Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family, friends, finance. An analysis of income and attachment in friendships and marriage

This thesis examines the effect of varying income levels on the attachment of men and women to friends and their spouse. It is hypothesized in this thesis that family income will impact men and women differently. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the income categories will show different attachment issues among spousal attachments and friendships. Through analysis of data collected in the year 2000, contained in the The Marital Instability Over the Life Course Study wave 6, part one of a two-part series entitled Work and Family Life Study, I examine the relationship between family income and attachment in both men and women, and explore the implications of these patterns for the individuals. The results show that individuals in different income brackets are prone to different marital and friendship troubles. Further, the data shows men and women within the same income bracket can display differences in how income impacts their friendships and marriage. This thesis serves as a first step to identify the impact of income on individual relationships and highlights multiple correlates which deserve more in-depth analysis in the future.
Skeletal muscle characteristics and metabolic response to exercise in young standardbreds.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether performance capacity in a group of young trained Standardbreds is related to skeletal muscle characteristics and metabolic response to exercise. ANIMALS 13 clinically normal 2-year-old Standardbreds. PROCEDURE Venous blood and middle gluteal muscle biopsy samples were obtained from each horse within 1 to 2 minutes after trotting at high speed for 1,600 m. RESULTS There was a positive correlation between plasma lactate and muscle glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) concentrations and trotting speed. There was a negative correlation between muscle adenosine triphosphate concentration and trotting speed, plasma lactate concentration, and muscle lactate and G-6-P concentrations. Muscle concentration of G-6-P was positively correlated with muscle lactate and plasma lactate concentrations. Percentage of type-1, -2A, and -2B fibers in skeletal muscle and muscle enzyme activities of hexokinase, 3-OH-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase were not correlated with trotting speed. CONCLUSION Speed of trotting at a distance of 1,600 m in young trained Standardbreds is related to the ability of muscle to produce energy by use of anaerobic glycolysis.
THE PLASMA ENVIRONMENT IN COMETS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF HELIOCENTRIC DISTANCES: APPLICATION TO COMET C/2006 P1 (MCNAUGHT)

On 2007 January 12, comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) passed its perihelion at 0.17 AU. Abundant remote observations offer plenty of information on the neutral composition and neutral velocities within 1 million kilometers of the comet nucleus. In early February, the Ulysses spacecraft made an in situ measurement of the ion composition, plasma velocity, and magnetic field when passing through the distant ion tail and the ambient solar wind. The measurement by Ulysses was made when the comet was at around 0.8 AU. With the constraints provided by remote and in situ observations, we simulated the plasma environment of Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) using a multi-species comet MHD model over a wide range of heliocentric distances from 0.17 to 1.75 AU. The solar wind interaction of the comet at various locations is characterized and typical subsolar standoff distances of the bow shock and contact surface are presented and compared to analytic solutions. We find the variation in the bow shock standoff distances at different heliocentric distances is smaller than the contact surface. In addition, we modified the multi-species model for the case when the comet was at 0.7 AU and achieved comparable water group ion abundances, proton densities, plasma velocities, and plasma temperatures to the Ulysses/SWICS and SWOOPS observations. We discuss the dominating chemical reactions throughout the comet-solar wind interaction region and demonstrate the link between the ion composition near the comet and in the distant tail as measured by Ulysses.
Synergetic effect of combined fumaric acid and slightly acidic electrolysed water on the inactivation of food‐borne pathogens and extending the shelf life of fresh beef

To evaluate synergetic effect of slight acidic electrolysed water (SAEW) and fumaric acid (FA) on inactivation of total viable count (TVC) and Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium in fresh beef and to study shelf life and sensory quality of beef.
The effect of PPARγ ligands on UV‐ or chemically‐induced carcinogenesis in mouse skin

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand activated transcription factor. There have been suggestions that PPARγ ligands may have utility in preventing tumor development in rodent mammary glands and colon. The recent finding that mice lacking one allele of the PPARγ gene were significantly more susceptible to 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)‐induced skin carcinogenesis compared to wild‐type mice highlights mouse skin as another potential organ in which PPARγ ligands may be effective as chemopreventive agents. In this study, we assessed the effect of two PPARγ ligands (rosiglitazone and troglitazone) on UV and DMBA/12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA)‐induced mouse skin carcinogenesis, two of the most commonly used mouse skin carcinogenesis models. Unexpectedly, neither rosiglitazone (dietary 200 ppm) nor troglitazone (topical 100 μg) significantly inhibited UV‐induced skin tumor development in SKH‐1 hairless mice. Likewise, dietary rosiglitazone did not statistically significantly inhibit DMBA/TPA‐induced skin tumor development. Interestingly, dietary troglitazone significantly inhibited basal level keratinocyte proliferation as shown by 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling, but it had no effect on TPA‐induced epidermal cell proliferation. Northern blot analysis showed that PPARγ expression was extremely low in normal mouse epidermis and was virtually undetectable in skin tumors. Collectively, our data suggest that PPARγ ligands may not be useful in the prevention of chemically or UV‐induced skin tumors. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extended Outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis in a Pediatric Hospital, China

Four Cryptosporidium spp. and 6 C. hominis subtypes were isolated from 102 of 6,284 patients in 3 pediatric hospitals in People’s Republic of China. A cryptosporidiosis outbreak was identified retrospectively. The outbreak lasted >1 year and affected 51.4% of patients in 1 hospital ward, where 2 C. hominis subtypes with different virulence were found.
Murine natural killer cells are fungicidal to Cryptococcus neoformans

Murine natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to bind to and inhibit the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans in vitro and to contribute to clearance of the organism in vivo. However, it is unclear whether NK cells actually kill cryptococci or simply inhibit proliferation of the fungal target. Therefore, the studies presented here were designed to determine whether NK cells are fungicidal to C. neoformans targets. C. neoformans viability was determined on the basis of the metabolic function of two different enzyme systems, as measured by the two vital stains MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and fluorescein diacetate. Cryptococcal viability, as determined by vital stains, was compared with cryptococcal proliferation, as measured by microcolony formation in agarose at the individual cell level and by CFU counts or extinction dilution analysis in the total cell suspension. Initial comparisons of the vital stains and proliferation assays indicated that these methods effectively distinguished between live and heat-killed cryptococci at the individual cell level and in the total cell suspensions. After cryptococci were incubated with murine NK cells for 18 h, vital stains demonstrated that at the single conjugate level and in the total cell suspension, NK cells kill bound C. neoformans target cells. In addition, the numbers of dead cryptococci in the NK cell-C. neoformans suspensions as determined by the vital stains were comparable to the numbers of cryptococci that were unable to proliferate. Kinetics of NK cell-mediated C. neoformans binding and killing at the single conjugate level and in the total cell suspension were assessed by MTT staining at 2-h intervals after mixing effector and target cells, and the data support the concept that NK cell-C. neoformans binding precedes cryptococcal death. Furthermore, unbound, dead fungal cells were observed in the NK cell-C. neoformans suspensions after 18 h, suggesting that NK cell-C. neoformans interactions may involve both effector cell recycling and killing of unbound cryptococci by soluble cytotoxic factors. In conclusion, the results of these studies firmly establish that NK cells kill C. neoformans.
The blockade of the renin-angiotensin system reverses tacrolimus related cardiovascular toxicity at the histopathological level

Introduction. In this study, we investigate the toxic effects of tacrolimus (FK506) on the cardiovascular system at the histopathological level in a rat model and whether these effects can be reversed by the blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-inhibitors) or an angiotensin receptor antagonist (ARB). Methods and results. Thirty-one Wistar rats were divided into four groups. FK506 group was treated with FK506 intraperitoneally (i.p.), FK506+ACE-inhibitors and FK506+ARB groups were treated with either quinapril or valsartan orally in addition to FK506. Control group was treated with saline i.p. Histological and immunohistochemical staining of cardiovascular tissue in the FK506 group showed increased vacuolar degeneration (11.2 vs. 5.8, p=0.008), arterial hyalinosis (10.7 vs. 6. G 3, p=0.036), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) (12.2 vs. 4.8, p=0.001) and vascular endothelial growth factor expression (VEGF) (10.7 vs. 6.3, p=0.036), elastic van Gieson (11.5 vs. 5.5, p=0.004), and periodic acid O Schiff stain scores (12.5 vs. 4.5, p<0.001) compared to the control group. Immunohistochemical scores showed that expression of TGF-β is up-regulated, and bone morphogenic protein (BMP-7) is down-regulated with FK506 toxicity. Adding RAS blockade with either an ACE-inhibitor or an ARB could reverse FK506 induced changes. Both FK506+ACE-inhibitors and FK506+ARB groups demonstrated decrease in arterial hyalinosis (22.1 vs. 14.4 (FK506+ACE-inhibitor) and 13.6 (FK506+ARB), p=0.09) and vacuolar degeneration (23.1 vs. 16.1 (FK506+ACE-inhibitor) and 12.4 (FK506+ARB), p=0.006) scores compared to the FK506 group. Conclusion. Blockade of RAS could reverse the histopathological signs of FK506 induced cardiac toxicity in a rat model.
ExplorinG frailty and mild cognitive impairmEnt in kidney tRansplantation to predict biomedicAl, psychosocial and health cost outcomeS (GERAS): protocol of a nationwide prospective cohort study

AIM To present the rationale, design and methodology of the GERAS project, which examines whether assessment of frailty and mild cognitive impairment could enhance risk prediction for biomedical, psychosocial outcomes and foster efficient resource allocation in kidney transplantation. BACKGROUND For the burgeoning cohort of older patients considered for kidney transplantation, evidence gaps regarding frailty and mild cognitive impairment limit clinical decision-making and medical management. As known risk factors for 'hard' clinical outcomes in chronic illness, both require further study in transplantation. Integrating these and other bio-psychosocial factors into a comprehensive pre-transplant patient assessment will provide insights regarding economic implications and may improve risk prediction. DESIGN A nation-wide multi-centre prospective cohort study nested in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study. METHODS Our nationally representative convenience sample includes 250 adult kidney transplant recipients. Data sources include the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study and primary data collected at time of transplantation, 6 months, 1 and 2 years post-transplant via established measures (the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Psychosocial Questionnaire, Fried Frailty Instrument and a blood analysis), investigator-developed instruments and datasets compiled by hospitals' management control units, sickness funds, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the European Renal Association. Descriptive, competing risk survival and mixed effects analyses will be performed. Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained in January 2016. DISCUSSION This pioneering project jointly examines frailty and mild cognitive impairment from bio-psychosocial and health economic perspectives. Results may significantly inform risk prediction, care tailoring and resource optimization to improve health outcomes in the ageing kidney transplant cohort.
Comparison of the ITU-t p.85 standard to other methods for the evaluation of text-to-speech systems

Evaluation of TTS systems is essential to assess performance. The ITU-T P.85 standard was introduced in 1994 to assess the overall quality of speech synthesis systems. However it has not been widely accepted or used. This paper compares the ITU test to more commonly used tests for intelligibility (semantically unpredictable sentences (SUS)) and naturalness (mean opinion score based). The aim of this research was to determine if the ITU test can provide a better performance measure and/or supplementary information to help evaluate TTS systems. Index Terms: speech synthesis, evaluation
Immunomagnetic tumor cell selection—implications for the detection of disseminated cancer cells

BACKGROUND: The optimal method for the detection of disseminated epithelial cancer cells has not yet been found. The standard method, using immunocytochemistry, offers a sensitivity of up to 10−6. Molecular methods such as cytokeratin‐19 RT‐PCR are about 10 times as sensitive, but they are hampered by interference such as illegitimate gene expression.
Influence du porte-greffe sur le comportement du Pinot noir dans les conditions du Valais central

Le comportement agronomique et oenologique du cepage Pinot noir a ete etudie en relation avec differents porte-greffes sur le domaine d’Agroscope a Leytron (VS): 3309 C, 5 BB, Fercal, 41 B MGt, Riparia Gloire, 420 A MGt, 101-14 MGt et 161-49 C. Le porte-greffe a surtout influence la vigueur, la rapidite d’installation de la vigne et l’alimentation minerale du greffon. Les porte-greffes Riparia Gloire, 41 B MGt, 420 A MGt et 161-49 C se sont reveles moins vigoureux et, pour les trois derniers, ont induit une alimentation azotee et potassique plus faible debouchant sur la production de vins un peu plus acides. Les porte-greffes moins vigoureux et le 101-14 MGt se sont montres un peu plus sensibles au stress hydrique.
Lack of Toxic Effects Following Acute Overdose of Cellcept (Mycophenolate Mofetil)

Mycophenolate mofetil is an immunosuppressive drug used for prevention of graft rejection following solid organ transplant and for treatment of autoimmune disorders. We report a case of a 24‐year‐old female with lupus nephritis that presented following ingestion of 10 grams of mycophenolate in a suicide gesture. Serum levels confirmed ingestion. The patient was treated with decontamination and supportive care and recovered with no adverse effect.
CEC‐ESI ion trap MS of multiple drugs of abuse

This article describes a method for the separation and determination of nine drugs of abuse in human urine, including amphetamines, cocaine, codeine, heroin and morphine. This method was based on SPE on a strong cation exchange cartridge followed by CEC‐MS. The CEC experiments were performed in fused silica capillaries (100 μm×30 cm) packed with a 3 μm cyano derivatized silica stationary phase. A laboratory‐made liquid junction interface was used for CEC‐MS coupling. The outlet capillary column was connected with an emitter tip that was positioned in front of the MS orifice. A stable electrospray was produced at nanoliter per minute flow rates applying a hydrostatic pressure (few kPa) to the interface. The coupling of packed CEC columns with mass spectrometer as detector, using a liquid junction interface, provided several advantages such as better sensitivity, low dead volume and independent control of the conditions used for CEC separation and ESI analysis. For this purpose, preliminary experiments were carried out in CEC‐UV to optimize the proper mobile phase for CEC analysis. Good separation efficiency was achieved for almost all compounds, using a mixture containing ACN and 25 mM ammonium formate buffer at pH 3 (30:70, v/v), as mobile phase and applying a voltage of 12 kV. ESI ion‐trap MS detection was performed in the positive ionization mode. A spray liquid, composed by methanol–water (80:20, v/v) and 1% formic acid, was delivered at a nano‐flow rate of ∼200 nL/min. Under optimized CEC‐ESI‐MS conditions, separation of the investigated drugs was performed within 13 min. CEC‐MS and CEC‐MS2 spectra were obtained by providing the unambiguous confirmation of these drugs in urine samples. Method precision was determined with RSDs values ≤3.3% for retention times and ≤16.3% for peak areas in both intra‐day and day‐to‐day experiments. LODs were established between 0.78 and 3.12 ng/mL for all compounds. Linearity was satisfactory in the concentration range of interest for all compounds (r2≥0.995). The developed CEC‐MS method was then applied to the analysis of drugs of abuse in spiked urine samples, obtaining recovery data in the range 80–95%.
Using virtual laboratories in teaching natural sciences: An example of physics courses in university

Thinking outside of the box is an important part of education. However, using innovative teaching methods in education can be very challenging for educators. They are directly involved into a teaching process and upcoming changes should be well planned and the impact of the introduced innovations/changes should be estimated in advance. Innovations can be also challenging for a management part of a particular higher education institution, whose major goal is to organize a smooth learning process. Current work presents software empowered innovation in the domain of teaching physics at universities. Authors demonstrate how particular software artefacts could be possible integrated into existing curriculum in order to help students at universities in mastering particular natural science subject (e.g., “Physics‐1,” “Physics‐2”). Software is based on the ideas of virtual laboratories, whether implementation is based on Microsoft. NET XNA Framework and 3D modeling. Paper shows that the introduction of modern information and computer technologies along with the traditional forms of education are significantly enhancing teaching experience and improving education quality. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 25:39–47, 2017; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21777
The role of TNF in cardiovascular disease.

There is increasing evidence that cytokines in general and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in particular play an important role in cardiovascular disease. This is not surprising since TNF modulates both cardiac contractility and peripheral resistance, the two most important haemodynamic determinants of cardiac function. Thus, increased levels of TNF or of its soluble receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of ischaemia-reperfusion injury, myocarditis, cardiac allograft and, more recently, also in the progression of congestive heart failure. In this later condition, TNF could be responsible for further ventricular remodelling; down-regulation of myocardial contractility; increased rate of apoptosis of the endothelial cell and of the myocytes, alteration of the expression and function of the enzymes regulating nitric oxide production and, of course, the induction of cachexia resulting in further peripheral muscle dysfunction. The hypothesis that TNF may be involved in the progression of CHF may be of clinical relevance as anti-TNF strategies are considered for therapeutical strategies. The purposes of this article are: (1) to define the physiological aspects of TNF; (2) to outline the specific function of TNF within the heart; (3) to consider the role of TNF in CHF; and (4) to speculate on possible anti-TNF treatment.
Hyperacute rejection in the xenogenic transplanted rat liver is triggered by the complement system only in the presence of leukocytes and free radical species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide species (NOS) are pivotal after ischemia–reperfusion. However, the role of different cells on the formation of free radical species after xenotransplantation remains elusive. We hypothesized that ROS and NOS formed during hyperacute rejection are dependent on leukocytes, erythrocytes, activated thrombocytes, and Kupffer cells (KCs). To address this issue, we developed a model of xenoperfused rat liver and assessed the relationship between free radical production and graft dysfunction.
Detection of American alligators in isolated, seasonal wetlands

Although the American alligator has been well-studied in coastal marshes and large reservoirs, very few studies have taken place in the isolated, seasonal wetlands that occur within the inland portion of the alligator’s range. Understanding alligator populations in these systems is important because, although they are subject to the same management strategies and regulations as their more well-studied counterparts, they may have markedly different population dynamics and densities. Additionally, understanding patterns of alligator presence in isolated, seasonal wetlands is important to understanding how alligators may affect these critical habitats as ecosystem engineers. However, survey methods designed for large, open water systems may not work in these small, vegetated wetlands, and their efficacy in this habitat has yet to be documented. We conducted eyeshine surveys for alligators along walking transects through isolated, seasonal wetlands in southwest Georgia. We used a double-observer method with a Huggins closed capture analysis to determine the detection probability of this method, to model the effects of observer and wetland type on that parameter and to estimate abundance. We found that detection probability for eyeshine surveys under the best-supported model was 57%, between 2 and 5 times higher than documented in other habitats. We then compared eyeshine surveys with systematic trapping to ascertain which components of the population were more likely to be detected by each method. Both methods were effective in detecting a range of size classes in the wetlands; however, the two methods were most effective when used in concert. Wildlife biologists studying population trends and establishing harvest quotas can use this information to design surveys in the inland portion of the alligator’s range. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009