Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Aims Determine the prevalence of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) aged ≤18 years in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, from 2007 to 2010. Methods A retrospective analysis of fat-soluble vitamin levels in children aged ≤18 years who lived in NSW and attended any of the three paediatric CF centres from 2007 to 2010. An audit of demographic and clinical data during the first vitamin level measurement of the study period was performed. Results Deficiency of one or more fat-soluble vitamins was present in 240/530 children (45%) on their first vitamin level test in the study period. The prevalence of vitamins D and E deficiency fell from 22.11% in 2007 to 15.54% in 2010, and 20.22% to 13.89%, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency increased from 11.17% to 13.13%. Low vitamin K was present in 29% in 2007, and prevalence of prolonged prothrombin time increased from 19.21% to 22.62%. Fat-soluble vitamin deficiency is present in 10%–35% of children with pancreatic insufficiency, but only a very small proportion of children who are pancreatic-sufficient. Conclusions This is one of few studies of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in children with CF in Australia. Fat-soluble vitamin testing is essential to identify deficiency in pancreatic-insufficient children who may be non-compliant to supplementation or require a higher supplement dose, and pancreatic-sufficient children who may be progressing to insufficiency. Testing of vitamin K-dependent factors needs consideration. Further studies are needed to monitor rates of vitamin deficiency in the CF community.
Accessibility and Repayment of Agricultural Loan among Farmers in Benue State, Nigeria

The study determined the accessibility and repayment of agricultural loans among small-scale farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain information from 238 farmers randomly selected. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, ordered logit regression and multiple regression analysis. Result shows that farmers have a mean age of 46.84 years and majority (77.3%) of the farmers were males. Most (87.0%) of the farmers were married and spent 9.9 years in acquiring formal education with experience of 22.4 years. Majority (82.4%) of the respondents obtained informal loans. The age, sex, farm size and collateral value have a significant relationship on the level of farmer’s access to formal loan. Similarly, sex, farm size, major occupation and interest rate were found to have a significant relationship on the level of access to informal loans. Farmer’s loan repayment rate was 78.95% and 68.78% for formal and informal loans respectively. Marital status, major occupation, loan size, duration and number of instalments factors influencing the repayment of formal loan. However, loan size and number of instalments were the factors that have significant effect on repayment of informal loan. It was recommended that that conscious use of policies directed at increasing the amount of loan obtained by farmers should be promoted; disbursement of loan should be directed at farmers that have other sources of income.
Integrated Approach to Workplace Diversity through Human Resource Management

Todayâ€™s organisations are facing challenges of equity control, market size, and workplace diversity despite increase in profitability due to globalisation and technological advancements. This called for efficient utilization of human resource management (HRM) as its focus is on people management with the strategic proactive approach to workplace diversity. The paper calls for improve role of HRM and organisational management in creating conducive work environment, accurate and expansion of selection criteria for workplace diversity that include stable attributes such as emotional intelligence and dispositional factors such as task and people oriented and being culturally flexible. It conclude by advocating for HRM integrative approach to diversity as it synthesizes the literature and proposes key areas needed to management diversity.
Effects Of Prostaglandins On Baroreflex During Reperfusion Of The Ischaemic Myocardium

1. The present study was planned to: (i) determine whether the baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was attenuated during reperfusion of short‐term ischaemic myocardium; and (ii) study whether blockade of prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin reversed the inhibitory baroreflex.
Inhibitors of arterial relaxation among components of human oxidized low-density lipoproteins. Cholesterol derivatives oxidized in position 7 are potent inhibitors of endothelium-dependent relaxation.

BACKGROUND Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are known to impair arterial relaxation. The aim of the present study was to identify the components of oxidized LDL that may account for inhibition of endothelium-dependent relaxation. METHODS AND RESULTS LDLs from 12 healthy subjects were either maintained at 4 degrees C (native LDL) or incubated at 37 degrees C in the presence of copper sulfate (oxidized LDL). Unlike pretreatment with native LDL, pretreatment with oxidized LDL reduced significantly the acetylcholine-mediated relaxation of rabbit aortic segments compared with control segments incubated in Krebs' buffer (maximal relaxation [Emax], 72.0 +/- 6.7% versus 94.1 +/- 0.8%, respectively, P < .01; negative logarithm of the concentration required to produce a half-maximal relaxing effect [pD2], 6.6 +/- 0.1 versus 7.2 +/- 0.1, respectively, P < .001). The absolute difference between Emax values obtained with oxidized and native LDL (delta Emax) correlated significantly with the formation of 7 ketocholesterol, 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, and 7 beta-hydroxy-cholesterol. In contrast, delta Emax did not correlate with the amount of lipoperoxides or lysophosphatidylcholine formed, and the difference of pD2 values measured with oxidized and native LDL (delta pD2) did not correlate significantly with any of the oxidation-derived LDL compounds. When added individually, 7-ketocholesterol and 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol reduced Emax values but not pD2 values in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Cholesterol derivatives in oxidized LDL can reduce maximal arterial relaxation through a specific effect on vascular endothelial cells.
The Relationship Among Attachment Representation, Emotion-Abstraction Patterns, and Narrative Style: A Computer-Based Text Analysis of the Adult Attachment Interview

The main aim of this research was to test the discriminant capacity of computer-based, linguistic text measures which are economically compilable (Emotion-Abstraction Patterns, Mergenthaler, 1996; Computerized Referential Activity, Mergenthaler & Bucci, 1999) in differentiating between complex attachment representations in the Adult Attachment Interview (Main & Goldwyn, 1994). The study of N = 40 healthy controls produced the consistent result that, of the two insecure attachment categories, the group ‘dismissing’ (n = 10) showed the lowest means on all text measures, whereas the group ‘preoccupied’ (n = 10) showed the highest means. The mean of the attachment group ‘secure’ (n = 20) lay between these groups. This ranking is consistent with the results of studies which had another research focus, showing deactivation or hyperactivation of attachment-relevant information in both insecure attachment groups, as well as flexibility in the ‘secure’ group. We also discuss whether the coincidence of language markers for emotion and abstraction, as well as Computerized Referential Activity, is adequate to operationalize the construct of coherence in narrative style.
Performance of Widely Tunable Multi-Quantum-Well and Bulk Laser Diodes and the Main Limiting Factors

The output power and tuning performance of multi-quantum-well (MQW) and bulk InGaAsP/InP-distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) tunable laser diodes (TLDs) are investigated over a wide wavelength tuning range using physics-based PICS3D and VPI laser simulation tools within the travelling-wave formalism. The key result of our simulations is the discovery of a new effect in TLDs due to intervalence band absorption (IVBA) in passive phase and DBR sections, which limits the wavelength tuning range. The physical mechanism responsible for such a behavior is a collapse of the spectral-mode selectivity by the DBR due to large IVBA losses in the phase or/and DBR sections. We fundamentally demonstrate different roles played by the IVBA in the active and passive sections of a TLD. It is shown that the IVBA in passive sections and the carrier relaxation broadening (CRB) of the Lorentzian lineshape function in the lasers’ active and passive sections play a crucial role in TLD tuning operation. The IVBA coefficient <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{k}_{\mathrm {IVBA}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and the intraband relaxation time <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\tau _{in}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> are the major limiting factors that define the output power variation and the achievable tuning range of the lasers. Both bulk and MQW lasers with small <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{k}_{\mathrm {IVBA}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> demonstrate a wide wavelength tuning range above 30 nm, while for large <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{k}_{\mathrm {IVBA}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the tuning range drops below 10 nm. We show that the output power variation with tuning due to the CRB parameter <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\tau _{in}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is qualitatively different in bulk and MQW TLDs. The TLD tuning and power performance is also strongly affected by the shapes of the net gain and the cavity mirror loss spectra and their mutual positioning with respect to the lasing cavity mode during the tuning. The limiting parameters <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{k}_{\mathrm {IVBA}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\tau _{in}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> as well as gain and mirror loss spectra must be thoroughly evaluated in each TLD structure prior to the device design and optimization in order to achieve the best performance in terms of the wavelength tuning and the output power stability.
The effect of white collar crime announcement on stock price performance: Evidence from Malaysian stock market

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the connection between ethics and profitability by examining the association between published reports on white-collar crime and the share-price performance of the Malaysian-listed companies. This study aims to examine the role of white-collar crime in Malaysian-listed companies on its stock-price reaction. Design/methodology/approach - Following prior research, even study methodology is used to exploit the stock-price reaction on the white-collar crime announcement. The daily bases of average abnormal returns (AARs) and cumulative average abnormal returns (CAARs) with an event window of 90 days prior to and after the announcements are determined. This study uses public announcement data of white-collar crimes from Malaysian Securities Commission from 1996 to 2013. Findings - The finding indicates that an announcement of a white-collar crime has a negative abnormal return on the share price. As a result, the market does not react efficiently toward the information released regarding the incidence of a white-collar crime. Practical implications - This study contributes to the managerial decision theory, where managers should be able to see a definite connection between unethical behavior and their firm's stock. The stockholders and policymakers should find this information important in pressing for greater corporate and managerial accountability. Originality/value - Unlike prior research, this paper investigates the stock-price performance due to white-collar crime announcement in the Malaysian context by using complete data set of announcement from 1996 to 2013.
Association of Neospora caninum with reproductive performance in dairy cows: A prospective study from Iran

There is no prospective study from Iran to estimate the direct risk of Neospora caninum for pregnancy loss or reproductive factors. In addition, there is no report in the literature concerning the association of N. caninum with dystocia and sex of calves. Therefore, this study was conducted on a group of dairy cows in a large intensive production system during 2011 to 2013 in southern Iran to evaluate the impact of neosporosis on reproductive performance. A total of 253 cows which were diagnosed as pregnant during the first six months of the study were followed until calving or abortion. Reproductive data were collected and N. caninum serostatus was determined using ELISA. To investigate the association of abortion with N. caninum, survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard model. The N. caninum seroprevalence in the study group was 30.40% (95% CI: 27.40, 36.10). The overall abortion rate was 12.25%, significantly higher in seropositive animals (20.80%) than seronegative ones (8.50%). Results of Cox model showed that serostatus of animal for N. caninum and season had significant associations with abortion (p < 0.01). Neospora caninum did not show significant association with other factors such as dystocia and sex of calves. In conclusion, neosporosis is responsible for 12.00% excess abortion risk in infected group and more than 30.00% of abortions could be preventable by control of Neospora in study population. Therefore, control of N. caninum would reduce the economic losses caused by parasite mainly due to pregnancy loss.
Loss-of-function mutations in the SIGMAR1 gene cause distal hereditary motor neuropathy by impairing ER-mitochondria tethering and Ca2+ signalling.

Distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMNs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurological conditions characterized by degeneration of the lower motor neurons. So far, 18 dHMN genes have been identified, however, about 80% of dHMN cases remain without a molecular diagnosis. By a combination of autozygosity mapping, identity-by-descent segment detection and whole-exome sequencing approaches, we identified two novel homozygous mutations in the SIGMAR1 gene (p.E138Q and p.E150K) in two distinct Italian families affected by an autosomal recessive form of HMN. Functional analyses in several neuronal cell lines strongly support the pathogenicity of the mutations and provide insights into the underlying pathomechanisms involving the regulation of ER-mitochondria tethering, Ca2+ homeostasis and autophagy. Indeed, in vitro, both mutations reduce cell viability, the formation of abnormal protein aggregates preventing the correct targeting of sigma-1R protein to the mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM) and thus impinging on the global Ca2+ signalling. Our data definitively demonstrate the involvement of SIGMAR1 in motor neuron maintenance and survival by correlating, for the first time in the Caucasian population, mutations in this gene to distal motor dysfunction and highlight the chaperone activity of sigma-1R at the MAM as a critical aspect in dHMN pathology.
Thermoanaerobacterium thermosulfurigenes cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) uses an alpha-retaining double displacement mechanism to catalyze three distinct transglycosylation reactions. To investigate these reactions as catalyzed by the CGTase from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosulfurigenes the enzyme was overproduced (8 mg.L(-1) culture) using Bacillus subtilis as a host. Detailed analysis revealed that the three reactions proceed via different kinetic mechanisms. The cyclization reaction (cyclodextrin formation from starch) is a one-substrate reaction, whereas the other two transglycosylation reactions are two-substrate reactions, which obey substituted enzyme mechanism kinetics (disproportionation reaction) or ternary complex mechanism kinetics (coupling reaction). Analysis of the effects of acarbose and cyclodextrins on the disproportionation reaction revealed that cyclodextrins are competitive inhibitors, whereas acarbose is a mixed type of inhibitor. Our results show that one molecule of acarbose binds either in the active site of the free enzyme, or at a secondary site of the enzyme-substrate complex. The mixed inhibition thus indicates the existence of a secondary sugar binding site near the active site of T. thermosulfurigenes CGTase.
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), HGF activator, and c-Met in synovial tissues in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional polypeptide that has been implicated in cancer growth, tissue development, and wound repair. Its actions are dependent on activation by HGF activator (HGFA) and its binding to a specific HGF receptor (c-Met). We examined the role of HGF, HGFA, and c-Met in synovial tissues in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), and their localization and mRNA expression. METHODS Immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization (ISH) for HGF, HGFA, and c-Met were performed on synovial tissue specimens from 10 patients with RA and 4 with OA, and 2 healthy controls. RESULTS Immunohistochemical staining revealed that HGFA and c-Met were strongly expressed in fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, and synovial lining cells. HGF was expressed only faintly in macrophages and fibroblasts, and not at all in the endothelial cells of RA and OA synovial tissue. HGFA was detected near 73 and 34 kDa on Western blot analysis, corresponding to inactive and active HGFA, respectively. RT-PCR showed HGF, HGFA, and c-Met mRNA in RA, OA, and control synovial tissue. ISH and immunohistochemistry revealed mRNA expression for HGF, HGFA, and c-Met in the cell types mentioned above. CONCLUSION HGFA, HGF, and c-Met mRNA are expressed in synovial tissue in RA and OA, and HGF is activated by HGFA and binds to c-Met on endothelial cells, inducing angiogenesis.
ICEPIC Simulation of a Strapped Nonrelativistic High-Power CW UHF Magnetron With a Solid Cathode Operating in the Space-Charge Limited Regime

This paper presents the results of particle-in- cell (PIC) simulations of a strapped nonrelativistic ultrahigh- frequency (890-915 MHz) magnetron whose geometrical and operational parameters are close to the parameters of the high- power industrial heating magnetron producing 75-100 kW of continuous-wave microwave power. Simulations of the magnetron operation are performed without artificial RF priming, but rather in natural conditions, when magnetron oscillations start to grow from electromagnetic “noise. ” This approach reveals many important details of the “preoscillating” phase of the magnetron operation. It is found, for example, that the start-up time of the magnetron with a solid cathode, operating in the explosive electron emission mode, is determined by the time needed for the electron cloud formed near the cathode to reach the anode, where the fringing dc electric fields of the periodic anode structure begin to perturb the electron cloud and to facilitate the magnetron oscillations to start to grow. The PIC simulations are performed at one magnetic held (0.238 T) and a range of applied voltages, allowing the magnetron to operate in the π mode characterized by five magnetron spokes and T E51-like mode of the induced electromagnetic held distribution within the resonant system of the ten-cavity magnetron.
In situ splitting of the cadaveric liver for two adult recipients.

BACKGROUND Split-liver transplantation offers a unique opportunity to expand the existing donor pool. However, it has previously been stated that due to inadequate liver volume the advantages of split-liver transplantation would be lost when attempting to split the liver for two adult recipients. In this study, we sought to determine the safety, efficacy, and applicability of split-liver transplantation in select adult liver transplant recipients. METHODS Liver allografts for eight adult recipients were procured by in situ splitting of four adult cadaveric livers. The donor ages were 17, 19, 22, and 25 years and weights were 72, 77, 78, and 87 kg, respectively. In situ splitting resulted in three right trisegmental grafts, one right lobe graft, one left lobe graft, and three left lateral segmental grafts. The median recipient age was 49 years (range 38-61 years), whereas the median recipient weight was 84 kg (range 78-98 kg) for the right-sided grafts and 52 kg (range 51-53 kg) for recipients of the left-sided grafts. The median graft-to-recipient body weight ratio for right trisegmental, right lobe, left lobe, and left lateral segmental grafts was 1.31%, 1.26%, 1.35%, and 0.70%, respectively. RESULTS Overall patient and graft survival in this series is 100%. All prothrombin times were normalized within 4 days of transplantation. No evidence of ascites or prolonged hyperbilirubinemia was encountered in any right- or left-sided graft recipient. The incidence of hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein thrombosis is 0%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. Hepatic arterial anastomotic bleeding and a cut surface bile leak each occurred in one patient. Median United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting time was 242 days (range 4-454 days) for the patients to which the donor liver was allocated. In contrast, the median waiting time for the four patients receiving the extra split-liver graft was reduced significantly to 37 days (range 21-101 days) (P<0.02). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that split-liver transplantation can expand the cadaveric donor liver pool available for select adult liver transplant recipients. When both the donor organ and the transplant recipient are chosen carefully, split-liver transplantation can be safely performed without a delay in allograft function, increase in technical complications, or compromise in graft or patient survival.
A dual voltage control strategy for single-phase PWM converters with power decoupling function

The inherent double line ripple power in singlephase systems is adverse to the converter performance, e.g. limited lifetime due to the requirement of large electrolytic capacitors and low voltage control bandwidth due to harmonic disturbance. In this paper, an active converter topology based on a symmetrical half bridge circuit is proposed to decouple the ripple power so that balanced instantaneous power flow is assured between source and load, and the required dc-link capacitance can be dramatically reduced. For proper closed-loop regulation, the small signal modeling of the proposed system is presented, and a dual voltage control strategy is then proposed, which comprises one voltage loop implemented in the synchronous reference frame for active power balancing, and another one implemented in the harmonic reference frame for ripple power compensation. Special attention is given to the bandwidth of voltage control loop because the variation of dc-link voltage should be kept within an acceptable range during load transients. This is particularly important for systems with reduced dc-link capacitance because they are of lower energy capacity and very sensitive to step load changes. Simulation results and experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed circuit and control algorithm.