Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Revisiting Strain-Related Differences in Radiation Sensitivity of the Mouse Lung: Recognizing and Avoiding the Confounding Effects of Pleural Effusions

Abstract The mouse has been used extensively to model radiation injury to the lung, a major dose-limiting organ for radiotherapy. Substantial differences in the timing and sensitivity of this tissue between mouse strains have been reported, with some strains, including C57BL/6, being designated as “fibrosis-prone”. Pleural effusions have also been reported to be a prominent problem in many mouse strains, but it remains unclear how this affects the lung function and survival of the standard C57BL/6 mouse. The purpose of this investigation was to re-evaluate this strain in comparison with C57L and CBA mice after whole-thorax irradiation at doses ranging from 10 to 15 Gy. Breathing rate measurements, micro-computerized tomography, lung tissue weight, pleural fluid weight and histopathology showed that the most prominent features were an early phase of pneumonitis (C57L and CBA) followed by a late incidence of massive pleural effusions (CBA and C57BL/6). A remarkable difference was seen between the C57 strains: The C57L mice were exquisitely sensitive to early pneumonitis at 3 to 4 months while C57BL/6 mice showed a delayed response, with most mice presenting with large accumulations of pleural fluid at 6 to 9 months. These results therefore caution against the routine use of C57BL/6 mice in radiation lung experiments because pleural effusions are rarely observed in patients as a consequence of radiotherapy. Future experiments designed to investigate genetic determinants of radiation lung damage should focus on the high sensitivity of the C57L strain (in comparison with CBA or C3H mice) and the possibility that they are more susceptible to pulmonary fibrosis as well as pneumonitis.
Human and Pathogen Factors Associated with Chlamydia trachomatis-Related Infertility in Women

SUMMARY Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. Infection can result in serious reproductive pathologies, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, in women. However, the processes that result in these reproductive pathologies have not been well defined. Here we review the evidence for the human disease burden of these chlamydial reproductive pathologies. We then review human-based evidence that links Chlamydia with reproductive pathologies in women. We present data supporting the idea that host, immunological, epidemiological, and pathogen factors may all contribute to the development of infertility. Specifically, we review the existing evidence that host and pathogen genotypes, host hormone status, age of sexual debut, sexual behavior, coinfections, and repeat infections are all likely to be contributory factors in development of infertility. Pathogen factors such as infectious burden, treatment failure, and tissue tropisms or ascension capacity are also potential contributory factors. We present four possible processes of pathology development and how these processes are supported by the published data. We highlight the limitations of the evidence and propose future studies that could improve our understanding of how chlamydial infertility in women occurs and possible future interventions to reduce this disease burden.
Early results of reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the shoulder is typically associated with rotator cuff compromise and can also result in severe glenoid erosion. Since reverse shoulder arthroplasty is capable of addressing both rotator cuff disorders and glenoid bone deficiencies, our aim was to evaluate the outcome of reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and either or both of these associated conditions. METHODS We performed eighteen primary reverse total shoulder arthroplasties in sixteen patients with rheumatoid arthritis involving the shoulder as well as associated rotator cuff compromise and/or severe erosion of the glenoid bone between 2002 and 2007. Patients were assessed with use of the Constant score, patient satisfaction score, subjective shoulder value, range of shoulder motion, and imaging studies. RESULTS The mean Constant score improved from 22.5 to 64.9 points at a mean of 3.8 years (range, 2.1 to 7.0 years) postoperatively. The patients were either very satisfied or satisfied with the outcome of the surgery in seventeen of the eighteen shoulders. The mean subjective shoulder value was 68.6% postoperatively. Active forward elevation improved from 77.5° to 138.6°, and external rotation with the arm in 90° of abduction improved from 16.9° to 46.1°. The mean Constant score improved from 28.0 points to 74.3 points in shoulders in which the teres minor muscle was normal before the surgery, and it improved from 20.8 to 54.6 points in shoulders with an atrophic teres minor muscle. Scapular notching was observed in ten of the eighteen shoulders. A fracture involving the acromion, acromial spine, coracoid, or greater tuberosity was observed either intraoperatively or postoperatively in four of the eighteen shoulders. One case of transient axillary nerve injury was noted. There were no cases of dislocation, infection, or component loosening. None of the patients required revision surgery for any reason. CONCLUSIONS Comparatively good outcomes were observed in the short to intermediate term after reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, surgeons should be aware of the risk of intraoperative and postoperative fractures in this patient group.
Impact assessment of input and output market development interventions by IPMS Project: The case of Gomma Woreda

The study evaluates the ex-post impact of input and output market development interventions on total household net income, intensity of input u se and productivity, marketed surplus and market orientation behavior of the households. More over, the study has assessed the change in the institutional and organizational aspect of m arket of the woreda due to market interventions. For quantitative analysis both progr am participant and non participant respondents were drawn and cross-sectional survey d ata were collected from 200 households in Gomma woreda. Propensity score matching method was employed to an alyze the impact of the project interventions quantitatively. This method was checked for covariate balancing with a standardized bias, t-ratio, and joint signif icance level tests. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the estimated participation effect to u nobserved selection bias was checked using the Rosenbaum bounds procedure. Results show that p artici ation in market development interventions has a significant, positive and robus t impact on the outcome variables measured using different indicators. However, for some outco me variable indicators such as household income from coffee commodity, input use for apicult ure and fruit production, productivity of improved hives, land allocation for coffee and numb er of hives possessed by the household are positive but statistically insignificant. The s n itivity analysis also shows that the impact result estimates are insensitive to unobserved sele ction bias. The qualitative assessment shows that the main changes were the private sector (including agro-industry) involvement in supplying inputs by opening alternative village sho ps as well as the development of community based input supply system, linking the fa rmers/private traders to the input importer and potential buyers and innovative credit provision specifically meant to enhance input and output marketing interventions. Furthermo e, different platforms specifically for the apiculture and sheep fattening has been set by the community which help them to abide by. To hedge against the risk involved in sheep fattening practice, a kind of community based insurance program was established. In order to alle viate access to market, establishing farmers’ cooperatives and linking this cooperatives or individual farmers to potential buyers (including exporters) was done. The thesis finally discusses these results in detail and draws some recommendations.
Chronic fluoxetine induces region‐specific changes in translation factor eIF4E and eEF2 activity in the rat brain

The delayed therapeutic onset observed in response to chronic antidepressant drug treatment is little understood. While current theories emphasize effects on gene transcription, possible effects of antidepressant drugs on translation control pathways have not been explored. We examined the effect of the selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine on regulation of two major determinants of mRNA translation, eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Chronic fluoxetine treatment induced hyperphosphorylation of eEF2 (Thr56) in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and dentate gyrus of rats. By contrast, phosphorylation of eIF4E (Ser209) was observed specifically in the dentate gyrus. Acute fluoxetine treatment had no effect on translational factor activity. These findings suggest that region‐specific regulation of translation contributes to the delayed action of antidepressant drugs such as fluoxetine.
The Impact of Collaborative Technology on Organisational Performance Through Intranet Use Orientations

Information systems cannot improve organisational performance if they are not used (Davis et al., 1989, as cited by (Merono-Cerdan et al., 2008). In addition, (Devaraj and Kohli, 2003) showed that actual use may be an important link to information technology (IT) value. Under this approach lies the idea that the simple presence of collaborative technologies (CTs) is not enough to evaluate their real influence on organisational performance. Therefore, the researchers adopted the view that CTs impacts on organisational performance should be considered as a multistage process which starts at adoption and extends to use. Therefore, this paper analyses the impact of intranet CTs on organisational performance not directly, by measures such as adoption versus non-adoption, but through an intermediary variable (intranet use orientations). Different intranet use orientations (e-information, e-communication and e-transaction) represent actual CTs use. Hence the impact of each orientation on organisational performance is empirically evaluated. In order to achieve the research objectives, data were collected through a postal survey, from 71 small- and medium-sized (SMEs) located in a developing country such as Saudi Arabia. Research hypotheses were tested through ANOVA and hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicated that different CTs are associated with distinct intranet use orientations. The results further demonstrated that there are positive relationships between the intranet use orientations and organisational performance. Finally, the results confirmed the existence of complementarities between the intranet use orientations.
Pancreatic carcinoma in perspective: A continuing challenge

There are approximately 27,000 new cases of carcinoma of the pancreas each year and most afflicted patients will die of the disease. Although smoking is a common denominator, chronic pancreatitis is considered an important precursor lesion in a smaller number of cancers. Pancreatic cancer is primarily a disease of the pancreatic ducts. The molecular events are under intense study, but c‐K‐ras mutation is involved in approximately 80% of the cases and p53 to a slightly lesser degree (60–80%). Early manifestations are usually occult, but jaundice is a common manifestation in patients with cancers of the pancreatic head. Thin‐slice computed tomography, portography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are currently the most sensitive detection techniques. The developing use of endoscopic ultrasound and laparoscopy appear to enhance detection and are under evaluation. In many patients with advanced disease, endoscopic bypass may eliminate the need for unnecessary surgery, although gastrointestinal bypass is still required in some patients (10–15%). Curative resection is possible in selected patients (perhaps 10–15%), with expectation of extended survival ranging from 6–>20% in some series. The survival differences may be related to stage, patient selection, and the expertise of the operative team. Preoperative chemotherapy/radiation is under study and may improve outcome. Clinical trial participation is essential for improvement in treatment outcomes. Cancer 1996;78:580‐91.
Promoters of the CATG-Specific Methyltransferase Gene hpyIM Differ between iceA1 andiceA2 Helicobacter pylori Strains

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori strains can be divided into two groups, based on the presence of two unrelated genes,iceA1 and iceA2, that occupy the same genomic locus. hpyIM, located immediately downstream of either gene, encodes a functional CATG-specific methyltransferase. Despite the strong conservation of the hpyIM open reading frame (ORF) among all H. pylori strains, the sequences upstream of the ORF in iceA1 andiceA2 strains are substantially different. To explore the roles of these upstream sequences in hpyIMregulation, promoter analysis of hpyIM was performed. Both deletion mutation and primer extension analyses demonstrate that the hpyIM promoters differ between H. pylori strains 60190 (iceA1) and J188 (iceA2). In strain 60190, hpyIM has two promoters, Pa or PI, which may function independently, whereas only one hpyIM promoter, Pc, was found in strain J188. The XylE assay showed that the hpyIM transcription level was much higher in strain 60190 than in strain J188, indicating that regulation ofhpyIM transcription differs between the H. pylori iceA1 strain (60190) and iceA2 strains (J188). Since the iceA1 and iceA2 sequences are highly conserved within iceA1 or iceA2strains, we conclude that promoters of the CATG-specific methylase genehpyIM differ between iceA1 andiceA2 strains, which leads to differences in regulation of hpyIM transcription.
Microeconometric Evaluations of Education Policies

This volume was prepared by Benedikt Siegler while working at the Center for the Economics of Education of the Ifo Institute. It was completed in June 2014 and accepted as a doctoral thesis by the Department of Economics at the University of Munich (LMU) in November 2014. The thesis includes three empirical studies, each of which evaluates one distinct education policy to improve educational outcomes of juveniles and young adults: the provision of private school vouchers in the context of a school accountability system to increase educational production at low-performing public schools (Chapter 2), opening of new universities in regions without local tertiary education supply to raise tertiary education attainment by the local population (Chapter 3), and the introduction of the Bachelor degree programs at German universities to foster student mobility and employability (Chapter 4).
Gender difference in electrical brain activity during presentation of various film excerpts with different emotional content.

Electrical activity of the human brain has been monitored using socalled charge mode (Laplacian estimates) during the exposure with short video film excerpts of 7 min duration. Eighty subjects (50% male and female) watched 5 different film excerpts (disney, animal, comedy, erotic and sex scenes) separated by 3 min pause. Comparison to a reference period of 7 min without video exposure revealed strong decreases in alpha and beta power starting from the electrode position T6 (right temporal) and spread to other brain areas with stronger attentional stimuli e.g. during the erotic and sex films. Highly statistically significant differences were observed between male and female in temporal areas, who in general developed stronger decreases than males. Females on the other hand produced significant increases in fronto-central delta and theta power which could be interpreted as expression of higher appreciation, whereas the decreases in alpha power in general are understood as signs of higher attention. The data are further proof that recording the computer aided quantitative EEG is a very fruitful and promising approach in psychophysiology.
MSH2 and ATR form a signaling module and regulate two branches of the damage response to DNA methylation

The mismatch repair proteins function upstream in the DNA damage signaling pathways induced by the DNA methylating agent N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). We report that MSH2 (MutS homolog 2) protein interacts with the ATR (ATM- and Rad3-related) kinase to form a signaling module and regulate the phosphorylation of Chk1 and SMC1 (structure maintenance of chromosome 1). We found that phosphorylation of Chk1 by ATR also requires checkpoint proteins Rad17 and replication protein A. In contrast, phosphorylation of SMC1 by ATR is independent of Rad17 and replication protein A, suggesting that the signaling pathway leading to SMC1 phosphorylation is distinct from that mediated by the checkpoint proteins. In addition, both MSH2 and Rad17 are required for the activation of the S-phase checkpoint to suppress DNA synthesis in response to MNNG, and phosphorylation of SMC1 is required for cellular survival. These data support a model in which MSH2 and ATR function upstream to regulate two branches of the response pathway to DNA damage caused by MNNG.
Identifying the training needs of traditional birth attendants

With the aid of pre-tested, structured, interview questionnaires, 51 traditional birth attendants (TBAs), identified by their certificate of traditional midwifery, were assessed for their knowledge about the care given in pregnancy, labour, and the postnatal period, beliefs and delivery practices including child care, and their attitude towards orthodox midwifery. A total of 22 (43.1%) so identified were found to be practicing traditional midwifery as a full-time job, while 29 (56.9%) were practising on a part-time basis, doing other jobs such as farming and trading. Twenty-two (51.2%) of the male TBAs practised traditional midwifery as a full-time job, while the remaining 21 (48.8%) practised traditional midwifery part-time, along with farming occupation. All the female TBAs practised traditional midwifery part-time with their main occupation such as trading. There was no significant difference between the mean age of male compared with female respondents (59.3±15.1 vs. 54.6±15.9 years; P = 0.43). Harmful traditional practices, practices that may need verification and areas where training is needed are highlighted. The importance of registration and active supervision of their practices were discussed. The skills that need to be stressed include identification of danger signs in pregnancy and prompt referral of maternal complications. The essence of registration for monitoring of their activities cannot be overemphasized. Findings also revealed that appropriate training could expand their roles in primary health care programmes.
Body composition by 2H dilution in Gambian infants: comparison with UK infants and evaluation of simple prediction methods

Gambian infants show growth faltering, but the underlying body composition is unknown. The present study aimed to compare body composition in Gambian and UK infants using 2H dilution; and to evaluate accuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and creatinine excretion for estimating lean mass (LM), using 2H as the reference. Body composition was measured in thirty Gambian infants, aged 3–18 months, using (1) anthropometry, (2) 2H, (3) BIA (equation of Fjeld et al.Pediatr Res (1990), 27, 98–102) and (4) 5 h urinary creatinine excretion. Compared with UK reference data, Gambian infants were light, short and had reduced BMI and skinfolds. The subscapular skinfold standard deviation score (SDS) was greater than the triceps SDS (P < 0·01), indicating central fat preservation. Both LM and fat mass were reduced in Gambian infants, with or without adjustment for length. However, whereas the Gambia–UK difference in LM increased with age, that in fat mass decreased. Average creatinine excretion was similar to that expected (95·5 (sd 23·2) % recovery), but LM estimates showed unacceptable error in individuals. BIA using Fjeld's equation overestimated total body water and LM (P < 0·001), hence a new equation was developed, with standard error of 0·47 kg LM. In conclusion, Gambian infants characterised by growth faltering had LM deficits that increased with age. However, adiposity increased with age, and showed indications of a more central distribution than in the reference infants. A new BIA equation for LM prediction is presented; however, creatinine excretion is not recommended for LM estimation in this population.
Winning and Wage Inequality in Major League Baseball

The effect of wage inequality on team production is an important question in labor economics. Data from sports are well suited to study this problem, with more than 10 published papers in the last decade. We analyze the effect of wage inequality on team performance, using an unique dataset from Major League Baseball. Most studies have examined the impact of inequality within a linear model framework, and found that more equal pay structures enhance team production. This presupposes that there is no limit to beneficial effects of equality in pay, an idea which seems suspect. We specify and model a more reasonable data generating process for sportive contests, based on the differences between relative characteristics of the teams. Monte Carlo experiments reveal that estimating linear models using winning percentage as a dependent variable results in having biased and inconsistent estimates, which confounds any inference based on them, thus favoring our modeling strategy. Using our improved modeling procedure, we allow the relationship between wage inequality and winning to be non-linear, based on an insight by Lazear (1991), and we confirm the existence of an optimum level of wage inequality, finding evidence supporting the tournament theory of Lazear and Rosen (1981).