Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long‐term blood pressure telemetry in AT2 receptor‐disrupted mice

Objectives The hypertension in AT2 receptor knockout mice is imperfectly defined. Therefore, we investigated the influence of dietary salt loading and deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt treatment on blood pressure and diurnal patterns of blood pressure in these mice by radiotelemetry. Methods We used telemetry in AT2 receptor knockout and wild-type mice to measure blood pressure, heart rate, aortic pressure d p/dt, locomotor activity, and circadian rhythms. Salt-related effects were studied by increasing the salt in chow to 4%, adding 1% saline in drinking water, and by DOCA-salt treatment. Results Baseline blood pressures were higher in AT2 receptor knockout than in wild-type mice and were not affected by increasing the salt intake. The blood pressure increase was steeper and greater in AT2 receptor knockout than in wild-type mice after DOCA-salt treatment. A circadian rhythm of blood pressure and heart rate, with higher values during the night, was seen in wild-type, but not in AT2 receptor knockout mice. In AT2 receptor knockout mice, this rhythm was only significant when daily salt intake was increased or when DOCA-salt hypertension was induced. The acrophase of blood pressure and heart rate was found between 2000 and 2400 h and was in accordance with the maximum physical activity. Conclusion These data suggest that AT2 knockout mice display slight hypertension which is not salt-sensitive. On the other hand, the susceptibility to develop DOCA-salt hypertension is increased. The study also illustrates the power of telemetry in monitoring long-term cardiovascular changes and circadian blood pressure and heart rate rhythms in genetically engineered mice.
New perspectives on the evolution of clusters

ABSTRACT The literature on clusters is based on the seminal writings of Marshall, followed by Becattini’s rediscovery of the concept of the ‘industrial district’ and the analyses promoted during the 1980s by Porter, who highlighted the importance of geographically interconnected firms and institutions specialized in a particular field and clustered in a limited space. Although the cluster model is often described as being static and locally self-contained, various empirical studies and our analysis have pointed out the increasing involvement of cluster firms in the process of change, renewal and internationalization. In this context, several modalities may be studied within the cluster life cycle – which proceeds from the process of multinational enterprise (MNE) entry to the development of global value chains and to the emergence of homegrown MNEs – in addition to possible alliances between cluster firms and external MNEs. The recent entry of MNEs in clusters, as well as the phenomenon of homegrown MNEs, do not necessarily require a questioning of the cluster model per se, but they do contribute to showing how complex and interwoven the evolution of local economies is. A rich number of empirical cases will be presented in this review.
Influence of Parental Background of Secondary School Students on Academic Performance In Islamic Studies in Nigeria

This study investigates the influence of parental background of secondary school students on their academic performance in Islamic Studies in Nigeria. The cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study consists of all senior secondary school students in north-central Nigeria. A total of 384 Islamic Studies students from seven states that constitute north-central geo-political zone of Nigeria served as participants in this study. This study was a quantitative research; questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection which was based on the secondary school students’ parental background such as education, occupation, income and involvement. Validity and reliability of instrument were established by the opinions of experts. In addition, a pilot test was carried out by reporting the Cronbach’s Alpha co-efficient for the internal consistency of the instrument. SPSS was used for data analysis and multiple regressions were also used to answer research hypotheses formulated for this study. This finding indicates that the level of parents’ education, prestigious occupation of parents, income level of parents and involvement of parents in their children’s education are capable of enhancing academic performance of students especially in Islamic Studies. Parents should collaborate with Islamic Studies teachers and school management so as to foster the performance of secondary schools Islamic Studies students in North-Central Nigeria.
Measurement of L-[1-14C]Leucine Kinetics in Splanchnic and Leg Tissues In Humans: Effect of Amino Acid Infusion

Although whole-body leucine flux is widely measured to study body protein turnover in humans, the contribution of specific tissues to the total-body measurement remains unknown. By combining the organ-balance technique with the systemic infusion of L-[1-14C]leucine, we quantitated leucine production and disposal by splanchnic and leg tissues and by the whole body, simultaneously, in six normal men before and during amino acid infusion. At steady state, disposal of arterial leucine by splanchnic and leg tissues was calculated from the percent extraction (E) of L-[1-14C]leucine counts: uptake = E × [Leu]a × flow. Tissue release of cold leucine (from protein turnover) into vein was calculated as the difference between leucine uptake and the net tissue leucine balance. In the postabsorptive state, despite substantial (P < .01) extraction of L-[1-14C]leucine by splanchnic (23 ± 1%) and leg (18 ± 2%) tissues, net leucine balance across both tissue beds was small, indicating active simultaneous disposal and production of leucine at nearly equivalent rates. Splanchnic tissues accounted for −50% of the measured total-body leucine flux. During amino acid infusion, the net leucine balance across splanchnic and leg tissues became positive, reflecting not only an increase in leucine uptake but also a marked suppression (by ∼50%, P < .02) of cold leucine release. This reduction in splanchnic and leg leucine release was indicated by a sharp decline in whole-body endogenous leucine flux. Conclusions: 1) combining the organ-balance method with systemic L-[1-14C]leucine infusion enables leucine kinetics to be measured simultaneously in the whole body and in specific tissues; 2) splanchnic tissues account for −50% of whole-body leucine flux in postabsorptive humans; and 3) amino acid infusion markedly suppresses leg and splanchnic tissue leucine release, which may indicate inhibition of proteolysis.
PRL-3 promotes telomere deprotection and chromosomal instability

Abstract Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL-3) promotes cell invasiveness, but its role in genomic integrity remains unknown. We report here that shelterin component RAP1 mediates association between PRL-3 and TRF2. In addition, TRF2 and RAP1 assist recruitment of PRL-3 to telomeric DNA. Silencing of PRL-3 in colon cancer cells does not affect telomere integrity or chromosomal stability, but induces reactive oxygen species-dependent DNA damage response and senescence. However, overexpression of PRL-3 in colon cancer cells and primary fibroblasts promotes structural abnormalities of telomeres, telomere deprotection, DNA damage response, chromosomal instability and senescence. Furthermore, PRL-3 dissociates RAP1 and TRF2 from telomeric DNA in vitro and in cells. PRL-3-promoted telomere deprotection, DNA damage response and senescence are counteracted by disruption of PRL-3–RAP1 complex or expression of ectopic TRF2. Examination of clinical samples showed that PRL-3 status positively correlates with telomere deprotection and senescence. PRL-3 transgenic mice exhibit hallmarks of telomere deprotection and senescence and are susceptible to dextran sodium sulfate-induced colon malignancy. Our results uncover a novel role of PRL-3 in tumor development through its adverse impact on telomere homeostasis.
Labour and democracy in the Maghreb: The Moroccan and Tunisian trade unions in the 2011 Arab Uprisings

This article focuses on the part played by Moroccan and Tunisian labour in the 2011 Arab Uprisings and their outcomes, aiming to add fresh evidence to the long-standing debate over the place of social classes in democratisation processes. In Morocco, most labour confederations supported a new constitution that did not alter the undemocratic nature of the political system. In Tunisia, instead, rank-and-file trade unionists successfully rallied the single labour confederation in support of the popular mobilisations, eventually contributing to democratisation. The most important facilitating factor for these divergent processes and outcomes was the different level of working-class power existing in the two countries. On the eve of the Uprisings, working-class power was higher in Tunisia than in Morocco and this enabled Tunisian workers to mobilise more effectively. Democratisation in Tunisia, however, has so far failed to address the demands for social justice that were at the core of the Uprisings.
Neofunctionalization of young duplicate genes in Drosophila

Significance Gene duplication is thought to play an important role in the evolution of complex phenotypes. Although studies have revealed that duplicate genes are abundant, there is considerable controversy about how they are maintained throughout evolution. In this study, we develop an approach for comparing genome-wide expression profiles of closely related species to disentangle the evolutionary forces operating on duplicate genes. Application of our approach to pairs of young duplicate genes in Drosophila reveals that nearly all duplicates are retained by the evolution of a novel function in one copy. Further analysis reveals that, although young genes are primarily expressed in testes, their expression broadens as they age, illustrating how new genes become integrated into diverse functional networks over time. Gene duplication is a key source of genetic innovation that plays a role in the evolution of phenotypic complexity. Although several evolutionary processes can result in the long-term retention of duplicate genes, their relative contributions in nature are unknown. Here we develop a phylogenetic approach for comparing genome-wide expression profiles of closely related species to quantify the roles of conservation, neofunctionalization, subfunctionalization, and specialization in the preservation of duplicate genes. Application of our method to pairs of young duplicates in Drosophila shows that neofunctionalization, the gain of a novel function in one copy, accounts for the retention of almost two-thirds of duplicate genes. Surprisingly, novel functions nearly always originate in younger (child) copies, whereas older (parent) copies possess functions similar to those of ancestral genes. Further examination of such pairs reveals a strong bias toward RNA-mediated duplication events, implicating asymmetric duplication and positive selection in the evolution of new functions. Moreover, we show that young duplicate genes are expressed primarily in testes and that their expression breadth increases over evolutionary time. This finding supports the “out-of-testes” hypothesis, which posits that testes are a catalyst for the emergence of new genes that ultimately evolve functions in other tissues. Thus, our study highlights the importance of neofunctionalization and positive selection in the retention of young duplicates in Drosophila and illustrates how duplicates become incorporated into novel functional networks over evolutionary time.
A classification tree approach for improving the utilization of flow cytometry testing of blood specimens for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoproliferative disorders

We sought to improve the diagnostic efficiency of flow cytometry investigation on blood by developing data-driven ordering guidelines. Our goal was to improve flow cytometry utilization by decreasing negative testing, therefore reducing healthcare costs. We investigated several laboratory tests performed alongside flow cytometry to identify biomarkers useful in excluding non-leukemic bloods. Test results and patient demographic features were subjected to receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve, logistic regression and classification tree analyses to find significant predictors and develop decision rules. Our data show that, in the absence of a compelling clinical indication, flow cytometry testing is largely non-informative on bloods from patients less than 50 years of age having an absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) below 5.0 × 109/L. For patients over age 50 having an ALC below this value, a ferritin value above 450 μg/L is counter-indicative of B-cell clonality. Using these guidelines, 26% of cases were correctly predicted as negative with greater than 97% accuracy.
An Investigation into Rumen Fungal and Protozoal Diversity in Three Rumen Fractions, during High-Fiber or Grain-Induced Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis Conditions, with or without Active Dry Yeast Supplementation

Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a gastrointestinal functional disorder in livestock characterized by low rumen pH, which reduces rumen function, microbial diversity, host performance, and host immune function. Dietary management is used to prevent SARA, often with yeast supplementation as a pH buffer. Almost nothing is known about the effect of SARA or yeast supplementation on ruminal protozoal and fungal diversity, despite their roles in fiber degradation. Dairy cows were switched from a high-fiber to high-grain diet abruptly to induce SARA, with and without active dry yeast (ADY, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) supplementation, and sampled from the rumen fluid, solids, and epimural fractions to determine microbial diversity using the protozoal 18S rRNA and the fungal ITS1 genes via Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Diet-induced SARA dramatically increased the number and abundance of rare fungal taxa, even in fluid fractions where total reads were very low, and reduced protozoal diversity. SARA selected for more lactic-acid utilizing taxa, and fewer fiber-degrading taxa. ADY treatment increased fungal richness (OTUs) but not diversity (Inverse Simpson, Shannon), but increased protozoal richness and diversity in some fractions. ADY treatment itself significantly (P < 0.05) affected the abundance of numerous fungal genera as seen in the high-fiber diet: Lewia, Neocallimastix, and Phoma were increased, while Alternaria, Candida Orpinomyces, and Piromyces spp. were decreased. Likewise, for protozoa, ADY itself increased Isotricha intestinalis but decreased Entodinium furca spp. Multivariate analyses showed diet type was most significant in driving diversity, followed by yeast treatment, for AMOVA, ANOSIM, and weighted UniFrac. Diet, ADY, and location were all significant factors for fungi (PERMANOVA, P = 0.0001, P = 0.0452, P = 0.0068, Monte Carlo correction, respectively, and location was a significant factor (P = 0.001, Monte Carlo correction) for protozoa. Diet-induced SARA shifts diversity of rumen fungi and protozoa and selects against fiber-degrading species. Supplementation with ADY mitigated this reduction in protozoa, presumptively by triggering microbial diversity shifts (as seen even in the high-fiber diet) that resulted in pH stabilization. ADY did not recover the initial community structure that was seen in pre-SARA conditions.
Hot carrier degradation on n-channel HfSiON MOSFETs: effects on the device performance and lifetime

A study of hot carrier reliability of n-channel SiON and HfSiON MOSFETs with poly-Si gate is proposed. During hot carrier stress, both interface state and bulk defect generation were observed. A comparison for different stress conditions, i.e., maximum substrate current and maximum electron injection, is provided. HfSiON MOSFETs show longer lifetime, if defined in terms of device performance, than MOSFETs with SiON with similar equivalent oxide thickness. Finally, we show that hot carrier degradation strongly reduces gate stack lifetime with respect to the Fowler-Nordheim stress commonly used to evaluate the time dependant dielectric breakdown.
Therapeutic advantages of medicinal herbs fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum, in topical application and its activities on atopic dermatitis

The use of herbal medicines in the therapeutic treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been suggested recently. The present study examined whether selected herbal extracts fermented in Lactobacillus plantarum (FHE) possessed anti‐AD properties. In addition, the study assessed the increased bioavailability of these herbal extracts both in vitro and in vivo. The data from these experiments revealed that FHE inhibited the proliferation of splenic T and B cells in a dose‐dependent manner, when activated with their mitogens. Moreover, the expression of Th1/Th2 mRNA cytokines (IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐13) from mouse splenocytes was inhibited severely as was cyclosporine A. Furthermore, the release of β‐hexosaminidase in RBL‐2H3 mast cells was suppressed significantly. FHE also reduced the plasma level of IgE in dust mite extract‐induced AD‐like NC/Nga mice. More dramatic results were found in the histological changes, which were observed by hematoxylin–eosin and toluidine blue staining, as well as in the macroscopic features on dorsal lesions of AD‐like NC/Nga mice. In conclusion, the results presented in this study suggest that FHE may have therapeutic advantages for the treatment of AD due to its increased immune‐suppressive and increased absorptive effects, which were fortified by L. plantarum fermentation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Progestogen for treating threatened miscarriage.

BACKGROUND Miscarriage is a common complication encountered during pregnancy. The role of progesterone in preparing the uterus for the implantation of the embryo and its role in maintaining the pregnancy have been known for a long time. Inadequate secretion of progesterone in early pregnancy has been linked to the aetiology of miscarriage and progesterone supplementation has been used as a treatment for threatened miscarriage to prevent spontaneous pregnancy loss. OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy and the safety of progestogens in the treatment of threatened miscarriage. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 September 2011) and bibliographies of all located articles for any additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that compare progestogen with placebo, no treatment or any other treatment given in an effort to treat threatened miscarriage. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS At least two authors assessed the trials for inclusion in the review, assessed trial quality and extracted the data. Data were checked for accuracy. MAIN RESULTS We included four studies (421 participants) in the meta-analysis. In three studies all the participants met the inclusion criteria and in the fourth study, we included only the subgroup of participants who met the inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis. There was evidence of a reduction in the rate of spontaneous miscarriage with the use of progestogens compared to placebo or no treatment (risk ratio (RR) 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35 to 0.79). There was no increase in the rate of antepartum haemorrhage (RR 0.76; 95% CI 0.30 to 1.94), or pregnancy-induced hypertension (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.54 to 1.88) for the mother. The rate of congenital abnormalities was no different between the newborns of the mothers who received progestogens and those who did not (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.10 to 4.82). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The data from this review suggest that the use of progestogens is effective in the treatment of threatened miscarriage with no evidence of increased rates of pregnancy-induced hypertension or antepartum haemorrhage as harmful effects to the mother, nor increased occurrence of congenital abnormalities on the newborn. However, the analysis was limited by the small number and the poor methodological quality of eligible studies (four studies) and the small number of the participants (421), which limit the power of the meta-analysis and hence of this conclusion.
Dealing with the Consequences of Exchange Rate Misalignments for Macroeconomic Adjustments in the EMU

The euro crisis sheds light on the nature of alternative adjustment mechanisms in the EMU. This article examines the exchange rate misalignments within the euro zone, using a FEER approach. To explore the consequences of these misalignments, we use an open economy SFC model with endogenous interest rates and Eurobonds. Facing a competitiveness loss in southern countries due to misalignments, three sets of alternative economic policy are investigated: a policy‐mix based on tax rebates to improve competitiveness; an increase in intra‐European financing by banks of northern countries; and an issuance of Eurobonds to pool European sovereign debt.
Being Emotionally Abused: A Phenomenological Study of Adult Women's Experiences of Emotionally Abusive Intimate Partner Relationships

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe individual perceptions, meanings, and definitions of emotional abuse through the lived experience of women who identified themselves as being emotionally abused by an intimate partner (IP). To answer the research question, “What is it like to live the life of a woman who is emotionally abused by her intimate partner? ” A descriptive, phenomenological research design was undertaken. Unstructured individual interviews with 15 emotionally abused adult women resulted in the discovery of seven essential themes: captivity, defining moments, disassociation from self, fixing, mindful manipulation, relentless terror, and taking a stand. A combination of a hermeneutic approach and Diekelmann's approach to data analysis was used to explore differences in perceptions and develop essential themes that portrayed the essence of a woman's lived experience of being emotionally abused by her IP. The data also demonstrated that (1) IP emotional abuse has no prerequisite for partner rage or obvious emotional manipulation, (2) the absence of caring and respectful partner behaviors was just as powerful in creating an emotionally abusive experience as openly abusive behaviors, and (3) being emotionally abused was a life journey, encompassing multiple culminations, secondary physical and mental health symptoms, and quality of life issues that extended well beyond the immediate abuse experience.
Corporate Identity and Corporate Performance: Conceptual Issues and an Empirical Illustration (summary poster)

Identity is a pressing issue for many companies since the question of identity, or of what the company stands for, cuts across and unifies many different company goals and concerns. A growing interest in identity issues among business managers and academics is probably due to their implicit assumptions about relationships across corporate identity, corporate reputations, and corporate performance. That is, a major goal for corporate identity management is to acquire a favourable corporate reputation, which, in turn, can provide strategic benefits for a firm (for example, increased competitiveness, enhanced financial value, and support in times of controversy) (Greyser 1998). Past research inquiry suggests an indirect impact of corporate identity on performance: it emphasizes the connection and consonance between corporate identity and corporate reputation; it also assumes that a positive reputation aligned with corporate identity will enhance corporate performance (Alvesson, Ashcraft &Thomas 2008).