Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increases in Striatal and Hippocampal Impedance and Extracellular Levels of Amino Acids by Cardiac Arrest in Freely Moving Rats

Abstract: The time course of changes in the tissue impedance and the levels of extracellular transmitter and non‐transmitter amino acids was studied in the striatum and hippocampus of the unanesthetized rat after cardiac arrest. Electrodes were implanted for the continuous measurement of tissue impedance so that a measure of the volume of extracellular space was provided. Alternatively, bilateral dialysis probes were used for monitoring levels of extracellular amino acids in subsequent 30‐s samples using an automated precolumn derivatization technique for reversed‐phase HPLC analysis and fluorimetric detection. The impedance started to rise ∼1.2 min following cardiac arrest, increased rapidly during the first 5 min, and increased almost linearly thereafter. After 15 min, a decrease of ∼50% in the extracellular space was calculated. The impedance rose more steeply in the striatum than in the hippocampus. The extracellular levels of taurine, which increased >300% within 5 min after cardiac arrest, most closely resembled the time course of the change in impedance. Glutamate and aspartate levels did not increase until 5 min after circulatory arrest, and at 15 min they had risen to a level of 465 and 265% for the striatum and 298 and 140% for the hippocampus of the resting release, respectively. The release of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) was multiphasic and did not resemble that of any of the other—putative—transmitter amino acids. Fifteen minutes after cardiac arrest, the levels of GABA were 617 and 774% of the resting release in the striatum and hippocampus, respectively. Glycine and ala‐nine efflux substantially increased (232 and 151% in striatum and 141 and 154% in hippocampus, respectively) 15 min postmortem, whereas the glutamine level was slightly increased and levels of asparagine, histidine, threonine, ethanolamine, serine, arginine, and tyrosine were inconsistently higher in the two brain regions. At this time, the extracellular levels of glutamate, GABA, and aspartate were only slightly lower, as expected from the tissue levels and from levels of the other amino acids, an observation indicating that all the amino acids may diffuse through postmortem brain tissue to a nearly similar extent. This study provides evidence that extracellular levels of taurine reflect changes in distribution of electrolytes (and in membrane potentials), that the postmortem release of transmitter amino acids is multiphasic with a delay of at least 1 min, that postmortem shrinkage in extracellular volume cannot account for the increase in the content of transmitter amino acids in the dialysate, and that the massive overflow of glutamate, aspartate, GABA, and taurine seen during ischemia is the result of both release and the failure of uptake. Possible implications of the present findings for excitotoxic damage of the brain are discussed.
Customer Perception of Green Advertising in The Context of Eco-Friendly FMCGs

Past studies have focused on the role of advertising in consumer behaviour. However, with the emergence of green marketing as a field of study, there is a growing importance in eco-friendly products. The present study contributes to the literature on green marketing by investigating Australian customers’ exposure to and trust in green advertising in the context of eco-friendly Fast Moving Consumer Goods. In addition, the study investigates whether customers’ purchase intentions are influenced by such advertisements. The present study, which includes in-depth interviews, gives an insight into issues relating to green advertisements. The findings provide a detailed insight into the variation in terms of customers’ perceptions of green advertising and its influence on customers. Findings and discussion are presented.
Degradation of pirimiphos-methyl during thermophilic composting of greenhouse tomato plant residues

Ghaly, A.E. , Alkoaik, F. and Snow, A, 2007. Degradation of pirimiphos-methyl during thermophilic composting of greenhouse tomato plant residues. Canadian Biosystems Engineering/Le génie des biosystèmes au Canada 49: 6.1 6.11. The effectiveness of invessel thermophilic composting on the destruction of pirimiphos-methyl (12, 24, and 36 mg/kg dry matter) was evaluated. The bioreactor operated on a mixture of tomato plant residues, wood shavings, and municipal solid compost. Water was used to adjust the moisture content to 60% (wet basis); urea was used as a nitrogen source to adjust the C:N ratio to 30:1; and used cooking oil was added as a bioavailable carbon source. The composting process successfully destroyed 81-89% of pirimiphos-methyl within the first 54 h of operation. Complete destruction of the pesticide required approximately 438 h. The rate constant (k) for the degradation of pirimiphos-methyl was determined to be a function of the bioreactor temperature. A rate constant of 0.026, 0.003-0.010, and 0.002-0.009 h was observed for the rising temperature mesophilic phase (25-45°C), thermophilic phase (45-6345°C), and declining temperature mesophilic phase (45-25°C), respectively. A number of physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms contribute to the degradation of pirimiphos-methyl in the environment including mineralization or hydrolysis, abiotic transformations, adsorption, leaching, humification, and volatization. During composting of greenhouse wastes, the degradation of pirimiphos-methyl is accelerated by high temperatures, organic matter content, moisture, and biological activity.
Consumers’ motivations for lurking and posting in brand communities on social networking sites

Brand communities on social networking sites (SNSs) allow consumers to interact with brands in various ways differing in level of activeness and public visibility, ranging from rather passive and less publicly visible, to active and highly visible behaviors. For brands, brand-related behavior on SNSs is particularly desirable as consumers’ publicly visible interactions strengthen the brand’s online visibility, enhance brand equity, and may lead to better brand performance. This chapter discusses SNS brand communities, and provides an overview of previous research and an empirical study on how people interact with brands on SNSs, and what motivates them to do so.
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Chromatin Containing DNA Breaks

The cellular response to DNA breaks consists of a complex signaling network that coordinates the initial recognition of the lesion with the induction of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair. With DNA wrapped around histone proteins and packaged into higher order levels of chromatin structure, the detection of a single DNA break (DSB) in the genome is the molecular equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack . A recent study from our laboratory used high-resolution electron microscropy and live cell imaging to demonstrate that chromatin undergoes a marked reorganization in response to a DSB. In an energy dependent manner, chromatin rapidly decondenses to a more open configuration in the regions surrounding the lesion. We propose that this ATP dependent chromatin remodeling event facilitates the subsequent recognition and processing of damaged DNA. While the chromatin surrounding the lesion remodels to a more open configuration, the DNA break itself remains relatively immobile over time, consistent with the idea that DNA damage response proteins migrate to positionally stable sites of damaged DNA 1. The lack of significant movement of chromatin regions containing DSBs has implications for the process by which chromosomal translocations form.
Loss Reduction in Reflectarray Designs Using Sub-Wavelength Coupled-Resonant Elements

A novel design approach is proposed for designing high performance reflectarrays using low-cost, lossy substrates. Using sub-wavelength coupled-resonant elements, in particular sub-wavelength loops, one can dramatically reduce losses in reflectarrays and not incur significant gain drop due to the use of the lossy, low-cost substrate. It is further shown that the sub-wavelength loop achieves sufficient phase variation in a single layer design with a modest requirement in etching tolerance, making the loop superior to both the single and double-layer sub-wavelength patch elements.
Prolonged suppression of the innate immune system in the horse following an 80 km endurance race.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY An increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory tract, which results in a loss of performance, has been reported in racehorses. Much research has focused on the influence of high-intensity exercise of a short duration on immune system function in horses, but scant attention has been given to prolonged endurance exercise as an immune modulator. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an 80 km endurance race on the monocyte and neutrophil oxidative burst, serum cortisol, glutamine and plasma glucose concentrations in 8 endurance-trained horses (mean +/- s.d. age 9.4 +/- 2.2 years). METHODS Blood samples were drawn from the horses prior to and following an 80 km ride. RESULTS Mean time for completion of the 80 km race was 306 +/- 40 mins. Immediately post race mean serum cortisol concentration, blood monocyte and neutrophil counts were higher and blood lymphocyte counts and plasma glucose concentration were lower compared with prerace values (P < 0.05). Neutrophil and monocyte oxidative burst activity decreased following the race and had not regained prerace values after 3 days of rest (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present study indicates that long duration exercise in horses has a negative impact on the function of the innate immune system that lasts several days post race. Precise mechanisms instigating the fall in innate immune system function are unclear and multifactorial, but may be attributed, at least in part, to a high serum cortisol response during very prolonged exercise. POTENTIAL CLINICAL RELEVANCE A prolonged bout of exercise results in a long-term suppression of the innate immune system function in horses which may, in part, account for the observed increase of infectious episodes in horses during training.
Bacterial and Fungal Infection in Acute Liver Failure

Patients with acute liver failure (ALF) have increased susceptibility to infections, principally as a result of impaired phagocytic function, reduced complement levels, and the need for invasive procedures. Bacteriologically proven infection is recorded in up to 80% of these patients and fungal infection (predominantly candidiasis) in 32%. Clinical signs such as high temperature and high WBC are absent in 30% of the cases. Pneumonia accounts for 50% of infective episodes, and bacteremia and urinary tract infection a further 20 to 25% each, at a median 5, 3, and 2 days, respectively, after the onset of ALF. Selective parenteral and enteral antisepsis regimens (SPEAR) were evaluated in prospective controlled studies, but early systemic antibiotics alone are as effective as SPEAR. With early antibiotics, the incidence of infective episodes is reduced to 20% and the overall mortality to 44%, with a reduction in progression to encephalopathy and an increased opportunity for transplantation.
Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation-Induced Blood Plasma Metabolic Response in a Diverse Genetic Mouse Population

Understanding the biological effects and biochemical mechanisms of low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) is important for setting exposure limits for the safe use of nuclear power and medical diagnostic procedures. Although several studies have highlighted the effects of ionizing radiation on metabolism, most studies have focused on uniform genetic mouse populations. Here, we report the metabolic response to LDIR (10 cGy X ray) on a genetically diverse mouse population (142 mice) generated from a cross of radiation-sensitive (BALB/c) and radiation-resistant (SPRET/EiJ) parental strains. GC-TOF profiling of plasma metabolites was used to compare exposed vs. sham animals. From this, 16 metabolites were significantly altered in the LDIR treated vs. sham group. Use of two significantly altered metabolites, thymine and 2-monostearin, was found to effectively segregate the two treatments. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify genetic polymorphisms correlated with metabolite abundance (e.g., amino acids, fatty acids, nucleotides and TCA cycle intermediates). Genetic analysis of metabolic phenotypes showed suggestive linkages for fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. However, metabolite abundance was found to be a function of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure, and not of the underlying genetic variation.
The influence of a paperless office environment on the sustainability of the Master of the High Court in Cape Town

Around the globe, more emphasis is being placed on environmental sustainability and, as such, many organizations have started to embrace the idea of a paperless working environment, although it is still largely regarded as an idealistic dream. For this research study, the influence of a paperless working environment on the Master of the High Court (Master’s Of fice), in Cape Town, was investigated through the introduction of its Paperless Estate Administration System (PEAS) and its Paperless Estate Administration System for Trusts (PEAST). The main objective of this research study is to determine the influence o f the PEAS and the PEAST on the holistic sustainability of the Master’s Office. A mixed methods approach was followed whereby both quantitative data and qualitative data were collected through means of disseminating questionnaires to employees based at the Master’s Office in Cape Town. Based on the findings made, the PEAS and the PEAST had a positive influence on the sustainability of the Master’s Office in Cape Town, as the time spent on and the expenditure incurred on administrative tasks decreased significantly. Notwithstanding the latter, it was found that the PEAS and the PEAST can still be further enhanced to optimize the sustainability of the Master’s Office in Cape Town.
The Validity of the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status in Acute Stroke

The construct validity of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was investigated in a sample of 210 acute ischemic stroke patients seen on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. Intercorrelations between the six index scores were found to be relatively consistent with previously published work. A principal components analysis yielded a two-factor (Language/Verbal Memory and Visuospatial/Visual Memory) solution that accounted for 61% of the variance. Correlations generated between the resulting factor scores, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA), the Visual Form Discrimination Test (VFD), Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) Complex Ideational Material Test (CIM), the presence of neglect as determined by Line Bisection Test performance, and the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) supported the validity of these factors. A comparison of the obtained factor scores in a subgroup of 111 left and right hemispheric stroke patients showed that the left hemispheric stroke patients performed more poorly on the Language/Verbal Memory factor score than did right hemispheric stroke patients while the converse was true for the Visuospatial/Visual Memory factor score. Implications for the construct validity of the RBANS and its use and interpretation in clinical assessment are discussed.
Carbon monoxide prevents ventilator-induced lung injury via caveolin-1*

Objectives:Carbon monoxide (CO) can confer anti-inflammatory protection in rodent models of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Caveolin-1 exerts a critical role in cellular responses to mechanical stress and has been shown to mediate cytoprotective effects of CO in vitro. We sought to determine the role of caveolin-1 in lung susceptibility to VILI in mice. Furthermore, we assessed the role of caveolin-1 in the tissue-protective effects of CO in the VILI model. Design:Prospective experimental study. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:Wild type (wt) and caveolin-1 deficient (cav-1−/−) mice. Interventions:Mice were subjected to tracheostomy and arterial cannulation. Wt and cav-1−/− mice were ventilated with a tidal volume of 12 mL/kg body weight and a frequency of 80/minute for 5 minutes as control or for 8 hours with air in the absence or presence of CO (250 parts per million). Bronchoalveolar lavage and histology were used to determine lung injury. Lung sections or homogenates were analyzed for caveolin-1 expression by immunohistochemical staining or Western blotting, respectively. Measurements and Main Results:Ventilation led to an increase in bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration, cell count, neutrophil recruitment, and edema formation, which was prevented in the presence of CO. Although ventilation alone slightly induced caveolin-1 expression in epithelial cells, the application of CO during the ventilation significantly increased the expression of caveolin-1. In comparison with wt mice, mechanical ventilation of cav-1−/− mice led to a significantly higher degree of lung injury when compared with wt mice. In contrast to its effectiveness in wt mice, CO administration failed to reduce lung-injury markers in cav-1−/− mice. Conclusions:Caveolin-1 null mice are more susceptible to VILI. CO executes lung-protective effects during mechanical ventilation that are dependent, in part, on caveolin-1 expression.
Rational Stock Market Catering

Tests using American data from 1970 to 2015 support the behavioral hypothesis that firms Cater to investor whims. We show that the standard tests cannot distinguish between the behavioral interpretation, and a rational model in which the firm optimally chooses investment, equity issuance, and dividends; while investors optimally choose consumption, equity, and bank account deposits. The rational model shows the importance of two-way financial flows between investors and firms that are generally ignored in the literature. Using booms, sentiment, and behavioral mispricing measures, we construct new tests of behavioral Catering Theory. In all cases that theory is rejected.
Some Effects Of Intertrial Interval Duration On Discrete-trial Choice.

Pigeons were trained in Experiment 1 on a discrete-trial concurrent variable-interval (VI) 1-min VI 3-min schedule, and in Experiment 2 on a discrete-trial concurrent VI 1.5-min VI 1.5-min schedule. In each experiment, the intertrial-interval durations (ITIs) were 0 s, 6 s, 22 s, and 120 s, and the schedules were both independent and interdependent. The purpose of the research was to determine whether lengthening the ITI would disrupt any local control that existed, measured with respect to relative response rate and changeover probability. In Experiment 1, with the independent schedules, both preference and obtained relative reinforcement rate approximated . 75 at short ITIs, but then decreased toward . 50 with longer ITIs. With interdependent schedules, both preference and obtained relative reinforcement rate approximated . 75 at all ITIs. In both experiments, with both independent and interdependent schedules, changeover probabilities for each response in a sequence of up to five successive responses to a given schedule were variable for individual birds. The average changeover probabilities for all birds suggested perseveration rather than a systematic increase within a given ITI or a systematic trend toward chance responding as ITI duration increased. Finally, the changeover functions did not differ when a sequence of responses was calculated to begin anew after reinforcement rather than with the first response on a schedule. Taken together, the data were inconsistent with a theory holding that only local processes underlie choice in discrete-trial procedures.
Raising Korea's productivity through innovation and structural reform

Raising productivity requires addressing a wide range of policies that affect resource allocation, the creation and diffusion of technology, human capital and the creation and financing of start-ups. The greatest gains can be achieved in the service sector and in SMEs, where productivity has fallen to less than a third of large firms. Regulatory reform, increased international openness and labour flexibility would support such reallocation and technology diffusion. Korea’s large investment in R&D and education should be leveraged to raise productivity by enhancing university and public research and strengthening its links with the business sector and global innovation networks. To take advantage of innovation, the relatively low skill levels of workers above age 35 calls for increased lifelong learning. Perhaps most important, it is essential to shift SME policies away from promoting the survival of firms and towards productivity gains. Given market failures in indirect financing, developing capital markets, including venture capital investment, is a priority to boost firm creation. This Working Paper relates to the 2016 OECD Economic Survey of Korea (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-korea.htm)
Propulsion for Biological Inspired Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs)

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have been receiving an increasingly interest in the last decades, fostered by the need of vehicles able to perform surveillance, communications relay links, ship decoys, and detection of biological, chemical, or nuclear materials. Smaller and handy vehicles Micro Air vehicles (MAVs) become even more challenging when DARPA launched in 1997 a pilot study into the design of portable (150 mm) flying vehicles to operate in D3—dull, dirty and dangerous—environments. More recently DARPA launched a Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program with the objective of developing and demonstrating small (<100 mm; <10 g) lightweight air vehicles with the potential to perform indoor and outdoor missions. The current investigation is focused on the mechanisms involved with natural locomotion (propulsion and lift should not be considered independently). Biological systems with interesting applications to MAVs are generally inspired on flying insects or birds; however, similarly to the aerodynamics of flight, powered swimming requires animals to overcome drag by producing thrust. Commonalities between natural flying and swimming are analyzed together with flow control issues as a purpose of improvement on biology-inspired or biomimetic concepts for Micro Air Vehicles implementation.
The Impact of BREXIT on the Foreign Direct Investment in the United Kingdom

The main objective of this study is to measure the impact of the British exist from the European Union on foreign direct investment (FDI) projects. Unlike previous studies, the research does not take into account the bilateral FDI flows. Instead, the analysis focus on FDI projects and new jobs and safeguarded jobs related to FDI projects. Using Poisson models on panel data over 2012 to 2015 and for regions from the entire world, the results indicate that the Brexit significantly and negatively affects the new jobs created in FDI projects. This expectation generates problems on labour markets. England policies should create a more flexible labour market and a stronger orientation towards other countries outside the Europe.