Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The somatotrophic axis in young steers: influence of nutritional status on pulsatile release of growth hormone and circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1.

The relationship between plasma GH profiles and circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) at three different planes of nutrition, chosen to represent a high, medium and low level of nutrition (3%, 1.8% and 1% dry matter of liveweight per day) was studied in 15 young Angus steers. All steers were maintained on 3% dry matter for 5 weeks, then on one of the three nutritional planes for 4 weeks and then all were returned to 3% dry matter for 3 weeks. Blood was sampled through jugular catheters at 15-min intervals for 25 h at the end of each phase of the study and additional samples were taken on 2 days each week. Pulsatile release of GH occurred episodically with a diurnal increase during night and morning hours only in steers on high nutritional intakes. Reduced feeding at both the medium and the low plane abolished the diurnal rhythm and significantly increased mean plasma GH concentrations, the amplitude of GH pulses and the area under the GH profiles. Baseline concentrations of GH and pulse frequency did not change through nutritional manipulation. Upon realimentation, plasma GH concentrations decreased in both previously undernourished groups, with those fed 1% dry matter still having increased levels 10 days after refeeding. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations showed no periodicity. With nutritional deprivation, a decrease in IGF-1 concentration was observed only at negative energy balance (1% group). In this group plasma IGF-1 concentrations were progressively restored within 1 week of realimentation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Routine morphine infusion in preterm newborns who received ventilatory support: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) undergo a variety of painful procedures and stressful events. Because the effect of continuous morphine infusion in preterm neonates has not been investigated systematically, there is confusion regarding whether morphine should be used routinely in this setting. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of continuous intravenous morphine infusion on pain responses, incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and poor neurologic outcome (severe IVH, periventricular leukomalacia, or death). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted between December 2000 and October 2002 in 2 level III NICUs in the Netherlands of 150 newborns who had received ventilatory support (inclusion criteria: postnatal age younger than 3 days and ventilation for less than 8 hours; exclusion criteria: severe asphyxia, severe IVH, major congenital malformations, and administration of neuromuscular blockers). INTERVENTIONS Intravenous morphine (100 microg/kg and 10 microg/kg per hour) or placebo infusion was given for 7 days (or less because of clinical necessity in several cases). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The analgesic effect of morphine, as assessed using validated scales; the effect of morphine on the incidence of IVH; and poor neurologic outcome. RESULTS The analgesic effect did not differ between the morphine and placebo groups, judging from the following median (interquartile range) pain scores: Premature Infant Pain Profile, 10.1 (8.2-11.6) vs 10.0 (8.2-12.0) (P =.94); Neonatal Infant Pain Scale, 4.8 (3.7-6.0) vs 4.8 (3.2-6.0) (P =.58); and visual analog scale, 2.8 (2.0-3.9) vs 2.6 (1.8-4.3) (P =.14), respectively. Routine morphine infusion decreased the incidence of IVH (23% vs 40%, P =.04) but did not influence poor neurologic outcome (10% vs 16%, P =.66). In addition, analyses were adjusted for the use of additional open-label morphine (27% of morphine group vs 40% of placebo group, P =.10). CONCLUSIONS Lack of a measurable analgesic effect and absence of a beneficial effect on poor neurologic outcome do not support the routine use of morphine infusions as a standard of care in preterm newborns who have received ventilatory support. Follow-up is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of morphine infusions on the neurobehavioral outcomes of prematurity.
Effects of Clopidogrel on Vascular Proliferation and Apoptosis in an Atherosclerotic Rabbit Model

Inflammation, vascular proliferation. and apoptosis contribute to the process of atherosclerosis. Clopidogrel has been used to treat atherosclerosis; however, the mechanism is not entirely known. Compared with those of atorvastatin, we determined effects of clopidogrel on inflammatory factors, vascular proliferation, and apoptosis in an atherosclerosis rabbit model. New Zealand white rabbits were fed a normal diet or a high cholesterol diet for 7 weeks. The right iliac artery of animals except those in the negative control group were balloon-injured 1 week after initiation of the diet, and groups of animals were treated with clopidogrel (4 mg/kg per day), atorvastatin (2.5 mg/kg per day), or placebo (positive control group) for 6 weeks. We found that the placebo group had significant progression of atherosclerosis compared with the negative control group. In contrast, clopidogrel- or atorvastatin-treated rabbits showed a significant reduction in progression of atherosclerosis, including a low expression of high sensitivity C-reactive protein and platelet-derived growth factor, a reduced intima thickness, and reduced ratio of bcl-2/bax in the vascular wall. These results suggest that clopidogrel can retard the progression of established lesions that is related to inhibiting inflammation, cell proliferation, and promotion of cell apoptosis.
Is Epistaxis Evidence of End‐Organ Damage in Patients With Hypertension?

Objectives/Hypothesis: To study the association between history of mild to severe epistaxis with different stages of hypertension and with other evidence of target organ damage in a sample of patients attending an outpatient hypertension clinic, controlling for potential confounding factors. Study Design: A survey of adult patients with hypertension. Methods: A consecutive sample of 323 adults with hypertension was studied. The main outcome measures were history of adult epistaxis, high blood pressure, duration of hypertension, nasal abnormalities, and fundoscopic and electrocardiogram abnormalities. Results: Ninety‐four patients (29.1% of the whole sample) reported at least one episode of nosebleed after 18 years of age. Of these, 59 (62.8%) needed medical assistance to control at least one of the episodes. The history of epistaxis was not associated with blood pressure classified according to the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension paradigm or classified as severe or not severe. There was a trend of an association between history of epistaxis and duration of hypertension. The history of severe epistaxis (epistaxis that needed medical assistance) was not associated with blood pressure classified as severe or not severe and with duration of hypertension. More patients with left ventricular hypertrophy had a positive history of adult epistaxis. There was no association between history of epistaxis or history of severe epistaxis and fundoscopic abnormalities. Among the abnormalities detected at rhinoscopy, only the presence of enlarged septal vessels was associated with history of epistaxis. The presence of enlarged septal vessels was strongly and independently associated with history of epistaxis in the logistic regression model. Duration of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy showed a trend for an association with the history of epistaxis in the adult life. Conclusions: A definite association between blood pressure and history of adult epistaxis in hypertensive patients was not found. The evidence for an association of duration of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy with epistaxis suggests that epistaxis might be a consequence of long‐lasting hypertension. The association between the presence of enlarged vessels at rhinoscopy with history of epistaxis in hypertensive patients is a novel observation that needs to be addressed in future observations.
CEO Compensation and Board Structure

In response to corporate scandals in 2001 and 2002, major U.S. stock exchanges issued new board requirements to enhance board oversight. We find a significant decrease in CEO compensation for firms that were more affected by these requirements, compared with firms that were less affected, taking into account unobservable firm effects, time-varying industry effects, size, and performance. The decrease in compensation is particularly pronounced in the subset of affected firms with no outside blockholder on the board and in affected firms with low concentration of institutional investors. Our results suggest that the new board requirements affected CEO compensation decisions.
Knockdown of ERK/Slug signals sensitizes HL-60 Leukemia cells to Cytarabine via upregulation of PUMA.

OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of early chemosensitivity and later chemoresistance of Cytarabine (Cyt) to HL-60 cells to regulate ERK/Slug signal pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS HL-60 cells were stably transfected with NF-κBp65 siRNA，P53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) siRNA (PUMA siRNA) and Slug siRNA respectively or exposed to 25 nM U0126 for 24h, then the cells were exposed to Cyt (250 nM) respectively. In different time point after Cyt treatment, the activity of NF-κB and the expression of Erk1/2, NF-κBp65, Slug and PUMA protein were detected. The cells survival rate and apoptotic index were detected by MTT and TUNEL methods. RESULTS After the HL-60 cells were exposed to Cyt (250 nM) for 24 h, the activity of NF-κB reached maximum value, and reached minimum value for 48 h. The expressions of NF-κBp65 and PUMA reached maximum value after exporser to Cyt (250 nM) for 24 h, and reached minimum value after 48 h. Erk1/2 phosphorylation and Slug expression began to increase after exporser to Cyt (250 nM) for 24 h, and reached maximum value for 48 h. The cells survival rate was decreased, and arrived to minimum value (29.5 ± 4.6, F = 12.74, p < 0.01). The cells apotosis rate was increased, and arrived to maximum value (14.2 ± 2.8, F = 15.02, p < 0.01). By inhibiting NF-κBp65 or PUMA by siRNA transfection, the cells survival rate was enhanced and the apotosis rate was significantly declined after exporsed to Cyt (250 nM). When NF-κBp65 was inhibited, the expression of PUMA was decreased. By inhibiting Erk1/2 phosphorylation and Slug expression, the cells survival rate began to decrease for 24 h, and reached the fewest at 48 h after exporsed to Cyt (250 nM) (19.8 ± 2.7, F = 11.4, p < 0.01 and 17.4 ± 0.6, F = 15.3, p < 0.01). The cells apotosis rate began to increase from 24 h, and reach a head at 48 h after exporser to Cyt (250 nM) (28.6 ± 4.7, F = 9.84, p < 0.01 and 27.6 ± 6.4, F = 10.31, p < 0.01. After Erk1/2 phosphorylation inhibited, Slug expression was lowered and PUMA expression was significantly increased. The changes are most distinct after the cells were exporser to Cyt (250 nM) for 48 h. By Slug inhibition had no effect on Erk1/2 phosphorylation, but increase the expression of PUMA. CONCLUSIONS The chemosensitiveness of HL-60 cells to Cyt were relation to the up-regulation of PUMA induced by NF-κB. The chemoresistance to Cyt was related to the up-regulation of Slug induced by Erk1/2, which inhibited the expression of PUMA.
Ensuring Effective Impact of Continuing Professional Development: Saudi Science Teachers’ Perspective

Background:In Saudi Arabia, a large-scale science education reform requires teachers to shift from traditional teaching methods to spending more time developing their subject knowledge, shifting from shallow coverage of facts and procedures, to more in-depth focus on concepts and ‘hands-on’ engagement. Teachers’ professional development programs in the country are undertaken as short training sessions that centered on theoretical pedagogical knowledge and ignore practical, skills, and the content knowledge. The overarching goal to assess the impact of CPD opportunities in the country to better suit the professional needs of Saudi science teachers and support them in implementing the reformed instructional practices.Materials and methods:Data were collected from 609 male and female Saudi science teachers by means of closed and open ended questionnaire and later interviews with 9 teachers.Results:Findings indicated that several Saudi science teachers have benefited from participating in the CPD programs but have also faced several challenges. Further analysis of the data resulted into five major themes.Conclusions:The data of this study suggests that in order for CPD programs to effectively impact teachers’ classroom practices, they have to be personally meaningful to teachers, covers both content and pedagogy, and encourage teachers to create professinal learning communities,
Advising depression patients to reduce alcohol and drug use: factors associated with provider intervention in outpatient psychiatry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mental health clinicians have an important opportunity to help depression patients reduce co-occurring alcohol and drug use. This study examined demographic and clinical patient characteristics and service factors associated with receiving a recommendation to reduce alcohol and drug use from providers in a university-based outpatient psychiatry clinic. METHODS The sample consisted of 97 participants ages 18 and older who reported hazardous drinking (≥3 drinks/occasion), illegal drug use (primarily cannabis) or misuse of prescription drugs, and who scored ≥15 on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Participants were interviewed at intake and 6 months. RESULTS At 6-month telephone interview, 30% of participants reported that a clinic provider had recommended that they reduce alcohol or drug use. In logistic regression, factors associated with receiving advice to reduce use included greater number of drinks consumed in the 30 days prior to intake (p = .035); and greater depression severity on the BDI-II (p = .096) and hazardous drinking at 6 months (p = .05). CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE While participants with greater alcohol intake and depression symptom severity were more likely to receive advice to reduce use, the low overall rate of recommendation to reduce use highlights the need to improve alcohol and drug use intervention among depression patients, and potentially to address alcohol and drug training and treatment implementation issues among mental health providers.
Cardiac morbidity of adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer.

PURPOSE Adjuvant breast irradiation has been associated with an increase in cardiac mortality, because left-sided breast radiation can produce cardiac damage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether modern adjuvant radiotherapy is associated with increased risk of cardiac morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database were used for women who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer from 1986 to 1993, had known disease laterality, underwent breast surgery, and received adjuvant radiotherapy. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to compare patients with left- versus right-sided breast cancer for the end points of hospitalization with the following discharge diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes): ischemic heart disease (410-414, 36.0, and 36.1), valvular heart disease (394-397, 424, 35), congestive heart failure (428, 402.01, 402.11, 402.91, and 425), and conduction abnormalities (426, 427, 37.7-37.8, and 37.94-37.99). RESULTS Eight thousand three hundred sixty-three patients had left-sided breast cancer, and 7,907 had right-sided breast cancer. Mean follow-up was 9.5 years (range, 0 to 15 years). There were no significant differences in patients with left- versus right-sided cancers for hospitalization for ischemic heart disease (9.9% v 9.7%), valvular heart disease (2.9% v 2.8%), conduction abnormalities (9.7% v 9.6%), or heart failure (9.7% v 9.7%). The adjusted hazard ratio for left- versus right-sided breast cancer was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.94 to 1.16) for ischemic heart disease, 1.07 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.30) for valvular heart disease, 1.07 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.19) for conduction abnormalities, and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.17) for heart failure. CONCLUSION With up to 15 years of follow-up there were no significant differences in cardiac morbidity after radiation for left- versus right-sided breast cancer.
Expression of Transforming Growth Factor Type III Receptor in Vascular Endothelial Cells Increases Their Responsiveness to Transforming Growth Factor β2 (*)

Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) express both type I and type II receptors for transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). These cells respond to TGFβ1 but are relatively refractory to another isoform of TGFβ, termed TGFβ2. TGFβs are thought to signal through receptor complexes composed of type I and/or type II receptors, both of which appear to be functional serine-threonine kinases. The TGFβ type III receptor, on the other hand, does not seem to have any direct signaling capacity. We have now stably transfected BAECs with the type III receptor cDNA. These cells displayed surface expression of the type III receptor protein, as determined by cross-linking with iodinated TGFβ1 and immunoprecipitation with antibodies to the type III receptor protein. Transfected BAECs exhibit increased responsiveness to TGFβ2 by several different criteria including an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 protein and inhibition of migration and proliferation. Thus, the type III receptor protein may play a role in presenting TGFβ2 to the type II receptor and increase responsiveness to TGFβ2 to a level comparable to that of TGFβ1.
Economic behaviour during conflict : education and labour market participation in Internally Displaced People's camps in Northern Uganda

This dissertation investigates men and women’s labour force participation and children’s education outcomes using original data collected in Ugandan Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps in 2005 and 2007. The random nature of the conflict and mass displacement in the region is exploited to identify their impacts on behaviour. Furthermore, a randomized trial of two alternative food for education programs implemented in the IDP camps is evaluated. The impacts of the programs on primary school participation, cognitive development, and learning achievement are investigated. The first chapter introduces the dissertation and explores the research setting by detailing the randomized school feeding experiment and the data collection process. It considers the context in which the data was collected, focusing on the conflict in the region at the time. The second chapter uses this unique data set and the exogenous nature of the conflict and resulting displacement in Northern Uganda to examine their impacts on labour market participation. I find that the longer the existence of the camp to which people moved, the less men work. In contrast, women’s labour market decisions are not influenced by the age of the Internally Displaced People’s camp in which they live. I argue that these responses result from the development of gender-specific social norms regarding idleness and not from a lack of opportunities. A decline in the percentage of men working in a camp leads to a reduction in the probability that a given man works. The third and fourth chapters provide solid empirical evidence of the educational impacts of two food for education programs. Joint with my co-
Further Validation of the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction

We conducted two studies to further test the validity of the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction for long-term opposite-sex relationships (IEMSS; Lawrance & Byers, 1995). Study 1 examined, in a sample of 79 individuals, the extent to which the history of sexual exchanges is associated with sexual satisfaction as well as whether changes in sexual rewards and costs are associated with change in sexual satisfaction. Using a sample of 104 couples, Study 2 examined whether partner rewards and costs add to individuals' own sexual satisfaction over and above own sexual rewards and costs for men or women. The results provided further evidence for the validity of the IEMSS, including support for the propositions that in long-term relationships: (a) sexual satisfaction is influenced by the history of sexual rewards and costs rather than by rewards and costs at a particular point in time; (b) decreases in sexual satisfaction are associated with sexual exchanges becoming less favorable; and (c) satisfaction is influenced by dyadic factors for both men and women.
Association between prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and obesity development at ages 5 and 7 y: a prospective cohort study of 656 children from the Faroe Islands.

BACKGROUND Chemicals with endocrine-disrupting abilities may act as obesogens and interfere with the body's natural weight-control mechanisms, especially if exposure occurs during prenatal life. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and subsequent obesity at 5 and 7 y of age. DESIGN From 1997 to 2000, 656 pregnant Faroese women were recruited. PCB and DDE were measured in maternal serum and breast milk, and children's weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured at clinical examinations at 5 and 7 y of age. The change in body mass index (BMI) from 5 to 7 y of age was calculated. Analyses were performed by using multiple linear regression models for girls and boys separately, taking into account maternal prepregnancy BMI. RESULTS For 7-y-old girls who had overweight mothers, PCB was associated with increased BMI (β = 2.07, P = 0.007), and PCB and DDE were associated with an increased change in BMI from 5 to 7 y of age (PCB: β = 1.23, P = 0.003; DDE: β = 1.11, P = 0.008). No association was observed with BMI in girls with normal-weight mothers. PCB was associated with increased WC in girls with overweight mothers (β = 2.48, P = 0.001) and normal-weight mothers (β = 1.25, P = 0.04); DDE was associated with increased WC only in girls with overweight mothers (β = 2.21, P = 0.002). No associations were observed between PCB or DDE and BMI in 5-y-old girls. For boys, no associations were observed. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that prenatal exposure to PCB and DDE may play a role for subsequent obesity development. Girls whose mothers have a high prepregnancy BMI seem most affected.
Influence of Green and Lean Upstream Supply Chain Management Practices on Business Sustainability

Green and lean paradigms have been adopted by companies in order to manage their relationships with suppliers in a supply chain management context, but nearly always separately and with little understanding of their influence on company performance. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the analysis of the influence of green and lean upstream supply chain management practices on the sustainable development of businesses. To attend this objective, a set of performance measures covering economic (operational cost, environmental cost, and inventory cost), environmental (business wastage, green image, and CO2 emission), and social (corruption risk, supplier screening and local supplier) perspectives is proposed. An explanatory case study was conducted at a Portuguese automaker to test qualitatively the validity of the proposed theoretical framework. From the case study, a model is suggested, which encompasses the relationships between green and lean upstream supply chain practices and sustainable business development.