Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Primary Cilia Distribution and Morphology During Lactation, Stasis, and Involution in the Bovine Mammary Gland

Primary cilia are small, sensory organelles projecting from virtually all cells and are vital for cellular and tissue function. Their distribution in bovine mammary tissue has not previously been assessed, despite the potential for these organelles to provide specialized perceptive and regulatory functions to this acutely responsive and adaptive gland. The research objectives were to assess ciliary distribution and morphology during active lactation, milk stasis, and early involution using tissue samples obtained following the abrupt cessation of milk removal in nonpregnant, Friesian dairy cows at mid‐lactation. Routinely processed tissue sections were obtained at intervals from 6 to 192 hr after the last milking (N = 3 animals per group) and assigned to active lactation (6–12 hr), milk stasis (18–36 hr), and early involution (72–192 hr). Primary cilia were observed in luminal secretory epithelial cells (SECs), myoepithelial cells, and stromal cells following fluorescent immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. In SECs, some primary cilia appeared deflected against the apical cell membrane. The proportion of those deflected was greater during milk stasis than active lactation. Data show that primary cilia were suitably placed in three important cell types to potentially coordinate various forms of signal transduction relying on both mechanosensation and chemosensation, according to the physical and physiological state of the gland. Their cell‐type distribution and morphology provide new directions in the study of mammary regulation to enhance the understanding of how various mammary‐specific cellular responses may be initiated by biochemical or local biophysical factors. Anat Rec, 296:1943–1953, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Osteosarcoma enters a post genomic era with in silico opportunities: Generation of the High Dimensional Database for facilitating sarcoma biology research: A report from the Children's Oncology Group and the QuadW Foundation

The prospective banking of osteosarcoma tissue samples to promote research endeavors has been realized through the establishment of a nationally centralized biospecimen repository, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) biospecimen bank located at the Biopathology Center (BPC)/Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Although the physical inventory of osteosarcoma biospecimens is substantive (>15,000 sample specimens), the nature of these resources remains exhaustible. Despite judicious allocation of these high-value biospecimens for conducting sarcoma-related research, a deeper understanding of osteosarcoma biology, in particular metastases, remains unrealized. In addition the identification and development of novel diagnostics and effective therapeutics remain elusive. The QuadW-COG Childhood Sarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office (CSBAO) has developed the High Dimensional Data (HDD) platform to complement the existing physical inventory and to promote in silico hypothesis testing in sarcoma biology. The HDD is a relational biologic database derived from matched osteosarcoma biospecimens in which diverse experimental readouts have been generated and digitally deposited. As proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that the HDD platform can be utilized to address previously unrealized biologic questions though the systematic juxtaposition of diverse datasets derived from shared biospecimens. The continued population of the HDD platform with high-value, high-throughput and mineable datasets allows a shared and reusable resource for researchers, both experimentalists and bioinformatics investigators, to propose and answer questions in silico that advance our understanding of osteosarcoma biology.
Political Activism: New Challenges, New Opportunities

Research on political activism compares the ways that citizens participate, the processes that lead them to do so, and the consequences of these acts. The standard paradigm was established in earlier decades by the seminal works in the social psychological tradition: Gabriel A. Almond and Sidney Verba’s The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations (1963), Sidney Verba and Norman Nie’s Participation in America (1972), Sidney Verba, Norman H. Nie, and Jae-on Kim’s Participation and Political Equality: A Seven-Nation Comparison (1978), and Samuel Barnes and Max Kaase’s Political Action: Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies (1979).
Product Market Deregulation and Growth: New Country-Industry-Level Evidence

The paper investigates the economic effects of major product market reforms in some of the historically most protected non-manufacturing industries. It relies on a unique mapping between new annual data on reform shocks and sector-level outcomes for five network industries (electricity and gas, land transport, air transport, postal services, and telecommunications) in twenty-six countries spanning over three decades. The use of a threedimensional panel and careful instrumentation of reform shocks using external instruments enables us to control for economy-wide macroeconomic shocks and address possible sources of omitted variable bias more broadly. Using a local projection method, we find that major reductions in barriers to entry yield large increases in output and labor productivity over a five-year horizon, concomitant with a relative price decline. By contrast, there is only a weak positive effect on sectoral employment, and investment is essentially unaffected, suggesting that output gains from reform primarily reflect higher total factor productivity. It takes some time for these gains to materialize: effects become statistically significant two to three years after the reform, as prices start dropping, and productivity and output increase significantly. However, there is no evidence of any negative short-term cost from reform, including under weak macroeconomic conditions. These findings provide a clear case for intensifying product market reform efforts in advanced economies at the current juncture of weak growth.
Dark-Pulse Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Sensor With 20-mm Spatial Resolution

Brillouin scattering-based distributed fiber-optic sensing is a powerful measurement tool that uses the inelastic scattering of incident light by an acoustic wave (phonon) to determine strain and/or temperature conditions of the fiber. Since the original Brillouin-time-domain-analysis (BOTDA) technique was proposed, several other analysis methods have been introduced to improve sensing performance in four key areas: spatial resolution; measurement accuracy; total sensing length; and measurement-acquisition time. The four factors are generally interrelated and improvements to one factor often come at the cost of one or more of the others. For example, one system might sacrifice spatial resolution for total sensing length, while another might sacrifice accuracy to gain acquisition speed. We present a BOTDA system based on dark-pulse scattering that provides improved resolution, accuracy, and acquisition time over conventional BOTDA systems, without the severe limitations on sensing length often imposed by other high-resolution techniques. Theoretical validation of the method is given, and experimental results are presented that demonstrate 20-mm resolution strain measurements with an accuracy of plusmn20 muepsiv, which is the highest spatial resolution yet reported for a BOTDA system
Examining the Impact of Restaurant Innovativeness on Relationship Quality in Luxury Restaurants

ABSTRACT Despite the importance of innovation as a determinant for the success of restaurant businesses, little research has been conducted on the postconsumption evaluations of the image of restaurant innovativeness as perceived by the customer. In order to fill this important gap in the literature, the purpose of this study is to examine the perception of restaurant innovativeness and the effect of this construct on relationship quality. Based on a review of the literature, a conceptual model was developed hypothesizing the effects of the overall image of restaurant innovation on three determinant attributes of relationship quality: trust, commitment, and satisfaction. The model was then tested using data collected from 398 luxury restaurant patrons. The results of data indicate that the overall image of restaurant innovativeness is positively related to relationship quality in the luxury restaurant setting. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are considered.
Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings

The aim of this study was to examine hind limb scaling of the musculoskeletal system in the Macropodoidea, the superfamily containing wallabies and kangaroos, to re‐examine the effect of size on the locomotor mechanics and physiology of marsupial hopping. Morphometric musculoskeletal analyses were conducted of 15 species and skeletal specimens of 21 species spanning a size range from 0.8 to 80 kg that included representatives of 12 of the 16 extant genera of macropodoids. We found that unlike other groups, macropodoids are able to match force demands associated with increasing body size primarily through a combination of positive allometry in muscle area and muscle moment arms. Isometric scaling of primary hind limb bones suggests, however, that larger species experience relatively greater bone stresses. Muscle to tendon area ratios of the ankle extensors scale with strong positive allometry, indicating that peak tendon stresses also increase with increasing body size but to a lesser degree than previously reported. Consistent with previous morphological and experimental studies, large macropodoids are therefore better suited for elastic strain energy recovery but operate at lower safety factors, which likely poses an upper limit to body size. Scaling patterns for extant macropodoids suggest that extinct giant kangaroos (~250 kg) were likely limited in locomotor capacity.
Restoring monarch butterfly habitat in the Midwestern US: ‘all hands on deck’

The eastern migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) has declined by >80% within the last two decades. One possible cause of this decline is the loss of ≥1.3 billion stems of milkweed (Asclepias spp.), which monarchs require for reproduction. In an effort to restore monarchs to a population goal established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and adopted by Mexico, Canada, and the US, we developed scenarios for amending the Midwestern US landscape with milkweed. Scenarios for milkweed restoration were developed for protected area grasslands, Conservation Reserve Program land, powerline, rail and roadside rights of way, urban/suburban lands, and land in agricultural production. Agricultural land was further divided into productive and marginal cropland. We elicited expert opinion as to the biological potential (in stems per acre) for lands in these individual sectors to support milkweed restoration and the likely adoption (probability) of management practices necessary for affecting restoration. Sixteen of 218 scenarios we developed for restoring milkweed to the Midwestern US were at levels (>1.3 billion new stems) necessary to reach the monarch population goal. One of these scenarios would convert all marginal agriculture to conserved status. The other 15 scenarios converted half of marginal agriculture (730 million stems), with remaining stems contributed by other societal sectors. Scenarios without substantive agricultural participation were insufficient for attaining the population goal. Agricultural lands are essential to reaching restoration targets because they occupy 77% of all potential monarch habitat. Barring fundamental changes to policy, innovative application of economic tools such as habitat exchanges may provide sufficient resources to tip the balance of the agro-ecological landscape toward a setting conducive to both robust agricultural production and reduced imperilment of the migratory monarch butterfly.
A Combinatorial Heuristic Approach for Solving Real-Size Machinery Location and Road Design Problems in Forestry Planning

The location and operation of harvest machinery, along with the design and construction of access roads, are important problems faced by forestry planners, making up about 55% of total production costs. One of the main challenges consists of finding a design that will minimize the cost of installation and operation of harvest machinery, road construction, and timber transport, while complying with the technical restrictions that apply to the operation of harvesting equipment and road construction. We can model the network design problem as a mixed-integer linear programming problem. This model is fed with cartographic information, provided by a geographic information system (GIS), along with technical and economic parameters determined by the planner. We developed a specialized heuristic for the problem to obtain solutions that enable harvesting economically profitable volumes at a low cost. This methodology was programmed into a computer system known as PLANEX and is being applied in nine forestry companies that report important benefits from its use.
Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and sports in countries with limited replacement coagulation factor supply

Summary. It is well documented that physiotherapy and rehabilitation benefit people with haemophilia by strengthening the key muscle groups and protecting joints from the adverse effects of repeated haemorrhages. Rehabilitation, in conjunction with the availability of replacement coagulation factor products, has revolutionized approaches to the management of patients with haemophilia in developed countries and has led to a substantial decrease in both the morbidity and mortality rates among the haemophilic population. Modern treatment approaches have also enabled persons with haemophilia to participate in sporting activities along with their peers; however, these improvements in care have not been achieved in developing nations, where health‐care resources and facilities are scarce and the supply of coagulation factor products is limited. This article attempts to address the following questions about the management of haemophilic patients in developing countries: Can physiotherapy, rehabilitation and sports prevent disabilities and preserve independence? Is participation in sports activities possible in developing countries? Do countries differ with regard to guidelines for participation in sports? Should we be encouraging participation in sports or allowing patients with haemophilia to do as they choose?
Factors determining the use of nutrition labels: The case of Malaysia

ABSTRACT The rising prevalence of diet-related illnesses, the most visible of health problems, in both developed and developing countries has become a serious public health concern. Nutrition labeling plays an important role in promoting healthy diet and, thus, in improving population health. The objective of the present study is to investigate how socioeconomic factors—age, income, gender, education, marital status, house locality and employment status—affect the use of nutrition labels among Malaysian adults. The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey of Malaysia, which consisted of 34,539 respondents, is used for analysis. A logit model is developed to examine the probability of using nutrition labels. Evidence from the present study shows that age, income, gender, education, and marital status are significantly associated with the use of nutrition labels. In particular, age reduces the likelihood of using nutrition labels, while high income earners, females, the well-educated, and married individuals are more likely to use nutrition labels. The findings of the present study suggest that differentiated targeted efforts should be used on the various population groups identified when implementing programs and activities promoting the use of nutrition labels.
A prospective study of factors affecting quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To prospectively identify factors influencing quality of life (QOL) over 6 months in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Ninety ethnically diverse patients with SLE completed questionnaires administered 6 months apart assessing QOL (using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36) and demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. Disease activity, damage, and treatment were recorded at both evaluations. Multiple linear regression (adjusting for baseline health status) was used to identify factors influencing mental and physical health. RESULTS Improved physical health after 6 months was associated with reductions in learned helplessness (p = 0.034), improved mental health (p<0.001), longer disease duration (p = 0.009), and better physical health at baseline (p = 0.027). Improved mental health after 6 months was associated with better family support (p = 0.002), improvements in physical health (p<0.001), disease activity, and prednisolone dose (interaction term p = 0.019), less disease related damage (p<0.001), non-use of cytotoxic drugs (p = 0.02), and older age at diagnosis (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION Potentially modifiable psychosocial, disease, and therapy related factors influence QOL in patients with SLE.
Interest aggregators, not office chasers: evidence for party convergence and divergence in Australia

ABSTRACT This paper examines whether Australia’s major political parties continue to fulfil a representational role. This was often the traditional view of the parties, but has been much criticised in recent decades by scholars arguing they have largely converged, moderating their policies and abandoning their links with civil society. Here I outline a theoretical framework – supported with evidence from four empirical tests – that characterises the major parties as interest aggregators representing electoral alliances made up of politicians, activists, financial contributors and voters, united by key economic policy goals. These actors create a centrifugal force, pushing party policies away from each other in salient areas. Using this framework, I theorise that the parties matter for policy outcomes, building on the assumption that cleavages in the social structure are reflected in the political system, with policy implementation the result of the competing demands and interests of the parties’ constituencies.
Molecular Analysis of the Protease-Resistant Prion Protein in Scrapie and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Transmitted to Ovine Transgenic and Wild-Type Mice

ABSTRACT The existence of different strains of infectious agents involved in scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of sheep and goats, remains poorly explained. These strains can, however, be differentiated by characteristics of the disease in mice and also by the molecular features of the protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres) that accumulates into the infected tissues. For further analysis, we first transmitted the disease from brain samples of TSE-infected sheep to ovine transgenic [Tg(OvPrP4)] and to wild-type (C57BL/6) mice. We show that, as in sheep, molecular differences of PrPres detected by Western blotting can differentiate, in both ovine transgenic and wild-type mice, infection by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent from most scrapie sources. Similarities of an experimental scrapie isolate (CH1641) with BSE were also likewise found following transmission in ovine transgenic mice. Secondly, we transmitted the disease to ovine transgenic mice by inoculation of brain samples of wild-type mice infected with different experimental scrapie strains (C506M3, 87V, 79A, and Chandler) or with BSE. Features of these strains in ovine transgenic mice were reminiscent of those previously described for wild-type mice, by both ratios and by molecular masses of the different PrPres glycoforms. Moreover, these studies revealed the diversity of scrapie strains and their differences with BSE according to labeling by a monoclonal antibody (P4). These data, in an experimental model expressing the prion protein of the host of natural scrapie, further suggest a genuine diversity of TSE infectious agents and emphasize its linkage to the molecular features of the abnormal prion protein.
Comparison of heat-labile enterotoxins from porcine and human strains of Escherichia coli

Heat-labile enterotoxins (LTs) from porcine EWD299) and human (H74-114) enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli were isolated by a single-step galactose elution procedure. Although both strains had similar amounts of LT in their whole-cell lysates, H74-114 yielded a smaller quantity of purified LT than did EWD299. Immunodiffusion studies with specific antisera revealed that although the two LTs shared major antigenic determinants each also had unique antigens. Both also had shared and unique specificities in comparison with the cholera enterotoxin (choleragen). Differences also exist in the apparent molecular weights of their B-subunit oligomers (coligenoid) as well as in the B-subunit monomers. The monomer molecular weights are 11,500 for EWD299 porcine LT and 12,700 for H74-114 human LT. The results suggest that either this isolated human LT has a tetrameric coligenoid or it moves differently in sodium dodecyl sulfate gels for other reasons. The A-subunits of both LTs were similar in size (28,000 daltons), and both LTs were activated by mild proteolytic processing. Amino acid analysis showed a threefold increase in the level of tryptophan and two- and fourfold decreases in the levels of glutamic acid and methionine, respectively, in H74-114 LT compared with EWD299 LT. These structural and antigenic differences may prove to be significant in immunoprophylaxis of the cholera-coli family of enterotoxins. Further studies to define the extent of evolutionary drift of these toxins are needed.
Quality Rhetoric and Citizens’ Satisfaction Measurement - Selected Practice of the CAF Instrument in Czech Municipal Public Administration

The movement of quality is visible across European public administrations. The paper discusses approaches to quality management in the Czech public administration. It focuses on selected municipal practice of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). The paper is based particularly on the analysis of self-assessment reports produced by self-assessment teams of 12 municipalities which implemented the instrument. The analysis focuses on their self-evaluations of CAF 2002s criteria which require practice of participatory decision-making and measurement of citizens/clients satisfaction. The paper was elaborated with the support of the Czech Science Foundation (Grant no. 402/07/1486).
Impact of Mode Decision Delay on Estimation Error for Maneuvering Target Interception

For highly maneuvering target interception in terminal guidance, state estimation error is characterized. First, the estimator's state space model is constructed with a stochastic linear hybrid system (SLHS) in the presence of the unknown lateral acceleration of the evader. If the mode switches of SLHS are observable, the mode decision-maker can correctly identify the mode (or discrete state) sequence with a known delay, called mode decision delay. Then, the dynamics of continuous-state estimation error is constructed analytically given the mode decision delay. To achieve the guaranteed performance, the upper bound of mode decision delay and the lower bound of mode sojourn time are found. Finally, the results are corroborated through a simulation of the typical heading-on interception scenario. The conclusions in this paper are directive to the design and performance analysis of SLHS estimator.