Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between perceived service quality of antenatal care and use among rural women in Ghana

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to examine rural women’s perceived quality of antenatal care (ANC) and its influence on the extent of ANC in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 women attending postnatal care at selected public health facilities. Structured interviews were used to obtain data. Crude odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was generated to determine the odds of women’s utilisation of ANC with their perceived service quality. The association between women’s background characteristics and ANC use was determined and assessed using Pearson’s χ2 (2) test. Findings Majority of the women (58.3 percent) utilised ANC for at least four times during pregnancy. Women’s education (p=0.027), religious affiliation (p=0.006), source of income (p=0.012) and insurance status (p=0.023) all had a positive relationship with ANC use. Women who perceived ANC quality as good were three times more likely to have four or more ANC visits than those who perceived quality as poor (OR= 3.042, 95% CI=0.181–0.647, p=0.001). Originality/value Ghana has had numerous policy interventions that address the accessibility and quality of ANC service. However, little is known about the extent to which they are observed and about the quality of service from users’ perspective. Most existing literature on ANC use in Ghana focusses on socio-economic factors that influence utilisation. This paper will be the first to examine the perceived quality of ANC provided, and its influence on the extent of ANC visits among rural women in Ghana.
Sperm Binding to Epithelial Oviduct Explants in Bulls with Different Nonreturn Rates Investigated with a New In Vitro Model1

Abstract A new in vitro method was developed for analyzing the capacity of sperm to bind to oviductal epithelium to determine whether this binding capacity could be used to predict nonreturn rates (NRR). Sperm binding was evaluated by counting 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide (JC-1)-labeled spermatozoa attached to oviductal epithelium and by measuring the surface area of the oviduct explants by means of an image analysis program. Hepes + Tyrode albumin lactate pyruvate (TALP) was a more useful medium than in vitro fertilization (IVF)-TALP, TCM-199 medium + 10% fetal calf serum, and TCM-199 medium alone for the investigation of sperm binding to oviductal explants. Oviduct explants with a surface area of ;lt20 000 μm2 provided more consistent results than did explants with a surface area of >100 000 μm2. A positive association was found between the loge transformed number of spermatozoa bound to 0.1 mm2 oviductal epithelium and the NRR of the respective sires after 24 h of coincubation, provided that the membrane integrity of the sperm sample was >60%. Determination of the capacity of sperm to bind to oviductal explants could become a reliable in vitro method for predicting the NRR of a given sire.
Unique Effects and Moderators of Effects of Sources on Self-Efficacy: A Model-Based Meta-Analysis

Self-efficacy beliefs are strong predictors of academic pursuits, performance, and persistence, and in theory are developed and maintained by 4 classes of experiences Bandura (1986) referred to as sources: performance accomplishments (PA), vicarious learning (VL), social persuasion (SP), and affective arousal (AA). The effects of sources on self-efficacy vary by performance domain and individual difference factors. In this meta-analysis (k = 61 studies of academic self-efficacy; N = 8,965), we employed B. J. Becker’s (2009) model-based approach to examine cumulative effects of the sources as a set and unique effects of each source, controlling for the others. Following Becker’s recommendations, we used available data to create a correlation matrix for the 4 sources and self-efficacy, then used these meta-analytically derived correlations to test our path model. We further examined moderation of these associations by subject area (STEM vs. non-STEM), grade, sex, and ethnicity. PA showed by far the strongest unique association with self-efficacy beliefs. Subject area was a significant moderator, with sources collectively predicting self-efficacy more strongly in non-STEM (k = 14) compared with STEM (k = 47) subjects (R2 = .37 and .22, respectively). Within studies of STEM subjects, grade level was a significant moderator of the coefficients in our path model, as were 2 continuous study characteristics (percent non-White and percent female). Practical implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.
Human DnaJ Homologs dj2 and dj3, and bag-1 Are Positive Cochaperones of hsc70*

DnaJ is an essential cochaperone of mammalian heat shock cognate 70 (hsc70) protein. We previously found that dj2 (HSDJ/hdj-2/rdj1), rather than dj1 (hsp40/hdj-1), is a partner DnaJ for the hsc70-based chaperone system. Here, we compared the distribution of dj1, dj2, and the newly found dj3 (cpr3/DNJ3/HIRIP4/rdj2) in cultured cells. Both dj3 as well as dj2 were farnesylated and were ubiquitously expressed. In immunocytochemical and subfractionation studies, these two proteins colocalized with hsc70 under normal conditions. However, dj1 and hsc70 apparently colocalized in the nucleoli after heat shock. Simultaneous depletion of dj2 and dj3 from rabbit reticulocyte lysate markedly reduced mitochondrial import of pre-ornithine transcarbamylase and refolding of guanidine-denatured luciferase. Re-addition of either dj2 or dj3 led to recovery of these reactions. In a reconstituted system, both hsc70-dj2 and hsc70-dj3 were effective in protein refolding. Anti-apoptotic protein bag-1 further stimulated ATP hydrolysis and protein refolding by both pairs. Thus, dj2 and dj3 are the partner DnaJs of hsc70 within the cell, functionally similar and much more efficient than dj1, and bag-1 is a positive cochaperone of the hsc70-dj2 and hsc70-dj3 systems.
Intramyocellular lipids and insulin resistance

Lipids are stored not only in adipocytes but also ‘ectopically’ in tissues such as muscle, liver, beta cells and others. From a metabolic perspective, intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) have recently become a focus of interest. This review summarizes history, measurement techniques and interpretation of muscle lipid data. Problems in biopsies with the separation of those metabolically active lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of myocytes from further lipids in adipocytes are discussed as well as considerations important for analysis of correlations between IMCL content and insulin sensitivity under various circumstances. The relatively new approach to non‐invasive assessment of the IMCL content by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is described in detail and exemplary spectra from different skeletal muscle types in humans are presented. The MRS technique allows human examinations of large cohorts for a detailed assessment of the interactions among metabolic parameters such as age, measures of adiposity, hormonal and ethnic factors and insulin resistance. IMCLs are generally positively correlated with measures of obesity and negatively with insulin sensitivity. Paradoxically, physical fitness (maximal aerobic capacity) increases both IMCL content and insulin sensitivity and therefore has to be taken into account as a confounding factor. Intervention studies with MRS further allowed to elucidate the regulation of IMCL. Molecular mechanisms and potential genetic factors on IMCL regulation are discussed as well as possible mechanisms of current treatment strategies for improving insulin sensitivity.
Decreased levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with bronchial asthma

Background: The contribution of free oxygen radicals in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma is generally accepted. The modulation of antioxidative defence by supplementation with antioxidants represents additive therapy in complex management of disease. The aim of the study was to assess the levels of coenzyme Q10, α‐tocopherol, and β‐carotene both in plasma and whole blood, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in plasma of asthmatics (As).
Cerebral metabolism and vascular reactivity during breath-hold and hypoxic challenge in freedivers and healthy controls

The goal of the present study was to examine the cerebral metabolism and vascular reactivity during extended breath-holds (ranging from 2 min 32 s to 7 min 0 s) and during a hypoxic challenge in freedivers and non-diver controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the global cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the cerebral lactate, glutamate+glutamine, N-acetylaspartate and phosphocreatine+creatine concentrations in the occipital lobe. Fifteen freedivers and seventeen non-diver controls participated. The freedivers showed remarkable increases in CBF (107%) during the breath-holds, compensating for arterial desaturation, and sustained cerebral oxygen delivery (CDO2). CMRO2 was unaffected throughout the breath-holds. During the hypoxic challenge, the freedivers had larger increases in blood flow in the sagittal sinus than the non-divers, and could sustain normal CDO2. No differences were found in lactate production, global CBF or CMRO2. We conclude that the mechanism for sustaining brain function during breath-holding in freedivers involves an extraordinary increase in perfusion, and that freedivers present evidence for higher cerebrovascular reactivity, but not for higher lactate-producing glycolysis during a hypoxic challenge compared to controls.
Energetics of Target Peptide Binding by Calmodulin Reveals Different Modes of Binding*

Thermodynamic parameters of interactions of calcium-saturated calmodulin (Ca2+-CaM) with melittin, C-terminal fragment of melittin, or peptides derived from the CaM binding regions of constitutive (cerebellar) nitric-oxide synthase, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I, and caldesmon (CaD-A, CaD-A*) have been measured using isothermal titration calorimetry. The peptides could be separated into two groups according to the change in heat capacity upon complex formation, ΔC p. The calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I, constitutive (cerebellar) nitric-oxide synthase, and melittin peptides have ΔC p values clustered around −3.2 kJ·mol−1·K−1, consistent with the formation of a globular CaM-peptide complex in the canonical fashion. In contrast, phosphodiesterase, the C-terminal fragment of melittin, CaD-A, and CaD-A* have ΔC p values clustered around −1.6 kJ·mol−1·K−1, indicative of interactions between the peptide and mostly one lobe of CaM, probably the C-terminal lobe. It is also shown that the interactions for different peptides with Ca2+-CaM can be either enthalpically or entropically driven. The difference in the energetics of peptide/Ca2+-CaM complex formation appears to be due to the coupling of peptide/Ca2+-CaM complex formation to the coil-helix transition of the peptide. The binding of a helical peptide to Ca2+-CaM is dominated by favorable entropic effects, which are probably mostly due to hydrophobic interactions between nonpolar groups of the peptide and Ca2+-CaM. Applications of these findings to the design of potential CaM inhibitors are discussed.
Preliminary report on effects of oxcarbazepine‐treatment on serum lipid levels in children

The aim of the present study was to assess serum lipid levels before and after treatment with oxcarbazepine (OXC) in children with epilepsy. We measured total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs) and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) in 28 patients whereas only TC levels in 11 patients, during baseline period and at 3 months after the beginning of therapy with OXC. During baseline period, median values were: 4.38 mmol/l (IQR = 4.12–5.03) for TC levels, 1.72 mmol/l (IQR = 1.42–2.01) for HDL‐C levels and 1.54 mmol/l (IQR = 1.29–1.96) for TGs levels. At 3 months, median values were: 4.38 mmol/l (4.10–4.95) for TC levels (P < 0.05), 1.57 mmol/l (1.34–1.93) for HDL‐C levels (P < 0.005) and 1.8 mmol/l (1.23–2.34) for TGs levels (P < 0.05). Median serum lipid levels remained in the normal range, despite an increasing‐trend at 3 months of treatment with OXC. Further studies are necessary to confirm these results.
Special Schools, Inclusion and the World Wide Web - the emerging research agenda

A comprehensive survey of UK special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) has shown that the rapid increase in Internet use on the part of mainstream schools has not been mirrored in special education. Despite this situation, interviews with IT coordinators and Headteachers in special schools and PRUs indicate some of the reasons for creation of special school WWW homepages. The interview data indicates concerns relating to issues of separation and inclusion that have been increased by recent moves towards inclusion as a goal within the special education sector.
Comparison of two formulations of oxytetracycline given prophylactically to reduce the incidence of bovine respiratory disease in feedlot calves.

A trial involving 1,803 feedlot calves was conducted under commercial feedlot conditions in western Canada to compare the relative effectiveness of a new oxytetracycline formulation, administered either intramuscularly (BMI) or subcutaneously (BMS), to a currently available oxytetracycline formulation, administered intramuscularly (LAB), for the prevention of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlot calves. All experimental treatments were administered upon arrival at the feedlot and again on the third day after arrival.Over the entire feeding period, there were no significant differences (p>/=0.05) in the BRD treatment rates or the BRD relapse rates between either the BMI or BMS groups compared to the LAB group. Similarly, there were no significant differences (p>/=0.05) in the BRD treatment rates in the BMI or BMS groups from days 8-14, days 15-90, or days 1-90 of the feeding period compared to the LAB group. However, during the first seven days of the feeding period the BRD treatment rate in the BMI group was 1.55 times (p<0.05) higher than in the LAB group. From days 1-90 and day 1 to the end of the feeding period, the overall mortality rates, BRD mortality rates, and BRD case fatality rates were two to six times lower in the BMS and BMI groups as compared to the LAB group; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p>/=0.05). These data indicate that both the intramuscular and subcutaneous administration of a new oxytetracycline formulation are comparable to the intramuscular administration of a currently available oxytetracycline formulation when given to calves upon arrival at the feedlot.
Inflation And Inflation Uncertainty In Latin America: A Time-Varying Stochastic Volatility In Mean Approach

This paper proposes a stochastic volatility in mean (SVM) model with time-varying parameters (TVP) in order to assess whether the effect of inflation uncertainty on inflation has changed over time in Latin America. Considering inflation series for the last two decades, we report evidences of high uncertainty from 1996 to early 2000s. Moreover, despite being positive throughout the sample, the overall relationship between inflation uncertainty and inflation has changed over the years in Latin America, underscoring the importance of our time-varying specification.
How Search in Science Impacts on the Value of Inventions at Early and Late Stages in the R&D cycle

The literatures on innovation and organizational learning have identified search in prior science and technology as critical inputs to industrial R&D. Efforts to distinguish the contributions separately and combined of these two search orientations are scarce, and quantitative estimates offer contradictory results. The contributions to R&D from science are particularly elusive. To achieve some transparency on these issues we study R&D in biotech drug discovery, where the role of science is pervasive and structured into a recurrent sequence of inventions required to build a drug candidate. The patents filed on these inventions offer, through their citations to prior art, a fine-grained view of the role of science along the R&D cycle. Applying a unique text-mining algorithm we categorize a set of 1,058 patens from Scandinavian drug discovery firms into six types of drug-related inventions. Tests confirm a significantly decreasing presence of science vis a vis technology over the R&D cycle. Effects of the composition of search on the value of single inventions show notable differences. In early R&D increasing predominance of search in science detracts from invention value. In late R&D, inventions increase in value when search includes a scientific orientation. Science-based R&D is cognitively heterogeneous and builds value in forms requiring sophisticated R&D management. Our results add to the theoretical understanding of search and the role of science in innovations. They also explain why an aggregate view, as presented in prior literature, on the value produced by science in R&D leads to contradictory or insignificant findings.
Molecular Diagnostics: Past, present, and future

Molecular diagnostics (MDx) is currently a clinical reality that has its roots deep in the study of gene function, structure, and regulation. The multitude of human mutations identified in the various genetic diseases can now he assayed in the clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has facilitated the transition from the research to the clinical laboratory, however, many methods which scan and identify known mutations may not be applicable in a clinical environment. A few of these methods are discussed and one technology that is well suited for clinical use is suggested. Well‐trained personnel, regulation of MDx laboratories, and automation are a few of the requirements that will carry us into the promising future of molecular diagnosis. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Miniaturized Dual-Band Folded Patch Antenna With Independent Band Control Utilizing an Interdigitated Slot Loading

A compact linearly polarized dual-band patch antenna with low cross-polarization and independent band control is presented. Miniaturization was achieved through a combination of shorting, subsequently folding, and by replacing the standard slot loading with a slot that is featured by a meander line. By replacing the standard straight slot with an interdigitated slot loading, the resonance condition was shifted to the lower operating band, facilitating significant antenna miniaturization and resulting in an element size equal to or smaller than 0. 1λ0 in all three dimensions. The antenna design procedure is outlined and a prototype for WiFi applications was fabricated and measured for impedance matching, radiation pattern, and broadside gain. A simulated parametric analysis was performed on the interdigitated slot geometry to determine how the antenna performance is controlled. Then, based on the parametric analysis, it was further demonstrated that the two operational bands of the antenna element could be independently controlled by changing only the geometrical dimensions of the interdigitated slot, leaving the base of the antenna entirely unaltered. As a result, the lower operating band could be fixed while the upper operating band could be shifted by up to 10%. Lastly, the effect of utilizing a small ground plane, in an effort to achieve a small antenna footprint, is discussed.
How dynamic hedging affects stock price movements: Evidence from German option and certificate markets

We examine the impact of dynamic hedging demand of German option and discount certificate markets on the autocorrelation of German stock price changes. We theoretically model the demand of liquidity providers in the discount certificate market, a structured financial product with a concave payoff profile, asking whether dynamic hedging by certificate issuers induces negative return autocorrelation in stock markets. We find empirical evidence that the hedging demand of option issuers has a positive impact on return autocorrelation, while the opposite holds for certificate issuers, whose hedging demand enhances the negative return autocorrelation in the stock market. We thus theoretically and empirically provide evidence that there are persistent spillover effects from option and certificate markets to stock markets due to dynamic hedging activities.
Inhibition of the calcineurin-like protein phosphatase activity in Limulus ventral eye photoreceptor cells alters the characteristics of the spontaneous quantal bumps and the light-mediated inward currents, and enhances arrestin phosphorylation

Changes in intracellular calcium are involved in phototransduction processes in both vertebrate and invertebrate photoreceptors. During this phototransduction process in the Limulus ventral eye, there is a biochemical change in the protein phosphatase, calcineurin, such that it becomes capable of activation by calcium and calmodulin. Here we show that the calcium/calmodulin-dependent calcineurin-like activity in light-adapted ventral eye was completely inhibited by the CaN autoinhibitory peptide, CaN A457–482 and the Merck analog of the membrane-permeable, immunosuppressant drug, FK 506, L-683, 590, but not an inactive analogue, L-685, 818. Whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings of spontaneous quantal bump activity present in dark-adapted photoreceptors injected with either CaN A457–482 (500 μM) or superfused with L-683, 590 (20 μM) or L-685, 818 revealed that both CaN A457–482 and L-683, 590, but not L-685, 818, caused rapid decreases in quantal bump amplitude, rise time and fall time, resulting in smaller, sharper bumps. This was correlated with enhanced phosphorylation of arrestin in light-adapted ventral eye photoreceptors exposed to L-683, 590 or less reliably okadaic acid. Both CaN A457–482 and L-683, 590 markedly affected the light-stimulated inward currents recorded from light-adapted ventral photoreceptors, causing a “terracing” of the inward current, and an intensity-dependent delay in the time required to reach peak amplitude. Consequently, inhibition of calcineurin markedly affects two major rhodopsin-dependent electrophysiological processes, and implicates CaN as an integral component in the phototransduction cascade.