Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ice Adhesion Analysis of Severely Aged PDMS Rubbers

The goal of this study was to evaluate and optimize the ice adhesion test initially developed by the University of Denver and to examine Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based silicone rubbers for their ice-phobicity as a function of their physical and chemistry properties, and under severe oxidative aging. The test is based on an ice block bonded to a silicone rubber substrate and subjected to shear. In its original state, the test had severe limitations that caused the ice to be dislodged through a mixture of shear and peeling. Several steps were taken in this research to improve the test, and the work was successfully supported by finite element numerical simulations. Testing PDMS rubber substrates of various crosslink densities revealed that their ice adhesion strengths decreased as the crosslinking was reduced. It was shown for the first time that aging in hypochlorous acid greatly affected ice-phobicity of the rubbers.
Board Globalisation in the Worlds Largest TNCs 1993-2005

Transnational corporations (TNCs) are driving globalisation, but is there any evidence that the boards who govern these corporations are becoming more global? The question is intriguing to those who study corporate governance and those interested in the sociology of global capitalism, but up to now evidence on the extent of TNC board globalisation is largely anecdotal or weak. To address this issue I conducted a follow-up to Gillies' and Dickinson's (1999 "Corporate Governance: An International Journal", 7, 237-247) study of 80 of the world's largest TNCs. These authors reported that in 1993 36.3 per cent of these companies had at least one non-national board member. In late 2005 I found, in contrast, that 75 per cent of these companies had at least one non-national board member. However, the evidence also shows that while this trend has certainly become more widespread, it is not yet very deep; on average, only 25 per cent of these boards consisted of non-nationals, while non-nationals made up a majority of the board in only 10 per cent of these cases. Nevertheless, this trend toward more multinational boards is worth monitoring because such boards provide a transnational social infrastructure which may facilitate the emergence of a global business class. Copyright (c) 2007 The Author; Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Depression-Like Behavior in a Dehydroepiandrosterone-Induced Mouse Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome1

ABSTRACT Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can suffer from psychological disorders, among which depression is the most commonly diagnosed. However, the pathogenesis is still unclear. The aims of the present study were to investigate the behaviors of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS mice, the effects of high-fat diet (HFD) on mouse behaviors, and the underlying mechanism. Prepubertal C57BL/6 mice (25 days of age) were divided into four groups and injected daily with the vehicle sesame oil or DHEA on the normal chow or a 60% HFD for 20 consecutive days. Depression-like behavior of the mice was examined using a forced swim test, tail suspension test, and open field test. Thereafter, the animals were killed and four brain regions were collected. The brain levels of monoamines and their metabolites, including norepinephrine, serotonin, 5-hydroxy-3-indolacetic acid, dopamine, and 3,4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, were analyzed by HPLC. Our data show that DHEA-treated mice exhibited depression-like behavior according to the results from behavioral assessment. The brain contents of monoamines and/or their metabolites decreased in DHEA-treated mice compared with controls. HFD did not seem to markedly affect the behavioral responses, the brain monoamines, or their metabolites in the mice. These findings suggest that DHEA treatment induced depression-like behavior in PCOS mice, possibly through down-regulation of brain monoamines and/or their metabolites, which implies the contribution of hyperandrogenism to the psychological symptoms of women with PCOS.
Live from DC: Saturday Night Live political parody references in presidential rhetoric

ABSTRACT From content analyses to effects studies to rhetorical and critical analyses, we have a growing body of scholarship exploring political humor on United States late night television. The growing body of political humor scholarship reveals how late night comedy characterizes politics and politicians. What has not yet been explored, however, is how United States' politicians characterize late night television humor. Recognizing Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a unique type of late night television political humor in the USA, this essay turns to SNL mentions in United States' presidential remarks, including mentions by Presidents George Bush, George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton. Directions for future scholarship in this area are also proposed.
Influence of Different Oxygenator Types on Changing Frequency, Infection Incidence, and Mortality in Ards Patients on Veno-Venous Ecmo

Purpose Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO) is pivotal in the treatment of patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Comparative data with different oxygenator models have not yet been reported. The aim of this retrospective investigation was therefore to assess whether different oxygenator types might influence changing frequency, infection incidence, and mortality in patients on vv-ECMO. Methods 42 patients undergoing vv-ECMO between 1998 and 2009 were identified. In 20 out of these patients, a polypropylene (PP) microporous hollow fiber membrane oxygenator, and in 22 patients a nonmicroporous polymethylpentene (PMP) diffusion membrane oxygenator was used. Infection incidence, changing frequency, and mortality were documented. Results In the PMP group, an oxygenator change was necessary less often than in the PP group (p<0.001). The incidence of bacterial, viral, or fungal growth was similar in the groups, thus independent of the frequency of oxygenator change. Irrespective of the groups, the occurrence of Candida sp. tended to correlate with death (p = 0.06). In general, there was a trend towards a higher infection incidence in the subgroup with pulmonary ARDS (p = 0.07). Moreover, infection incidence was associated with a longer ICU stay (p = 0.03) and longer ECMO therapy (p = 0.03). ICU mortality was lower in the PMP group than in the PP group, although not statistically significant (p = 0.10). Conclusions The PMP oxygenator membranes showed benefits with regards to changing frequency, but not infection incidence, length of ICU stay, and length of ECMO therapy. There was a trend towards a lower ICU mortality in patients with PMP oxygenators.
Colorectal cancer in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia has been rising rapidly in Western Europe and the United States, especially among white males. Previous reports, based on case series, have suggested an association between colonic neoplasia and Barrett's esophagus, a metaplastic condition of the lower esophagus that can lead to adenocarcinoma. We analyzed cancer incidence data from 1973 to 1989 from the nine population-based registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of the United States National Cancer Institute to investigate this association, using malignancies as an outcome. Using a case-control design, we measured the odds of being diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma some time in life among persons diagnosed with adenocarcinomas of the esophagus or gastric cardia relative to persons diagnosed with squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus. Among white males the odds ratio was 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.02). This association appeared to be independent of which cancer occurred first. In contrast, white females with adenocarcinomas were less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than those with squamous cell carcinomas (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.78). These associations appeared to be specific for colorectal tissue because there was no relationship between histological type of esophageal cancer and prostate cancer in men or breast cancer in women. We conclude that men with esophageal adenocarcinoma may be more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime than expected; the opposite association may exist for women. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Purchase Versus Pooling of Interests: The Search for a Predictor

The question I am concerned with in this paper is the following: Is it possible to predict whether a merger will be accounted for as a purchase or as a pooling? Different predictors have been suggested in accounting literature; how do they compare in terms of their forecasting ability? If the accounting treatment is predictable, it may be possible to infer the decision rule that underlies the choice of treatment. Such knowledge would facilitate the interpretation of accounting data and suggest criteria to appraise auditing procedures. The question is important for the public accounting profession. Let us consider two possibilities: suppose we examine the population of reporting decisions made by business firms and find that the distribution behaves as if decisions were generated by a random process. One possible explanation would be that business men, as a group, do not really consider reporting decisions to be important, and accountants would then have to reconsider their own basic assumption, that reporting decisions have a discernible influence on the behavior of capital markets. Alternatively, let us assume that capital markets impose severe penalties upon firms which do not smooth their reported income. Then, we would expect executives to behave accordingly and we should be able to uncover evidence of such smoothing behavior. Recommendations leading to an increase in the variability of reported earnings would have little chance of being followed. ' It has been argued that managers of large firms "smooth" reported income in order to keep the stockholders happy.2 Such behavior has been
Limits and possibilities in the geolocation of humans using multiple isotope ratios (H, O, N, C) of hair from east coast cities of the USA*

ABSTRACT We examined multiple natural abundance isotope ratios of human hair to assess biological variability within and between geographic locations and, further, to determine how well these isotope values predict location of origin. Sampling locations feature differing seasonality and mobile populations as a robust test of the method. Serially-sampled hair from Cambridge, MA, USA, shows lower δ2H and δ18O variability over a one-year time course than model-predicted precipitation isotope ratios, but exhibits considerable differences between individuals. Along a ∼13° north-south transect in the eastern USA (Brookline, MA, 42.3 ° N, College Park, MD, 39.0 ° N, and Gainesville, FL, 29.7 ° N) δ18O in human hair shows relatively greater differences and tracks changes in drinking water isotope ratios more sensitively than δ2H. Determining the domicile of humans using isotope ratios of hair can be confounded by differing variability in hair δ18O and δ2H between locations, differential incorporation of H and O into this protein and, in some cases, by tap water δ18O and δ2H that differ significantly from predicted precipitation values. With these caveats, randomly chosen people in Florida are separated from those in the two more northerly sites on the basis of the natural abundance isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen.
The Relationship between Local Economic Conditions and Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospital Utilization by Adults and Seniors in the United States, 1995-2011.

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between aggregate unemployment and hospital discharges for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among adults and seniors, 1995-2011. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Community hospital discharge data from states collected for the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) and economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995-2011. STUDY DESIGN Quarterly time series study of unemployment and aggregate hospital discharges in local areas using fixed effects to control for differences between local areas. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Secondary data on inpatient stays and unemployment rates aggregated to micropolitan and metropolitan areas. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS For both adults and seniors, a 1 percentage point increase in the contemporaneous unemployment rate was associated with a statistically significant 0.80 percent (adults) to 0.96 percent (seniors) decline in AMI hospitalization during the first half of the study but was unrelated to the economic cycle in the second half of the study period. CONCLUSIONS The study found evidence that the aggregate relationship between health and the economy may be shifting for cardiovascular events, paralleling recent research that has shown a similar shift for some types of mortality (Ruhm 2013), self-reported health, and inpatient use among seniors (McInerney and Mellor 2012).
Regularly occurring periods of eye motility, and concomitant phenomena, during sleep. 1953.

obtain their surface in square centimeters. This simple method provides a means by objective measurements to make evident ehanges in the surfaee of wounds that are not apparent to the naked eye. Figure 1 shows. the observations recorded with this method :in a man of 42 years of age with hemiplegia and a decubital ulcer over the right buttock. The clini­ cians who had observed this wound daily had not noticed any remarkable change; however, it is quite obvious that the wound grew larger each time the treatment was changed, and that the use of an anti­ bi6tic was followed by a particularly striking enlarge­ ment of the lesion. In this instance the procedure of projection and gravimetric planimetry was repeated by different operators and a variation of ±5% was found (indicated by a cross-hatched area on Fig. 1). Figure 2 shows the same type of observation in a woman with hemiplegia and a dcenbital ulcer. This patient died from septicemia, and the decubital ulcer worsened with the general condition -of the patient. A method of gravimetric planimetry by standard photographs offers a means to study the course of surface wounds more accurately than by clinical ob­ servation or by the pictorial record alone. Refenn_
A method for constructing single-copy lac fusions in Salmonella typhimurium and its application to the hemA-prfA operon

This report describes a set of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium strains that permits the reversible transfer of lac fusions between a plasmid and either bacterial chromosome. The system relies on homologous recombination in an E. coli recD host for transfer from plasmid to chromosome. This E. coli strain carries the S. typhimurium put operon inserted into trp, and the resulting fusions are of the form trp::put::[Kanr-X-lac], where X is the promoter or gene fragment under study. The put homology flanks the lac fusion segment, so that fusions can be transduced into S. typhimurium, replacing the resident put operon. Subsequent transduction into an S. typhimurium strain with a large chromosomal deletion covering put allows selection for recombinants that inherit the fusion on a plasmid. A transposable version of the put operon was constructed and used to direct lac fusions to novel locations, including the F plasmid and the ara locus. Transductional crosses between strains with fusions bearing different segments of the hemA-prfA operon were used to determine the contribution of the hemA promoter region to expression of the prfA gene and other genes downstream of hemA in S. typhimurium.
Realizing improved mental health through understanding three spiritual principles.

A new psychospiritual understanding commonly known as the Three Principles proposes that people can realize and sustain improved mental health via insights gained through understanding the spiritual principles of Universal Mind, Consciousness, and Thought. We test this proposition for people exposed to the Three Principles as an intervention. The results appear to support our prediction that insights regarding “thought recognition” and/or “innate mental health via a clear mind,” gained through Three Principles understanding, will show a significant positive relationship with nonattachment, regulating negative emotions, and less rumination, and a significant inverse relationship with depression and anxiety.
Ultrastructural Immunolocalization of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Mast Cell Secretory Granules: Morphological Evidence for bFGF Release Through Degranulation

We previously reported that mast cells (MCs) serve as a source of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent angiogenic and mitogenic polypeptide, suggesting that bFGF may mediate MC-related neovascularization and fibroproliferation. Unlike many other growth factors, bFGF lacks a classic peptide sequence for its secretion, and the mechanism(s) for its release remains controversial. Because MCs release a wide spectrum of bioactive products via degranulation, we hypothesized that MC degranulation may be a mechanism of bFGF release and used ultrastructural immunohistochemistry to test the hypothesis. We reasoned that if bFGF is released through degranulation, it should be localized to MC secretory granules. Human tissues with chronic inflammation and rat/mouse tissues with anaphylaxis were studied. In all tissue samples examined, positive staining (or immunogold particle localization) for bFGF in MCs was predominantly in the cytoplasmic granules. Moderate bFGF immunoreactivity was also found in the nucleus, whereas the cytosol and other subcellular organelles exhibited minimal immunogold particle localization. In contrast, no immunogold particle localization for bFGF was observed in lymphocytes or plasma cells. In rat/mouse lingual tissue undergoing anaphylaxis, immunogold particle localization for bFGF was found not only in swollen cytoplasmic granules but also in the extruded granules of MCs. Three different anti-bFGF antibodies gave similar immunogold particle localization patterns, whereas all controls were negative. These results provide morphological evidence suggesting that, despite the lack of a classic secretory peptide in its structure, bFGF is localized to the secretory granules in MCs and may be released through degranulation.
Model study of toluene diisocyanate effect on transepithelial ion transport.

BACKGROUND Toluene diisocyanate (TDI), a low molecular weight compound, is commonly known as a factor causing asthma in chemical industry workers. The present study investigated a possible effect of TDI on ion transport using electrophysiological methods aimed at assessment of ion currents occurring in epithelial tissues. MATERIAL/METHODS The experiments were carried out on 119 fragments of isolated frog skin, sampled from 59 specimens of hybrid frog Rana esculenta L. The procedures employed involved transepithelial electrical potential (PD in mV) measurement with an Ussing apparatus, modified to enable mechanical stimulation of organs and defined pharmacological actions. Incubation was carried out using Ringer solution and Ringer solution with amiloride and bumetanide. Direct actions of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) were assessed at the time of administering this substance to the Ussing chamber with a peristaltic pump. RESULTS Based on the model of frog skin tested with Ussing apparatus, administration of TDI to the fluid stimulating preparations incubated with Ringer solution (RH) and with amiloride (AMI) was demonstrated to cause a hyperpolarization increase after mechanical stimulation. TDI action on isolated frog skin inflicted a change in response to mechanical stimulation, leading to a depolarization. The reaction magnitude of frog skin incubated with bumetanide (BUME) did not change due to TDI. CONCLUSIONS TDI influences processes of sodium ion transport in the isolated frog skin model, depending on mechanical stimulation. This indicates that TDI effect on ion transport in epithelial cells depends on C fibres and tachykinins released from their endings.
Antithymocyte globulin therapy for pure white cell aplasia

Severe neutropenia due to selective loss from the bone marrow of cells of the entire neutrophil maturation sequence developed in a patient with Goodpasture's Syndrome and was associated with serious infections complicating continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Involvement of T‐lymphocytes in the process affecting the neutrophil series was implicated by the relation between recovery from neutropenia and treatment with antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Azathioprine and corticosteroid administration failed to sustain recovery from neutropenia induced by ATG. It is concluded that ATG can provide a nonmyelotoxic form of therapy for pure white cell aplasia whose effectiveness is independent of responsiveness to other immunosuppressive agents.
Functioning in daily living and psychological well-being of female cancer patients

The objective of this prospective study was to compare outcomes concerning psychological and physical functioning of patients with various gynecological malignancies. A sample of 119 newly diagnosed cancer patients completed two questionnaires evaluating psychological well-being and functioning in daily living. Outcome measures were obtained at three time points: before surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 1 year after surgery. The results showed that the psychological well-being improved significantly from the first to the third time point for the sample as a whole. After surgery, patients with ovarian and cervical cancer showed slightly lower scores than patients with endometrial cancer. The level of functioning in daily living declined 3 months after surgery for all except endometrial cancer patients, but increased significantly at the 1 year follow-up. At all three time points the mean differences for psychological well-being and functioning in daily living were not statistically significant among subgroups. Physical and psychological well-being of the patients treated for gynecological malignancies is affected independently of age, cancer site and stage of disease. However, throughout the observational period the psychological well-being scores were lower than those of patients with other chronic illnesses or healthy subjects. Therefore, we conclude that psychological interventions for patients facing gynecological cancer treatment should be provided as an integral component of cancer management.
Today is Yesterday’s Future: Globalizing in the 21st Century

Where do we want to go and what do we want to be known for in the future? If we are to help people with widely divergent viewpoints engage in making decisions within a changing environment, technical and scientific expertise alone cannot provide solutions to issues which have political, ethical, and environmental impacts on communities and their inhabitants. We are not the university our grandfathers or grandmothers attended, if they earned a college degree. Nor is our outreach and engagement system like the one our parents may remember. This article discusses four challenges agriculture education and extension face as the 21 st century advances, framing them in a global context: What is the role of public research universities? How do cross cultural exchanges impact students? Where does agriculture education and extension fit into the urban agenda? What benchmarks success for extension? Challenges include the pace of change and expanding linkages between private sector firms, clientele, students and the international community. We may think local, but actions have global consequences. Thoughtful, well-intended actions are not enough to position us to lead change. We need to be able to change ourselves, our programs, and our institutions. To do that, we need to be informed decision makers. To be informed, we need data (research) that we can change into information. Information when applied to real world problems becomes knowledge. If that knowledge holds true over time, it may become thought of as wisdom.