Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Water Consumption Distribution Based on Crop Suitability in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River

Optimizing regional crop water consumption is considered to be a significant approach for increasing yields and reducing water consumption. This paper proposes a single-objective linear programming model which couples the distributed water consumption model with crop suitability. The impacts of meteorological, topographic, and soil factors were taken into account in both the distributed water consumption model and the crop suitability. The developed model was applied to a real case study in the middle reaches of Heihe River basin, in the northwest of China. In the optimization model, the net benefit which combined the water consumption with crop suitability was regarded as the objective function, while the limits on available water and planting area were set as the constraints. Optimal results regarding crop distribution and water consumption were generated for dry, normal, and wet hydrological years. Two optimization strategies were analyzed, including one with a fixed area of each crop and the other with a fixed total planting area. Economic analyses showed that net income under both optimization strategies increased by 31% and 33%, respectively. Although water consumption increased slightly in both optimization scenarios, the unit water income and unit area income were much higher than in the pre-optimization conditions. The obtained results are valuable for supporting the adjustment of planting patterns and the identification of desired plans for sustainable irrigation water allocation.
Improvement and validation of design tools for MM-wave instrument antennas by advanced measurement techniques

The prediction of the RF performance of large reflector antennas at (sub-)mm-wave frequencies is a big challenge for its modeling with state-of-the-art simulation tools. It is well known that the implementation of measured and highly accurate data for the feed pattern, the actual surface contour of the reflector as well as internal antenna alignment are required for accurate modeling. Within a previous paper at EuCAP 2009 in Berlin, the first steps concerning improvement of accurate modeling of mm-wave instrument antennas could be presented [1]. Within this paper, the final results on test setup optimization as well as generation of accurate pattern prediction data can be shown. Firstly, the optimized RF test setup will be described. Secondly, final recommendations on reflector surface data measurements will be given. Finally the comparison of antenna pattern at 501 GHz will be shown for the previous status as well as for the latest status.
Modulators of the protein kinase C system influence biliary excretion of cationic drugs

To investigate whether hepatobiliary transport of organic cations is under regulatory control, we studied transport of tri‐n‐butylmethylammonium in the isolated perfused rat liver and in isolated rat hepatocytes. Transport was investigated in the presence of modulators of the protein kinase C and the cyclic AMP second‐messenger system. In the isolated perfused rat liver, it was observed that compounds modulating protein kinase C activity clearly affected the biliary excretion process of the cation tri‐n‐butylmethylammonium. Phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate, a compound that directly stimulates protein kinase C, elevated the biliary excretion rate of tri‐n‐butylmethylammonium in a concentration‐dependent manner, reaching a twofold increase at 60 nmol/L of the phorbol ester. The inactive derivative 4α‐phorbol 12, 13‐didecanoate (60 nmol/L) did not show any effect. Vasopressin (48 nmol/L), a receptor‐mediated activator of protein kinase C, stimulated the excretion rate of the cation by about 50%. Staurosporin (1 μmol/L), an inhibitor of protein kinase C, clearly decreased the biliary excretion rate of the cation and also blocked its stimulation by phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate. Neither phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate nor vasopressin (at concentrations ranging from 10−9 to 10−6 mol/L) affected the initial uptake velocity of tri‐n‐butylmethylammonium in isolated hepatocytes and isolated perfused livers, whereas staurosporin (1 μmol/L) showed only a modest inhibition of the uptake of the cation. It is inferred that the effect of protein kinase C modulators on hepatobiliary transport of organic cations occurs at the level of carrier‐mediated transport in the canalicular membrane. Because bile flow was only slightly affected by these agents, effects on biliary excretion rate of the cation are unlikely to be caused by changes in bile flow. With regard to the cyclic AMP second‐messenger system, neither glucagon (concentration range of 10−9 to 10−6 mol/L), a receptormediated activator of adenylate cyclase, nor forskolin (100 μmol/L), a direct activator of adenylate cyclase and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (100 μmol/L), affected the biliary excretion rate and the hepatic uptake rate of the cation in these preparations. In conclusion, cell‐to‐bile transport of the organic cation tri‐n‐butylmethylammonium at the canalicular level is directly or indirectly regulated by protein kinase C. Neither the protein kinase C nor the cyclic AMP second‐messenger systems seem to be involved in the hepatic uptake process of the cation. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:1208‐1215).
Maternal docosahexaenoic acid feeding protects against impairment of learning and memory and oxidative stress in prenatally stressed rats: possible role of neuronal mitochondria metabolism.

AIMS Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) is known to play a critical role in postnatal brain development. However, no study has been performed to investigate its preventive effect on prenatal stress-induced behavioral and molecular alterations in offspring. In the present study, rats were exposed to restraint stress on days 14-20 of pregnancy, three times a day, 2 hours each time; DHA was given at the doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg/day for two weeks. RESULTS We showed that prenatal restraint stress caused (1) learning and memory impairment, (2) BDNF mRNA level decrease, (3) oxidative damage to proteins, (4) enhanced expression of nitric oxide synthase and apoptosis, and (5) abnormalities in mitochondrial metabolism that included changes in mitochondrial complexes I-V, and enhancement of expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion/fission (Mfn-1, Mfn-2, Drp-1) and autophagy (Atg3, Atg7, Beclin-1, p-Akt, and p-mTOR) in the hippocampus of offspring. INNOVATION Besides the well-known role in child brain development, we reported the novel finding of DHA in protecting prenatal stress-induced cognitive dysfunction involving the modulation of mitochondrial function and dynamics. CONCLUSION Maternal feeding of DHA significantly prevented prenatal stress-induced impairment of learning and memory and normalized the biomarkers of oxidative damage, apoptosis, and mitochondrial metabolism in the hippocampus of both male and female offspring. These results suggest that maternal feeding of DHA exerts preventive effects on prenatal stress-induced brain dysfunction and that modulation of mitochondrial metabolism may play critical role in DHA protection.
The effects of ovulation induction during infertility treatment on gingival inflammation.

BACKGROUND Ovulation induction is the most common method of infertility treatment in which the ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple follicles. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of three drug protocols of ovulation induction: clomiphene citrate (CC) alone, CC combined with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and CC combined with human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) on the gingival tissues of women who were undergoing infertility treatment. METHODS Study population was composed of 18 women using CC for three menstrual cycles or less and 16 women using CC for more than three cycles; 21 women using CC-FSH; and 24 women using CC-HMG who had at least four cycles of CC alone the previous year. All subjects were clinically examined for plaque levels (plaque index), gingival inflammation (gingival index), bleeding on probing, and gingival crevicular fluid volume. The results were compared with a control group of 20 women matched for age, educational and professional level, and oral habits and who had never used ovulation drugs. RESULTS Despite similar plaque levels (P>0.05), women using CC for more than three cycles and combined protocols of CC-FSH and CC-HMG had higher levels of gingival inflammation (P<0.01, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively), bleeding (P<0.001), and GCF volume (P<0.001) when compared to the control group and to the users of CC for three cycles or less. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study have shown that ovulation induction, which is the most common method in the management of infertility, exacerbates gingival inflammation, bleeding, and GCF volume and that the duration of the usage of these drugs is strongly associated with the severity of gingival inflammation.
Evaluation of Functional and Structural Alterations in Muscle Tissue after Short-Term Cold Storage in a New Tissue Preservation Solution

Storage of muscle preparations in vitro is required for the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders and for electrophysiological tests. The current standard protocols for muscle storage or transport, i.e. placement on 0.9% NaCl-moistened gauze, lead to impaired function and structural alterations. For other tissues, however, improved preservation methods and solutions have recently been described. In this study, functional and structural alterations in the murine diaphragm were compared after storage on 0.9% NaCl-moistened gauze and after storage in different modifications of the new vascular preservation solution TiProtec®. Muscle force generation after nerve stimulation, histological parameters and ATP levels were investigated after 2.5 h of cold storage at 4°C in the different media and 0.5 h of rewarming at 25°C in Tyrode buffer. Murine diaphragms were injured during cold storage and rewarming, with the degree of the alteration being dependent on the type of solution used. There were no histological alterations and no caspase 3 activation in all groups. In contrast, diaphragms stored in the modified TiProtec solution showed markedly better performance concerning force generation after nerve stimulation (7.1 ± 1.1 cN · s) as well as higher ATP content (2.4 ± 0.7 µmol/g) and were superior to storage on 0.9% NaCl-moistened gauze (1.4 ± 0.4 cN · s; 0.3 ± 0.1 µmol/g). In conclusion, the modified TiProtec preservation solution showed promising results for short-term cold storage of murine diaphragms. For further evaluation, the transferability of these positive findings to storage conditions for muscles of other species, especially human muscle tissue, needs to be investigated.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Exclusive Breastfeeding of Infants Younger Than 6 Months in Mozambique: A Qualitative Study

Only 37% of infants younger than 6 months in Mozambique are exclusively breastfed. A qualitative assessment was undertaken to identify the knowledge, beliefs, and practices around exclusive breastfeeding—specifically, those of mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and nurses—and to identify the support networks. Results show many barriers. In addition to receiving breast milk, infants receive water, traditional medicines, and porridges before 6 months of age. Many mothers had heard of the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. However, other family decision makers had heard less about exclusive breastfeeding, and many expressed doubts about its feasibility. Some of them expressed willingness to support exclusive breastfeeding if they were informed by health workers. Nurses know the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and pass this information on verbally but have insufficient counseling skills. Interventions to improve exclusive breastfeeding should target family and community members and include training of health workers in counseling to resolve breastfeeding problems.
Is it safe to use topical NSAIDs for corneal sensitivity in Sjögren’s syndrome patients?

Sjögren’s syndrome dry eye is an inflammatory disease accompanied by an impairment of the autonomous nervous system of the ocular surface. The therapy for this condition is shifting from the mere tear replacement to a more complex approach including an anti-inflammatory treatment. Clinical trials have evidenced that the use of NSAIDs is followed by a reduction of the ocular discomfort symptoms in dry-eye patients. However, sporadic case reports of corneal melting in dry-eye subjects who underwent surgical procedures has brought attention to the possible effect that NSAIDs may have on corneal sensitivity. Therefore, the effect of NSAID treatment on corneal sensitivity in normal subjects and in patients with dry eye was studied. The results of these trials seem to demonstrate that some NSAIDs, diclofenac in particular, have the effect of reducing corneal sensitivity both in normal subjects and in patients with dry eye. Therefore, NSAIDs should be used with caution in Sjögren’s syndrome patients.
Lesion‐induced synapse reorganization in the hippocampus of cats: Sprouting of entorhinal, commissural/associational, and mossy fiber projections after unilateral entorhinal cortex lesions, with comments on the normal organization of these pathways

This study evaluates whether three forms of sprouting occur in the hippocampus of the cat following unilateral entorhinal cortex (EC) lesions: (1) sprouting of projections from the EC contralateral to the lesion; (2) sprouting of the commissural/associational system; and (3) sprouting of mossy fibers.
Dualities in international management: exploring the role of managers as organizers of standardization/adaptation

In the international context, managers often face a contradictory imperative to organize the interpretive frames and actions of teams towards standardization/adaptation (a duality). Current etic approaches, entity perspectives, and variance models used to understand this phenomenon are limitative. Three inductive studies explore the role of managers from process perspectives and draw on theories of duality, sensemaking, and routines, to develop insights on how managers enact the work environment, use dynamic interpretations over time, and combine routinized and non-routinized behaviors to address the duality. The studies contribute to an open dialogue among different theoretical perspectives, opening new avenues for research.
Mammaglobin peptide as a novel biomarker for breast cancer detection

Among the different types of tests used for cancer diagnosis, molecular tests have been increrasingly incorporated because of their ability to detect either expression or functional changes in the molecules associated with the disease. Mammaglobin is a protein found in mammary tissue and can be detected in serum. This protein has been proposed as a biomarker to diagnose breast cancer, given that patients exhibit an increased amount of the protein in serum and tumor tissue, in comparison to healthy individuals. The ELISA test was used in the present study to detect mammaglobin in blood samples from 51 breast cancer patients and 51 control individuals. Antibodies against mamaglobin were generated in rabbits by using the following synthetic peptides: A (amino acids 13 to 21), B (amino acids 31 to 39), C (amino acids 56 to 64) and a D peptide, corresponding to the protein isoform without three amino acids (59, 60 and 61 amino acids) from peptide C. All peptides were immunogenic and allowed generation of antibodies that were able to discriminate patients from controls. The best results were obtained for antiserum B, achieving the best sensitivity (86.3%) and specificity (96%).
Generation and functional characterization of a clonal murine periportal Kupffer cell line from H‐2Kb –tsA58 mice

Murine Kupffer cells (KCs) are heterogeneous and survive only for a short time in vitro. Here, a clonal, murine KC line was generated from transgenic mice, expressing the thermolabile mutant tsA58 of the Simian virus 40 large T antigen under the control of the H‐2Kb promoter. Thirty‐three degrees Celsius and 37°C but not 39°C have been permissive for growth of the clone; it required conditioned media from hepatocytes and endothelial cells for proliferation. In contrast to primary cells, the cells of the clone were uniform, survived detachment, and could therefore be analyzed by cytofluorimetry. The clone, as primary KCs, constitutively expressed nonspecific esterase, peroxidase, MOMA‐2, BM8, scavenger receptor A, CD14, and Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4); the antigen‐presenting molecules CD40, CD80, and CD1d; and endocytosed dextran–fluorescein isothiocyanate. It lacked complement, Fc receptors, F4/80 marker, and the phagosomal coat protein tryptophan aspartate‐containing coat protein (TACO). The clone exhibited CD14‐ and TLR4/MD2‐independent, plasma‐dependent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae phagocytosis, and LPS‐ and interferon‐γ‐induced NO production but no tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)‐6, or IL‐10 release. The large size, surface‐marker expression, and capacity to clear gram‐negative and ‐positive bacteria indicate that the clone was derived from the periportal, large KC subpopulation. The clone allows molecular studies of anti‐infective and immune functions of KCs.
Underemployment and the Lack of Wage Pressure in the UK

In this note, we focus on underemployment as a potential cause of lower wage growth, which itself may have deeper causes, but which has, we would argue, demonstrably changed since the 2008 recession. The gap between our measures of the number of additional hours required by those who want more hours and the number who want less has narrowed recently. Neither have returned to their pre-recession levels. In our view, underemployment remains a major factor in explaining the 2 per cent wage norm that continues to exist in the UK.
Differences in the pregnancy gestation period and mean birth weights in infants born to Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British mothers in Luton, UK: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data

Objective To compare mean birth weights and gestational age at delivery of infants born to Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British mothers in Luton, UK. Design Retrospective analysis using routinely recorded secondary data in Ciconia Maternity information System, between 2008 and 2013. Setting Luton, UK. Participants Mothers whose ethnicity was recorded as white British, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Indian and living in Luton, aged over 16, who had a live singleton birth over 24 weeks of gestation were included in the analysis (n=14 871). Outcome measures Primary outcome measures were mean birth weight and gestational age at delivery. Results After controlling for maternal age, smoking, diabetes, gestation age, parity and maternal height and body mass index at booking, a significant difference in infants’ mean birth weight was found between white British and Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi infants, F(3, 12 287)=300.32, p<0.0001. The partial Eta-squared for maternal ethnicity was η2=0.067. The adjusted mean birth weight for white British infants was found to be 3377.89 g (95% CI 3365.34 to 3390.44); Indian infants, 3033.09 g (95% CI 3038.63 to 3103.55); Pakistani infants, 3129.49 g (95% CI 3114.5 to 3144.48); and Bangladeshi infants, 3064.21 g (95% CI 3041.36 to 3087.06). There was a significant association in preterm delivery found in primipara Indian mothers, compared with Indian mothers (Wald=8.192, df 1, p<0.005). Conclusions Results show important differences in adjusted mean birth weight between Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British women. Moreover, an association was found between primipara Indian mothers and preterm delivery, when compared with Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British women.
Comparison of thermal fatigue reliability of SnPb and SAC solders under various stress range conditions

Most accelerated temperature cycling (ATC) tests reported the observations that SnAgCu (SAC) solders have better thermal fatigue reliability than SnPb solders due to their lower creep strain rate. But material studies revealed that this is true only when stress level is below a certain level. When the stress level in the solder increases, eventually the creep strain rate of SAC solder may outgrow that of the SnPb solder. Therefore, lead-free soldering under thermal cyclic loading may lead to more reliability concern than people expected. Further investigations on ATC tests with various stress ranges are still in demand. In the present study, by making use of distance-from-the-neutral-point (DNP) effect, a simple but effective custom-designed dummy package with various solder joint spacing is designed and manufactured to evaluate the thermal fatigue reliability of SnPb and SAC solders under different stress levels. It was found that SnPb solder could outperform SAC solder under a higher stress level condition. For the lower stress level condition, although the ATC test is still in progress, based on the present preliminary result, it is reasonable to predict that SAC solder would be better than SnPb solder in this case. The finite element analysis using the same package configuration was also conducted. The computational creep strains in the solders agreed with the ATC test results. Further discussion on the thermal fatigue life prediction is also presented in this paper.
An open-label trial of riluzole in patients with treatment-resistant major depression.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of riluzole, a glutamate-modulating agent, in patients with recurrent major depression. METHOD After a 1-week drug-free period, subjects 18 years or older with a diagnosis of recurrent major depression and a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score > or = 20 received riluzole monotherapy (100-200 mg/day) openly for 6 weeks. RESULTS Nineteen treatment-resistant depressed patients, 53% of whom were classified as having stage 2 treatment resistance or greater, received riluzole at a mean dose of 169 mg/day. Significant improvement occurred during weeks 3 through 6 for all patients and weeks 2 through 6 for completers. CONCLUSIONS Although preliminary, these results indicate that riluzole may have antidepressant properties in some patients.