrastructure concerning Green IT requires a strong commitment from the higher echelons of corporate leadership, namely senior IT management. This commitment is not driven by government legislation, yet to become mandatory in Australia, but by attitudes of top IT management towards environmental issues. Therefore, as an initial part of a larger project, this paper illustrates four cases, depicting various organisations, to explore the main economic, socio-political, and institutional influences that motivate top management attitudes towards the implementation of a Green IT policy. The findings of this research suggests that ultimately attitudes will only be transformed into action when a sound cost model exists that highlights the relationship between potential cost savings and Green IT initiatives, supplemented by articulately designed long-term awareness programs surrounding the issue.
The Diet of Large Eels (Anguilla anguilla) in Relation to Food Availability

Institutions: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Dept. Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Berlin, Germany 2 European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), AGRIFISH Unit, Ispra (VA), Italy Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, Dept. of Inland Fisheries, Silkeborg, Denmark Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Predictive resource allocation in cellular networks using Kalman filters

Controlling handoff drops in a cellular network is a very important QoS issue. In order to keep the handoff-dropping probability as low as possible, we have designed a new predictive scheme for radio resource allocation. This scheme consists in dimensioning the amount of resources to reserve for handoffs in each cell. The solution proposed is based on a reservation mechanism with a threshold estimated according to the usage history of the resources in the cell. This estimation is done using the Kalman filter, a powerful mathematical tool. Evaluation of the proposed scheme demonstrates a real improvement in the handoff-dropping probability compared to the static reservation scheme.
Video-assisted laparoscopic resection of the esophagus for carcinoma after neoadjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Classical operation approaches, used for decades during subtotal esophageal resection for esophageal carcinoma, have certain disadvantages. The transhiatal "blind" approach according to Orringer lacks sufficient radicality, the thoracotomic approach is burdened by serious postoperative complications, primarily respiratory. These disadvantages are eliminated to a great extent by use of the video-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal approach, which is presented in our study. METHODOLOGY Between 2000-2006 forty-three patients with esophageal cancer underwent video-laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy. In all patients passage was renewed by esophagogastroplasty, constructed by placing the neoesophagus in the posterior mediastinum, anastomosis with the cervical esophagus from a laparotomy. Prior to the operation, 27 patients underwent neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy. Chemotherapy consisted of 5 fluorouracil and cisplatinum, and radiotherapy with a total dose of 50 Gy. RESULTS The extirpation phase was completed laparoscopically in all patients. Right-sided pneumothorax was seen in 27 patients, in six cases postoperative manifestation of left vocal chord paresis due to damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve was observed, in 2 patients a fistula developed in the cervical anastomosis, which in all cases healed spontaneously. The operation time ranged between 225-370 minutes, the average time being 256 minutes. The mini-invasive phase took an average of 40 minutes. One patient died 57 days after the operation due to respiratory insufficiency. The average hospital stay was 12.2 days. CONCLUSIONS The video-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal approach proved to be very useful during subtotal esophageal resection. In tumors localized in the lower portion of the esophagus, it completely replaces the transhiatal "blind" approach according to Orringer and, in comparison, eliminates operative hemorrhagic complications, which are more frequent in "blind" extirpations, especially in patients after neoadjuvant therapy. It also enables performing a lymphadenectomy, which is not possible using the "blind" approach. In tumors of the middle thoracic esophagus, which are inaccessible by the original Orringer's approach, it eliminates the need for a thoracotomy, which significantly contributes to the decrease of respiratory complications.