Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity among Brazilian soybean cultivars based on SSR loci and pedigree data

Locos microssatelites e dados de genealogia foram utilizados para avaliar a diversidade genetica de um grupo de 168 cultivares brasileiras de soja. Os dezoito locos utilizados apresentaram em media 5,06 alelos por loco e coeficiente de diversidade genetica medio de 0,58. O dendrograma final resultante da matriz de distância genetica de Roger modificado por Wright, apresentou boa concordância com a ancestralidade dos grupos formados. Tambem foi estimado os coeficientes de parentesco entre as cultivares, sendo observada variacao de 0 a 1 com media de 0,18, enquanto que as similaridades para os locos microssatelites (1- GD) variou de 0,01 a 0,90 com media de 0,25. A correlacao entre as duas matrizes obtidas determinada pelo teste Z de Mantel apresentou valor baixo, 0,31, mas significativo (p<0,001). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que os locos microssatelites aliados as informacoes de genealogia proporcionam melhor analise da diversidade genetica de cultivares de soja.
Role of Medium Chain Triglycerides (Axona®) in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists provides symptomatic relief but do not prevent its progression. Thus, additional approaches aimed at slowing the progression of the disease have been investigated. Reports detailing reduced brain glucose metabolism in the early stages of AD led to the hypothesis that alternate energy sources aimed at increasing neuronal metabolism may protect neurons and thus benefit patients with AD. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are metabolized to ketone bodies that serve as an alternative source of energy for neurons. Data from clinical trials suggest that MCTs improve cognition in patients with mild to moderate AD in apolipoprotein E4–negative patients. Adverse events observed were mild and included minor gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, and flatulence. However, since genomic profiles are not routinely conducted in patients with AD in a clinical setting, the role of MCTs in clinical practice seems to be minimal.
Paired-associate learning as a function of stimulus and response satiation.

Two experiments, one using highly meaningful pairs and the other using low meaningful pairs, were performed to determine the effects of stimulus and response satiation in paired-associate learning. Results indicated that: (a) satiation treatment of highly meaningful words produces a decrease in their meaning, whereas similar treatment of low meaningful words does not produce significant semantic change; (b) with highly meaningful S-R pairs, pre-learning satiation of either the stimulus or the response words retards subsequent learning, whereas with low meaningful S—R pairs only stimulus satiation produces such retardation. Results are explained in terms of two factors involved in the satiation procedure: a meaning decrement and the development of a word-word habit. The importance of these two factors for stimulus and response positions is discussed.
Corporate Reputation in Bond Market: Evidence from Lawsuits

This paper documents how debt holders respond to possible loss of reputational capital of firms involved in corporate lawsuits revealing a significant tightening impact on issuers’ public debt properties. All else equal, investment grade bonds of litigated issuers have 4.9% higher yield spread, 11-month shorter maturity, and $14.7 million less issuance volume than propensity score matched bonds of non-litigated issuers. The effect is more pronounced in bank-loan related cases, when issuers were defendants, or lost the case. Issuers’ political connections moderate bond price sensitivity to litigations. Results suggest a causal link between litigation and cost of debt and are robust to alternative tests. Additionally, the paper reports a negative and significant abnormal bond return and excess trading volume around public announcements of lawsuits.
Muscular and CNS effects of carotid artery administration of contrast media in rabbits.

Facial muscle twitching during intracarotid injections of nonionic contrast media has been observed in rabbits. To investigate the cause of this reaction, cortical EEG and facial EMG recordings were made from rabbits receiving selective internal and external carotid artery injections of control solutions (normal saline, mannitol), an ionic contrast medium (meglumine iothalamate), and three nonionic contrast media (iohexol, iopromide, and iotrolan). Internal carotid artery injections with all contrast media, both ionic and nonionic, produced ipsilateral EEG changes in 24 of 28 animals; however, ipsilateral EMG changes and visible twitching were observed only in animals injected with nonionic contrast media. Internal carotid artery injections with control ionic and nonionic solutions (physiological saline and mannitol, respectively) produced no EEG changes in any animals. Mannitol produced only ipsilateral EMG changes and visible twitching in most animals. The severity of the reaction to mannitol was generally less than that to the nonionic contrast media, and this difference was statistically significant when comparing mannitol with iohexol and iotrolan but not with iopromide. External carotid artery injections with nonionic solutions (contrast media and mannitol) produced significantly more severe ipsilateral EMG changes and visible twitching than were recorded with the internal carotid artery injections. Ionic solutions (contrast media and saline) had no effect. EEG changes were not observed after external carotid artery injection of any solution, with the exception of two of the seven animals injected with iotrolan. Angiography demonstrated retrograde filling of the external carotid arterial system from internal carotid artery injection via functioning orbital anastamoses. In contrast, internal carotid arterial vessels were not seen angiographically after external carotid artery injection. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Neptune's Story

It is conjectured that Triton was captured from a heliocentric orbit as the result of a collision with what was then one of Neptune's regular satellites. The immediate post-capture orbit was highly eccentric with a semimajor axis a ∼ 103RN and a periapse distance rp that oscillated periodically above a minimum value of about 5RN. Dissipation due to tides raised by Neptune in Triton caused Triton's orbit to evolve to its present state in ≲109 years. For much of this time Triton was almost entirely molten. While its orbit was evolving, Triton cannibalized most of the regular satellites of Neptune and also perturbed Nereid, thus accounting for that satellite's highly eccentric and inclined orbit. The only regular satellites of Neptune that survived were those that formed well within 5RN and they move on inclined orbits as the result of chaotic perturbations forced by Triton. Neptune's arcs are confined around the corotation resonances of one of these inner satellites. The widths and lengths of the arcs imply that the satellite's radius is at least 30/(sin i)2/3 kilometers for i ≲ 1, where i is the angle of inclination.
Could competition always raise the risk of bank failure

The debate between the 'competition-fragility' and 'competition-stability' views has been centered upon the risk of banks' loan portfolios. In this paper, we shift the focus of the debate from the riskiness of loan portfolios to the riskiness of operational costs net of the income of non-traditional banking activities, banks' default resulting from negative aggregate profits. We consider a simple model in which, due to purely idiosyncratic risks, portfolio diversification would eliminate the risk of banks' default if those net operational costs were negligible or were known with certainty. We show that more competition always raises the risk of bank default, non-monotonicity being excluded as an equilibrium outcome under free oligopolistic competition between profit maximizing banks. However, the same result obtains in fact under systemic risk, even under non-stochastic net operation costs, a situation which we explore in a slightly different model. We show further that, under liquidity shortness, a higher intensity of competition in the loan market can result in an increase of deposit rates, rather than a decrease of loan rates.
Entrepreneurial Marketing: An Effectual Approach

Preface 1. Using marketing to create new business with radically new product ideas 2. Identifying an application and market 3. Attracting your first customers and developing a customer base 4. Competitive and market considerations 5. Segmentation and positioning for a new technology and product application 6. Understanding the nature and importance of marketing activities 7. Developing a marketing and sales program 8. The sales side of customer development 9. Developing the new firm's marketing and sales capabilities
Therapeutic modulation of the psychoneuroimmune system by medical acupuncture creates enhanced feelings of well‐being

Purpose: This article includes an explanation of how stressors disrupt physiologic regulatory mechanisms leading to disease states, how environmental challenges alter the function of the psychoneuroimmune system, and how correction of aberrant action potentials will stabilize homeostatic regulatory functions, inducing an escape response from stressors and leading to enhanced feelings of well‐being. An explanation of how medical acupuncture accomplishes this stabilization concludes the article. Data source: Extensive review of the worldwide scientific literature from the 1970s through current literature, on acupuncture, neurophysiology, and psychoneuroimmune system, using the theoretical framework of Martha Rogers. Conclusions: It is estimated that 80% of all illnesses are stress induced, although the physiologic mechanisms by which stress induces detrimental changes are not well understood by the medical profession. Introducing specific rhythmic electrical impulses slightly more intense than the nervous system already generates with the intervention of medical acupuncture can therapeutically alter aberrant signals induced by stressors, which may result in the release of neuropeptides and stabilization of homeostatic regulation so that health outcomes are improved. As neurological activity is altered, the firing pattern of nerves is changed. This is a change in the electrical pattern that leads to a change in the biochemical pattern. Thus, medical acupuncture is a therapy that is in agreement with Martha Rogers’ conceptual model. Therapeutic techniques may improve the individual's level of wellness by direct actions toward homeostatic stabilization of the autonomic nervous system. These techniques will not change the amount of stressors a person is subject to but will change the physiological response to them. When the nervous system is in homeostatic balance, individuals will report enhanced feelings of well‐being, be more effective in coping with their conditions of living, and therefore be less susceptible to illness. Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners have an opportunity to expand into an unused dimension for nursing care through direct treatment of the central and autonomic nervous system that will influence the psychoneuroimmune system. A prescriptive theory explaining medical acupuncture provides for therapeutic interventions at the primary, secondary, and tertiary level of care. Primary preventive interventions alter the effects of stress before it leads to illness by assisting homeostatic stability of the autonomic nervous system. Secondary interventions allow treatment of many health conditions regulated by neurological activity. Tertiary care provides a method to assist autonomic regulation when the body is no longer able to maintain homeostatic stability because of chronic illness or injury.
Significant role of cationic polymers in drug delivery systems

Abstract Cationic polymers are characterized as the macromolecules that possess positive charges, which can be either inherently in the polymer side chains and/or its backbone. Based on their origins, cationic polymers are divided in two category including natural and synthetic, in which the possessed positive charges are as result of primary, secondary or tertiary amine functional groups that could be protonated in particular situations. Cationic polymers have been employed commonly as drug delivery agents due to their superior encapsulation efficacy, enhanced bioavailability, low toxicity and improved release profile. In this paper, we focus on the most prominent examples of cationic polymers which have been revealed to be applicable in drug delivery systems and we also discuss their general synthesis and surface modification methods as well as their controlled release profile in drug delivery.
Broadband Two-Element Array With Hybrid Decoupling Structures for Multimode Mobile Terminals

A two-element array with high isolation is presented for multimode mobile terminals. The antenna array is composed of two symmetrical antennas and a novel decoupling structure. The antenna element covers the LTE700/GSM900/GSM1900/UMTS/LTE2300/2500 operations. The decoupling structure is embedded between the two broadband antennas, which is a hybrid structure and composed of lumped elements (capacitors) and distributed elements (three pairs of U-shaped slots). By loading lumped capacitors at the edges of the slots, the lengths of the slots are decreased efficiently. By embedding three pairs of U-shaped slots, broadband decoupling is achieved. A prototype of the proposed antenna array was fabricated and tested. The antenna covers the lower bands (704-787 MHz and 880-960 MHz) and the upper bands (1800-2690 MHz) with the definition of 3.5:1 VSWR (5 dB return loss). The measured isolation between the two antennas is better than 11 dB, and the efficiencies at the lower bands and the upper bands are better than 30% and 40%, respectively. The proposed antenna array is easy to find applications in a thin or slim mobile phone which meets the current fashion taste.
Bursal Disease : Pathogenicity and Immunogenicity of Vaccines

The Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) is a contagious viral disease that affects young chickens and may cause high morbidity and mortality. As the virus is very resistant to the environment, vaccination is required in case of high infection pressure. Due to variations in the virulence degree of the vaccines available to control IBD, this study aimed at evaluating the pathogenicity and immunogenicity of three types of vaccines. In total, 220 one-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were immunized with recombinant, immune-complex and intermediate vaccines, or not vaccinated (55 birds per group) and challenged with IBD G11 strain on day 25. On days 25, 30, and 35, the Bursa of Fabricius (BF) were submitted to gross and histological examination, and serum samples were submitted to ELISA to determined anti-IBD antibody titers. On day 23, chickens were submitted to the test of hypersensitivity to phytohemagglutinin to evaluate the immunosuppressive effect of vaccines on the cell-mediated immunity. The results have indicated that the immune-complex vaccine induced the most severe BF lesions, whereas the recombinant vaccine preserved BF tissue and cell integrity. The three evaluated vaccines induced humoral immunity of similar intensity. The cellular reaction to phytohemagglutinin of the chickens immunized with recombinant and immune-complex vaccines was less severe compared with the unvaccinated chickens. In conclusion, these results indicate that the immune-complex vaccine was the most pathogenic and that all vaccines were effective in protecting SPF chickens against IBD.
Ascorbate ameliorates Echis coloratus venom-induced oxidative stress in human fibroblasts

Reports related to the effects of Echis coloratus venom (EcV) on the antioxidant capacity of human tissues is very scarce. The present study was undertaken to investigate the activities and gene expression levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and the generation rates of superoxide anions (SOA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid peroxides (LPO) in cultured human fibroblasts incubated with EcV, ascorbate (Asc) and EcV plus Asc at concentrations and incubation periods that maintained cell viability. Results indicated that the activities of all antioxidant enzymes and their corresponding transcripts underwent highly significant decreases and downregulation in EcV-treated cultures (0.5 µg/ml medium for 4 h) compared to venom-free controls (P<0.001). Additionally, there were concurrent equally significant increases in SOA, H2O2 and LPO generation rates in the venom-incubated cultures compared to controls (P<0.001). Results also indicated very significant decreases and parallel equally significant increases in GSH and GSSG levels respectively in the envenomed cultures compared to controls (P<0.001) leading to a drastically lower GSH/GSSG ratio. However, further incubation of the EcV-treated cultures with Asc (400 µM for 12 h) restored the activities and levels of all investigated parameters including the expression levels of the antioxidant genes to control venom-free values. It is concluded that Asc acted to neutralize the increased reactive oxygen species generation, thus ameliorating the EcV-induced oxidative stress and alleviating the downregulation of antioxidant genes.
Decreased mortality and infectious morbidity in adult burn patients given enteral glutamine supplements: A prospective, controlled, randomized clinical trial*

ObjectiveEnteral glutamine supplements have been shown to reduce infectious morbidity in trauma patients, but their effect on burn patients is not known. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of enteral glutamine supplementation on infectious morbidity, length of care, and the immune system in burn patients. DesignDouble-blinded, randomized clinical trial. SettingBurn center. PatientsForty-five adults with severe burns. InterventionsPatients were randomized to receive either glutamine or an isonitrogenous control mixture until complete healing occurred. Length of care, incidence of positive blood culture, and mortality were recorded. Phagocytosis by circulating polymorphonuclear cells was measured every 3 days. Measurements and Main ResultsPatient characteristics were similar in both groups. Four patients were excluded from the analysis, because three of them died within 72 hrs and the fourth could not receive enteral nutrition and amino acid supplements for the first 10 days. Of the remaining 41 patients, length of care in the survivors was not different between groups (0.9 vs. 1.0 days/percent total body surface area for glutamine vs. control, respectively), positive blood culture was three times more frequent in control than in glutamine treatment (4.3 vs. 1.2 days/patient, p < .05), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in six patients on control and zero on glutamine (p < .05). Phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear cells was not different between groups. Mortality rate was significantly lower in glutamine than in control: intention to treat, two vs. 12 (p < .05); per protocol analysis, zero vs. eight (p < .01). ConclusionsEnteral glutamine supplementation in adult burn patients reduces blood infection by a factor of three, prevents bacteremia with P. aeruginosa, and may decrease mortality rate. It has no effect on level of consciousness and does not appear to influence phagocytosis by circulating polymorphonuclear cells.
Tonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT: The effectiveness of tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy (hereafter, “tonsillectomy”) for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) compared with watchful waiting with supportive care is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To compare sleep, cognitive or behavioral, and health outcomes of tonsillectomy versus watchful waiting with supportive care in children with OSDB. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. STUDY SELECTION: Two investigators independently screened studies against predetermined criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently extracted key data. Investigators independently assessed study risk of bias and the strength of the evidence of the body of literature. Investigators synthesized data qualitatively and meta-analyzed apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) scores. RESULTS: We included 11 studies. Relative to watchful waiting, most studies reported better sleep-related outcomes in children who had a tonsillectomy. In 5 studies including children with polysomnography-confirmed OSDB, AHI scores improved more in children receiving tonsillectomy versus surgery. A meta-analysis of 3 studies showed a 4.8-point improvement in the AHI in children who underwent tonsillectomy compared with no surgery. Sleep-related quality of life and negative behaviors (eg, anxiety and emotional lability) also improved more among children who had a tonsillectomy. Changes in executive function were not significantly different. The length of follow-up in studies was generally <12 months. LIMITATIONS: Few studies fully categorized populations in terms of severity of OSDB; outcome measures were heterogeneous; and the durability of outcomes beyond 12 months is not known. CONCLUSIONS: Tonsillectomy can produce short-term improvement in sleep outcomes compared with no surgery in children with OSDB. Understanding of longer-term outcomes or effects in subpopulations is lacking.
Recent Developments and New Directions in Sentencing Research

Research on criminal sentencing, particularly on various types of disparity therein, has been an active field of inquiry for decades. This paper provides a conceptual survey of research on non-capital sentencing outcomes since 2000. I first look backward at the research agenda posed by reviews in the early 1980s, and in 2000. I then discuss theoretical developments in the study of sentencing in the 1990s and 2000s. I then provide an overview of recent sentencing research focused on the following: (1) court organizational and social contexts, (2) individual courtroom workgroup members, (3) disparity conditional on intersecting defendant characteristics, (4) victim characteristics, and (5) earlier case processing events and decisions. I then outline several directions for moving sentencing research forward into the next decade.