Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anticoagulant Effects of Heparin in Neonatal Plasma'

ABSTRACT: Available data on the anticoagulant effects of heparin in neonatal plasma are scarce and conflicting: relative to adult plasma, neonatal plasma has been reported to show both resistance as well as sensitivity to heparin. We explored this apparent paradox by comparing how well heparin accelerated inhibition of exogenous thrombin and prevented thrombin generation in defibrinated neonatal and adult plasmas. Using amidolytic assays, we determined the effects of heparin on 7) the neutralization of exogenous human a-thrombin and on 2) the formation of endogenous thrombin activity after contact activation and recalcification. Neonatal plasma proved resistant to heparin (0.05 U/ mL) during inhibition of added thrombin (15 NIH U/mL). Inhibition of thrombin in heparinized neonatal plasma became as efficient as in adult plasma only after raising the AT III activity to normal adult values. However, de novo generation of thrombin activity was very susceptible to inhibition by heparin, even in neonatal plasmas with physiologically low AT HI levels. Peak thrombin activity generated in neonatal plasma in the absence of heparin was 50% or less of peak adult activity, and this already reduced ability of neonatal plasma to generate thrombin activity upon prothrombin activation was further decreased by heparin (0.05-0.2 U/mL). We conclude that due to the neonatal AT III deficiency, added thrombin is inactivated less effectively by heparin in neonatal than in normal adult plasma. Yet, the generation of thrombin activity is impaired in neonatal plasma and easily suppressed by heparin. We speculate that newborn infants may be resistant to heparin therapy during overt thrombotic disease, when neutralization of abnormal thrombin activity is the therapeutic goal. In contrast, lower plasma heparin levels may be required to prevent the formation of thrombin activity in newborn infants than in adult patients.
A New Perspective for Delinquency

Numerous theories have attempted to analyze and understand the factors and etiology of juvenile delinquency. The present study is the first to suggest the use of Sellin’s “culture conflict” theory as a possible cultural explanation for the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency. According to Sellin, crime in many instances is a product of culture conflict between the values and norms of a certain subculture in a given society and those of the general culture. Following Sellin’s rationale, this study argues that youths constitute a social subculture with certain values, norms, and stances toward the criminal law that is not necessarily concordant with the moral values and formal norms of the general culture of adults, who determine the content of the criminal law. These assertions are analyzed via a crime seriousness study, in which adult and teenage respondents from a national (Israeli) sample were asked to evaluate the seriousness of various criminal offenses committed by adolescents. Generally, significant differences were found between the seriousness and punishment values given by the adult and juvenile respondents to violent offenses (high) and self-use of illegal drugs (low), with adult respondents providing significantly higher seriousness values and punishment options for them. Moreover, in a regression analysis, the variable of respondents’ age was found as decisive in understanding both dependent variables. The implications of these findings are discussed in this study.
Title An electrostatic selection mechanism controls sequential kinase signaling downstream of the T cell receptor

The sequence of events that initiates T cell signaling is dictated by the specificities and order of activation of the tyrosine kinases that signal downstream of the T cell receptor. Using a platform that combines exhaustive point-mutagenesis of peptide substrates, bacterial surfacedisplay, cell sorting, and deep sequencing, we have defined the specificities of the first two kinases in this pathway, Lck and ZAP-70, for the T cell receptor z chain and the scaffold proteins LAT and SLP-76. We find that ZAP-70 selects its substrates by utilizing an electrostatic mechanism that excludes substrates with positively-charged residues and favors LAT and SLP-76 phosphosites that are surrounded by negatively-charged residues. This mechanism prevents ZAP-70 from phosphorylating its own activation loop, thereby enforcing its strict dependence on Lck for activation. The sequence features in ZAP-70, LAT, and SLP-76 that underlie electrostatic selectivity likely contribute to the specific response of T cells to foreign antigens. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20105. 00
Effectiveness of interactive tutorials in promoting "which-path" information reasoning in advanced quantum mechanics

We have been investigating advanced students' learning of quantum mechanics concepts and have developed interactive tutorials which strive to help students learn these concepts. Two such tutorials, focused on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and the double-slit experiment (DSE), help students learn how to use the concept of "which-path" information to reason about the presence or absence of interference in these two experiments in different situations. After working on a pretest that asked students to predict interference in the MZI with single photons and polarizers of various orientations placed in one or both paths of the MZI, students worked on the MZI tutorial which, among other things, guided them to reason in terms of which-path information in order to predict interference in similar situations. We investigated the extent to which students were able to use reasoning related to which-path information learned in the MZI tutorial to answer analogous questions on the DSE (before working on the DSE tutorial). After students worked on the DSE pretest they worked on a DSE tutorial in which they learned to use the concept of which-path information to answer questions about interference in the DSE with single particles with mass sent through the two slits and a monochromatic lamp placed between the slits and the screen. We investigated if this additional exposure to the concept of which-path information promoted improved learning and performance in the DSE questions with single photons and polarizers placed after one or both slits. We find evidence that both tutorials promoted which-path information reasoning and helped students use this reasoning appropriately in contexts different from the ones in which they had learned it.
Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase plays a role in angiogenesis

Endothelial cells produce oxygen radicals spontaneously and this process is augmented by hypoxia/reoxygenation. Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD‐1) is an important enzyme in cellular oxygen metabolism. To determine whether alterations in SOD‐1 activity affect angiogenesis we used transgenic SOD‐1 (Tg‐SOD) mice with elevated level of SOD‐1. Angiogenesis induced subcutaneously by bFGF in Tg‐SOD mice was 3‐fold higher than in control non‐transgenic (ntg) mice. Oral administration of disulfiram (DSF), an inhibitor of SOD‐1, inhibited angiogenesis in Tg‐SOD mice as well as in CD1 nude mice. Effects of DSF on cultured cells were also tested. Application of DSF to cultured bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells caused inhibition of DNA synthesis and induction of apoptosis. These effects were prevented by addition of antioxidants, further indicating involvement of reactive oxygen species. DSF also reduced the level of glutathione and the production of H2O2 in BCE cells. Moreover, PC12‐SOD cells with elevated SOD‐1 were less sensitive to DSF treatment then control cells. These data indicate that the effects of DSF are mediated by inhibition of SOD‐1 activity. Tumor development is known to largely depend on angiogenesis. We found that oral administration of DSF to mice caused significant inhibition of C6 glioma tumor development and marked reduction (by 10–19‐fold) in metastatic growth of Lewis lung carcinoma. The data suggest a role for SOD‐1 in angiogenesis, establish DSF as a potential inhibitor of angiogenesis and raise the possibility that attenuating SOD‐1 activity may be important in treatment of angiogenesis‐dependent pathologies. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
FAST ALGORITHMS FOR NONCONVEX COMPRESSIVE SENSING : MRI RECONSTRUCTION FROM VERY FEW DATA

Compressive sensing is the reconstruction of sparse images or signals from very few samples, by means of solving a tractable optimization problem. In the context of MRI, this can allow reconstruction from many fewer k-space samples, thereby reducing scanning time. Previous work has shown that nonconvex optimization reduces still further the number of samples required for reconstruction, while still being tractable. In this work, we extend recent Fourier-based algorithms for convex optimization to the nonconvex setting, and obtain methods that combine the reconstruction abilities of previous nonconvex approaches with the computational speed of state-of-the-art convex methods.
Income inequality and participation : A comparison of 24 European countries q

Previous research suggests that when there is a high level of inequality, there is a low rate of participation. Two arguments are generally offered: First, inequality depresses participation because people from different status groups have fewer opportunities to share common goals. Second, people may participate more in civic and social life when they have more resources. However, until now, these explanations have not been separated empirically. Using EU-SILC data for 24 European countries, we analyze how income inequality is related to civic and social participation. Our results indicate that the main effects of inequality manifest via resources at the individual and societal level. However, independent of these resources, higher inequality is associated with lower civic participation. Furthermore, inequality magnifies the relationship between income and participation. This finding is in line with the view that inter-individual processes explain why inequality diminishes participation. 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Prognostic factors for survival and tumor control in cervical lymph node metastases from head and neck cancer: A multivariate study of 492 cases

A multivariate analysis was carried out in 492 patients with metastatic neck disease from squamous cell carcinoma to determine the influence of clinical and therapeutic factors on survival, local and regional control, and distant metastases. After radiation treatment with radical intent, recurrence at the primary site was the most frequent site of treatment failure (20% of cases), followed by distant metastases (14% of the cases), whereas isolated neck recurrences occurred in only 7% of the patients. The most significant factors influencing survival were primary tumor site, node fixation, N‐stage, T‐stage, and number of lymphatic chains, The most significant factors influencing local control were primary site, T‐stage, and node fixation. Significant factors influencing regional control were radiation therapy volume, primary tumor site, node fixation, and node location (upper and lower neck). Significant factors influencing distant control were N‐stage, number of nodes, and number of involved lymphatic chains.
High resolution X‐ray structures of mouse major urinary protein nasal isoform in complex with pheromones

In mice, the major urinary proteins (MUP) play a key role in pheromonal communication by binding and transporting semiochemicals. MUP‐IV is the only isoform known to be expressed in the vomeronasal mucosa. In comparison with the MUP isoforms that are abundantly excreted in the urine, MUP‐IV is highly specific for the male mouse pheromone 2‐sec‐butyl‐4,5‐dihydrothiazole (SBT). To examine the structural basis of this ligand preference, we determined the X‐ray crystal structure of MUP‐IV bound to three mouse pheromones: SBT, 2,5‐dimethylpyrazine, and 2‐heptanone. We also obtained the structure of MUP‐IV with 2‐ethylhexanol bound in the cavity. These four structures show that relative to the major excreted MUP isoforms, three amino acid substitutions within the binding calyx impact ligand coordination. The F103 for A along with F54 for L result in a smaller cavity, potentially creating a more closely packed environment for the ligand. The E118 for G substitution introduces a charged group into a hydrophobic environment. The sidechain of E118 is observed to hydrogen bond to polar groups on all four ligands with nearly the same geometry as seen for the water‐mediated hydrogen bond network in the MUP‐I and MUP‐II crystal structures. These differences in cavity size and interactions between the protein and ligand are likely to contribute to the observed specificity of MUP‐IV.
Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland: A case report

Results: Patient presented with a 1 year history of a gradually enlarging left lateral neck mass accompanied by cough, hoarseness, weight loss and intermittent fever. Tuberculosis work-up was negative and was ruled out. Nasal endoscopy revealed a nasopharyngeal mass. Ultrasound of the neck was consistent with an evolving follicular neoplasm and fine needle aspiration biopsy was inconclusive. Due to risk factors in the patient’s profile, total thyroidectomy with bilateral selective neck dissection and nasopharyngeal biopsy were done. Final histopathology results were consistent with a tuberculous process. Patient was then started on anti-Koch’s regimen.
Mapping Gaussian Process Priors to Bayesian Neural Networks

It is difficult to incorporate meaningful prior information about functions to be modeled by BNNs since priors are generally specified over the network parameters. Often, normal distributions are placed over the weights for convenience and are interpreted as a bias toward less complex functions via smaller weights. Gaussian processes, on the other hand, have a elegant mechanism for incorporating prior beliefs about the underlying function specifying the mean and covariance functions. However, Gaussian Processes have scalability limitations making Bayesian neural networks a more practical model in large data settings. In our work, we present an approach to specify a more principled prior for Bayesian Neural Networks that can leverage the well studied kernel design techniques from Gaussian process regression.
Electroconvulsive Therapy on Severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comorbid Depressive Symptoms

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not currently used as a first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, several related case reports have demonstrated that ECT seems to be effective for severe OCD, especially when first-line therapies have failed. In this study, we describe the courses, detailed parameters, effects, and follow-up information relating to three patients with severe OCD who were treated by modified bifrontal ECT after their first-line anti-OCD treatments pharmacotherapy, behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy failed. The number of ECT procedures administered in each case is as follows: Case 1, eight; Case 2, three; and Case 3, four. In all three cases, the patients' depressive symptoms improved considerably after the ECT procedures. In addition, the condition of all three patients' OCD significantly improved and remained stable at regular follow-ups. ECT may play an effective role in treating severe OCD.
An exploration of the dual liminal space : the cultural and developmental process of South American Latino adolescents post immigration : a project based upon an independent investigation

This qualitative, retrospective study aimed to explore the ways in which South American Latino Adolescents navigated through a dual liminal space (e.i developmental and cultural) post immigration. In other words, this study explored the intersection of the experience of being an adolescent and an immigrant in the United States. The research question for this exploratory study was: How do South American Latino adolescents move through the cultural and developmental liminal spaces post immigration? The sample for this study included 12 South American Latino immigrants who came to the United States during their adolescence, and have been in the country for over four years. Open-ended Interviews were conducted in order to gather data in the form of stories from the participants. Data was analyzed by looking for recurrent themes in participants’ narratives. The findings of this study showed that a variety of socio-economic factors (e.i acquisition of household responsibilities and financial responsibilities) changed participants’ perceived developmental life stage from adolescents to young adults. In addition, these socio-economic changes post immigration also impacted family dynamics including gender-related roles and ways of relating between members. Cultural negotiations were also recurrent in participants’ narratives as a form to described daily interactions with the broader society. The experiences being an adolescent in a foreign country were marked by the sense of uncertainty, trapped between and betwixt or liminality confirming previous literature on this topic (Turner, 1976). AN EXPLORATION OF THE DUAL LIMINAL SPACE: THE CULTURAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF SOUTH AMERICAN LATINO ADOLESCENTS POST IMMIGRATION A project based upon an independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work.
Comparison of ketamine and pentobarbital anesthesia with the conscious state in a porcine model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia

Live Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.5·109·kg‐1·h‐1) were administered to awake (Group A, n = 10) and anesthetized piglets, which were given intravenous ketamine (Group K, 10 mg·kg‐1·h‐1, n = 8) or pentobarbital (Group P, 15 mg·kg‐1h‐1, n = 8). The anesthetized animals were mechanically ventilated. In addition, a pentobarbital group (Group CP, n = 6) and a ketamine control group (Group CK, n = 6) were studied. The mean survival time was 10.5 ± 3.0 h in Group A, 10.6 ± 2.8 h in Group K, and 1.8 ± 1.3 h in Group P. In Group P the arterial pressure, the cardiac output and the systemic vascular resistance declined soon after start of the bacterial infusion, whereas the pulmonary artery pressure increased. The animals died of irreversible circulatory failure. In Group K pronounced pulmonary hypertension and lethal pulmonary edema developed. There was no circulatory failure in Group A, but the animals also died of marked pulmonary edema. Groups CP and CK exhibited stable hemodynamics for a period of 8 h. The results of this study suggest a deleterious effect of pentobarbital on hemodynamics and survival time, and a minor suppressive action of ketamine on the circulation in septicemia. Therefore, data obtained from septic shock studies applying pentobarbital have to be evaluated carefully. Investigation of the effects of gram‐negative bacteria or endotoxin should be performed in unanesthetized or, if anesthesia is necessary, in ketamine‐anesthetized animals.
Predictors of sexual-risk behaviour and HIV-preventive practices among university students in Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study design was used to assess sexual-risk behaviour and HIV-preventive practices among students at Hawassa University, Ethiopia, in 2009. Among 1 220 students eligible for the study, approximately 29% reported experience of sex (36.3% of the males and 9.3% of the females). Of the total sexually active respondents, 67.1% had begun sexual activity while still in secondary school. For the previous 12-month period, 42.1% said they did not use condoms during the last sexual encounter, 46.1% of the males claimed having had sex with ‘bar ladies,’ and 39% said they had an active symptom of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association of higher-risk sexual practices in the previous year with being female and having an income greater than US$30/month. Having multiple sexual partners was strongly associated with being female, having a monthly income greater than US$30, a sexual debut before age 18 and before attending university, ever having had sex for the sake of money, active STI symptoms, and attending nightclubs. Overall, the students reported sexual practices that were considerably unprotected; we surmise that this likely exposed approximately two-fifths to STIs and nearly 10% to unplanned pregnancy. We conclude that to alter university students’ sexual-risk behaviour, a great deal of relevant intervention should be carried out during earlier school years, and the observed link between a greater frequency of sexual-risk behaviour and higher income needs to be investigated.
Resistance to Colonization and Post-Colonial Economic Outcomes

An extensive literature in development economics has analyzed the relationship between colonial institutions and present-day outcomes for former colonies. However, the actions and reactions of native populations to colonial rule have so far been left out of the narrative. Native groups could choose to cooperate or resist colonization, which would then affect the relationship between the colonizer and colony and subsequently the effects of colonization. This paper studies the relationship between resistance to colonization by the native population and present-day economic outcomes. Former colonies with a history of resisting colonization have 50%-65% lower GDP/capita today, compared to former colonies that were colonized without resistance. This is despite the fact that both historical and economic evidence point to resisting native groups being stronger politically, militarily, and economically than native groups that did not resist prior to colonization. This relationship cannot be explained through the resource curse nor through political institutions typically associated with colonial rule. However, ethnic group functionalization, the use of certain ethnic, linguistic, or religious groups in positions of power within the colonial government, does explain this relationship. While exogeneity cannot be shown, the endogenous causes of resistance are argued to work against the results found here. JEL Classification: F54, N00, O12