Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Up-Regulates P-Glycoprotein via the Vitamin D Receptor and Not Farnesoid X Receptor in Both fxr(−/−) and fxr(+/+) Mice and Increased Renal and Brain Efflux of Digoxin in Mice In Vivo

Secondary farnesoid X receptor (FXR) effects, in addition to vitamin D receptor (VDR) effects, were observed in the rat liver after treatment with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], the natural ligand of VDR, caused by increased bile acid absorption as a consequence of apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter induction. To investigate whether the increased multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mdr1)/P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression in the rat liver and kidney was caused by the VDR and not the FXR, we examined changes in Mdr1/P-gp expression in fxr(+/+) and fxr(−/−) mice after intraperitoneal dosing of vehicle versus 1,25(OH)2D3 (0 or 2.5 μg/kg every other day for 8 days). Renal and brain levels of Mdr1 mRNA and P-gp protein were significantly increased in both fxr(+/+) and fxr(−/−) mice treated with 1,25(OH)2D3, confirming that Mdr1/P-gp induction occurred independently of the FXR. Increased P-gp function was evident in 1,25(OH)2D3-treated fxr(+/+) mice given intravenous bolus doses of the P-gp probe, [3H]digoxin (0.1 mg/kg). Decreased blood (24%) and brain (29%) exposure, estimated as reduced areas under the curve, caused by increased renal (74%) and total body (34%) clearances of digoxin, were observed in treated mice. These events were predicted by physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling that showed increased renal secretory intrinsic clearance (3.45-fold) and brain efflux intrinsic clearance (1.47-fold) in the 1,25(OH)2D3-treated mouse, trends that correlated well with increases in P-gp protein expression in tissues. The clearance changes were less apparent because of the high degree of renal reabsorption of digoxin. The observations suggest an important role of the VDR in the regulation of P-gp in the renal and brain disposition of P-gp substrates.
Vulnerability and physical well-being of caregivers: what relationship?

Objectives. To assess relationships among burden, compassion, and well-being and health among an active group of caregivers. Methods. 301 caregivers with female prevalence (F = 61.1%, M = 38.9%) and ages between 18 and 84 years old (average = 38.72; SD 13.36) participated. Evaluation was carried using standardized instruments to assess: Burdens (CBI), dimensions related to Compassion and Burnout (ProQOL-5), State of Well-being (Who-5) and particular health-related domains (Emotional state, Physical health, Depressive Polarity, Dysphoric Polarity-SF-36). Correlational analyses and multivariate linear regressions were performed. Results. Positive correlations emerged between Burdens and Compassion Fatigue, Well-being and Satisfaction; inverse correlations emerged among Well-being and Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction and Emotional State, with the exception of Time Dependence. Multivariate linear regression indicated relations among Compassion Fatigue with Depression and Social Burden, Compassion Satisfaction with Depressive Polarity and Dysphoria and Burnout with Social Burden. Conclusions. Caregivers’ work presents various risks, with negative outcomes that need to be addressed for this group of professionals. These risks present a professional and human development opportunity.
Strength and power predictors of sprinting performance in professional rugby players.

AIM The ability to accelerate and attain high levels of speed is an essential component of success in team sports; however, the physical qualities that underpin these activities remain unclear. This study aimed to determine some of the key strength and power predictors of speed within professional rugby union players. METHODS Twenty professional male rugby union players participated in this study. Subjects were tested for speed (0-10 m sprint and a flying 10 m sprint), strength (3 repetition maximum squat), lower body power (countermovement jumps [CMJ] and drop jumps [DJ]), reactive strength and leg spring stiffness. The strength and power variables were expressed as absolute values and relative values for analysis. RESULTS Both relative strength (r=-0.55, P<0.05) and relative power (-0.82, P<0.01) were negatively correlated with 10 m time. Leg spring stiffness and DJ contact time were also related to the flying 10 m time (r=-0.46 and 0.47, respectively, P<0.05) while reactive strength index was negatively related to both the 10 m and flying 10 m times (r=-0.60 and r=-0.62, P<0.05). CONCLUSION This study provides an insight into those physical attributes that underpin sprinting performance in professional rugby union players and specifically highlights the importance of relative strength and power in the expression and development of different speed components (e.g. acceleration, maximum velocity).
GENDER INEQUALITY IN TVET INSTITUTIONS - BRIDGING THE GAP: THE CASE OF ACCRA POLYTECHNIC

In many countries, gender differentiation within education has become a key principle which shapes the selection, distribution and evaluation of educational knowledge for young men and women. Issues of gender have been topical and dominate most education related discussions in recent times. Access to Technical and Vocational education in Ghana has increased in the past decade. Within these TVET institutions, the challenge has been gender disparities, with focus on female involvement both as trainers and trainees. For Technical Education, males dominate and in Vocational Education, females outnumber their male counterparts. The Polytechnics are no exception as some of its programmes are aligned in this way. Improving access to higher quality tertiary education and skills training is central to enhancing Ghana’s productivity, spurring social inclusion and reducing inequality. Even though females today have an increased opportunity to enroll in Technology education programs, the vast majority still choose not to. They perceive Technology education as a male domain to which they do not belong. There is the need to address this lack of participation by understanding the differences between males and females choice of study. This paper is concerned with the under-representation of women in Engineering education as well as men in Vocational education and the underlying reasons. A stratified random sample of staff and students selected from the Science and Engineering faculties of Accra Polytechnic was used in this study. Data on enrollment and graduation were also used for further analysis. This study recommends that competency based training must be adopted in the Technical and Vocational fields of study in our TVET institutions. Keywo r ds : Gender, TVET, Polytechnic, Stratified.
Size and density of glial and neuronal cells within the cerebral neocortex of various insectivorian species

Morphometric measurements were done on frontal sections through the somatosensory neocortex of various insectivorian species. All measured parameters varied with the size of animals; there was a better correlation with the ventriculartopial brain wall thickness than with the brain weight. The following rules were evaluated: with increasing brain wall thickness, (1) lamina I becomes thinner; (2) the nuclei of both neuronal and glial cells become larger; (3) the volume density of neuronal cells decreases greatly; (4) the volume density of glial cells increases slightly; and (5) as a result, the glia:neuron index increases markedly. There was no equal number of neurons under a unit surface area in the cortices of any species studied. Developmental processes that might account for the above‐mentioned rules are discussed in this report.
Paramedic laryngoscopy in the simulated difficult airway: comparison of the Venner A.P. Advance and GlideScope Ranger video laryngoscopes.

OBJECTIVES This study assesses intubation times and potential trauma with two new portable video laryngoscopes, the GlideScope Ranger (GSR) and the Venner A.P. Advance (APA), in a simulated difficult prehospital airway. The GSR has a hockey stick shape and is inserted by a different (midline) technique compared with direct laryngoscopy and requires the use of a stylet. The APA has a handle similar to a direct laryngoscope, but with an angulated difficult airway blade. The APA is designed to have an intuitive insertion technique somewhat similar to that of direct laryngoscopy (lateral tongue displacement) and has a guiding mechanism that foregoes the need for a stylet. METHODS Thirty qualified paramedics received a short demonstration of each device and were asked to intubate a modified Grade III difficult laryngoscopy mannequin in a random order (closed envelope technique). Optimal view and tracheal intubation times were recorded, and potential trauma assessed by the number of additional discrete forward advances and by visual analog scale (VAS). Direct laryngoscopy was used as a comparator. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for intubation times, optimal view times, percentage of glottis opening (POGO) seen, and objective trauma assessment. Student's paired t-test was used for subjective trauma assessment and a Bonferroni correction was used for the primary outcome measures. RESULTS Participants declared a median of 60 (range 20 to 300) previous intubations. Time to achieve optimal view between APA and GSR was not different (20 seconds vs. 19 seconds; p = 0.19), but tracheal intubation was significantly faster with the APA (25 seconds vs. 46 seconds; p < 0.0001). Intubation success was ultimately 97% in both groups. Participants judged subjective trauma to be less for the APA than GSR on a VAS (1.6 cm vs. 3.3 cm; p < 0.001). More than three additional forward advances were required in 43% of GSR and 0% of APA intubations. CONCLUSIONS Following a brief demonstration to paramedics naïve to video laryngoscopy, the APA demonstrated earlier intubation, fewer additional discrete forward advances of the tube, and less participant-judged subjective trauma when compared to the GSR in this simulation model.
Improving Overnight Loan Identification in Payments Systems

Information on the allocation and pricing of over‐the‐counter (OTC) markets is scarce. Furfine (1999) pioneered an algorithm that provides transaction‐level data on the OTC interbank lending market. The veracity of the data identified, however, is not well established. Using permutation methods, I estimate an upper bound on the daily false positive rate of this algorithm to be between 10% and 20%. I propose refinements that reduce the bound to 10% or lower with negligible power loss. The results suggest that the inferred prices and quantities of overnight loans provide viable estimates of interbank lending market activity for Canadian data.
Vascular factors and prevention of dementia

The identification of modifiable risk factors that prevent dementia or slow its progression is a major public health priority. Vascular disease and its risk factors have been linked with cognitive decline and dementia, although the degree of association varies depending on differences in vulnerability related to age, ethnicity, disease co-morbidity and possibly brain reserve. Here we review current dementia prevention strategies linked to vascular modification to identify whether any approach exists that will reduce the population burden of dementia, and whether any exist that show evidence of being cost effective and safe for populations. As yet, there is no compelling evidence that dementia can be prevented through vascular manipulation by pharmacological or non-pharmacological trials. To date, no intervention can be recommended for dementia prevention at the population level including Alzheimer's Disease or Vascular Dementia. Advances in the prevention of dementia will be gained, it is argued, from a more complete understanding of the pathophysiology of disease and its causes, particularly in early life, within and across different populations and age groups. Furthermore, a more complete understanding of the earliest pre-clinical stage of disease is required for effective risk factor modification. Although the current state of knowledge cannot support public health policy for vascular manipulation for dementia prevention at the population level, this does not undermine the importance of vascular manipulation in its own right to promote healthier ageing.
Gender differences in immediate memory in bipolar disorder

Background Gender is known to modulate the clinical course and severity of bipolar disorder (BD). Although cognitive abnormalities are an established feature of BD, there is limited information regarding whether gender also influences the pattern and severity of cognitive impairment. Method We evaluated the performance of 86 remitted patients with BD, type 1, (BD-I) (36 male and 50 female) and 46 healthy participants (21 male and 25 female) on tasks of general intellectual ability, memory encoding, recognition and retrieval, response inhibition and executive function (abstraction and perseveration). The impact of illness severity in patients was assessed using the global assessment of functioning (GAF). Results We found a gender effect and an interaction between diagnosis and gender on immediate memory, implicating encoding and retrieval processes, both showing male BD-I patients being disadvantaged compared with female patients and healthy controls. Immediate memory correlated with GAF scores and this association was statistically significant for male BD-I patients. Conclusions Our findings suggest that gender differences in BD-I are associated with memory function, particularly processes relating to encoding and retrieval, and may contribute to poor functional outcome particularly in men.
Differences in Performance on a Commercially Available Competency-Based Exam between Traditionally and Alternatively Prepared Teacher Candidates: A Causal Comparative Study

Alternative route teacher education programs have increased to address personnel shortages in key areas such as special education, mathematics, and science. Alternative route programs may serve as a means to address such shortages, but require evaluation to ensure that candidates emerging from these programs demonstrate skills commensurate with those that complete traditional teacher education programs. Although studies examining aspects of alternative route programs exist, few studies comparing alternative route programs with traditional programs have been conducted. Differences in definitions used to describe alternative route programs compound efforts to compare programs. Nevertheless, research reviewed compared outcomes for alternative and traditional programs on candidate satisfaction, academic achievement, multicultural awareness, retention, and performance on competency-based assessments. Results on these measures were mixed. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to compare performance on the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) using longitudinal data (2013-2017) from candidates (N = 565) that attended a mid-sized urban university that offered both traditional and alternative route programs. The non-parametric analysis revealed no differences in expected and actual edTPA performance between groups. The parametric analysis revealed a statistically significant omnibus effect based on program type. Post hoc testing revealed differences in Instructional Average (IA) and Assessment Average (AA) although variance accounted for was small. Recommendations for practitioners are discussed.
Dangerous Climate Change: The Role for Risk Research

The notion of “dangerous climate change” constitutes an important development of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It persists, however, as an ambiguous expression, sustained by multiple definitions of danger. It also implicitly contains the question of how to respond to the complex and multi‐disciplinary risk issues that climate change poses. The invaluable role of the climate science community, which relies on risk assessments to characterize system uncertainties and to identify limits beyond which changes may become dangerous, is acknowledged. But this alone will not suffice to develop long‐term policy. Decisions need to include other considerations, such as value judgments about potential risks, and societal and individual perceptions of “danger,” which are often contested. This article explores links and cross‐overs between the climate science and risk communication and perception approaches to defining danger. Drawing upon nine articles in this Special Issue of Risk Analysis, we examine a set of themes: limits of current scientific understanding; differentiated public perceptions of danger from climate change; social and cultural processes amplifying and attenuating perceptions of, and responses to, climate change; risk communication design; and new approaches to climate change decision making. The article reflects upon some of the difficulties inherent in responding to the issue in a coherent, interdisciplinary fashion, concluding nevertheless that action should be taken, while acknowledging the context‐specificity of “danger. ” The need for new policy tools is emphasised, while research on nested solutions should be aimed at overcoming the disjunctures apparent in interpretations of climate change risks.
The Measurement Method for Corona Discharge Current Under High-Voltage Environment

Measuring corona discharge current directly on the high-voltage side is essential for the discharge mechanism research of the test object. The amplitude of the corona discharge current is in microamperes, and its frequency ranges from DC to megahertz. An optical microcurrent transducer for measurement of the current is described in this paper based on an amplitude modulation principle. A low-pass filter is used to extend the analog fiber link to recover low-frequency signals. The uncertainty of the transducer is estimated to be less than 1.3% in ratio, and its response frequency range is from DC to several megahertz.
The Impact of Monetary Policy on Australian Capital City House Prices: The Case of Australia

Using Australian national economic data and state level house prices we construct a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model to identify the impact of common monetary policy shocks on house prices both at national and state levels. Our results suggest that the impact of a shock to interest rates on national aggregate house prices is almost neutral. However, aggregation influences mask asymmetries in the responses of state capital city housing markets. Positive shocks to interest rates on capital city house prices exhibit significant asymmetries.
Social media in policing: A study of Dallas-Fort Worth area city police departments

Social media offers numerous opportunities to companies, organizations and government agencies to communicate with people outside their organization, to promote their interests and to better serve their customers, or as in the case with government agencies, to better serve their citizens. However, little is known about how police departments in particular use social media. This research study explores why police departments use social media, how they manage their social media tools, and the problems and challenges experienced as they use social media. This qualitative study is largely guided by grounded theory. The data were collected from a study population using local police departments in the Dallas-Fort worth (DFW) area principal cities using both individual interviews with police departments’ social media officers and observations of these departments’ online social media tools (in particular, Facebook and Twitter). This study has shown that the DFW area city police departments are using social media quite extensively to keep the public informed and often for investigative purposes. There are some success factors to adopting and using these tools, such as the motivation of department staff and their benefits, successful implementation of the tools, the simplicity of using tools and that it is absolutely free.
Influence of Invitational Summer Institute of the National Writing Project on Teachers and Their Practice: A Phenomenological Study.

As schools and the faculty are increasingly under scrutiny for student achievement outcomes, professional development is becoming a way for districts and schools to show a commitment to instructional improvement. They are required to establish practices and allocate funds for professional development. Teachers are required to grow professionally as well, in order to maintain teaching credentials. Understanding the characteristics that contribute to effective professional development experiences is essential for teachers, administrators, and district personnel to determine if they are spending their time and their money wisely. In this phenomenological inquiry I explored the lived experiences of nine teacher participants in the Invitational Summer Institute of the National Writing Project. The purpose of the research was to try and capture the essence of the experience through focus group interviews in order to reveal how participation in this unique professional development opportunity has influenced teachers’ attitudes and classroom teaching practices.
Agricultural Productivity Growth in the United States: Measurement, Trends, and Drivers

U.S. agricultural output more than doubled between 1948 and 2011, with growth averaging 1.49 percent per year. With little growth in total measured use of agricultural inputs, the extraordinary performance of the U.S. farm sector was driven mainly by increases in total factor productivity (TFP—measured as output per unit of aggregate input). Over the last six decades, the mix of agricultural inputs used shifted significantly, with increased use of intermediate goods (e.g., fertilizer and pesticides) and less use of labor and land. The output mix changed as well, with crop production growing faster than livestock production. Based on econometric analysis of updated (1948-2011) TFP data, this study finds no statistical evidence that longrun U.S. agricultural productivity has slowed over time. Model-based projections show that in the future, slow growth in research and development investments may have only minor effects on TFP growth over the next 10 years but will slow TFP growth much more over the long term.